UNews - David Hill

Dhillon School of Business to announce new major in Agricultural Enterprise Management

caroline.zentner — Thu, 25 Oct 2018 20:40:24 +0000

Thanks to the generosity of Dr. Cor Van Raay (LLD '15) and his $5-million gift to the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge and Lethbridge College, along with matching funding from the provincial government, the Dhillon School of Business is launching a new major in Agricultural Enterprise Management.

Van Raay recognized the business and management aspects of agriculture — agricultural finance, marketing and trade, for example — needed more attention and his donation became the catalyst to expand the business focus on agriculture.

“This new major in Agricultural Enterprise Management is a great fit for the Dhillon School of Business,” says Dr. Shamsul Alam, associate dean of the Dhillon School of Business. “We are focused on business innovations, such as blockchain, artificial intelligence, machine learning and big data, and many of these innovations will help keep our food production safe and nutritious.”

“The agri-food sector is forecast to be one of the most dynamic, challenging and rewarding areas of business as the world’s population keeps increasing,” says David Hill, director of development with the Southern Alberta Agriculture & Agribusiness program. “This agribusiness program concentrates on how business, management, finance and their related disciplines can be actively applied to any agricultural enterprise.”

The Agricultural Enterprise Management program was developed by Lethbridge College and the U of L in an integrated way. Both institutions spoke with stakeholders in the farming community, industry and government to develop eight learning outcomes for the program. From there, four pillars were identified: accounting and finance, policy and regulations, marketing, and operations and management. Following Van Raay’s investment, the U of L created a six-course minor which was the forerunner to the current major. Following the creation of the minor, Lethbridge College created a diploma in Agricultural Enterprise Management and students were accepted into the fall 2018 term. The U of L’s major will accept students beginning in the fall 2019 term.

Students from across Campus Alberta will be able to participate in this new major, with at least 12 courses from other colleges transferable and work being done to add even more. The program is not a typical two-plus-two model but rather is an integrated, flexible, four-year program where students have an opportunity to exit with diplomas or to complete a four-year degree.

“We deal with the service value-added activities and how it goes from the farm to the fork,” says Alam. “Although we have developed this with the college, it is unique in its delivery. No other university in Canada or the United States has this program. Other programs are based on science or economics or biotechnology, but this program is based on business.”

��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge welcomes new Research Chair in Potato Science

caroline.zentner — Tue, 26 Jan 2016 17:17:15 +0000

Funded by a consortium of association and industry partners, the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge has appointed Dr. Dmytro Yevtushenko as Research Chair in Potato Science.

The local potato industry is poised to benefit from Yevtushenko’s experience as a plant biologist and from his expertise in potatoes, a plant he has studied for more than 25 years.

“This is a dream job, tailored for me,” says Yevtushenko, who assumed the position on Jan. 4. “Thanks to the Potato Growers of Alberta (PGA) and the remarkable people at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ who have the vision for the potato and agriculture in Alberta, I can start this program in a relatively short time.”

The PGA, McCain Foods, Lamb Weston and Cavendish Farms made a $1 million investment over five years to establish the Chair in Potato Science. Western Canada has few researchers dedicated to the potato industry and the new Chair will enhance and expand the current capacity.

“Dmytro’s arrival in southern Alberta is a result of unprecedented collaboration between the potato industry and the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ,” says David Hill, Director of Development, Southern Alberta Agriculture Program. “For the potato growers and processors to have had the long-term vision, insight and dedication to work with the U of L to enable a potato research program focused on the needs of the industry is significant. This initiative is a key element of the renewed focus on agriculture and agri-business that is being pursued by the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ and its partners. It is an exciting time for the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ and the students who will benefit from participation in this program.”

The PGA is a non-profit potato grower organization working to increase the success of the Alberta potato growing industry, currently worth $1 billion annually.

“Local growers and processors welcome Dr. Yevtushenko and we are eager to start working with him,” says Terence Hochstein, the PGA’s executive director. “Our membership identified a need for university-level research and education in the potato industry and we are excited to have Dr. Yevtushenko and his expertise available to us.”

