UNews - ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Alberta

Study shows Battle River clam populations in drastic decline

caroline.zentner — Tue, 28 Jul 2015 16:14:25 +0000

Freshwater mussels in Alberta spend their lives out of sight but a Finnish researcher who has studied them since 1993 hopes they don’t stay out of mind.

The results of a study by Dr. Jouni Taskinen, a professor from the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Jyväskylä in Finland who is a world expert on freshwater mussels, and ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge biology professor Dr. Cam Goater, point to a troubling trend.

Taskinen and Goater have studied the Battle River southeast of Edmonton, a river that hosts the highest diversity of freshwater clams in Alberta.

Dr. Jouni Taskinen, holding a quadrat that will cordon off a section of the riverbed, prepares to take a sample of the clam populations in the Battle River.

“There’s some good news and some bad news,” says Taskinen. “The good news is that we could find small, one-year-old individuals of even the rare species. That shows that even the rarest species are reproducing in the river. It is a good sign of current reproduction, but the bad news is that there has been a drastic decline in clam density.”

Taskinen says similar results are being reported in many other areas of the world, making freshwater mussels one of the most endangered aquatic organisms.

“It’s quite a universal phenomenon that almost everywhere, native freshwater mussels are declining and there are probably several reasons that act together,” he says.

Those reasons include the building of dams, which affect the mobility of fish, increasing amounts of silt on the river bottom from human activities like construction, toxic contaminants in the water, or hot, dry weather that reduces water flows. Natural enemies like clam-eating muskrats, dam-building beavers and sterilizing parasites are also on the list. Fortunately, the exotic, invasive mussel species like the zebra mussel are not yet a problem in Alberta.

Taskinen and Goater were post-doctoral fellows at the same lab at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Alberta when they first began studying clams in the Battle River. They decided to conclude their study this year since Taskinen is on sabbatical leave. In early June, Taskinen, his wife and four daughters arrived in Lethbridge to continue the study and to explore southern Alberta.

The Battle River is a hotspot of clam diversity in Alberta, likely because the river, which doesn’t originate in the mountains, has a more stable bottom environment that isn’t subjected to spring flooding. Taskinen and Goater have taken samples from the river every 11 years to assess clam biodiversity in the river and to evaluate changes in the density and age structure of clam populations.

“We don’t usually even see them but they are important players in the river or lake ecosystem,” says Taskinen. “They collect material from the water column and transfer it to the bottom where it is a good food source for insect larvae, for example. The insect larvae, on the other hand, are food for fish. Mussels provide all sorts of ecosystem services, including cleansing of water.”

Alberta is home to four main species of freshwater mussels, including the fatmucket, the most common clam, the white heelsplitter, the giant floater and the creek heelsplitter.

The life cycle of the clam begins with a larval stage. The adult female releases larvae called glochidia that attach themselves to the gills or fins of fish. Under normal circumstances, they don’t hurt the fish, but stay attached for two weeks to a month as they metamorphose into juveniles and then drop off to settle on the river bottom. If they happen to settle into a suitable environment, a new mussel bed is formed.

From left to right are a giant floater, creek heelsplitter, white heelsplitter, female fatmucket and male fatmucket. Photos courtesy of Jouni Taskinen.

As filter feeders, a mussel can filter 10 to 30 litres of water per day, cleaning it in the process. They eat microscopic algae but collect all sorts of particles from the water and what they don’t eat, they pack into a ball of slime that they spit out onto the river bottom.

The distribution and occurrence of clams in Alberta, and in many other parts of the world, haven’t really been mapped out because they are not easy to find. But scientists do know that 40 species, out of 400 to 500 species of clams in the world, have gone extinct in the last century and many others are close to extinction.

“Mapping the distribution and densities of clams in Alberta rivers is a top priority for the management and conservation of this important but poorly known part of biological diversity. That’s one of the directions that we would like to take our research in the future,” he says.

