UNews - York ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ

U of L researcher to play key role in national homelessness initiative

trevor.kenney — Thu, 11 Jul 2013 16:40:30 +0000

��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge researcher Dr. Yale Belanger will play a key role in a national initiative that will gather information on the state of homelessness in Canada and will disseminate that knowledge to front-line providers.

The Canadian Observatory on Homelessness was recently created through a $2.5 million investment from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council, which promotes and assists research and scholarship in the social sciences and humanities.

The Observatory's work will be particularly relevant in Alberta, as recent province-wide flooding may increase the number of individuals who could be homeless.

"Homelessness remains a massive national issue, even though communities across the country have made great strides in reducing the number of people experiencing homelessness," said Belanger, a researcher/professor in Native American Studies and the Faculty of Health Sciences. "We know that homelessness is usually the result of the cumulative impact of a number of factors, rather than a single cause."

Belanger said individual challenges or a traumatic event like flooding, compounded by structural factors like income, affordable housing and discrimination, or failures in a system designed to help vulnerable people, can render people homeless.

In Canada approximately 200,000 people are homeless each year, and about 30,000 people homeless on any given night.

In Calgary, there were more than 3100 people counted in January 2012 as part of a homeless person census, according to recent data published in "The State of Homelessness in Canada." A web link attached to full report is included, below.

Counts taken in October, 2012 showed Edmonton recording more than 2100, Red Deer nearly 280 while Lethbridge recorded 99 individuals.

Belanger added that Aboriginal people are particularly at risk, as are low-income workers and, increasingly, families.

Belanger said one of the key goals of the Canadian Observatory on Homelessness group is to work as a team to devise best practices that can be housed in the Observatory for use by anyone – researchers, community organizations and policymakers.

"More than 25 researchers are involved, plus many more local, provincial and national advocacy groups and support networks, so we feel quite confident about being able to gather a large amount of information quickly, and which we know everyone can share."

The group won't be simply researching the topic – Belanger said they will be on the ground, translating research into action wherever possible.

"We are expected to participate to help people create response and prevention strategies. I am very pleased to be working with the City of Lethbridge and other agencies in our community and the province."

"Though efforts like Social Housing in Action and the Vibrant Lethbridge Poverty Reduction Strategy group, our community is working really hard to put in place effective systems to reduce homelessness, as are similar groups in Calgary and Edmonton."

The Canadian Observatory on Homelessness is housed at York ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ and is led by Dr. Stephen Gaetz, professor and Associate Dean, Education. Gaetz was recently in Lethbridge as a keynote speaker at a two-day conference on homelessness issues.

A copy of "The State of Homelessness in Canada" is available at these websites:

http://www.homelessresearch.ca/
http://www.homelesshub.ca/

Runte, Amies earn YWCA honour

trevor.kenney — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 22:20:23 +0000

A current ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge faculty member, as well as a graduate and former employee are among the people selected by the YWCA as 2012 Women of Distinction.

Dr. Mary Runte (Faculty of Management) and Sarah Amies (BA '88 with Distinction), currently the program director of Lethbridge Family Services – Immigrant Services will receive their YWCA Women of Distinction Awards on Friday, Mar. 23 along with entrepreneur Vicky Vannatta Miller, lawyer and community volunteer Berga Moen and 87-year-old Edith M. Stewart, this year's "Wise Woman of Distinction."

The YWCA Women of Distinction Awards recognize outstanding women who live and work in southern Alberta.

Through a competitive process, the honourees are chosen from a group of nominations. The awards are based on the candidate's accomplishments, commitment and leadership. The Women of Distinction Awards Ceremony is a wonderful venue to showcase the talent and leadership of women in southern Alberta. Women honoured have been trailblazers, entrepreneurs, innovators, social advocates and volunteers.

Sarah Amies: Woman of Distinction in the Social Advocate category

Sarah Amies emigrated from the UK to Canada in 1974. She attended the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge and graduated in 1988 with a B.A. (Distinction) in Anthropology. She was the co-ordinator of the Applied Studies program at the U of L for nine years and a Student Program Advisor for five years.

In January 2001, Amies became the program director of Lethbridge Family Services – Immigrant Services. She is closely involved with the settlement and integration of new immigrants planning a make a life in Lethbridge, focusing especially on the empowerment and advancement of women with disadvantages. Under her leadership, Immigrant Services has expanded programming and services significantly, growing from a staff of three to 22 at present.