“Potatoes are a very large part of the economy here in southern Alberta and it’s very important for the people involved in the potato industry to have a feeling that the problems involved are being addressed by research,” says Dr. Joe Rasmussen, a U of L biology professor and Canada Research Chair in Aquatic Ecosystems. “It’s also important for the potato growers to have access to trained people who are ready to work in their industry. Students will gain higher education in an area they would not have had before and in a field that has potential employment for them in this region.”

Yevtushenko plans to co-ordinate his research programs with the needs of the local industry. His major research interests are in the areas of plant biotechnology and breeding, with focus on crop improvement and food safety using modern techniques that involve molecular biology, plant tissue culture, and genetics. While he has researched many plant species, he prefers working with potatoes. His experience working in the plant biotechnology industry has given him an appreciation for the concerns of producers. He has a broad range of research expertise, including development of potato genotypes with wide-spectrum disease resistance and large-scale production of virus-free seed potatoes in vitro. Among other projects, his research plans include improvement of tuber yields through epigenetic enhancement of current potato cultivars and speeding up the potato breeding process using innovative methods.

Yevtushenko is eager to get started and he’ll be visiting local potato farms and facilities in the next few weeks. His lab is being retrofitted in a construction trailer near Hepler Hall, where he will conduct research until lab space becomes available through the Destination Project construction. After it opens this summer, he’ll be starting his research projects. In September, Yevtushenko will teach a course in plant breeding and genetics with a component specific to potato agriculture. He also plans to have students working in his lab and, in the future, he hopes to develop co-operative opportunities for students.

“Potato growers are interested in a new generation of young people who will graduate from university and come to farms with knowledge of potato science,” says Yevtushenko. “Surprisingly, there is a shortage of qualified people in potato agriculture and when they need to hire someone, they hire people from the United States and from Europe.”

Yevtushenko was born in central Ukraine and attended Kiev State ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ, as it was then called. He’d wanted to be a scientist ever since he was in middle school and he arrived at university wanting to study nature and the environment. He discovered a passion for plant biology and completed a PhD at the Institute of Cell Biology and Genetic Engineering in Kiev. He came to Canada for a post-doctoral fellowship at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Guelph. Since then, he’s worked at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Victoria and held various positions in private industry, gaining a broad range of experience in business and research in the process.

Chinook Symposium winners announced

caroline.zentner — Thu, 02 Oct 2014 17:32:53 +0000

Winners in the recent Chinook Symposium student conference and poster competition held by the Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry received both recognition and cash for their hard work.

In the undergraduate biochemistry category, Dominic Czekay took first place and Ian Andrews took second. In the undergraduate chemistry category, first place went to Jackson Knott and second place went to Nathan Kostiuk.

In the graduate biochemistry category, Justin Vigar took first place while Dylan Girodat took second place. In the graduate chemistry category, first place went to Stefan Lenz and second place to Katie Wilson.

Laura Keffer-Wilkes received the Loren Helpler Gold Medal for PhD Research Excellence for her research presentation. Dr. Purshotam Sharma received the inaugural Christopher Owen Bender award for the best presentation by a post-doctoral fellow.

The panel of judges included Dr. Raja Kamalampeta, Dr. Nehal Thakor, Dr. Binod Pageni, David Hill, Dr. Tony Russell, Dr. Senthil Kumar, Tony Montina, Dr. Rene Boere and Dr. Chris Bender.

The department extends its thanks to the judges and congratulations to all the participants.

Thirty-five students, including post-doctoral fellows, doctoral candidates, master’s and undergraduate students and a high school student participated this year. First-place winners received $300 and second-place winners received $100.

U of L becomes first Canadian member of international water council

trevor.kenney — Thu, 20 Mar 2014 16:39:28 +0000

The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge has become the first Canadian member of the Universities Council on Water Resources (UCOWR) – an organization of universities, non-academic institutions, and international affiliates leading the way in water resources education, research and public service.

Founded in 1964 as an expansion of the Universities Council on Hydrology, UCOWR members and delegates focus on water resources related research and education, and represent various fields of natural and social science.

��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Vice-President (Research) Dr. Dan Weeks says membership in UCOWR will increase the reach of leading water-research initiatives undertaken at the U of L, and will be a catalyst for future collaborations at both the researcher and institutional levels.

“The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge is known as a provincial and national leader in water research by governments, industry and organizations alike,” says Weeks. “Membership in the Universities Council on Water Resources will create international opportunities for collaboration that will benefit us an institution, and more importantly, benefit our communities.”

