UNews - ConocoPhillips Canada

Functional Flows gets funding boost

trevor.kenney — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 17:58:56 +0000

A critical study by the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge's Water Institute for Sustainable Environments (WISE) that could shape how the province manages its water sources is being given a $1 million boost by the Alberta government.

Alberta Innovates – Energy and Environment Solutions is contributing $1 million toward a proposed $2.5 million project that will take place over the next three years.

Functional Flows, headed by principal researcher Dr. Stewart Rood of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ's Department of Biological Sciences, will attempt to answer the question of how much water needs to be left in our rivers to sustain healthy aquatic and riparian ecosystems, all the while developing strategies to provide sufficient water to support growing human populations and industrial expansion.

"It is critical for the environmental health of our aquatic ecosystems that we understand the ecological impacts from river damming and water diversions," says Rood.

"Further, we need to create and implement strategies for environmental flow regimes that will ensure that our rivers continue to sustain high water quality, as well as the fish and floodplain forests that we value."

Alberta's rivers deliver mountain snow-melt and rainfall to the drier regions of the prairie and parkland zones, where most Albertans live and work.

Water is trapped by dams and reservoirs and diverted off-stream for agricultural irrigation, municipal and domestic use and industrial purposes.

As the human population grows and industrial expansion continues, the demand for Alberta's surface water will progressively increase.

Rood and his team support the notion of working rivers, whereby river regulation and water withdrawal continues, but in a strategic manner that both sustains environmental health and supports socio-economic uses.

Rood contends that deliberately artificial flow patterns can optimize water for environmental survival during low flow years, and capitalize on the opportunities provided in high flow years to rejuvenate the fish and floodplain forest ecosystems.

"One of the significant challenges identified in Alberta's Water for Life strategy is meeting the needs of healthy aquatic ecosystems. The work being undertaken by Dr. Rood and his team provides a scientific and evidence-based approach to improving environmental performance, even in Alberta's highly allocated river systems," says David Hill, director of Centres and Institutes and Research Advocacy at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge.

"This approach allows stakeholders and water managers to directly participate in building and improving environmental resilience through specific water management opportunities. The understanding gained through this research will be a critical component in ongoing integrated watershed management decision-making."

The research activities associated with Functional Flows involve substantial student training, contributing towards the next generation of environmental scientists and natural resource managers for Alberta and Canada. The research projects bring together biologists, geographers and other natural and social scientists affiliated with WISE, working in collaboration with other academic and government researchers.

The collaborations also engage regional agencies such as Alberta Environment, the Alberta Conservation Association and the public Watershed Planning and Advisory Councils.

"The U of L has a long history of research collaboration with the community. This is particularly the case in Dr. Rood's research. This program brings together the research team, with government operators and regulators and stakeholders of the community, ensuring that the science and research findings can be implemented to deliver improved environmental performance measures," says Hill.

"This project will contribute to Alberta being recognized not just for its forward looking water strategy – but for ongoing and improved watershed management operations."

Balancing environmental sensibilities with the future economic prosperity of the province was a driver of the Functional Flows project, which received an initial $250,000 contribution from ConocoPhillips Canada (CPC). Based in Calgary, CPC is part of ConocoPhillips, a leading global exploration and production company. "We see this as an opportunity to engage the research expertise at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge in a manner that will benefit everyone from students and faculty members involved in the research, to industry, agriculture, municipalities, Aboriginal communities and end users of Alberta's water resources," says Lloyd Visser, VP, Environment and Sustainable Development.

ConocoPhillips Canada sees benefits of support

trevor.kenney — Tue, 16 Nov 2010 17:16:40 +0000

Recently, representatives from ConocoPhillips Canada visited the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge to meet some of the students who have benefitted from the company's longstanding commitment to education.

Representatives from ConocoPhillips Canada recently met with students who benefitted from the company's support. Pictured here are (left to right) Chris Keeler, Tim Bryant (CPC), Beth Watson, Sydney McNally, Jean Wu and Barbara Simic (CPC).

