UNews - Nancy Walker

Chalmet earns plaudits for role on Return to Campus Committee

trevor.kenney — Mon, 25 Jul 2022 15:53:09 +0000

Wim Chalmet, director of Facility Operations & Maintenance, never imagined how much he’d learn about a worldwide pandemic until he had to do a deep research dive to support his new role as co-lead of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ’s Return to Campus Committee.

Wim Chalmet and Dr. Trushar Patel are co-leads on the Return to Campus Committee.

It was just one of the lessons Chalmet learned as he and fellow co-lead Dr. Trushar Patel took on the daunting task of assisting the repopulation of campus following the COVID-19-induced shift to online teaching and learning. Patel was recognized as winner of the 2022 ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Volunteer Award for his efforts, while Chalmet has earned plaudits from senior administration for his integral role in the relaunch process.

“The pandemic was something that none of us had ever experienced and we had to muddle our way through many scenarios and make decisions to the best of our ability and with what knowledge and information we had access to,” Dr. Mike Mahon, president and vice-chancellor, Dr. Erasmus Okine, provost and vice-president (academic) and Nancy Walker, vice-president (finance & administration), said in thanking Chalmet for his service. “Wim’s calm manner and organizational skills in bringing forward issues for discussion was greatly appreciated, especially because he made good suggestions in how to deal with each scenario.”

While Patel’s expertise favoured the medical and academic side of the operation, Chalmet’s contributions focused on the physical logistics of the move back to campus. He said the challenges were many, including the continually changing information they would receive while trying to plan.

“It wasn’t even day-to-day, sometimes it was hour-to-hour,” says Chalmet, who has been with ULethbridge since 2009. “It was very quick moving and always changing. We’d prepare plans and try to get everything in place and just when we were ready to announce, there’d be an announcement from the government, and we’d throw everything away and start again.”

The next logistical challenge was communicating decisions in a timely and effective manner, something that led the relaunch group to working closely with communications. In fact, one of the best aspects of Chalmet’s role, he says, was the ties he developed with all the various units on campus.

“From a personal perspective, it gave me insight into a lot of groups that I did not have a lot of contact with before,” he says. “We were working with communications, President’s Executive, most faculty and Deans, Ancillary Services and on and on, it was a really great learning exercise.”

He admits there were some extremely difficult days and by the nature of the work and the decisions that were being made, people’s lives were affected. Some of the feedback both he and Patel received was hurtful and personal.

“We understood that with the relaunch there would be lots of hesitancy and many questions. Is it the right choice to come back, how are we going to be safe, how can we guarantee a safe environment? That we were prepared for,” he says. “Then there were the confrontational issues and we really saw that come about when institutions started mandating masking and then mandating vaccines. Every time we sent out a relaunch email with some real meat and potatoes in it, we would get hundreds of replies, some supporting and others who were very upset. It made for some challenging days.”

Through it all, Chalmet says he focussed on what the campus community needed to know as they tried to answer questions and communicate decisions in a timely and informed manner. With COVID-19 still a presence and the fall semester looming, the work continues.

“We’ve been meeting and updating our web pages and our procedures and planning for the fall,” he says. “Again, it is mostly a communications issue and as we learned through the relaunch, you need to tell people what the plans are and in a timely fashion with whatever information you have to work off. So, that’s what we’ll do, and we’ll modify plans as needed.”

Schell appointed to new role

trevor.kenney — Mon, 28 Feb 2022 18:08:23 +0000

Darren Schell has been appointed the interim associate vice-president (information technology) effective March 1, 2022. Schell follows Mark Humphries in this role, who recently announced he has accepted a position at another organization in Ontario.

Schell has most recently served as the chief technology officer at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ since June 2016. He has been with the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ since 2002, beginning as a programmer/analyst in the Registrar's Office where he supported the student information system. He has moved progressively within the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ, taking on new responsibilities within his roles as information security manager (2007-2012), director, Transformation Solutions (2012-2014), associate executive director, IT Services (2014-2016), and chief technology officer (2016-2022).

"Darren brings a varied skill set to the position," says Nancy Walker, vice-president (finance & administration). "He has extensive experience within Information Technology Services, including project management, IT governance, policy/procedure development, change management, cybersecurity, and oversight of IT infrastructure, enterprise applications, web services, and client support. He also represented IT Services on the Destination Project Technical Committee and oversaw the network design/deployment and audio/visual commissioning in the Science Commons.

