UNews - Chris Hosgood

Faculty of Health Sciences honours former dean Dr. Chris Hosgood

caroline.zentner — Thu, 02 May 2024 15:43:21 +0000

The Faculty of Health Sciences at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge has chosen former dean Dr. Chris Hosgood as this year’s recipient of the Friend of Health Sciences Award, an award he instituted during his time as dean.

“We are so pleased to honour Chris with the Friend of Health Sciences Award,” says Dr. Jon Doan, dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences. “His hard work, dedication and leadership skills enabled the growth of Health Sciences and the development of unique programming. He has left a significant and invaluable legacy that deserves to be celebrated.”

“I was a little embarrassed when I learned I was to be named this year’s recipient because I was the person who started the award,” says Hosgood. “But I have to be honest — it felt really good because being Dean of Health Sciences was something that meant a great deal to me.”

Hosgood, who was born in the United Kingdom and moved to Canada as a child, joined ULethbridge’s history department in 1988 with a specialty in British history. After teaching for a decade, he moved into the administrative arena and worked as associate dean in the Faculty of Arts & Science. From there, Hosgood was asked to step in as interim dean in the School of Health Sciences and was appointed dean in 2005.

At that time, the School of Health Sciences was focused on the nursing program, which had recently partnered with Lethbridge College on the delivery of the Bachelor of Nursing. The addictions counselling program was a new addition. Under Hosgood’s leadership, the school became the Faculty of Health Sciences and programming expanded to include a Bachelor of Nursing After-Degree program, a Master of Nursing, Public Health, Aboriginal Health, Master of Science, Master of Health Services Management and a PhD in Population Studies in Health. Student enrolment more than doubled and additional faculty members were needed. More recently, the Therapeutic Recreation program was added. The program has proven to be popular and high demand led the Faculty to double the number of online seats in 2023.

“There are all sorts of different ways to be a dean, but for me, it was about talking to people,” he says. “We always had healthy discussions at Faculty Council, which helped bring people together. In Health Sciences, we tried to create a kind of culture where everyone had a say. I think there was an environment where people felt able to speak their minds in a respectful way. I believe very strongly in collegial governance.”

“A great dean stands out as a colleague through a blend of interpersonal skills, collaboration, and positive workplace culture contributions,” says Debra Bardock, Dean, Centre for Health and Wellness at Lethbridge College. “Dr. Chris Hosgood — thank you for being this great dean!”

Hosgood will be honoured at the Friends of Health Sciences Dinner on Thursday, May 23, at 5:30 p.m. in the Science Commons Atrium. Tickets can be purchased online.

New nursing student award designed to attract and retain Indigenous nursing students

trevor.kenney — Thu, 14 Feb 2019 19:04:02 +0000

The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge and the Faculty of Health Sciences is helping remove obstacles for Indigenous students aspiring to be nurses through the introduction of a new student award.

The Man U’ Matapu Nursing Student Award is designed for Indigenous nursing students, offering financial support to those entering the Bachelor of Nursing program and up to three further consecutive years for continuing students in academic good standing. In total, each qualified student can receive up to $4,000 over the course of their academic career.

“It’s very clear there is a requirement for more Indigenous health-care professionals to meet the needs of communities, in particular First Nations communities,” says Dr. Shannon Spenceley, assistant dean in the Faculty of Health Sciences and associate professor of nursing.

The Faculty of Health Sciences has long supported Indigenous nursing initiatives. The Support Program for Aboriginal Nursing Students (SPANS) ran under federal funding support from 2007 through 2010 and was designed to build nursing capacity in First Nations communities. It has since expanded to Indigenous Student Supports for all Indigenous students in health sciences and now the Faculty is looking to enhance those support mechanisms.

“We’ve always had the vision about building capacity and enhancing the community and this is another way to achieve that goal,” says Marilyn Lamb, the learning facilitator in Indigenous Student Supports.

She says many Indigenous students face unique obstacles in pursuing and then completing their nursing degrees. Students often come to the program later in life, have transportation issues from rural settings, and family and extended family responsibilities.

