UNews - Simulation

Linking past to present

trevor.kenney — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 20:35:16 +0000

When the Galt School of Nursing Alumni gifted close to $150,000 in scholarship money to the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge nursing program, it was a case of the past meeting the present to benefit the future.

"We're very pleased to continue in the tradition established by the Galt School of Nursing and are proud to educate the next generation of nursing professionals," says U of L president, Dr. Mike Mahon.

For nearly 70 years (1910 to 1979), the Galt School of Nursing trained more than 1,100 nurses who played a key role in providing quality health care to the residents of southern Alberta. The Galt family first established a fund in 1910 that supported nursing students and helped to purchase equipment for the school of nursing.

"It is remarkable that this fund has carried over for more than 100 years, from the pioneering Galt family to the present day," says Donna Karl, RN, and a 1963 graduate of the Galt School of Nursing.

Galt School of Nursing Alumni enjoyed connecting with today's students.

Administered by the Galt Alumni Association for the past 15 years, it provided scholarships to descendants of Galt alumni, but as applications waned in recent years, the association wanted to put the money to good use.

"When we realized that, due to our alumni's aging population, we were not receiving many applications for scholarships, we knew it was time to move this money to a place where it would be utilized and the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ's nursing program was an obvious choice," says Karl.

While descendants of Galt alumni are still in the terms of reference for the rewarding of scholarships, academic merit will weigh heavily. The fund will be endowed to provide scholarships to entering or continuing Bachelor of Nursing and Bachelor of Nursing After Degree third- and fourth-year students.

"Nursing is all about caring for people and I can see that the students today are carrying on in that tradition," says Karl, who, along with other alumni, toured the new Simulation Health Centre with current students.

"The nursing students that I met today are still all about taking care of people but are far more educated than we were because of the facilities available to them. That lab we toured is wonderful!"

Karl, who works part time at Lethbridge College in the Health Services Office, says the alumni association felt a great responsibility to administer the fund.

"For years we've been managing that money like it was our own – there were about six of us who would gather around my kitchen table and make decisions about scholarships," she says. "We looked after that money very well and gave it out very carefully. I'm happy that the U of L will be able to look after that from here out."

That it will live on in perpetuity and continue a century-old tradition of supporting nursing students is gratifying to Karl.

"I absolutely love this profession, and am really pleased to still be working nearly 50 years after being in school," she says. "Much has changed since 1963 – we certainly didn't have the facilities or services today's students have – but we can continue to ensure today's students are supported throughout their education."

GET THE FACTS

· The U of L first established a School of Nursing in 1980.

· There are 698 students currently enrolled in the nursing program, which is now offered jointly by Lethbridge College and the U of L's Faculty of Health Sciences.

· To date, more than 1,500 nurses have graduated from the U of L's nursing program.

· The Galt family built and supported the original Galt Hospital, which is now the site of the Sir Alexander Galt Museum and Archives.

· The scholarship transfer agreement required a change in provincial legislation, facilitated at a government level by former nurse and healthcare provider Bridget Pastoor, MLA Lethbridge East.

New media students look to space

trevor.kenney — Thu, 16 Dec 2010 17:50:26 +0000

Faculty of Fine Arts New Media majors, Jeff Heaney and Jena Murray, have accepted offers to do their internships with the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) in Montreal starting in January 2011.

The pair is the latest group of ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge students to receive a prestigious internship appointment with the Canadian Space Agency. They are the fifth and sixth students from the new media program to be offered internships with the CSA since summer 2007.

Jeff Heaney and Jena Murray have earned internships with the Canadian Space Agency.

The students were understandably thrilled with the news they would be working in such a unique and challenging setting.

"I'm so excited," says Murray, who is from Lomond, Alta. "This is a great opportunity to experience something new. I'm eager to learn as much as possible and advance my skill set as far as I can. I'm very grateful for the chance to work at the Canadian Space Agency and know it's going to be life changing."

The Canadian Space Agency internship is a program that is interested in 3D modelling and simulation for the purpose of tracking and developing things like satellite simulations and creating works in 3D to be used by the engineers and scientists working there.

"I originally heard about the program through our New Media Internship professor, Anna Pickering," says Heaney, who is from Water Valley, Alta. "Over the course of October, I worked with her on developing my portfolio and resumé to apply to the position. Apparently they found my skills and Jena's to be very complementary, so we both were accepted, me for my experience in simulation and physics, and her for her skill in modelling in a 3D environment."