The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge is home to the Water Institute for Sustainable Environments (WISE). WISE researchers play a leading role in analyzing water resources, including natural science analyses of watersheds, and water quantity and quality; and overlapping social science investigations related to aspects such as water policy and economics.

David Hill, director of centres and institutes at the U of L, says water issues are globally important and that international collaborations are essential to finding ways to better address similar problems (such as water quality and quantity) for the benefit of all.

“The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge’s participation on the Universities Council on Water Resources is a tremendous way to mark World Water Day (March 22),” says Hill. “The water research capacity at the U of L will be enhanced through UCOWR participation, and we will contribute our world-class experience with others.”

UCOWR's main objectives include facilitating water-related education at all levels, promoting meaningful research and technology transfer on contemporary and emerging water resources issues, compiling and disseminating information on water problems and solutions and informing the public about water issues with the objective of promoting informed decisions at all levels of society.

UCOWR’s membership includes over 60 American and Mexican universities.

Water researchers to collaborate with Fulbright Canada Visiting Research Chair

robert.cooney — Thu, 03 Oct 2013 17:25:36 +0000

Brooks will be giving his initial talk to the U of L audience on Thursday, Dec. 5 from 3 to 4 p.m. in WE1001, presenting Understanding Risks of Fish on Prozac, Bugs on Drugs and other Harbingers of an Urbanizing Water Cycle

Dr. Bryan Brooks, a professor of environmental science and biomedical studies at Baylor ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ's College of Arts & Sciences (Waco, Texas) will be getting his feet wet in more ways than one as he begins a research term with colleagues at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge’s Alberta Water and Environmental Science Building (AWESB).

As the recently-appointed Fulbright Canada Visiting Research Chair, Brooks will arrive at the U of L in January 2014 to work on projects of common importance to communities on both sides of the Canada-US border.

Dr. Bryan Brooks will arrive on campus in January 2014 but has already begun collaborative work with U of L researchers.

Though they are more than 3,000 km apart, there are many parallels between the semi-arid environment of southern Alberta and the areas of Texas that Brooks studies. Urban intrusion on watersheds, climate change and other environmental stressors affect both regions.

“My goal is to develop a more complete understanding of water quality in the watersheds of semi-arid regions in Alberta that are undergoing urbanization," says Brooks. "I am looking forward to working with, and learning from, the researchers at the AWESB to build on my team’s ongoing work in semi-arid regions of Texas and other parts of the U.S., so we can advance sustainable water resource management efforts together."

Brooks is recognized as an international expert on contaminants and water quality issues in urban regions. His research team focuses efforts on water quality and water reuse, comparative toxicology and pharmacology, sustainable molecular design/green chemistry, developing approaches to define contaminant risks and the ecology and toxicology of harmful algae blooms.

A transplanted Californian, Brooks has taught at Baylor since 2002 and has served as director of the university’s environmental health science program since 2008. He is the author of more than 100 book chapters and journal articles and has been recognized by Baylor’s chapter of Phi Beta Kappa, one of the nation’s leading collegiate honor societies, for his exceptional student mentoring.

“Having Bryan on campus will be a great benefit to a number of different research teams at the U of L,” says Dr. Joe Rasmussen, a Canada Research Chair in Aquatic Ecosystems and the Director of WISE. “I know Bryan both personally and as a researcher, and we are extremely lucky to have him working with us. He’s got a great ability to connect with students, members of the community and colleagues from different disciplines. His enthusiasm for teaching and learning is contagious, and I am really looking forward to hearing his perspective on our common areas of research.”

Rasmussen and other WISE researchers, including geographers, biological scientists, physicists, water-quality and toxicology specialists, GIS imaging experts and glacier researchers among others, are analyzing water resources, water quantity and quality. They then overlap related social science investigations, such as water policy and economics.

Their studies often investigate water resources and river systems of western North America, including the Saskatchewan River Basin and adjacent watersheds. The investigations consider fundamental aspects of water science, as well as applied science and management directed towards the simultaneous goals of environmental health and socioeconomic prosperity.

WISE is one of 12 Centres and Institutes at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge. Growth of research centres and institutes in strategic areas, and the continued development of existing centres and institutes, is a key feature of the Strategic Research Plan of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge.

