UNews - Chris Nicol

Examining the impact of Watershed Planning and Advisory Councils

caroline.zentner — Wed, 16 Jun 2021 15:25:38 +0000

A first-of-its-kind ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge study has found that the effectiveness of Watershed Planning and Advisory Councils in enhancing land stewardship and water management is closely link to how well they are connected to and engaged with municipal governments.

Alberta’s Water for Life strategy, launched in 2003, provided a blueprint for managing the province’s water resources and paved the way for the establishment of 11 Watershed Planning and Advisory Councils (WPACs), each representing a major river basin. WPACs are independent, non-profit organizations responsible for planning at the watershed or basin level. They report on watershed health and lead collaborative planning among their stakeholders, which include municipal governments.

“Because municipal governments have a significant bearing on the management of land and water, they play a crucial role in the WPACs’ ability to fulfill their mandate,” says Dr. Lorraine Nicol (MA '05, PhD '13), senior research associate in the Department of Economics at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge. “An effective working relationship between WPACs and municipalities is vital. However, no one has evaluated the impact of WPAC initiatives on municipal land and water management and planning.”

Nicol and her husband, Dr. Chris Nicol, professor of economics, conducted a study to determine the effectiveness of WPAC initiatives, identify barriers and develop recommendations. With funding from the Alberta Real Estate Foundation, they conducted a study which looked at four WPACs — Battle River Watershed Alliance, Milk River Watershed Council Canada, North Saskatchewan Watershed Alliance and Oldman Watershed Council — and surveyed the municipalities located within these watersheds.

Results show municipalities have relatively high levels of awareness of WPACs and their work, and over 80 per cent of survey respondents felt it was important their municipality work with their WPAC. They reported the greatest benefits of working with a WPAC were increases in knowledge, awareness, education, expertise and information. Some municipalities reported a lack of awareness of WPAC planning exercises and the results were mixed in terms of impact on municipalities in making more informed decisions and developing statutory documents.

“WPACs are making an impact, but the degree of impact varied from a high of 69 per cent to a low of 41 per cent, depending on the WPAC,” says Chris.

In general, the percentage of those surveyed who said WPACs increased awareness for municipalities in broad subject areas — such as the relationship between land-use planning and watershed health and water quality and quantity — varied between 80 per cent and 40 per cent.

“These mixed results point to the degree of effectiveness of WPAC communications with municipalities,” says Lorraine. “For some councils, poor communications are limiting the full benefit of information sharing and expertise on land and water management and planning. While WPACs have a lot to offer, not all municipalities are maximizing the benefits.”

Municipalities identified making connections, engaging and communicating as the greatest challenges and they most often recommended increasing engagement through presentations to decision makers, either in person or virtually to allow multiple municipalities to attend. WPACs can also collaborate together in communicating with municipalities, especially about government initiatives or policies that affect all watershed.

“In the end, improving the effectiveness of WPACs will enhance land stewardship and water management for sustainable communities, which affects property values and impacts all citizens,” says Chris.

Dr. Harold Jansen to assume role of Interim ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Librarian

trevor.kenney — Mon, 19 Apr 2021 21:54:40 +0000

Long-time ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge educator and administrator Dr. Harold Jansen will take on a new role this summer when he assumes the position of Interim ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Librarian, beginning July 1, 2021.

“Dr. Jansen has long been one of our most respected educators and innovators, always seeking to expand his pedagogy and enhance his ability to connect with his students,” says Dr. Erasmus Okine, the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ’s provost and vice-president (academic). “Harold is also a valued researcher in the political science community, and has been instrumental as an influential policy shaper at the administrative level. His perspective will be greatly valued in this important role.”

Jansen has been with the U of L since 1998, teaching political science in the Faculty of Arts & Science. He most recently has been serving as associate dean for the Faculty and has long been recognized as a leading voice on Canadian politics. His insightful research work on political party and election finance in Canada is well recognized in his field and he’s consistently been voted one of the most popular teachers on campus.

In 2019, Jansen was honoured with the Distinguished Teaching Award, and he has also served as a Board of Governors Teaching Chair. From Edmonton, Alberta, he earned his bachelor’s in political science from the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Alberta, a master’s from Carleton ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ, and then returned to the U of A to complete a doctorate in political science.