Heaney says he never envisioned such an opportunity was available when he began his undergraduate studies.

"When I first came to the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ to work on my new media degree, I never could have guessed that it would end with me getting a position with the Canadian Space Agency."

It is a big move from Lethbridge to Montreal, and having two students go at the same time will help them both adjust to life in the 'big' city.

"Leaving behind much of my life to move to Montreal is a bit daunting, but incredibly exciting at the same time," says Heaney.

Murray agrees, adding that it's not just a matter of being comfortable in a new city, but having a familiar face with a similar background will likely help with their studies as well.

"I'm so glad that Jeff will be experiencing this with me," she says. "It'll be nice that we'll have one another to lean on during our time in Montreal."

BFA New Media students have the option to choose an internship or participate in an Advanced Studio class in their final year of study.

"The internship enables students to make connections in the industries where they want to pursue a career," explains Anna Pickering, the internship co-ordinator. "It also provides the opportunity to experience challenging and relevant work related to their school studies, and quite often leads to future employment opportunities."

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

Markin Hall makes its mark

trevor.kenney — Thu, 18 Nov 2010 18:19:31 +0000

"The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ community is thrilled to be celebrating the opening of Markin Hall," says U of L President Dr. Mike Mahon. "Markin Hall is a wonderful addition to campus and will provide outstanding opportunities for students, faculty and staff for years to come."

Markin Hall was a main priority in the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge's Legacy of Leadership campaign, which concluded in December of 2007. The campaign was the most ambitious in the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ's 40-year history and raised more than $35 million for students and infrastructure. When combined with government funding, the campaign resulted in a $113 million investment in the U of L.

In 2005, Dr. Allan Markin (LLD '06) made a generous contribution to the Legacy of Leadership campaign. His visionary gift was combined with early private funding and support from the Government of Alberta, national corporations, U of L friends and alumni. Construction of Markin Hall began in 2008.

Now complete, the building is home to the Faculty of Health Sciences and the Faculty of Management.

"By improving facilities on campus, the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ is investing in its students," says ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Students' Union President Taz Kassam. "Markin Hall provides a hands-on and interactive learning environment for U of L students and ensures we have the best resources and infrastructure to support our education."

In addition to providing some much needed space for both undergraduate and graduate students, Markin Hall includes dedicated research areas for faculty members and their research teams, a purpose-built Addictions Counselling Lab, a Simulation Health Centre with wireless high-fidelity patient simulators and Western Canada's first finance trading room.

"This is the most modern and forward-looking facility in Western Canada for studying business and management," says Faculty of Management Dean Dr. Robert Ellis. "As well as classrooms with state-of-the-art capabilities, Markin Hall has 18 rooms where groups and individuals can study and work on projects together."

In Markin Hall's collaborative environment, the U of L will address Alberta's most crucial issues and continue to invest in energetic, effective and strategic leaders in the fields of health care and management.

"Markin Hall provides an opportunity for continued collaboration between the Faculty of Health Sciences and the Faculty of Management, including the development of a new combined degree in Public Health and Management. We look forward to many opportunities to develop innovative program and research collaborations in the coming years," says Dr. Chris Hosgood, dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences.

By improving teaching, learning and research facilities, Markin Hall helps the U of L meet the needs of a shifting economy and a changing province.

Inside Markin Hall

Markin Hall, home to the Faculty of Health Sciences and the Faculty of Management, provides space for an additional 450 students. The state-of-the-art facility improves teaching, learning and research facilities at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ, helping meet the changing needs of the next generation of health-care and management professionals.

Nursing students are excited to have the opportunity to work in the new Simulation Health Centre.

• Markin Hall is a $65-million project.

• Markin Hall covers 10,400 square metres on four floors and houses approximately 230 faculty, staff and graduate students.

• The building provides space for more than 420 health sciences students and 1,600 management students.

• Markin Hall includes $1.6 million of audio-visual equipment.

• Markin Hall is certified silver by Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) standards.

• The building includes two video-conference rooms used to offer courses via video in Calgary and Edmonton. These classrooms double as case rooms for the Faculty of Management, offering closely tiered seating for 50 students, with adjacent breakout rooms for smaller group work.

