UNews - Globe and Mail

Gairdner speaker event brings Dr. Samuel Weiss to campus

trevor.kenney — Mon, 07 Oct 2013 22:12:28 +0000

��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge faculty and students, along with select southern Alberta high school students, will have the unique opportunity to experience a lecture by Gairdner International Award winner Dr. Samuel Weiss, Monday, Oct. 21.

The Gairdner Foundation Speaker Event will include a lecture for the area’s elite high school students, a lecture for U of L faculty and undergraduate students, as well as a host of interactive science activities designed to engage the visiting students as well as showcase the research activities taking place on campus.

Dr. Samuel Weiss won a 2008 Gairdner International Award.

“It is very exciting to be able to bring a Gairdner International Award winner to campus,” says ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge President and Vice-Chancellor, Dr. Mike Mahon. “The fact that many people with our Canadian Centre for Behavioural Neuroscience also work closely with Dr. Weiss, makes it even more fitting.

“We’re also pleased to be able to allow high school students from throughout the area access to such a distinguished speaker, hopefully further inspiring their passion for science.”

Dr. Samuel Weiss is a Professor and Alberta Innovates – Health Solutions Scientist in the Department of Cell Biology & Anatomy at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Calgary Faculty of Medicine.

His lecture, The Stem Cells You Have in Your Brain: What Can They Do?, will be presented to high school students at 9:30 a.m., followed by a second lecture, Adult Neural Stem Cells: From Basic Science to Therapeutic Applications, at 11 a.m. for U of L faculty, undergraduate and graduate students. Both talks are in the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Theatre. High school students can sign up here.

Weiss is the inaugural Director of the Hotchkiss Brain Institute, whose mission is to translate innovative research and education into advances in neurological and mental health.

“The Gairdner Foundation is very pleased that the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge has become the 22nd institution to participate in our annual National Program of Lectures,” says Dr. John Dirks, President and Scientific Director of the Gairdner Foundation. “During a recent visit to the campus, we were very impressed with the quality of teaching and research, and particularly with the opportunities for undergraduate students. This year, Sam Weiss will speak to high school students about his life in science. We look forward to a long and rewarding relationship with the U of L.”

In 2008, Weiss was named recipient of a Gairdner International Award for “his seminal discovery of adult neural stem cells in the mammalian brain and its importance in nerve cell regeneration,” and in 2009 he was elected as a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada.

His current research focuses on human brain tumour stem cells and the development of new therapies for adult brain cancer.

Created in 1959 by James Arthur Gairdner, the Gairdner Foundation recognizes and rewards the achievements of medical researchers whose work contributes significantly to improving the quality of life. Over the past 53 years, a total of 313 Canada Gairdner International Awards have been presented to scientists from 15 countries, with 80 Canada Gairdner Laureates going on to win Nobel Prizes.

The Gairdner Foundation 2013 ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Lectures are sponsored by the Government of Canada, the Government of Alberta, the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, BMO Bank of Montreal, the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge, London Drugs and the Globe and Mail.

To register for the high school portion of the event, follow this link.

Open Mike - December 2012, Defining success at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge

trevor.kenney — Tue, 11 Dec 2012 17:56:20 +0000

I am really pleased to be back on campus and feeling well again, and I thank everyone for their well wishes over the past six weeks.

During my time away and recently as I have been transitioning back into the workplace, I have been thinking about what facilitates success at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge.

In recent months we have seen national organizations such as RE$EARCH Infosource award the U of L with the distinction of being Canada's Research ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of the Year 2012 (Undergraduate category), achieved our highest-ever ranking in Maclean's magazine's annual university rankings and been lauded by the Globe and Mail in their annual ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Rankings Report.

While recognition is nice, accolades do not facilitate the success of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ, rather it is our people. The faculty, staff and students of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge are our success and they drive the institution.

The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ's success is rooted in its people, and the ability of the institution to continually support their talents.

In recent days, I have been taking part in Strategic Planning Workshops, and as I listen to the presentations from throughout campus, I am constantly reminded that we can only achieve success as an institution if our people feel as though they are a part of the vision of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ and can see their role in pushing our strategic priorities forward.

We can achieve this by continuing to support our people in every way that we can and allowing their talents to shine.

