UNews - Robbin Derry

Broader community invited to view popular Last Lecture Series as it moves to online format

trevor.kenney — Wed, 03 Jun 2020 17:32:27 +0000

It has become an annual rite of spring for ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge students and now, the broader community will have the opportunity to take in an enhanced online edition of the Last Lecture Series.

Presented annually by the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Students’ Union (ULSU), the Last Lecture Series has become one of the most popular events of the academic year. It traditionally features three U of L professors talking about life lessons that cannot be learned in the classroom, posing the question to them, “If you could talk about just one thing for your last lecture, what would it be?”

This spring, with an in-person event not possible due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the ULSU is co-hosting with the student club PACT (philanthropy, advancement, community, traditions) and taking the event online. They have also expanded the lecturer list to an impressive eight speakers who represent a broad cross-section of disciplines from throughout campus. Celebrating a theme of adaptability, this impressive group will be online Friday, June 5 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. to present their individual thoughts on what adaptability means to them.

“With most end-of-semester events cancelled, we wanted an initiative that could bring the uLethbridge community together,” says Kierian Turner, one of the event organizers and a past PACT president. “The Last Lecture has always been important to students of the graduating class, so we prioritized moving to an online model so that students are still able to get that final takeaway. It was important to have a panel with diverse experiences and research backgrounds so that attendees have the opportunity to connect on a deeper level and have a more holistic experience.”

The speaker schedule is as follows:

Tony Montina (BSc '08, MSc '10) — Introduction

10 a.m. — Adam Letourneau (Dhillon School of Business) — Life can Wonderfully be a Series of Career Changes

10:30 a.m. — Dr. Robin Bright (BASc '79, BEd '82, MEd '88) (Faculty of Education) — Everything I Really Need to Know, I Learned in ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ

11 a.m. — Dr. Shannon Spenceley (BN '84) (Faculty of Health Sciences) — Strange Days - Thriving in Uncertain Times

11:30 a.m. — Dr. Janay Nugent (BA '95) (Department of History) — The Empowerment of Young People in Tumultuous Times

12 to 1 p.m. — Lunch Break

1 p.m. — Don McIntrye (Dhillon School of Business) — Tricksters & Butterflies: Belonging Beyond this Day

1:30 p.m. — Dr. Robbin Derry (Dhillon School of Business) — What to Hold onto When Everything is in Flux?

2 p.m. — Dr. Anne Dymond (Faculty of Fine Arts) — Is it Too Late to Switch my Major? Or How I Learned to Live with Doubt

2:30 p.m. — Dr. Bryan Kolb (Department of Neuroscience) — Adaptability and the Brain that Changes Itself

Tony Montina — Closing

“What I love about our speaker lineup is that each of these professors apply their personal experience and expertise to a theme that is relatable to everyone — adaptability,” adds Turner. “This lineup will truly demonstrate the importance of a liberal education and how you can apply your uLethbridge experience to the many ways you will have to adapt throughout your lifetime. We have world-class faculty, and we are excited to share a glimpse of that with our community.”

The Last Lecture is a book co-authored by Randy Pausch, detailing everything he wanted his children to know after he was diagnosed with a terminal illness. Pausch delivered his last lecture entitled Really Achieving Your Childhood Dreams as part of a lecture series where ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ are challenged to think about what really matters to them and give a Last Lecture.

For more on The Last Lecture speakers, follow this link: uleth.ca/alumni/last-lecture. To join the event, check in at go.uleth.ca/LastLecture2020.

Alumnus Khan to lead Edmonton rally against bullying and violence

trevor.kenney — Tue, 22 Sep 2015 22:21:31 +0000

Edmonton-based activist and ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge alumnus Manwar Khan (BSc ’07), a father of twins, is holding a Candlelight Vigil Saturday, September 26, 2015 in Edmonton at the Alberta Legislature steps as he continues to campaign across the province against bullying and violence.

"We will be gathering in front of the Alberta Legislature steps to show our support for every known and unknown victim of bullying and violence in Alberta," says Khan, who witnessed a violent attack on an Edmonton LRT train in December 2012. It led to the death of one man and the incarceration of another.