Taskinen and his family will return to Finland at the end of July but they’ve used their time in Alberta to visit mountain and prairie landscapes alike.

“We have enjoyed being here and the weather in Lethbridge has been so nice while it’s been cold and rainy in Finland,” he says.

Throwers earn Pronghorn weekly honours

trevor.kenney — Wed, 26 Feb 2014 23:23:13 +0000

��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Pronghorns throwers Peter Millman and Kayla Gallagher earned their respective Subway Pronghorn Male and Female Athlete of the Week honours after impressive performances at the Canada West Track and Field Championships this past weekend.

Second-year thrower Millman continued his stellar start to his university throwing career, winning the gold medal in both the weight throw and shot put events at the Canada West championships hosted by the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Alberta.

In his first event of the meet, the Truro, NS native set a new personal best in the weight throw, en route to his second career gold medal in the event. His throw of 18.82 metres won the event by over a metre. The next day in the shot put event, he set another personal best mark, hitting 16.91 metres on his sixth and final throw. It was the second time this season that he had set a personal best mark in that event.

With his outstanding performance at the Canada West Championships, Millman was named the Canada West Field Athlete of the Year.

Meanwhile, reigning CIS weight throw champion Kayla Gallagher was again the cream of the crop in her marquee event, claiming her second consecutive Canada West title. Setting a new personal best with a throw of 18.48 metres, Gallagher also beat the field by nearly a metre.

Despite not training shot put for much of the season, Gallagher was then three centimetres short of a new personal best and missed the shot put podium by only nine centimetres and finished fourth with a throw of 13.17 metres.

Gallagher, Millman, Ryan Sommer and Aaron Hernandez will travel return to Edmonton for the CIS Championships, Mar. 6-8.

Parkland Institute and U of L partner to support diverse research projects

robert.cooney — Thu, 19 Sep 2013 20:12:39 +0000

Two ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge humanities and social sciences researchers studying vastly different projects will receive support for their work from the Parkland Institute, a not-for profit organization based at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Alberta that supports the study of economic, social, cultural and political issues facing Albertans and Canadians.

Pictured from left to right, Dr. Trevor Harrison, Ann Holden and Dr. Suzanne Lenon

Dr. Suzanne Lenon (Women and Gender Studies), whose research interests are in the area of law, gender and sexuality, will receive $5,000 to further her research on the complex relationships between gender equality and the recognition of valid foreign polygamous marriages.

Ann Åsfrid Holden, graduate studies Master of Arts candidate in History, takes her research into the Subarctic and Arctic to compare legal policies that affect first Nations and Inuit people in Northern Quebec, and those of the Sami people of her home country of Norway. Both groups were affected by large-scale hydroelectric power developments that changed their land and lifestyles, and the legality of the expropriation of indigenous land for these developments was questionable. She will also receive $5,000 to further her studies.

“Parkland is excited to be able to support the diverse research represented by Dr. Suzanne Lenon and Ann Holden,” said Dr. Trevor Harrison, a U of L sociology researcher and Director of the Parkland Institute.

“Parkland’s emphasis has been, and remains, on research that is academically sound, that is important to the broad public and that dares to push the boundaries of our understanding. Both of these research projects fit that bill.”

Harrison added that though they are very different, both projects deal with legal issues and social policy.

“Dr. Lenon’s work will contribute to the body of knowledge that deals with immigration, polygamy, and gender equality, and how those concepts are intertwined, in an often confusing way, from a policy perspective. Ann Holden’s work will explore and explain how the respective legal systems of Norway and Canada have framed the implementation of hydroelectric projects on indigenous land. Though they are far apart geographically, there are some striking similarities that both parties could gain from knowing more about.”

