UNews - John Eng

Bursary to be established in Bob McKay’s honour

caroline.zentner — Thu, 14 Apr 2022 21:29:49 +0000

During his nearly 40-year career at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge, Bob McKay was often moved by the tenacity shown by many of his students who had to work at extra jobs to fund their education. After McKay passed away earlier this year, his family decided to honour his memory by establishing a bursary to support students majoring in chemistry or biochemistry who are facing financial adversity.

McKay, who worked as a chemistry instructor in the Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, taught thousands of students over the years.

“One of our frequent conversations was how lucky we both were to have parents who paid for our university education and how difficult it is for university students who have to pay for their university education with little or no support,” says Sandra McKay, Bob’s widow. “Bob was deeply concerned about how hard it is for kids today who have to work more than one job and who have to rely on student loans and bursaries to get through their university education, leaving them with debts that need to be paid once they graduate.”

Sandra had planned on starting a special bursary in his name at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ as a surprise gift for his birthday in April.

“Unfortunately, he didn’t live to enjoy this gift, but I wanted to have him remembered for his love of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ and his care for his students,” she says. “I felt a bursary in his name was the way to achieve this.”

Colleagues in the Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry describe Bob as someone who consistently displayed a student-centred focus.

“Bob was an all-round nice guy,” says Peter Dibble, Chair of the Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry. “In the decades I knew him I don’t think I ever saw him angry about anything. He was funny and affable and could always brighten a room. He looked after the first-year and analytical labs and saw a generation of students go through. Students liked him for the same reasons I did.”

“Bob would be pretty proud of having a bursary set up in his honour to support future generations of students,” says Wayne Lippa, chemistry & biochemistry instructor. “He was a founding member of the department and enjoyed teaching for 37 years. This bursary will continue Bob’s legacy of helping students.”

Bob joined the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ when it was in its infancy and located at Lethbridge College, then called Lethbridge Junior College. Setting up the department labs came with its own brand of chaos.

“I am very fortunate to have had Bob as my mentor when I started in January of 1987,” says John Eng, instructor in the department. “Bob shared one of the many stories of the early years of coming into work and flipping through lab manuals with colleagues to pick an experiment to run that afternoon. The lab of the day would precipitate a mad scramble to find necessary equipment and reagents before teaching the lab.”

The result of all that scrambling was the creation of a lab manual that Bob revised year after year throughout his career. He was also a constant champion for students, both in the department and across the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ. Eng imagines Bob would feel overwhelmed that a bursary has been established in his honour, but also elated that it will help students who demonstrate financial need.

“Over the many years we have been fishing mates, golf buddies, squash and tennis rivals, billiard sharks, Horns fans, scotch consumers, Freemasons and good friends, and I will dearly miss him,” says Eng.

Bob was also devoted to his community. Following his retirement from the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ, he served on the ULethbridge Senate from 2013 to 2019 and was a member and past president of the Lethbridge Shrine Club. In 2016, the club established five bursaries for ULethbridge students in financial need. In addition, he served two terms as president of the Lethbridge YMCA.

A sports enthusiast, Bob played baseball and softball, racquetball, curled, cycled, ran, and was an accomplished squash player who competed nationally.

Organizers hope to raise $25,000, which would fund a minimum student award of $1,000 annually. Once fundraising is complete, the Bob McKay Endowed Memorial Bursary will be established. Those who want to contribute to the bursary can do so online at Bob McKay Endowed Memorial Bursary.

Long Service & Retirement Recognition Ceremony

trevor.kenney — Wed, 09 May 2012 17:44:43 +0000

The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge is holding its annual Long Service Awards and Retirement Recognition Ceremony on Wednesday, May 9 at 1 p.m. in the Students' Union Ballrooms.

A total of 103 employees, including 20 retiring employees and those who have completed 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35 and 40 years of service, will be honoured.

All employees are invited to the ceremony and reception to honour the award recipients listed below. The reception will include light refreshments.

Retirees

Nola Aitken, Pat Anderson, Bill Cade, Maria Draper, Carol Gaetz, Mary Anne Hellinga, John Johnston, Cindy Kabelka, Frank Klassen, Michael Kubara, Christina Lastuka, Rita Law, Kathy Lee, Marg McKeen, Bruce McMullin, Shari Platt, Charlene Sawatsky, Richard Tedesco, Barbara Wolstoncroft and Joan Zimmer

Long Service Recipients

40 Years

Lois Boras and
Jean Mankee

35 Years

Barbara Dickinson, Heather Mirau and Brian Parkinson

30 Years

Rene Barendregt, Annette Bright, Peter Heffernan, Barb Hodgson, Kurt Klein, William Krysak, Judy Lacey, Phill Lema, Valerie Richardson, Kim Selk and John Vokey

25 Years

Candace Dueck, John Eng, Frank Klassen, Sheila Lowe, Fiona Randle, Thomas Staples, Greg Tompkins, Kelly Vaselenak, Peter Visentin and Diana Young

20 Years

Lynn Ambedian, Robin Bright, Naomi Cramer, Mary Dyck, Rod Gelleny, Michael Kern, Judith Kulig, Rick Peter, Robert Runte, Sandy Slavin, Maxine Tedesco and Jeff Vucurevich