As a result, the Man U’ Matapu Nursing Student Award is designed to attract students to the Nursing Education in Southern Alberta (NESA) program and then continue to provide a financial award each year of their studies.

“We wanted it to be an award that wasn’t just about entrance to the program because often times students manage difficulties going through the program as well,” says Spenceley. “They are trying to manage multiple priorities so we decided to make it an award where if the student stayed in the program and was of good standing, they’d receive the award every year.”

Of the approximately 500 total students in the U of L’s nursing program, around five per cent are Indigenous students. Faculty of Health Sciences Dean Dr. Chris Hosgood says the Faculty has an opportunity to increase that number through this award, and create real change in Indigenous communities as a result.

“This award represents one part of our commitment to addressing the calls to action in the Truth and Reconciliation Commission,” he says. “We are in the process of Indigenizing nursing education as part of a broader curriculum rebuild, and our goal is also to support Indigenous education more broadly across campus.”

The award’s name, Man U’ Matapu, was gifted by Elder Francis First Charger and means “beginning”.

“It’s wonderful for our program to incorporate Indigenous perspectives and it’s one of the priorities of our new curriculum,” says Spenceley. “Different ways of thinking, different ways of knowing, different ways of approaching health strengthen our program. It’s a tremendous asset to our programming to have more Indigenous students.”

Health Sciences welcomes a familiar face to its leadership team

trevor.kenney — Thu, 06 Oct 2016 20:21:12 +0000

The Faculty of Health Sciences has welcomed registered nurse and long-time nursing instructor, Peter Kellett, to the position of assistant dean of nursing. Kellett who has been a strong advocate for men in the field of nursing says he is thrilled to step into the new role.

Peter Kellett has been appointed to the position of assistant dean of nursing.

“I have the immense privilege of working with a fantastic team of faculty, staff and students in the NESA BN Programs and the Faculty of Health Sciences at large. Building on our recent national accreditation by the Canadian Association of Schools of Nursing (CASN), I am certain that we will continue our tradition of excellent nursing education, and further solidify our place as a destination nursing program for Alberta and beyond,” says Kellett.

Dr. Chris Hosgood, dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences, says Kellett was a natural fit for the role and believes he will be an outstanding addition to the leadership team.

“Peter has been a member of the nursing instructional team for a decade. During that time he has taken on a number of administrative roles, completed his master’s degree and almost finished his PhD,” says Hosgood. “He is a wonderful colleague with a passion for nursing education and a tremendous commitment to supporting our students.”

Kellett has had a focus in researching the impact perceived masculinities have on the rates of depression in men.

U of L introduces Dr. Julia Brassolotto as the new AIHS Research Chair in Rural Health and Well-being

trevor.kenney — Thu, 08 Sep 2016 17:42:31 +0000

Dr. Julia Brassolotto has always looked at health policy issues from an equity perspective. That point of view shaped her first research work in rural Alberta and set the stage for her new role as Alberta Innovates – Health Solutions (AIHS) Research Chair in Rural Health and Well-being at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge.

Brassolotto officially began her role at the U of L on July 1, but has seemingly been pointed in this direction since beginning her PhD work at York ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ in 2009. The Ontario native earned her undergraduate degree at McMaster ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ, followed by master’s and PhD studies at York.

Dr. Julia Brassolotto's work includes looking at the conditions of care work, both paid and unpaid, and how public policy and the allocation of resources affects health and health care in a rural setting.

At the onset of her PhD research, she accompanied her partner to Northern Alberta where he was a teacher in an elementary school. Seeing an opportunity to investigate health equity issues in a rural setting, it set her on a career path that ultimately brought her to the U of L.

Her work in the North, and subsequently in the bordering communities in Northern rural British Columbia, shaped her PhD thesis and gave her experiential insight to the issues rural populations face. These interests persisted during her postdoctoral fellowship in Ontario.

