UNews - academic assistant

��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ mourns passing of academic assistant

trevor.kenney — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 16:02:24 +0000

The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge community offers its most sincere condolences to the family, friends and colleagues of the late Michael (Mike) Robinson, an academic assistant in the Department of Biological Sciences, who passed away Sunday, Jan. 29 at age 50 and after battling cancer.

Robinson is survived by his wife Karen Zanewich (who had also worked at the U of L as an academic assistant) and children Zachary and Isabelle.

He earned an MSc from Simon Fraser ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ in Ecology and joined the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge in 1998.

He was very involved in the undergraduate teaching program where he taught a variety of classes and labs, including Seminars in Biological Sciences, the Capstone course for biology majors.

Robinson was the first to volunteer for new student orientation and served as the departmental undergraduate advisor. He worked to the highest standards and expected the same from his students.

Robinson was key in creating the Science Toolkit (http://www.uleth.ca/artsci/biological-sciences/science-toolkit) – an innovative online resource to aid student with developing an understanding of the scientific method, statistical analysis and effective communication.

He will be greatly missed by his ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ friends, and especially his biology 'family.'

There will be no memorial service at the family's request. People can send messages of condolence to Brent Selinger and they will be forwarded: selibl@uleth.ca

Summer program a Spanish expedition

trevor.kenney — Fri, 07 May 2010 18:10:23 +0000

This May, Luz Ospina, academic assistant, Department of Modern Languages, will accompany 11 ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge students as they immerse themselves in the language and culture of Mexico City as part of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ's pilot Spanish summer immersion program.

"Currently we offer a minor in Spanish, but we are in the process of developing a Spanish major. The six-credit immersion course came about because of that. We were also trying to create a relatively easy and efficient way for students to acquire oral fluency in the language," says Dr. Raquel Trillia, who teaches Spanish in the Modern Languages Department. "Immersion makes it much simpler. It is more natural."

The International Centre for Students (ICS) has played a major role in getting the program off the ground.

"The professors of modern languages came to us with the idea of doing an immersion program and asked for assistance finding a Spanish speaking university," explains Laura Ferguson, co-ordinator, International Programs and Exchange for ICS. "We have a long-standing exchange agreement with the Universidad Panamericana in Mexico City so we were able to use our contacts there and partner with them on the program."

Students, who must complete Spanish 1100 prior to leaving for Mexico City, will spend six weeks living with Mexican families. Monday to Thursday mornings, they will attend Spanish language classes at the university, studying all aspects of learning a language, including pronunciation, conversation, reading and writing. In the afternoons, they will be involved in various activities that will expose them to Mexican culture, art and history. They will also participate in guided field trips to enrich the cultural experience. The great bonus is that students will be continually immersed in the language: shopping, cooking, interacting with their hosts and learning about the culture through everyday experience.

"I would expect that the workload will be intense; they will be required to write papers and do presentations, and from that the students should achieve greater oral proficiency," says Trillia. "Students who come back to our classrooms having lived this experience are going to enrich our Spanish program. We are hopeful that this program will be successful and that we will be able to continue to run it in the future."

Evelyn Peters is one of the 11 students going to Mexico City.

"This is an awesome opportunity to learn the Spanish language hands-on. I expect to pick up the language much more quickly and have a better understanding of, not only the language, but also the culture," she says. "I plan to graduate with a BEd in Modern Languages. I will feel much better equipped to do this after spending time immersed in the language. I am very grateful for this opportunity. Vamos a Mexico!"

For more information, contact the Department of Modern Languages or the ICS, or send an e-mail to raquel.trillia@uleth.ca or laura.ferguson2@uleth.ca.

Men in Nursing Recruitment Day on Friday

trevor.kenney — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 16:49:03 +0000

Changing long-entrenched attitudes can often be a slow and gradual process. Peter Kellett, an academic assistant in the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge's Nursing program, is attempting to give that process a nudge.

Kellett and the Faculty of Health Sciences will present a Men in Nursing Recruitment Day, Friday, Feb. 12, as they try and show men that nursing is not only a viable career option but it should be a desirable one as well.

"The primary challenge of attracting men to nursing is the general public views nursing as a woman's profession," Kellett, a nurse for 14 years, says. "What I'm really hoping to do with this day is to help men realize that this is not just a profession for women."

This is the second consecutive year that Kellett has run the recruitment program.

"We did a similar day last year and it was very well received. Our applications to the nursing program from men (especially the after-degree program) definitely increased," he says.

Drawn to nursing because of an interest in the medical field and a mother who worked as a nurse, Kellett says there are many false impressions about the profession that seem to steer men away.