15 Years

Dwayne Armstrong, Mara Baldwin, Kerry Bernes, Lesley Brown, James Clark, Tom Doyle, Larry Flanagan, Carolyn Gaebel, Cam Goater, Bradley Hagen, Rob Johnson, Ed Jurkowski, Angela Luck, Goldie Morgentaler, Dan O'Donnell, Kent Peacock, Brent Selinger, Marlo Steed and
Nicole Wilson

10 Years

Peter Alward, Christine Anderson, Ebenezer Asem, Roberto Bello, Shawn Bubel, Kris Caldwell, Michael Campbell, Connie Chaplin, John Claassen, Melanie Collado, Dagmar Dahle, Alesha Farfus-Shukaliak, Bev Garnett, Daya Gaur, Joanne Gedrasik, Betsy Greenlees, Trevor Harrison, Linda Janz, Sharon Kanashiro, John Kometz, Igor Kovalchuk, Olga Kovalchuk, Bette Jo Kulak, James Linville, Douglas MacArthur, Claudia Malacrida, Kyla McFadden, Jacqueline Montain, Mandy Moser, Bob Muskovich, Janice Newberry, Tammy Paskuski, Jill Payant, Wilf Roesler, Edward Sandzewicz, Daryl Schacher, Darren Schell, Arlan Schultz, Daniela Sirbu, Debbie Tarnava, John Usher, Derek Vincent, Bernie Wirzba and Cindy Yee

Bill Nye visits U of L campus

trevor.kenney — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 23:27:04 +0000

This event is sold out

The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Students' Union (ULSU) and the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Graduate Students' Association (GSA) are proud to welcome Bill Nye to campus as part of the ULSU's Annual Student Speaker Series.

"One of our primary mandates is to increase student engagement on campus and create a unique and memorable experience for our students," says Andrew Williams, the ULSU vice-president academic.

With that in mind, Williams began the process of courting and finalizing a deal with Nye's camp over eight months ago. It was a lengthy process but Williams believes it will pay off in a very big way with the Monday, Jan. 23 (Noon to 3:30 p.m., 1st Choice Savings Centre) appearance.

"I chose to bring Bill Nye to the U of L for a number of reasons," says Williams. "He is a man, who for many current students, ignited a passion for learning and pursuing knowledge, and that passion and enthusiasm are contagious."

Bill Nye popularized the study of science for a generation of youngsters.

For over 15 years, Nye has been providing audiences with exciting, educational science entertainment. His most prominent persona, Bill Nye the Science Guy, began in September 1993 and ran for five years. Nye hosted a total of 100 episodes to much critical acclaim and captured 19 Emmy Awards.

The excitement from both the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge community and the greater Lethbridge area to the event is apparent in the brisk ticket sales. Williams says the ULSU has already sold more than 2,200 tickets.

"My hope is that Bill Nye's appearance will remind students of their strong passion and desire to learn, as well as recharge their batteries, so to speak, before mid-terms begin."

The event's attendees are not the only ones who stand to benefit from Nye's colloquial monologues. All proceeds from the event go to the ULSU Food Bank, helping to ensure that its shelves remain full and at the ready for all those who seek its services.

"The ULSU Food Bank is there to provide students in need with one of the most basic of human necessities," says Williams.

The 1st Choice Savings Centre gymnasium will host the noon event, with the popular ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Chem Guys – John Eng & Wayne Lippa – serving as the opening act.

For more information about the Bill Nye appearance, or to purchase tickets, contact the ULSU at 403-329-2222 or stop by their office on the first floor of the Students' Union Building (SU180).

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

Chem Guys open for Mythbusters

trevor.kenney — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 22:39:42 +0000

Eng, Lippa to open Mythbusters event

trevor.kenney — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 17:50:42 +0000

John Eng and Wayne Lippa won't be blowing up too much stuff at the Feb. 6 Mythbusters event, but they will be setting a few things on fire, all the while teaching the sold-out crowd about chemistry in a fun and inventive way.

Together, Eng and Lippa have been promoting chemistry in the community as The Chem Guys for a decade. Their goal is to displace the general public dislike of chemistry with a message that chemistry is fun.

Eng has a BSc in Biochemistry from Simon Fraser ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ and has been teaching chemistry at the
U of L since January 1987. Lippa has a BSc/BEd degree from the U of L and has been teaching at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ since August 1997.

They'll serve as the opening act for Saturday night's Mythbusters event at the 1st Choice Savings Centre for Sport and Wellness. The Science Alberta Foundation and Suncor Energy Foundation are partnering with the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ to host MythBusters Grant Imahara and Tory Belleci as part of the Science Happens Here program.

Imahara is a former animatronics engineer and model maker for George Lucas' Industrial Light & Magic. Belleci worked for ILM for eight years as a model builder, sculptor and painter.

Both Eng and Lippa are available to drop in to schools with their traveling road show, and can be contacted at

Making things explode is a staple of their shows.

engj@uleth.ca.

For more information on chemistry studies at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge, follow this Chemistry link. Or follow these links to check out John Eng and Wayne Lippa.

UNews - John Eng

Bursary to be established in Bob McKay’s honour

Related Topics

Long Service & Retirement Recognition Ceremony

Related Topics

Bill Nye visits U of L campus

Related Topics

Chem Guys open for Mythbusters

Related Topics

Eng, Lippa to open Mythbusters event

Related Topics