UNews - Noella Piquette

Dr. Michelle Hogue steps into the role of chief marshal

caroline.zentner — Mon, 14 Jun 2021 15:53:43 +0000

Outgoing Chief Marshal Dr. Noëlla Piquette has a few words of advice for Dr. Michelle Hogue (MEd ’04) as she takes over the role — to take a moment to fully absorb the pride and love that emanates from family and friends seated in the audience during convocation ceremonies.

Piquette has served as the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge chief marshal since 2019, a role she has thoroughly enjoyed.

Dr. Michelle Hogue, holding the mace, is the U of L's new chief marshal, taking over for Dr. Noëlla Piquette. The mace is cast in bronze and was first used in 1988.

“It’s just such a privileged and esteemed position and I am really proud to have served the last few years and really grateful for the support that I received, not only from faculty members and students — those very cheerful students on convocation day — but also the administrative team and all of the professors. It really was a fantastic time,” says Piquette.

The chief marshal’s most visible job is to carry the eight-kilogram mace while leading the academic procession and recession during convocation ceremonies and it’s a role that Hogue is eager to assume.

“I love celebrating everyone’s success and as a ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ, I think we do that really well,” Hogue says. “It’s a real honour to be asked to lead convocation. I just hope I don’t drop the mace.”

Behind the scenes, the chief marshal serves as the chair of the convocation committee, where decisions are made about the degree-award documents and the order of proceedings, along with many other details. For the past year, that has meant shifting convocation to a virtual platform because of the pandemic. The chief marshal also leads a team of seven other marshals.

“One of the things that surprised me with this role is to assist with recruiting and securing other marshals, for example, platform marshals to serve in every convocation ceremony, to provide rehearsal and, on the day of convocation, to be the contact point for the questions coming from marshals, students and the convocation team,” says Piquette. “Because we have so many convocation ceremonies, it really is an organizational task to keep track of who is part of what ceremony and then to have almost a floating list of people who can step in at the last minute should something happen.”

For Piquette, the moments before the procession starts are magical. ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Hall is abuzz with happy soon-to-be graduates. Then come the swelling sounds of the bagpipes and everyone stands at attention ready for the walk up the hill. Her favourite vantage point is at the back of platform where she can see the students lining up to come on stage and looking at all of the families and seeing their faces light up. Piquette knows thousands of hours have been put into making sure it all happens on cue.

“The dedicated convocation team is the backbone for the coordination and success of our ceremonies, they are the magic that makes it all work,” says Piquette. “I’m so pleased I was able to work alongside them for the last few years. Heather Fudge does an incredible job of coordinating convocation and she makes my job as chief marshal so much easier. She’s the one doing it all.”

Hogue is ready to begin her tenure as chief marshal and is especially looking forward to when convocation ceremonies can once again be held in person.

“I was surprised and honoured to be asked and I’m excited to take on the role,” says Hogue. “I’m the only one in my family who went to post-secondary education and now I’m chief marshal of convocation — wow! Convocation is probably one of my favourite things and I’m that nerd prof who goes to all of the convocations when I’m here. I didn’t have anybody cheering me on when I was growing up and I think it’s really important for students to see their profs there cheering them on. I had the great opportunity of being present and being on stage when my daughter convocated and that was probably one of my best moments ever. To be able to get up and give her a hug in front of the entire audience — she was so embarrassed — was so much fun for me.”

Piquette has one more tip for Hogue as she prepares for the chief marshal role — have water, lip balm and comfortable shoes close at hand.

“I tend to be a heel-wearer, but Noëlla said the convocation procession is not a time for vanity, so I’m going to take her advice on that one,” says Hogue.

More information about the mace can be found at Convocation Mace.

The story of 2020 Spring Convocation

trevor.kenney — Thu, 25 Jun 2020 17:12:15 +0000

The annual convocation ceremonies at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge are a campus-wide celebration. While they involve a mountain of work and cross-campus collaboration, there’s a certain rhythm to the system that has been honed and perfected over the years — a sort of rinse, wash, repeat cycle.

Luxie T. Pronghorn played a big role in helping Spring 2020 Convocation get off the ground.

When the COVID-19 pandemic essentially shut down the U of L campus, forced the implementation of an alternate academic delivery model and put an end to public gatherings, Convocation 2020 was suddenly in peril. On Mar. 23, 2020, the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ cancelled its in-person convocation ceremonies, scheduled for May 28 and 29.

“The decision was not made lightly,” says Kathleen Massey, the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ’s associate vice-president (students). “Watching our students develop throughout their time at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge and then seeing them cross the stage in cap and gown is an important moment of celebration for them and for us.”

Rather than that being the end of the Convocation 2020 story, it was just the beginning. By the time it was decided to cancel the in-person version of convocation, plans were already being made to find an alternative that would properly fete this remarkable class.

A total of 1,456 students received their Convocation in a Box so that they could celebrate remotely with family and friends.

“There was never any doubt that we would find a way to honour this class,” says Chancellor Charles Weaselhead. “Even though this forced us to change our plans, it’s important we still honour our graduating students and acknowledge this significant step in their lives and their academic achievements.”

