UNews - Alberta Gambling Research Institute

O'Shea, key contributor to growth of ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ, to receive honorary degree

trevor.kenney — Wed, 23 Apr 2014 17:27:43 +0000

The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge is pleased to announce the second of its distinguished 2014 Honorary Degree recipients – erstwhile post-secondary education supporter Dr. Séamus O’Shea.

Dr. Séamus O’Shea has had a significant positive impact on the institution, and on the post-secondary sector in Alberta and beyond.

“Dr. O'Shea, in his longtime role as Vice-President (Academic) and Provost, was extremely influential in the maturation of our university and we are thrilled that he has accepted our offer of an Honorary Degree,” says ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Chancellor, Dr. Shirley McClellan. “The comprehensive institution you see today could not have been achieved without the foresight of people such as Dr. O’Shea.”

The U of L will present O’Shea with the degree of Doctor of Science, honouris causa at the Fall 2014 Convocation Ceremonies.

Séamus O’Shea

Former Vice President (Academic) of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge, Dr. Séamus O’Shea, has had a significant positive impact on the institution, and on the post-secondary sector in Alberta and beyond.

A professor of chemistry at the U of L since 1977, O’Shea is a computational chemist. In the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry he progressed through the academic ranks to become professor and then department Chair, before moving on to senior administration.

O’Shea served as the Vice-President (Academic) and Provost for the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge from 1991 to 2007. As VP Academic he was a catalyst for the transition of the U of L into the comprehensive academic and research institution it is today.

O’Shea has also played a significant role in Alberta’s post-secondary education and research sectors. From 2007 to 2012 he was Chair of the Board of Cybera, he was Chair of Alberta’ Informatics Circle of Research Excellence until 2010, and he led the implementation of a provincial online post-secondary application system. Currently, he is Chair of the Board of Directors for the Alberta Gambling Research Institute. He has shown continuous support for the institution, the post-secondary system and the province.

Christensen appointed AGRI Chair in Gambling

trevor.kenney — Thu, 30 Jan 2014 21:19:43 +0000

The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge is adding to its capacity as an internationally reputed centre for the study of gambling and addictions following the appointment of Dr. Darren R. Christensen as the Alberta Gambling Research Institute’s (AGRI) Chair in Gambling at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge.

Dr. Darren Christensen has studied gambling and addictions in a number of different countries and settings.

The five-year appointment, which saw Christensen arrive on campus January 10, 2014, adds another accomplished researcher with a global perspective to the fold.

“There were a variety of reasons for coming to the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge, the main being that the U of L has two of the more prominent gambling researchers in the world in Dr. Robert Williams and Dr. Robert Wood,” says Christensen, a native of New Zealand who most recently was a research fellow at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Melbourne’s Problem Gambling Research and Treatment Centre in Australia.

“They are very well known in the research community and this was an opportunity to work with and learn from people who are among the best in the world at what they do.”

The Alberta Gambling Research Institute, established in 1999 and funded by the Government of Alberta, is a consortium of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Alberta, the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Calgary and the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge. Its primary purpose is to support and promote research into gambling in the province. Each member institution will appoint an AGRI Chair.

"The U of L continues to be a destination of choice for leading researchers, in large part due to the excellent faculty we already have in place,” says Dr. Dan Weeks, the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ’s vice-president (research). “Dr. Christensen is an example of this and adds even greater strength to the established gambling-related research programs currently running at the U of L. He also provides our students with a unique international perspective that can only serve to enhance their studies."

Born and raised in New Zealand, Christensen earned his bachelor of business studies in Human Resource Management from Massey ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ before going on to earn his master’s and PhD designations in psychology from the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Canterbury.

Christensen has studied gambling and addiction in a number of countries and settings, including a two-year post-doctoral study in Arkansas where he worked at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Arkansas for Medical Sciences’ Center for Addiction Research. He has recently studied contingency management treatment methods that use positive and/or negative outcomes to change the frequency of future behaviours as a treatment for substance abuse.

“Gambling is closer to substance abuse than people realize,” he says. “I look at gambling and substance abuse as all a part of human decision making. Where once it was thought of as an impulse control disorder, it is now recognized as a behavioural addiction.”

He sees the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge as fertile ground for his research ambitions.

“I intend to start with a fairly broad research plan, looking at the basic science of addiction,” he says. “What is exciting is that there are so many collaborative opportunities here it allows me the chance to work with behavioural neuroscientists, addictions counselors and public health practitioners, among others. Studying gambling and other addictive behaviours from these different yet complimentary perspectives creates the opportunity for some real insight.”

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

UNews - Alberta Gambling Research Institute

O'Shea, key contributor to growth of ��Ѹ�����Դ���߿�Ƭ, to receive honorary degree

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Christensen appointed AGRI Chair in Gambling

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Graduate students honoured with research awards

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O'Shea, key contributor to growth of ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ, to receive honorary degree