I think of the Health Check for You program that is currently offered by the Wellness Committee, free of charge, to our campus community. After listening to a presentation on the program and its benefits, it struck me that as much as this initiative might seem small in relation to the big picture, these are the very things we have to continue to support as we cultivate an environment for our people to be successful.

I look to the recent addition of David Hill to the Office of Research and Innovation Services as another example of creating an environment for success.

By bringing David to campus, we have added an advocate who will continue to build capacity from a research centres and institutes perspective, who will help us look ahead at what are the next opportunities for our institution, and where the next successes lie that will allow us to build as a comprehensive university.

By putting the right people in the right environment and providing them with the tools they need to be successful, whether it is in terms of equipment and infrastructure or a healthy supportive workplace, we can't help but achieve success as an institution.

Going forward, our challenge is to continue that support while also identifying the next group of people who can help us move forward strategically.

Our Strategic Plan must reflect this culture of support, through small programs such as Health Check for You to larger scale initiatives such as the quest for a new science building, the further expansion of residence and the reshaping of food services. All these individual pieces must come together to form a basis of support for our faculty, staff and students.

Maureen and I wish you the very best this holiday season, and look forward to reconnecting with everyone in the New Year.

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

Open Mike - November 2011, Looking ahead with the AUCC

trevor.kenney — Fri, 04 Nov 2011 20:20:48 +0000

I have just returned from the annual meeting of the Association for Universities and Colleges of Canada (AUCC). Held in Montreal, this get-together was not only productive but symbolic, as 100 years ago this year the first gathering of the AUCC took place at McGill ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ.

The discussions this year focused on the future of higher education in Canada and included presidential colleagues, faculty members, students and community members. AUCC Board Chair Stephen Toope outlined a series of commitments by AUCC and its member universities designed to benefit all Canadians over the next 100 years. The highlights of those commitments are as follows.

Broadening the view of education

This will be accomplished by leading a Canada-wide conversation about the entire educational system.

Innovating how we learn

The world is increasingly complex and it is critical that students are afforded the opportunity to enhance their learning experience by drawing on a full range of educational, research-based and community-focused opportunities enriched with global engagement and new technologies.

A commitment to excellence

It is essential that we ensure our students are fully equipped to play their role in a new Canada, and a much larger world. This will be accomplished by reaffirming our commitment to high-quality research and enriched learning. It also involves enhancing efforts to engage under-represented students in post-secondary education.

Concentrating the world's best minds on the world's toughest problems

The continued growth of graduate studies and a robust research agenda are critical in the development of new knowledge that addresses key problems in our increasingly complex world.

Cultivating engagement and partnerships

The fifth and final commitment will ensure that universities continue to reach beyond our own institutions to create alliances, partnerships and initiatives of shared purpose to address the challenges facing our communities, our nation and the world in which we live.

These commitments by the AUCC serve as the basis for a new narrative on higher education across the country. This narrative is designed to support the evolution of universities within the context of an evolving Canada, and is meant to guide universities towards a common purpose of addressing the broad needs of society as well as the very personal aspirations of our students, faculty, staff and our communities.

AUCC's new narrative provides all of us at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge a useful context for considering our future. As we begin the process of reviewing and extending our Strategic Plan, these five commitments can provide useful questions for our community to consider.

For example, how can we contribute to a broadened view of education on our campus? Today we imagine our university as an inclusive campus that is welcoming of First Nations, Métis and Inuit people. This is certainly one element of a broadened view but what else might we consider?

Similarly, our vision of growing as a comprehensive university can be aided by considering how some of our best minds can address some of our world's toughest challenges. Today we are tackling such critical issues as Alzheimer's Disease, food security and population health, but what is next?

These are just two examples of how the AUCC›s new narrative can help us consider our future.

Finally, I want to thank everyone on campus for their contribution over the past year as reflected in the recent Globe and Mail and Maclean's rankings. While we do not judge ourselves solely through these methods, I am proud to see that they reflect our institutional goals and that we are clearly providing the services, atmosphere and level of student engagement that our students and their families value.

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

Maclean's confirms U of L strengths

trevor.kenney — Thu, 27 Oct 2011 14:50:26 +0000

The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge has retained its fourth place finish in the annual Maclean's Magazine ranking of Canadian Universities, and maintained or improved its position in a majority of the categories used by Maclean's to measure Canadian post-secondary institutions.

