UNews - Aboriginal Health

Reimagined PUBlic Professor Series celebrating its 10th season

trevor.kenney — Thu, 07 Sep 2023 17:44:25 +0000

The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge’s popular pub-style talk series, PUBlic Professor, will kick off its 10th season on Sept. 28, 2023. To celebrate a decade of casual, informative and engaging presentations from ULethbridge faculty members, the series has been reimagined to include speakers beyond the Faculty of Arts & Science — giving the public an opportunity to explore the breadth of expertise from across the entire institution.

Fittingly, the opening talk of the series features Dr. Digvir Jayas, the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ’s new president and vice-chancellor. Jayas, a researcher in agricultural studies, will present, Recent Trends in the Food Industry, on September 28, 2023, from 7 to 9 p.m. at the Sandman Signature Lethbridge Lodge.

As with any other industry, the food industry has been changing over time. These changes are driven by many factors including changes in consumer behaviour, advice to consumers from health practitioners, government regulations, global economy, transportation, climate change, technology including internet-of-things (IoT), research done by academic institutions and industry itself, and most recently the pandemic. Jayas’s talk will provide an overview of recent trends in the food industry and factors driving these changes. Using food quality monitoring as an example, this presentation will highlight what role research has played and is continuing to play towards this area.

The PUBlic Professor Series begins on Sept. 28, with Dr. Digvir Jayas presenting on recent trends in the food industry.

Jayas conducts research related to the drying, handling and storing of grains and oilseeds and digital image processing for grading and processing operations in the agri-food industry. Born in India, he earned a Bachelor of Agricultural Engineering at G.B. Pant ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Agriculture and Technology in Pantnagar, India. He came to Canada for his graduate schooling, first at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Manitoba (master of science, agricultural engineering) and then the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Saskatchewan (doctorate in agricultural engineering). He began his professional academic career at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Manitoba as an assistant professor in the Agricultural Engineering Department in 1985.

As his career progressed, Jayas’s reputation as an influential researcher and leading voice in agrology grew. He collaborated with researchers in several countries and has had significant impact on the development of efficient grain storage, handling and drying systems in Canada, China, India, Ukraine and the United States.

The PUBlic Professor Series will feature six talks in total and touch on subjects in agriculture, therapeutic recreation, history, aboriginal health and new media, education, and neuroscience. Below is the talk schedule for the 2023/24 season. For more, visit the PUBlic Professor web page.

September 28, 2023 | Recent Trends in the Food Industry

Dr. Digvir Jayas, ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge President & Vice-Chancellor (Agricultural Studies)

October 26, 2023 | Person-centred Care from Rhetoric to Reality: Exploring the Role of Knowledge Translation and Mobilization in Health Care

Dr. Sienna Caspar (Therapeutic Recreation)

November 23, 2023 | Borders are Stupid

Dr. Sheila McManus (History)

January 25, 2024 | Weaving World Views: The Web as a Space for Cultural Vitality

Christine Clark (New Media) & Melissa Shouting (Aboriginal Health)

February 29, 2024 | Owning my Voice and Speaking my Truth in Academic Spaces

Dr. Sandra Dixon (Education)

March 28, 2024 | Why is the Brain Important?

Dr. Rob Sutherland (Neuroscience)

Bruyere looking to make a difference

trevor.kenney — Mon, 10 Dec 2018 21:21:34 +0000

Gord Bruyere is a well-travelled educator who’s on a mission to make a difference in the lives of Canada’s Indigenous people. As a new faculty member in the Aboriginal Health program in the Faculty of Health Sciences at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge, Bruyere is in an excellent position to do just that.

After earning a Bachelor of Arts in English and a Bachelor of Social Work at Lakehead ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ, Bruyere went on to earn a Master of Social Work at Carleton ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ. After that, he crisscrossed the country, working as a teacher and curriculum developer at post-secondary schools, both public and Indigenous. As a member of the Anishinaabe Nation, his work in Indigenous schools was often hard on his heart.

Gordon Bruyere will play a key role in developing the curriculum for the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ's Aboriginal Health program.

“Seeing students so hungry for an education, determined to climb out of poverty and transform their lives; it motivated me to do more,” says Bruyere. “Aboriginal people face challenges and obstacles that most Canadians have no idea about. I’ve worked in communities where families have no running water; where 20 people are living in a three-bedroom house; where a carton of juice costs 15 dollars. These are very specific public-health issues that have a very broad impact. My goal is to bring awareness so we can initiate change.”

Through his work at the U of L, Bruyere plans to put Aboriginal issues in the national spotlight, bringing to light the situation that many of Canada’s Indigenous people are in, and creating a blueprint to explain to the country how it all happened.

“The historical undercurrents and complexity of the issues are just starting to be examined,” he says. “The Aboriginal Health program and ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge are microcosms for what Canada as a country is grappling with — how to include Indigenous people in the framework of our nation. Aboriginal health issues are among the most pressing public policy and social justice issues the country faces today, and the program is a springboard for awareness and change.”

Bruyere will play a key role in developing the curriculum for the program, and says his approach is to flip the script on traditional post-secondary learning models.

“Indigenous knowledge will be the centre of learning in the program,” he says. “��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ programs usually take a colonial approach to curriculum. In Aboriginal Health, we need to learn from the people who’ve been affected, and strike a balance between Indigenous and Western knowledge. We can all learn and benefit from that.”

Bruyere learned the value of education and the importance of serving others at an early age. His mother and father fostered several of his cousins, and both were examples of a strong work ethic.

“My dad was a manual labourer sun up to sun down, but also served our community as a councilor and Chief, and took courses to advance his career into a managerial role,” he says. “My mother went back to school in her 50s, earning her high-school equivalency and a Bachelor of Fine Arts. When I was born, neither of my parents had more than a Grade 8 education from residential schools, but they understood how important education is. They showed me how to work hard for what I want and how to take care of others.”

Public health is a commonly misunderstood field of study, but Bruyere has a very clear voice on the subject, particularly when it comes to Aboriginal health.

“If part of your body is unhealthy, it affects the rest of you,” Gord says. “Aboriginal health is Canadian health. The health of the Aboriginal community is important to the country as a whole.”

He was drawn to the U of L because he believes it’s the place where real change can begin.

“The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge is positioned to lead Aboriginal health education in Canada,” says Bruyere. “We’re at the heart of traditional Blackfoot territory. Being welcomed into the Blackfoot community; to hear their stories and learn their traditions, it’s been a tremendous gift.”

UNews - Aboriginal Health

Reimagined PUBlic Professor Series celebrating its 10th season

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