UNews - Jennifer Arthur

Exemplary research + engaged students = extraordinary results

trevor.kenney — Mon, 10 Dec 2012 21:54:27 +0000

There were hints that this was coming.

It is no secret that the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge has undergone a cultural shift and been making major inroads as a comprehensive university on both the provincial and national stage. Research institutes have been developed and supported, leading researchers have been actively recruited and research activity now percolates at all levels (undergraduate and graduate alike) and across disciplines.

But when RE$EARCH Infosource tagged the U of L as Canada's Research ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of the Year (2012), Undergraduate Category, it elevated the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ from an emerging comprehensive institution to one of Canada's most influential research universities.

Dr. H.J. Wieden and his iGEM team is an excellent example of the undergraduate research activity that takes place on the U of L campus.

Dr. Dan Weeks, the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ's vice-president (research), is the first to admit that the rise to number one did not happen overnight and is not attributable to one factor.

Statistics tell part of the tale. The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ saw a huge rise in research income over the past year (38.7 per cent), and that growth was the third best of any university in the country. But the U of L story has never been about numbers, and instead is rooted in the community of people who make up the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ.

"A research portfolio must be built strategically, over time, and with support throughout the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ," he says. "It is also dependent on the hard work of faculty members who consistently demonstrate that they are among the very best researchers in Canada. They not only excel in research, but actively engage students in research opportunities that foster the next generation of researchers and innovators."

Therein lies the uniqueness that is the U of L. Undergraduate students are exposed to research opportunities often only available to graduate and PhD level students at other institutions. It's what brought Jennifer Arthur (BA '07, MSc '12) to the U of L, and also what kept her in Lethbridge for her master's studies.

"I could have gone anywhere for university, but I chose the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge specifically for the undergraduate research opportunities available to students," says Arthur, who graduated with her Master of Science in Health Sciences earlier this year. "My experiences in Dr. Glen Prusky's (BASc '86) visual plasticity lab and Dr. Martin Lalumiere's psychophysiology lab gave me the discovery and application piece of my education and prepared me for my master's degree."

The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ does not see teaching and research as distinct entities, rather it fosters an atmosphere where its teachers bring their research into the classroom, helping develop the critical thinking and practical research skills today's students deem essential.

Weeks points to programs such as iGEM (International Genetically Engineered Machine) and AMETHYST (Advanced Methods, Education and Training in Hyperspectral Science and Technology) as examples of student-focused research initiatives that create a new generation of researchers who go on to strengthen Alberta's knowledge-based economy.

"The outcomes from these programs are significant and will benefit students and the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ community for years to come," says Weeks. "What excites me is the potential employment success for graduates who participate in these programs and what they prepare our students for in their careers."

The U of L proudly boasts world-renowned researchers in traditionally scientific fields such as neuroscience, the study of water and physics, but a university does not achieve status as the top undergraduate research institution in the country without diversity in its portfolio. Indeed, it is the breadth of research across the full gamut of disciplines that speaks to a campus-wide philosophy where discovery is valued and supported at every turn.

Weeks points to the establishment of internal research and development funds as potential drivers of research activity going forward. He also highlights the allocation of specific funds for the development of interdisciplinary research teams. The anticipated result will be synergies across disciplines.

The Interdisciplinary Research Development Fund (IRDF), a one-time non-renewable research fund, was created to provide the foundation for developing the next generation of interdisciplinary concentrations of research excellence. In spring 2012, it funded three projects (up to $100,000 each over two years), then approved two more proposals in the fall.

"There is a real breadth to the research activities taking place across campus," says Weeks. "With the establishment of a number of internal funding mechanisms in recent years, it has served as the impetus for new research initiatives that are now being recognized by external agencies. Couple that with the many faculty who already have well established research portfolios and it creates an even more vibrant research environment."