"We always appreciate the opportunity to have survey information made available to the public," says U of L President Mike Mahon. "We are particularly pleased with the increases in our overall reputational survey marks, our jump in social sciences and humanities grants and the number of resources we devote to student support."

This year, the rankings were based on 14 indicators, ranging from class sizes to research dollars.

"As we evolve to become a more comprehensive research university, it is important that we not lose sight of our focus on students and the services that are important to them," says Mahon. " The numbers clearly indicate that we are doing both – moving our research programming forward, but not at the expense of our student-centred philosophy."

Mahon adds that the national benchmarking is helpful for Albertans and people from across the country who are considering the U of L as their destination university.

"We are very proud of how we compare to other institutions nationally, because we are clearly providing the services, atmosphere and level of student engagement that our students and their families value."

In addition to gains in overall reputation and the amount of funding directed to student services and humanities research, the institution saw 94 per cent and 95 per cent of respondents agreeing or strongly agreeing on 'overall satisfaction' and 'would you choose the U of L again?' questions asked as part of a national survey.

Mahon says that anyone considering the U of L should do more than read the rankings report, or any number of other ratings and assessments available on line, including a recent Globe and Mail report card which also rates the U of L highly.

"For those people in our area, we are conveniently located for students to achieve a nationally-recognized education. For Calgarians and central Albertans, we're a short drive away."

Potential students have a hands-on chance to discover the U of L and meet with admissions representatives and faculty members at a day-long recruitment open house scheduled for Saturday, Nov 5. In addition to campus tours and information sessions, prospective students can enter a contest to win a $1,500 tuition credit.

U of L's Globe ratings improve

trevor.kenney — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 15:41:34 +0000

It's mid-term season for post-secondary students and, with the release of a national ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ report card from the Globe and Mail, the U of L itself is under the microscope – having been graded by its students and compared with other Universities across the country.

The results? If the institution were a student, it would be headed straight to the honour roll.

Judged to be first in research opportunities in its class, the U of L also led the standard for Recreation and Athletics and managed an A-level grade in five survey categories.

The Globe's rating measures a series of benchmarks that track student opinions on a variety of services and features at 60 universities across the country. The U of L was one of 17 institutions grouped in the "Small ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ" category – 4,000 to 10,000 students.

Overall, the U of L maintained or increased its grades in all categories, and did very well in a number of new or re-named categories that measured student research opportunities, professors' teaching styles and other factors.

"In this list, the categories that jump out at me are the A-level marks for the things we have always valued, such as small class sizes, our campus atmosphere, the quality of teaching and learning, student/faculty interaction, recreation and athletics programming," says U of L President Dr. Mike Mahon.

The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ conducts its own student satisfaction surveys and participates in a number of national and international rating programs. Mahon says that receiving information from externally-driven polls is always helpful.

"These marks are well in line with what we already know about our students and their experiences here on campus. We value the opportunity to hear from them, and to be compared with other institutions not only in Alberta, but across the country. We are increasingly becoming a destination university for students who want something different, and these results show that our combination of size, services and location makes the U of L an attractive option for students to consider."

Mahon says the U of L community should be very proud of its placements.

"In our category, we were listed first in research opportunities. This is a key element for us to be proud of as we continue to enhance our position as a comprehensive research university. We placed in the top five for our library, overall facilities, satisfied students and reputation with employers, among other categories. As well, our students were pleased with their experiences in the city of Lethbridge, giving us a top five placement in the 'City Satisfaction' category."

Mahon adds that several teams of faculty, staff and administration are developing changes to the way the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ recruits and retains students, as well as making sure the overall student experience remains positive.

"There are many projects taking place already that will only make the U of L a better place for our students, including the construction of a new 260-person residence building, courses focused on student service in our community and other innovative measures. These ratings come from our students, which is quite meaningful and speaks to the ability of our faculty and staff to engage our students."

The entire report is available on the Globe and Mail website.

��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge individual grades and category rankings can be found below.