Amies has chaired the Alberta Association of Immigrant Serving Agencies' Communications committee and has well established business and community networks, particularly in the in area of developing and executing innovative community partnerships and collaborations.

She has extensive volunteer service including: Vibrant Lethbridge, Volunteer Lethbridge, Alberta Network of Immigrant Women, National Settlement Modernization Advisory Group, Canadian Coalition of Municipalities Against Racism and Discrimination, Family Violence and Elder Abuse Awareness and Prevention Committee and the Southern Alberta Ethnic Association.

Mary Runte: Woman of Distinction in the Spirit of Women category

Mary Runte has a PhD in Management from St. Mary's ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ and an MBA from York ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ. She is an associate professor of strategy and the director of social responsibility in the Faculty of Management at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge.

Previously, Runte worked with a variety of nonprofit organizations, including Eastside Young Moms and the Society of Special Needs Adoptive Parents. Gender inequity, work-family balance, social responsibility and business ethics are her particular areas of interest and research, having numerous publications and having received major research grants to study these issues.

Runte was honoured as distinguished speaker for the Work-Life Conference at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Ochanamizu, Tokyo, Japan in 2007. She is the founding Division Chair for the Social Responsibility Interest Group of the Administrative Sciences Association of Canada.

Her tireless support of her students, especially female students in non-traditional fields, and her one-on-one mentoring throughout their academic careers is done on a volunteer basis. She is an incredible role model for students and colleagues alike as she advocates ceaselessly for ethical and principled business behaviour.

The Women of Distinction Awards Ceremony will take place on Friday, March 23 starting at 5 p.m. at the Lethbridge Lodge. The guest speaker is Leela Gilday, aboriginal singer/songwriter and a winner at the Canadian Aboriginal Music Awards.

Call 403-329-0088 or stop by the YWCA for tickets ($100 with a $50 tax receipt).

Campus Kudos - December

trevor.kenney — Wed, 15 Dec 2010 17:56:32 +0000

Dr. David Renter (music) Trio performed at Southern Alberta Art Gallery on Dec. 3 as part of the second event organized by the brand new Lethbridge Jazz Society.

Dr. Goldie Morgentaler (English) was featured in the Fall 2010 issue of Pakn Treger magazine, the magazine of the Yiddish Book Center. Published in Amherst, Mass., the Pakn Treger story details Morgentaler's teaching of Yiddish literature in what is referred to as the "Canadian Bible Belt".

Lisa Doolittle (Theatre & Dramatic Arts) was a plenary speaker with ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Calgary professor Anne Flynn and U of L alumnus Troy Emery Twigg (BFA '03) at the American Society for Theatre Research and Congress on Research in Dance international joint conference in Seattle in November. They presented the paper, Performing Negotiations: Blackfoot Dance in Colonial and Multicultural Canada. Doolittle also presented, Dance Research on the Move: Connecting across the academy and engaging with community, to graduate and PhD students at York ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ.

��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Senate member, Paul Gale Pharo, was appointed to the Alberta Provincial Court Bench. Pharo is also the incoming president of the Rotary Club of Lethbridge and has three children attending the U of L.

Taras Polataiko (Art) recently exhibited his new work at the 5th International Biennale of Video Art in Israel.

Leanne Elias (New Media) recently had a chapter published in the book, Mobile Learning: Pilot Projects and Initiatives. The chapter is, Using Smartphone Technology to Extend the Educational Experience.

Nick Wade (Art) spoke at the Alberta Public Planners Institute in Lethbridge on the subject of art in the public realm.

The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge home page, www.uleth.ca, was selected as one of the Top-30 Outstanding Websites of Higher Education by Vandelay Design (http://vandelaydesign.com/blog/galleries/higher-education/). It was mentioned along websites from Johns Hopkins ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ, Virginia Tech ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ and ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Southern California.

Emily Luce's (New Media) exhibition, Parallel Park (Lab Space), is showing in the Helen Christou Gallery until Jan. 14, 2011.

Catherine Ross's (Art staff) exhibition, Field Sightings, is currently showing in Lethbridge's Mueller Art Gallery.