The U of L now boasts nine research centres and institutes that address issues across the sciences, social sciences and humanities. From neuroscience research at the Canadian Centre for Behavioural Neuroscience, to water management studies in the Water Institute for Sustainable Environments and the study of childhood in the newly established Institute for Child and Youth Studies, U of L research is multidisciplinary and relevant to today's world issues.

"The problems being addressed by U of L researchers are helping to create a better quality of life for local and global communities," says President and Vice-Chancellor Dr. Mike Mahon. "While many factors have contributed to building this capacity, the exceptional work by current and former faculty has played a significant role in attracting additional world-leading researchers to the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ, thereby expanding our research portfolio."

Where the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ goes from here is the most exciting aspect, because as a teaching institution intent on training the next generation of researchers, the U of L is its own renewable knowledge resource. From a student perspective, this is great news.

"When I first started at the U of L nearly 10 years ago, there wasn't the breadth of formal opportunity for undergraduates to participate in research that there is today," says Arthur. "However, what was the same then as it is today, was the commitment of faculty and staff to engage students in a meaningful way and to encourage students in their research endeavours. "When I look at what is now available to students and how the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ continues to enhance those research opportunities, as an alumna I am extremely proud of my ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ. This recognition is richly deserved."

This story first appeared in the Fall 2012 issue of SAM. For a look at the full issue of SAM in a flipbook format, follow this link.

U of L is Canada's top undergraduate research university

trevor.kenney — Wed, 17 Oct 2012 16:40:14 +0000

The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge continues to evolve as one of the country's leading research-intensive universities, earning recognition Wednesday as the 2012 Research ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of the Year (undergraduate category) from Research Infosource.

The U of L increased its research income by an astounding 38.7 percent over the past year, and combined with other indicators such as research intensity, publication intensity and publication impact, moved from 9th to 1st place in the 22-member undergraduate classification.

"There is no easy path to achieving the status of Canada's Research ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of the Year (2012 undergraduate category)," says Dr. Dan Weeks, Vice-President (Research). "A research portfolio must be built strategically, over time, and with support throughout the university. It is also dependent on the hard work of faculty members who consistently demonstrate that they are among the very best researchers in Canada. They not only excel in research, but actively engage students in research opportunities that foster the next generation of researchers and innovators."

Research Infosource has ranked the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge as the number one undergraduate research university in the country.

Alberta Enterprise and Advanced Education Minister Stephen Khan says the recognition is testament to the province's commitment to research and innovation.

"The U of L's accomplishment of being named Research ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of the Year in its category speaks to the quality of Alberta's post-secondary system," says Khan. "The U of L's research strength, combined with its traditional excellence in teaching, provides Alberta students with tremendous opportunities, and helps to build Alberta's knowledge-based economy."

The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ also ranked third in Research Infosource's top 10 overall ranking for growth and moved from 35^th to 32^nd place in overall research funding.

"There is a real breadth to the research activities that are taking place across campus," says Weeks. "With the establishment of a number of internal funding mechanisms in recent years, it has served as the impetus for new research initiatives that are now being recognized by external agencies. Couple that with the many faculty who already have well established research portfolios and it creates an even more vibrant research environment."

U of L President Mike Mahon says the university's research maturation is positioning the institution to make an even larger difference in people's lives.

"The problems being addressed by U of L researchers are helping to create a better quality of life for local and global communities," says Mahon. "While many factors have contributed to building this capacity, the exceptional work by current and former faculty has played a significant role in attracting additional world-leading researchers."

As a comprehensive university with a focus on both undergraduate and graduate education, the U of L's unique approach creates research opportunities for students early in their undergraduate studies. By investing in the establishment of nine research centres and institutes, and a clear objective outlined in the 2012-2017 Research and Academic Plan, the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ is focused on continuing to grow as one of Canada's most influential universities.

"The education I received from the U of L was second to none," says Jennifer Arthur (BA '07, MSc '12), who recently completed her master's studies at the U of L. "My undergraduate research experience gave me an opportunity to work with great faculty who encouraged me to pursue graduate education."