Overall Rating by Individual Category, SMALL ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ – 4,000 to 10,000 students
(17 universities total)
Research Opportunities – 1
Recreation and Athletics – 1
Buildings and Facilities – 2
Campus Atmosphere – 3
Quality of Teaching and Learning – 3
Reputation with Employers – 3
Most Satisfied Students – 4
Library – 4
City Satisfaction – 4
Student-Faculty Interaction – 5
Career Preparation – 5
Instructors' Teaching Style – 6
Class Size – 6
Work/Play Balance – 7
Academic Counselling – 8
Information Technology – 8
Student Residences – 11
Course Registration – 12
Environmental Commitment — 12

Grade rankings by Category – this year vs last year

This Year Last Year
Class size A A No change
Quality of Teaching & Learning A- New category
Student-Faculty Interaction A- A- No change
Recreation and Athletics A- A- No change
Campus Atmosphere A- B+ Up
Research Opportunities B+ New category
Reputation with Employers B+ New category
Buildings and Facilities B+ B Up
Libraries B+ B+ No change
Most Satisfied Students B+ B+ No change
Instructors' Teaching Style B+ New category
City Satisfaction B B No change
Academic Counselling B New category
Information Technology B New category
Work-Play Balance B New category
Career Preparation B B No change
Course Registration B- New category
Environmental Commitment B- B- No change
Student Residences C+ C Up

Campus Kudos - May

trevor.kenney — Fri, 13 May 2011 21:18:50 +0000

Dr. Brian Black (Music), Dr. Edward Jurkowski (Music) and Dr. Emily Luce (New Media) all received internal Social Sciences Humanities Research Council grants valued at $4,500 each.

U of L alumnus Christian Darbyshire (BMgt '99) was named one of Canada's Top 40 Under 40™. As a partner with tinePublic Inc., Darbyshire has been instrumental in securing names such as Bill Clinton, Tony Blair, Lance Armstrong and Arnold Schwarzenegger for educational speaking engagements in Canada. It is the second consecutive year that the U of L has had someone recognized by the Globe and Mail's Top 40 Under 40™ program. Dr. Olga Kovalchuk was honoured last year.

Joshua Seerattan, a U of L student from the Faculty of Management, and Courtney Lockhart from the Faculty of Arts and Science, have been awarded a $5,500 USD grant from Alberta Advanced Education and Technology for their participation in The Washington Centre – Alberta Internship Program for summer 2011. Both students will spend six weeks in Washington, D.C. Seerattan will be participating in the Global Trade and Regional Integration program, while Lockhart will take part in the International Affairs program.

Dagmar Dahle's (Art) work is included in the exhibition ANIMAL, at Museum London in Ontario.

Laura Lavigne (BA '06), the co-ordinator, International Programs & Exchange, in the International Centre for Students was awarded a full scholarship ($3,000) to participate in the International Educators Training Program this summer at Queen's ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ.

Denton Fredrickson (Art) has made the long list for the 2011 Sobey Art Award, Canada's pre-eminent prize for contemporary Canadian art. Following a three-month nomination process, the Curatorial Panel announced the 25 artists vying for this year's award.

Music major Matt Groenheide (percussionist) won the Young Artist Competition presented by the Lethbridge Symphony Orchestra. In addition to a cash prize, he receives a guest solo spot with the LSO during their 2011-2012 Masters Series.

Marg McKeen (Office of Research and Innovation Services) is retiring this summer after 33 years of service to the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ. She began her career at the U of L as an Academic Secretary in the Department of Sociology and was hired by the Office of Research Services in 1986. Since that time, she has served in a number of roles and worked with numerous faculty members and students. A retirement reception will be held on Wednesday, June 8 from 3 to 5 p.m. in the Markin Hall Atrium. Anyone wishing to send written messages of congratulations to Marg can contact Penny Pickles (picpj@uleth.ca). Those wanting to have their live messages taped can contact Jane Allan (jane.allan@uleth.ca).

Jazlyn Dow (BFA '10) has been accepted into the Master of Arts in Visual Culture: Costume Studies program at the Steinhardt School of Culture, Education and Human Development at New York ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ.

For a look at the Legend in a flipbook format, follow this link.

Fenske made the most of his U of L opportunities

trevor.kenney — Mon, 24 Jan 2011 21:50:46 +0000

When he enrolled in psychology at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge, Dr. Mark Fenske (BSc '96, Distinction) had a goal – he wanted to help people.

