UNews - Lethbridge Research Centre

Alumnus Anderson takes pride in being No. 1

trevor.kenney — Mon, 08 Apr 2013 18:11:50 +0000

It is one of those things that really shouldn't be a big deal. After all, a ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ ID number is just a simple sequence of digits and every student has one. Why is it then that years after graduation, when we have occasion to remember that long forgotten string of integers, do so many of us wax nostalgic?

Perhaps the answer lays not so much in the numbers themselves but in the memories they have come to symbolize, memories of friends and professors, great marks, not so great marks and the ultimate realization of an incredible accomplishment.

At the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge, the first two numbers on a student's ID represent the year that a student begins studying there. If you know a bit about the history of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ, you might guess that the first student ID started with the number 67. Wayne Anderson (BASc '73), the first student registered at the U of L, however, tells a little different story of ID number 00057001.

"When I graduated from high school in Picture Butte in 1957, Kate Andrews was the chairman of the board that was starting up a college in Lethbridge. Because our school district contributed funds to the building of the college, the college gave us the opportunity to go in and start as first year university students," remembers Anderson. "I started out in education. There was a big need then for teachers, so for incentive to get us enrolled, our tuition was only 100 dollars for a semester. Although we were within the college, we were actually the first ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge students."

Wayne Anderson, here at the Aperture sculpture, will be on campus in May to receive his Fiat Lux Alumni Ring.

The first building built with those funds still stands as part of a local high school.

"They built onto the west end of Lethbridge Collegiate Institute. There were rooms there for us to use and as soon as we finished the year we moved out and the Collegiate took over. William Cousins was the dean of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ students there, and that is how we started out in the fall of 1957," explains Anderson.

After his first year, Anderson took a break from school to work at the research station in Vauxhall. He married his sweetheart in 1966 and later moved back to Lethbridge to accept a job at the Lethbridge Research Centre.

"My Mother had gone to grade 11 and in the 1920s that was quite a feat. I did not have a very good showing my first year at the college and my mother was so disappointed that I didn't carry on. I wanted to rectify it and make her proud of me, so I started back at ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ," recalls Anderson.

Balancing a full-time job with a young family and part-time studies, Anderson once again pursued a degree, this time in physical sciences. He eventually graduated with a BASc in geography in 1973.

"I aimed toward that degree because I was working in that field and I really loved my job. The courses I took, geomorphology, soils, agricultural geography, research techniques, Russian and Canadian geography, were all somehow related to the research station and its work worldwide. The professors would post our marks on the door. In all those years taking courses I never had a hard time finding mine because the students' IDs started in the 60s and 70s and my ID stood out like a sore thumb because it started with 57," chuckles Anderson.

Anderson continued to work at the research station until he retired in 1991. Not one to sit still long, he began working as a driver for the armoured car division of Loomis before retiring again in 2003. Deciding that retirement was not for him, Anderson began yet another career working for the Commissionaires as Security personnel for the Alberta/Montana transmission line.

Now 75 years young, Anderson loves visiting the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ campus on a regular basis as part of the Walk for Wellness group. On May 29, 2013 he will be on campus to participate in a special ceremony to receive the Fiat Lux Alumni Ring.

"One of my proudest accomplishments is graduating after spending all those years in ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ. The ring is something to always remind me of the years I put in and of being a part of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ. I feel pretty impressed to see how far the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ has come from when I first started until now. When I see all these students I think, gee it has been a long time since I have been a student here," laughs Anderson. "It is great to be an alumnus!"

GET THE FACTS

· Anderson has been married for 47 years and has two daughters and one son, with one daughter a U of L alumna

· He has been a curler for 50 years and still coaches wheelchair curling in Lethbridge

· An old car buff, Anderson has driven his 1966 Chevy hardtop in the annual Street Wheelers weekend

· He calls the '57 Chevy his favourite vehicle, and briefly owned one after his first year of university

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

Alex Johnson Lecture Series exploring land use issues

trevor.kenney — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 20:53:51 +0000

The organizers of the 2011 Alex Johnson lecture are inviting people to listen to soil scientist and Agriculture Canada researcher Henry Janzen.

Janzen's presentation, Listening to the land: From one century to the next, takes place on Thursday, Nov. 10, beginning at 7:30 p.m. at the Galt Museum and Archives. Jointly presented by the Lethbridge Historical Society, the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge, the Galt Museum and Archives and Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, admission to the event is free.

Janzen has researched how our use of farmland is tied to changes in global ecosystems, and the many services they provide to human societies. This work requires a long and broad perspective, because ecosystems often change only slowly and subtly, and their responses span a long continuum of space and time.

"To use land more wisely, we will need to listen to its stories and its rhythms," says Janzen. "At the Lethbridge Research Centre, we have such listening places – plots established 100 years ago, soon after the land was first plowed, and maintained until today."

