UNews - Maureen Mahon

President Mahon and family step up to support Pronghorn Athletics

trevor.kenney — Tue, 29 Sep 2015 22:49:35 +0000

A bold expression of support from ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge President and Vice-Chancellor Dr. Mike Mahon and his wife Maureen highlighted the fourth annual Pronghorns Scholarship Breakfast, held Tuesday, Sept. 29, at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ’s 1st Choice Savings Centre Gymnasium.

A personal family donation from Maureen and Mike Mahon of $60,000 will help establish 11 new scholarships for Pronghorn athletes.

Mahon pledged a personal family donation of $60,000 to help establish 11 new scholarships for U of L Pronghorn athletes.

“Pronghorn Athletics plays an integral role in the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge experience and is one of our most tangible touch points with the southern Alberta community,” says Mahon. “I have advocated for the program and I think it’s important we take the lead and show that we believe in Pronghorn Athletics and are committed to seeing it thrive. I challenge the community to join us in support of our student athletes.”

Mahon explains that the gift was a family decision, wholly supported by his wife Maureen.

“We have always seen sport and wellness as cornerstones of a healthy, vibrant and active community,” he says. “Our family has been engaged in sport and wellness activities in some capacity all of our lives and cannot overstate what they add to the community and how they enrich the campus experience.”

The scholarship gift is a multi-year pledge designed to recognize sport and volunteerism. Each of the nine Pronghorn teams will receive an award (with both track and swimming getting two awards each for male and female athletes).

“It’s one thing for your president to say he supports your program but for the Mahon family to back that up with a gift of this magnitude shows that they believe in what we are doing and where the program is going,” says Interim Executive Director, Sport & Recreation Services Ken McInnes (BA ’91, BMgt ’97, Mgt Certificate ’02). “Including this gift, the proceeds from the breakfast and some matching funds from the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ, we raised close to $120,000 this morning in support of our athletes – and that is exceptional.”

Changes don't have to end with Challenge

trevor.kenney — Mon, 27 Jun 2011 20:18:59 +0000

The 7th Annual Bee Heart Smart Challenge has concluded for the year and what a successful year we had!

A total of 18 teams (consisting of 165 people plus a number of individual participants) took part and the competition was fierce. Although I tried to get my name on the top-10 stepper list, other, more ambitious steppers quickly bumped me.

Thanks to all who joined in the fun. Watch the Notice Board and the Wellness website (www.uleth.ca/hum/wellness) for challenge winners.

Thank you to all our motivators – Mike Mahon, Nancy Walker, Kevin McFadzen – and although Maureen Mahon was not an official Busy Bee champion, she kept me motivated throughout the challenge. What excellent role models we have here at the
U of L.

Now that we have been physically active for six weeks, how do we maintain the
momentum we've established and keep the motivation up for the rest of the year?

Here are some tips:

Track your own physical activity

Use a calendar in your phone, or on your fridge, to keep track of the number of minutes each day that you are active. Include short bursts of physical activity – even 10 minutes at a time is beneficial – as well as activities such as stretching and yoga. At the end of the month count the total number of days you were active and calculate your percentage of active days.

Compare yourself from month to month and ask yourself, "Was it a good one?" Or could you increase your physical activity level?

Even 10 minutes is fine

Don't feel up to going to the gym, getting on the treadmill or going for a walk?
Try the 10-minute rule. Do an activity for only 10 minutes, and if after 10 minutes you still want to quit, do so. You might just surprise yourself and find you want to continue. Starting is often the hardest part.

Find a buddy

A friend, co-worker, family member or dog can act as a wonderful motivator. Get together to do something physical, even if it is only once per week. Chances are you will increase your activity level during the rest of the week to ensure you can keep up.

Remember to walk

We all have to walk somewhere every day. What we might not realize is that walking is easy on the body, and it burns calories and builds muscle – no fancy equipment required. People who track their progress and realize the benefits of walking are more likely to stay committed to their walking routine.