"I think one of the misconceptions is that nursing is somehow a lower profession and it is not. It's very much a dynamic and challenging career and very worthwhile to be part of — you make a difference every day," Kellett says. "I had considered other health-care professions but what attracted me to nursing is that nurses are the people who have a long-term relationship with the patients. I think the bond between nurse and patient is like no other in the health-care field."

The day runs from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. in AH100 and includes a pair of sessions where men in nursing share their experiences and answer questions.

Men in Nursing Recruitment Day (AH100)

9 to 10 a.m. – Presentation about nursing in general
10 to 10:30 a.m. – Coffee Break (provided)
10:30 to 11:30 a.m. – Presentation from U of L staff on local application process and academic requirements, scholarships and funding opportunities
11:30 a.m. to noon – Men in nursing share their experiences Q&A
Noon to 1 p.m. – Lunch (provided)
1 to 2:30 p.m. – Men in nursing share their experiences Q&A
2:30 to 4 p.m. – Tour of nursing skills lab

Childhood experiments just a start for McKay

trevor.kenney — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 20:38:24 +0000

By STACY SEGUIN

Have you ever looked up and wondered about the origin and contents of paper towel wads on a ceiling?

Chances are anyone who spent time in the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge chemistry labs will admit they have occasionally wondered about the unintentional ceiling artwork. Dr. Ryan McKay (BSc '93), scientific director and assistant director at the National High Field Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Centre (NANUC), didn't give them a second thought – because he knew their origin.

"My dad worked as an academic assistant at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ from 1967 until just a few years ago. I remember going to work with him when I was a kid," says McKay. "My dad would set me up at the bench while he marked and I would experiment with soap detergents and copper sulfate. I would mix things until I had enough pressure in the tube to have corks blow off. I had stuff stuck to the ceiling for decades."

Of course, McKay is a lot more serious about his scientific research now, but his childhood experiments were a sign of things to come. McKay entered the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ as a pre-law student in 1989. After only one semester, however, he realized science was in his blood. He changed his major to biochemistry and spent the remainder of his undergraduate summers working as a research assistant and experimenting in organic chemistry.

"Going to the U of L, with its smaller classes, gave me more opportunity to do projects, and really affected my understanding of how research is done," recalls McKay. "The research was fascinating."

McKay became particularly enthralled with nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) research while working with an NMR spectrometer during one of his summer projects. After graduating with distinction in 1993, McKay received a National Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) scholarship to attend graduate school.

"When I finished my undergrad I wanted to study viruses with NMR spectrometry. Looking for a supervising professor at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Alberta, I met Dr. Brian Sykes. Not really knowing who he was, I very casually plunked myself in one of his chairs, and explained my research interests. It wasn't until Brian decided to supervise my master's degree that I realized he was one of the top NMR guys on the planet," grins McKay.

McKay started a master's of science at the U of A in 1993, but switched to a PhD in 1996. He completed his PhD in biological sciences in 1999 then did two consecutive post-doctoral fellowships in physical biochemistry, at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Minneapolis and the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Calgary. While still at the U of C, McKay applied for the position of scientific director at NANUC in 2001.

"NANUC is a national research facility housed at the U of A. Using super conducting magnets we look at the nucleus of the atoms and, using radio frequencies, figure out what these atoms are doing," explains McKay. "The applications include everything from finding new antibiotic drugs to making the extraction of oil from oil sands more efficient. My job is to train and guide the academic, industrial and government researchers with their experiments as they use our facilities for research. I am also in charge of facility grants, to see that they are properly maintained and conducted."

McKay's current research involves projects such as the analysis of the water in Alberta tailing ponds and a calcium binding protein found in the human brain. His goals are to help Albertans understand the environmental impacts of the ponds and for his research to significantly contribute to environmental improvement. Knowing McKay, it will.

GET THE FACTS

• McKay is married with two children

• He is the recipient of numerous awards and scholarships, including but not limited to NSERC and AHFMR

• Has authored/co-authored numerous academic articles and papers

• Presented, hosted and organized seven annual Canadian national NMR training courses

• Is a faculty member (equivalent of associate professor) at ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Alberta, instructing and advising undergraduate, graduate and postdoctoral fellows

• Recently awarded a five-year renewal on his facility grant, including two CIHR and two NSERC grants

Alumnus made the most of free lab time

trevor.kenney — Wed, 13 May 2009 22:13:53 +0000

Have you ever looked up and wondered about the origin and contents of paper towel wads on a ceiling?

"Going to the U of L, with its smaller classes, gave me more opportunity to do projects, and really affected my understanding of how research is done," recalls McKay. "The research was fascinating."