SUZANNE LENON

In Lenon’s case, she is using the recent (2011) Polygamy Reference case in British Columbia as a springboard for discussion, which upholds the prohibition of polygamy in Canada as constitutionally sound. “As in the United States, polygamy is illegal in Canada, but people often immigrate to Canada from a number of countries in Africa and the Middle East where polygamous relationships are, in fact, legal,” Lenon said.

Lenon said that one of the reasons for the continued criminalization polygamous marriages in Canada (and in the West) is that of gender equality.

“The second spouse cannot be legally acknowledged, and has very few, if any, rights if the relationship breaks down. The same challenges apply to people in Canadian polygamous relationships in communities such as Bountiful, BC, where the law applies to the individual who is considered to be legally married, but not to other polygamous spouses. While this law is upheld in the name of gender equality, in these cases the law prevents women from being legally supported if there are problems, and this, ironically, has created gender inequality.”

There is, she says, vigorous debate as to whether continued criminalization of polygamous marriage is a viable public policy strategy to address the complex issues arising from it.

ANN HOLDEN

Holden’s work involves a topic that is just as complex, involves a number of inequality elements, and has affected people -- but in a different way.

The development of hyropower projects in both Norway and Canada a few decades ago and 1980scaused more grief for the politicians than they would have expected, because the negative reactions to it was so strong. Both the James Bay Cree, a fishing, hunting, and trapping community in eastern James Bay in Canada, and the reindeer-farming Sami people in Finnmark, Northern Norway argued that they had rights that stemmed from their immemorial usage of the land.

“Historically, land ownership, in the Western meaning of the word, was a foreign concept for both the Sami and the James Bay Cree,” Holden said. “The Norwegian and British legal systems suited a farming culture, and private ownership over land was the most common form of a legal connection to land, although not the only form of legal rights to land. When the Scandinavian legal traditions met the Sami traditions and the James Bay Cree met the English and later French traditions, the needs of both communities were written into the laws - but not equally.”

Holden said that her work will help Indigenous groups learn more about how the laws of land ownership -- and land management -- can apply to current issues where land is disputed, in particular in cases that involve oil, gas and mining exploration in the northern areas of several Canadian provinces and Territories, and also in northern Sweden, where similar activities are taking place.

“In Canada, resource extraction (i.e. mining) on indigenous land happens in several Provinces. In Sweden, civil disobedience that mirrors the actions the Norwegian Sami used in the 1970s and 1980s was used as a tool to put a mining project on traditional Sami reindeer herding ground on the political agenda. These events are taking place right now, and have significant parallels to the challenges I am looking at which took place decades ago. The historical context is important to understand current issues because changes to the law in both the cases I study were consistent with legal traditions in Canada and Norway.”

Ultimately for Harrison, funding projects that stimulate not only public conversation but social change -- and that allow researchers to explore topics of public interest -- is what makes him happy as a researcher and as a representative of the Parkland Institute.

“This is the second year that the Parkland Institute has partnered with the U of L to deliver the scholarships. I want to thank the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge for its tremendous support given to Parkland, in particular for making the awards possible.”

The project period is two years, and the researchers are expected to deliver a final report on their work to the Parkland Institute, which will make their findings public.

Contacts:

Dr. Suzanne Lenon, Women and Gender Studies (403) 380-1876
suzanne.lenon@uleth.ca
http://directory.uleth.ca/users/suzanne.lenon

Ann Åsfrid Holden, School of Graduate Studies Candidate (History)
ann.holden@uleth.ca

Dr. Trevor Harrison, Sociology / Director, Parkland Institute (403) 329-2552
trevor.harrison@uleth.ca
http://directory.uleth.ca/users/trevor.harrison
http://parklandinstitute.ca/home/

U of L researchers among Venture's Top 50

trevor.kenney — Thu, 25 Jul 2013 22:14:53 +0000

Two ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge researchers from vastly different disciplines have been acknowledged by Alberta Venture Magazine as being among the province's 50 most influential people for 2013.