Challenge yourself

Enroll in a race, or try a different competitive or fun activity. Setting a competitive goal might be all the motivation you need to stay with your fitness plan.

In other Wellness news, Building Healthy Lifestyles will be offering a Festive Feasts Summer BBQ class on Friday, June 24 from 9 to 11:30 a.m. In the class, you will learn about how to make your own marinades, salads and spice mixes, all the while getting to sample some wonderful recipes. Call 403-388-6654 to register for this free workshop.

This story first appeared in the Legend. To view the Legend in a flipbook format, follow this link.

Campus Kudos - June

trevor.kenney — Wed, 22 Jun 2011 20:54:51 +0000

Dr. Heidi MacDonald (History) received an award for the best English-language academic article deemed to make an original and scholarly contribution to the field of women's and gender history by the Canadian Committee on Women's History. Her article, Who Counts? Nuns, Work and the Census of Canada, was published in a recent issue of Histoire Sociale/Social History. Reviewers indicated that MacDonald produced "…an impressive and insightful piece of work on the various ways in which women religious (nuns) have been excluded or significantly undercounted in the Canadian census."

Taras Polataiko's (Art) painting was on view at the National Museum of Ukraine in Kyiv. The work was part of an international exhibition curated by Kateryna Botanova.

Annie Martin's (Art) installation Untitled (horizon) was exhibited in the PAVED Arts main gallery in Saskatoon. A critical text was also commissioned to accompany this exhibition.

Dana Cooley (New Media) has a video work in the group show, A Century of Artists' Films, at the Theatr Mwldan in Wales. Curated by Mike Cousin in partnership with Oriel Mwldan, the show runs until July 2.

Three ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge teams recently walked to raise money to End MS, totalling an impressive $6,762.05 that was donated to the fight against Multiple Sclerosis. The team from the Faculty of Education, captained by
Dr. Cathy Campbell, and consisting of Dr. Robin Bright, Dr. Noella Piquette-Tomei and Dr. Cynthia Chambers raised $2,935. The team from Administration, captained by Dr. Mike Mahon, and consisting of Maureen Mahon, Laurel Corbiere, Trish Jackson, Virginia Wishart and Robin Hopkins raised $2,725. The team from the Faculty of Management, captained by Dr. Lori Kopp, and consisting of Dr. Robert Ellis, Dr. Sameer Deshpande, Dr. Brian Dobing, Dr. Pam Loewen, Joan Kendall, Diane Boyle and Steve Craig raised $1,102.05.

Pictured left to right are iGEM team members Harland Brandon, (fourth-year Biochemistry), Justin Vigar, ( fifth-year Biochemistry) and MSc candidate Lisza Bruder, BSc ’11.

Clark Ferguson, the U of L's chief information officer, presented the keynote address at the Futures in it – Collaboration Western Canada Academy Conference in Calgary recently. Ferguson's address was titled Business Experience – Applied to Post Secondary at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge.

Dr. Austin Mardon (BA'85) received an honorary doctor of laws from the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Alberta at its Spring Convocation ceremonies. Mardon, an inspiring advocate for the mentally ill, is a member of the Order of Canada and a past recipient of the CM Hincks Award, the highest award given by the Canadian Mental Health Association.

Three members of the U of L iGEM (International Genetically Engineered Machines) team are travelling to Stanford ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ in California to attend the 5th International Meeting on Synthetic biology. The sold-out conference attracts researchers from around the world who are working in the growing field of synthetic biology.

Dr. David Clearwater's (New Media) essay, What Defines Video Game Genre? Thinking about Genre Study after the Great Divide, was published in the Spring 2011 issue of Loading... (a Canadian journal covering videogames and interactive entertainment).

Dr. Josephine Mills (director/curator U of L Art Gallery) has recently been named president of the Canadian Art Museum Directors' Organization.

Dagmar Dahle's (Art) work was included in the exhibition ANIMAL, appearing at Museum London in Ontario.

