UNews - treasurer

New ULAA president looks to further engage alumni

trevor.kenney — Wed, 11 Sep 2013 15:50:08 +0000

The new ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Alumni Association president understands the value of a community.

“I love growth, development and opportunity. Anything I can do to make things better for my community, for the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ or my neighbourhood, I try to get involved in,” explains Grant Adamson (BSc ’03), who was elected as the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Alumni Association’s 26th president in July.

“Community involvement has been an unwritten part of my family philosophy forever; that goes back to growing up on a farm. Being on a farm is not a place where you can grow or develop on your own. You need community,” says Adamson. “About 10 years back we received a farm century award. It was pretty important to our family and community, but when I graduated from high school I wanted to see who I was away from the farm. Someone suggested I would be a good teacher, so I researched and found that the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge had an excellent program for teachers and chose to come to Lethbridge.”

Grant Adamson, with his wife Rebecca, at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ’s Donor Gala

Adamson, however, discovered he had no desire to teach, so in his second year he switched his studies to biology. That same year, he developed a severe case of mononucleosis and was subsequently unable to take a full course load for the next several years. It was then that he truly experienced the fellowship and support found within the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ community.

“I was a very strong student academically going into university, but when I found myself suffering academically due to my health, I relied on services provided by the U of L. I sought out help when I needed it and I found it all over the place,” he says. “I became involved with the Organization of Residence Students, the Students’ Union and the curling club. My residence experience was particularly impactful because I got to be a part of governance and make a difference, which I loved. I also met my wife Rebecca (BA/BEd ’99, MEd ’09) and her friend Janet, who would later become my sister-in-law. Being involved in extra-curricular activities was very fulfilling and kept me going until I was well enough to take on full course loads.”

As he began to take more advanced theoretical courses, Adamson could not imagine himself being confined to working in labs for the rest of his life. He began to wonder if it was time to take a small turn in his academic direction once again.

“After exiting from the C-stairwell on 7th, I’d always turned left toward the bio-tech labs. One day, I felt drawn to the geography labs so I turned right instead! I sat there for about an hour reading the presentation boards about the projects and research going on in the department. I saw displays about things I cared about and it played to my roots. That fall, I switched my program to geography. Finally, I could look to the future and visualize what my life would look like.”

Adamson graduated in 2003 and began his career in the oil industry, working in environmental sciences. After the project he was working on shut down, he spent several years pursuing an interest in real estate investment, but his agricultural heritage always beckoned. In 2007, everything came together when Adamson began working with hybrid canola seed production at Monsanto Canada Inc. It was the perfect combination of biotechnology and agriculture all in one. Three years later, Adamson accepted a position at Dow AgroSciences where he continues to work as their lead agronomist for canola seed production in southern Alberta, the Pacific Northwest and Chile. One of his secondary duties is liaising with the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ, recruiting students to work with Dow AgroSciences as summer interns and potentially as long-term employees.

“The hybrid canola seed industry relies heavily on student interns in the summer, as it is extremely busy during this season,” says Adamson, who is happy to support students through his work and as a member of the ULAA. “The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ is a great supplier of excellent students who have a background in, or knowledge of, agriculture, or who are willing to learn about it.”
Adamson became involved with the ULAA in 2005. He has served as a director, treasurer and vice-president and was elected as president in July.

“I got involved with the association because I missed the connection with the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ. Participation with the ULAA is a great way for alumni to foster and maintain that link. As part of the executive, I have seen the association become increasingly involved in the community and take on a more formal role. My goal is to lead the maturation and formality process. With 36,480 alumni coming of age in the workforce, we are at a tipping point. I encourage alumni to reconnect and get involved. We want to hear about your stories, your successes and your adventures.”