The associate professor in the Department of Psychology at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Guelph, and co-author of the Canadian best-seller, The Winner's Brain: 8 Strategies Great Minds Use to Achieve Success, initially thought about becoming a counsellor. But after the opportunity to work as a research assistant for
Dr. Scott Allen opened up, Fenske found he was hooked on cognitive psychology.

"Lethbridge has some really good people. You get to know these people on a level that you probably wouldn't at a larger institution," says Fenske. "Working with Drs. Scott Allen, John Vokey and Don Read, who were the cognition faculty in the psychology department at the time, was a bit of an awakening for me. I was able to learn about memory, about how we interact with the world around us, what drives our behaviour, how we make decisions and how we pay attention.
"I learned there is so much more to psychology than the commonly-held view of people lying on a couch and talking about their problems."

Alumnus Mark Fenske is thankful for the research foundation he established while still an undergraduate student.

Fenske made the most of his one-on-one opportunities with faculty.

"I was able to get a lot of face time with faculty and learn what life in a research lab is all about," he says. "It really cultivated a sense of excitement for research, and I was given a lot of responsibility. I learned a lot in terms of computer programming, setting up experiments, running subjects and how to analyze data. Those are skills and training that I otherwise might not have gotten until grad school."

By the time he graduated in 1996, Fenske knew that he wanted to pursue a career in academia.

"One of the driving forces for me has always been about how I can have a positive impact on others. A lot of the people who have had a major influence on my life have been teachers or instructors," he says. "If you are teaching three or four classes a year and each class has up to 100 students, you have the potential to have a positive influence on lots of people. And as an academic, when you are not preparing or giving lectures, you get to investigate important issues that you find interesting. It is a fantastic job."

Supported by NSERC scholarships, Fenske completed both a master's and PhD in psychology from the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Waterloo by 2001. After a two-year post doc at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Wales in Bangor, Fenske moved to Boston, Mass. in 2003, where he began to integrate cognitive psychology with neuroscience, the study of the brain.

"In Boston I worked at the Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, where I had a dual appointment as a research fellow with Harvard Medical School and as an assistant in neuroscience at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH). With rapid advances in neuroimaging technology, it became clear that we could learn a lot more by combining our study of human cognition with neuroscience," says Fenske. "Using MRI scanners, we were able to look at the structure of the brain and the areas of activation that related to different cognitive operations. What I now do is try to understand how it is that we do what we do. How do we pay attention to things, remember things and what elicits different emotional responses?"

Fenske spent four years at MGH and Harvard, the last two as faculty, before returning to Canada to work at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Guelph in 2007. In spite of the years of intense research and study, he has never lost sight of his original goal of helping people.

In recent years, he has worked on bringing the knowledge he has gained about cognitive-affective neuroscience to the general public. His work on The Winner's Brain with Dr. Jeff Brown serves as an example.

"The book is all about the neuroscience of success," says Fenske. "What we do with our brain – the different ways in which we stimulate, engage and care for it – can have a significant impact on the way it works, and even alter its physical landscape. We looked at what the latest brain science says about people that excel in key areas related to success, and the various strategies the rest of us can use to fine-tune our brains and become more successful."

GET THE FACTS

· The Winner's Brain was on Amazon Canada's bestseller list, ranking 20th in the All Books category and first in both the Psychology and Success classifications. U of L neuroscience instructor, Dr. Bryan Kolb, is featured in the book.

· Fenske writes a bi-weekly column, Better Brain, for the Globe and Mail newspaper.

· He is the recipient of grants in excess of $1 million and is currently working with the Gambling Research Exchange Ontario.

· Fenske has published more than 35 articles, abstracts and theses, and has presented at more than 40 conferences and seminars.

This story first appeared in the Legend. For a full look at the January issue of the Legend, follow this link.

Fenske appreciates opportunities he was given

trevor.kenney — Thu, 20 Jan 2011 22:48:22 +0000

When he enrolled in psychology at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge, Dr. Mark Fenske (BSc '96, Distinction) had a goal – he wanted to help people.

The associate professor in the Department of Psychology at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Guelph, and co-author of the Canadian best-seller, The Winner's Brain: 8 Strategies Great Minds Use to Achieve Success, initially thought about becoming a counsellor. But after the opportunity to work as a research assistant for Dr. Scott Allen opened up, Fenske found he was hooked on cognitive psychology.