Khan invites everyone to gather at the Alberta Legislature steps at 7 p.m. to rally in support of those who have been affected by violence and bullying. He is also asking people who are not able to attend the rally to leave their porch lights on from 7 to 8 p.m. on Sept. 26 to show their support for those affected by violence and bullying.

Khan established a series of annual anti-bullying rallies in 2013, holding events in Edmonton, Calgary, Lethbridge and Airdrie. He has vowed to continue to represent victims of bullying and to try and stem the onset of violence so that it does not persist in society.

“I believe firmly that it is a matter of great importance to teach our children that bullying is simply not acceptable in our society if we are to achieve safety and happiness for all,” he says. “To stop bullying and violence in our community we must stand together and support each other. Each and every one of us can make a difference and show that bullying and violence will not be tolerated in Alberta.”

��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge associate professor of management Dr. Robbin Derry, who works out of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ's Edmonton campus, has been supportive of Khan's awareness campaign.

“The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge is proud to stand with Manwar Khan against bullying," she says. "Thanks to Manwar's leadership on this issue, we are raising awareness of effective strategies to resist and defeat bullying. Join us at the vigil to express your active support."

Speakers at the Do Not Be a Bystander rally include teachers, students and community leaders.

Graduate students honoured with research awards

trevor.kenney — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 18:34:27 +0000

The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge celebrated the achievements of 21 graduate students last night at the 2012 Graduate Student Research Awards reception.

"These graduate students are exemplars of academic achievement," says Dr. Robert Wood, dean of the School of Graduate Studies. "The exciting academic work that they do is advancing the frontiers of knowledge and creativity, and it cultivates and builds an essential foundation for our growing reputation as a comprehensive university. Indeed, the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ community is immensely proud of these accomplished graduate student scholars."

Following is a list of the 2012 award winners.

Alberta Innovates Health Solutions
Erin Zelinski
(Robert Sutherland)
Neuroscience

Corinne Sidler
(Olga Kovalchuk)
Biological Sciences

Alberta Innovates - Technology Futures
Aaron Mullin
(Craig Coburn)
Geography

Alberta Cancer Foundation
Lidiya Luzhna
(Olga Kovalchuk)
Biological Sciences

Alexander Graham Bell Canada Graduate Scholarship Doctoral (NSERC)
Patrick Barks
(Robert Laird)
Biological Sciences

Andrew Hudson
(Camron Goater & Tony Russell)
Biological Sciences

Jenni Karl
(Ian Whishaw)
Neuroscience

Alexander Graham Bell Canada Graduate Scholarship Master (NSERC)
Kathryn Kuchapski
(Joseph Rasmussen)
Biological Sciences

Kirsten Rosler
(Hans-Joachim Wieden)
Chemistry and Biochemistry

Aaron Mullin
(Craig Coburn)
Geography

Natalie Freeman
(Louise Barrett & Peter Henzi)
Psychology

Joseph-Armand Bombardier Canada Graduate Scholarship Master's (SSHRC)
Gillian Ayers
(Claudia Malacrida)
Sociology

Leslie Bush
(Robbin Derry)
Management

Stacey Leavitt
(Michelle Helstein & Sean Brayton)
Kinesiology & Physical Education

Daniel Rutledge
(Sameer Deshpande)
Management

Rachel Shields
(Jason Laurendeau)
Sociology

Mark Bruce
(Dawn McBride)
Education

School of Graduate Studies Fellowship
Darcy Best
(Hadi Kharaghani)
Mathmatics & Computer Science

Health Quality Council of Alberta
Shannon Vandenberg
(Judith Kulig)
Health Sciences

endMS
Brietta Gerrard
(Artur Luczak)
Neuroscience

Alberta Gambling Research Institute
Scott Oberg
(Matthew Tata)
Neuroscience

Derry offers food for thought

trevor.kenney — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 17:09:42 +0000

One might not be able to see the correlation between a love of cooking and an academic career in business ethics and moral reasoning – that is, until one talks to Dr. Robbin Derry.

After completing an undergraduate degree in French at Dartmouth College in New Hampshire, Derry's interest in cooking led her to France to apprentice for a school backed by Julia Childs. She worked in a variety of restaurants upon her return to the United States.

