UNews - Grant MacEwan ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ

Lewis a perfect fit for Alumni post

trevor.kenney — Tue, 04 Oct 2011 22:02:36 +0000

Joking that some might call her career path "checkered" – she prefers eclectic – retired nurse, Kathy Lewis (BN '83, MEd '99) is both nervous and excited to take on the role of ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Alumni Association (ULAA) president this year.

Lewis began her nursing career in the early 1970s after receiving her RN certificate from the Holy Cross School of Nursing, but a phone call from a ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ recruiting officer would lead Lewis to explore a whole new world of possibilities.

"I was married, had two young children and was working as a nursing sessional instructor at the Lethbridge Community College. The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ was just starting the nursing program and I was asked to enrol. I remember thinking, 'Gee, why are you contacting me?' I really didn't feel that I had what it took academically, but you know the old saying: success breeds success. I found myself completing courses and did very well. I surprised myself," says Lewis, who completed her BN (with distinction) in 1983.

With an undergraduate degree in hand, Lewis says doors opened to her that had formerly been closed. She landed a job as a discharge planning co-ordinator for St. Mike's Hospital and eventually began working as a home care co-ordinator for the Lethbridge Health Unit. Working as a sexuality educator and counsellor in the 1990s, Lewis decided to pursue her master's degree.

Kathy Lewis sees the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ as a positive force in the community.

"I had always liked the teaching part of my job so I opted for a master's in education at the U of L. My supervising professor was Dr. Cynthia Chambers. She was such an inspiration; she had a lot of life experience as a wife, mother, educator and writer and she brought that experience to the classroom," says Lewis. "By coincidence, Ron Chambers taught me my last class, which was a drama elective. It was one of the most rewarding classes I had in all my ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ time. Here I was, almost 50, and I found myself in class pretending to be a cow.

"That is what the university does; it gives you that opportunity to open up to a broad range of ideas, people, experiences and possibilities."

Despite her busy schedule with family, work and schooling, Lewis has always made community service a priority in her life. She has served on various boards, including the Southern Alberta Art Gallery, the Lethbridge Community Band Society and the Allied Arts Council, and has been a canvasser for a variety of different organizations such as the Canadian Diabetes Association. In 2002 she was nominated to the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Senate to which she dedicated six years of service. In 2008, while attending a Senate meeting, Lewis volunteered to join the ULAA.

"It was not in my life plan to be on the Alumni Council, but the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ is such a positive force, certainly in my life and in the community. It is a major employer in the region, we have excellent research going on, wonderful fine arts and contribute to educating our population. I often say that Lethbridge is a different place because people in the 1960s had a vision. We can be proud of that and proud of the people who made all this happen," says Lewis. "Being a part of the ULAA is a valuable opportunity. I am very much a believer in working together; where we may have shortcomings in experience or knowledge, others fill in. Together we all contribute to the betterment of our society."

During the past two years the ULAA has revised its constitution and by-laws to ensure that the association continues moving in the right direction, maintaining its focus on building relationships with the community, students and alumni.

"In Spring 2012, thanks to the hard work of Cheryl Meheden and her committee, we will be launching a Fiat Lux ring as part of our 45th Anniversary celebration at the U of L. We hope every alumnus will want to have one and wear it with pride," says Lewis. "Our alumni chapters are essential. Together we are over 32,000 strong. We are represented on the Board of Governors, the Senate and many ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ committees. Our voice is at the table of decision-making and our participation is vital to the success of this institution. I would encourage each alum that when the timing is right and the opportunity to get involved knocks – open the door."

GET THE FACTS

· Lewis is a proud mother and grandmother.

· A member of ULAA since 2008, she served as ULAA vice-president from 2009 to 2011.

· Lewis plays clarinet with the Lethbridge Community Band Society, and is also a former concert planner.

· Lewis is a former ESL tutor with the Lethbridge Public Library.