Alumnus Mark Fenske is thankful for the research foundation he established while still an undergraduate.

"Lethbridge has some really good people. You get to know these people on a level that you probably wouldn't at a larger institution," says Fenske. "Working with Drs. Scott Allen, John Vokey and Don Read, who were the cognition faculty in the psychology department at the time, was a bit of an awakening for me. I was able to learn about memory, about how we interact with the world around us, what drives our behaviour, how we make decisions and how we pay attention.
"I learned there is so much more to psychology than the commonly-held view of people lying on a couch and talking about their problems."

Fenske made the most of his one-on-one opportunities with faculty.

"I was able to get a lot of face time with faculty and learn what life in a research lab is all about," he says. "It really cultivated a sense of excitement for research, and I was given a lot of responsibility.
I learned a lot in terms of computer programming, setting up experiments, running subjects and how to analyze data. Those are skills and training that I otherwise might not have gotten until grad school."

By the time he graduated in 1996, Fenske knew that he wanted to pursue a career in academia.

"One of the driving forces for me has always been about how I can have a positive impact on others. A lot of the people who have had a major influence on my life have been teachers or instructors," he says. "If you are teaching three or four classes a year and each class has up to 100 students, you have the potential to have a positive influence on lots of people. And as an academic, when you are not preparing or giving lectures, you get to investigate important issues that you find interesting. It is a fantastic job."

Supported by NSERC scholarships, Fenske completed both a master's and PhD in psychology from the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Waterloo by 2001. After a two-year post doc at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Wales in Bangor, Fenske moved to Boston, Mass. in 2003, where he began to integrate cognitive psychology with neuroscience, the study of the brain.

"In Boston I worked at the Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, where I had a dual appointment as a research fellow with Harvard Medical School and as an assistant in neuroscience at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH). With rapid advances in neuroimaging technology, it became clear that we could learn a lot more by combining our study of human cognition with neuroscience," says Fenske. "Using MRI scanners, we were able to look at the structure of the brain and the areas of activation that related to different cognitive operations. What I now do is try to understand how it is that we do what we do. How do we pay attention to things, remember things and what elicits different emotional responses?"

Fenske spent four years at MGH and Harvard, the last two as faculty, before returning to Canada to work at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Guelph in 2007. In spite of the years of intense research and study, he has never lost sight of his original goal of helping people.

In recent years, he has worked on bringing the knowledge he has gained about cognitive-affective neuroscience to the general public. His work on The Winner's Brain with Dr. Jeff Brown serves as an example.

"The book is all about the neuroscience of success," says Fenske. "What we do with our brain – the different ways in which we stimulate, engage and care for it – can have a significant impact on the way it works, and even alter its physical landscape. We looked at what the latest brain science says about people that excel in key areas related to success, and the various strategies the rest of us can use to fine-tune our brains and become more successful."

GET THE FACTS

• The Winner's Brain was on Amazon Canada's bestseller list, ranking 20th in the All Books category and first in both the Psychology and Success classifications. U of L neuroscience instructor, Dr. Bryan Kolb, is featured in the book.

• Fenske writes a bi-weekly column, Better Brain, for the Globe and Mail newspaper.

• He is the recipient of grants in excess of $1 million and is currently working with the Gambling Research Exchange Ontario.

• Fenske has published more than 35 articles, abstracts and theses, and has presented at more than 40 conferences and seminars.

For a full look at the January issue of the Legend, follow this link.

Significant And Mentionable

trevor.kenney — Thu, 18 Nov 2010 22:54:14 +0000

HISTORIANS SCORE 100%

The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge History Department celebrated 100 per cent participation in Supporting Our Students for the second year in a row.

"This is an incredible accomplishment," says Debi Sandul, who is co-chairing this year's SOS campaign. "Students have always been at the centre of what we do and this demonstrates the continued commitment of the History Department to enhance the student experience and create opportunities."

Supporting Our Students is an annual internal fundraising campaign to raise money for student awards. Faculty and staff donations are matched by the Government of Alberta's Access to the Future Fund, doubling the impact of all contributions.