“Living in rural Alberta, I noticed the ways in which rurality was a distinct determinant of health and had effects on other matters of health and health care. The way I had been approaching health equity up until that point hadn’t sufficiently addressed geography or rural Canada, so that was something I really wanted to explore. I got a taste of the distinct strengths and challenges of rural Alberta,” she says. “So, when I applied for this position at the U of L, it ended up being a perfect fit and brought me back to Alberta.”

Faculty of Health Sciences Dean Dr. Chris Hosgood could not be more pleased. He sees Brassolotto’s skill set as an ideal match to the scope of the new Chair.

“We are delighted to welcome Julia as the Alberta Innovates – Health Solutions Research Chair in Rural Health and Well-being. Her expertise in rural health, particularly relating to policy, will be a tremendous asset to the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge and the province,” says Hosgood.

“Alberta Innovates – Health Solutions is pleased that Dr. Brassolotto is now at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge, ensuring equity in health for rural Alberta,” says Dr. Pamela Valentine, AIHS CEO (interim) and Transition CEO for Alberta Innovates. “The work that she is embarking upon is critically important to improved care for older Albertans.”

The (AIHS) Research Chair in Rural Health and Well-being is designed to create a research program focusing on social determinants of health and a big picture approach to rural health care.

“Broadly, it’s about the intersections of formal and informal care for older adults,” says Brassolotto. “I’m particularly interested in older adults with dementia in rural Alberta, looking at how the boundaries between public and private care are organized differently in rural areas than they are in urban areas.”

Her work includes looking at the conditions of care work, both paid and unpaid, and how public policy and the allocation of resources affects health and health care in a rural setting.

“Sometimes policy decisions are made without really considering the demographics and capabilities of the affected communities,” she says. “I want to find the gaps in our knowledge about rural dementia care, build on existing knowledge, and design research for the next couple years so that the research reflects the needs of rural Albertans.”

She says there will be ample opportunity for students to participate in the research work, something she found very valuable throughout her studies.

“I really benefited from that during my grad studies and that was what allowed me to get the experience I needed to be eligible for this position,” she says. “My supervisor for my post-doc and PhD had a CIHR Chair in Gender, Work, and Health, and by being able to take part in her research program, I had the opportunity to get my hands dirty. I’d like to be able to pass along that type of experience to my students.”

Brassolotto’s position is funded for five years, with a two-year option for extension.

Post-Diploma Bachelor of Health Sciences program now available to Calgary area health-care practitioners

trevor.kenney — Mon, 09 May 2016 17:36:51 +0000

Diploma-trained health-care practitioners will have the opportunity to earn a baccalaureate degree and subsequently remove barriers to accessing front-line management positions with the introduction of a post-diploma Bachelor of Health Sciences program at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge’s Calgary Campus.

Pharmacy technicians, practical nurses, massage therapists, paramedics, respiratory therapists, laboratory technicians and many more with health care experience will now be able to build on their existing diploma educations with a degree option that provides a non-clinical grounding in health. Such degrees will prepare employees for career advancement to managerial or supervisory roles.

“This program provides students with a suite of leadership skills that will allow them to present themselves as qualified candidates for positions they would not previously have been fully qualified to perform,” says Faculty of Health Sciences Dean Dr. Christopher Hosgood.

“For many employees, a post-diploma program does not currently exist, and in order for them to fulfill their potential in the health workforce, they require a Bachelor of Health Sciences or equivalent.”

Responding to student and industry demand, just over a year ago the U of L established a post-diploma degree program in therapeutic recreation. The impetus to establish that program mirrored the creation of this latest laddering opportunity.

“There’s a definite need for this locally provided education to be offered to diploma-trained health professionals," says Colin Zieber, executive director, Senior Health, Alberta Health Services - South Zone. "We have emerging leaders looking to add to their skill set and advance their careers and this program provides this option.”

Classes will be offered at nights and on weekends, as tailored to the needs of working professionals.

“We’ve had conversations with several colleges, as well as employers in health care, who indicated the need for such a program,” adds Hosgood. “There’s a growing student demand for a health sciences program that enables career advancement in the field. They are looking to add foundational knowledge in health leadership through courses such as writing and communications, public health, epidemiology, health research and health management, among others, thereby building on their existing professional practice.”

