UNews - ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Manitoba

Horns looking for medals at Canada West Track Championship

trevor.kenney — Fri, 27 Feb 2015 18:51:37 +0000

The 2014-15 Canada West Track & Field Championships will see a small but talented ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge team compete this weekend at the Max Bell Fieldhouse in the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Manitoba.

The Horns will send 12 athletes to the championship meet this year, with seven women and five men ready to challenge for conference titles.

Reigning CIS rookie of the year Aaron Hernandez and two-time Canada West weight throw gold medalist Peter Millman lead the Pronghorns this season and are favourites to win their respective events. The men’s team as a whole has been ranked 10th in the country for the past three weeks.

Following a stellar freshman campaign where he won both the Canada West and CIS gold medal in the triple jump, Hernandez enters the championship meet as the jumper to beat, ranked first in both the Canada West and CIS in his event.

Millman has had an exceptional start to his third season and goes to Winnipeg as the top ranked thrower in Canada West. Undefeated thus far this season, Millman sits atop the rankings in both the weight throw and shot put amongst Canada West competition. He is also ranked second in the CIS.

Ryan Sommer sits in second place in the Canada West rankings in both weight throw and shot put and sixth in CIS. Madison Hurst and Jordan Armstrong round out a strong men's team, ranking sixth and 13th in conference rankings for shot put and weight throw respectively.

On the women’s side, third-year Truro, Nova Scotia product Montana Forsyth is the top ranked Pronghorn athlete, ranking fifth in the weight throw, while Lara Roth is ranked one spot behind her at sixth.

The women's 4X200m relay team is ranked sixth in Canada West and looks to better its season's best time and ranking.

Overall, the Horns are poised to take home five medals and build on their preparations for the CIS Championships.

"We have had a strong season from a number of athletes thus far, but Canada West is where the rubber really starts to hit the road and preparations for CIS begin to show through,” says head coach Larry Steinke. “I'm expecting strong results from everyone and signs indicate that we will have some very notable performances again this year at Canada West."

Jurkowski named Dean of Faculty of Fine Arts

trevor.kenney — Thu, 11 Apr 2013 15:37:48 +0000

The Faculty of Fine Arts will be under the stewardship of a new Dean after the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge appointed Dr. Ed Jurkowski to the role, succeeding Dr. Desmond Rochfort.

"It is always exciting to announce the appointment of a new Dean, and it is especially gratifying to be able to promote someone from within the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge community," says Dr. Andrew Hakin, provost and vice-president (academic). "Dr. Jurkowski has been with the U of L for 17 years now and brings with him a wealth of knowledge, experience and a unique understanding of the challenges and opportunities that face the Faculty of Fine Arts."

Jurkowski has been at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge since 1996 when he began a term appointment as an assistant professor of music in the Faculty of Fine Arts. During his tenure here at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ, he has continually progressed, earning tenure as an associate professor of music in 2001 and then full professor of music in 2007.

He most recently served as the Chair of the Department of Music (2003-2009) and has been in the role of Associate Dean of the Faculty of Fine Arts since 2011.Jurkowski earned his bachelor's degree in music (composition) from the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Manitoba before completing his master's and PhD designations at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Rochester in Rochester, NY, where he was also a teaching assistant and instructor from 1989 through 1996.

A visiting exchange professor at Hokkai-Gakuen ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ in Sapporo, Japan in 2006, Jurkowski has published four books, including his latest, The Collected Works of Eduard Tubin: Double Bass and Balalaika Concertos (Series II, Volume 3) in 2013.

"I want to thank Dr. Rochfort for his fine work within the Faculty of Fine Arts over the previous five years," adds Hakin.

Jurkowski's appointment is effective July 1, 2013 to June 30, 2018.

Wieden headlines talk

trevor.kenney — Wed, 20 Mar 2013 18:18:23 +0000

The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge's Dr. HJ Wieden is one of four experts who will present a Cafe Scientifique talk at the Southern Alberta Art Gallery on Thursday, Mar. 21.

Wieden will be joined by Dr. Eric Brown of McMaster ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ, Dr. Frank Schweizer of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Manitoba and Dr. Tim McAllister as they discuss Antibiotic use in Agricultural Practices: Implications on the Health of Canadians.