"Many of you have worked with Darren over the years and find him to be a passionate leader, and one who believes in collaboration across all units in order to achieve the strategic goals of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ. I look forward to working closer with Darren in his new role."

Darren is a graduate of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge, with a Bachelor of Science (Computer Science) degree in 2001. He has also achieved various professional development certificates related to his responsibilities.

U of L renames CCBN building to Community Centre for Wellbeing

caroline.zentner — Thu, 11 Jun 2020 17:44:57 +0000

In fitting with its new purpose, the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge has rechristened the Canadian Centre for Behavioural Neuroscience (CCBN) building as the Community Centre for Wellbeing (CCW).

The renaming comes after the CCBN moved into the new Science Commons building in late 2019.

“The name Community Centre for Wellbeing reflects the coming together of various health-care initiatives and health-care partners for the benefit of the Lethbridge and ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ communities,” says Nancy Walker, U of L vice-president (finance and administration). “The Centre combines research initiatives in health care and health-care practices available to the general public, as well as ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ researchers, students and staff.”

The CCW houses the U3T MRI Centre, which opened in 2016 and was the result of a unique collaboration between the U of L and local medical-imaging professionals. The 3 Tesla MRI, which provides the most powerful magnetic resonance imaging in the region, produces high-quality images and allows radiologists to differentiate between benign and potentially hazardous medical conditions with confidence. The MRI is used for both public and private clinical studies and by faculty and students from the CCBN for research purposes.

The CCW also houses Memory Clinic Inc., which provides testing for persons with brain injury, as well as suspected memory impairment. Memory testing can detect early signs of Alzheimer’s disease and provide patients with timely practical information, support and counselling. The Memory Clinic also provides education and counselling for caregivers of people with brain injury or Alzheimer’s disease.

��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge appoints Neil Langevin as Director of Pronghorn Athletics

trevor.kenney — Wed, 29 Apr 2020 17:33:20 +0000

The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge is pleased to announce alumnus and long-time coach and Pronghorns supporter Neil Langevin (BA/BEd ’91, MEd ’10) as the Director of Pronghorn Athletics, effective immediately.

Langevin is currently the head coach of the Pronghorns women’s rugby program, a role which he will retain, and has played a major role in developing and promoting the sport of rugby and Pronghorn Athletics in southern Alberta and beyond for the better part of two decades.

“Neil's experience, enthusiasm and dedication to sport will be a great asset to the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ as he begins his new role,” says Nancy Walker, Vice-President (Finance & Administration). “As an alumnus and then co-founder and coach of the Pronghorns women’s rugby program, his association with Pronghorn Athletics is wide-ranging. His time as an educator and administrator also gives him great perspective on the student-athlete experience.”

Langevin led the Pronghorns women’s rugby program for its initial 12 years. During that span, the Horns captured six consecutive Canada West titles (2006-11) and three consecutive CIS Championships (2007, 2008, 2009). In 2003, he received the Canada West Coach of the Year award, and in 2006, he coached Canada's National Senior Women's team to a fourth-place finish at the Rugby World Cup. Langevin was named an assistant coach for the Canadian men's rugby sevens FISU Summer Universiade team in 2019.

A teacher by trade, Langevin taught for 27 years for the Lethbridge School Division, the last five as an administrator and vice-principal at Winston Churchill High School.

The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ recently reorganized Sport and Recreation Services and eliminated the Executive Director position. Bill Halma will now head Horns Recreation Services, with Langevin taking the lead for Pronghorn Athletics.

Blood donor success started as passion project for Infanti

trevor.kenney — Wed, 03 Oct 2018 15:53:01 +0000

Sometimes the smallest gestures end up making the largest impact.

Patti Infanti recalls a conversation she had about seven years ago with Dr. Carla Carnaghan of the Dhillon School of Business. Infanti, who works in the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge’s Financial Services Office, had just come back from donating blood with a couple of colleagues. They thought it would be neat if there was some sort of campus challenge to recruit even more people to start donating, so Infanti placed a call to Canadian Blood Services.

The U of L, through supporters such as these, won the 2017-2018 Canadian ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ and College Blood Donor Challenge.