Jansen assumes the role held by Dr. Chris Nicol, who begins his administrative leave on July 1, 2021. Nicol, the former dean of the Faculty of Arts & Science, has been the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Librarian since 2012.

“Dr. Nicol’s strong management and leadership skills have highlighted his term in the library,” adds Okine. “He’s also been able to effectively communicate to upper-level administration how unique the library is as a department, and we express our gratitude to him for his service in this role.”

U of L study the first to examine the use of precision agriculture in irrigation farming in Alberta

caroline.zentner — Mon, 14 Jan 2019 15:22:52 +0000

Given the importance of irrigation to the southern Alberta economy, two ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge economists wanted to know if agricultural producers who irrigate are using precision agriculture technologies.

Dr. Lorraine Nicol

Drs. Lorraine (MA '05, PhD '13) and Chris Nicol have conducted the first study in Alberta examining the adoption of precision agriculture in irrigation farming. Their survey shows users are reducing farm inputs and seeing positive economic benefits as a result.

Last fall, they conducted a survey of irrigators in the Taber Irrigation District (TID) to find out the extent to which precision agriculture technologies are being adopted, the types of tools being used and the satisfaction with the technologies. They also looked at those who didn’t use precision agriculture technologies and their reasons for not adopting. Twenty-seven per cent of irrigators in the TID participated in the survey.

“Based on the data collected, 81 per cent of irrigators have adopted some form of precision agriculture, at an average of five technologies per irrigator. Overall, those who have adopted are very satisfied with the technologies and almost all plan on using even more technologies in the future,” says Lorraine. “Among non-adopters, most said their operations were too small to justify the high investment costs.”

Dr. Chris Nicol

Precision agriculture involves parsing fields into small parcels based on variability, allowing more precise application of irrigation water, fertilizer, chemicals and seed compared to conventional methods. The study identified 20 technologies including auto-steering equipment, variable rate fertilizer and irrigation application, soil-moisture monitoring, terrain mapping and analysis, unmanned aerial vehicle mapping, satellite imagery and various data management tools, for example.

“Precision agriculture has fundamentally changed the way farming is done and it has the potential to reduce costs and increase profits for farmers. Precision agriculture is also critical for sustainable agriculture. Using less fertilizer and less irrigation water, for example, helps lessen run-off and conserve water, so it’s also better for the environment,” says Chris.

The TID, one of 13 irrigation districts in the region, has one of the highest concentrations of specialty crops, including potatoes, sugar beets, canola seed, beans, peas, corn, sunflowers and onions. These inputs are vital to processing industries as well as the confined feedlot industry in the region. The TID consists of 115 to 120 irrigation producers who irrigate more than 80,000 acres. Its irrigation infrastructure also supplies water to several communities and many individuals.

The survey showed that, under precision agriculture, crop yields have increased an average 20 per cent and yearly crop quality has increased by an average of 16 per cent. Yearly reductions in irrigation water, fertilizer, herbicides and pesticides have ranged between 14 and 24 per cent.

Non-adopters consist entirely of farms of less than 2,000 acres. Those irrigators generally cited the smaller size of their operations, high investment costs and incompatibility of machines as the main reasons for not adopting.

“These results suggest irrigators are embracing precision agriculture and experiencing the benefits,” says Lorraine. “This also has positive implications for economic and community development, as well as environmental stewardship.”

The study was funded by a grant from the Alberta Real Estate Foundation. The full paper can be viewed here.

Dr. Dorothy Lampard Reading Room established through historical contribution

trevor.kenney — Thu, 30 Nov 2017 22:58:36 +0000

A voracious love of the written word and a lifelong pursuit to quench this thirst for knowledge has led to an historic gift to the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge’s Library.

Dr. Robert Lampard, a physician who practiced in Red Deer for 26 years, is donating his 6,774-item Western Canadian book collection to the U of L Library, where a large portion of the gift will be added to Special Collections and housed in the newly renovated rare book room, the Dr. Dorothy Lampard Reading Room. Named in honour of Lampard’s aunt, a founding faculty member and U of L senator, the room is a celebration of her lifelong commitment to reading.