Centres and Institutes Director, David Hill, says Brooks’s appointment to the WISE group will further expand its reach in each of the research and broader external communities.

“Bryan has a number of innovative research efforts to his credit, and we are very pleased he will be on campus for a sustained period of time to work with our researchers in the WISE Centre," says Hill. "Adding Bryan to the WISE group underscores the value of the Centre and Institute concept, which is to bring different people and levels of expertise together to work on a common theme, in this case, water. They are already working on projects that have a bigger impact because they are working together. Bryan’s research and his networks will be a valuable addition to that process.”

Recipients of Fulbright awards are selected on the basis of academic or professional achievement, as well as demonstrated leadership potential in their fields. Fulbright Canada, a joint, bi-national, treaty-based organization was created to encourage mutual understanding between Canada and the United States of America through academic and cultural exchange. Fulbright Canada is supported by the Canadian government through the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada; by the United States government through the Department of State; and by a diverse group of corporate sponsors, charitable trusts and university partners. It is governed by an independent board of directors and operates out of Ottawa.

Three new research centres approved

trevor.kenney — Mon, 06 May 2013 22:08:29 +0000

The General Faculties Council at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge has approved the creation of three new collaborative, and diverse, research centres, which will focus on the creation of oral history, develop community-based collaborations and bring together chemistry and biochemistry researchers from around the world to further their expertise in fluorine technologies.

Growth of research centres and institutes in strategic areas, and the continued development of existing centres and institutes, is a key feature of the Strategic Research Plan of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge.

"The new centres bring the number of specifically-established groups to 13, all of which involve a significant number of cross-faculty or cross-departmental collaborations," says David Hill, the U of L's Director of Centres and Research Institutes.

"These three new groups have exciting plans for growth in their respective research areas that involve students at all levels, develop enhanced relationships with colleagues on campus and internationally and also showcase the U of L as an interesting and innovative place to work and learn."

The Centre for Oral History and Tradition (COHT)

The Centre for Oral History and Tradition (COHT) will see researchers collaborate on oral history projects, offer resources and training to students and researchers interested in making oral history part of their research process, and work with partners, such as the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Archives, to ensure oral history projects are properly executed, documented and available for future reference.

The Centre for Culture and Community (CCC)

The Centre for Culture and Community (CCC) will serve as a resource for ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge faculty and community partners engaged in cultural and community-based studies and creative activity.

The CCC's mission is to facilitate mutually beneficial university-community collaboration and resource-sharing with respect to social-science and humanities research, creative activity and outreach focused primarily, though not exclusively, on Lethbridge and southern Alberta.

The Canadian Centre for Research in Advanced Fluorine Technologies (C-CRAFT)

The Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry has brought together a local, national and international team of researchers to found the Canadian Centre for Research in Advanced Fluorine Technologies, Canada's first collaborative group with concentration of unique expertise in fluorine chemistry.

The establishment of the Canadian Centre for Advanced Fluorine Technologies (C-CRAFT) will allow the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ to become a focal point for tackling challenges in materials, energy and the environment for which fluorine provides solutions, such as the oil and gas industry, manufacturing and steel and aluminum refining.

Functional Flows gets funding boost

trevor.kenney — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 17:58:56 +0000

A critical study by the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge's Water Institute for Sustainable Environments (WISE) that could shape how the province manages its water sources is being given a $1 million boost by the Alberta government.

Alberta Innovates – Energy and Environment Solutions is contributing $1 million toward a proposed $2.5 million project that will take place over the next three years.

Functional Flows, headed by principal researcher Dr. Stewart Rood of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ's Department of Biological Sciences, will attempt to answer the question of how much water needs to be left in our rivers to sustain healthy aquatic and riparian ecosystems, all the while developing strategies to provide sufficient water to support growing human populations and industrial expansion.

"It is critical for the environmental health of our aquatic ecosystems that we understand the ecological impacts from river damming and water diversions," says Rood.

"Further, we need to create and implement strategies for environmental flow regimes that will ensure that our rivers continue to sustain high water quality, as well as the fish and floodplain forests that we value."

Alberta's rivers deliver mountain snow-melt and rainfall to the drier regions of the prairie and parkland zones, where most Albertans live and work.

Water is trapped by dams and reservoirs and diverted off-stream for agricultural irrigation, municipal and domestic use and industrial purposes.