As with all convocations, it involved a cross-campus effort. The first initiative was the creation of convocation in a box that would be mailed to each of the 1,456 graduating students. Inside the box, graduates find a cap and tassel, their diploma, a commemorative program, an alumni pin, an Indigenous stole for Indigenous students, and honour cords for those who are graduating with distinction or great distinction. Students are encouraged to share their box opening experience, don their caps and take photos or videos of themselves, along with anyone in their bubble, and post it online using #ulethgrad2020 and #ulethalumni.

Recognizing everything was being done virtually, planners knew they had to bring as much of the pomp and pageantry of the annual in-person event online. That meant convocation addresses from President and Vice-Chancellor Mike Mahon and Chancellor Charles Weaselhead. Chee Meng Low of the Faculty of Fine Arts gathered his Wind Orchestra virtually and crafted an amazing recording of the convocation song. And what about the time-honoured traditional parade up the hill, with Chief Marshal Dr. Noella Piquette carrying the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Mace to the glorious sounds of the convocation bagpiper? Thanks to some impressive camera work, they were all incorporated into the official Convocation 2020 video — produced largely by graduating student Austin Knibb (BFA ’20).

“I am very impressed with the amount of effort uLethbridge is putting into convocation and celebrating this year’s graduates, instead of just cancelling the event. All the behind-the-scenes effort is truly commendable and I can tell that uLethbridge truly cares about their students,” says Knibb, who has been working as the digital content creator for the Office of Advancement for 10 months. “In creating the video for virtual convocation, I have personally read the name of every graduate and I feel a lot of pressure to make it special for them.”

Throughout the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ’s Lethbridge and Calgary campuses, Faculties and Schools jumped on board to coordinate their own convocation messages, creating video congratulations from deans, faculty members and really anybody who wanted in on the convocation spirit.

“Everybody wanted to find an outlet to celebrate with this class of graduates,” says Heather Fudge, coordinator convocation & student events. “Convocation means so much to so many people on campus. These students have grown so much during their time here on campus and we’ve been with them through everything they’ve experienced. We all feel invested in having them reach this stage of their academic journey. We had to try and make Convocation 2020 as special as we could.”

The week before convocation, a few additional personal touches were added to the celebration. President Mahon, Chancellor Weaselhead and faculty members who nominated this year’s medal winners made socially-distant doorstep visits to those who lived in Lethbridge to hand deliver the convocation boxes to their students.

“To say we’re so proud of this year’s uLethbridge graduates is really an understatement,” says Kathleen Massey, the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ’s associate vice-president (students), adding students are invited to return to campus to take part in any convocation over the next three years. “Their accomplishments represent our greatest hopes for them — to be equipped to deal with whatever life throws at them, including a pandemic — and to do it in style, their way, and with success. Congratulations, class of 2020!

Check out all the Convocation video assets here.

Piquette eager to assume Chief Marshal role, duties

trevor.kenney — Mon, 03 Jun 2019 18:06:09 +0000

Dr. Noella Piquette has been a consistent presence at ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Convocation ceremonies over the years, as an attending faculty member and convocation volunteer. Beginning with Fall 2019 Convocation, she’ll be front and centre as the new chief marshal.

Piquette, who was handed the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Mace from outgoing chief marshal Dr. Olu Awosoga at the conclusion of Spring 2019 Convocation last week, couldn’t be more excited about the opportunity.

Dr. Noella Piquette after officially receiving the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Mace to begin her service as the Convocation Chief Marshal.

“I’ve spoken with Olu about this quite a bit and he has told me how much he’s enjoyed it and I cannot anticipate anything that would not give me joy about this. I’m really looking forward to it,” says Piquette, an associate professor in the Faculty of Education. “I’ll be honoured to be contributing to the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ community.”

Piquette is an unabashed lover of convocation and everything associated with it, especially the tradition and pageantry.

“It is pomp and circumstance and that’s what makes it so wonderful. I think that’s what makes it such a solemn and moving experience too,” she says. “I really enjoy the students’ excitement and the parental pride that is so apparent. The ceremony itself is so rich with tradition, so full of happiness, and it’s an excellent reminder of why post-secondary education is so vital.”

The chief marshal serves a three-year term and sits on the Convocation Committee. Some of the duties associated with the position include encouraging faculty members to participate in convocation, whether it be to attend on the platform or serve as volunteers, and to take part in ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ outreach initiatives such as the mace program that takes the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Mace into southern Alberta schools. And, of course, the highlight of the role is to lead each procession of graduands into the ceremony.

This is where the outgoing chief marshal has some sage words of advice.

“He’s told me to wear flat shoes, he seems to be very concerned about this,” laughs Piquette. “Perhaps he’s seen some of my footwear.”

More than anything, the chief marshal is often seen as the face of convocation and Piquette is eager to assume that responsibility.

“I deeply respect the tradition of convocation and the hard work that goes on behind the scenes and the commitment to highlight our students, as well as the larger community. I’m completely moved when I see the shift from student to graduate at the end of our ceremonies,” she says. “I see that what I’m doing is making a difference. All of us at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ, whatever we are doing, it doesn’t matter what role we play, every single person is helping the students move through that transition and I can’t emphasize enough how it is opening doors and opportunities for them.”

Collaborative effort leads to provincial tobacco prevention strategy

trevor.kenney — Thu, 22 Sep 2016 16:37:23 +0000

When ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge nursing instructor Kathy Haight took on the task of reinvigorating stale and dated tobacco prevention resources for her nursing students, she had no idea it would turn into a provincial initiative that would eventually launch the Academy for Tobacco Prevention.