“The broad scope of the collection will provide western Canadian researchers with a wealth of information about early Canadian exploration, the Arctic, mountaineering, early Canadian railway development (especially Sandford Fleming), western Canadian banking and business history, the political and religious history of the prairie provinces, native studies, the HBC, railways, ranching, the fur trade, local history, the Canadian military and policing, natural history, geology and Canadian art,” appraises Barbara Ellis, owner of The Edmonton Book Store and a member of the National Archives Appraisal Board of Canada.

The gift includes a complete series of the Champlain Historical Society publications, all the volumes of the Hudson’s Bay Record Society, and many seminal primary narratives of the exploration of the Canadian Arctic. Approximately 50 monographs have been signed by their authors. Other materials of note include those from John Palliser, Henry Youle Hind, Paul Kane, George Dawson, George Gladman, Alexander Begg and George Simpson.

"We are very grateful for the generosity of Dr. Robert Lampard in making this important donation to the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Library, and for his entrusting the care of these significant historical materials to us,” says Dr. Chris Nicol, ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ librarian. “This extensive, formerly private collection, will now be accessible to a wide audience of researchers at all levels. Members of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ’s Department of History are particularly captivated by the opportunities that this unique collection will afford in the furtherance of Canadian historical research, particularly from the perspective of graduate education at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ.”

Lampard describes a childhood surrounded by book-lined shelves in his home as one impetus to his love of the written word.

“With a grandfather who was a Presbyterian minister, an aunt whose specialty was reading, and a mother who read to you at bed time, the foundation was laid,” he says.

While he read consistently as a youth, Lampard says he put it aside while studying medicine. When a serious knee injury threatened his mobility, he rediscovered books and reading, beginning with the Rocky Mountains.

“If you can’t climb, you can read about those who did,” says Lampard. “Then, a friend introduced me to the Champlain Society and I became one of only five Alberta members. It wasn’t long before the mountain theme spilled onto the plains. My interest became a disease, and every trip involved searching the local book stores.”

Now a collector, he sought out complete collections, from Sanford Fleming’s Surveys for a CPR mountain pass (eight volumes), to Richard Gordon’s Ralph Connor novels (30 books), to Grant MacEwan’s 49 books. In 1979, a former ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Alberta medical research associate offered Lampard the complete Champlain Society volumes dating back to 1905.

It was not long before his collection totaled more than 4,000 volumes and had taken over the indoor swimming pool in his home.

“The question of what do you do with it arose,” says Lampard.

Just under two years ago, he contacted professional librarian and U of L Archivist Mike Perry, whose interest was piqued. Given a chance to review the collection, Perry is inspired by how it will impact the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ going forward.

“This generous gift from Dr. Lampard has already had many positive repercussions,” says Perry. “It has made our Special Collections a destination for students and other researchers in a number of areas. It has increased our ability to preserve and protect the collection and having the collection stay in Alberta, and accessible to the public through the opening of the Dr. Dorothy Lampard Reading Room, is fantastic. In a hundred years, it should provide just as much excitement as it does now.”

Lampard says the gift gives him comfort, knowing that it honours his remarkable aunt all while continuing a legacy of reading and literacy.

“I am pleased and honoured that now other researchers will have access to the key historical prairie books dating back to the first one by the British Parliament in 1749,” he says. “The “chase” is now over and my avocation now has a new and welcoming home.”

��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Library the perfect home for student art installation

trevor.kenney — Tue, 21 Oct 2014 20:45:15 +0000

The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Library is embracing the ‘library as place’ concept, recognizing that library users should see themselves mirrored in their surroundings. As part of a ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ situated on traditional Blackfoot land, it was only fitting then that the library found a home for Grant Spotted Bull’s Medicine Wheel Series art installation.

Grant Spotted Bull is a third-year bachelor of fine arts student at the U of L.

Spotted Bull, of Blackfoot heritage and born and raised on the nearby Blood Reserve, is a third-year bachelor of fine arts student at the U of L. His work speaks to the ideal of library as place.