"I learned a lot about labour and management – as well as some things about cooking frozen vegetables and frozen desserts," says Derry, with chagrin. "I eventually ended up back in New York City and what I saw there got me thinking about ethical conflicts in business."

Dr. Robbin Derry teaches management strategy and environmental management.

Derry searched for answers in an MBA, but it wasn't until she began to pursue her PhD in business ethics and gain some teaching experience that she discovered the same satisfaction in teaching that she had felt in cooking and feeding people. An informal meeting at a conference with John Usher, policy/strategy chair in the Faculty of Management, opened up the possibility of teaching at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge.

"I was intrigued by the U of L because there seemed to be a real faculty-wide interest and commitment to social responsibility. The idea of being at an institution where there were many other people interested in ethics and CSR (corporate social responsibility) helped me see the U of L as a place where I might really fit in and not be swimming upstream."

She has taken her life experiences to the classroom at the Edmonton campus and enjoys watching students come to their own realizations.

"In my environmental management class, the students' first assignment was to do a self-audit on sustainability; to analyze their own patterns of consumption and waste in their households. They found the process surprisingly informative.

They just hadn't thought much about their own consumption patterns and how their own habits had impacts on the environment as well as the practices of large companies. It is this kind of nurturing education that I find satisfying: helping students to recognize the consequences of their choices."

Derry joined the Faculty of Management in 2007 and currently teaches management strategy and environmental management.

Her latest research bridges industries. She is comparing the strategies developed and practiced by the tobacco industry to gain acceptance and legitimacy in society with the strategies used by other industries facing strong public and activist pressure for social accountability.

"Greenwash or CSR window dressing is a lot like fast food. It is only briefly satisfying and fundamentally not a good solution to the real need or hunger. We need a slow food kind of commitment to provide thoughtful solutions to our economic and environmental challenges."

But she says she's always ready to cook for 20-30 people at a moment's notice. Just don't expect fast food.

Women's Scholar Award empowers female students

trevor.kenney — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 21:40:46 +0000

Faculty and staff at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge take pride in their students and believe in giving them quality education with as many opportunities as possible to succeed in their chosen career path. Established by the Women's Scholar group in collaboration with Dayna Daniels and Claudia Malacrida, the Women's Scholar Award gives female students the power to achieve their goals and reach their full potential.

Arezou Elliyoon is one recipient of the Women's Scholar Award. Born and raised in Tehran, Iran's capital city, she is the elder of two siblings. Elliyoon is a graduate of Tehran ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ with a bachelor's degree in surveying and engineering as well as an MBA.

Arezou Elliyoon is exploring the effect of religious orientation on experiences of Iranian women.

She came to Canada and the U of L in September 2008 and is currently enrolled in her second year of the Master of Science in Management program. She says she chose the U of L because of the quality of the program, as well as her desire to travel.

"Most students studying at good universities in Iran believe they should pursue their education in better schools around the world," says Elliyoon. "When you are in such an environment, you somehow get persuaded to make your world bigger and bigger. So, the U of L seemed to be a good choice for me."

Elliyoon explains she is still dealing with the culture change and her experiences have been mainly positive.

"In Canada, you have the freedom to be who you are and to express whatever you think is right," she says. "The best experience I've had here is being able to live independently; that's not so common in my country."

Elliyoon says that while many have the belief that Iran is a restrictive country, the education system is progressing at an accelerated rate.

"In the past, it might not have been common for women to pursue their education, but now, the majority of the students at Iranian universities consist of more women than men," she says, but also notes there are still significant differences between the two countries, such as advancements in technology and financial aid.

With the help of her supervisor, Robbin Derry and two other faculty members, Elliyoon is currently researching the effect of religious orientation on experiences of Iranian women in balancing their work and family roles, the
topic for which she won the award.

"I've always wanted to work on women's issues," says Elliyoon. "Religion is so significant in my country and it has had a huge influence on Iranian culture. So, winning the award was such a delightful moment to me. It was an honour."

Elliyoon says she is unsure of the future, but for now, she hopes her studies will allow her to remain in Canada to pursue a rewarding career.

UNews - Robbin Derry

Broader community invited to view popular Last Lecture Series as it moves to online format

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