As the human population grows and industrial expansion continues, the demand for Alberta's surface water will progressively increase.

Rood and his team support the notion of working rivers, whereby river regulation and water withdrawal continues, but in a strategic manner that both sustains environmental health and supports socio-economic uses.

Rood contends that deliberately artificial flow patterns can optimize water for environmental survival during low flow years, and capitalize on the opportunities provided in high flow years to rejuvenate the fish and floodplain forest ecosystems.

"One of the significant challenges identified in Alberta's Water for Life strategy is meeting the needs of healthy aquatic ecosystems. The work being undertaken by Dr. Rood and his team provides a scientific and evidence-based approach to improving environmental performance, even in Alberta's highly allocated river systems," says David Hill, director of Centres and Institutes and Research Advocacy at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge.

"This approach allows stakeholders and water managers to directly participate in building and improving environmental resilience through specific water management opportunities. The understanding gained through this research will be a critical component in ongoing integrated watershed management decision-making."

The research activities associated with Functional Flows involve substantial student training, contributing towards the next generation of environmental scientists and natural resource managers for Alberta and Canada. The research projects bring together biologists, geographers and other natural and social scientists affiliated with WISE, working in collaboration with other academic and government researchers.

The collaborations also engage regional agencies such as Alberta Environment, the Alberta Conservation Association and the public Watershed Planning and Advisory Councils.

"The U of L has a long history of research collaboration with the community. This is particularly the case in Dr. Rood's research. This program brings together the research team, with government operators and regulators and stakeholders of the community, ensuring that the science and research findings can be implemented to deliver improved environmental performance measures," says Hill.

"This project will contribute to Alberta being recognized not just for its forward looking water strategy – but for ongoing and improved watershed management operations."

Balancing environmental sensibilities with the future economic prosperity of the province was a driver of the Functional Flows project, which received an initial $250,000 contribution from ConocoPhillips Canada (CPC). Based in Calgary, CPC is part of ConocoPhillips, a leading global exploration and production company. "We see this as an opportunity to engage the research expertise at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge in a manner that will benefit everyone from students and faculty members involved in the research, to industry, agriculture, municipalities, Aboriginal communities and end users of Alberta's water resources," says Lloyd Visser, VP, Environment and Sustainable Development.

Small business, big opportunity

trevor.kenney — Tue, 11 Dec 2012 22:01:06 +0000

According to the provincial government, small businesses make up about 96 per cent of all businesses in Alberta. While they may be small, they certainly are mighty. In fact, small businesses in the province contribute nearly 30 per cent of Alberta's gross domestic product (GDP) – a figure that puts them first in the country for small business GDP per capita in 2009. But it's not just small enterprises in Alberta that are economic powerlifters. Across Canada, small businesses are doing their bit by employing half of the total workforce.

The hard reality, however, is that 75 per cent of Canadian small businesses fold within nine years. Why does that happen, and what factors contribute to the long-term success of some small businesses?

These questions and others like them are being explored at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge's newly established Small Business Institute (SBI) in the Faculty of Management. Founded earlier this year, the SBI links small businesses to the expertise of researchers, professionals and other business people. Simply put, the SBI serves as a hub for research on small businesses and a resource for those who own, work at and are interested in them.

Dr. M. Gordon Hunter and Dan Kazakoff want to help area small businesses avoid the pitfalls that doom many great ideas.

The Institute investigates many issues related to businesses, including succession, sustainability and franchising. The SBI also works with rural areas throughout southern Alberta, where small businesses are often the lifeblood of the community.

"The SBI is an excellent example of U of L professors and researchers working to ensure that their work is relevant and valued in the community, and that leading business practices can be adopted by small businesses in the region," says David Hill, director of Centres and Institutes at the U of L.

The SBI was established by researchers Dr. M. Gordon Hunter and Dan Kazakoff. Both professors in the Faculty of Management, they worked together initially to co-author the book Little Empires: Multi-Generational Small Business in Southern Alberta, Canada. Published in 2008, Little Empires profiled 11 local, family-run operations.

"We wanted to help small businesses learn from each other," says Kazakoff, noting that the SBI was a logical evolution of the work invested in Little Empires. "With the Institute, we wanted to raise the profile of small businesses and interact with the community. It was our way of giving back."