As a strong supporter of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ for more than 15 years, the company offers placements for co-op students and regularly hires U of L graduates. One of ConocoPhillips Canada's contributions has given students the opportunity to take part in world-wide, national and regional work placements.

The ConocoPhillips Canada Cooperative Education Award has benefitted over 40 students to date. Recipients have worked in such diverse locations as Hong Kong, South Africa, Malaysia and Alberta, and for organizations that include businesses, non-governmental organizations and not-for-profits, to name a few.

Chris Keeler, a fourth-year finance major, was more than happy meet some of the individuals responsible for helping to fund his co-op placement in Kuala Lampur.

"My work term provided the opportunity to apply skills I learned in the classroom on real projects," says Keeler, who worked as an analyst with a boutique investment bank.

Keeler had the opportunity to work on mergers and acquisitions, as well as financing deals, developing and practicing skills he knows he will use throughout his career.

"I picked up a great deal of technical knowledge along the way and enjoyed the experience of working and living in a different culture."

Sydney McNally echoes Keeler, maintaining that her own experience in Cape Town, South Africa, prepared her for the job market.

"I worked at a small specialist economic development consultancy that focuses on creating sustainable change in developing communities," explains McNally.

"Acting as the project manager for two fair trade workshop and information sessions, I have a better understanding of project management and fair trade."

Equally grateful for the experience is Beth Watson, who spent three and a half months in Cape Town, South Africa, interning at a non-governmental organization (NGO). Her daily tasks ranged from data entry to interviewing micro-loan clients and provided an incredible overview of the organization.

"Throughout all of this I learned a lot about micro finance, development, South Africa, and myself. The experience was truly invaluable and I am so grateful to ConocoPhillips for helping make it possible," says Watson.

Alma Matters

trevor.kenney — Tue, 06 Jul 2010 21:54:27 +0000

What's new with our alumni? Let your classmates know what you are up to by sharing a note about your life. Share your news with us through e-mail (alumni@uleth.ca), or by phone (toll free 1-866-552-2582).

Check out the latest news from our alumni below.

1970

Kinahan holds community focus
Brian Kinahan (BMgt '79) believes his time spent at the U of L was foundational for his career. "At the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ I gained the ability to think through problems and come up with solutions, to expand my mind and think beyond more than just one focus," he says.

Now the president and CEO of 1st Choice Savings, Kinahan has played an integral part in the growth of the credit union, which currently boasts a balance sheet in excess of $400 million. While helping to build a successful financial institution is something he is proud of, he is also grateful for the opportunities he has to serve his community.

"My goal is to continue building on the success of 1st Choice Savings, guiding it to be a viable and important part of the financial world that focuses on being a community-minded institution that cares about individuals."

1980

Nancy Walker BMgt '82
Walker was awarded a Fellow of Chartered Accountants (FCA) from the Alberta Institute of Chartered Accountants.

Bill Neudorf BEd '88
"In memory: some of you may remember the little three-year-old girl who would come to class with her dad and spend the time colouring or playing with dolls. Her name was Bobbi Renee Neudorf. Bobbi later suffered from Crohn's disease through her time at university but finished a BSc in Occupational Therapy at the U of A and worked for three years in the QEII hospital in Grande Prairie. Bobbi succumbed to complications from the disease and passed away from a massive blood clot on Sept. 21, 2009. She was 25 years and two months old."

Pamela Zollner BEd '86
After graduating from the U of L, Zollner taught for a couple of years in Alberta before developing a taste for international travel by backpacking around Australia and New Zealand. Zollner incorporated this love for travel into her work by teaching in Singapore and India. Zollner completed her Master of Education in June 2008 and is currently teaching Grade 2 in Calgary.