The goal for this year's campaign is 300 contributions and thanks to the dedication of faculty and staff like those from the History Department, the campaign already has 255 participants.

"This year's campaign is about participation and this group has come together to demonstrate the strength of the U of L community," explains Dr. Rob Wood, the campaign co-chair.

"We are very proud of what we've been able to do as a group and I hope this is just the beginning," says History Department Chair Dr. Chris Epplett, who went on to issue a friendly challenge to other U of L departments.

GRAD STUDENTS HONOURED

When the School of Graduate Studies and the Office of Research Services handed out their Research Excellence awards recently, there were no trophies, only cold hard cash to the tune of more than $700,000, which was shared by 36 student recipients of graduate, doctoral and post-doctoral studies awards.

The investment in research funding directed toward candidates in master's and doctoral programs is critical to help grow the
U of L's research programs and its place as a comprehensive research university.

The research funding was supported by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council, the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council, the Canadian Institutes of Health Research and Alberta-based agencies Alberta Ingenuity Fund, Alberta Innovates Health Solutions, the Alberta Cancer Foundation, and the Alberta government-funded Ralph Steinhauer Awards of Distinction.

NATIONAL RANKING SHOWS DRAMATIC GROWTH FOR U OF L RESEARCH FUNDING

The U of L is ranked second nationally by Re$earch Infosource in terms of research income growth over the decade 1999-2009 for undergraduate universities – with an overall growth rate from $3.295 million to $15.956 million.

"This is the highest gain of any Alberta school and any Western Canadian school – and we are still growing," says U of L Vice-President (Research) Dr. Dan Weeks.

"These figures do not reflect the additional people we have attracted, the income from this past year or the many new programs that we have launched."

As assessed by RE$EARCH Infosource, the list ranks universities by their research income and research intensity (research funding per faculty member).

ACCESSIBILITY AND INNOVATION LEAD TO RECORD ENROLMENT

This September brought with it the largest student enrolment in the U of L's history. The official enrolment number is 8,472, with the growth being credited to the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ's dedication to being an accessible and innovative institution.

EDUCATION STUDENTS TAKE A STAND AGAINST BULLYING

The third annual ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Anti-bullying and Cyberbullying Awareness Week was held Oct. 4 to 6. Organized by the Education Undergraduate Society, the event is the only student-organized anti-bullying campaign in Alberta and aims to increase the awareness of cyberbullying and bullying in the community.

The ever-increasing use of technology among children is rapidly leading to a transformation in the traditional forms of bullying, with cyberbullying becoming more prevalent.

The anti-bullying campaign highlighted the need for schools to develop policies and procedures related to cyberbullying, while providing teachers with techniques and tools to address the issue.

STUDENTS' UNION HELPING PAINT A BRIGHTER FUTURE

��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Students' Union Executive Council worked on their home-improvement skills this past summer by volunteering with Project Paintbrush.

Working with Volunteer Lethbridge and Project Paintbrush, the students laboured to fix up homes for those who are not able. Specifically, the four council members grabbed brushes and aided in painting the exterior of a local home.

Project Paintbrush focuses on assisting seniors and individuals with special needs who are physically and/or financially unable to maintain the exterior of their property. There is no cost to the homeowner and the program operation is based solely on volunteers.

Taz Kassam, SU president, believes that "making positive changes through volunteering in the community provides for greater experiences and opportunities for all. Lethbridge supports its students and it is important for students to support Lethbridge, too."

By taking part in this project, the ULSU hopes to not only spark knowledge of Volunteer Lethbridge and Project Paintbrush, but also showcase the impact volunteering has on individuals and the community.

"At the end of the day, we can look back and realize that we made a difference, and the families are more than grateful for the help," says Kassam.

IGEM TEAM CLEANS UP

A group of ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge undergraduate chemistry, biochemistry and neuroscience students has been awarded a $20,000 international research grant from the Oil Sands Initiative to find a biological solution to improving the environmental sustainability of Alberta's oil sands.

The students are members of the
U of L's multiple-award-winning International Genetically Engineered Machines (iGEM) team, which competes each year at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in Boston, Mass. Regarded as the premier undergraduate synthetic biology competition in the world, the conference attracts competitors from around the world but the U of L group was the only team to receive a $20,000 award.