Career opportunities with a BHSc may include designing and implementing programs that promote health, collecting and analyzing health data, and shaping policy.

The first intake of students for the two-year, post-diploma Bachelor of Health Sciences program on the U of L’s Bow Valley College campus is Fall 2016. Those with a diploma in a health-related discipline from an approved college are eligible (full admission requirements can be found at ulethbridge.ca/postdiploma). Application deadline is August 1, 2016.

Friends of Health Sciences Award to honour two Kainai physicians for their work to curb fentanyl use

caroline.zentner — Mon, 28 Sep 2015 17:44:21 +0000

This year’s Friends of Health Sciences award recognizes two Kainai physicians who have shown exemplary leadership in mobilizing their community to respond to the fentanyl crisis. The work of Dr. Susan Christenson and Dr. Esther Tailfeathers has saved numerous lives.

Christenson and Tailfeathers have individually launched several initiatives on the Blood Reserve in response to the fentanyl crisis. Tailfeathers was instrumental in bringing Narcan kits, an antidote to fentanyl overdose, to the community and educating people on their use. Christenson took the necessary steps to get a license to prescribe suboxone, an opiate similar to methadone that reduces drug cravings and gives fentanyl addicts the best chance at recovery.

“We are very pleased to honour Dr. Tailfeathers and Dr. Christenson for their persistent efforts to better the lives of people in their community,” says Dr. Chris Hosgood, Dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences.

Christenson practices at the Levern clinic and now works with nearly 70 patients who want to stop using fentanyl or other opiates. She is also an active advocate for using harm reduction strategies such as Narcan. Christenson has started yoga classes to provide her patients with a non-narcotic therapy for physical pain.

Tailfeathers practices medicine in Standoff and Cardston and provides service to Fort Chipewyan one week a month. She sounded the alarm about fentanyl use beginning in 2014 and started rallying the community and reaching out to local and national government bodies to organize the delivery of Narcan kits. Tailfeathers also empowered the community to organize the Blood Tribe United in the Healing Journey Conference.

The awards will be presented at a dinner on Thursday, Oct. 15, in the Markin Hall Atrium. Tickets are $50 each or $400 for a table of eight and can be purchased online at Friends of Health Sciences Award.

Supporting Our Students co-chairs aim to create a better campus

trevor.kenney — Mon, 14 Sep 2015 17:21:15 +0000

As dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences and an academic research project officer, respectively, Dr. Chris Hosgood and Jacqueline Preyde contribute to the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge in very different ways. But as co-chairs of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ’s 2015/2016 Supporting Our Students (SOS) campaign, Hosgood and Preyde share a combined goal: to help create a healthy and successful U of L student body.

Jacqueline Preyde, left, and Dr. Chris Hosgood are the 2015/2016 Supporting Our Students campaign co-chairs.

Hosgood has been at the U of L since 1988, and dean of Health Sciences for the last decade. Preyde worked at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ in the 1990s as a sessional instructor, then returned in 2008 as an academic advisor before moving to her current position last year. They may see the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ’s SOS initiative from different vantage points, but both agree that the program is an essential component in creating a vibrant and cohesive ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ campus.

“The U of L isn’t a huge university, but it is a hugely vital and energetic place,” says Hosgood. “The thing I’ve always liked the most about the U of L is that it feels like one big family. The SOS program is one way that family is visible and has a positive impact.”

Supporting Our Students is an initiative whereby U of L faculty and staff make monetary donations towards existing or new scholarships and bursaries that are distributed among the student body each year. So far this year, 239 current staff members and retirees are participating in SOS, a figure that Preyde and Hosgood are proud of, but would like to see increase in 2015/16. The committee’s goal for this next year is to increase the number of staff donating monthly to support our students.

“We want to get as many people involved as possible, whether it’s through contributing to the fund or participating on the SOS committee,” says Preyde. “Giving back to our students does so much for the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ as a whole. It would be great if everyone who works here was part of it. We’re helping our students, which of course is the main goal, but the ripple effects from that are tremendous. When students receive scholarship and bursary support, they can worry less about their finances and can concentrate on their ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ, helping them to be successful, happy students.”