The strategy works well, says Paul McDonald (BMgt '88), one of the entrepreneurs featured in Little Empires. McDonald, along with his brothers Jim (BMgt '80) and Gord (BMgt '89), owns the McDonald Auto Group, which has operated in southern Alberta since 1942. While the family business originally sold John Deere tractors, it now owns McDonald Chevrolet Buick GMC in Taber and McDonald Nissan in Lethbridge.

Participating in Little Empires, says McDonald, was an eye-opening experience. "It allowed me to see how other businesses operate and what allowed them to prosper." Today, he repays those insights by serving on the SBI's Advisory Board. "They want to know the challenges small businesses face and the resources we need to succeed in the future. We provide that feedback."

In addition to guiding the SBI's initiatives, Alberta businesses are also supporting them financially. This fall, ATB Financial made a $36,000 investment in the SBI that will sponsor a speaker series and bring industry leaders and researchers – including Hunter and Kazakoff – to rural communities throughout southern Alberta. The purpose of the business education seminars is to share knowledge and experiences on topics pertaining to small businesses.

That expertise is also showcased in Hunter and Kazakoff's second book, which was released earlier this year. Unlike Little Empires though, Small Business: Journey to Success was written primarily for an academic audience, reflecting the researchers' goal to eventually develop new courses within the Faculty of Management that focus on small businesses and bring new knowledge into the classroom.

In the meantime, Hunter and Kazakoff are busy with a number of research projects. The team, for example, has previously examined why small businesses fail (e.g., owners lack passion and focus) and how small enterprises survived the financial crisis (e.g., they were already operating in a fiscally conservative manner). Now the researchers are studying why small businesses typically do not partake in insolvency processes to deal with deteriorating financial situations (e.g., owners usually cannot afford the inherent expense).

Down the road, Hunter and Kazakoff will also look at small businesses' contributions to the local economy and how the agricultural industry has been affected by changes to the Canadian Wheat Board. The researchers also plan to compare the success stories of indigenous entrepreneurs in Canada with those of the Maori in New Zealand.

"Through our research," says Hunter, "we hope to expand our reach locally, regionally, nationally and internationally."

For more information on the U of L's Small Business Institute, please visit: www.uleth.ca/management/sbi

This story first appeared in the Fall 2012 issue of SAM. For a look at the full issue in a flipbook format, follow this link.

Open Mike - December 2012, Defining success at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge

trevor.kenney — Tue, 11 Dec 2012 17:56:20 +0000

I am really pleased to be back on campus and feeling well again, and I thank everyone for their well wishes over the past six weeks.

During my time away and recently as I have been transitioning back into the workplace, I have been thinking about what facilitates success at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge.

In recent months we have seen national organizations such as RE$EARCH Infosource award the U of L with the distinction of being Canada's Research ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of the Year 2012 (Undergraduate category), achieved our highest-ever ranking in Maclean's magazine's annual university rankings and been lauded by the Globe and Mail in their annual ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Rankings Report.

While recognition is nice, accolades do not facilitate the success of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ, rather it is our people. The faculty, staff and students of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge are our success and they drive the institution.

The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ's success is rooted in its people, and the ability of the institution to continually support their talents.

In recent days, I have been taking part in Strategic Planning Workshops, and as I listen to the presentations from throughout campus, I am constantly reminded that we can only achieve success as an institution if our people feel as though they are a part of the vision of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ and can see their role in pushing our strategic priorities forward.

We can achieve this by continuing to support our people in every way that we can and allowing their talents to shine.

I think of the Health Check for You program that is currently offered by the Wellness Committee, free of charge, to our campus community. After listening to a presentation on the program and its benefits, it struck me that as much as this initiative might seem small in relation to the big picture, these are the very things we have to continue to support as we cultivate an environment for our people to be successful.

I look to the recent addition of David Hill to the Office of Research and Innovation Services as another example of creating an environment for success.

By bringing David to campus, we have added an advocate who will continue to build capacity from a research centres and institutes perspective, who will help us look ahead at what are the next opportunities for our institution, and where the next successes lie that will allow us to build as a comprehensive university.

By putting the right people in the right environment and providing them with the tools they need to be successful, whether it is in terms of equipment and infrastructure or a healthy supportive workplace, we can't help but achieve success as an institution.

