UNews - Al Mueller

Art that moves you

trevor.kenney — Fri, 08 Mar 2013 17:03:18 +0000

What was an ordinary walk to the washroom on Level 6 of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Centre for the Arts is now anything but mundane.

The wall flanking the entrance to the U of L Main Gallery used to house a bank of pay phones, but with the removal of this obsolete technology, a great opportunity was afforded.

"I think people can easily agree, the advent of the smart phone has been terrific for the promotion of events and cultural organizations," says Dr. Josephine Mills, director/curator of the U of L Art Gallery. "For the gallery, changes in technology have meant another less obvious boon to our visibility."

The gallery quickly called dibs on the now vacant space.

"We requested a renovation that included the gallery-standard drywall over three-quarter inch plywood backing so that the wall could support hanging objects in frames, and we had the foresight to build in electrical and Internet connections," explains Mills. "Spurred by successful student design projects I had seen around campus, I initiated a call for proposals from new media students and faculty to create something for the new wall to raise the profile of the main art gallery."

The interactive wall located just outside the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Art Gallery allows people to immerse themselves in the art.

She assumed she would get ideas that involved applying vinyl or other traditional options to the wall.

"Instead, new media faculty members Leanne Elias, Dana Cooley and Carl Spencer, delighted and surprised me with a fabulously innovative idea to install an interactive projection, which was then developed by BFA New Media major Brendan Matkin," says Mills.

The playful interactive installation grabs attention as anyone walking by accidently sets the letters projected onto the wall dancing.

"With this collaborative project we wanted to try something new and different," says Matkin. "We wanted to promote the gallery, motivate others to realize this is a creative opportunity and have some fun."

Several people were involved with the project.

"We started planning in December and the hard work started in January," says Matkin. "In addition to Leanne, Dana and Carl, fellow student Alyssa Buck was an advisor on the project."

Matkin did the actual project development and worked with the open source Processing environment.

"We used a short-throw projector and Xbox Kinect and were able to overcome a few technical glitches," he says with a smile. "It's been a terrific learning experience."

Explaining how it works to a layperson, Matkin says, "Each letter interacts with the others as well as the digital shadow of people coming into the field. Gravity is used to
attract the letters back to their home position; however, to make the letters behave in a convincing manner, I used about 500 times normal gravity. The physics engine is the same as for Angry Birds."

Leanne Elias is pleased with the results of the project and its future potential.

"We are wildly excited about this project because it points towards new directions in interactive media," she says. "And the fact that this was a student-driven project makes it just that much more exciting."

She adds that several students, including Matkin, are going with her to the SXSW International Conference.

"Going to this interactive conference exposes our students to things we can't even imagine – truly cutting-edge technology."

Mills is excited about the future of the wall.

"Brendan created a superb inaugural project and, with the system in place, we are looking forward to further proposals for ideas to promote the gallery and our exhibitions and programs," she says.

The Art Gallery would like to thank the experts in the U of L Department of Facilities (Jim Vanderzee, Bill Hudains, Mick Nutley, Al Mueller, Paul Peterson) for their work in renovating the wall and installing the technology.

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

Honouring long service

trevor.kenney — Tue, 17 May 2011 21:24:26 +0000

The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ held its annual Long Service Awards and Retirement Recognition Ceremony recently, honouring 116 employees who have completed 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, and 40 years of service. A total of 23 retiring employees were also honoured.

Following is a list of honoured employees.

RETIREES

Art Aitken, Dayna Daniels, Richard Epp, Rex Forsyth, Eldon Gardner, Wolfgang Holzmann, Bill Hudgins, Joan Kendall, Leslie Lavers, Lucie Linhart, Gerald McConaghy, Linda McLeod, Ken Nicol, Seamus O'Shea, Doug Parker, Ramrattie Ramtej, Donna Seyed Mahmoud, Ches Skinner, Philippe Teillet, Linda Van Esch, Wendy Vogel, Nick Wade and Ian Wells

LONG SERVICE RECIPIENTS

40 Years | Maria Draper

35 Years | Chris Charles, Bryan Kolb, Peter McCormick and Gerda VanderFluit

30 Years | Jane Allan, Cheryl Calver, Dayna Daniels, Gayle Durand, Rex Forsyth, Laurel Hamilton, Jay Johnston, Linda Kucheran, Greg Martin, David Naylor, Shari Platt and Leanne Wehlage-Ellis