Drs. David Naylor (Physics and Astronomy) and Robert Sutherland (Neuroscience, Canadian Centre for Behavioural Neuroscience) made the 2013 list for their achievements in the lab -- outer space, in Naylor's case, and for Sutherland, advocating for the academic community as the President of the Confederation of Alberta Faculty Associations.

Dr. David Naylor

As an instructor with the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge's physics department since 1981, David Naylor has taken his lab to the upper echelons of experimental astrophysics. Practically speaking, that means he designs and uses instruments that can measure incredibly small amounts of radiation and light.

His primary project for the last four years has been the Spectral and Photometric Imaging Receiver (SPIRE), a telescope on the Herschel Space Observatory, which was launched in 2009.

The Herschel is winding down its mission as it runs out of liquid helium to cool its instruments, but its 25,000 hours of studying the universe have already led to 250 peer-reviewed articles, a better understanding of the galaxy and spin-off businesses in the Lethbridge area.

Naylor himself was instrumental in establishing Blue Sky Spectroscopy, a private company that has won several contracts from the European and Canadian space agencies and delivered complex instrumentation to leading research teams across the planet. And the SPIRE's legacy is still in its infancy. Astronomers will analyze the prolific telescope's legacy of data for years to come.

Dr. Robert Sutherland

Rob Sutherland's day job is as a professor and chair of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge's department of neuroscience, but his public profile this year has come as a result of his role as president of the Confederation of Alberta Faculty Associations.

CAFA represents academic associations at the province's four research-intensive institutions (��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge, ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Calgary, ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Alberta and Athabasca ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ).

They were all hit hard in the provincial budget in March, with cuts to their operating budgets of more than seven per cent. Sutherland was suddenly thrust into the limelight as a defender of tertiary education from both the budget cuts and the mandate letters sent to the institutions from Education Minister Thomas Lukaszuk.

You can be sure the battle will continue for years as the provincial government continues its austerity measures and the universities fight to get their funding back up to – and beyond – prior levels.

The complete list of Alberta Venture's 50 most influential people for 2013 is available here.

Study to examine how social and economic stressors affect Aboriginal health

trevor.kenney — Mon, 15 Jul 2013 17:03:05 +0000

In a first-of-its-kind study, ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge researchers are examining how the social and economic adversity faced by Aboriginal peoples may affect their biological health.

This new study, funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, will be co-lead by three researchers at the U of L, pulling together research strengths from health sciences, kinesiology and neuroscience.

"Aboriginal populations experience high levels of chronic stress as they are often marginalized both socially and economically in Canada. We know that over time, high unrelenting stress can have a profound influence on biological systems," says study Co-Lead, Dr. Cheryl Currie, who is a public health researcher at the U of L.

Stressful experiences are an inevitable part of life, but repeated and chronic exposure to uncontrollable stressors can disrupt the function of neuroendocrine, cardiovascular, and immune systems. Markers of biological disruption can be identified well before the clinical markers of disease are detected.

"We tend to think about social and biological determinants of health separately. Connecting the two is a more comprehensive way to think about health- and may shed new light on why Aboriginal populations are disproportionately affected by chronic disease," says study Co-Lead, Dr. Jennifer Copeland, a U of L kinesiology researcher.

The study will also build on past research by Currie indicating that Aboriginal cultural practices promote resilience against alcohol and drug abuse within Aboriginal populations. In this new study, the team will examine the extent to which Aboriginal cultural practices may promote biologic resilience and improve health. Further, the study will examine the ways in which western approaches to wellness, such as regular physical activity, may also promote resiliency in these populations.

Dr. Gerlinde Metz, a neuroscientist at the U of L's Canadian Centre for Behavioural Neuroscience and Co-Lead on the study says understanding the biological effects of adverse social conditions is an important step towards the development of interventions that can improve population health and wellness.

"Information gained from the study will be used to help identify new strategies that can reduce health disparities experienced by Aboriginal populations," says Metz.

