UNews - Thomas Lukaszuk

Destination Project receives $200-million investment from Government of Alberta

trevor.kenney — Fri, 06 Dec 2013 18:27:38 +0000

The Destination Project, a transformational undertaking that will fundamentally alter the path of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge, received the stamp of approval from the Government of Alberta Friday as the Honourable Thomas Lukaszuk, Deputy Premier and Minister of Enterprise and Advanced Education, announced a $200-million investment in the project.

The Destination Project includes the construction of new science facilities that will house a significant part of the science teaching and research activities on campus. Further, a comprehensive revitalization of the iconic ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Hall will take place. The result will add 35,000 sq. metres to the campus footprint, but more importantly, the project will help define the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ’s direction for the foreseeable future.

The Destination Project will be the most significant undertaking the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ has seen since the construction of the original ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Hall in 1972.

Lukaszuk says the Destination Project investment is about providing an exceptional learning environment for students, as well as strengthening the broader community.

“We are proud to invest in this Campus Alberta project because we know that ensuring a world-class education for our young people is essential for building southern Alberta,” says Lukaszuk. “We recognize that our students need access to learning today if they are to compete for jobs tomorrow.”

In the past two years, the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge has received $12.5 million from the Government of Alberta for the planning phase of the project, and a significant amount of activity has already taken place. Final site selection for the Destination Project is expected in the near future.

��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge President and Vice-Chancellor Dr. Mike Mahon says the Alberta government’s investment in the Destination Project is not only a tremendous boon to the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge, but to southern Alberta in general.

“I cannot overstate how momentous this day is to the future of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge and southern Alberta as a whole,” says Mahon. “This is the most significant development of our Lethbridge campus since ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Hall was completed in 1972.

“The Destination Project will contribute to Alberta’s ability to recruit the best and brightest scientific talent to our province, but it is more than a teaching and research space. Rather, it is a place for community engagement and outreach; a research incubator; a place where undergraduate and graduate research opportunities develop; where knowledge transfer and commercialization happen; a place where the next generation of researchers, scientists and scholars credit for the start of their science careers.”

Cheryl Dick, Chief Executive Officer of Economic Development Lethbridge, says the Destination Project will be a key economic driver for southern Alberta.

“The economic diversification we will see as a result of this investment is substantial,” says Dick. “Not only will we benefit in the short term from the construction activity associated with the project, but the region will profit greatly in the long term through the influx of people and the generation of associated industries.”

By building new science facilities, Vice-President (Research), Dr. Dan Weeks, says that the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ is further able to create links between high school learning experiences and those found at the U of L.

Already, through programs such as High School iGEM (which earlier this year finished first at an international competition for young synthetic biologists at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Boston, MA), the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ provides valuable opportunities for high school students to take their learning to another level.

“The U of L’s iGEM program has introduced these world-class high school students to leading faculty, as well as graduate and undergraduate student mentors. This early exposure to ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ researchers helps students make smooth transitions from high school to post-secondary study and potentially to entrepreneurial endeavours,” says Weeks. “The Destination Project will allow the U of L to give even more Alberta high school students the chance to participate in outstanding research experiences such as these. Eventually, we will see graduates poised to flourish in Alberta’s ever diversifying economy.”

As science activities move into new facilities, ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Hall will be the site of a major redevelopment.

“A key aspect of this entire project is the eventual regeneration of ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Hall,” says Provost and Vice-President (Academic), Dr. Andy Hakin. “This will give the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ the opportunity to create an environment that will lead the academic world in redefining liberal education for generations to come.”

For more on the Destination Project, and to follow its continued development, visit destination-project.ulethbridge.ca.

Wieden named Alberta Innovates-Technology Futures Bioengineering Chair

trevor.kenney — Fri, 27 Sep 2013 20:48:46 +0000

Alberta Innovates-Technology Futures (AITF) has named Dr. Hans Joachim Wieden as the Innovates Centre of Research Excellence (iCORE) Chair of Bioengineering.

AITF’s $2-million investment, over five years, further enables Wieden’s ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge research team to study how biological systems can be engineered to achieve breakthroughs in materials science, chemistry, biochemistry, health and nanoscience.

“We are proud that world-class research will be done in Lethbridge, and excited about the opportunities that it will create for Alberta students, companies and the economy,” says Deputy Premier and Minister of Enterprise and Advanced Education Thomas Lukaszuk. “Support for this work is a great example of the government’s commitment to post-secondary research.”

The potential for discovery in the study of synthetic biology is virtually limitless.

Dr. HJ Wieden and his research team continue to push forward, advancing the study of biomolecular engineering and synthetic biology.

“The range of societal and commercial issues we can address through the advancement of biomolecular engineering and synthetic biology will only continue to expand as we go further,” says Wieden, the newly appointed Chair and current director of the Alberta RNA (Ribonucleic acid) Research and Training Institute (ARRTI) at the U of L.

Synthetic biologists focus on how biological systems can be engineered to achieve a new desired outcome.

“The U of L has identified RNA-based research as an emerging program of emphasis due to the work of several of our researchers,” says ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Vice-President (Research), Dr. Dan Weeks.

Wieden’s team, for example, recently focused its research on the development of new antibiotics that may help to battle the growing resistance of disease-producing pathogens against currently used antibiotics.

