UNews - Associate Dean

Jurkowski named Dean of Faculty of Fine Arts

trevor.kenney — Thu, 11 Apr 2013 15:37:48 +0000

The Faculty of Fine Arts will be under the stewardship of a new Dean after the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge appointed Dr. Ed Jurkowski to the role, succeeding Dr. Desmond Rochfort.

"It is always exciting to announce the appointment of a new Dean, and it is especially gratifying to be able to promote someone from within the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge community," says Dr. Andrew Hakin, provost and vice-president (academic). "Dr. Jurkowski has been with the U of L for 17 years now and brings with him a wealth of knowledge, experience and a unique understanding of the challenges and opportunities that face the Faculty of Fine Arts."

Jurkowski has been at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge since 1996 when he began a term appointment as an assistant professor of music in the Faculty of Fine Arts. During his tenure here at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ, he has continually progressed, earning tenure as an associate professor of music in 2001 and then full professor of music in 2007.

He most recently served as the Chair of the Department of Music (2003-2009) and has been in the role of Associate Dean of the Faculty of Fine Arts since 2011.Jurkowski earned his bachelor's degree in music (composition) from the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Manitoba before completing his master's and PhD designations at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Rochester in Rochester, NY, where he was also a teaching assistant and instructor from 1989 through 1996.

A visiting exchange professor at Hokkai-Gakuen ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ in Sapporo, Japan in 2006, Jurkowski has published four books, including his latest, The Collected Works of Eduard Tubin: Double Bass and Balalaika Concertos (Series II, Volume 3) in 2013.

"I want to thank Dr. Rochfort for his fine work within the Faculty of Fine Arts over the previous five years," adds Hakin.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ mourns passing of Mrazek

trevor.kenney — Mon, 18 Mar 2013 19:19:08 +0000

The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ community wishes to express its most sincere condolences to the family, many friends and colleagues of the late Dr. Richard (Rick) Mrazek, our associate dean, Faculty of Education and a veteran educator, who passed away on Sunday, Mar. 17.

He is survived by his mother, Mary-Rose, and daughter, Kristen. Rick had a personalized license plate on his car that read DAD1DR2, so it was quite evident where his priorities were.

His boundless energy and enthusiasm for life, his family and education will be sorely missed on campus and among the many groups Rick touched.

"Rick was a wonderful man, an accomplished scholar, and a strong promoter and defender of this faculty, this institution and its programs," says Dr. Craig Loewen, the dean of the Faculty of Education.

"More importantly, he was a devoted son and father, and a dear faithful friend. He will be greatly missed. Our heartfelt sympathies go out to his family at this very difficult time."

A natural teacher, Mrazek's influences in the education community extended from the grade three classes he once taught in Coaldale to being internationally recognized as a leading science, technology and environmental educator.

Mrazek's contributions over the past 30 years helped establish sustainable environmental and conservation education programs in the K-12 schools, post-secondary institutions, parks, and communities throughout Alberta and Canada.

Most recently, Mrazek was an enthusiastic champion of a cross-Atlantic Ocean trip organized by Olympian Adam Kreek who, with three colleagues, is presently rowing across the Atlantic and scheduled to arrive in Florida in late March/early April.

His work with the Canadian Wildlife Federation on the curriculum and educational components of this project were particularly meaningful to him, partly because of his love of water, but also because of the enthusiasm with which young students embraced the educational concepts he was talking about and, in turn, became excited about learning.

Mrazek was a proud U of L graduate (BASc/BEd '78), member of the U of L Alumni Honour Society and Alumnus of the Year (1993) who obtained his MEd and PhD from the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Alberta. He began his academic career at he U of L in 1986 as an assistant professor.

A memorial service is not confirmed at this time. More details will be released when that information is available.

Mrazek kept an online CV which is quite extensive and can be viewed at this website: http://richardmrazek.com/

Additional obituary information will be added as it becomes available.

Condolences may be sent to the family in care of the Faculty of Education.

Please e-mail darcy.mckenna@uleth.ca

Crossing borders with bold Brazilian program

trevor.kenney — Tue, 05 Feb 2013 23:02:52 +0000

Dr. Drew Rendall's psychology lab might be considered atypical in its student makeup now, but as the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge continues to push internationalization as a key strategic goal, it may soon become representative of many.

Rendall currently has graduate students from Alberta, Manitoba, Sri Lanka and Brazil assisting with his research projects, the most recent addition coming to the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ by way of the Brazilian Science Without Borders (SWB) program.