“Grant’s paintings reflect where we are situated – in the heart of Blackfoot territory,” says Andrea Glover, Native American Studies librarian. “The work enriches the library space, reflects the diversity of our users, stimulates discussions about cultural memory and preserves a unique legacy.”

Married (Suzanne Williams Spotted Bull) and a father to four children (Christopher, Colten, Jessica and Tyler), Spotted Bull draws his talent and inspiration from his ancestors, namely his maternal grandmother Mary Eva Spotted Bull.

“My mother told me stories about Mary Eva and how the nuns thought she should go to school for art back east. Her parents wanted her to marry instead so she put her dreams aside,” says Spotted Bull. “Many of her children and grandchildren possess the same artistic talents. I feel blessed to be fulfilling my dreams by attending the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge.”

The four-painting series, located on Level 10 of the library, tells the story of colonialism and its effects on First Nations people.

He explains the four-painting series, located on Level 10 of the library, as telling the story of colonialism and its effects on First Nations people.

“I had a dream a few years before I became a student,” he says. “In the dream I recall seeing an image, which I interpreted as a medicine wheel. I captured the image on watercolour paper using pencil crayons as my medium. It has an ethereal feel to it, with wisps of colours undulating like a flame of smoke.”

He then re-created the work as a much larger oil painting. It would eventually spawn a series.

“With no intentions of creating further interpretations, the foundation for the series began as one painting,” he says. “The painting I have called Pre is a reference to pre-colonial contact between Europeans and those of the Americas. The Fractured paintings symbolize the residential school era and the effects it had on the family as a whole. The Post paintings represent my generation, or those of us who did not experience residential school for ourselves. Lack of identity, alcoholism, physical, mental and sexual abuse are some of the issues many have experienced as a result of their parents, grandparents and great grandparents being forced to attend residential school.”

Jon Oxley, administrative manager of the U of L Art Gallery, says the series is both poignant and personal.

“These artworks are powerful, and have an incredible presence. His artwork speaks to some very timely social and political issues in Canada.”

Provoking discussion and reflecting the heritage of the Blackfoot people, the series is an ideal reflection of the library as place concept.

“We are proud to have this representation of indigenous knowledge in the Library,” says ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Librarian, Dr. Chris Nicol.

Nicol appointed ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Librarian

trevor.kenney — Fri, 05 Jul 2013 16:11:57 +0000

The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge has named Dr. Christopher J. Nicol as its new ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Librarian, an appointment that took effect on July 1, 2013.

Nicol, the former Dean of the Faculty of Arts & Science, had been serving as Acting ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Librarian since Sept. 1, 2012. He took that position in the wake of former ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Librarian Alison Nussbaumer's move to the role of Interim Dean, Internationalization.

"Chris Nicol's service to the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge as Dean of Arts and Science has been both remarkable and exemplary," says Bob Boudreau, the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ's Vice Provost. "His contributions in advancing the Faculty of Arts and Science will be felt for years to come. Building on this legacy, we are absolutely thrilled that Chris will continue to serve and lead the U of L in his new role of ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Librarian."

A native of Scotland, Nicol earned his master's and PhD in economics at Queen's ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ in Kingston, Ont., before spending 16 years as a professor of economics at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Regina. He arrived on the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge campus in 2001 and assumed his duties as a professor in economics while also serving as the Dean of the Faculty of Arts & Science. He will continue on as a professor of economics in the Department of Economics while serving as the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Librarian.

An esteemed researcher, Nicol's interests are in econometrics, applied econometrics and the theory of consumer behaviour. He is also keenly interested in macroeconomic policy debates, especially those arising in the wake of the financial crisis of 2008.

Nicol is also an accomplished swimmer, having competed internationally and at the post-secondary level for Queen's ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ. In 1985, Nicol won both the 100-metre and 200-metre breaststroke events at the inaugural World Masters Games in Toronto.

��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ appoints Cooper as Dean of Arts & Science

trevor.kenney — Thu, 11 Apr 2013 15:25:20 +0000

The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge is excited to announce the appointment of Dr. Craig Cooper as the new Dean of the Faculty of Arts & Science.