In areas such as southern Alberta, the issue of antibiotic resistance can have a huge impact not only on human health but on industries such as agriculture.

In order to ensure the production of safe food products, the agricultural industry has utilized antibiotic protection of animals for many years. While this ensures quality food control, there are implications for the health of Canadians especially with respect to the efficiency of current antibiotic therapies.

Attend this talk to hear about current research being conducted in Canada. Areas of focus will include: how antibiotics work; pharmaceutical research necessary to develop new antibiotics; testing of antimicrobials; and the agricultural use of antibiotics in livestock populations.

Doors open at 6:30 p.m. with the talk scheduled from 7 to 9 p.m. Please RSVP due to limited seating to penny.dagnone@uleth.ca or 403-382-7198.

The presentation will also be available remotely at the following link: http://uleth.adobeconnect.com/cafe-scientifique/. The first 100 people to log in can view the Cafe remotely.

Exercise physiologists hold conference

trevor.kenney — Thu, 09 Aug 2012 19:44:51 +0000

Undergraduate and graduate students, along with some of the top exercise physiologists in western Canada, are at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge this week for the 6^th Annual Exercise Physiologists of Western Canada (EPOWC) conference.

Delving into issues such as the prevention of osteoporosis and optimizing physical capacity in obese adults, the conference is a student-focused event that invites undergraduate and graduate students from universities in British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba to present their research work in a supportive and constructive environment. It also serves to expose students to the work of leading researchers in exercise physiology and allows opportunities for networking and the development of collaborative relationships.

The two-day event begins Thursday, Aug. 9 with a pair of talks that are open to the general public and feature two of the top exercise physiologists in western Canada.

Dr. Phil Chilibeck of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Saskatchewan presents Exercise and Nutritional Strategies for Prevention of Osteoporosis at 4 p.m. in Markin Hall (M1040). His talk will focus on the best exercises to build bone during growth and throughout the lifespan, based on biomechanical, physiological and clinical evidence. The talk will also cover the best types of exercises for building bone, preventing falls and preventing fracture in people who already have osteoporosis.

Dr. Danielle Bouchard of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Manitoba follows with a presentation titled Increasing Physical Capacity in Obese Older adults: Is Weight Loss the Solution? The talk begins at 5 p.m. in M1040.

The second day of the conference, Friday, Aug. 10, features the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge's Dr. Tom Hazell as he discusses Time Effective Training: How Far Can Short Bouts of Intense Exercise Go in Improving Fitness? His talk, at 2:30 p.m. in M1040, will focus on the acute and chronic effects of sprint-interval training on metabolism and body composition.

Also featured is Dr. Michael Koehle of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of British Columbia, who will present High Altitude Research from the Field to the Laboratory at 9 a.m. on Friday morning.

The keynote presentations are sponsored by Alberta Innovates Health Solutions.

For a full look at the EPOWC conference, access the website at http://www.uleth.ca/artsci/kinesiology/exercise-physiologists-western-canada

Mastering a new game

trevor.kenney — Wed, 27 Jul 2011 21:16:45 +0000

The road between accepting an athletic scholarship and being the first in her cohort to defend and pass a Master of Science thesis is long, but Katie Lafreniere has travelled it well.

Originally from Winnipeg, Lafreniere expected to start her post-secondary experience as a basketball player at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Manitoba, but that reality vanished when she broke her ankle in her senior year.

Despite her injury, Lakeland College offered Lafreniere a sports scholarship and two years later, with a business management diploma in hand, she set her academic sights on the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge.

Master's student Katie Lafreniere takes social marketing to heart.

Lafreniere says that her decision to attend the U of L was an easy one to make because an existing transfer agreement between the two institutions allowed her to immediately enter into her third year of a bachelor's degree in management.

"It just made sense for me to come here," says Lafreniere. "It worked out really nicely."

Lafreniere spent the next two years developing a deep interest in social marketing, a process she believes was made possible because of the knowledge and support of the faculty members she encountered along the way.