"This is a real boon for us as a university," says Rendall, professor of psychology in the Faculty of Arts & Science. "Graduate students are kind of the heart of the research enterprise, they are the real engine of it. They collect the data and do a lot of the work, and without graduate students the research enterprise disappears."

Science Without Borders began as an initiative whereby the Brazilian government is looking to send 100,000 students to universities around the world to study in the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics. The goal is to revolutionize the country's research and development system.

"Brazilian science has shown great improvement over the last decade but we face many challenges," says Ednei Barros dos Santos, a Brazilian PhD student who has taken advantage of the SWB program to come study under Rendall at the U of L.

"We have a very low proportion of doctors in relation to our population, and there is a low frequency of international collaboration."

Doctoral student Ednei Barros dos Santos just recently returned from a three-month field study in Argentina.

Dos Santos discovered Rendall while researching his master's degree in zoology. After reading his papers, he decided to contact Rendall to see if he was open to supervising his PhD studies. The two met while Rendall was on field study in Argentina and not long after, dos Santos applied to the SWB program for funding.

"My research focus is on song variations of the house wren. I'm going to compare the male songs of two different populations, one here in Canada and the other in Argentina," says dos Santos. "We are trying to understand what is the relation between song variation and different mating systems and migratory behaviour."

That his master's work in Brazil, where he researched language in animal species, could be so closely related to Rendall's studies some 11,000 kilometres away, speaks to the value of international collaboration.

"This program provides an incredible opportunity for Brazilian students to be exposed to scientific innovation at Canadian universities, and will help to spur growth in science and technology sectors in Brazil," says Trish Jackson, the U of L's acting manager, International Centre for Students. "The students we are hosting are a wonderful addition to the institution; they have serious academic intentions, and will certainly make an impact when they return to complete their studies in Brazil."

The SWB program initially provided study opportunities for undergraduate students, placing more than 1,200 in Canadian universities alone. The U of L has 14 students enrolled from the program, including three who began last September and 11 more since January. Currently, a second call is going out for prospective doctoral students, and it is incumbent that faculty members provide the program with details of their research opportunities so that they might be able to participate. The PhD program is one of eight graduate programs offered by the School of Graduate Studies.

"We're excited to take part in this program. It's proven to be very successful at the undergraduate level and is likely to draw exceptionally high quality students," says Dr. Matthew Letts, Associate Dean of the Faculty of Arts & Science. "The program provides full support for PhD students from Brazil, including tuition, travel, book and living expenses, but potential supervisors need to enter the doctoral research opportunities they wish to provide into the CBIE (Canadian Bureau for International Education) Placement Database to be considered for participation."

That dos Santos was accepted by SWB is heartening to Rendall, given that his research is not as applicable as many of the funded students.

"Brazil is very interested in training students who can come back and contribute fairly directly to agricultural initiatives, to resource extraction initiatives and to the information systems industry, for example," says Rendall. "The thrust of what Ednei is working on doesn't have immediate and obvious implications but I think it's pretty encouraging that they are taking a fairly broad approach to this. It shows that they are also interested in training some basic scientists who will come back and contribute to science broadly, and that's exciting."

For more information on the program, contact Dr. Matthew Letts (matthew.letts@uleth.ca) or Dr. Helen Kelley (helen.kelley@uleth.ca)

GET THE FACTS

· Science Without Borders was just one of the initiatives discussed when ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ President Mike Mahon visited Brazil in May as one of 30 Canadian university presidents who took part in an educational tour

· Dos Santos is wrapping up a three-month field study of house wrens in Argentina and will be back studying at the U of L in February

· The second call for SWB doctoral students runs from Feb. 1 to May 31 for January 2014 intake. The third call runs from June 1 to Sept. 30 for May 2014 intake

· Researchers can access the SWB database at the following web address: web.cbie.ca/smi/index_e.html

Kelley named Acting Associate Dean of SGS

trevor.kenney — Fri, 25 Jan 2013 16:19:25 +0000

Dr. Helen Kelley's part-time position as Assistant Dean of the School of Graduate Studies has been reclassified to a full-time Acting Associate Dean position, with the term ending on Dec. 31, 2014.

This reclassification enables Kelley to fully commit her time and professional activity to the School of Graduate Studies and to assume oversight of additional areas of responsibility.

The vacated Assistant Dean position will not be re-staffed. If the need is demonstrated for continuing senior administrative assistance in the SGS then a full and open search will be conducted for an ongoing position of Associate Dean in the latter part of 2014.

Such a process would be contingent upon receiving necessary approvals and the availability of the requisite resources.