Alberta Health Services officially unveiled The Academy today as a partnership developed with the U of L out of the Tobacco Reduction Program. The thrust of the initiative is to provide teachers with a comprehensive resource for students in Grades 4 to 6 to help them understand the risks of tobacco use and learn ways to resist pressure to use such products.

U of L nursing instructor Kathy Haight led the multidisciplinary effort to reinvigorate dated tobacco prevention resources for elementary and middle school classrooms.

“The resources that I was using to teach my students were developed in 2003, so they were very dated,” says Haight of the genesis of the project. “So much happens in the tobacco industry in terms of both the production of tobacco products and also the legislation associated with their use. The print-based resources were really outdated and when we talk to nursing students about having current evidence, it was a contradiction to be using these resources.”

So she set out to make them current, interactive and digital. In the end, the lessons and resources they created went far beyond anything she could have imagined, including the interactive card game, Shadows of the Academy, that is right out of Hollywood.

How Haight and AHS got to this point required multiple partners along the way, including multidisciplinary work on campus with the Faculty of Education and Faculty of Fine Arts (new media), as well as collaborative work with Lethbridge School District 51 students and teachers.

The Shadows of the Academy card game is one of the key resources the group developed.

Before the resources hit the classroom, Haight had to enlist the services of Tanaka Mutikani, a new media student intern, to translate the complex graphical imagery into the lessons.

“He was amazing for the project. He really bridged between the technology and the application,” she says. “For Tanaka, it was a really sharp learning curve, working with assets from a professional marketing company, learning new software, and he had all the skills and then some to make this work for us.”

She then took the resources to the school district for a test run.

“The contribution that SD 51 made to this project has been priceless,” says Haight. “Combining their teacher expertise with my health education knowledge we were able to come to some real common ground on what would work for teachers in the classroom.”

Haight and her group rolled out the program in Grade 4 and 5 classrooms at Nicholas Sheran, Dr. Gerald B. Probe and Senator Buchanan schools, while nursing instructors were also able to reach St. Mary’s and St. Martha’s schools. A Grade 6 classroom at G.S. Lakie also served in a pilot scenario.

“It really had to meet teacher needs in the classroom and the way to get to that point was to have them in a focus group,” says Haight.

The most popular of the resources was the card game. It proved to not only capture kids’ attention but also seemed to drive home some key prevention messages.

“We know from our pilot testing that students think The Academy is super cool and teachers think it’s really cool too but in amongst all that flash, is there some substance to it, will it actually help to reduce the use of tobacco in our youth population in Alberta,” asks Haight.

Therein lies the next phase of the project. Once the resources are rolled out province wide, she will work with Dr. Noella Piquette of the Faculty of Education to go back into classrooms to gauge their effectiveness.

“We can provide teachers with health education resources but we have an obligation to test those resources to see if they are making a positive impact,” she says. “Teacher time in the classroom is very valuable so we want to give them the best bang for their buck.”

A community approach: supporting early language and literacy

darcy.tamayose — Fri, 19 Dec 2014 18:33:46 +0000

One of Dr. Noella Piquette’s current research foci is prevention of reading difficulties. The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Faculty of Education professor says,“There’s trustworthy evidence setting out what it takes to teach children to read,” she says. “By following it, can we have most children reading and writing comfortably?”

Dr. Noella Piquette says that parents can help their children by conversing with them regularly and reading to them every day.

After researching together for over 10 years, Piquette and Drs. Robert Savage (McGill ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ) and Eileen Wood (Wilfred Laurier ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ) launched a five-year, cross-provincial study, following National Reading Panel and Canadian Language and Literacy Research Network recommendations.

“Instead of trying to solve issues for students already experiencing reading disabilities, we decided to start much earlier.”

Their project involves working with children from the time they’re in kindergarten until Grade 4. The study involves four Alberta schools, in which Piquette conducts regular workshops with parents and teachers together.

“We have fun, engaging activities to work with at home,” she says.

She stresses to parents that the two essential things they can do for their children’s academic success is to engage them in conversation and read to them every day.

“Our research has shown significant gains in children’s listening comprehension and enjoyment of reading,” she asserts.

In another study, Child Strength, Piquette collaborates with Dr. Robin Gibb from the U of L Department of Neuroscience, on a study involving emergent literacy and executive function.

“We’re creating activities for Coalhurst, Alberta’s Parent Link Centre to introduce to very young children,” she says.

The play-based activities include skills like thinking, sorting, and expressing emotion. Parents receive materials to continue with at home.

“After the first week parents were over the moon,” states Piquette. “They couldn’t believe the difference the activities made in children as young as two."

"We have the joy of knowing there’s already research to prove this,” adds Piquette, whose goal is to make evidence-based information available to parents in a manner they can use.

Now in its second year, Child Strength is expanding with additional activities in more communities. Piquette and Gibb plan to make their activity sets available free to daycare and early childhood centres.

As keen as Piquette’s interest is in supporting learners, she is equally committed to those who teach them. Of primary importance to her is helping educators gain knowledge, improve practice, and feel supported, encouraged and validated. She works with Foothills School Division, creating resources for new kindergarten, grades 1-3 teachers.

“A second study grew from this when kindergarten teachers wanted support learning more about inquiry and play-based learning,” she says.