GET THE FACTS

• McKay is married with two children

• He is the recipient of numerous awards and scholarships, including but not limited to NSERC and AHFMR

• Has authored/co-authored numerous academic articles and papers

• Presented, hosted and organized seven annual Canadian national NMR training courses

• Is a faculty member (equivalent of associate professor) at ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Alberta, instructing and advising undergraduate, graduate and postdoctoral fellows

• Recently awarded a five-year renewal on his facility grant, including two CIHR and two NSERC grants

Student group surpasses goal

trevor.kenney — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 15:54:30 +0000

A group of ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge students took fundraising to a new level recently and the
U of L community responded in kind.

Participating in the 5 Days for the Homeless campaign, five U of L students set $10,000 in funds raised as a goal. After a long week of cold days and even colder nights, the group far surpassed the target, raising a total of $12,064.80, or 121 per cent of the original goal. Last year, another group of students first participated in the challenge and managed to raise just under $8,000.

"Lethbridge is not considered a large university, yet we managed to raise more money than many larger universities in much larger cities," says co-organizer Amanda Miller, president of the Management Students' Society. "It just goes to show that the community and giving spirit of Lethbridge is very evident in our great university!"

Kathleen Barteaux, Tim Coker, Kyla Cottom, Daniel Meller and Derrek Wenisch were the participating students, while Kubilay Gok, an academic assistant in the Faculty of Management, also spent a homeless night with the group.

All money raised during the campaign is to be donated to Wood's Homes Foundation, a multi-service charity serving the most troubled young people in our community.

"Wood's Homes is an incredible charity," says Miller. "They make you want to raise as much funds as you possibly can and they are so grateful for every cent. The spirit of their employees was a huge driving factor when funds were being raised."

Throughout the five-day campaign, the U of L students remained outdoors, on campus, living just outside the Students' Union Building. 1st Choice Savings and CGA (Certified General Accountants) sponsored the U of L event.

"The group of volunteers, the participants, the sponsors and the empathy of the students made this event so successful - it is just amazing to see how far we exceeded our goal," says Miller, adding the event continues to gain steam.
"The 5 Days for the Homeless event is starting to get a lot of respect as a fundraiser at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge. There was even a documentary at the film festival about the participants and the event. The support in the room for 5 Days was very humbling."

Nursing a viable career path for men

trevor.kenney — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 16:16:25 +0000

Kellett and the Faculty of Health Sciences will present a Men in Nursing Recruitment Day, Feb. 13, as they try and show men that nursing is not only a viable career option but it should be a desirable one as well.

Drawn to nursing because of an interest in the medical field and a mother who worked as a nurse, Kellett says there are many false impressions about the profession that seem to steer men away.

While the number of male nurses is growing in Canada, with men accounting for just six per cent of all nurses, there's much room for improvement. Now is also the perfect time to get into the field, Kellett explains. With many nurses from the baby boomer era expected to retire in the coming years, he cites the Canadian Nurses Association as predicting a shortfall of 113,000 registered nurses by 2016.

"In terms of job security, you really can't ask for much better."

The U of L, and its partner Lethbridge College, will help satisfy some of that need with a pair of program offerings. Currently, the Nursing Education in Southwestern Alberta (NESA) program is available as a four-year baccalaureate program in conjunction with Lethbridge College. Its numbers have steadily been on the rise in recent years with more than 172 first-year students currently enrolled (with 564 in the entire four-year program).

New to the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ in the fall is an after-degree program that will accept initially a class of 35 students. This is for those who already have a degree and who meet the inherent prerequisites. Offered in an accelerated format, it consists of six consecutive semesters.

"It's very demanding but you could train to be a nurse in two years," Kellett says. "From the point of view of getting through education and getting into the workforce, it is a very attractive option for some people."

Kellett is testimony to the many avenues nursing can take people. He says training as a generalist in the health-care field opens innumerable doors and offers a diversity within a career that is entirely unique. In his 14 years as a nurse, he's held positions in Newfoundland, Texas, northern Manitoba and southern Alberta, working on surgical floors, at remote nursing stations, as a primary health-care manager, in the emergency room and now as an instructor.

Given all that, at the end of the day, it's mostly about connecting with people.

"If you want to have a job where you have the potential to make a difference in people's lives every day, nursing is a great option," he says.

GET THE FACTS

• Kellett earned his bachelor of nursing degree from Memorial ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ in St. John's, Nlfd. and is currently working on a master's degree from Memorial

• The Feb. 13 Men in Nursing Recruitment Day runs 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Morning sessions are being held in AH117 with the afternoon sessions in the Nursing Skills Lab, PE040

• As of April 1, 2009 a first-year Registered Nurse in Alberta will earn $32.34/hour before educational adjustments or shift differentials (approximately $60,000/year, if working full-time)

• For more information on the U of L's nursing programs, see the Faculty of Health Sciences website (www.uleth.ca/healthsciences/nursing)

UNews - academic assistant

��Ѹ�����Դ���߿�Ƭ mourns passing of academic assistant

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