25 Years | Shamsul Alam, Lana Barton, Bryson Brown, Cathy Campbell, Patricia Chuchryk, Leslie Gatner, Allan Gergel, Nancy Grigg, Tyler Hayward, Mary Anne Hellinga, Wolfgang Holzmann, Bill Hudgins, Margaret Joblonkay, Kas Mazurek, Alice Miller, Richard Mrazek, Thomas Robinson, Doug Ross, Jadranka Smiljanec, Brian Sullivan, Richard Tedesco, David Townsend, Sandy Wiest and Joan Zimmer

20 Years | Patti-Jo Aiken, Linda Anderson, Roberto Aragon-Garcia, Jochen Bocksnick, Carl Budny, James Byrne, Peter Dibble, Deborah Grant, Bill Halma, Andrew Hurly, Janet Macdonald, Karen McCallum, Louise Miller, Al Mueller, Claudia Notzke, Sergio Pellis, Dwayne Pepin, Vern Peterson, Maria Quinteros, Kathy Schrage, Colleen Sullivan, Brian Titley, Donna Townley and Mark Walton

15 Years | Doug Berry, James Dobbie, Jackie Edwards, Lance Grigg,
Michelle Hogue, Marie Matkin, Ian McAdam, Gerald McConaghy, Chris Moroz, Jeff Oliver, Derek Peddle, Michael Perry, John Poulsen, William Ramp, Keith Roscoe, Elizabeth Schultz, Ivan Townshend and Kenneth Vos

10 Years | Louise Arsenault, Stella Baah, Brenda Bell, Donald Birchfield, Ryan Buckman, Jill Cassidy, Lorena deLange, Christopher Epplett, Margaret Forgie, Don Gill, Bill Glaister, Val Hill, Patricia Horrocks, Nancy Hosgood, Frank Huss, Deborah Jarvie, Helen Kelley, Carol Knibbs, Keith Knowles, Josh Korthuis, Christopher Kukucha, Greg Lacey, Corie Lazenby, Wayne Lippa, Karen Mahar, Jeremiah Merkl, Josephine Mills, Joy Morris, Chris Nicol, Chris Picken, Jeremy Pierson, Mike Pinder, Catharine Reader, Michael Robinson, Victor Rodych, Tammy Rogness, Mark Sabo, Robin Schafthuizen, Shelley Scott, Behnam Seyed Mahmoud, Gerry Ste. Marie, Robert Sutherland, William Tietz, Raquel Trillia, John von Heyking, Kevin Ward, Katherine Wasiak, Robert Williams, Barbara Williams, Jim Wishloff, Robert Wood and Jing Zhu

To view the Legend in a flipbook format, follow this link.

Toth, Fowler, construction team honoured

trevor.kenney — Tue, 11 May 2010 15:34:38 +0000

The President's Award for Service Excellence recognizes exceptional service to the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge and members of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ community. The award is given to two individuals: one AUPE staff member and one APO/Exempt Support Staff Member. In addition, a Team Award has been added this year.

Calvin Toth
(APO/Exempt support staff)

Renowned as a knowledgeable, hard working and positive member of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ community, Cal Toth joined the Curriculum Re-Development Centre (CRDC) in May 2003 and has been a valuable asset ever since.

Toth is best known around the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ for his constant dedication to ensuring the numerous on-campus events have the high quality sound and event support needed to be successful.

Whether he's recording a voice over, representing the U of L at a conference, supporting events or assisting in the implementation of educational technology, his commitment to always go above and beyond the call of duty is ever present.

Toth is known for always saying, "Yes, we can do that," and is consistently willing to put in the extra effort required to make it happen.

A true testament to his commitment to the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge is evident to all those involved in the events that occur during convocation week. He is one of the first to show up in the morning and often the last person to leave, regularly juggling multiple engagements and working long hours.

More than that, despite the hectic days, he always has a smile on his face, and takes true pride in helping to make the U of L shine.

Kim Fowler
(AUPE staff)

A 20-year employee of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ, Kim Fowler exemplifies customer service through her positive working relationships with students, co-workers, and members of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ community as a whole.

Kim Fowler

Kim Fowler's positive nature and smiling disposition are infectious and she is well respected by everyone with whom she has contact. Responsible for the roommate assignment and placement of 586 students in residence each fall, she continuously seeks ways to improve the services offered to the resident student population.

One example of her dedication to improving the student experience is her work with students in the Nursing Program. These students take their first two years of study at Lethbridge College, and they are not always aware of the distance between the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ and College campuses. Fowler spent considerable time contacting the 19 first-year applicants to the program, then co-ordinated with the College to determine when they would be making room offers for first-year students. This allowed the incoming class an opportunity to cancel their housing application and learn about how to apply for College housing.

This example is just one of many instances where Fowler goes over and above, seeking out solutions to potential problems and making students' needs her number one priority.