• In addition to the Simulation Health Centre, the Addictions Counselling Lab and the Markin Hall Finance Trading Room, which all provide hands-on experience, there are four experimental research labs used by the Faculty of Management to conduct behavioural research such as focus groups.

For a look at the full issue of SAM in a flipbook format, follow this link.

Markin Hall on display

trevor.kenney — Mon, 25 Oct 2010 17:54:43 +0000

For a look at photos from the Markin Hall opening ceremony, check out the
U of L's Flickr gallery on the event.

After years of planning, looking at blueprints and imagining the opportunities offered by Markin Hall, the building is complete and U of L students, faculty and staff are reaping the benefits.

In 2005, Dr. Allan Markin (LLD '06), made a generous contribution to the Legacy of Leadership campaign. His

Students in the Faculty of Health Sciences get hands-on experience in the new Nursing Skills Lab.

visionary gift was combined with early private funding and support from national corporations, U of L friends and alumni, and the Government of Alberta and construction of Markin Hall began in 2008.

Now complete, the building is home to the Faculty of Health Sciences and the Faculty of Management.

In addition to providing some much needed physical space, Markin Hall includes dedicated research areas for faculty members and their research teams, a purpose-built Addictions Counselling Lab, a Simulation Health Centre with wireless high-fidelity patient simulators and Western Canada's first finance trading room.

"This is the most modern and forward-looking facility in Western Canada for studying business and management," says Faculty of Management dean, Dr. Robert Ellis. "As well as classrooms with state-of-the-art capabilities, Markin Hall has 18 rooms where groups and individuals can study and work on projects together."

In Markin Hall's collaborative environment, the U of L will address our province's most crucial issues and

The real-time capability of the Finance Trading Room is a great benefit to Management students.

continue to invest in energetic, effective and strategic leaders in the fields of health-care and management.

By improving teaching, learning and research facilities, Markin Hall helps the U of L meet the needs of a shifting economy and a changing province.

Building Details

Markin Hall is home to the Faculty of Health Sciences and the Faculty of Management at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge and provides space for an additional 450 students. The state-of-the-art facility improves teaching, learning and research facilities at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ, helping meet the changing needs of the next generation of health-care and management professionals.

· Markin Hall is a $65 million project
· Markin Hall covers 10,400 square metres on four floors and houses approximately 230 faculty, staff and graduate students
· The building provides space for more than 420 health sciences students and 1,600 management students
· Markin Hall includes $1.6 million worth of audio-visual equipment
· Markin Hall is certified silver by Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) standards
· The building includes two video-conference rooms used to offer courses via video in Calgary and Edmonton
· These classrooms double as case rooms for the Faculty of Management, offering closely-tiered, seating for 50 students, with adjacent breakout rooms for smaller group work
· In addition to the Simulation Health Centre, the Additions Counselling Lab and the Trading Room, which all provide hands-on experience, there are four experimental research labs used by the Faculty of Management to conduct behavioural research such as focus groups

Alma Matters

trevor.kenney — Tue, 06 Jul 2010 21:54:27 +0000

What's new with our alumni? Let your classmates know what you are up to by sharing a note about your life. Share your news with us through e-mail (alumni@uleth.ca), or by phone (toll free 1-866-552-2582).

Check out the latest news from our alumni below.

1970

Kinahan holds community focus
Brian Kinahan (BMgt '79) believes his time spent at the U of L was foundational for his career. "At the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ I gained the ability to think through problems and come up with solutions, to expand my mind and think beyond more than just one focus," he says.

Now the president and CEO of 1st Choice Savings, Kinahan has played an integral part in the growth of the credit union, which currently boasts a balance sheet in excess of $400 million. While helping to build a successful financial institution is something he is proud of, he is also grateful for the opportunities he has to serve his community.

"My goal is to continue building on the success of 1st Choice Savings, guiding it to be a viable and important part of the financial world that focuses on being a community-minded institution that cares about individuals."

1980

Nancy Walker BMgt '82
Walker was awarded a Fellow of Chartered Accountants (FCA) from the Alberta Institute of Chartered Accountants.