“They told me about their partnership program and how we could sign the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ up and we decided to do it,” says Infanti. “I remember the first few years when it was just Carla and I sitting at tables. We were able to recruit a few volunteers to help us out but it was hard; it took a lot of work to get people involved.”

Eventually, the hard work paid off with the U of L being honoured as the winner of the 2017-2018 Canadian ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ and College Blood Donor Challenge.

“I was shocked when they told us that we’d won because we’re competing against some huge universities,” says Infanti. “Maybe because we are so small, there is more of a community here.”

For the period September 2017 through March 2018, the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ led the country with 592 total donations as well as 92 new donors. Infanti is quick to deflect praise to everyone who has jumped on board her passion project.

U of L students played a huge role in the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ achieving its highest donor rate ever.

“It’s certainly not just me; I maybe started it but I’ve got so many people on our committee now and every one of them is passionate about this,” she says. “I know I am so proud to say I work at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ and I think so many others feel that way, too.”

Infanti says she always had been a blood donor but had fallen out of step for a while before she jumpstarted the U of L program.

“I was at a point in my life where I was looking for a positive thing to do and the more I learned about it, the more passionate I became about it,” she says. “People are inherently good and it’s not a hard thing to do. The difficult thing is you don’t want to make people feel guilty if they can’t donate because there are so many reasons why they might not be able to. For them, there are still lots of ways to get involved and I think we’ve really come together as a community and I feel so proud.”

She credits Nancy Walker, the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ’s vice-president (finance and administration) for being especially supportive in the early years of the campaign by offering incentives to employees if they signed up to donate. Infanti also gives a ton of credit to U of L students.

“Belinda (Tomiyama) at Canadian Blood Services helped us get the Students’ Union involved, as well as the School of Graduate Studies,” says Infanti. “I truly believe the turning point was when the students got involved because they get very passionate about these things, too. It’s easy for me now, all I do is book signage and tables for them and really, it’s just taken off, which is exactly what we wanted.”

Her example of selflessness runs in the family. Her son, also a donor, noticed signs for the OneMatch stem cell donation program and signed up. This past January, he was told he was a perfect match with a patient in need and helped with a stem cell donation.

Infanti says it is stories like these, and many more, that speak to the importance of the program and how the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ community can make a difference.

“I want to express my sincerest gratitude to everyone who is involved in this, whether they can donate or not. Just being part of this is a huge thing. I think of how many lives we have actually saved as a ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ; it is so far reaching.”

The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge 2018 Blood Drive is now underway with four October donation events on campus:

Wednesday, Oct. 3, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. – ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Centre for the Arts Atrium
Wednesday, Oct. 10, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. – 1st Choice Savings Centre
Monday, Oct. 15, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. – ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Centre for the Arts Atrium
Wednesday, Oct. 31, 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. – Life Balance Fair (1st Choice Savings Centre Track)

Ken McInnes tabbed to lead Sport and Recreation Services for three-year term

trevor.kenney — Mon, 09 Nov 2015 17:45:24 +0000

The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge has added certainty and stability at the leadership level of Sport and Recreation Services (SRS), by naming Ken McInnes (BA’91, BMgt’97, Mgt Certificate ’02) as its executive director for the next three years.

McInnes, who was named interim executive director for SRS earlier this year, has been with the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ for over 25 years in a variety of leadership roles including Executive Director, Human Resources. The decision to cement McInnes’s role will allow him to fully implement recommendations from the recently completed review of Sport and Recreation Services programming, which focussed on a new sport delivery model. He will also continue to work with the SRS team to focus on strengthening recreational programs and services.

“Ken has done an exceptional job since assuming the SRS leadership earlier this year,” says Vice-President (Finance and Administration) Nancy Walker. “This appointment will ensure that meaningful and long-term relationships continue to be built between SRS and partners, stakeholders and supporters of our Pronghorn teams and those who use and enjoy our world-class facilities.”

In addition to being an experienced human resources leader, McInnes is a former Pronghorn Track and Field athlete who competed at the national level in shot put, discus and hammer throw. McInnes has an MBA from Royal Roads ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ and is an alumnus of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge with undergraduate degrees in management and kinesiology.

