UNews - Aaron Barr

��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ played key role in alumni couple's story

trevor.kenney — Fri, 18 Jan 2013 23:08:27 +0000

Some would call it luck, others fortune, but when her father, Dr. Keith Roscoe, accepted a position with the Faculty of Education at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge in 1996, an entirely new world of possibilities opened up for Catherine Roscoe Barr (BSc '02) and her future husband, Aaron Barr (BFA '02).

Aaron, now a technical artist for Pixar Canada, and Catherine, a freelance writer, first met in Grade 7 in Grande Prairie but their friendship was cut short when Aaron's family moved to Lethbridge. With her father's new position at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ, Catherine was able to rekindle a friendship with Aaron in her final year of high school. After graduation, she enrolled at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ in the pre-vet program then quickly switched to pre-med studies.

"I realized I really didn't like physics so I switched to neuroscience. It was awesome," explains Catherine. "I had three favourite professors: Drs. Gail Michener, Peter Dibble and Glen Prusky. They communicated the material, which was often very complicated, in such a way that was fascinating and easy to understand."

Aaron and Catherine Roscoe Barr have parlayed their U of L educations into exciting, satisfying careers.

While Catherine concentrated on the sciences, Aaron enrolled in fine arts. He loved to draw and had a great interest in computer graphics and animation, but he was unsure about the reality of an artist making a living in the world of computer graphics, so he entered the U of L with plans to pursue a career in architecture. When the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ created the multimedia program in Aaron's second year, however, he quickly applied.

"There were college programs offering similar type programs but I really wanted the more universal experience I got at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ," says Aaron, who was among the first to graduate from the program.

During one of his classes, Aaron had the opportunity to interview John Kahrs, a senior animator for Pixar, regarding Kahrs' work on the animated film Monsters Inc.

"I loved what he was doing and how passionate he was. I decided then that I wanted to abandon architecture and pursue my interest in film. I thought it was just a shot in the dark but he said go for it, you'll get there," remembers Aaron, who recently ran into John at Pixar. "I told him how I had met him at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ and how he had inspired me. At Pixar, I build characters, sets, props, paint texture onto them, and add surface qualities and hair, anything involving the look of the character or object."

Catherine too had a life-changing moment while she was a student at the U of L. As a teenager she was always quite active but with her studies taking up so much time, her activity level dropped and she found herself eating a lot of unhealthy cafeteria food. One of her roommates in residence encouraged her to get a personal trainer.

"It changed the course of my life," she says. "I had wanted to become a doctor but I found that fitness was a proactive way to help people. I started taking fitness classes and got my fitness instructor certificate. The year after I graduated I got my personal trainer certification."

In July 2000, the couple was engaged, and in August 2002, just a few months after graduating, they married. A move to Toronto followed, where Catherine started her own business working as a personal trainer and teaching fitness classes at Sheridan College. Aaron earned a diploma in digital character animation at the college, and then began working for C.O.R.E. Feature Animation. Several career moves later, Aaron was given the opportunity to work on the movie, Legends of the Guardians, in Australia in 2009. It was a move that would affect Catherine's career as well.

"About three days after we moved to Australia, I was walking in downtown Sydney. I walked by this beautiful building, with all these beautiful people. I didn't know what it was but I knew I had to be a part of it. I went home and Googled the address. It was ACP Magazines, an enormous magazine publisher," says Catherine, who subsequently spent the next five months there as an intern.

She has since developed a successful career writing about her passions: fitness, health, food and travel. In May 2011, Aaron landed his dream job with Pixar Canada.

"Working for Pixar has been a long-time goal; they always put quality first and are determined to create original, compelling stories," says Aaron. "I said to Aaron the other day that if I won the lotto I would keep doing exactly what I am doing," says Catherine. "I feel so blessed."

