UNews - Southern Alberta Institute of Technology

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.

Geomatics study gets Tecterra support

trevor.kenney — Thu, 20 Jan 2011 23:19:57 +0000

��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge students Maxine Couch and John Anderson are the initial beneficiaries of a new scholarship program designed to spur the development of Highly Qualified Personnel (HQP) in the field of geomatics technology.

Tecterra Inc. recently launched the Future Geomatics Leaders Awards program, providing scholarship funds to top students studying in geomatics and related science or technology fields in Alberta post-secondary institutions. The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge is one of eight Alberta post-secondary institutions to participate in the awards program that will initially be offered from 2010 to 2014.

"Development of skilled human capital is part of Tecterra's mission of enabling successful commercialization of geomatics technology in Alberta," says Gord Banting, chief financial officer for Tecterra. "With Alberta's resource-rich economy, the demand for Highly Qualified Personnel (HQP) in geomatics is increasing year after year."

The Future Leaders Awards are based on academic merit and targeted at top students with a GPA of 3.0 or greater, and who meet other excellence criteria as determined by their respective institutions. Couch, who is studying physics, and Anderson, a geography student, will each receive a $2,000 scholarship for their academic achievement and strong interest in geomatics technology.

"This program rewards and fosters demonstrated excellence," adds Banting. "Tecterra is proud to support a program that builds key talent for our province."

Awards of $1,000 or $2,000 each are available annually to students entering their second/third year of study at the following institutions in Alberta: Lethbridge College; Mount Royal ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ; Northern Alberta Institute of Technology; Olds College; Southern Alberta Institute of Technology; ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Alberta; ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Calgary; and ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge.

Over the next four years, the U of L will continue to award a pair of $2,000 scholarships, one each through the Department of Geography and the Department of Physics and Astronomy.

Tecterra Inc. is a national organization supporting the Canadian development and commercialization of geomatics technologies for integrated resource management. With current funding from the Province of Alberta and Government of Canada, Tecterra invests in technology solutions for energy, forestry, agriculture, environment and land management and development applications.

Tecterra funds scholarship program

trevor.kenney — Fri, 07 Jan 2011 17:47:28 +0000

"This program rewards and fosters demonstrated excellence," adds Banting. "Tecterra is proud to support a program that builds key talent for our province."

Over the next four years, the U of L will continue to award a pair of $2,000 scholarships, one each through the Department of Geography and the Department of Physics and Astronomy.

Ptycia scores with U of L degree

trevor.kenney — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 22:15:46 +0000

On frozen ponds or in heated arenas, Canadians love their hockey. Dale Ptycia (BASc '85) also has a passion for the game, but he took it one step farther, turning it into a career as senior manager of licensing and merchandising for Hockey Canada (HC).

Ptycia's love of the game started in Lethbridge where he grew up playing minor hockey. While he admits he loved playing hockey, it never got in the way of his education.

"My dad quit school in Grade 9 to work on the family farm, so my parents always taught us how lucky we were that we had a chance to complete high school," remembers Ptycia.

Within two years of graduating from Catholic Central High School in 1976, Ptycia apprenticed as a carpenter, attended the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge part time and married his high school sweetheart.

"With the economic downturn, I decided it would be a good idea to pursue a post-secondary education to follow a new career path," says Ptycia. "I enrolled at the U of L as a mature student in 1980."

In his second year, Ptycia focused on physical education classes and entered the Faculty of Education, but by his third year, he decided not to become a teacher. His passion lay in the administrative and coaching side of sport. In his last two years at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ, he participated as a student representative with the Salary, Tenure and Promotion Committee, and the General Facilities Planning Committee for the Department of Physical Education.

"That experience was great. It gave me a lot of insight into administration, with respect to strategic planning, and has led me to some of the components that I now exercise with HC," says Ptycia. "I am in awe of the knowledge and expertise of the professors and faculty at the U of L and how the information they imparted helps me in my day-to-day responsibilities."

After graduation in 1985, Ptycia worked as the administrator for Lethbridge Hire-a-Student, before moving to Calgary in 1987 to become a program coordinator at the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology. Calgary, however, was not to become his new home.

"David McDowell, the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge's first hockey coach and a former instructor of mine, led me to my present career with HC. He put me in touch with people in Ottawa, and I was fortunate to be offered a job there in 1988 with the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association, now recognized as HC," says Ptycia.

Over the years, Ptycia's job evolved from program manager to senior manager of licensing and merchandising. In charge of creating revenue streams for HC, Ptycia sets up licensing contracts that allow companies access to intellectual property and trademark designs. Royalties generated from merchandise support grassroots hockey programs across the country. He is grateful to be a part of an organization that gives to so many people.

"I see myself as coming full circle, working in the field of hockey as a result of my academic career and then giving back to the community whether by volunteering as a hockey coach, mentoring interns or donating to the U of L," says Ptycia.

Recently, Ptycia and other alumni gathered with U of L President, Dr. Bill Cade, and MP Rick Casson in Ottawa.

"It was a great opportunity to gather as alumni and talk about some of the opportunities that lay ahead for the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ and to learn about the incredible growth and evolution of the campus," says Ptycia. "It is a priority for my family to give back to the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ that gave me the ability to work in a field that I have such a passion for."

UNews - Southern Alberta Institute of Technology

U of L celebrates its Calgary presence at Bow Valley College

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