GET THE FACTS

• Adamson is very proud of his family connection to the U of L – his wife Rebecca (BA/BEd ’99, MEd ’09), sister-in-laws Janet Adamson (BA/BEd ’00), Lauren Adamson (BSc ‘ 04) and brother Lowell Adamson (BSc ’04) are all a part of the alumni family

• Adamson has been a member of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Senate since 2011

• A former member of the board of directors for the Youth Federation of Canada, Adamson also serves as a construction volunteer for Habitat for Humanity, of which his wife is the organization’s local vice-chair

• The 2013 ULAA Executive consists of Adamson as president, vice-president Randy Kobbert (BMgt ’86), past president Kathy Lewis (BN ’83, MEd ’99), treasurer Jason Baker (BMgt ’02) and secretary Sharon Malec (BEd ’73)

Jong appointed new Board Chair

trevor.kenney — Wed, 03 Oct 2012 23:24:49 +0000

Gordon E. Jong, CA, a Lethbridge-based chartered accountant with a long-standing relationship with the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge, has been appointed by the Lieutenant Governor of Alberta as the ninth Chair of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Board of Governors.

Jong, who earned Bachelor of Science (1980) and Bachelor of Management (1982) degrees from the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge, is a former member of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Board of Governors (2006 to 2012) and a 2004 U of L Alumni Honour Society Inductee.

Community work has been a staple for Jong. He has served as Chair of the Board of Governors at Lethbridge College, treasurer of the Southern Alberta Society for the Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect; Lethbridge Jaycee's Club; president of the Rotary Club of Lethbridge; and treasurer of the Rotary International Peace Park Assembly.

Jong is also a successful Lethbridge businessman starting Jong & Company - a private company categorized under Chartered Accountants.

"The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge has always been a special place for me," says Jong. "I am very proud of the fact that the U of L has emerged as one of Canada's leading teaching and research universities. I am equally proud that while the U of L remains true to southern Alberta's needs through its teaching and research activities, that it has emerged as a destination university for students across the province, country and from around the world."

"I am looking forward to once again joining a very dedicated group of volunteers on the U of L Board of Governors."

U of L President Mike Mahon says Jong epitomizes the success and contribution that U of L graduates are making.

"Gord's success in business and his commitment to his community is emblematic of a U of L graduate. He is an example of the difference our graduates are making in their communities through the leadership positions they assume," says Mahon.

Jong assumes the role of Chair from Bob Turner, Q.C., who has served in the role for the past six years.

The Jong family boasts close linkages to the U of L. Jong is married to Elizabeth Martin Jong, who also holds a
U of L degree in Music (1981). The couple has two children, Terrah, who earned a Bachelor of Arts (2005), and Christopher.

Chandler brings history, experience to Alumni post

trevor.kenney — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 17:45:40 +0000

It was 1969, a year of firsts; Bryan Adams got his 'first real six-string', Neil Armstrong took humanity's first steps on the moon and Don Chandler (BASc '73), ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Alumni Association (ULAA) president and partner at Meyers Norris Penny LLP, became the first person in his family to attend university.

"None of my family had ever gone to university. Most of them didn't even finish high school so going to university was not an expectation, but I was quite academically inclined and it just seemed natural to proceed on to the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ," Chandler remembers.

Attending the two-year-old institution, Chandler's campus experience was quite different from that of today's students.

"When I started, U-hall did not exist and the campus was at the college site. We went from trailer to trailer for classes. I remember it was very small, only about 800 students and there were not a lot of places to do anything. We used the college library and our basketball games were at the Civic Centre downtown."

While some may have argued such a small institution could not possibly offer a good education, Chandler disagrees. Majoring in geography, he knew all his professors by name.

"They knew us so well that if we didn't perform to their expectations we did not get a good mark. I had senior courses with only four students, so you could not pull the wool over the professors' eyes," laughs Chandler. "It challenged me to work hard and do better."

An avid curler, Chandler got involved with the campus curling club and uncovered a passion for community involvement that would become a way of life.

"I was introduced to the sport in Grade 10 and began curling competitively right away. I became president of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ curling club during my second year and found out that I had abilities to organize groups and events, follow through with them and make them successful," Chandler explains. "I have done a lot of that since then."

Indeed, he has. Chandler received his chartered accountant designation in Edmonton in 1977. He and his wife Nadine then returned to Lethbridge where he would begin his accounting career, and his reputation as a driving force in the community.

"When I moved back, I immediately got involved with the Lethbridge Curling Club executive. I have been the treasurer for many years and was the president in 1985-86. I was involved in organizing the high school curling league in 2000 and still coach at the high school level. I also coached my children in curling and Little League," Chandler says. "Coaching is something I always enjoyed and it fit nicely into my other community activities."