GET THE FACTS

· Catherine writes for publications such as the Vancouver Sun, The Province, BC Home and Garden, Homes and Living, Western Living, Real Weddings, TV Week and BCLiving.ca

· Catherine's writings and adventures can be found at: thelifedeliciousblog.com

· Catherine recently returned from Jamaica where she ran the Reggae Marathon 10K

· Aaron's career path has seen him work for C.O.R.E. Feature Animation, Rainmaker Animation, Animal Logic, Image Engine Design Inc. and Pixar

· Aaron's major projects include: Partysaurus Rex, Legend of the Guardians, The Thing, The Wild, The Ant Bully and Escape from Planet Earth

This story first appeared in the January 2013 edition of the Legend. For a look at the full issue in a flipbook format, follow this link.

Alma Matters

trevor.kenney — Fri, 19 Nov 2010 16:30:55 +0000

Keys to the City

On Oct. 7, a number of notable residents of southern Alberta, including many with ties to the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge, received a key to the city from former Lethbridge Mayor Bob Tarleck. Friends of the U of L included The Hon. Rick Casson (former U of L employee), Senator Joyce Fairbairn (LLD '04), Gary Kirk (2004 Faculty of Management Scholarship Dinner honouree), U of L researcher Dr. Ian Whishaw (DSc '08) and Rochelle Yamagishi (BASc '71, MEd '91).

Woykin Featured at TiFF

Cameron Woykin's (BFA '03) dramatic short film Open Window was shown at the 35th Toronto International Film Festival. Open Window was selected to premiere as a part of the Short Cuts Canada programme, highlighting short films by established and emerging directors from Canada.
Since graduating from the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge, Woykin has completed numerous short films, screening his work throughout Canada and internationally. Woykin currently resides in Toronto, where he is completing a master of fine arts in film production at York ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ.

Solie Awarded Griffin Prize

Karen Solie (BA '93) was the Canadian winner of the prestigious 2010 Griffin Poetry Prize for her collection of poems, Pigeon. One of Canada's acclaimed young poets, Solie first launched onto the scene with Short Haul Engine (2001), a finalist for the 2002 Griffin Poetry Prize and winner of many other awards and citations.

Past and Present

U of L alumnus, Darren Joblonkay.

During the summer of 2007, Darren Joblonkay (BSc '10) travelled with fellow U of L students under the direction of professor Dr. Shawn Bubel (BSc '96) to Tel Beth Shemesh, an archaeological site 20 km west of Jerusalem.

"I think the real 'aha moment' that led me to my career [in archaeology] was attending the field school at Tel Beth Shemesh," says Joblonkay.

Since then, Joblonkay has spent every summer working at archaeological digs around Israel. Joblonkay is now pursuing a master's degree in Ancient Near Eastern Studies at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Toronto. In the summer of 2011, he will be digging at Tell Tayinat in Turkey, which he hopes will lead to his dissertation.

"I would like to eventually be a professor in Near Eastern Archaeology. I believe it was one of my mentors who told me once that 'any archaeologist would be lying if they said they didn't like digging up treasures,' but our discipline runs deeper than that," he says. "We attempt to preserve and understand humanity's cultural history. We are all captivated by what humans were able to achieve in the past."

Dow Finds Early Career Success

After graduation, Jazlyn Dow (BFA '10) worked on the millinery team for the Albert Ballet show Love Lies Bleeding, a contemporary ballet set to classic songs composed by Sir Elton John and Bernie Taupin. Dow is now on a 10-month contract with the Canadian Opera Company as a wardrobe co-ordinator.

"This chandelier headdress for the Love Lies Bleeding production was so enormous that we had to build a separate crate just for it to travel," explains Dow.

Alumni Troupe Hit the Fringe

(L-R) - Cliff Kelly (BFA ’07), Amanda Blair (BFA ’08) and William Banfield (BFA ’06) in Happy Whackin’ Jim McCrackin.

Happy Whackin' Jim McCrackin, directed by Brent Felzien (BFA '06) and Neil LeGrandeur (BFA '06) and written by Amos Altman (BA '04, BFA '05), tells the comedic story of a veteran hit man who engages in some soul-searching while attempting to complete his last job.

Presented at the 2010 Edmonton International Fringe Theatre Festival, it received top reviews from the Edmonton Journal and SEE Magazine. The production featured William Banfield (BFA '06), Amanda Blair (BFA '08), Cliff Kelly (BFA '07) and Kimberlee Stadelmann (BFA '06) as stage manager.

