UNews - Denise Calderwood

Alumni Association announces 2014 Honour Society inductees

trevor.kenney — Fri, 25 Apr 2014 21:16:27 +0000

The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Alumni Association is pleased to announce its 2014 Honour Society Inductees.

A total of six distinguished alumni are being inducted this year, representing educators, researchers, artists, lawyers and community advocates.

Introduced in celebration of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ's 35th anniversary in 2002, the Alumni Honour Society recognizes the achievement of successful alumni within the global community. The alumni inducted into this prestigious group have served as role models to our students and the broader ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ community through success in their vocation, outstanding community service or superior accomplishment in their avocation.

2014 Honour Society Inductees

Denise Calderwood (MEd ’93)

Denise Calderwood is an active documentary filmmaker and passionate supporter of the arts. Since founding her own film production company, Chinook Fire Productions, she has helped write, direct, film and produce 10 documentaries covering various topics of relevance to southern Alberta. In addition to her professional accomplishments, Calderwood has diligently served her community by volunteering her time with the Fort Museum, the Empress Theatre and the Fort Macleod International Festival, which brings classical musicians to venues across the area.

Craig Findlay (BEd ’93, MEd ’10)

An educator in Lethbridge for more than 21 years, Craig Findlay is recognized for his innovative and engaging approach to social studies education. His willingness to embrace technology in the classroom combined with his support of multiple learning styles results in student-driven projects that encourage exploration in a variety of subjects as they relate to current events. Findlay is committed to bringing his subject matter to life and has planned three European student tours that highlight points of interest in the social studies curriculum. Dedicated to his profession and respected by his peers, Findlay was one of only 60 teachers in Canada to receive a Certificate of Achievement in the Prime Minister’s 2013 Awards for Teaching Excellence and Excellence.

Robbin Gibb (BASc (BSc) ’77, MSc ’01, PhD ’04)

A three-time alumna, Dr. Robbin Gibb was the first student to complete a bachelor’s, master’s and doctorate degree at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge. Currently an associate professor in the department of neuroscience at the U of L, her research focuses on parental influences on brain development and recovery from early brain injury. She has published more than 60 journal articles and presented her research findings to various community, government and judiciary organizations. Gibb’s passion for her subject matter serves as the inspiration for her teaching and she is well respected by students, colleagues and community members. She is a member of the Early Childhood Education Advisory Committee for Lethbridge College, the Alberta Learning and Child Care Curriculum Advisory Committee and the province’s Early Childhood Development Priority Initiative Research and Innovation Strategy Committee.

Wendy Cecilia Fox (BASc (BA) ’71)

Born and raised in Lethbridge, Alta., Wendy C. Fox was one of the forward-thinking citizens who believed southern Alberta merited its own university. She began her studies at the U of L in 1968, only one year after the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ’s inception, and was an engaged student, maintaining a high GPA, serving on several ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ committees and playing badminton. Her U of L experience fostered a commitment to lifelong learning that would eventually lead her to complete an MA in anthropology. Her passionate approach to life has led to her success in the field of career development, where her innovative approach to theoretical developments translates into a variety of effective practices.

Sheila McHugh (DPE ’84, MEd ’97)

Trained as an educator, Sheila McHugh spent many years as a substitute teacher while trying to balance the demands of work and family. Her experiences led her to complete a master’s degree, investigating the status of substitute teachers in school districts across southern Alberta. Her work on this subject has been published in academic journals and she has presented her findings both locally and internationally. In addition, McHugh served as president of the U of L Alumni Association, playing a key role in advancing the association and strengthening communication with its alumni.

Michael Dimnik Q.C. (BASc (BA) ’81)

After graduating from the U of L, Michael Dimnik obtained a bachelor of laws degree from the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Saskatchewan. Currently, Dimnik is a highly respected lawyer and principal of his own firm and was recently named to Queen’s Council, an honour that recognizes his commitment to his profession and his community. In addition to his professional obligations, Dimnik has devoted considerable time to numerous community organizations, including St. Michael’s Health Centre, the Lethbridge Regional Police Commission, the Lethbridge Separate School Division as well as the U of L Alumni Association and Senate, and currently serves as a director on a number of boards including the Covenant Health of Alberta Board of Directors.

Calderwood continues to travel, give back to society

trevor.kenney — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 21:35:46 +0000

In 1992, Denise Calderwood (MEd '93) was completing the final year of her master's degree in international education at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge when, having made friends with a number of international students, she noticed that many of them were missing the traditions and familiarity of home.

It was a simple observation, but it led her to found a new annual tradition at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ – the International Dinner.

"For many international students, eating is a great way to be hospitable and to enjoy one another's company; the students were missing that. I thought if they were able to cook for us it would make them feel more at home, like the hosts instead of always the guests. The students were quite excited about that," explains Calderwood.

