UNews - Usher

Medal winner looking ahead

trevor.kenney — Mon, 10 Jun 2013 17:11:10 +0000

Whether cleaning hallways or helping to clean up the environment, international student and recent master's medal-winning graduate Olufemi "Femi" Aiyegbusi (MSc '13) finds a way to create a lasting impact.

Aiyegbusi, a Nigerian student who completed an undergraduate degree in economics at Obafemi Awolowo ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ in Nigeria in 2005, came to the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge to pursue a master's of science in management. His wife, Titi Babalola Aiyegbusi, who is currently working on a master's degree in English, also made the trek to Canada.

Throughout his time at the U of L, Aiyegbusi has supported his family and paid for his education by working as a campus caretaker. Facilities Caretaking Manager Judy Jaeger regards him as one of her best workers and an exemplary student.

Olufemi Aiyegbusi, left, with Facilities Caretaking Manager Judy Jaeger.

"Femi appreciates where he is from and where he is going," says Jaeger. "He is very determined and always thinks of others and how his actions will impact them. He is a great person."

Femi credits his thesis supervisor, Dr. Rossitsa Yalamova, as being a significant force in his success in the master's program.

"Dr. Yalamova was my supervisor and primarily drove me to participate in all the summer schools and conferences," says Femi. "I also wrote and presented papers with her staunch guidance. She personally mentored and exposed me to the field of complex systems and agent-based modelling, and (together with my readers) played a very crucial role in the crystallization of my research trajectory. I was blessed with a committee that genuinely cares about my success."

In summer 2012, Aiyegbusi successfully competed for a full scholarship to attend the Global Sustainability Summer School at the Potsdam Institute for Climate Change Research in Germany. He was one of 20 students selected worldwide and says the experience was a turning point in his master's research.

"It was a really great experience for me," says Aiyegbusi. "I was exposed to so many ideas and perspectives from people in many different disciplines – physics, biology, economics, humanities, sciences, the arts…"

He says the feedback and perspective offered from these multiple sources prompted him to make significant changes to his project work.

"I went there with a 70-page thesis, and I ended up discarding most of it. The people I met asked me so many questions about my work and whether I'd thought about this or that, I really felt I had to make some major changes."

The thesis, The Alberta Carbon Market: An Exploration of Alternative Policy Options through Agent-Based Modeling, attempts to build a framework examining scenarios and recommending solutions for economic growth coupled with low carbon emissions. Carbon markets or carbon trading are voluntary systems that set limits on carbon emissions, allowing member companies to "sell off" emissions credits to other firms when they come in below limits, or to buy additional credits from others if they are high.

While at the Potsdam summer school, Aiyegbusi completed a crash course in computer programming and, using a tool called NetLogo, was able to create a model that would test his theories, allowing him to make recommendations for carbon emissions policy and legislation.

"This has the potential to be a good strategic tool for companies wanting to manage their emissions," says Aiyegbusi. "It's good to get the research out there to people who will use it."

While his thesis focused on the Alberta carbon market, he hopes to eventually see his research applied to the larger, more complex European markets.

"I chose to base the study initially on Alberta, as I felt it would be nice to do something for this community, and we need to understand simple systems first," he says. "Also, there are policy recommendations that could be of benefit to lawmakers. I thought it would be good to have research that informs legislation."

Faculty of Management professor Dr. John Usher, one of the readers for Femi's thesis, characterizes him as "intensely motivated and very focused."

"His MSc course work outputs in my class were thorough and innovative," says Usher. "His thesis work demonstrated both a keen analytical mind and a big-picture strategic orientation to his interest in carbon trading."

Aiyegbusi convocated in May and received the School of Graduate Studies Medal of Merit.

With the success of his thesis work, Aiyegbusi has also been accepted to present a paper at the 2013 meeting of the Administrative Sciences Association of Canada. He will also attend another summer school in the UK on greenhouse gas capture and storage.

Aiyegbusi has additionally distinguished himself by earning a full scholarship to complete a PhD program at top-ranked Bocconi ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ in Milan, Italy, and will commence studies in September 2013. He hopes to eventually pursue a career in academia.

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).

IRDF project investigates world of new media

trevor.kenney — Fri, 15 Jun 2012 19:53:23 +0000

The very aspect of new media that makes it so engaging is also what makes the discipline challenging. While change is both exciting and invigorating, the pace at which new media practices and software evolve is almost too quick to fully explore the medium.

"I've been really fortunate in my career that I've been working at a time that has seen enormous changes in the way I work," says Leanne Elias, assistant professor in the department of New Media.

"At the same time, it just changes so rapidly that as an artist, it can be very frustrating because we never have the chance to fully exploit the tools and options that we have available to us in software before something new comes along and we then move on to that."

The IRDF project team (l to r) Cheryl Meheden, Leanne Elias, Dr. John Usher, Dr. Janice Rahn and Michael Campbell are exploring the world of new media.