“These studies all fold into each other,” Piquette states, “and the results profoundly confirm what is so necessary for children, parents, and teachers.”

For more information, visit Piquette's web page, Alberta Education or Abacadabra.

Research team links hand preference in children to executive function

trevor.kenney — Tue, 08 Apr 2014 16:36:03 +0000

Children who have a significant hand preference may have better behavioural control, memory and planning skills, according to a new study published by a team of researchers at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge.

Drs. Claudia Gonzalez, left, and Robbin Gibb are working to formalize the working relationship between kinesiology and neuroscience.

The group found that a more lateralized brain supports the development of Executive Function (EF) - a blanket term that is considered to include self-regulation, working memory and planning. In the study, children (ages 5-6 and 9-10) undertook a series of tests of hand preference for grasping items while their parents filled out a questionnaire to determine their EF.

The study was recently published by Frontiers in Psychology.

“In our experiment, all children self-reported as right-handed, yet many of them failed to show a right-hand preference for grasping. Overall, these children showed more problems with EF,” says Dr. Robbin Gibb, a neuroscientist at the U of L’s Canadian Centre for Behavioural Neuroscience (CCBN).

Using Lego® blocks, researchers observed how often children who were right-handed used their dominant hand to build a model. What they found is that those who used their right hand at a higher rate also had, according to their parents, higher EF. Children who used both hands to complete the task generally had a lower EF rating.

“Our results suggest that EF enjoys privileged support from the left hemisphere, which also controls the right hand. More likely, however, the results indicate that the greater the degree of lateralization (either to the left or right hemisphere) supports better behavioural control,” says Dr. Claudia Gonzalez, a Canada Research Chair in Sensorimotor Control, and an associate professor in the Department of Kinesiology.

Establishing a link between degree of hand use for precision grasping and EF may allow parents and caregivers to predict if children are likely to experience issues in learning and maturing. This would allow for the opportunity to introduce early interventions, something the U of L researchers will explore in the coming year.

Gonzalez and Gibb will study whether exclusively exercising a child’s dominant hand (for brief intervals of time each day) helps to develop EF, and if developing a more lateralized hand preference helps to develop a more efficient brain.

The study was a result of a unique collaboration between Gonzalez’s kinesiology lab and Gibb’s lab at the CCBN, located at the U of L. Funded by the Office of Research Services, this research also included Dr. Nicole Rosen (now at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Manitoba), Dr. Inge Genee from the Department of Modern Languages, Dr. Fangfang Li from the Department of Psychology and Dr. Noella Piquette from the Faculty of Education.

Considering the potential of this type of collaborative research, Drs. Gonzalez and Gibb are working to formalize the working relationship between kinesiology and neuroscience.

The Frontiers in Psychology paper can be found at the following link: http://journal.frontiersin.org/Journal/10.3389/fpsyg.2014.00285/abstract.

Visual impediments a key factor in childhood learning difficulties

trevor.kenney — Wed, 23 Oct 2013 22:19:14 +0000

A ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge researcher is calling for more comprehensive, and compulsory, early childhood vision assessments to help reduce potential learning and behavioural difficulties that affect children with impairments to eyesight and visual function.

In a paper recently published in the Journal of Optometry and Vision Performance (http://www.oepf.org/visual-impediments-to-learning), co-authors Dr. Noëlla Piquette of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ’s Faculty of Education and developmental optometrist Dr. Charles Boulet assert that visual impediments to learning (VIL) are rarely detected in common sight screenings, leading to difficulties with reading, memory, emotional awareness and impulse control in children. The resulting effect, enhanced by the greater visual demands of today’s neo-traditional classrooms, alters children’s academic outcomes, health and behaviour, leading to limited socioeconomic success and even decreased social skills.

Dr. Noella Piquette says comprehensive vision assessments should be compulsory for children to help identify problems early in their academic lives.

“Because visual input is so critical in today’s classroom settings, the presence of VIL present a real threat to learning processes and behaviour,” says Piquette. “Many children struggle against difficult vision, and yet most VIL are ignored in pediatric visual screenings. The lifetime cost of these is significant to the individual and to society.”

Evidence has long indicated that many children struggle with school in some part due to visual impairments. In today’s neo-traditional classroom, which emphasizes text-based learning through print and electronic media, vision serves as the paramount sense for discovery.

“Less than 15 per cent of students have their vision tested comprehensively, despite the fact that 80 per cent of learning is dependent on vision,” says Piquette.

By not identifying or recognizing VIL early in a child’s academic life, they come to realize a distinct disadvantage in a learning environment.

“This lack of appropriate VIL detection and management, combined with compulsory participation in a visually taxing education model for 12 years or more, may well constitute an implicit neglect of children’s health and basic human rights,” adds Piquette, whose research specializes in issues related to special education, learning disabilities, equity and diversity. “Current models of visual screening allow most significant problems to pass through as false negatives.”

One of the problems with the detection of VIL is that even in moderate and severe cases, children will most often not report visual problems because to them, what is known is what is normal.

“In many cases, undiagnosed vision problems can look like a learning disability,” says Piquette. “If these children are inaccurately labeled, whether formally or informally, their needs are not dealt with appropriately for their future success.”

Factor in that common visual conditions such as moderate to high astigmatism and hyperopia, among others, are surprisingly common, affecting as high as 35 per cent of children in some populations, it can present a major educational challenge.