· In 2009 she completed her RN re-certification through Grant MacEwan ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ.

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

HR welcomes new team members

trevor.kenney — Mon, 15 Aug 2011 18:30:23 +0000

The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge's Human Resources Department is pleased to welcome Karen Mahar and Linda Van der Velde to their new positions.

Karen Mahar assumes the role of Co-ordinator, Privacy Office & Policy Analyst. She will work in conjunction with Rita Law on FOIPP related issues. Karen can be contacted at 403-332-4620 or karen.mahar@uleth.ca and will be located at AH174.

Linda Van der Velde comes to the U of L to take over the role of Senior Human Resources Officer. Van der Velde was most recently a diversity management and benefits specialist at Grant MacEwan ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ in Edmonton. Linda can be contacted at 403-329-2274 or linda.vandervelde@uleth.ca and will be located at AH125.

��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ to host round table conference on activity and sport

trevor.kenney — Thu, 14 Apr 2011 21:31:41 +0000

Over the past decade, scholars from across Alberta have been meeting annually at the Alberta Round Table for the Socio-Cultural Study of Physical Activity & Sport. This year, the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge is hosting the event for a second time, Saturday, Apr. 30, with
Dr. Brian Wilson of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of British Columbia as the keynote speaker.

This one-day meeting brings together faculty, graduate and undergraduate students from institutions across Alberta (including the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge, ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Alberta, ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Calgary, Mount Royal ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ and Grant MacEwan ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ) to facilitate and foster interdisciplinary work across the socio-cultural areas (cultural studies, history, management, philosophy, and sociology) of kinesiology/physical education.

Having Wilson aboard as the keynote speaker for the conference is a coup for organizers. Considered a leading scholar in the field of sport sociology, Wilson authored, Fight, Flight or Chill: Subcultures, Youth and Rave into the Twenty-First Century, as well as numerous articles on topics related to youth culture, sport, media, social inequality, social movements and environmental issues.

In his talk, Wilson will examine the often complex and unintended results of attempts to incite positive social change in and around sport. In doing so, he reflects on recent research he has conducted on sport for youth development groups and sport-related corporate environmentalism. Wilson's research will draw interest from scholars, not only in kinesiology and sociology, but also from the Department of Philosophy and the Faculty of Management.

His address is featured in the morning, followed by a group discussion. The afternoon session then features graduate student presentations, with discussion among the presenters, the keynote speaker and other participants.

The event provides a valuable forum for intellectual discussion and it is an important opportunity for graduate students to present and receive feedback on their work in a formal setting. Alberta scholars in this broad area of research have benefited from the efforts over the past decade.

The genesis of the meeting actually came about here at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge with Dr. Doug Brown.

Organizers of the event include Drs. Michelle Helstein, Carly Adams, Robert Kossuth and Sean Brayton from the Department of Kinesiology and Physical Education and Dr. Jason Laurendeau from sociology.

Registration is free and everyone is welcome to attend. For more information and to RSVP your attendance, contact Carly Adams via email: carly.adams@uleth.ca.

For a look at the Legend in a flipbook format, follow this link.

New Edmonton campus director appointed

trevor.kenney — Tue, 03 Aug 2010 22:09:48 +0000

Dr. David Keast has been appointed the new director of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge's Edmonton campus.

He follows Naomi Beke, who accepted a position as associate registrar at Grant MacEwan ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ. Keast began his duties Aug. 1.

Keast holds an MEd and a PhD in Educational Administration from the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Alberta. Prior to joining the U of L, he was Dean of Career Programs at Portage College, in Lac la Biche, Alta., a position he held for 9 years. In that position, he was responsible for the management of all business, health, human services, and university studies programs.

"David is a terrific addition to the U of L's management team," says new Dean of Management, Dr. Robert Ellis. "His experience, educational achievements, and knowledge of Alberta's post-secondary education market make him very well qualified to lead the Edmonton campus in today's increasingly competitive market."

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