1990

Winner of the $10,000 Alberta Readers' Choice Award
Michael Davie (BMgt '94) won the inaugural $10,000 Alberta Readers' Choice Award for his first novel

Author Michael Davie

, Fishing for Bacon. The Alberta Readers' Choice Award is modelled on the very popular Canada Reads prize. Five books, each one championed by a celebrity, vie to win a popular vote. With $10,000 going to the winner, the competition is on the same financial level as the Governor General's Awards.

Aaron Berg BSc '95, MSc '97
Dr. Aaron Berg was recognized as GeogNews' (News Digest of the Canadian Association of Geographers) Geographer of the Week. Berg is an Associate Professor in the Department of Geography at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Guelph. He completed a BSc and an MSc degree in Geography at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge, an MS in Geological Sciences at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Texas at Austin and his PhD in Earth System Science at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of California, Irvine. His research focuses on hydrology and hydro-climate simulation. Areas of current research interest include: macro-scale modeling of hydrological states and fluxes; climate change and water resources; the spatial scaling of hydrological properties; and evaluating the impact of land use change on regional hydrologic cycles.

Thomas Latta BMgt '97
"I am currently working as the manager, Operations Accounting and Business Solutions for Enerplus Resources Fund and have been with Enerplus for a year and a half. Prior to that, I was with ConocoPhillips Canada and its predecessor companies for 15 years."

2000

Amos Altman BA '04
Altman's play FORTITUDE is part of Fuse 2010 (The Enbridge New Play Development Program) at Theatre Calgary. This heartwarming and hilarious play emerged from the 2008/09 FUEL Playwrights' Circle at Theatre Calgary.

Ryan Epp BA/BMgt '05
Epp, former captain of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Pronghorns men's hockey team, is now a constable with the Lethbridge Police Department.

Barry Gergel BSc '05, MSc '07
"I'm currently working toward my PhD in the Department of Computing Science at the U of A."

William Katelnikoff BMgt '05
"I received my chartered accountant designation in January, and I am currently assistant coach with the Pronghorns men's hockey team."

Matthew Berrigan BEd/BA '06
Lethbridge College announced their 2010 Distinguished Alumni Award recipients and recognized U of L alumnus Matthew Berrigan with the Rising Star Award. Since completing his education degree, Berrigan's rise as a teacher has been meteoric. Named best new teacher by the Foothills School Division for his work in Cayley, Berrigan is now a lead teacher in Turner Valley. The success of his teaching is reflected in his students' achievement results.

Angela Kastelic BN '06
"I am currently pursuing a Master of Nursing (Family/All Ages) with intent to become a family nurse practitioner."

Keely (Kavanagh) Semenuik BEd/BA '09
Following graduation in April 2009, Semenuik was married and travelled to France. She is now excited to begin her teaching career with École St. Mary School in Lethbridge, teaching French immersion kindergarten.

Kinley passes on the inspiration
After attending a presentation by guest speaker John Carr from Pixar, Brad Kinley (BFA '04) remembers telling a friend that the talk was life-changing.

"Seeing what he does and his approach to the whole process of character animation crystallized what I wanted to do," says Kinley.

Now, after being a key player in the design of Mass Effect 2, one of the most popular and highly rated games ever made for the Xbox platform, Kinley returned to the U of L this spring and gave a presentation to the next generation of new media students.

"I know how influential my exposure was to somebody actually working in the business," he says. "If I can lend a little knowledge or inspiration to someone else, hopefully it will help them the way it helped me."

Congratulations
Daniel Wong (BFA '03), Mary-Anne McTrowe (BFA '98) and Robyn Moody (BFA '00) have made the long list (Prairies and North region) for the 2010 Sobey Art Award.

Munton & Co. chartered accountants recently announced that Curtis Michaelis (BMgt '03) and Michael Quinton (BMgt '04) have been admitted to partnership.

Susie Martin (BEd '81), Judy Lynn Miller (BA '91, BEd '93), Matthew Berrigan (BA/BEd '06) and Tracy Inaba (BEd '92) were among 23 outstanding Alberta teachers selected to receive the prestigious 2010 Excellence in Teaching Award.