Kelley is a tenured associate professor of Information Systems, in the Faculty of Management, and her current research program focuses on E-health and wellness. In her capacity as Acting Associate Dean, she will assume a leadership role in all strategic enrolment management activities in the School of Graduate Studies, working collaboratively with all Faculties and graduate program areas.

Kelley will continue her work in developing a Graduate Professional Skills program, and will assume strategic oversight of the development of other internal programs which will enhance and add value to the graduate student experience at the U of L.

She will also assume a leadership role in ongoing efforts to optimize the administration of graduate education at the U of L, working collaboratively with department chairs, program chairs, area heads and other administrators.

Board confirms appointments

trevor.kenney — Tue, 26 Jun 2012 18:27:25 +0000

The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Board of Governors recently confirmed the re-appointments of Dr. Muriel Mellow (sociology) as an associate dean in the Faculty of Arts& Science and Dr. Richard Perlow (human resources management and organizational behaviour) as an associate dean in the Faculty of Management.

Dr. Matthew Letts (geography) was appointed a new associate dean in the Faculty of Arts & Science, following Dr. Craig Monk (English) who has returned to teaching.

Letts is currently an associate professor of geography, and the co-ordinator of the environmental science program. As a researcher, he studies plant physiological acclimation to environmental stress. Letts's work has taken him from the Oldman River and Waterton Lakes National Park to the highlands of Colombia.

Mellow's research interests include work (paid and unpaid), gender, professional work and volunteer work. In particular, she studies the work of rural professionals, including issues of relationships to clientele and work-family balance.

Perlow is a human resources researcher who studies, among other topics, counterproductive behaviour, individual differences in learning and performance and the acquisition and performance of complex tasks.

2012 Alumni Honour Society Inductees

trevor.kenney — Fri, 15 Jun 2012 20:05:19 +0000

Introduced in celebration of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ's 35th Anniversary in 2002, the Alumni Honour Society recognizes the achievement of successful alumni within the global community. The alumni inducted into this prestigious group have served as role models to our students and the broader ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ community through success in their vocation, outstanding community service or superior accomplishment in their avocation.

René Barendregt (BASc '71)

René Barendregt has been a faculty member of the Faculty of Arts & Science at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge since 1982 and took on the role of associate dean in 2001. Dedicated to his profession and respected by his peers, Barendregt's work in the field of physical geography is currently funded by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) of Canada. In addition to his research, Barendregt has served the U of L community as a member of the Board of Governors, the Senate and the General Faculties Council.

Viola Cassis (BA '97)

Viola Cassis started her career in international humanitarian work with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), where she was instrumental in revising the organization's guidelines on the prevention and response to sexual- and gender-based violence, and helped to develop policies to ensure gender-equitable access to UN refugee interventions. Cassis currently works with the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) and has been involved in various CIDA programs in Afghanistan. She has made field visits to Kabul and Kandahar to liaise with Canadian Forces, the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada, and other government agencies.

Marilyn Smith (BFA '96) (Multidisciplinary)

Marilyn Smith has more than 30 years of experience in the arts and culture sector and is currently the executive director of the Southern Alberta Art Gallery (SAAG). Since Smith took on this role in 1999, SAAG has increased revenue over 200 per cent, while membership, programming and sponsorship have also increased. Recently Smith oversaw renovations of SAAG and implemented a three-year strategic plan designed to capitalize on the new facilities. Last fall Smith was honoured with the 2011 Rosza Award for Excellence in Arts Management from the Rosza Foundation.

Gayle Strikes With A Gun (BEd '88)

Raised on the Piikani Nation in southern Alberta, Gayle Strikes With A Gun has been a leader in education for 25 years. After completing her bachelor of education, she worked as the project co-ordinator for the Four Worlds development project, an initiative aimed at helping Blood and Peigan women develop the skills and training necessary to prepare them for post-secondary education at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge. Over the course of her career, she worked as a teacher, principal, assistant superintendent and acting superintendent in schools across Alberta and in the Northwest Territories. In 2011, Strikes With A Gun was elected the first female chief of the Piikani Nation where she remains committed to helping her people's youth.

Bruce Thurston (BASc '78)

With close to 35 years of experience in business, Bruce Thurston brings a wealth of knowledge and skill to his teaching role in the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Faculty of Management. He is also currently the CEO and president at Management Resource Services, a company that provides management consulting and training in leadership
development, organizational change, workforce diversity and staff development. In addition to his professional responsibilities, Thurston has generously served the community by volunteering his time with local organizations including the Lethbridge Chamber of Commerce, the Society of Management Accountants of Alberta and the Southern Alberta Art Gallery.