Team Recipient

Over the past 10 years the landscape of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Campus has been changing. Countless hours and a significant amount of dedication, skill and effort has been invested by a group to make the transformations we see a not only a reality but to ensure they are a success.

The Major Building Reconstruction Team. Back row (left to right) Bill Hudgins, Al Mueller, Will Tietz, Jason Baranec and Jim Vanderzee. Front row (left to right) Rick Baceda, Dan Sullivan, Brian Sullivan and John Federkeil.

The process to take a new project or renovation from conceptualization to a living and breathing space is complex. Requests for tender, adhering to building codes, balancing multiple stakeholder needs, co-ordinating services and materials and transitioning offices and classrooms to new spaces is not an easy task. The Major Building Construction Team consistently navigates these challenges.

The individual members of the team are experts in their field and put an incredible amount of effort into ensuring the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ gets the best value for its money and that construction details meet design requirements, all the while maintaining normal day-to-day operations. These thankless, tedious and often behind-the-scenes tasks are completed with little fanfare, but are necessary to bring a project to completion.

The members of the Major Building Construction Team are: Brian Sullivan, associate director, Facilities; Bill Hudgins, project manager; Jason Baranec, project co-ordinator; John Federkeil, utility operations; Will Tietz, electrical; Dan Sullivan, locks and doors; Jim Vanderzee, building maintenance; Rick Baceda, building envelopes and interiors; Al Mueller, painting & signage.

Campus is a better place because of people such as Jane O'Dea

trevor.kenney — Fri, 07 May 2010 17:47:45 +0000

As I approach the final weeks of my tenure as President of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge, it's hard not to reflect on my 10 years here in southern Alberta and more specifically, on the many remarkable people I have met over that time.

Dr. Jane O'Dea is one of those people and it is both ironic and fitting that we would begin our positions on the same day, 10 years ago, and will now be leaving these positions on the same day at the end of June.

As the new Dean of the Faculty of Education, Jane had already been at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ for 10 years when she began her role. I was coming in from the outside and was fortunate to have Jane, among others, as a valuable resource to help learn about the U of L community.

Jane was very generous in her time to me early on, and I remember fondly accompanying her on my first visit to the Blood Reserve and Red Crow Community College. That was just the beginning of the Niitsitapi Teacher Education program, one that she supported, built and encouraged her colleagues to work on diligently.

Congratulations Madam Dean on all that you were able to accomplish during your term, and I know we will continue to see great things from you in the future.

The spring is a time for congratulations as we honour the many people who make the U of L such an exceptional place to work and study. Dr. Leah Fowler, this year's Distinguished Teacher, is to be commended for her wonderful work in the Faculty of Education, as is
Dr. Dave Morris, the Ingrid Speaker Medal recipient.

Dr. Fowler will be honoured at Spring Convocation while Dr. Morris will be recognized at the fall event.

I also want to make particular mention of the President's Award winners, Cal Toth from the Curriculum Re-Development Centre, Kim Fowler from Housing Services and the Major Building Construction Team from Facilities. This team is led by Brian Sullivan and includes Bill Hudgins, Jason Baranec, John Federkeil, Will Tietz, Dan Sullivan, Jim Vanderzee, Rick Baceda and Al Mueller. I am satisfied especially that these awards have recognized such a distinguished group over the years.

Now that the Michael Nolan campaign has concluded, I want to say a special thank you to Vice-President Advancement Chris Horbachewski for initiating what was the most satisfying fundraising experience with which I have ever been associated. It was a wonderful success, both in terms of money raised for student scholarships and the great amount of fun we had with the project.

I was very happy that a student, Joshua Og, won Michael Nolan, and I've heard that he has been putting the car to good use since he took ownership. My only advice to him, other than to enjoy the car and treat it well, was to never change its name.

I look forward to seeing many of you at the Farewell Fiesta in May, where I can
express my gratitude personally to all of you for how wonderful you have made my time here at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ.

Lastly, I will be presiding over my final convocation ceremonies next month, and I urge everyone to take some time to attend one of the four ceremonies. It's an excellent way to reaffirm why we work so hard to make the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ all that it is for our students.

President's Awards honour service

trevor.kenney — Wed, 05 May 2010 17:37:35 +0000

Calvin Toth
(APO/Exempt support staff)

Toth is known for always saying, "Yes, we can do that," and is consistently willing to put in the extra effort required to make it happen.

More than that, despite the hectic days, he always has a smile on his face, and takes true pride in helping to make the U of L shine.

Kim Fowler
(AUPE staff)

This example is just one of many instances where Fowler goes over and above, seeking out solutions to potential problems and making students' needs her number one priority.

Team Recipient

UNews - Al Mueller

Art that moves you

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