Hosgood believes that the effects of SOS funding on students go a lot further than just relieving financial pressure.

“I actually think it’s a health issue,” says Hosgood. “Many students are working two, even three jobs to help subsidize their education. Many of our students have families. There comes a point when students reach a level of pressure that’s not only detrimental to their academic success, it’s detrimental to their well-being, both physically and mentally. We have the opportunity as faculty and staff to alleviate some of that pressure through SOS.”

Joel Snodgrass, a fifth-year combined science and management student, knows the difference a bit of funding can make firsthand. Snodgrass applied for and received a number of scholarships over the course of his studies, totaling more than $12,000.

Fifth-year student Joel Snodgrass applied for and received a number of scholarships over the course of his studies.

“The scholarships motivated me; they encouraged me to focus on my studies and to do well,” says Snodgrass. “When someone believes in you enough to provide funding, that’s huge. It changes the way you think about your education and improves your entire university experience. The scholarships I received made it possible for me to get involved on campus, to volunteer and participate, rather than having to work a part-time job. I think it’s rounded me out as a person and will give me a head start when I begin my career.”

Preyde and Hosgood see students like Snodgrass every day, and see their own financial contributions to SOS as minimum input for maximum benefit.

“It’s an investment in the future,” says Hosgood.

“And a way to better our entire ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ community,” adds Preyde.

Join Jacqueline and Chris, and support our students today.

Board approves multiple faculty, staff and administrative appointments

trevor.kenney — Fri, 12 Jun 2015 17:32:07 +0000

The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Board of Governors recently convened and approved a number of faculty, staff and administrative appointments that are scheduled to officially take effect July 1, 2015.

Following is a summary of these appointments.

Vice-Provost & Associate Vice-President (Academic) - Dr. Lesley Brown

Dr. Lesley Brown has been appointed for a five-year term as the Vice-Provost & Associate Vice-President (Academic).

Currently the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ's Interim Vice-President (Research) and a professor of kinesiology, Brown first came to the U of L in 1997 as an assistant professor in the department of Kinesiology and Physical Education following her post-doctoral studies at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Oregon. Brown's research portfolio has been focused on the aging process, balance, falling, fear of falling and Parkinson's Disease.

Brown was appointed Associate Vice-President (Research) in 2011 and served in that role until 2014 when she assumed responsibility as the Interim Vice-President (Research). She has led some very important initiatives while serving in that role, including being the driving force behind the development of AGILITY and its subsequent launch. Her passion for entrepreneurship and innovation will see her play a lead role in the continued development of AGILITY as the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ moves forward.

Dean, Health Sciences - Dr. Christopher Hosgood

Dr. Chris Hosgood has been reappointed as Dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences for a further five-year term.

Hosgood, the former Chair of the Department of History, will be taking on his third term as Dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences as he presided over the transition of the Faculty from a School in 2009. He played a major role in the expansion of both student enrolments and Faculty programs, including the recent introduction of the Bachelor of Therapeutic Recreation program, and saw the Faculty through its move into Markin Hall.

A Co-Chair on the Health Sciences Placement Network Management Committee as well as a member of the Alberta SPOR Steering Committee, Hosgood was recently appointed to the Alberta Health Research Task Force.

Dean, Graduate Studies - Dr. Robert Wood

Dr. Robert Wood has been reappointed as Dean, Graduate Studies for a further five-year term.

Wood had served in the role of Dean since January 2011 and was previously the Interim Head of the School of Graduate Studies and Chair of the Department of Sociology.

A sociology researcher and faculty member since 2000, Wood is the author or co-author of two books and numerous research articles on gambling issues, and has recently produced a trio of journal articles examining various aspects of problem gambling. He is currently the President of the Western Canadian Deans of Graduate Studies, a post he accepted February 1, 2015 after serving the previous two years as the organization's vice-president.

