UNews - federal public service

Dotimas proud to spread the U of L message

trevor.kenney — Mon, 20 Dec 2010 22:47:15 +0000

Once upon a time, a young man left the warmth of the Philippines in search of a better life. He travelled to Canada, where he met a beautiful young girl, who had also emigrated from the Philippines. Eventually, the young man and young woman fell in love, married and lived happily ever after.

But, don't you wonder what happens after "happily ever after"? In this case, a new story emerges; a story filled with hard work, success and continued happiness. A story of their daughter, Jeanette Dotimas (BMgt '01), president of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Alumni Association's Edmonton chapter (ULAA), and communications advisor for Public Works and Government Services Canada.

Alumna Jeanette Dotimas, the new president of the Edmonton chapter of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Alumni Association.

"As the oldest in my family, I was always taught to strive to be the best and to be a good role model for my sister and brother," explains Dotimas. "I am a first generation Canadian. My parents did what they could, they worked very hard, but they did not have a lot to give me and my siblings; motivating me to do well in school and supporting me in obtaining my degree was their gift."

Dotimas earned a business administration diploma, specializing in marketing, from Northern Alberta Institute of Technology (NAIT), before enrolling in the post-diploma bachelor of management program offered at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge's Edmonton campus. For the next two years, she worked full days at General Electric and attended full-time classes in the evenings and on weekends to complete her degree.

"It was such an intense, focused program," says Dotimas. "For the most part, we were all in the same boat, working during the day then coming to school at night and on the weekends. It was like an 80-hour work week, but it was great preparation for the professional world."

The personal nature of her educational experience helped establish long-lasting bonds with the U of L.

"The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ felt like a family. I met some of my best friends there; our experiences studying and graduating together were life changing," she says. "Now that I am serving the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ in an alumni capacity, I hope that the U of L remains a big part of my life."

Since her graduation, Dotimas has been an active alumna and was thrilled to participate in the organization of a brand new ULAA Edmonton chapter. She served for one year on the board, becoming president of the chapter this fall.

"I had such a positive experience with the Edmonton campus, and I went to alumni events because I wanted to somehow stay connected," she says. "I strongly believe that being a part of the ULAA is a wonderful opportunity to meet new people, to expand your horizons and your networks and to give back."

With close to 2000 alumni residing in the Edmonton area, the chapter looks to offer support, whether it's in the form of providing work opportunities through networking or connecting alumni with other professional organizations.

"Personally, I am a huge advocate for the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ," says Dotimas. "Whenever I have the chance, I promote the U of L to whoever will listen. Through word-of-mouth advertising from former students, my hope is that the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ gets the recognition it deserves both in the community and in industry. The U of L is such a unique and wonderful institution and we want to ensure that we are on people's minds."

Dotimas brings a host of professional expertise to the ULAA. As a communications advisor for the federal government, she has experience in everything from event planning to product development and media relations. In addition, she organizes workplace diversity events and facilitates workshops on anti-discrimination.

"When we come to work, we each bring our personal experiences and our beliefs through the door. When I facilitate a session on anti-discrimination, the focus is on understanding one another and learning about what makes us unique – respecting the differences between us," Dotimas explains. "There is a great commonality between the federal public service and the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge. The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ prides itself on reaching out to different cultures (e.g. through its international studies programs) and providing a positive and inclusive environment for students, staff and their families. I see my employer in a similar vein; both institutions strive to provide a challenging workplace that is diverse, multi-cultural and multi-disciplinary."

GET THE FACTS

· Married and a mother of two, Dotimas strives to be a positive role model for her children. "When they see me volunteering my time and being involved with things like the ULAA, what I really hope to teach them is the importance of giving back to the community and how to be good global citizens."

· Among the boards and committees she is a part of are: Edmonton Centre for Race and Culture; Alberta Federal Council Visible Minority Employees Network; Alberta Federal Communicators Community; Edmonton Public Library Multicultural Advisory Group.

· Dotimas is a writer/contributor to the Philippine Hiyas Community Newspaper.

· Dotimas is an accredited language interpreter for the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada.

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

The art of translation

trevor.kenney — Fri, 19 Nov 2010 16:19:43 +0000

What do you get when you cross a multiple scholarship winner with an Oxford graduate, Doctor of Philosophy, Master of Translation, senior analyst for the Canadian Privy Council Office, published author and an accomplished musician? You get one remarkable guy by the name of Blair McMurren (BA '96), who just happens to be the U of L's 2010 Alumnus of the Year.

Born and raised in Lethbridge, McMurren graduated from the U of L with Great Distinction, receiving the Faculty of Arts and Science Gold Medal and the Governor General's Silver Medal for Highest Undergraduate Class Standing. His pursuit of academia didn't stop there. McMurren was selected as a Rhodes Scholar and immediately went to Oxford ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ to pursue graduate studies.

Dr. Blair McMurren, at home in Ottawa.

An English major at the U of L, particularly fond of the works of James Joyce, McMurren focused his attention at Oxford on furthering his understanding of English literature. He earned an Honours BA in English language and literature, and went on to earn a Doctor of Philosophy in comparative literature as well as an MA in translation from the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Surrey at Guildford.

Ask McMurren what he initially planned to do after completing his education, and he'll admit that he wasn't really sure.

"Some far-sighted senior officials with the federal public service came recruiting at Oxford, and they made a compelling pitch for returning to Canada and making a difference in public policy," he says. "The idea of working on a variety of key files and having some influence on what would be happening in my country resonated with me."

McMurren returned from the U.K. in 2002 to begin work with the Department of Canadian Heritage. He also helped to launch a government initiative that has since become the Recruitment of Policy Leaders program. Since 2009, McMurren has been a senior analyst with the Priorities and Planning secretariat at the Privy Council Office – the department that supports the Prime Minister and Cabinet in all policy and decision-making actions. He is the lead analyst responsible for briefing senior officials and engaging with federal departments on Cabinet decisions related to climate change, clean energy and the environment.

McMurren concedes that the connection between English literature, translation and public policy isn't obvious, but says that his academic background fostered intrigue for the work he does today.

"Closely examining James Joyce's approach to translation is where many things started to come together for me," says McMurren. "So much of human history comes to us through the lens of translation. Freud, Marx, the Bible, what have you – all history-shaping works, and all are translated. Joyce was obsessed with the concept of translation, which ultimately got me thinking about how cultural politics work, and how ideas and issues move from one cultural context to another. It's not a huge stretch from there to cultural policy, which is all about how you tell your story as a country. It's a complex task, and in Canada we do it bilingually and multiculturally, which makes it richer but even harder."

While McMurren intends to continue his career in public policy, he would also like to branch out, perhaps by teaching sessional courses at a university. He's also very keen to give back to the school where his illustrious career began.

"I'd like to help U of L students find out all that's available to them after they leave the university," he says. "This award is a very humbling thing. I'd like to offer my experience to students and perhaps do something to help bridge the famous policy/research divide. I think we all have an interest in getting a broader, better dialogue going about the issues facing Canadian society."

Call for Nominations

The Alumni Association is now accepting nominations for the 2011 Distinguished Alumnus of the Year and Alumni Honour Society awards.

To obtain a nomination form, contact Alumni Relations: e-mail alumni@uleth.ca or call toll free 1-866-552-2582.

The nomination deadline is Feb. 1, 2011.

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

UNews - federal public service

Dotimas proud to spread the U of L message

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