"It is with great pleasure that we are able to announce Dr. Cooper as our new Dean of the Faculty of Arts & Science today," says Dr. Andrew Hakin, provost and vice-president (academic). "We had a number of outstanding applicants for this role but Craig quickly emerged as the ideal candidate to succeed Dr. Chris Nicol. The appointment committee was very enthusiastic in its support of Craig and I'm confident that his innovative ideas and enthusiasm for the Faculty will play a key role in helping shape the direction of our ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ over the next five years."

Cooper comes to the U of L from Nipissing ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ in North Bay, Ont. where he was a professor of classical studies and served as the Dean of Arts and Sciences since 2008. He spent the majority of his academic teaching career at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Winnipeg, beginning as a sessional instructor in 1993 and eventually serving as the Associate Dean of Arts.

Cooper earned his bachelor's degree at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Alberta before completing his master's and PhD designations at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of British Columbia.

A member of the American Philological Association, the Association of Ancient Historians and the Classical Association of Canada, Cooper received the 2007 Robin H. Farquhar Award for Excellence in Contributing to Self Governance. His current areas of scholarly interest include Athenian law, Athenian orators and Greek rhetoric, Greek historiography and ancient biography. He has also published three books, including his most recent, Epigraphy and the Greek Historian, in 2008.

"I want to express my gratitude to Dr. Nicol for his leadership of the Faculty of Arts & Science since 2001. Many fine things have been accomplished," adds Hakin.

Cooper's appointment is effective July 1, 2013 to June 30, 2018.

Computer programming group off to Russia

trevor.kenney — Tue, 04 Dec 2012 22:14:52 +0000

The recent winners of a spot in a prestigious international computer science and mathematics challenge competition are going to have to brush up on their Russian – and quickly.

A team of ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge computer science and physics students, coached by Dr. Howard Cheng, placed second of 49 teams from western Canada and the northwestern United States at the ACM International Collegiate Programming Contest (ICPC) Rocky Mountain competition at the end of October.

The team's success landed three members (Hugh Ramp, Chris Martin and Darcy Best) of the U of L group on the elite roster of competitors at the ICPC World Finals to be held in St. Petersburg, Russia, June 30 to July 4, 2013. It is the first time the U of L has qualified students for the world finals.

Front row (l to r) Hugh Ramp, fourth-year physics, Dr. Howard Cheng, team coach; Back row (l to r) Chris Martin, third-year computer science, Darcy Best, second-year mathematics.

"The team also won a warm-up event two weeks before the regional contest (the Alberta Collegiate Programming Contest) where we took the top spot in the province, and the students have put in a tremendous amount of training into this effort," says Cheng.

The events leading up to, and including, the St. Petersburg events are a gruelling series of problem-solving boot camps, competitions and drills designed to enhance the students' ability to work as a team under relentless pressure, the watchful eyes of the world's best judges and extremely strict working conditions.

"They trained for hours on weekends as well as a few evenings just before the regional contest. This is in addition to the years of practices they have had, including taking a course (CPSC 3200) that teaches many of the topics they had to know for this contest. Top IT employers such as IBM and Google value these contests and commonly test applicants with programming contest puzzles during interviews, so there is definitely a career-related aspect to knowing how these types of puzzles work."

St. Petersburg National Research ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Information Technologies, Mechanics and Optics (ITMO) hosts the ICPC World Finals. Only 115 of the top teams in the world make it to the final competition.

"This is an outstanding achievement for our students and their coaching and mentoring group," says Dr. Chris Nicol, Dean of the Faculty of Arts & Science. "Howard has done an excellent job of building up the team's strength and developing its real-world experience in mathematics and computer science through these competitions. They have been consistently successful at regional competitions, and that success is now paying off. We wish them well in their future efforts at the world finals in Russia this summer."

At the ACM Rocky Mountain Regional Contest at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Alberta in October, U of L teams placed second, 12th, 28th, and 34th of 49 groups.

The full U of L contingent features: Darcy Best, Chris Martin, Hugh Ramp, Rio Lowry, Chris Thomas, Kim Wikkerink, Mark Hunter, Ian Stewart, Fei Wang, Camara Lerner, Jason Racine and Vince Weiler.

This story first appeared in the December 2012 issue of the Legend. For a look at the entire issue in a flipbook format, follow this link.