Janzen says that in the century ahead, we will have to learn again to live more kindly on the land.

"Human societies will face unsettling challenges: higher food demands, dwindling pools of freshwater, depleting reserves of cheap energy, loss of habitat for earth's biota, uncertain climates, among others," says Janzen. "Most or all of these are tied to our use of land – the thin veneer of earth, enfolding all its myriad inhabitants."

"My aim with the presentation is to retreat a century or so, then wander forward through the years pondering what these places tell us, in hopes of hearing hints of what is left to learn, not just for ourselves, but also for those who will live on the land once our own listening has ceased."

Raised on a farm near Coaldale, Janzen has studied at both the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge and ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Saskatchewan.

Six new inductees to Alumni Honour Society

trevor.kenney — Thu, 28 May 2009 15:40:07 +0000

Following are 2009 inductees into the Alumni Honour Society

In celebration of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ's 35th Anniversary in 2002, the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Alumni Association established the Alumni Honour Society to recognize the achievements of successful alumni within the global community. The individuals inducted into this prestigious group serve as role models through success in their vocation, outstanding community service or superior accomplishment in their avocation.

Chris Burton (BEd '74, DPE '78) is a champion of youth who has dedicated her life to teaching, coaching and giving back to the community.

The Lethbridge Collegiate Institute Teacher of the Year for 2008, Burton has been an active member of the Girl Guides of Canada and will take on the role of Chief Commissioner of Canada in 2009. Her commitment and enthusiasm to youth and the community is demonstrated through awards such as Lethbridge Woman of Distinction (1989), Queen Elizabeth Golden Jubilee Medal (2002) and Alberta Sports Hall of Fame (2006).

Dr. Douglas Colwell (BASc '74) is a research scientist at the Lethbridge Research Centre and a valued adjunct professor in the Department of Biological Sciences at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge.

Internationally recognized for his studies on the interactions between insect parasites and their animal hosts, Colwell was honoured as a Fellow of the Royal Entomological Society in 2006. He is an active member of the community and serves on numerous editorial boards, professional associations and graduate student committees.

Delia Cross Child (BA '96, BEd '02) is a contemporary artist and educator whose creativity and compassion have brought pride to her community and awareness to First Nations issues.

Known for integrating tradition and history with a modern sensibility, Cross Child's work has been exhibited at the Glenbow Museum, Walter Phillips Gallery and Southern Alberta Art Gallery.

As a teacher, she has woven traditional visual literacy into her curriculum to successfully inspire and motivate learning in students.

Dean Gallimore (BMgt '84) is the office-managing partner for KPMG LLP in Lethbridge as well as a strong community advocate. Gallimore has generously chaired such committees as the Chartered Accountants of Alberta Education Foundation, the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Planned Giving Advisory Committee and Faculty of Management Advisory Committee.

Dedicated to his profession and respected by his peers, he has received the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Alberta Distinguished Service Award (2001) and was honoured as a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Alberta (2008).

Cecily Kenwood (BASc '78) is a local lawyer who has devoted much time to improving the Lethbridge community. As a long-time member of the Lethbridge Regional Legal Aid committee, she received an award of recognition from Legal Aid Alberta in 2008.

At the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge, Kenwood has served as vice-president of the Alumni Association and as a member of the Senate. In addition, she has been a board member with diverse organizations including the Lethbridge John Howard Society, St. Michael's Health Care Centre, Waterton Beargrass Festival and Nikka Yuko Japanese Gardens.

Guy McNab (BASc '82) is a partner at MacLachlan McNab Hembroff, Barristers and Solicitors, in Lethbridge who has continued his strong association with the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge. As a member of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Board of Governors, McNab was respected for his significant investments of time and effort on behalf of the institution.

He has also served as counsel to the Federal Government of Canada on various provincial inquiries, volunteered his time providing public legal education workshops since 1990 and is an active member of the Lethbridge Legal Guidance Society.

Alumni Honour Society

trevor.kenney — Wed, 13 May 2009 22:09:14 +0000

Following are 2009 inductees into the Alumni Honour Society

Chris Burton (BEd '74) is a champion of youth who has dedicated her life to teaching, coaching and giving back to the community.

Delia Cross Child (BA '96, BEd '02) is a contemporary artist and educator whose creativity and compassion have brought pride to her community and awareness to First Nations issues.

Known for integrating tradition and history with a modern sensibility, Cross Child's work has been exhibited at the Glenbow Museum, Walter Phillips Gallery and Southern Alberta Art Gallery.

As a teacher, she has woven traditional visual literacy into her curriculum to successfully inspire and motivate learning in students.

UNews - Lethbridge Research Centre

Alumnus Anderson takes pride in being No. 1

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