“The positive that we can take away from this is that these problems can be mitigated with comprehensive visual assessment programs,” says Piquette, adding that children should not only be tested prior to Kindergarten or Grade 1, but regularly as they mature and their eyes change. “We need a protocol that detects a wider range of learning related vision problems because it has been shown that if vision is adequately managed from an early age, academic and health outcomes are greatly improved, ultimately leading to reduced long-term costs in each area.”

Problem women gamblers have unique needs for recovery

trevor.kenney — Wed, 17 Jul 2013 16:43:18 +0000

Women who were identified as problem gamblers show more success in counselling sessions if the participants are working in same-sex groups, according to a recent ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge study. The findings could help to change the way in which women problem gamblers receive treatment.

��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge researchers Dr. Noella Piquette and Erika Norman, a recent master's graduate and community-based counsellor, published their findings in the Journal of Groups in Addiction & Recovery.

Piquette, a registered psychologist and associate professor in the Faculty of Education, says that the majority of research has focused on problem gambling in men, with scant attention paid to women's unique challenges as they recover.

Dr. Noella Piquette leads a discussion group. Her research indicates that women could benefit from same sex counselling treatment groups in their recovery from problem gambling.

"Female problem gamblers have been found to have many different attributes than those of male problem gamblers," says Piquette. "Research into the female gambler population has identified differing demographic characteristics, preference for specific types of gaming activities, differing emotional states related to gambling, and life experiences that led us to believe there are opportunities to develop unique gambling interventions for women, but none with any type of testable outcome."

Piquette says there are several challenges to helping female problem gamblers, not the least of which is their under-use of established treatment programs. As well, she wanted to further explore different types of therapeutic interventions to ensure counsellors are meeting the needs of diverse and vulnerable populations.

"In North America, males use programs such as Gamblers Anonymous at a much higher rate than do females, and often form a majority of the participants in gambling addiction treatment programs. Many programs designed to help individuals with a gambling addiction do not meet the unique needs of women. Female problem gamblers have specific concerns regarding the social stigma associated with gambling problems, the traditional male-oriented treatment model for addiction, as well as economic and child-care concerns surrounding treatment, among many other factors."

Piquette adds that in surveys that measure counsellors' interest in same sex programs, more than 80 per cent indicate they are desirable, but no more than 11 per cent actually report implementing them.

Piquette and Norman set about to test the theory that same sex gambling treatment groups could affect a change in how the women recovered by involving a group of women enrolled in a 12-week recovery program at an addictions treatment centre in Alberta. The participants were interviewed, participated in focus groups and kept journals to document their time in the program.

At the conclusion, Piquette says that several themes emerged, giving researchers insight into the effectiveness of the same sex program.

"We saw that the participants benefitted from relationships they built while in the program, and from the ability to learn more about addictive behaviours and how to manage them. As well, the way the program was facilitated was helpful to ensure success. All three elements seem to be required for effective treatment."

Piquette says the study participants themselves felt more connected to the recovery process as they developed relationships with their counterparts and ultimately felt more comfortable sharing their experiences.

"We were looking to the participants themselves to tell us what worked for them, and how they felt about receiving treatment in this way," she says. "People reported seeing themselves in the experiences of others, and also learned about some coping strategies they may not otherwise have received in a mixed-gender group. We want to further test this process, and are encouraging other researchers to do the same, because the more we learn, the better equipped we will be to help people recover."

A brief audio recording of Piquette discussing this research project can be found here: https://soundcloud.com/universityoflethbridge/noella-piquette-interview

��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ recognizes faculty excellence

trevor.kenney — Thu, 11 Apr 2013 21:21:16 +0000

The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge honoured faculty and postdoctoral fellows across campus who received academic research awards of distinction, secured research funding or published their research findings in the last year at Thursday's Celebrating Research Reception in Markin Hall.

The U of L also recognized those who had books published within the last calendar year.

Below is a list of the awards presented.

Research Awards: External

Alberta Science and Technology Leadership Foundation (ASTech) Award: Excellence in Science and Technology Public Awareness
Kristy Burke | Conference & Event Services

American Oil Chemists' Society Timothy L. Mounts Award
Roman Przybylski | Chemistry & Biochemistry

Campus Alberta Innovates Program (CAIP) Chairs
Chris Hopkinson | Geography, Terrestrial Ecosystems Remote Sensing
Greg Pyle | Biological Sciences, Aquatic Health

Canada Research Chairs
Louise Barrett | Psychology, Cognition, Evolution and Behaviour, Tier 1
Stacey Wetmore | Chemistry & Biochemistry, Computational Chemistry, Tier 2

Canadian Insolvency Foundation Lloyd Houlden Research Fellowship
Gordon Hunter | Management

Confederation of Alberta Faculty Association (CAFA) Distinguished Academic Award
Trudy Govier | Philosophy

Pat Clifford Award for Early Career Research in Education
Michelle Hogue | First Nations' Transition Program

Queen Elizabeth Diamond Jubilee Medal
Reginald Bibby | Sociology
Peter McCormick | Political Science
Richard Mrazek | Education

World Council for Curriculum & Instruction Distinguished Leadership Award
Peter Heffernan | Education