Judging its own reward

trevor.kenney — Mon, 05 Nov 2012 22:46:13 +0000

Having seen the spark ignited in a young scientist's eyes, Dr. Roy Golsteyn is eager to stoke the fires of ingenuity once again. As the chief judge for the Canada-Wide Science Fair (CWSF), to be held at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge May 11-18, 2013, he'll get that opportunity, and it's one he'd like to share.

"I'm a huge believer in science fairs," says Golsteyn (BSc '84), an associate professor of biology and the director of the Cancer Cell Laboratory at the U of L.

He participated in science fairs as a kid, but never competed beyond the local level. Now, as a judge whose own children have competed nationally, he sees the true value of encouraging scientific discovery in our youth.

"You see it, there's a real sense of excitement in these kids," says Golsteyn. "Some are just starting to dabble in science, some have already acquired a lot of knowledge; they like it, they like the freedom of it and they revel in the challenge.

"Having judged science fairs for the last four years, I always walk away happily impressed, because there are some smart kids out there and we get an opportunity to not only meet them but to also encourage them to continue to pursue science."

Dr. Roy Golsteyn is the chief judge for the Canada-Wide Science Fair, which the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of lethbridge will be hosting May 11-18, 2013. A total of 400 judges are required for the massive event.

The CWSF is a massive undertaking, featuring 400 of the top science projects in the country and involving more than 1,100 students (Grades 7 to 12), chaperones, judges, sponsors and delegates. There are more than 400 judges alone who are needed to officiate the proceedings and as Chief Judge, one of Golsteyn's main duties is to recruit the best group of judges he can find.

"We are attracting the best science students from across the country, so we want to match those students with the best judges we have in southern Alberta," says Golsteyn. "Fortunately for us, southern Alberta is pretty scientist dense."

Golsteyn cites the valuable resources available at the U of L, Lethbridge College, the Canada Research Centre, the Regional Hospital and major industry such as Pratt & Whitney, which has a very strong engineering component to its operation.

"We know there are many qualified judges in southern Alberta, it's more an issue of people being able to find time to take part," he says.

To that end, judging is limited to just one day, and even half-day participation can be considered. A pre-competition orientation evening is also involved and judges are encouraged to stay through the evening of competition to ensure all major prizes are awarded accordingly.

The value of having a captive audience of Canada's brightest young scientific minds on the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ campus for a full week cannot be understated.

"The finalists truly do come from all over Canada, and there's this ripple affect associated with that," says Golsteyn. "It's not just that there are two or three students from every region, what you'll see is that individual schools all across the country will follow their students for the week. So for that week, an entire school will be talking about the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge, whether that's in Nunavut or Victoria."

There are three qualification levels for judges, including those with master's degrees or greater in sciences, those with professional diplomas such as engineering or veterinary medicine, and those with professional diplomas and experience in a science and technology-related field. Scientists with French language skills are also especially welcomed.

The U of L is uniquely suited to host a Canada-Wide Science Fair because of its already inherent science outreach programs.

"That's one of the reasons for my commitment to doing this," says Golsteyn. "It is so aligned with what we already do at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ and what so many scientists are trying to do across the country. Here's an opportunity to share our expertise and to influence the next generation of young scientists."

He's seen, first-hand, how beneficial it is to students. His children (Quentin, 15, and Charlène, 12) have participated in science fairs and attended CWSF in Charlottetown, PEI last year. His daughter Audrey, 10, also has a distinct interest in microbiology and is likely on the same path.

"Sometimes science isolates students at that age. There are things that are cool and things that are less cool and sometimes science falls into that less cool category," says Golsteyn. "One of the goals of the science fair is to give these kids a week dedicated to science, and the opportunity to share it with people their own age who are just like them, just as thrilled about science as they are."

Those interested in joining Golsteyn on the judging committee can contact him at roy.golsteyn@youthscience.ca. He promises it will be a rewarding experience.

"I'm really excited about the possibilities this week provides for the U of L," he says. "It's a lot of work to do this right but in the end, it's so valuable to everyone involved, it's definitely worth it."