Tier I Board of Governors Research Chair (Organizations, Culture, and Society) - Dr. Paul Vasey

Dr. Paul Vasey, a professor in the Department of Psychology, conducts cross-species and cross-cultural research to answer the question: If reproduction is the engine that drives evolution, why engage in non-conceptive sex?

For the past decade he has done research on the development and evolution of female homosexual behaviour in free-ranging Japanese monkeys at various sites in Japan. He also studies the development and evolution of male same-sex sexual attraction in humans at field sites in Samoa, Japan and Canada.

Tier I Board of Governors Research Chair (Organizations, Culture, and Society) - Dr. Claudia Malacrida

Dr. Claudia Malacrida is a sociologist and oral historian well-known for her investigations on power and the construction of difference historically and in the present. This focus has led to investigations of eugenics and institutionalization abuses in Alberta at the Michener Centre; comparative projects examining the challenges disabled women face in their sexual, relational and family lives; and, questions of power and medicalization in local childbirth practices.

In each area, she is concerned about how seemingly personal and embodied experiences are constrained and produced through public policy, social attitudes and professional practice.

Tier I Board of Governors Research Chair (Earth and Environment) - Dr. Larry Flanagan

Dr. Larry Flanagan, a faculty member in the Department of Biological Sciences, is being reappointed as a Tier I Board of Governors Research Chair. He gained international recognition for his contributions to addressing carbon cycling and climate change.

His research program involves applying a range of techniques from eco-physiology and ecosystem ecology to study how plants and ecosystems acclimate to environmental change. This includes field studies with plants growing in their native habitats, in addition to lab and controlled environment studies.

Understanding these fundamental processes provides the basis for modelling and predicting plant and ecosystem response to global climate change.

Tier I Board of Governors Research Chair (Healthy Futures) - Dr. Gerlinde Metz

Dr. Gerlinde Metz is a researcher in the Department of Neuroscience, and is being appointed as a Tier I Board of Governors Research Chair (Health Futures) for a period of five years.

Her research program focuses on the influence of experience and environment on behaviour and brain plasticity. Her work showed that stress affects motor system function, risk of Parkinson's disease and recovery from stroke. This research indicated that adverse experience at any time in life can become a predisposing or precipitating factor of disease. More recently, her laboratory has developed unique models to explore transgenerational inheritance of stress responses. Through transgenerational programming, experience in parents, grandparents and beyond can influence health and disease from early development to old age.

Tier I Board of Governors Research Chair (Origins and Explorations) - Dr. Stacey Wetmore

Dr. Stacey Wetmore is a recognized leader in computational chemistry, and has been appointed a Tier I Board of Governors Research Chair (Origins and Explorations) for the period April 1, 2017 to March 31, 2022.

She has successfully established a vigorous and prolific research program exploring the reactions between DNA and various harmful chemicals in order to understand how DNA is damaged, and how enzymes in our body repair DNA by chemically removing the damaged sections of DNA.

An understanding of DNA damage and repair processes in our bodies will aid the design of new ways to diagnose, treat and prevent disease. No other Canadian researcher is studying these important (health-related) areas using computational methods. The range of approaches, close collaborations with experimental labs, and systematic attack of entire classes of biomolecules has distinguished Wetmore's research on the international stage.

Assistant Dean, Northern Campuses - Lorne Williams

Lorne Williams has been reappointed to serve as the Assistant Dean (Northern Campuses) for a further three-year term.

A respected alumnus and member of the U of L Honour Society, Williams was first named Acting Assistant Dean (Northern Campuses) in 2012. He has more than 20 years of U of L experience, including more than a decade of work in the Calgary market as a director, instructor and co-ordinator at the U of L Calgary campus. During his time there, he has won six teaching awards.

Williams consults widely on team building, leadership and corporate culture for public, private and not-for-profit organizations of all sizes. In the past year, he has served as the opening speaker at both the Faculty of Management Student PD Conference and the Canada/China Trade and Investment Forum, and was invited to give the keynote address at the Keeping People Important - MacEwan ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ PD Day.