"It's still a new discipline and we have professors here who know a lot about the topic," says Lafreniere. "They were the ones who were able to show me what, exactly, I wanted to do in life."

Later, as she readied herself to take the next step on her journey, Lafreniere realized she would be able to build her thesis on something that both her parents and her Aboriginal heritage had instilled in her since she was a child - a genuine sensitivity toward and tremendous respect for the environment.

"It opened my eyes. It just became a passion for me," says Lafreniere. "I want to have that practical aspect of it in my life, where I'm contributing to an actual cause in the real world."

Under the supervision of Dr. Sameer Deshpande, Lafreniere began her master's research in the spring of 2010; her work revolves around defining the perspectives and subsequent decisions of irrigators in the Cluny, Alberta, area who voted on a 2007 water-rights agreement between Balzac and the Western Irrigation District.

"Social marketing is a process that applies marketing techniques in order to influence behaviours to benefit society," says Lafreniere. "My research . . . would be how to convince irrigators who have more than enough water . . . to give the water that they're not using to other people who do need that water."

Over the next several months, Lafreniere plans to explore a second phase of her research by crafting a marketing campaign based on the findings of her research.

"We're very close with . . . water management organizations in Alberta that want our research and they want to apply it in what they're doing now," she says. "That's kind of the beauty of it; I don't have to convince anybody that it's important."

Fitzpatrick accepts Regina post

trevor.kenney — Tue, 12 Apr 2011 17:57:23 +0000

Dr. Dennis Fitzpatrick, a professor of chemistry and biochemistry and the Vice-President Research Emeritus at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge, has accepted a position as the Vice-President, Research at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Regina, beginning in July, 2011.

Fitzpatrick joined the U of L in 1999, and significantly expanded the research footprint of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ in many directions.

"This is an excellent opportunity for Dennis. His contributions here were significant, and we wish him well in this new role at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Regina," says U of L President Mike Mahon.

During his time at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge, Fitzpatrick made a significant contribution to expanding the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ's research beyond grant management to include strategic planning, team building, project development and the funding of numerous large institutional research initiatives in all three of the Tri-Council research domains.

Notable successes included the development of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge's first industry partnership with the Alberta Terrestrial Imaging Corporation, the funding of the Albert Ingenuity Centre for Water Research, a SSHRC Community ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Research Alliance Grant, an NSERC Capacity Development Grant and the Alberta Heritage Foundation for Medical Research Polaris Award.

Prior to becoming Vice-President (Research) at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge, Fitzpatrick held a series of academic and administrative appointments at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Manitoba. He began his academic career at that university after graduating in 1981 with his PhD from Rutgers ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ in New Jersey.

Steacy on record run

trevor.kenney — Thu, 24 Feb 2011 22:29:20 +0000

If you didn't hear Heather Steacy's name last year, it wasn't because the Pronghorns track and field star suddenly fell back to the pack and wasn't the dominating force we've learned to expect. Instead, Steacy was just bolstering herself for a record assault that is now in full bloom.

The two-time CIS gold medal champion in weight throw (indoor) stepped away from the CIS stage last year, focusing instead on training for the hammer throw and the summer outdoor season. While it took her out of competition for nearly a full calendar year, Steacy has returned to the indoor scene with a vengeance. At the Feb. 5 Bison Classic at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Manitoba, Steacy became the first woman in CIS history to break the 20-metre barrier, doing so twice as she easily won the gold medal.

"Technically, I'm a lot more consistent now," says the 22-year-old Steacy. "I felt before that I was always disappointed with the distances. I wasn't disappointed with the end result and the wins, but nothing ever felt consistent with how I was throwing. Now I feel like I'm in a much better place. It really comes with experience, repetition and knowing your body and how it moves."

That consistency is evident in her results. Two weeks before the Bison Classic, Steacy set a new personal best mark with a throw of 19.24 metres at the Golden Bear Classic. In Winnipeg she bettered that mark on all four of her qualifying throws and topped the 20-metre barrier with throws of 20.16m and 20.28m (a new Alberta provincial record). To put her dominance into context, the silver-medal winning throw was 13.99m.