The money will help support the development of a petrochemical-eating bacteria that the group plans to design. If successful, the bacteria could be used to help clean up water in ponds that have been polluted in the refining process.

CONGRATULATIONS

The U of L extends sincere congratulations to the following members of our community for their awards and recognitions this fall.

U of L Chancellor Richard Davidson was named one of the 50 most influential people in Alberta by Alberta Venture magazine.

Dr. Trevor Harrison, sociology professor, was awarded a Fulbright Visiting Research Chair in Canadian Studies at Kennesaw State ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ.

The Honourable Rick Casson, who is a Member of Parliament for Lethbridge and a former U of L employee, was appointed to the Queen's Privy Council of Canada.

Dr. Susan McDaniel, director of the Prentice Institute for Global Population and Economy, was named Vice-Chair of the Council of Canadian Academies' Scientific Advisory Committee (SAC).

Dr. Joseph Rasmussen, biological sciences researcher, was appointed to the National Oil Sands Review Panel.

GLOBE & MAIL REPORT CARD

The Globe and Mail's annual report card on Canadian ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ performance is out and the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge has been given high marks, ranging from B's to A's in more than 80 per cent of 17 categories.

The survey was prepared by higher Education Strategy Associates in partnership with the Globe and Mail, and asked more than 35,000 students 100 questions that were distilled down to the final 17 categories. Individual scores (such as the U of L's) are based on a minimum number of responses from U of L students.

The Faculties of Health Sciences and Management recorded high marks from students for providing a quality education, and "A" level grades were received for the number of small class sizes, the quality of student/professor interaction, and the institution's athletics and recreation services.

"This survey is a solid reinforcement of our strength as an undergraduate university, but we're moving along a new path to become a comprehensive research university – without losing sight of the very important factors that put all of our students first," says U of L President Dr. Mike Mahon.

U OF L'S CANDO PARTNERSHIP NETS STUDENT SCHOLARSHIP

Faculty of Management student Shermayn Menicoche (photo, right) is one of three people to receive a $3,000 National Indigenous Economic Education Foundation (NIEEF) scholarship from the charitable arm of the Council for the Advancement of Native Development Officers (CANDO).

CANDO is an Aboriginal-controlled, community-based group that builds partnerships with educational institutions, Aboriginal leaders and senior corporate and government representatives.

The U of L is now one of nine post-secondary institutions accredited by CANDO to deliver courses that help economic development officers working in First Nations communities obtain an Aboriginal Economic Developer Certificate in addition to their U of L degree.

For a look at the full issue of SAM in a flipbook format, follow this link.

U of L earns top-10 in Maclean's ranking

trevor.kenney — Wed, 10 Nov 2010 22:28:19 +0000

The annual Maclean's Magazine ranking of Canadian Universities has placed the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge among the top 10 primarily undergraduate universities in Canada for the fourth consecutive year.

Reinforcing the U of L's core strengths of small class sizes and student engagement, the ranking results show an improvement in the 20th annual survey – from sixth to fourth place in the overall standings.

"We know our students and their families are making very mindful choices about the university they attend. We also know people are choosing the U of L as their education destination in ever-increasing numbers – especially from Calgary, out of province and international locations, which provides a significant boost to our local economy," said U of L President Mike Mahon.

"The acknowledgement through Maclean's is a helpful way for prospective undergraduate and graduate students across the country to learn about us – and also for people in our community to see how we rank on the national level," Mahon said.

The U of L also maintained or improved its standing in approximately half of the 22 categories, including library acquisitions, the faculty/student ratio, and the number of awards per full time faculty members.

Mahon pointed out additional rankings or surveys in which the U of L has scored favourably, including a recent second-place standing in a national Research InfoSource ranking of universities, and an extensive survey recently published in the Globe and Mail.

"The 2010 Globe and Mail Report Card gave the Faculties of Health Sciences and Management high marks from students for providing a quality education, and we received a number of "A" level grades for our small class sizes, the quality of student/professor interaction, and the institution's athletics and recreation services departments," Mahon said.

He added that growth in graduate studies and in significant increases in research funding are among the many factors making the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge a destination for more than 8400 students.

"We plan to build on the past decade of growth and position our programs to attract even more graduate and doctoral level candidates."

UNews - Globe and Mail

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