The inaugural dinner was held in Southminster United Church. Under the supervision of a cooking professor from Lethbridge College, Calderwood and the students prepared about 15 ethnic dishes for approximately 200 guests. The evening included a speaker and a live auction with various donations including ethnic artwork and musical performances. The proceeds from the evening went towards an international student scholarship.

Denise Calderwood was a key contributor to the creation of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ's annual International Dinner.

While the students no longer cook the dinner, Calderwood is thrilled that the evening remains an important tradition, providing an opportunity for the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ community to learn about and celebrate its diversity.

"Through the years, the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ has recognized the value of the international student community. I am very pleased with the development and growth of the International Centre for Students. We all gain from the international students who come to the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ; we understand world issues differently when we have seen and discussed world views with people from other lands," says Calderwood, whose enthusiasm for learning about other cultures and peoples began when she was just a child.

"I grew up in Vancouver in a very multi-cultural community with kids from around the world frequently arriving as new immigrants to Canada. I was always interested in who they were, where they came from and their family traditions."

As a young adult, Calderwood earned a bachelor of education in special education from the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of British Columbia, but her childhood passion for international studies continued to burn bright. In October 1974, she set off on a Rotary International Graduate Fellowship to the American ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Beirut in Lebanon to pursue a master's in international education. Unfortunately, civil war broke out and the danger of remaining in Lebanon became too great. She was forced to abandon her studies and leave the country in June 1975. She returned to Canada to teach special education in Claresholm, Alta. She married in 1977 and kept busy with work and a growing family, but she never lost sight of her goal to complete her master's degree.

"In 1991, I applied to complete my master's at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge in international education; however, my coursework from Lebanon did not transfer. The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ graciously allowed me to create my program which included core courses, an internship in Malaysia, summer courses with the Summer Institute of Intercultural communication in Portland, Oregon and a thesis paper about the adjustments international students face when they go to school," explains Calderwood.

In 1993, Calderwood completed her master's and stayed on at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ, volunteering 3-4 hours each day as an international student liaison. Two years later she had literally volunteered her way into a job. During her two years as an employee at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ, Caldwell had the opportunity to travel to Fujian Province China, Hong Kong, Malaysia and Singapore to meet with alumni and to promote the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge.

"I was the international student liaison from 1995-1997. I enjoyed it very much, helping the students, going to conferences and seeing what the students' lives had become after they were back in their home countries," remembers Calderwood.

She continues to have a passion for cultures and people the world over. She has travelled for pleasure, volunteer work and further studies to 42 different countries and plans to volunteer at a small school in Angola in the near future.

As to why she continues to travel the world Calderwood simply says, "I love to do that, so I do."

GET THE FACTS

· From January to April 1992, Calderwood and her children lived in Kuala Lumpur where she interned as an academic advisor at the Canadian Education Centre, which was set up to attract international students to Canadian Universities

· She has been a part of the production and filming of seven documentary films

· Calderwood's extensive volunteer work includes time with the Mother Tongue Literacy program in Kenya and an orphanage in Mexico

· Calderwood never tires of learning and plans to begin an undergraduate degree in Canadian history

This story first appeared in the April 2012 issue of the Legend. To view the entire issue in a flipbook format, follow this link.

Shedding light on the watershed

trevor.kenney — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 20:57:37 +0000

Though water has become a hot topic in academic circles, the broader community isn't necessarily aware of human impact on water systems.

"Water is one of those quiet, silent things that literally flows through your life unless it's not there. Then everything stops," says filmmaker and ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge alumna Denise Calderwood (MEd '93).

Water – specifically the watershed of Alberta's east slopes – was a natural choice for her sixth documentary, Water Resources: The East Slopes of Alberta. The film, which features researchers, ranchers and environmentalists, examines how the watershed works and is affected by human activity.

A whole range of development activities in the east slopes are gradually diminishing the capacity to deliver the water we depend on, Calderwood says.

Every film is a team effort, and Calderwood says this time she was fortunate to recruit Jeremy Emerson, who was then a fourth year student, through the Faculty of Fine Arts New Media internship program. The program is one of the many ways the U of L partners with the community, in this case to promote education about the environment.

Emerson (BFA – New Media '08), who now works for a Yellowknife film society, says this project provided a hands-on production experience, like camera operation and video editing, and opened his eyes to the complexity of water issues and the importance of research in this area.

"We don't see the effects of what we're doing to our watershed today," he says. "We could be doing horribly bad things and we wouldn't know it for a while – and by then, it could be too late."

Water Resources: The East Slopes of Alberta was screened at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge in November 2008 and is now being used as a resource by the provincial government.

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