“I am honoured that the U of L has put its trust in me to undertake this important role,” says McInnes. “Sport and recreation is an important link between the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ and the broader community. I look forward to working with the exceptional SRS team and our passionate supporters to ensure ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ recreational programming and Pronghorn Athletics remain important to our students and the southern Alberta community.”

Crane honoured as Alberta Flood Hero

trevor.kenney — Thu, 20 Feb 2014 21:26:09 +0000

The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge's Manager of Conference and Event Services, Erin Crane, is being honoured as an Alberta Flood Hero for the leadership role she played when the U of L provided temporary housing for those displaced by the June 2013 floods in central Alberta.

Erin Crane was instrumental in coordinating the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ's response team as the U of L played host to hundreds of flood victims following the 2014 floods in central Alberta.

The Alberta government approached the U of L shortly after flooding occurred in High River, Calgary and area to see if the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ’s residences could be used to house those displaced by the flood. The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ quickly formed a response team that consisted of individuals from across campus.

In addition to housing, evacuees were made more comfortable by being provided food, transportation, health and wellness services and activities for children. The U of L also offered space for critical services provided by Alberta Health Services, the Red Cross, the City of Lethbridge and others.

��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Vice-President Nancy Walker says U of L staff and faculty were already very proud of the role they played in assisting flood victims and that Erin’s award is an honour the entire ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ community can be proud of.

“Erin is very deserving of this honour for the leadership role she played in ensuring that those displaced by the flooding not only had a place to stay, but found some comfort during a very stressful time in their lives,” says Walker. “The efforts made by many U of L employees, and those from Lethbridge organizations and agencies, made a real difference for hundreds of people. This nomination reflects the amazing job Erin did, but also the efforts of our ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ and City.”

The U of L was honoured for its efforts in providing temporary housing for evacuees at the City of Lethbridge’s “Bringing Lethbridge Home” awards luncheon in November 2013.

The Alberta Heroes of the Flood program was created to recognize those who went above and beyond to help family, friends, neighbours and strangers get back on their feet. Albertans nominated more than 1,300 individuals, groups, companies and volunteers for their incredible actions.

A complete list of Alberta Flood Heroes can be found at http://alberta.ca/heroes-of-the-flood.cfm.

Summer Games work earns group Senate Volunteer Award

trevor.kenney — Thu, 16 May 2013 20:35:37 +0000

Thanks to the dedicated volunteer work of these four individuals, for four days in July 2012, more than 2,600 athletes came to Lethbridge to compete in the 2012 Alberta Summer Games.

The Senate of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge is proud to recognize their service with the 2013 ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Volunteer Award.

Nancy Walker, Deb Marek, Cheryl Meheden and Jochen Bocksnick sat on the Board of Directors for the games as well as managing their own specific portfolios. They began preparation for the games more than two years before the event, and each played an important role in organizing the games. The games were a success due to the contributions of these individuals, as well as hundreds of other volunteers, many of whom included ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ employees and students.

Senate Volunteer Award winners (L to R) Jochen Bocksnick, Deb Marek, Cheryl Meheden and Nancy Walker.

Nancy Walker was the director of administration for the games, responsible for managing the budget and brokering all contracts and legal agreements. Walker is currently the U of L's vice-president (finance and administration), and has extensive community volunteer experience.

As director of facilities, Deb Marek ensured that the sports and activities of the games had a venue. She also supervised all signage, portable facilities and warehousing. At the U of L, Marek is a manager in Sport and Recreation Services, and has been the assistant coach to the women's hockey team.

Cheryl Meheden's responsibilities as director of protocol included managing opening ceremonies, official receptions, hospitality, games attire, medals, participant entertainment and the torch relay. Meheden is currently an instructor at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge, in the Faculty of Management, and at Lethbridge College.

Guided by the Alberta Summer Games' mission to provide the best possible experience for all involved, director of sport Jochen Bocksnick ensured that the games offered the best venues and sport chairs. Bocksnick is an instructor in kinesiology and physical education at the U of L.

The 2012 Alberta Summer Games were a huge success, with over 2,600 athletes participating in 15 sports over the four days, watched by over 7,000 spectators. All four of these volunteers committed hundreds of hours to make this success happen, demonstrating exceptional leadership and commitment.

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

Summer construction scaled back

trevor.kenney — Fri, 26 Apr 2013 15:46:31 +0000

This summer, the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge's busy construction schedule will once again move forward, but not with the scope that was anticipated prior to the Mar. 7 provincial budget announcements.