Suriano Looks to Engage an Online Generation

Jason Suriano (BA '01) is using gaming as a means to enlighten a new generation of kids about science, history and technology. Recently, he launched Seek Your Own Proof, a new online game at Discoverykids.com. The game targets six to 12 year-olds and follows the story of three investigative siblings who discover a secret underground agency known as the Central Institute for Exploration (CIE).

The teens are quickly drawn into a chase through time and history against enemy agents who are plotting to rewrite the past, change the present and alter the future. Online users can play the game in traditional form but also have the option of taking field missions to real museums. The debut field mission involved facts around the King Tut exhibit at the Discovery Times Square Exposition in New York, N.Y. Other mission locations include the Art Gallery of Alberta in Edmonton and the Galt Museum in Lethbridge.

U of L Alumnus to Lead Lethbridge

On Oct. 18, Rajko Dodic (BASc '78) was elected as mayor of Lethbridge. Fellow alumni joining Dodic on Lethbridge City Council as alderman are: Jeff Carlson (BFA '92), Liz Iwaskiw (BASc '77), Joe Mauro (BASc '83) and Bridget (Pastoor) Mearns (BA '95).

1970

Ralph Dilworth BASc '74, BEd '85, MEd '92

Dilworth, a teacher-librarian at Western Canada High School in Calgary, was featured in a Calgary Herald article called: Librarians We Love. Originally from Camrose, Alta., Dilworth is a former diplomat who, after graduating from the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge, went on to work with the Department of Foreign Affairs in Ottawa and then at embassies in Poland, France and Yaounde, Cameroon; he speaks English, French, Spanish and Polish. Before becoming a teacher-librarian, he served as a teacher and writer of textbooks including a Social Studies 30 classic, written in French and used regularly in classrooms for a decade until it was recently updated. If stranded on a desert island, Dilworth cited The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoevsky as his book of choice.

Annalee Hearn BEd '74

"After teaching for 30 years, I have retired and moved to Vegreville to be near my two granddaughters. I also have two grandsons living in Abu Dhabi."

JoAnn St. John BEd '75, DipEd '92, MEd '03

"I'm very excited to be coordinating and working in the FastForward High School Completion Initiative with Lethbridge School District #51. I have the opportunity to support, engage and assist young adults in completing their high school careers and moving onto post-secondary studies."

1980

Lynette Duncan BEd '81

"We are enjoying our first grandchild, Cameron Reed Stone Shackleford, born March 21, 2010."

Dawn Ronne BEd '84

"I am principal of Sunnyside School, an elementary school with Palliser Regional Schools."

Daniel Lynn BMgt '85

"Last year I migrated from Hong Kong to Vancouver, B.C."

Doug MacLaren BMgt '88

MacLaren is presently the CEO of the Resource Training Organization (RTO) in British Columbia. RTO oversees the management and development of apprenticeship training for the resource sector in B.C.

1990

Glen Trafford BEd '92

"Marie, Kyle and I moved to Okotoks in September 2009 so that I could become the general sales manager of Straightline Kia in Calgary. Marie has opened a remedial massage therapy clinic in Okotoks and we are settling into being back in Alberta."

Caroline Velie BA '94

"I obtained a bachelor of social work degree from the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Calgary in 2004 and obtained a master of social work degree from Dalhousie ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ in 2008."

Amanda Chow BA '96

"Hi everybody! I just want to keep in contact with the U of L – I have been missing the people, scene and life stories happening there. I am now a lecturer and teach social work in Hong Kong. Let's keep in touch, I miss you all."

John Granzow BA '99, MSc '10
Michael Granzow BA '06, MA '10

John and Michael, sons of the late Carl Granzow, both received their master's degrees at the 2010 Fall Convocation ceremony. John is currently pursuing a PhD at Stanford ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ and Michael is now living in Montreal. Their sisters, Andrea Klassen (BA '97, BEd '01) and Kara Granzow (BA '99), are ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge graduates as well.

2000

Aaron Barr BFA '02

Barr was a character surfacer for the newly released 3D movie Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole. Among numerous other projects, he also worked on the movies The Ant Bully and The Wild. Barr currently works as a surfacer/modeller at Image Engine Design Inc. in Vancouver, B.C.