The Alberta Innovates-Technology Futures funding is complemented by the recent introduction of research initiatives such as the Campus Alberta Innovation Program and the Alberta Innovates Health Solutions program, which have added to the breadth of research inquiry at the U of L.

“The ongoing potential of Dr. Wieden’s applied research supports our goal to grow the province’s research and innovation environment, and expand opportunities for economic diversification,” says Randy Goebel, Vice-President of iCORE and the Alberta Innovates Academy. “We look forward to continuing our support of Alberta’s leadership in bioengineering.”

Wieden's students have also benefitted from the support of geekStarter, another AITF-funded program. geekStarter helps student teams in nanotechnology, information and communications technology and omics (genomics, proteomics, metabolomics, transcriptomics and regulomics) achieve breakthroughs in research and innovation.

With the support of geekStarter, some of Wieden’s student teams have participated in the International Genetically Engineered Machine (iGEM) competition. They have since gone on to enter the workforce and, in at least one instance, become entrepreneurs in a related field.

“These students have developed a new way of detecting hormones and are patenting their technology for use in agricultural and medical research,” says Wieden. “The importance of creating teaching opportunities through basic and applied research programs cannot be overstated.”

About Alberta Innovates-Technology Futures (AITF)

Part of Alberta’s research and innovation system, Alberta Innovates-Technology Futures is helping build healthy, sustainable businesses in the province. Through a suite of programs and services for entrepreneurs, companies, researchers, post-secondary institutions and investors, Tech Futures provides technical services and funding support to facilitate the commercialization of technologies, to develop new knowledge-based industry clusters and help encourage an entrepreneurial culture in Alberta. Through the Innovates Centre of Research Excellence (iCORE), Alberta Innovates-Technology Futures attracts top talent to Alberta to create multi-disciplinary, collaborative teams building research capabilities.

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.

U of L celebrates its Calgary presence at Bow Valley College

trevor.kenney — Thu, 09 May 2013 22:28:01 +0000

The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge is celebrating the new location of its Calgary Campus with its post-secondary, community, alumni and government partners, as Bow Valley College officially opens its South Campus today.

In addition to the introduction of a beautiful building that will be utilized by four of Alberta's post-secondary institutions, a new partnership between Bow Valley College, Olds College, Athabasca ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ and the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge is being celebrated in front of dignitaries that include Premier Alison Redford, Deputy Premier Thomas Lukaszuk and Calgary Mayor Naheed Nenshi.

Since 1996, the U of L has served a critical role in Calgary by offering university degree level programming through its Faculty of Management in the evenings and on weekends.

"By meeting the needs of busy, working adult learners, U of L students can earn a degree in a manner that accommodates their busy lifestyles," says ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge President, Dr. Mike Mahon. "This niche, combined with our Campus Alberta partnership with Bow Valley College, Olds College and Athabasca ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ will create new, important laddering opportunities for Alberta's students."

The U of L's original Calgary Campus was located at the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology. Significant student growth occurred from 1997 to 2001, primarily due to the post-diploma program offered in Calgary. Today, the U of L's Calgary Campus is home to approximately 700 students in Calgary.

"The success of the programming we offer in Calgary can be attributed to the quality of a U of L degree, but also to the efforts the U of L has made in making a university degree accessible to adult learners," says Dean of the Faculty of Management, Dr. Bob Ellis.

When combined with the many students from Calgary who choose to attend the U of L's Lethbridge campus, Calgary and its surrounding areas become the U of L's most significant source of students. Calgary students make up 38 per cent of the U of L's total student body.

Since its inception, more than 1,460 students have graduated from the Calgary Campus. Overall, Calgary and area is home to more than 7,000 U of L alumni.

"The U of L is very proud of the role it plays in creating access for Alberta students, whether they attend our Lethbridge, Calgary or Edmonton campuses. Further, we are extremely proud of the role our alumni are playing in building communities across Alberta, Canada and internationally," says Mahon.

��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ contributes to FNMI resource material

trevor.kenney — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 20:59:37 +0000

A new cache of online resource material will help teachers and students to better appreciate and understand the societal contributions of Alberta's First Nations, Métis and Inuit (FNMI) peoples.

"We are pleased to launch this valuable learning material as it adds a rich dimension to Alberta's curriculum," says Education Minister Thomas Lukaszuk. "Teachers will have historically accurate and culturally authentic information which they can share with their students."

Walking Together: First Nations, Métis and Inuit Perspectives in Curriculum, was developed by education experts, elders and respected knowledge keepers from FNMI peoples within the province, including the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge.

Post-secondary institutions anticipate the resource will help both new and experienced teachers to impart Aboriginal content and perspectives into teaching and learning. Ramona Bighead, a contributor to the resource and an instructor at the Uof L, will be using the information in her course for first- and second-year education students.

"There are 12 topic areas. Each of my students will become experts in one of the topic areas and present their responses to the rest of the class," says Bighead. "The Observing Classroom Practice sections throughout the resource provide excellent examples of teachers who are successfully implementing and infusing FNMI ways of knowing into their current classroom practice."

Previews of the resource have received very positive reviews from FNMI contributors and community members.

"A new generation of learning will take place in our schools; students will experience the infusion of FNMI culture and perspectives into their curriculum with this new support available to their educators," says Judy Louis, a contributor to the resource and a member of the Samson Cree Nation. "For example, when teachers and students learn about and apply FNMI oral tradition concepts and skills, they become more proficient in story writing."

UNews - Thomas Lukaszuk

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