The schedule has been altered in recent weeks in light of cuts made by the provincial government to the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ's Campus Alberta operating grant, with projects slated to draw funding from the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ's general operating funds suspended until further notice.

"In order to stay true to our recently reaffirmed values, those capital projects that will draw on operating funds will be postponed until we have a better handle on our financial situation," says Vice-President (Finance & Administration) Nancy Walker.

Only those projects with funding specifically received under the Infrastructure Maintenance Program (IMP), or other restricted capital grants, will continue as previously scheduled.

The now postponed capital projects include Phase 2 of the far west parking lot project, including the rehabilitation of Lot E, which is rescheduled for summer 2014. Some maintenance work will continue in the west lots, including the repair of asphalt badly damaged by winter conditions, as well as the completion of some of last summer's preliminary work, but the bulk of the project is now on hold.

In addition, the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Centre for the Arts North Patio Concrete Paver Replacement project has been postponed until further notice, as have the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Hall Gathering Space Rehabilitation project and the Canadian Centre for Behavioural Neuroscience HVAC Assessment and Rehabilitation project.

Significant work will continue over the summer and people will see the completion of initiatives such as the renovation of food services spaces, the Physical Education Tunnel Rehabilitation and South Plaza Replacement, as well as the Library Roof Replacement, with all funding coming from either IMP or from specific capital grants earmarked for their completion.

"It is important to note that targeted capital funding received must be spent on the grant's designated capital projects and the funds cannot be used for other purposes or to supplement the operating budget," adds Walker.

The summer construction season is a very important time for the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge as the Department of Facilities works hard on a multitude of maintenance programs to keep the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ's buildings and infrastructure in the best possible condition for students, faculty, staff and community users.

For continued updates on Facilities projects, visit their website.

Sports Medicine Clinic officially opens on campus

trevor.kenney — Thu, 06 Dec 2012 15:52:56 +0000

The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge is poised to become a hub for the delivery of orthopedic medicine and sports medicine to the southern Albertaarea with the introduction of a new sports medicine clinic and Rebound Health Centre.

"For the past 45 years the U of L has been committed to creating a vibrant campus community that serves the needs of the broader southern Alberta community," says Nancy Walker, vice-president (finance and administration).

"The 1st Choice Savings Centre is a great example of this. By providing outstanding recreational opportunities for people from throughout the area, this building demonstrates the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ's commitment to improving the quality of life in Lethbridge and the surrounding area. The addition of the sports medicine clinic furthers this commitment."

The clinic, located in PE100 below the south end of the running track, houses the orthopaedic offices of Drs. Stephen Kwan, Joel Weaver and Martina Frostad, Rebound Health Centre Ltd., Lethbridge Orthotic – Prosthetic Services Ltd. and East Meets West Acupuncture.

"I've always wanted to do something in the way of a sports medicine clinic on the U of L campus," says Kwan.

"We talked about it for a very long time and came up with a model that suits both our group and the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ."

Walker says that the full-service nature of the new clinic meshes well with the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ's mandate to promote healthy living to the U of L community and beyond.

"We like this fit because they have a good vision for the future that matches our goals with the 1st Choice Savings Centre," says Walker.

"Not only will we be able to provide support for the high performance athletes who train here, but we're able to lead the way in promoting a healthy lifestyle for our faculty, staff and students and the community at large."

UNews - Nancy Walker

Chalmet earns plaudits for role on Return to Campus Committee

Related Topics

Schell appointed to new role

Related Topics

U of L renames CCBN building to Community Centre for Wellbeing

Related Topics

��Ѹ�����Դ���߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge appoints Neil Langevin as Director of Pronghorn Athletics

Related Topics

Blood donor success started as passion project for Infanti

Related Topics

Ken McInnes tabbed to lead Sport and Recreation Services for three-year term

Related Content

Ken McInnes named Interim Executive Director, Sport & Recreation Services

Related Topics

Crane honoured as Alberta Flood Hero

Related Topics

Summer Games work earns group Senate Volunteer Award

Related Topics

Summer construction scaled back

Related Topics

Sports Medicine Clinic officially opens on campus

Related Topics

��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge appoints Neil Langevin as Director of Pronghorn Athletics