Engaging youth in science earns Kothe CIHR honour

trevor.kenney — Fri, 15 Jun 2012 21:44:27 +0000

Dr. Ute Kothe (chemistry and biochemistry) has taken her infectious enthusiasm for science and research to a whole new level as the recipient of a national award recognizing her efforts to expose young people to science education and career possibilities.

The Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) recently announced Kothe as the winner of its 2012 Synapse Mentorship Award – Individual Researcher.

The award, which is worth $5,000, is one of three handed out nationally – and the U of L's first. It recognizes the efforts of a health researcher who has made exceptional efforts to promote health research among Canada's students.

Dr. Ute Kothe has been instrumental in driving the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ's youth science outreach efforts.

In addition to teaching and operating a busy lab, Kothe created the Bridges to Science program as a way to promote science literacy among Canadian high school students, provide hands-on science workshops and complement established school curriculum.

She then linked that with Let's Talk Science, a national science outreach organization, so that Bridges to Science could reach all Canadian youth. In 2010-11 alone, the program reached 20 high schools and more than 550 students.

"It is important for today's researchers to take some time to pass along their knowledge to Canadian youth," says Dr. Jane Aubin, CIHR's chief scientific officer and vice president of Research and Knowledge Translation Portfolio.

"Dr. Kothe deserves this Synapse mentorship award for her dedication to helping Canadian students both understand and appreciate the value of science. This may ultimately help them choose career paths that will make them scientific leaders of tomorrow."

Kothe has also worked with Operation Minerva, judged numerous science fairs, and is the science advisor to the local Girl Guides of Canada unit.

Kothe is also a key oranizer for the annual RiboWest conference (June 10-13) aimed at RNA (ribonucleic acid) researchers who are gathering in Lethbridge to learn about the latest research in this discipline.

Not only has the work of Kothe and her student team been recognized through repeated requests from schools, their efforts have also been the subject of a masters thesis research project on student learning and engagement.

Kim Orr, a veteran high school teacher who also serves as an instructor to teacher candidates at the U of L, says she has observed first-hand how Kothe shares her passion for education through her involvement in youth programs.

"My research showed that student learning improved at all academic levels, but a greater impact was seen in low-achieving students," says Orr. "The learning gains included scientific skills such as critical thinking, problem solving and lab skills. Regardless of their academic ability, students were engaged by the hands-on activities and expressed their excitement about the program."

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.

Fitzpatrick earns ASTech honour

trevor.kenney — Mon, 20 Dec 2010 23:02:48 +0000

Dr. Dennis Fitzpatrick the U of L's former vice-president (Research), and now a professor of chemistry and biochemistry, recently received the Alberta Science and Technology (ASTech) award for Outstanding Contribution to the Science and Technology community.

When Fitzpatrick arrived at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge in 1999 as the new VP Research, he had a mandate to create nationally recognized programs. He recognized the small university had a modest research profile and a pool of good researchers. He also knew that the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Calgary and the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Alberta had a long history of research that overshadowed the U of L's limited resources.

ASTech award presenter Dr. Robert Haché of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Calgary, left, presents to the U of L's Dr. Dennis Fitzpatrick.

"It was like opening up a corner store beside a major retail chain," says Fitzpatrick. Because the U of L was low on resources, Fitzpatrick says he had to find ways to build them.

"This was challenging in Alberta because of the province's history of funding primarily meritorious institutions," he says. "We had to find leading-edge programs to get the funding. It was like the chicken and the egg. Which comes first?"

Under Fitzpatrick's research leadership, the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge evolved into a comprehensive research and instructional university with strong ties to the provincial technology community. During the last 10 years, the university's research budget has grown from $2 million to almost $24 million in 2010.

"The money increases the kinds of opportunities that impact the lives of people in Alberta, and especially southern Alberta," says Fitzpatrick. His 'think big and shoot high' philosophy is fundamental to the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ's success, as is his vision to deliberately focus on developing specific areas with programs of instruction and research in tandem.

Fitzpatrick's strategic, thematic approach was instrumental to the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ's ability to develop expertise and become a centre of excellence in the following areas: neurosciences, water resources in semi-arid ecosystem, biotechnology, genomics biochemistry, earth imaging applications for integrated resource management and imaging technology and the study of demographics and population.

"When we built the research infrastructure, we looked beyond the individual researcher's needs to see if we could create a toolbox to serve many people," says Fitzpatrick. "When developing resources in the emerging field of neuroscience, the university department included biochemistry, biology and behavioural sciences because the field has such a broad-based focus."

"We didn't build only one lab, we built 10, opening up a whole new area of expertise," adds Fitzpatrick. "These are the kinds of things that pay off. People get involved in creative research partnerships that allow them to do research in better, more sophisticated ways. We're providing bright people with a whole new set of tools so they can now do remarkable research. And we're training a new generation of scientists in ways we never anticipated."

Paramount in Fitzpatrick's mind was, and is, providing opportunities for students.

"The primary product of research and the value of a university education is highly trained students and the opportunities it creates for them," he says. "Because of our system, the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge has become a launching pad for students to go to graduate school and on to the rest of their careers."

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

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Engaging youth in science earns Kothe CIHR honour

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Fitzpatrick earns ASTech honour

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