Dr. Josie Mills (U of L Art Gallery director/curator) presented, Deaccessioning: The Root of All Scandal, as part of the Southern Alberta Art Gallery's, Articulations: Art Appreciation Lecture Series, in November.

Matthew Blackburn (BMus '09), winner of the 2009 Lethbridge Symphony Orchestra Young Artist Competition, performed with Musaeus String Quartet as part of the Lethbridge Symphony Orchestra's Chamber Series.

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

Non-profit payback

trevor.kenney — Tue, 19 Oct 2010 04:36:59 +0000

There have been many nights over the last 16 years that Dr. Mary Runté has gotten little, if any, sleep. Raising two children has been no small factor in the equation, but even before Runté took on motherhood – the role by which she admittedly defines her life and holds most dear – she sacrificed shut-eye while out on the streets of east Vancouver, up at all hours of the night to do what she could to ease the plight of drug addicts, pregnant prostitutes and anyone else she encountered who was living their lives on the fringe of society.

It's not exactly the professional history you might expect a professor of management to have, but then again, Runté isn't your average management professor. Prior to 1998, Runté had no inclination at all to study anything remotely related to business. Her heart was then, as it is now, in the not-for-profit sector – although she also came to love management in a rather roundabout way.

Initially, Runté wanted to be a teacher, and was enrolled in the Bachelor of Education program at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Alberta en route to that goal. It was during that course of study that Runté discovered the impact she wanted to have on students went beyond teaching them the finer points of Shakespeare.

"You know how there are people who are into extreme sports? I'm into extreme jobs," Runté says with laughter. "I wanted to work in the inner city, so I was teaching kids who were dealing with huge life issues – drugs, gangs, various kinds of abuse. I quickly realized that I wanted to make a different kind of impact on their lives. That's when I went into social services."

Runté abandoned the BEd and instead pursued a BA in psychology, all the while working in the non-profit sector. After graduating, she spent more than a decade willingly subjecting her professional self to some of the grittiest and most challenging circumstances imaginable, and moved up the ranks of social work with expediency. While she loved the work, Runté found that she lacked many of the basic management skills necessary to run the programs. Suddenly, and unexpectedly, earning an MBA became a logical move.

"A lot of people were absolutely shocked and even viewed me as a traitor," Runté says reflectively. "In the non-profit sector, management is seen as the big bad world of business. Debunking the myth that all business is bad was, and still is, very important to me."

Dr. Mary Runté takes business to the streets, saying its power can be used as a positive influence.

Determined to remain true to her non-profit roots, Runté chose York ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ for her MBA because, at the time, it was one of the only business schools in Canada that researched non-profit organizations.

"It was extraordinarily positive for me to interact with faculty who understood that business has power, and that the power can and should be used carefully," says Runté. "It's possible to prioritize people over dollars, the environment over profitability – or at least find a respectful blend of both sides."

Runté graduated from York in 2000 and began teaching sessional classes at the U of L that year. She completed a PhD through Saint Mary's ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ in 2005. Today, on track to become a tenured faculty member, Runté feels fortunate to be able to combine both of her professional disciplines, teaching business courses within the area of social responsibility – a declared minor that the Faculty of Management has now offered for a few years.

"It's core in the Faculty's vision to promote social responsibility in business. Every student takes a required course in it. In recent years, social responsibility has become more fashionable in business schools, but the U of L was one of the first universities to make a demonstrated commitment by offering a minor in the subject," says Runté. "I'm absolutely blessed to be teaching here."

A segment of the required course Runté teaches in social responsibility in business deals with non-profit management. Students must complete a minimum of nine hours of volunteer work and are free to choose any non-profit organization they wish to support. Runté says that it's very common for students to become impassioned with volunteerism and continue to be active within the organizations indefinitely.

"They intend to do nine hours of volunteering, and at the end, they're treating it almost like a part-time job," says Runté.

While Runté continues to champion the non-profit sector, emphatically pointing out that it's a significant employer within the country (constituting 13 per cent of the labour force) and contributes a surprisingly large percentage of the gross domestic product (seven per cent in 2003), she is quick to balance her view.

"Business isn't evil. It's important to our society. It has power, and that power gives us resources to do great things. It can help shape a more positive world. That's what I teach my students."