Research Awards: Internal

Ingrid Speaker Medal for Distinguished Research, Scholarship, or Performance
Joseph Rasmussen | Biological Sciences

��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Board of Governors Research Chair

Igor Kovalchuk | Biological Sciences
Olga Kovalchuk | Biological Sciences
David Naylor | Physics & Astronomy
Sergio Pellis | Neuroscience

��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Scholars
Janice Rahn | Education
Peter Visentin | Music
Judith Whitehead | Anthropology

Research Grants: External

Alberta Advisory Committee for Educational Studies Grant
Noella Piquette | Education
Jennifer Thannhauser | Education

Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development
Wei Xu | Geography

Alberta Centre for Child, Family and Community Research Grant
(2) Claudia Malacrida | Sociology

Alberta Foundation for the Arts
Mary Kavanagh | Art
Taras Polataiko | Art
Janice Rahn/Michael Campbell | Education/Art Co-Principal Investigators

Alberta Gaming Research Institute Grant
Yale Belanger | Native American Studies
Cheryl Currie | Public Health
Gabriela Novotna | Addictions Counselling
Claudia Steinke | Nursing

Alberta Inflammatory Bowel Disease Grant
Sameer Despande | Management

Alberta Innovates Health Solutions Grant
Gerlinde Metz | Neuroscience, Co-Director

Alberta Innovates Health Solutions Sustainability Funds
Roy Golsteyn | Biological Sciences
Aaron Gruber | Neuroscience
David Naylor | Physics & Astronomy
Paul Vasey | Psychology
Ute Wieden-Kothe | Chemistry & Biochemistry

Alberta Rural Development Network (ARDN) Grant
Shawn Bubel | Geography
Glenda Bonifacio | Women & Gender Studies
Jon Doan | Kinesiology & Physical Education
Leanne Elias | New Media
Carmen Mombourquette | Education
Monique Sedgwick | Nursing
David Slomp | Education
(2) Carol Williams | Women & Gender Studies

Alzheimer Society of Canada Grant
Shannon Spenceley | Nursing

American Cancer Society Grant
Raphael Lencucha | Public Health

ATB Financial
Gordon Hunter/Dan Kazakoff | Management

Canada Council for the Arts Grant
Mary Kavanagh | Art
Maria Ng | English

Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation Grant
Olga Kovalchuk | Biological Sciences
Olga Kovalchuk | Biological Sciences, Co-applicant

Canada Centre for Remote Sensing
Nadia Rochdi/Karl Staenz | Alberta Terrestrial Imaging Centre/Geography

Canada Foundation for Innovation Leaders Opportunity Fund Grant
Aaron Gruber | Neuroscience
Paul Hazendonk | Chemistry & Biochemistry
Andrew Iwaniuk | Neuroscience
Hans-Joachim Wieden | Chemistry & Biochemistry

CIHR Emerging Team Grant
Gabriela Novotna | Health Sciences

CIHR Café Scientifique Grant
Penny D'Agnone | Office of Research & Innovation Services

CIHR Operating Grant
Sameer Deshpande | Management, Co-applicant
Judith Kulig | Nursing

CIHR Research Planning Grant
Sameer Desphande | Management, Co-applicant

Canadian Space Agency Contract
Karl Staenz | Geography
(2) David Naylor | Physics & Astronomy

Canadian Wildlife Federation
Richard Mrazek | Education

Department of Defense Contract
Albert Cross | Neuroscience

European Union FP7 Grant
David Naylor | Physics & Astronomy, Co-applicant

Grand Challenges in Global Health Grant
Gerlinde Metz | Neuroscience, Co-applicant

Health Canada Grant
Judith Kulig | Health Sciences, Co-applicant

Heritage Canada Grant for Aid to Scholarly Publication
Peter Heffernan | Education

Institute for Catastrophic Loss Reduction Grant
Judith Kulig | Health Sciences

Max Bell Foundation Award
Noella Piquette | Education, Co-applicant

Monieson Centre, Queen's Business School
Gordon Hunter | Management

National Science Foundation
Jennifer Mather | Psychology, Collaborating Consultant

NSERC Collaborative Research & Training Experience (CREATE) Grant
Robert Sutherland | Neuroscience

NSERC Discovery Grant
Louise Barrett | Psychology
Sarah Boon | Geography
Howard Cheng | Mathematics & Computer Science
Saurya Das | Physics & Astronomy
Jon Doan | Kinesiology & Physical Education
Cam Goater | Biological Sciences
Bruce McNaughton | Neuroscience
Jackie Rice | Mathematics & Computer Science
Elizabeth Schultz | Biological Sciences
Robert Sutherland | Neuroscience
Soroosh Yazdani | Mathematics & Computer Science

NSERC Research Tools and Instruments Grant
Amir Akbary | Mathematics & Computer Science
Paul Hazendonk | Chemistry & Biochemistry

Pacific Institute for the Mathematical Sciences
Shahadat Hossain | Mathematics & Computer Science

SSHRC Aid to Scholarly Journals Grant
Peter Heffernan | Education
Edward Jurkowski | Music

SSHRC Insight Development Grant
Abdie Kazemipur | Sociology, Co-applicant

SSHRC Insight Grant
Harold Jansen | Political Science
Heidi MacDonald | History
Noella Piquette | Education, Co-applicant
Paul Vasey | Psychology