Keith Walker (BASc '79)

As the director of Library Services at Medicine Hat College, Keith Walker is respected for the innovation and passion he brings to his profession. As the first college librarian to serve as president of the Canadian Library Association in the organization's history, Walker successfully led a major review and restructuring that saw the organization's first balanced budget in over a decade and a doubling of memberships. In 2003, Walker received the Community and Technical College Libraries Outstanding Academic Librarian Award and the Industry Canada Award. The following year, he was honoured with the College and Technical Libraries Innovation Achievement Award.

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

Parkinson pushes growth of theatre community

trevor.kenney — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 22:40:41 +0000

Brian Parkinson, a professor in the Department of Theatre and the Dramatic Arts and associate dean of the Faculty of Fine Arts, saw potential in the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge when he first arrived on campus more than 30 years ago. He quickly recognized the growth that was possible for the dramatic arts and has been a leader in both establishing a theatrical culture on the U of L campus and taking that to the broader southern Alberta community.

With more than 150 productions to his credit, Parkinson has directed in both academic and professional companies in both England and Canada and he was the founding director of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ's TheatrXtra summer stock company that now operates as a student focused second season in the Department of Theatre & Dramatic Arts. For the department's Mainstage season, Parkinson has directed a significant number of productions including, in recent years, Arcadia, Into The Woods, The Lark, The Mikado and Macbeth.This spring he is directing Shakespeare's Hamlet (Feb. 14-18).

Parkinson has worked for many years at establishing professional theatre in southern Alberta and his productions have played in both Alberta and British Columbia. He was the founding artistic director of Fort MacLeod's Great West Theatre and directed the company for seven years before becoming the founding artistic managing director of Lethbridge's New West Theatre Company. During his nineteen years in this position, he also directed the majority of the company's productions.

Parkinson is a past board member of both Theatre Alberta and the Canadian Association for Theatre Research. He has been a nominee for both the Rozsa Award for Excellence in Arts Management and for the Lt. Governor of Alberta Arts Award for Outstanding Contributions to the Arts. For his work with New West Theatre he was awarded the Alberta Centennial Gold Medal.He has also been recognized as one of the 100 Alberta theatre practitioners who, over the past century, have made a significant and lasting contribution to Alberta's theatrical heritage.

Wood, Hosgood appointments ratified

trevor.kenney — Mon, 20 Dec 2010 20:59:38 +0000

The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Board of Governors recently ratified the appointment of Dr. Robert Wood as the dean of the School of Graduate Studies and the re-appointment of Dr. Christopher Hosgood as the dean of the Faculty of Heath Sciences.

Hosgood, an historian, former associate dean of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences and a U of L faculty member since 1988, begins his second term as dean of Health Sciences. He presided over the transition of the Faculty from a School, the expansion of both student enrolments and Faculty programs, and a recent move into Markin Hall.

His main research interests deal with consumerism and shopping in Victorian Britain. He has recently been involved in research projects on, among other topics, the social history of gambling in Alberta.

Wood, a sociology researcher and faculty member since 2000, had served as the interim head of Graduate Studies since July 2010. He is the author or co-author of two books and numerous research articles on gambling issues, and has recently produced a unique educational program on gambling reduction strategies for children.

Wood recently produced a unique educational program on gambling reduction strategies for children with colleague Dr. Robert Williams (addictions counselling).

Faculty of Education loses a founding member

trevor.kenney — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 20:26:52 +0000

One of the founders of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge's Faculty of Education has passed away. Dr. Samuel Aubrey Earl passed away peacefully on Wednesday, July 7, just two days prior to his 101st birthday.

Earl was a respected educator whose career encompassed roles of teacher, principal, superintendent of schools, a director within Edmonton's Department of Education and professor/director of student teaching at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Alberta.

His journey to Lethbridge began innocently enough with a suggestion from his wife Thera.

"There is a new university opening in Lethbridge," she had said. "Maybe they'd consider you as a prospect."

Earl joined the "new university" in 1967 as a professor, and was a key architect in shaping the highly recognized teacher preparation program. He helped establish the 27-week field experience component of the program (which has grown to become one of the most extensive in Canada), a foundation of theory and practice that he could foresee outshining some of the larger institutions.

"I think we came to be recognized as a prestigious, decent and noteworthy institution," Earl once said in an interview. "Our students were sought after not only in western Canada, but in the United States."

Earl was a visionary who served in many roles as a lifelong educator, including appointment as associate dean of Education at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge.

"I envision seeing a school with doctors of education – reading specialists, math specialists, psychologists, wonderful teachers, great leaders, innovators…"

An obituary is available at the Lethbridge Herald website.

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