Student captures NEADS award

trevor.kenney — Thu, 20 May 2010 19:48:25 +0000

The National Educational Association of Disabled Students (NEADS) and BMO Capital Markets are pleased to announce the 12 outstanding winners of the 2010 NEADS Equity Through Education Student Awards Program.

Among the recipients is Katherine Taylor, a ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge psychology student who was selected from among 375 applicants to join 11 other undergraduate or graduate students as award winners.

All recipients receive $3,000 toward their tuition.

A complete listing of recipients can be found below.

"NEADS congratulates the 2010 winners of the NEADS Equity Through Education Student Awards, says Dr. Mahadeo Sukhai, NEADS Past-President and Chair of the selection committee.

"There were many excellent candidates and 375 applications for this year's competition. The dedication, perseverance and achievements of this year's winners embody the spirit of the Awards program. We wish them all the very best in their studies, and look forward to watching their successes in the future. We are grateful to BMO Capital Markets for its generous funding of the Equity Through Education Student Awards."

"Congratulations to all of this year's winners," says Mike Miller, Head of Equity Products, BMO Capital Markets and a champion of the Equity Through Education Program. "Your achievements serve as an inspiration for others and help reinforce the important work of NEADS. We admire the vital role of NEADS, which helps young Canadians with disabilities finish their studies and make a successful transition to the employment market."

The winners in the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Undergraduate Studies category are:

-- Naomi Harrington (Computer Science and Psychology combined major,��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Victoria)

-- Devin Ryan (Computer Science, Business option, Lakehead ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ

-- Katie Raso (Communication, Simon Fraser ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ)

-- Alexandra Papaiconomou (Law, ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Western Ontario)

-- Katherine Taylor (Psychology, French Minor, ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge)

-- Tawnie Wilson (Communications and Women's Studies combined, ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Windsor)

Recipients in Graduate Studies category are:

-- James Bell (MA Criminology, ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Toronto)

-- Jessica Dunkley (Faculty of Medicine, ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Ottawa)

-- Kelly Fritsch (Ph.D Social and Political Thought, York ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ)

-- Chelsea Mohler (Masters of Health and Rehabilitation Science, ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Western Ontario)

-- Barbara Schober (Doctor of Philosophy/History, ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of British Columbia).

The winner of the Equity Through Education Student Awards in the College/Cegep Studies category is Larissa Haluszka-Smith (Occupational Therapist Assistant/Physiotherapist Assistant, Centennial College).

Non-profit payback

trevor.kenney — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 21:12:54 +0000

"They intend to do nine hours of volunteering, and at the end, they're treating it almost like a part-time job," says Runté.

"Business isn't evil. It's important to our society. It has power, and that power gives us resources to do great things. It can help shape a more positive world. That's what I teach my students."

Sasquatch is a lady too

trevor.kenney — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 20:19:15 +0000

Strong, sexy and 10-foot tall describes the modern female Sasquatch and the subject of artist Allyson Mitchell's installation, Ladies Sasquatch, at the U of L Main Art Gallery from Sept. 18 through Oct. 30.

Ladies Sasquatch challenges the popular perception of Big Foot's solitary male persona, highlighting the softer side of the female Sasquatch using rich textiles, recycled fabrics, fake bear parts and fun fur.

The display features a commune of lady Sasquatches posed in their unique environments, exposing the lady Sasquatch for what she is and how she relates to her human counterparts. These monumental beauties are part of a national tour, with additional sightings at the Winnipeg Art Gallery and the Art Gallery of Peterborough.

Described as a maximalist artist, Mitchell explores feminist art theory through installation, film and sculpture. Her work has been showcased across Canada and the U.S., throughout Europe and East Asia. She recently completed her PhD in Women's Studies at York ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ (Toronto) where she also teaches cultural studies.

While visiting the U of L, Mitchell is a featured guest lecturer for the Women Scholars Speakers Series, Sept. 17 at 12:15 p.m. (location TBA) and Art Now, Sept. 18 at noon in the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Recital Hall.

UNews - York ��Ѹ�����Դ���߿�Ƭ

U of L researcher to play key role in national homelessness initiative

Related Topics

Runte, Amies earn YWCA honour

Related Topics

Campus Kudos - December

Related Topics

Non-profit payback

Related Topics

Student captures NEADS award

Related Topics

Non-profit payback

Related Topics

Sasquatch is a lady too

Related Topics

UNews - York ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