SSHRC Partnership Grant
Yale Belanger | Native American Studies, Co-applicant
Henning Bjornlund | Economics, Co-applicant
Glenda Bonifacio | Women & Gender Studies, Co-applicant
Abdie Kazemipur | Sociology, Co-applicant
Richard Mueller | Economics, Co-applicant
Ivan Townshend | Geography, Co-applicant
Wei Xu | Geography, Co-applicant

SSHRC Public Outreach Grant
Debra Basil | Management

TECTERRA
Wei Xu/Karl Staenz | Geography

Research Grants: Internal

Emmy Droog Research Awards in Health Sciences Grant
Cheryl Currie | Public Health
Ruth Grant Kalischuk | Nursing

Interdisciplinary Research Development Fund Grant
Leanne Elias | New Media
Team: John Usher (Management), Janice Rahn (Education), Michael Campbell (Art) and Cheryl Meheden (Management)
Roy Golsteyn | Biological Sciences
Team: Olga Kovalchuk (Biological Sciences) and David Naylor (Physics & Astronomy)
Josephine Mills | Art
Team: Louise Barrett (Psychology), Lisa Doolittle (Theatre & Drama), Emily Luce (New Media), Bruce MacKay (Liberal Education Program) and Tiffany Muller Myrdahl (Women & Gender Studies)
Nicole Rosen | Modern Languages
Team: Inge Genee (Modern Languages), Robbin Gibb (Neuroscience), Claudia Gonzalez (Kinesiology & Physical Education), Fangfang Li (Psychology) and Noella Piquette (Education)
Carol Williams | Women & Gender Studies
Team: Glenda Bonifacio (Women & Gender Studies), Bonnie Lee (Health Sciences), Linda ManyGuns (Native American Studies) and Patrick Wilson (Anthropology)

Parkland Institute Faculty Research Grant
Claudia Malacrida | Sociology

��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Community of Research Excellence Development Opportunities (CREDO) Grant
Jerimy Cunningham | Anthropology
Claudia Malacrida | Sociology
Janay Nugent | History
Amy Shaw | History

��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Internal
Artistic/Creative Grant
Michael Campbell | Art
Dagmar Dahl | Art
Mary Kavanagh | Art

��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Internal SSHRC Grant
Michelle Hogue | First Nations' Transition Program
Janay Nugent | History
Kent Peacock | Philosophy
Amy Shaw | History

��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Research Dissemination Grant
Glenda Bonifacio | Women & Gender Studies
Inge Genee | Modern Languages
Catherine Kingfisher | Anthropology
Janice Newberry | Anthropology
Hillary Rodrigues/John Harding | Religious Studies
Arlan Schultz | Music
Amy Shaw | History

��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Research Fund Grant
Vishaal Baulkaran/Ebenezer Asem | Finance
Sarah Boon | Geography
Shawn Bubel | Geography
Michael Campbell | Art
Arundhati Dasgupta | Physics & Astronomy
Larry Flanagan | Biological Sciences
Claudia Gonzales/Fangfang Li | Kinesiology & Physical Education/Psychology
Ute Wieden-Kothe | Chemistry & Biochemistry
Jason Laurendeau | Sociology
Raphael Lencucha | Public Health
Hua Li | Mathematics & Computer Science
Heidi MacDonald | History
Kimberly Mair | Sociology
Steve Patitsas/Saurya Das | Physics & Astronomy
Adriana Predoi-Cross | Physics & Astronomy
Drew Rendall | Psychology
Shelley Scott | Theatre & Drama
David Siminovitch/Tony Montina | Physics & Astronomy
D. Andrew Stewart | Music
Mark Walton | Physics & Astronomy
John Zhang | Mathematics & Computer Science

Post-Doctoral Fellow Awards Alberta Innovates Health Solutions Postgraduate Fellowship
Ben Clark | Neuroscience
Corinne Montes-Rodriquez | Neuroscience
Jake Ormond | Neuroscience
Ivan Skelin | Neuroscience
Aaron Wilber | Neuroscience

Canadian Space Agency Space Science Enhancement Award Postdoctoral Fellowship
Matthijs Van Der Wiel | Physics & Astronomy

CIHR Fellowship
Hendrik Steenland | Neuroscience

Japan Society for the Promotion of Science Postdoctoral Fellowship (Short-Term) for North American and European Researchers
Noelle Gunst | Psychology

Japan Society for the Promotion of Science Postdoctoral Research Support Allowance (Short-Term) for North American and European Researchers
Noelle Gunst | Psychology

Book Awards 2013 recipients

M. Gordon Hunter & Dan Kazakoff (authors): Small Business: Journey to Success

Shawn Bubel, James McMurchy & Duncan Lloyd (authors): Record In Stone: Familiar Projectile Points From Alberta

Jean-Baptiste Leca, Michael A. Huffman & Paul Vasey (editors): The Monkeys of Smokey Mountain

Sarah Glassford & Amy Shaw (editors): A Sisterhood of Suffering and Service: Women and Girls of Canada and Newfoundland during the First World War

Geoffrey Hale (author): So Near Yet So Far: The Public and Hidden Worlds of Canada-U.S. Relations

Aaron Taylor (editor): Theorizing Film Acting

Marc R. Roussel (author): A Life Scientist's Guide to Physical Chemistry

Glena Tibe Bonifacio (editor): Feminism and Migration: Cross-cultural Engagements