Nathan Crosby BA '04, BEd '06
Lisa (Polley) Crosby BSc '05

"Lisa and I just got married on Sept. 25, 2010. Although we did not meet at the
U of L, we were both friends with people at the U of L who knew each other. Small world!"

Jarrod Charron BMgt '05

"I recently accepted a media planning supervisor position at PHD, one of Canada's leading media and communications agencies. I will be overseeing media plans for Scotiabank. In January I was nominated for the 2010 Media Planner of the Year."

Sheena DeVries BMgt '06

"I am currently working for MIX 97.7 FM in Calgary. I previously worked at the Calgary Herald."

Michael Macintyre BA '06

Macintyre was recently installed as the new pastor for St. Matthew's Lutheran Church in Spruce Grove, Alta. After graduation from the U of L, Macintyre moved to Saskatoon to attend Lutheran Theological Seminary. While at Seminary, he spent three weeks in Peru as a part of a cross-cultural experience. In April 2010, he graduated with a master of divinity degree.

Cyndy Packard BMgt '07

Packard passed the Chartered Accountants Uniform Evaluation (UFE) in 2009. She previously worked at KPMG in Lethbridge from September 2006 to May 2009. She is currently a manager at Quon & Associates in Calgary.

Alumni Relations
��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge
4401 ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Drive West
Lethbridge, AB T1K 3M4
Toll-Free: 1-866-552-2582
E-mail: alumni@uleth.ca

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

Campus Kudos

trevor.kenney — Thu, 14 Oct 2010 18:39:44 +0000

Dr. Leslie Dawn (Art) lectured on Oct. 5 about Emily Carr and the Group of Seven's Accusations she was "painting against the nation" as part of Southern Alberta Art Gallery's (SAAG) Articulations III: Scandals, Scoundrels, Capers, and Cons.

Leanne Elias (New Media) is the lead artist on SAAG's Welcome to My World project, which runs until Dec. 5. Chai Duncan (Art Technician) and Glen MacKinnon (Art) were artist mentors to the students who created videos during the workshop.

Dr. Janet Youngdahl (Music) presented The Origins of the Art of Musical Notation to a history course of Dr. Friedemann Sallis at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Calgary recently. The presentation was video-linked to the U of L.

Billy McCarroll (Art Professor Emeritus), Glenn MacKinnon (Art) and Denton Fredrickson (Art) make up one of the six collaborative teams whose work was part of SAAG's On Your Marks exhibition. Dagmar Dahle (Art) and Amanda Espezel (MFA art student) made up another team.

Dr. Ed Jurkowski (Music) will present his paper entitled, Interthematic Formal Fusion as Structural Design in Sibelius's Op. 67 Sonatinas for Piano, at the Fifth International Jean Sibelius Conference, at Oxford ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ, England.

Dr. Rolf Boon's (Music) composition Waves (2007) was selected for inclusion in the New Works Calgary concert season. The Rubbing Stone Ensemble will perform Waves in their Apr. 21, 2011 concert of works for percussion and ensemble with guest virtuoso percussionist Aiyun Huang.

Michael Campbell (Art) is part of a group exhibition entitled, Nouveau Frankenstein, showing at the Trianon Gallery until Nov. 12.

Dagmar Dahle's (Art) prose piece, Painting John Brown Painting, is featured in the recent issue of Ars Medica: A Journal of Medicine, the Arts and Humanities, published by the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Toronto Press.

Col Cseke (BFA '07) was part of the collective that shared a Betty Mitchell Award for Best New Play. The Betty Mitchell Awards are Calgary's celebration of professional theatre.

Aaron Barr (BFA '02) was a character surfacer for the recently released 3D movie, Legend of the Guardians. Among numerous other projects, he has worked on two other movies – The Ant Bully and The Wild. He currently works as a surface/modeler at Image Engine Design Inc. in Vancouver.

UNews - Aaron Barr

��Ѹ�����Դ���߿�Ƭ played key role in alumni couple's story

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��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ played key role in alumni couple's story