Bill Neudorf BEd '88
"In memory: some of you may remember the little three-year-old girl who would come to class with her dad and spend the time colouring or playing with dolls. Her name was Bobbi Renee Neudorf. Bobbi later suffered from Crohn's disease through her time at university but finished a BSc in Occupational Therapy at the U of A and worked for three years in the QEII hospital in Grande Prairie. Bobbi succumbed to complications from the disease and passed away from a massive blood clot on Sept. 21, 2009. She was 25 years and two months old."

Pamela Zollner BEd '86
After graduating from the U of L, Zollner taught for a couple of years in Alberta before developing a taste for international travel by backpacking around Australia and New Zealand. Zollner incorporated this love for travel into her work by teaching in Singapore and India. Zollner completed her Master of Education in June 2008 and is currently teaching Grade 2 in Calgary.

1990

Winner of the $10,000 Alberta Readers' Choice Award
Michael Davie (BMgt '94) won the inaugural $10,000 Alberta Readers' Choice Award for his first novel

Author Michael Davie

, Fishing for Bacon. The Alberta Readers' Choice Award is modelled on the very popular Canada Reads prize. Five books, each one championed by a celebrity, vie to win a popular vote. With $10,000 going to the winner, the competition is on the same financial level as the Governor General's Awards.

Aaron Berg BSc '95, MSc '97
Dr. Aaron Berg was recognized as GeogNews' (News Digest of the Canadian Association of Geographers) Geographer of the Week. Berg is an Associate Professor in the Department of Geography at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Guelph. He completed a BSc and an MSc degree in Geography at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge, an MS in Geological Sciences at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Texas at Austin and his PhD in Earth System Science at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of California, Irvine. His research focuses on hydrology and hydro-climate simulation. Areas of current research interest include: macro-scale modeling of hydrological states and fluxes; climate change and water resources; the spatial scaling of hydrological properties; and evaluating the impact of land use change on regional hydrologic cycles.

Thomas Latta BMgt '97
"I am currently working as the manager, Operations Accounting and Business Solutions for Enerplus Resources Fund and have been with Enerplus for a year and a half. Prior to that, I was with ConocoPhillips Canada and its predecessor companies for 15 years."

2000

Amos Altman BA '04
Altman's play FORTITUDE is part of Fuse 2010 (The Enbridge New Play Development Program) at Theatre Calgary. This heartwarming and hilarious play emerged from the 2008/09 FUEL Playwrights' Circle at Theatre Calgary.

Ryan Epp BA/BMgt '05
Epp, former captain of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Pronghorns men's hockey team, is now a constable with the Lethbridge Police Department.

Barry Gergel BSc '05, MSc '07
"I'm currently working toward my PhD in the Department of Computing Science at the U of A."

William Katelnikoff BMgt '05
"I received my chartered accountant designation in January, and I am currently assistant coach with the Pronghorns men's hockey team."

Matthew Berrigan BEd/BA '06
Lethbridge College announced their 2010 Distinguished Alumni Award recipients and recognized U of L alumnus Matthew Berrigan with the Rising Star Award. Since completing his education degree, Berrigan's rise as a teacher has been meteoric. Named best new teacher by the Foothills School Division for his work in Cayley, Berrigan is now a lead teacher in Turner Valley. The success of his teaching is reflected in his students' achievement results.

Angela Kastelic BN '06
"I am currently pursuing a Master of Nursing (Family/All Ages) with intent to become a family nurse practitioner."

Keely (Kavanagh) Semenuik BEd/BA '09
Following graduation in April 2009, Semenuik was married and travelled to France. She is now excited to begin her teaching career with École St. Mary School in Lethbridge, teaching French immersion kindergarten.

Kinley passes on the inspiration
After attending a presentation by guest speaker John Carr from Pixar, Brad Kinley (BFA '04) remembers telling a friend that the talk was life-changing.

"Seeing what he does and his approach to the whole process of character animation crystallized what I wanted to do," says Kinley.

Now, after being a key player in the design of Mass Effect 2, one of the most popular and highly rated games ever made for the Xbox platform, Kinley returned to the U of L this spring and gave a presentation to the next generation of new media students.

"I know how influential my exposure was to somebody actually working in the business," he says. "If I can lend a little knowledge or inspiration to someone else, hopefully it will help them the way it helped me."