The full research team includes Drs. Judith Kulig, Michelle Hogue, and Olu Awosoga from the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge, and Dr. David Olsen from the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Alberta. Working together with the Aboriginal community in southern Alberta, this cross-disciplinary team will examine how a range of factors - including adverse childhood experiences, poverty, unemployment, single parenthood, living in overcrowded housing and racial discrimination - impact the stress response and biological functioning among Aboriginal adults living in the Lethbridge area.

The U of L study will commence October 2013 with results expected in 2016-17.

Horns soccer looks to build off success

trevor.kenney — Tue, 25 Jun 2013 16:34:59 +0000

The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Pronghorns have finalized their schedules for the Canada West soccer season and for the program's men's team, the focus will be on building off of last season's 18-point performance, a franchise best.

The men's program will open its 2013 campaign with a home-and-home series against the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Calgary Dinos, Sept. 7-8 (at home on Sunday, Sept. 8). That's the start of a 15-game schedule that will also see the Horns play host to the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Saskatchewan Huskies, Mount Royal ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Cougars, UNBC Timberwolves, UBC Thunderbirds and the Trinity Western Spartans.

The Horns won four games last season and narrowly missed the playoffs with 18 standings points. They will once again play in the six-team Prairie Division, looking for one of three playoff spots.

The regular season concludes on Oct. 27 followed by three rounds of playoffs in four days at the home of the first-place finisher in the five-team Pacific Division. The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of New Brunswick in Fredericton, N.B. is the site of the 2013 CIS men's championship tournament, Nov. 7-10.

On the women's side, the Horns are coming off a one-win season but with 21 players eligible to return from last season's roster (that included 11 first-year players), it should be a much more seasoned and cohesive group.

The Canada West women's set-up differs from the men in that only one, 13-team division exists, with the top eight teams qualifying for playoffs.

After opening the schedule on the road with games against the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Alberta and Mount Royal ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Cougars, the Horns will host the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Winnipeg Wesmen on Saturday, Sept. 14 at the U of L Community Stadium.

The Horns will also play host to the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Manitoba Bisons the next day and host the UNBC Timberwolves, UBC Thunderbirds and Trinity Western Spartans to round out the home schedule.

Canada West playoffs open with quarter-finals on Oct. 26, after which teams will be re-ranked for semifinals and medal matches on Nov. 2-3. The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Toronto hosts CIS Nationals, Nov. 7-10.

For a look at the complete Pronghorns soccer schedule visit the website at www.gohorns.ca. For season tickets, call Pronghorn Athletics at 403-329-2681.

A voyage of self-discovery

trevor.kenney — Tue, 11 Jun 2013 22:26:39 +0000

Joanne Peterson was initially disappointed when she learned how many classes she'd have to take before she could pursue her master's of counselling degree. Now, having just graduated with a bachelor of arts degree in psychology (with distinction), she has a true appreciation for the breadth of her educational experience.

"When I learned I needed to complete 20 courses at the U of L before applying for my master's, I felt discouraged," says the 46-year-old Peterson, a mature student who returned to post-secondary school after being in the workforce for years. "But I can truly say that the undergraduate courses I have taken have taught me more about myself than I could ever have realized."

Aspiring to be a registered therapist, Peterson found herself in classes she would never have considered taking beforehand, such as neuroscience.

"I discovered I had a passion for learning about and understanding the brain and behaviour," she says. "Now, I can see it really benefitting my career as a therapist. I've enjoyed the process of learning and in doing so, I realize that the more I learn, the less I know. It is both humbling and exciting at the same time."

Joanne Peterson is learning more about herself than she'd ever imagined when she returned to school as a mature student.

Peterson immersed herself in the university experience, taking full advantage of the opportunities afforded her.

She took an applied study course that placed her as a volunteer at Martha's House, an independent living seniors' community, where she had the opportunity to study quality of life issues for seniors. Through that association, she was introduced to the Lethbridge Seniors' Forum and now is an active committee member.