GET THE FACTS

· Student finalists for the Canada-Wide Science Fair are winners of their regional or provincial science fairs

· Approximately 400 projects from 500 youth finalists from across 100 national regions will be attending the Canada-Wide Science Fair

· Up to $1,000,000 in scholarships and prizes are available to participants

· U of L Arts & Science faculty have confirmation from Dean Dr. Chris Nicol that serving as judges for CWSF qualifies as part of their community service component

· Golsteyn, as chief judge, has relief for one of the two courses he was scheduled to teach this semester. His research activities continue however, "It just gets pushed a little later into the night," he says

Fiat Lux Address stimulates liberal education dialogue

trevor.kenney — Thu, 11 Oct 2012 20:40:07 +0000

Dr. Andy Hakin has posed the question, and now we look forward to the discussions that will ensue.

The second annual Fiat Lux Address (Sept. 27, 2012) was the purview of Hakin this time around, after President Mike Mahon gave the inaugural address in 2011. And from the outset of Hakin's presentation, the provost and vice-president (academic) made one thing abundantly clear – he was going to initiate a dialogue about liberal education and not conclude one.

"My intention today is to ask questions," said Hakin. "There's no solution here – if you're looking for a solution you're at the wrong talk."

Weaving a narrative that first spoke to the need to differentiate the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ within the province's post-secondary landscape, Hakin paid homage to some of the institution's founders such as Drs. Owen Holmes and Luke Stebbins. He referred to conversations he'd had with former Provost Dr. Seamus O'Shea and Dr. Chris Nicol as he shaped is opinions on liberal education at the U of L.

"The need for differentiation within Alberta's post-secondary system has never been greater, for our students and for us," he said. "There are many things we could do but what are the right ones? It's a time for focus and a time to review the options that are in front of us."

One of those options is to take a real look at the liberal education ideal through the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ's curriculum and to not be afraid to ask the hard questions.

"Is the GLER (general liberal education requirements) list a liberal education?" he asked. "I've been here 23 years and it doesn't seem to have evolved much from those lists. For some of our students, it becomes ticking off boxes to complete a degree – but is that a liberal education? I don't think so, and I think we have to be a little more purposeful."

Time and again, Hakin would go back to a common refrain, saying, "It's time to get into it."

He acknowledged there was a fear to open up the liberal education discussion, mainly because the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ community is not entirely sure just what liberal education is today.

"It's not going to come, in a comprehensive academic and research institution, at the expense of the strength of our majors. This is not about downgrading the quality of our majors, but if we're serious about the quality of the whole of the degree that we offer, then we have to try and build an experience not just around the major but the whole beast."

Hakin challenged faculty, as the generators of curriculum, to examine their own thoughts on liberal education.

"I'm asking for us to reinvest in curriculum," he said. "We have strong programs and majors but I think we can do better. It's not that it's bad, I'm just asking the question, is it purposeful and does it address the needs of today's students and differentiate us in a manner that it could?"

He concluded by putting the conversation into historical context, harkening back to the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ's founding principles, hashed out at the 1967 Waterton Conference.

"Liberal education has historically been very important to us," he said. "We need to ask, does it still have that importance to us as an institution? I know where I stand, I want to know where you stand."

Let the dialogue begin.

This story first appeared in the October 2012 issue of the Legend. To see the full issue in a flipbook format, follow this link.

UNews - Chris Nicol

Examining the impact of Watershed Planning and Advisory Councils

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Dr. Harold Jansen to assume role of Interim ��Ѹ�����Դ���߿�Ƭ Librarian

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U of L study the first to examine the use of precision agriculture in irrigation farming in Alberta

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Dr. Dorothy Lampard Reading Room established through historical contribution

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��Ѹ�����Դ���߿�Ƭ Library the perfect home for student art installation

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Nicol appointed ��Ѹ�����Դ���߿�Ƭ Librarian

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��Ѹ�����Դ���߿�Ƭ appoints Cooper as Dean of Arts & Science

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Computer programming group off to Russia

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Judging its own reward

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Fiat Lux Address stimulates liberal education dialogue

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Dr. Harold Jansen to assume role of Interim ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Librarian

��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Library the perfect home for student art installation

Nicol appointed ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Librarian

��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ appoints Cooper as Dean of Arts & Science