"It was hard to step away last season because I knew I wouldn't be competing for almost an entire year," says Steacy. "From summer of 2009 until last summer, was a long time between competitions. In terms of training, it made so much sense. With hammer throw you need loads of volume, thousands of throws to get anything set, so it was definitely worth it."

The ultimate goal for the music major is to take her hammer throw prowess to the Olympic stage. Still a youngster for her sport, she is right on track for an Olympic appearance.

"I'm hoping to go to London in 2012, but I'm more looking forward to competing at the Rio Olympics in 2016," she says. "I would really like to go to London to get that experience under my belt and get a chance to see what it's like so I can know what to expect if I get to go to Rio."

In the meantime, she's branching out academically at the U of L, taking a variety of language classes to enhance her musical skills. She feels the knowledge of language will come in handy as she continues to take her talents to meets around the world. This spring, after competing at the Canada West and CIS championship meets, she'll represent Canada at the World ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Games in Shenzhen, China. In August, she hopes to be throwing hammer at the World Track and Field Championships in Daegu, South Korea.

The Canada West Track Championships are Feb. 25-26 in Winnipeg.

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

Steacy breaks through 20-metre barrier

trevor.kenney — Tue, 08 Feb 2011 18:34:08 +0000

��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Pronghorns thrower Heather Steacy has returned to the Canada West stage with a vengeance.

Two weeks after setting a new personal best mark in the weight throw, Steacy reached another level this past weekend at the Bison Classic in Winnipeg, becoming the first CIS woman ever to throw over 20 metres.

Steacy had set a new personal best at the Golden Bear Open in Edmonton, hitting 19.24m. In Winnipeg she would top 20 metres twice and shatter her own personal best by reaching 20.28m. In addition to becoming the first CIS woman to eclipse the 20-metre mark, she also set a new Alberta provincial record.

Former Pronghorns thrower, Kate Forbes, held the previous best throw in CIS history at 19.66m, set at the 2005 CIS Championships, also at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Manitoba.

In her first three seasons of eligibility Steacy has medaled in all three Canada West and CIS Championship meets, winning three conference titles and two CIS gold medals. Steacy took last season off from indoor competition to focus on the hammer throw.

Meanwhile, Kyle Murray shot up the Canada West rankings in the men's 300-metre event. With a time of 35.24 seconds, Murray claimed gold at the Bison Classic and heads into the Canada West Championships ranked first in the conference.

Steacy, Murray and the rest of the Horns track team will travel back to Winnipeg for the Canada West Championships, Feb. 25-26. The CIS Championships will be held Mar. 10–12 in Sherbrooke, Que.

New Mahon on campus

trevor.kenney — Fri, 26 Nov 2010 18:43:07 +0000

Once a week, a young Mike Mahon (pronounced Man) would catch the bus in his hometown of Winnipeg, Man., ride across the city and head to the swimming pool or gymnasium to work with people with intellectual disabilities.

The volunteer experience was part of a community-service expectation mandated by his high school, but Mahon wasn't there simply to earn credit. Having grown up in a household that valued community engagement, the idea of volunteerism was second nature, and he took to it innately.

"Growing up, that was just what I was exposed to, so the whole idea of volunteering just became a part of who we were as a family," says Mahon. "There was this fundamental belief that volunteering was an important part of living in a community."

New ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge President Dr. Mike Mahon.

Mahon had no idea at that time this early community service opportunity would have such an influence over his future career. It would shape his graduate studies, research and now, as the new president of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge, it continues to resonate.

Born in Manitoba, Mahon grew up with four siblings in a house that teemed with activity. A self-described sports junkie, he played a little of everything and eventually was a two-sport (football and track) student-athlete at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Manitoba. After completing a bachelor's degree in physical education, he moved on to the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Alberta (MSc in Physical Education) and then the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (PhD in Education) for his graduate and doctoral studies respectively.

"When I started thinking about what I would do with my master's degree, I did look back to that first experience," says Mahon. "It had a tremendous amount of influence from a career perspective."