Sports Hall of Fame

The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Chinooks women's basketball team (1970/1971) was inducted into the Lethbridge Sports Hall of Fame at this year's celebration. The team won the provincial and national championships and represented Lethbridge with pride.

Members of the team included: (Back row, L-R) Wilma Winter (coach), Dixie Dow, Linda Dogterom, Leona Voth, Minnie Van Dieren and Sharon Giduk (BA '73, BEd '75). (Front row, L-R) Marge Moore, Linda Voth, Rosemary Brodrick, Joan Cannady and Linda Dow (BEd '71).

Andrea Hlady (BEd'93) and Sharon Chmielewski (BEd'75) were also inducted at this year's celebration. Hlady was recognized in the athletes category. She was a two-time All-Canadian basketball player with the U of L Pronghorns. Chmielewski, recognized in the builder category, was honoured for building high school and high-level curling in Lethbridge with her work as an official, instructor and coach.

To view the entire issue of SAM in a flipbook format, follow this link.

Good morning Vietnam!

trevor.kenney — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 21:31:54 +0000

Fourth-year U of L management student Brady Mah spent his summer traveling through Vietnam – dodging motorbikes, touring pagodas, learning a new language and discovering a culture completely different from his own.

Interested in international development, Mah received funding from ConocoPhillips Canada that allowed him to accept a unique co-op placement in Hanoi, Vietnam, with World ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Service of Canada (WUSC), an organization that fosters human development and global understanding through education and training.

"I was initially intrigued by Vietnam's rich history," says Mah. "I was also interested in observing how a developing nation, one that had just entered the World Trade Organization, operated. I wanted to be a part of that."

Once in Vietnam, Mah took on the role of project manager and was responsible for co-ordinating the placements of eight other student volunteers.

"I routinely met with each student and their partner organization to ensure that things were going smoothly and that we were on track to reach the goals we'd set at the start of the internship," explains Mah. "I was actively involved in all of the placements, which covered a diverse range of sustainability and development projects including environmental policy and law, national park preservation, eco-tourism, agricultural development and public health."

As part of his work with WUSC, Mah visited eight cities in Vietnam.

"I've had a chance to explore this crazy country from north to south, mountain to sea," reflects Mah. "I've met a lot of interesting people along the way and learned something new from each of them."

In addition to his official responsibilities, he travelled to Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand.

Mah recently returned to Canada and, as he looks to the future, he admits a change in perspective.

"I have grown to appreciate how good I have it in Canada. Some of the Vietnamese people have very little, but they are still living very meaningful lives. I hope to incorporate their sense of purpose, their work ethic and their persistence into everything I do."

ConocoPhillips Scholarship deadline, Friday

trevor.kenney — Wed, 13 May 2009 16:04:29 +0000

The application deadline for the prestigious ConocoPhillips Canada Centennial scholarship is rapidly approaching.

Any students who are interested and deem themselves eligible, must fill out the application and submit it by Friday to be considered.

The scholarship program is designed to support young Canadian visionaries who have a drive to make a difference in the future. The program encourages individuals with academic excellence and demonstrated leadership and is valued up to $10,000 per year for university studies, tenable for a maximum of two consecutive years.

Interested students are encouraged to check out the Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada web site (www.aucc.ca) for further information and eligibility criteria.

The application is very detailed, requiring a one-page description (maximum 250 words) of extracurricular activities and community involvement, as well as two reference letters.

The application is only available by request. To request an application, students must e-mail: awards@aucc.ca. Include the following information: first and last name, name of the scholarship and telephone number.

Once the application is completed, it must be submitted, along with the required documentation, to the U of L Scholarships and Student Finance Office in SU065 by Friday. Incomplete applications will not be considered.

UNews - ConocoPhillips Canada

Functional Flows gets funding boost

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ConocoPhillips Canada sees benefits of support

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Alma Matters

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Good morning Vietnam!

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ConocoPhillips Scholarship deadline, Friday

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