Her applied study resulted in the creation of a series of four brochures that reflected quality of life topics most important to the residents of Martha's House. Packaged as a Navigation Guide for Seniors, the brochures are now being published and distributed by the City of Lethbridge.

This experience led Dr. Jennifer Mather (psychology) to encourage Peterson to write an honour's thesis (Seniors Views on Quality of Life), and she turned the difficult task into an excellent experience of self-discovery.

"She recognized my lack of confidence, even though I was carrying a very high GPA," says Peterson, who had to present her thesis to an audience of professors, administrators, fellow students and invited guests. "Without her encouragement, I don't believe I would have pushed myself to write a thesis and it turned out to be such a rewarding part of my university experience."

She was later invited to present her thesis findings to the boards of directors at St. Michael's Health Centre and the Green Acres Foundation.

Throughout her educational journey, Peterson saw time and again the supportive nature of U of L faculty and staff, something that was in stark contrast to her first post-secondary experience, years before at a much larger institution.

"In attending a smaller institution, my experience as a student was much more personal and hands-on than what I'd experienced when I attended the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Alberta years back," she says. "The class sizes, particularly in the 3000 and 4000-level courses were often 20 to 40 students, allowing me to engage in discussions with my professors that greatly enhanced my learning. I also found the accessibility of my professors to be remarkable."

It's another reason why she will not hesitate to apply for the master's program.

"I intend to take this next year as a professional development year and seek work experience in the counselling field before applying for the 2014 cohort," she says. "The encouragement and advice I've been given from the Master's of Counselling program, particularly Dr. Blythe Shepard and Dr. Dawn McBride, has really made an impact in my continued pursuit of a career as a therapist."

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

Horns basketball releases 2013-14 schedule

trevor.kenney — Mon, 10 Jun 2013 21:12:04 +0000

The 2013-14 Canada West conference basketball season will begin for the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Pronghorns men's and women's basketball teams with a road swing into the lower B.C. mainland with match-ups versus the Fraser Valley Cascades and Trinity Western Spartans,
Nov. 1-2.

The following weekend, the 'Horns host the Manitoba Bisons in a pair of games for the first home games of the new season.

One change 'Horns fans will see this season is in the start times for Saturday night games. Moving away from the traditional 6 and 8 p.m. starts for women's and men's games respectively, the Horns will now play at 5 and 7 p.m.

Also visiting the 1st Choice Savings Centre during the first half of the season will be the UBCO Heat, Thompson Rivers WolfPack and Regina Cougars.

In the New Year, the 'Horns will host an action packed set of games, welcoming traditional rivals ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Alberta, UBC Thunderbirds and Victoria Vikes, before closing out the conference schedule with a home-and-home series versus southern Alberta rival Calgary Dinos. The series with the Dinos kicks off at the 1st Choice Savings Centre Friday, Feb. 14 before concluding the regular season the next night in Calgary.

The Canada West best of three quarter-final series is scheduled for Feb. 21-23 with the Canada West Final Four being hosted by the highest remaining seed the following week. The CIS Final 8 will be hosted by Carleton ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ in Ottawa, Mar. 7-9, 2014.

On the women's side, the opening round is scheduled to start a week later but could move to the same weekend as the men's quarter-final if a scheduling conflict is created with the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Regina and ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Calgary hosting the CIS Volleyball Championships. The Canada West Final Four will be hosted by the highest remaining seed, Mar. 7-8 and the CIS Final 8 will be hosted by the three-time defending champion ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Windsor.

Once again this season, all Canada West basketball games will be webcast on www.canadawest.tv.

Zieber earns Lipinski scholarship

trevor.kenney — Thu, 09 May 2013 20:08:47 +0000

��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Faculty of Health Sciences researcher Em Pijl Zieber is one of two local registered nurses who have been named the inaugural recipients of the Wendy Lipinski Memorial Scholarship for Advanced Education.