Chandler's community service, which involves many organizations, also includes the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ. After two terms on ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Senate, Chandler got involved with the ULAA (��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Alumni Association) in 2008 and was elected president of the organization in June 2009.

"There has been a lot of growth in the ULAA in the last few years, and we have seen a lot of support from the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ. I would like to see that continue," Chandler says. "I would encourage alumni to volunteer at activities or participate in events such as the John Gill Memorial Golf tournament. Getting involved will not only increase the association's visibility, it will help maintain the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ's role as a vital part of our community."

GET THE FACTS

• Commercial Men's Slowpitch League treasurer for 10 years

• Coached the Alberta Junior Girls' Curling Championship Team (2006)

• Treasurer on the executive for McMan Youth Family and Community Services Association (ends this month) as well as board chair from 2003 to 2005

• Also involved with the Lethbridge Chamber of Commerce and United Way

• Canadian Curling Association's Volunteer of the Year for Alberta (2001)

• Inducted into the Lethbridge Sports Hall of Fame (2009)

• ULAA Honour Society member (2005)

Distinguished Alumnus, Dr. Doug Schmitt

trevor.kenney — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 13:32:12 +0000

During the Cold War era, the sight and sound of massive test explosions detonated at Suffield, Alta., likely inspired fear and dread in the average person.

Dr. Douglas Schmitt (BSc '80), however, professor of geophysics and physics at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Alberta and the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge's 2008 Distinguished Alumnus of the year award winner, is anything but average.

For Schmitt, who was five years old at the time, the explosions proved very intriguing. "My mom told me it was the scientists who blew things up; so from then on I wanted to be a scientist," explains Schmitt.

That love of science would continue and after graduating from Erle Rivers High School (Milk River), Schmitt entered the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge where he earned a bachelor of science in physics in 1980.

"The U of L was a really good place for me to go to school at that time in my life," remembers Schmitt. "I was in the physics program which was really small at the time. The professors were great. They were accessible, not condescending; we had no fear of talking to them. They treated us like colleagues and gave us the background to keep learning."

Schmitt lived in residence during his four years at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ and developed many lasting friendships and fond memories. He was active in the Residence Students' Association and served as both a floor rep and treasurer.

"We ran the pop machines, washers and dryers. We had a lot of fun activities. I worked with a good group of people," says Schmitt. In his last year at the U of L, Schmitt was undecided about what to do with the rest of his life. Fortune then smiled upon him.

"I was walking down ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Hall when I ran into one of the former lab instructors, Dave Hemmings. He asked if I wanted a job and I said, "Sure." I interviewed and got a job at Texaco in geophysics," explains Schmitt. "Before I got the job, I didn't know anything about geophysics so, in a sense, a chance encounter at the U of L set the course of my life and I am glad it happened."

Schmitt returned to graduate school at the California Institute of Technology and earned a PhD in geophysics in 1987. Following his post-doctoral research at Stanford ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ in California, he began his current career at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Alberta in 1989. He is a popular professor who inspires students to always continue learning.

"I think the best way to teach students is to give them the tools and skills to keep growing and learning, to teach them not to be afraid to get their hands dirty and to keep their minds open," says Schmitt.

An interactive professor, each year Schmitt takes his fourth year geophysics students to Doug's Geophysics Field School (near his family farm east of Milk River), giving them the opportunity to perform a variety of geophysical experiments and gather data they will work with for the rest of the semester.

As a Tier I Canada Research Chair, Schmitt also leads a team of highly skilled field and laboratory researchers. Their world-renowned research yields valuable information with important implications for better management of hydrocarbon production in the oil industry, the search for new mineral and water resources, the safe geological sequestration of greenhouse gases and the safety of mine workers worldwide.

It all fits into his philosophy of continued learning and growth as he continues to work on numerous projects, including a major venture he is currently spearheading that involves scientific drilling into the deep permafrost of Canada's Arctic regions.

Those explosions in the 1960's? They were in large part geophysics experiments, as Schmitt found out only after he was a professor at the U of A.

UNews - treasurer

New ULAA president looks to further engage alumni

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Chandler brings history, experience to Alumni post

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