Going forward, our challenge is to continue that support while also identifying the next group of people who can help us move forward strategically.

Our Strategic Plan must reflect this culture of support, through small programs such as Health Check for You to larger scale initiatives such as the quest for a new science building, the further expansion of residence and the reshaping of food services. All these individual pieces must come together to form a basis of support for our faculty, staff and students.

Maureen and I wish you the very best this holiday season, and look forward to reconnecting with everyone in the New Year.

This story first appeared in the December 2012 issue of the Legend. For a look at the full issue in a flipbook format, follow this link.

Research advocacy finds champion in Hill

trevor.kenney — Mon, 03 Dec 2012 22:57:34 +0000

As much as David Hill describes his return to Lethbridge as a homecoming, he is quick to recognize that what he thought he knew about the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge only scratched the surface.

"I always thought I was pretty familiar with what was happening at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ, and I have been pleasantly surprised by both the depth and breadth of the intellect, experience and opportunity that exists," says Hill, the new director of centres and institutes and research advocacy.

Since assuming his post Sept. 1, Hill has seen the introduction of the ninth research centre/institute on campus (Institute for Child and Youth Studies), the declaration by RE$EARCH Infosource that the U of L is Canada's Research ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of the Year (2012 Undergraduate category) and the highest ever ranking from Maclean's magazine.

David Hill's long relationship with the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge and southern Alberta as a whole helps ease the learning curve for the new director of centres and institutes and research advocacy.

"This really is a career opportunity," says Hill. "From my personal perspective, this allows me to make a difference, to use all the skills I've developed over my career and to do it in a way that will add value to the research and the teaching that's happening here."

Born in Eastern Canada, Hill spent much of his youth in Europe before eventually settling in the Lethbridge area. He married his wife Betty, a Picture Butte native, in 1974, and they spent the early days of their marriage in towns such as Taber, Vauxhall and Brooks, all the while raising five children.

Professionally, Hill became well known both provincially and nationally as a key advocate for water research, water use policies and irrigation management. In the six years prior to coming to the U of L, Hill was the executive director of Water Resources for Alberta Innovates-Energy and Environment Solutions, based in Edmonton.

The key contacts he has established over the years will serve him well in his new capacity at the U of L.

"I think what I bring to this is the ability to take some of the research findings and outcomes happening in the various centres and institutes and get them into communities of interest that would not normally have contact with the researchers," says Hill.

And it's not just about water, although Hill is cognizant of the long history he was with the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ's water researchers.

"There is so much that is happening within all the centres and I've found, particularly when I'm visiting labs and talking with students, that the level of commitment and excitement is so high, I'm going to have a difficult time deciding where to invest my time," he says.

Hill is a big proponent of the centres and institutes approach the U of L has taken in establishing areas of expertise. By investing strategically in people and infrastructure, the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ has been able to focus on its core strengths while invigorating interdisciplinary research.

"They have, in many respects, been a means of bringing researchers with common interests together to share their talents and expertise in ways that weren't formerly done," he says.

"We all need to challenge ourselves somewhat about what we know and where we know it from. We're living in a world now that is talking an awful lot about collaboration, but it really does spawn ideas through that dialogue and interaction that individuals on their own would likely not come to. That's one of the key advantages of these centres and institutes, to discover new ideas together."

This discovery benefits all, not the least of which are U of L students.

"At the end of the day, universities still educate and that student experience, in an area where there is such a rich exchange of ideas, I think is really valuable."

GET THE FACTS

· Hill loves going to bat for a 'smaller' university like the U of L, saying, "We have a very unique ability to involve undergraduates and graduates in key research interests that are pressing needs for society. That's the part around research advocacy that I'm going to find really enjoyable and interesting."

· Hill's son, Justin (BSc '08), is the GIS co-ordinator for Palliser Regional Municipal Services Ltd.

· His daughter, Jennifer, works with Alberta Innovates Technology Futures in the Alberta Genetically Engineered Machines program, and she is now running the Imagine Cup competition, while another daughter, Jocelyn, works in the U of L Daycare

· Hill loves to cook to relieve stress, citing all kinds of chili as a favourite dish to prepare

This story first appeared in the December 2012 issue of the Legend. For a look at the full issue in a flipbook format, follow this link.

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