Pijl Zieber was honoured along with Klaas Vanden Beld on May 8 at Chinook Regional Hospital. The scholarship serves as a memorial to the contributions of Wendy (MacFarlane) Lipinski, a registered nurse who practised for 18 years in Lethbridge and area. She died of cancer last December at age 59. It was established this year by the Alberta Registered Nurses Educational Trust (ARNET), with funding from Executive Links/Nursing Links, a Calgary provider of nursing education.

Executive Links owner Terese Fleming wanted to honour the nursing contributions of Lipinski, a lifelong friend, who had also returned to school as an adult student to take classes in fine arts at the U of L prior to her passing.

"I am a nurse myself and, if I was ever in a position where I would need to receive health care, Wendy was the type of nurse I would want caring for me," says Fleming. "She was such a kind and caring nurse, so gentle and patient."

Pijl Zieber and Vanden Beld receive scholarships worth a total of $5,000. They were chosen by an ARNET allocation committee on the basis of academic merit in their graduate-level studies.

Pijl Zieber, 44, teaches community health nursing theory and clinical courses in the Faculty of Health Sciences. She is enrolled in doctoral studies at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Alberta and has a special interest in nursing in marginalized populations. Prior to joining the U of L, she worked as an RN in remote communities, Vancouver's Downtown East Side and at Lethbridge College.

"It is fitting that such an outstanding educator as Em Pijl Zeiber receive the Wendy Lipinski Memorial Scholarship for Advanced Education," says Faculty of Health Sciences Dean, Dr. Chris Hosgood. "We are dedicated to providing educators with opportunities for professional development and nursing students with an outstanding education, and wholeheartedly support Em's commitment to mobilize students to make a difference in their communities."

"It's an honour to receive this scholarship," says Pijl Zieber. "It will help me continue with my research, which is focused on how well nursing students are prepared for registered nursing practice. The nursing profession can make even greater contributions to the health of Canadians by enhancing community health clinical education and by mobilizing students to make a difference in their communities. That could have a positive impact on the health of everyone."

��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ appoints Cooper as Dean of Arts & Science

trevor.kenney — Thu, 11 Apr 2013 15:25:20 +0000

The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge is excited to announce the appointment of Dr. Craig Cooper as the new Dean of the Faculty of Arts & Science.

"It is with great pleasure that we are able to announce Dr. Cooper as our new Dean of the Faculty of Arts & Science today," says Dr. Andrew Hakin, provost and vice-president (academic). "We had a number of outstanding applicants for this role but Craig quickly emerged as the ideal candidate to succeed Dr. Chris Nicol. The appointment committee was very enthusiastic in its support of Craig and I'm confident that his innovative ideas and enthusiasm for the Faculty will play a key role in helping shape the direction of our ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ over the next five years."

Cooper comes to the U of L from Nipissing ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ in North Bay, Ont. where he was a professor of classical studies and served as the Dean of Arts and Sciences since 2008. He spent the majority of his academic teaching career at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Winnipeg, beginning as a sessional instructor in 1993 and eventually serving as the Associate Dean of Arts.

Cooper earned his bachelor's degree at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Alberta before completing his master's and PhD designations at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of British Columbia.

A member of the American Philological Association, the Association of Ancient Historians and the Classical Association of Canada, Cooper received the 2007 Robin H. Farquhar Award for Excellence in Contributing to Self Governance. His current areas of scholarly interest include Athenian law, Athenian orators and Greek rhetoric, Greek historiography and ancient biography. He has also published three books, including his most recent, Epigraphy and the Greek Historian, in 2008.

"I want to express my gratitude to Dr. Nicol for his leadership of the Faculty of Arts & Science since 2001. Many fine things have been accomplished," adds Hakin.

Cooper's appointment is effective July 1, 2013 to June 30, 2018.

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