In an attempt to capture how artists, educators and practitioners of new media approach and adapt to continual change in the medium, Elias and four other U of L researchers will produce the E-book of New Media Research Methods and Practice as one of three funded projects through the new Interdisciplinary Research Development Fund (IRDF).

"I see this as a perfect opportunity to examine how others are working in our world," says Elias, the principal investigator.

The project also includes Dr. Janice Rahn (education), Dr. John Usher (management), Michael Campbell (art) and Cheryl Meheden (management).

Elias says the group plans to conduct upwards of 50 video interviews with new media artists from around the world who are driving innovations in software and communication design, or exploring unexpected ways of working with technology. The goal is to discover how these people are using new media tools and how they, as educators, can work together to expand research and teaching practices.

"We have already learned that we all approach new media practice differently," says Elias. "There are some big unanswered questions about how we all teach, such as why does the way we teach change between disciplines, what are the crossovers between disciplines, and are we delivering the right curriculum?"

Data collection (interviews) will begin this summer and continue through to spring 2013, at which time a host of essays will be written interpreting the interview results. Both graduate and undergraduate students will assist in the process.

"The team members will analyze the results collaboratively through different research methodologies and I think that's where it really becomes interdisciplinary.

The exciting aspect about the e-book is that it will use current technology and be produced as an interactive book meant for tablet devices. This allows its creators to produce a living entity, dynamically changing over time. Although the book is expected to be released in 2014, updates to the book could be released as new interviews are created. Users of the book will be able to view the full video interviews, see art and design projects, read the interpretive essays or even hone in on one particular interview question and see the results from each respondent.

In the end, both students and educators will benefit from the project, as long as they are willing to adapt to the ever-changing landscape it explores.

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.

Long Service & Retirement Recognition Ceremony

trevor.kenney — Wed, 09 May 2012 17:44:43 +0000

The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge is holding its annual Long Service Awards and Retirement Recognition Ceremony on Wednesday, May 9 at 1 p.m. in the Students' Union Ballrooms.

A total of 103 employees, including 20 retiring employees and those who have completed 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35 and 40 years of service, will be honoured.

All employees are invited to the ceremony and reception to honour the award recipients listed below. The reception will include light refreshments.

Retirees

Nola Aitken, Pat Anderson, Bill Cade, Maria Draper, Carol Gaetz, Mary Anne Hellinga, John Johnston, Cindy Kabelka, Frank Klassen, Michael Kubara, Christina Lastuka, Rita Law, Kathy Lee, Marg McKeen, Bruce McMullin, Shari Platt, Charlene Sawatsky, Richard Tedesco, Barbara Wolstoncroft and Joan Zimmer

Long Service Recipients

40 Years

Lois Boras and
Jean Mankee

35 Years

Barbara Dickinson, Heather Mirau and Brian Parkinson

30 Years

Rene Barendregt, Annette Bright, Peter Heffernan, Barb Hodgson, Kurt Klein, William Krysak, Judy Lacey, Phill Lema, Valerie Richardson, Kim Selk and John Vokey

25 Years

Candace Dueck, John Eng, Frank Klassen, Sheila Lowe, Fiona Randle, Thomas Staples, Greg Tompkins, Kelly Vaselenak, Peter Visentin and Diana Young

20 Years

Lynn Ambedian, Robin Bright, Naomi Cramer, Mary Dyck, Rod Gelleny, Michael Kern, Judith Kulig, Rick Peter, Robert Runte, Sandy Slavin, Maxine Tedesco and Jeff Vucurevich

15 Years

Dwayne Armstrong, Mara Baldwin, Kerry Bernes, Lesley Brown, James Clark, Tom Doyle, Larry Flanagan, Carolyn Gaebel, Cam Goater, Bradley Hagen, Rob Johnson, Ed Jurkowski, Angela Luck, Goldie Morgentaler, Dan O'Donnell, Kent Peacock, Brent Selinger, Marlo Steed and
Nicole Wilson

10 Years

Peter Alward, Christine Anderson, Ebenezer Asem, Roberto Bello, Shawn Bubel, Kris Caldwell, Michael Campbell, Connie Chaplin, John Claassen, Melanie Collado, Dagmar Dahle, Alesha Farfus-Shukaliak, Bev Garnett, Daya Gaur, Joanne Gedrasik, Betsy Greenlees, Trevor Harrison, Linda Janz, Sharon Kanashiro, John Kometz, Igor Kovalchuk, Olga Kovalchuk, Bette Jo Kulak, James Linville, Douglas MacArthur, Claudia Malacrida, Kyla McFadden, Jacqueline Montain, Mandy Moser, Bob Muskovich, Janice Newberry, Tammy Paskuski, Jill Payant, Wilf Roesler, Edward Sandzewicz, Daryl Schacher, Darren Schell, Arlan Schultz, Daniela Sirbu, Debbie Tarnava, John Usher, Derek Vincent, Bernie Wirzba and Cindy Yee

UNews - Usher

Medal winner looking ahead

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Diversity celebrated, Mar. 11-15

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IRDF project investigates world of new media

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Long Service & Retirement Recognition Ceremony

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