His research, which focuses on adapted physical activity with an emphasis on older individuals and persons with intellectual disabilities, has garnered a number of honours, including: Fellow of the Academy of Leisure Sciences (2001); Award of Distinction from the Canadian Centre on Disability Studies (2000); the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Manitoba Rh Award for Outstanding Contributions to Interdisciplinary Scholarship and Research (1995).

The Presidential couple, Mike and Maureen Mahon.

Mahon has since become a vigorous proponent of physical activity for people of every age and ability. Most recently, he has been working on several projects that bring a research focus to how sports and play can help children in developing countries. In that context he has been involved with Right to Play as well as Play Around the World, groups that supply sports equipment and programming support to children in developing countries.

He says the opportunity to conduct research with these organizations, as well as become involved on a volunteer basis, is particularly rewarding.

"The people I've known who have become volunteers have really, in the end, got more out of the experience themselves than they feel they've given," says Mahon.

His academic career has virtually mirrored the path he took as a student, beginning at Manitoba before transitioning to the U of A where he spent two terms as the dean of the Faculty of Physical Education and Recreation prior to his coming to the U of L.

His arrival in Lethbridge appears to be a case of right Mahon, right time. Family, community and developing an atmosphere for growth of the entire person are some of the ideals that Mahon brings to the U of L.

As the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ looks forward, Mahon sees its growth achieved through a learning environment that is dedicated to social responsibility and community engagement; that is dedicated to building a comprehensive university across the broad academy of disciplines; that is dedicated to creating a person-first university environment for staff and faculty; and that is centrally focused on a student-first attitude.

Mahon recognizes he has inherited a confident and forward-thinking institution, and he looks to build off that foundation as he introduces new initiatives. He says, for example, that as much as the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ and its students are already agents of influence in southern Alberta, there is opportunity to expand the impact the U of L has on society by formalizing its community outreach initiatives.

"Liberal education is about presenting students with an expansive opportunity of academic experience," he says. "I'd like to think that part of that experience could be about being in the community and taking that liberal education concept that much further."

Mahon looks to the example his parents, who were involved community members, provided as he grew up, and the opportunities he had to explore and understand community engagement. As part of his future plan for the U of L, Mahon proposes introducing a framework whereby students earn academic credit for volunteerism.

"I think this is a tremendous gift that we can give our students," he says. "Having volunteer experience within the context of education is, on one level, a way that institutions can connect with and give back to the community, but on another level, it's a wonderful way to help our students expand their horizons."

Kristi Legge's Dance Group Performers, ranging from Grade 6 to university students, were among the highlights at the Presidential Installation.

The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge, having prospered under the leadership of former President Dr. Bill Cade, is emerging from its history as a primarily undergraduate university into a comprehensive institution that fully embraces a research culture, and is rapidly expanding its graduate studies opportunities.

"What I see is the continued integration of teaching and research, both at the undergraduate and graduate level. The U of L has always had a unique approach to engaging undergraduates in research, and that's something we will continue to do," says Mahon. "As we move forward, we must use our experience and commitment to excellence in undergraduate education as a springboard for the development of and improved access to graduate-level programming."

The opportunities for expansion, he says, are numerous, with a track record of success already established.

"We have developed internationally recognized strengths in the areas of neuroscience, epigenetics and water research, and we've more recently moved into the study of demographics and population with the creation of the Prentice Institute," says Mahon. "Now we're searching for our next niche research areas that we can build capacity in, and how they will also integrate with our academic programs, both at the undergraduate and graduate levels."

The recent opening of Markin Hall, a building that houses the Faculties of Health Sciences and Management, provides a fertile ground for collaborative research efforts, and is a perfect example of the interdisciplinary focus at the U of L. Simply by putting talented minds together, it creates a conversation from which great synergies can emerge.

"Markin Hall is going to be very much like the Alberta Water and Environmental Science Building (AWESB)," he says. "When you bring people from different, yet related, disciplines together under the same roof, you start to see some interesting areas of research develop."

Mahon recognizes that the U of L can only move forward with a people-first, student-first approach. It begins by creating an atmosphere where a positive work/life balance is celebrated.