Associate Vice-President (Research) - Dr. Matthew Letts

Dr. Matthew Letts has been extended as the Associate Vice-President (Research) for a period of six months, June 30, 2015 to December 31, 2015.

A faculty member in the Department of Geography, Letts is an accomplished researcher who is currently working on two projects. One, sponsored by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) is studying plant physiological response to environmental stress in semiarid ecosystems. He is also part of the team that is currently working on Functional flows: a practical strategy for healthy rivers, as sponsored by Alberta Innovates - Environmental Solutions.

Chancellor Emerita - Dr. Shirley McClellan

The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ's 12th Chancellor, Dr. Shirley McClellan was named Chancellor Emerita.

McClellan served as Chancellor from 2011 to 2015 and was a strong advocate for the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge over that time.

A veteran Alberta politician and former deputy premier of the Province of Alberta, McClellan had long been involved in bringing further education to rural areas, serving on the board of directors for the Alberta Association of Continuing Education and the Canadian Association for Continuing Education.

��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ establishes first therapeutic recreation degree program in Alberta

trevor.kenney — Fri, 27 Feb 2015 22:46:10 +0000

The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge’s Faculty of Health Sciences is unveiling a new post-diploma degree program that will advance the discipline of therapeutic recreation and eventually lead to the establishment of the first accredited therapeutic recreation degree in Canada.

The Bachelor of Therapeutic Recreation is designed to prepare graduates to become eligible as Certified Therapeutic Recreation Specialists (CTRS), a career field that is emerging as one of the most promising growth professions in health care.

“In conversation with government, employers and other post-secondary institutions we became aware of the need in Alberta for a degree option in therapeutic recreation,” says Dr. Chris Hosgood, dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences. “In the spirit of Campus Alberta, we created a task force that included all stakeholders in the province, including NorQuest College and Lethbridge College, to develop a laddering opportunity for students to move into a two-year post-diploma degree program at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge.”

Therapeutic recreation is described as a process that utilizes functional intervention, education and recreation participation to enable individuals with cognitive, physical, emotional and social limitations to acquire or increase the skills and knowledge that allow them to enjoy the leisure aspects of their life.

What it translates to in the workforce is varied and open-ended.

“The profession is really client driven, having the client tell you what they need as opposed to a therapeutic recreation professional telling them what they need,” says Tristan Hopper, a CTRS and master’s student who is currently at the U of L supporting Dr. Jerry Singleton as he assists in setting up the new program. Singleton is on secondment from Dalhousie ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ, where a therapeutic recreation degree has been offered since 1990.

“I’ve worked in hospitals with clients who have a mental illness. People often think that therapeutic recreation has to be involving clients in sport, but some people aren’t into that,” says Hopper. “Maybe they just want to go to a coffee shop to meet friends and socialize but don’t know how to ride transit or how to properly order a drink once they get there. That’s all a part of what we do.”

The new degree program is being lauded by the Alberta Therapeutic Recreation Association (ATRA) as addressing a provincial need. The program will begin accepting students for the Fall 2015 semester.

“This degree program supports ATRA’s mission to regulate therapeutic recreation through defined programs of study and educational courses for the purpose of registration requirements, a clearly defined entry level for applicants and continuing competence programs for practitioners, standards of practice and a code of ethics,” says ATRA Executive Director Dianne Bowtell. “With this clearly defined therapeutic recreation educational program in place in Alberta, the profession can advance the discipline to improve the health and quality of life of Albertans living with disabilities and illnesses, older adults and others who are marginalized in society.”

Those eligible to apply to the new degree program must first complete a therapeutic recreation diploma course, such as that offered at Lethbridge College. Singleton says the value of the added two years of study and a degree designation is substantial.

“Lethbridge College is doing great things with their program but a diploma allows graduates the ability to be a programmer, not a CTRS,” he says. “The two extra years will enable the individual to develop the critical thinking skills to not only provide an engagement opportunity but to assess the effectiveness of it and how it could be applied to help other individuals in the future. The degree also indicates to the field a minimum level of competency, a quality assurance that will enable graduates the opportunity to compete for positions across Canada and the United States.”