Congratulations
Daniel Wong (BFA '03), Mary-Anne McTrowe (BFA '98) and Robyn Moody (BFA '00) have made the long list (Prairies and North region) for the 2010 Sobey Art Award.

Munton & Co. chartered accountants recently announced that Curtis Michaelis (BMgt '03) and Michael Quinton (BMgt '04) have been admitted to partnership.

Susie Martin (BEd '81), Judy Lynn Miller (BA '91, BEd '93), Matthew Berrigan (BA/BEd '06) and Tracy Inaba (BEd '92) were among 23 outstanding Alberta teachers selected to receive the prestigious 2010 Excellence in Teaching Award.

Sports Hall of Fame

The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Chinooks women's basketball team (1970/1971) was inducted into the Lethbridge Sports Hall of Fame at this year's celebration. The team won the provincial and national championships and represented Lethbridge with pride.

Members of the team included: (Back row, L-R) Wilma Winter (coach), Dixie Dow, Linda Dogterom, Leona Voth, Minnie Van Dieren and Sharon Giduk (BA '73, BEd '75). (Front row, L-R) Marge Moore, Linda Voth, Rosemary Brodrick, Joan Cannady and Linda Dow (BEd '71).

Andrea Hlady (BEd'93) and Sharon Chmielewski (BEd'75) were also inducted at this year's celebration. Hlady was recognized in the athletes category. She was a two-time All-Canadian basketball player with the U of L Pronghorns. Chmielewski, recognized in the builder category, was honoured for building high school and high-level curling in Lethbridge with her work as an official, instructor and coach.

To view the entire issue of SAM in a flipbook format, follow this link.

Addressing water resource demands

trevor.kenney — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 17:18:33 +0000

The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge is a leader in the areas of water research, and it's not only the Alberta Water and Environmental Sciences Building at the forefront of discovery.

The Department of Economics also studies topics related to water resource. Thursday, the Department of Economics Seminar Series features Willamette ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ professor, Donald H. Negri, as he presents, Water and Land Allocations in Federally Financed Water Supply Districts.

For more than two decades water resource economists have been heralding the increasing scarcity of water, particularly in the American west. Urban growth, environmental and recreational water values, and Native American water claims have all contributed to substantially increasing the demands for water. Over the same period, opportunities for large-scale expansion of water supplies to meet the emerging demand have faded, and multi-year droughts have occurred in several large regions. Inevitably, increasing demands and static supplies have intensified competition, provoked crises and, in some instances, produced hostile confrontation and violence. And all indications are that the future holds much of the same.

Without the prospect of supplemental supplies, conflicting demands for existing supplies must be met through conservation and reallocation. Since agriculture consumes the lion's share of freshwater resources, addressing water crises and resolving conflicting demands will inevitably curtail agriculture's share. This research is concerned with the impact of reduced water allocations on agricultural lands. How will this affect agricultural production and land use? This presentation will address these questions through the application of economic modeling, empirical estimation and policy simulation.

The seminar takes place Thursday, Sept. 24 at 12:15 p.m. in room E690.

Condolence Notice -- Elijah de Guzman

trevor.kenney — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 20:37:22 +0000

July 27, 2009
The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ community expresses its most sincere condolences to the family, and friends for the late Elijah de Guzman, who passed away as the result of a drowning accident on the Oldman River on Wednesday, July 22.

De Guzman, 27, was most recently enrolled in the New Media program at the U of L, and was known to be a hardworking student who was just beginning what looked to be a prosperous career as a New Media technology innovator.

While at the U of L, he developed a 3D Computer simulation for speech – showing how the lips and tongue are positioned to create different sounds.

Professor James Graham recalls him saying he was inspired by wanting to help his mom learn English. The simulation would probably have great practical applications for speech therapy and language instruction.

Elijah is survived by his parents, Rod and Enonie, and two siblings: Lezar, 21 and a U of L student, and Leia, 19, who attends Queen's ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ in Kingston, Ont.

At this time there is no confirmed date or location for a memorial service. This notice will be updated once that information becomes available.

A complete story from the Lethbridge Herald is available at this website:
http://www.lethbridgeherald.com/content/view/79705/26/

UNews - Simulation

Linking past to present

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New media students look to space

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Markin Hall makes its mark

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Markin Hall on display

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Alma Matters

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Addressing water resource demands

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Condolence Notice -- Elijah de Guzman

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