"I want to see us build an institution that is committed to people and to creating that balance for our people, and that means students, staff and faculty. If I'm not a role model on that front, it's hard to preach that this is a direction we should go," says Mahon, who is regularly spotted in the 1st Choice Savings Centre gym, beginning the day with a run on the treadmill or a workout in the weight room.

Having been on campus since July, Mahon has gained an understanding of what makes the U of L engine run – its people. He says the liberal arts ideals that founded the institution, coupled with a student-first learning environment, will continue to be central themes as the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ advances.

"Whether it is in academic programs and research, how we recruit and orient our students, our class sizes, our residences, recreation and sport opportunities, health services, or the environment of our campus, we must ensure that we bring to life this concept of student-first," he says.

Part of that is recognizing and celebrating how integral a place the U of L occupies in southern Alberta.

"I've learned that the U of L is a real treasure, and it's because of our people," says Mahon. "We have staff and faculty who are committed to the success of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ and to the experiences of our graduate and undergraduate students. Combine that with where we are situated, our beautiful campus, small class sizes and world-class faculty – and this is truly a premier university."

This story originally appeared in the Fall 2010 issue of SAM. For a look at the full issue of SAM in a flipbook format, follow this link.

Mahon installed as 6th U of L President

trevor.kenney — Fri, 15 Oct 2010 18:02:07 +0000

The Hon. Catherine Fraser, Chief Justice of the Province of Alberta, officially installed Dr. Michael James Mahon as the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge's 6th President and Vice-Chancellor on Friday.

The Installation ceremony, held at the U of L's 1^st Choice Savings Centre for Sport and Wellness, was a celebratory affair as Mahon addressed students, staff and faculty from the U of L as well as ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ supporters.

��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Board of Governors Chair Bob Turner says Mahon has already made significant inroads in his brief time at the helm – in particular connecting with students, faculty members and staff to learn about the inner workings of campus. He looks forward to the future of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ under his direction.

"Mike and Maureen Mahon may be new to the community but they are making an impact, even in these few short months," says Turner. "Along with the members of our Board of Governors, I am extremely pleased to be working with Mike and our senior leadership team as they move the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ forward."

An accomplished kinesiology researcher, Mahon holds a PhD in Education from the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, an MSc in Physical Education from the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Alberta and a Bachelor of Physical Education from the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Manitoba.

Born and raised in Winnipeg, Man., Mahon began his academic career at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Manitoba in the Faculty of Physical Education and Recreation Studies in 1987.

During his tenure there he served as Director of the Health, Leisure and Human Performance Research Institute for six years. He joined the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Alberta in 2000 and served two terms as the Dean of the Faculty of Physical Education and Recreation. His current research is in the field of adapted physical activity with an emphasis on intellectual disability and sport for development.

With his inaugural address to the community, Mahon says his primarily role is to support and serve the people who comprise the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ community.

"As I begin my first year as president, I assure you, our university will continue to provide each and every student with the most vital and engaging learning environment in the country. I believe in collaboration, trust, foresight, listening and empowerment."

He acknowledges the U of L's more than 40-year evolution from a small and very successful primarily undergraduate university to a research-intensive, comprehensive university focusing on undergraduate and graduate studies.

"This is a place where ideas ignite thanks to inspired teaching combined with superior research," says Mahon. "The U of L is a place where a collaborative community of scholars and researchers has built a culture of support – for students, both undergraduate and graduate, for each other and for the broader communities of southern Alberta and beyond. Everyone at this university and in this community contributes to our success."

Mahon also introduces another concept that he is planning to implement: a fundamental belief in the importance of community service learning outside of the classroom.

"As part of a school-based volunteer requirement, I worked at an institution for children and adults with severe intellectual disabilities. This experience was the impetus for 33 years of work dedicated to understanding and supporting people with disabilities."

Mahon says his volunteer experience and subsequent career in disability studies had a significant influence on his philosophy of education.

"In keeping with that philosophy, it is my goal to ensure that during my tenure as President and continuing thereafter, each of our U of L students has an opportunity to complete at least one community-based experience during their undergraduate program.

"We are committed to building a ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ culture that promotes social responsibility and community engagement. We have an obligation to give back to the community that supports us, and our students have an obligation to give back to the community that welcomes them and enables their education."

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