The U of L is also beginning the process by which the degree program will be professionally accredited, something that even Dalhousie has yet to pursue. It would make the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ’s Bachelor of Therapeutic Recreation the first accredited therapeutic recreation degree in Canada.

Taking a Big-Picture Approach to Health Care

david.kirby — Thu, 27 Nov 2014 17:16:18 +0000

For Dr. Brenda Leung, getting sick as a child meant facing a somewhat daunting remedy: a foul-tasting, homemade herbal concoction prepared by her mother that was tough to swallow – but that ultimately did the trick.

Dr. Brenda Leung is the U of L's Faculty of Health Sciences Emmy Droog Chair in Complementary and Alternative Health Care.

“My mom would always brew these hideous teas, you know, noxious liquids, that I had to consume, but they always made me better,” Leung recalls.

That early introduction to traditional Chinese medicine not only helped treat Leung’s ailments, it ignited a lifelong interest in alternative health care and propelled her to study the field at university, train to become a naturopathic doctor (ND), and now, to be appointed the lead researcher and academic in this diverse and growing field at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge.

Leung is the U of L’s new Faculty of Health Sciences Emmy Droog Chair in Complementary and Alternative Health Care. The $2 million endowed professorship is a first for the Faculty and is made possible through a $1 million gift from Alberta businessman Dr. Tom Droog (LLD í06), whose wife Emmy became an advocate for alternative health treatments during her three-year battle with cancer before succumbing to the disease in 2010.

“One of the main objectives of this five-year professorship is to create educational opportunities for health sciences students to integrate complementary and alternative medicine, or CAM, strategies and modalities into their practice,” says Dr. Chris Hosgood, dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences.

To that end, Leung is developing the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ’s first courses on the subject that will be introduced in January 2015: Introduction to Complementary and Alternative Health Care, which will provide an overview of CAM therapies the public are using; and Evidence-Based Integrative Therapies, which will focus on the methodological rigour and scientific merit of therapies that have been more widely studied.

“Our graduates will see patients or clients already using some form of CAM, and who will come with questions about how they can incorporate CAM therapy into their current treatment. So I think it’s very important for graduates to have some base knowledge about what clients and patients may be using and how that may affect their care,” she says.

The position’s other priority is to establish an evidence-based research program that explores the issues and care practices associated with CAM. Leung’s plans in this area include supporting CAM practitioners to undertake research projects by mentoring and assisting with developing proposals, applying for grants and conducting studies. She also wants to establish the U of L as an international centre of study on CAM by developing partnerships with researchers in the field across Canada and worldwide. She continues to foster interdisciplinary collaborations with scientists from neuroscience, mental health, maternal and child health, and nutrition.

“I want to develop models and strategies, and determine how evidence from CAM research can be effectively implemented into health care,” Leung says. “We’re looking at the whole body, the mind/body connection, so in order for us to understand what’s going on, we need the experience and knowledge from different fields to get the big picture.”

When it comes to better understanding the approaches and benefits of holistic health care, Leung is more than up for the task. Her academic credentials include a PhD in epidemiology and an MSc in health research from the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Calgary. She completed her ND at the Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine. Prior to joining the U of L this past July, she was the director of research at the Boucher Institute of Naturopathic Medicine, had taught at the Canadian Institute of Traditional Chinese Medicine, and held various positions at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Calgary. She is currently a Research Fellow with the Australian Research Centre in Complementary and Integrative Medicine, ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Technology, Sydney. She has numerous research papers and presentations to her credit, and has received multiple research grants.

Leung’s passion for CAM is fuelled by her innate interest in holistic and personalized health care, and its proactive approach of improving overall health. She’s far from alone: a 2007 report by the Fraser Institute found that in 2006, 74 per cent of Canadians had reported using at least one alternative therapy at least once in their lives. Her goal is to raise the profile of CAM research and provide viable health-care options for the public.

“Health care should be about the person, not just the disease,” Leung says. “I think Canadians want more control over their health, and more input into how to address their care.”

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