Research Infosource is Canada's leading provider of research intelligence for business and higher education. Canada's Top 50 Research Universities List is released each fall. Using Statistics Canada data and the Canadian ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ R&D Database, the list ranks universities by their research income. Accompanying the Top 50 List each year are Research Universities of the Year rankings based on a balanced scorecard of input, output and impact measures.

To view the complete rankings list, visit www.researchinfosource.com

Few gamblers cause majority of problems

trevor.kenney — Fri, 29 Apr 2011 15:37:41 +0000

A small percentage of individuals account for the large majority of issues surrounding gambling in the province of Alberta.

��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge researchers from the Faculty of Health Sciences and the Department of Native American Studies concluded in a recent study that only 10 per cent of gamblers account for 80 per cent of all provincial gambling revenues.

The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ sifted through more than 40 years of information, data and reports and then conducted their own in-depth research to determine the long-term effects of gambling in the province. Their study suggests that the not-for-profit groups and community organizations that raise money through gambling get minor economic benefits but also endure minor economic costs.

Roughly $2.5 billion annually is taken into government coffers through gambling and dispensed to charitable groups through various agencies and government ministries.

Not surprisingly, the researchers also found that there are major challenges in the form of problem gambling.

"A small percentage of individuals are responsible for a majority of the issues surrounding gambling in general — and their actions directly or indirectly affect eight to 10 per cent of the province's population," says Dr. Robert Williams, one of the study's authors. "That's more than 300,000 people. Of that population, we estimate that 10 per cent of gamblers contribute 80 per cent of all provincial gambling revenues. These people can be involved in problem gambling to a point where they are affected by bankruptcy, divorce, unemployment, crime and, tragically, suicide."

Williams says gambling appears to be an important contributor to overall bankruptcy and suicide rates in the province.

"The challenge is that despite a number of controls and programs, and well-regulated legalized gambling which has significantly decreased non-regulated illegal gambling, the bottom line is that a small percentage of problem gamblers are responsible for the majority of health, social and criminal problems associated with gambling."

The researchers also confirmed that the legal availability of gambling is only partly responsible for the prevalence of problem gambling, which existed to some extent prior to the introduction of legalized gambling.

"The relationship between legal gambling availability and problem gambling prevalence in Alberta is weak," says Jennifer Arthur, a Health Sciences masters degree candidate and project manager.

"We found that problem gambling is only partly responsible for these serious consequences, because the people involved had other conditions such as alcohol or drug dependency that were triggered by the availability of gambling. What we really want to draw attention to is, in addition to the percentage of gamblers who have significant personal and social problems, the ethical challenge of government and charity gambling revenue being derived from a very small percentage of the population which includes a disproportionate percentage of problem gamblers."

The news, however, is not all bad, as gambling does provide its benefits, particularly to First Nations communities.

"We found that gambling has provided an additional leisure option that is fairly well patronized, and legalized gambling also appears to provide minor employment benefits," says Dr. Yale Belanger, a Native American Studies researcher and a co-author of the report.

"The main economic benefits concern the fact that gambling appears to create additional economic activity without any obvious negative impacts on other businesses, and gambling leads to a very small increase in the value of infrastructure such as buildings and roads, for instance."

Belanger adds that, at a community level, there are significant economic benefits to First Nations communities that host casinos, because of their ability to retain a large part of the revenue.

"We estimate that First Nations in 2009-2010, through their charities and the First Nations Development Fund, had access to more than $158 million for local programming, economic development and infrastructure projects, to name a few areas this money can be used for."

The three-year study was funded by the Alberta Gaming Research Institute, at a cost of $685,000. In addition to Williams, Belanger and Arthur, 10 students were employed while conducting the research.

UNews - Jennifer Arthur

Exemplary research + engaged students = extraordinary results

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