Robert J. Williams, Robert T. Wood & Jonathan Parke (editors): The Routledge International Handbook of Internet Gambling

Arundhati Dasgupta (editor): Recent Research in Quantum Gravity

John S. Harding (editor): Studying Buddhism in Practice

Yale D. Belanger (editor): First Nations Gaming in Canada

Yongjian Bao & Wenlong Yuan (authors): The Contrarian Way of Crisis Management

Keith Roscoe & Rick Mrazek (authors): Developing Scientific Literacy: Ideas and Strategies for Planning, Assessment, and Instruction

Blythe Shepard & Lorna Martin (authors): Supervision of Counselling and Psychotherapy: A Handbook for Canadian Certified Supervisors and Applicants

Margaret A. Winzer & Kas Mazurek (editors): International Practices in Special Education: Debates and Challenges

Judith C. Kulig & Allison M. Williams (editors): Health in Rural Canada

Olga Kovalchuk & Igor Kovalchuk (authors) Epigenetics in Health and Disease

Diversity celebrated, Mar. 11-15

trevor.kenney — Tue, 05 Mar 2013 22:55:50 +0000

Now in its third incarnation, the annual ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Respect and Diversity Awareness Week is an established campus event that brings to light issues related to diversity and respect both in the workplace and beyond.

Presented by the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Faculty Association's Gender, Equity and Diversity Caucus, the week runs Mar. 11-15 and features six events over the span of five days. The goal, of course, is to have the themes that are discussed throughout the week resonate long after the event spotlight has faded.

"I think it's great to highlight the week and to bring in speakers and all the bells and whistles, but this is something that should be infused in our everyday," says caucus member and Chair of Respect and Diversity Awareness Week, Dr. Noella Piquette.

Dr. Noella Piquette is the Chair of Gender Diversity Equity Week.

An associate professor in the Faculty of Education, Piquette says that issues of diversity are becoming a greater part of mainstream conversation but there is much work to be done.

'Diversity Includes All' is the theme to this year's week and is designed to get faculty members to think about their own diversity as well as the student diversity that exists on campus.

"We do a fantastic job at this university talking about students and how we can support them, and while we're not trying to shift the focus, we're broadening the focus to include the fact that we have a huge faculty and staff component on campus, and it's important to think about the diversity that exists within those groups," says Piquette.

The week kicks off with a presentation from assistant professor of neuroscience Dr. Robbin Gibb as she presents Sex Differences in the Brain, Monday, Mar. 11 at noon in TH241.

Gibb will outline some of the factors influencing brain development that are mediated by sex differences. What promises to be a lively question and answer session follows her talk.

On Tuesday, the Spoken Word – Poetry Slam event is at noon in AH176. This gives presenters a platform to speak, read, rhyme or rant their words in a two-minute window as they discuss diversity and inclusion.

"I think this will be so much fun and really puts a new slant on discussing diversity," says Piquette, who notes that the Lethbridge Public Interest Research Group is also supporting the event.

Faculty, staff and students are all welcome to take part. Participants just need to sign up in advance by contacting Piquette at noella.piquette@uleth.ca.

Wednesday's event is a presentation with Jeff Meadows and Brad Reamsbottom of the Teaching Centre. They will discuss Supporting Faculty in Supporting Students with Learning Disabilities, focussing on some of the key issues that students may be experiencing within reading and writing tasks, and specific strategies that can be employed to assist them.

A pair of events takes place Thursday, beginning with a wheelchair basketball demonstration hosted by Dr. Mary Dyck (kinesiology and physical education) and with the Lethbridge Wheelchair Basketball Association (10:45 a.m. in the 1st Choice Savings Centre gym), followed by a special film screening of Shameless: The ART of disability (7 p.m. in PE264).

"It's a heartwarming movie, but at the same time it's also very comical," says Piquette. "They really try and show that disability is not all about being sad and serious, it's a part of life and they do a great job at portraying that message."

The week wraps up with Friday's Strengthening Academic Capacity: Gender Dimensions presentation by Mary Butterfield of the Office of Research and Innovation Services.

Butterfield will speak to gender equality in academic research at 12:15 p.m. in TH277.

Piquette has long been involved with issues related to diversity. She was a special education teacher and guidance counsellor for 14 years at the school level and now as an associate professor, teaches courses in special education at the undergraduate level and in counselling at the graduate level, focusing on a broader picture of diversity and mechanisms to advocate for inclusion within all community systems.

"We've done our best to represent as many different approaches to the discussion of diversity issues as we could with this week's events," she says. "I really do urge everyone to find a topic that might be of interest to them and to engage in the conversation."

For more information on any of these events or any issues related to the Gender and Diversity Caucus, contact the following members: Chair, Dr. Carly Adams (carly.adams@uleth.ca); Sandra Cowan (sandra.cowan@uleth.ca); Dr. Hester Jiskoot (hester.jiskoot@uleth.ca); Dr. Kevin McGeough (mcgekm@uleth.ca); Dr. Luz Ospina (luz.ospina@uleth.ca); Dr. Noella Piquette (noella.piquette@uleth.ca);
Dr. Jennifer Thannhauser (jennifer.thannhauser@uleth.ca); Dr. John Usher (john.usher@uleth.ca); or Ilsa Wong (ilsa.wong@uleth.ca).

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