Loralee Sand Edwards' (BFA '05) exhibition iGallery: curated auto-paparazzi (Self-Portraiture in a Digital Age) is in the Main Gallery of the Bowman Arts Centre until July 10.

This story first appeared in the Legend. For a look at the Legend 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."

��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ turns to Mahon as sixth President

trevor.kenney — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 16:17:41 +0000

The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge has found its sixth president, announcing Thursday afternoon that Dr. Mike Mahon will assume the role of President & Vice-Chancellor on July 1, 2010, following the tenure of Dr. Bill Cade, who held the position from 2000.

The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ's sixth President, Dr. Mike Mahon.

"This is a very exciting opportunity for me and my family," says Mahon. "I am coming to an institution committed to the undergraduate student experience and connecting effectively with the southern Alberta community. At the same time, an important direction has been penned through the strategic plan that relates to the U of L continuing its growth as a more comprehensive research university."

Mahon comes to the U of L after serving two terms as dean of the Faculty of Physical Education and Recreation at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Alberta. A vigorous proponent of physical activity for people of every age and ability, he 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.

His reputation as a personable, community-minded individual, coupled with an outstanding research record and proven leadership abilities made him the ideal candidate for the position.

"We were looking for an individual who would not only embrace the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ's ideals as a community of scholars and leaders, but who could also continue to engage our students and the broader community on a regional, national and international scale," says Bob Turner, Chair of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Board of Governors.

"Dr. Mahon has a unique combination of skills and a proven research, community service and administrative track record in Manitoba and Alberta which gives us a high level of confidence that he will continue his approachable style of leadership at the U of L."

Cade fully endorsed the hiring process and expressed his desire to make the transition of the presidency as smooth as possible. He is proud to hand over the reins of a continually emerging university.

"We have spent a considerable amount of time and effort refocusing the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ as a comprehensive research institution, expanding our programs and enrolments, and telling our story to Alberta, Canada and many parts of the world," says Cade. "I am very proud of all the people who have helped with that process, and who keep the U of L 'running' both academically and operationally. I am confident that Dr. Mahon will come to work on July 1 to find the people and resources in place for his continued success, a solid strategic plan, community support and engaged students. Elsa and I wish Mike and his family well as they embark on this new career journey."

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 five years and as Associate Dean for Research and Graduate Programs for three years. He joined the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Alberta in 2000.

His current research is in the field of adapted physical activity with an emphasis on ageing and intellectual disability, and sport for development.

"I always knew the U of L as a very good university but I learned through the interview process that it was much more than an excellent undergraduate institution, that there was a vibrancy of research activities and a real desire to become even more comprehensive in focus," says Mahon.

His body of work has included more than 250 presentations, workshops, lectures and publications including more than 90 articles in refereed journals, book chapters and books. Most recently he published "Introduction to Recreation Services for People with Disabilities: a Person-Centred Approach", which he co-authored with Dr. Charles Bullock of San Jose State ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ.

In addition to his research, Mahon serves on numerous faculty and university bodies, and professional organizations related to the promotion of physical activity and sport.

Married to wife Maureen, an accomplished educator who specializes in early childhood development issues, the couple has three children, Katie (23), Brennan (21) and Seann (20). Both Brennan and Seann currently attend the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Alberta while Katie is the assistant manager of a local Edmonton business.

Mahon's decision to come to the U of L was a family one and reflected the welcoming attitude he received from the selection committee.

"My greatest impression so far with the U of L is the people," he says. "They have been genuine, they have been bright and they've really wanted to connect in a personal way and that's fundamentally why we're so excited about the opportunity."

UNews - Maureen Mahon

President Mahon and family step up to support Pronghorn Athletics

Related Topics

Changes don't have to end with Challenge

Related Topics

Campus Kudos - June

Related Topics

Mahon installed as 6th U of L President

Related Topics

��Ѹ�����Դ���߿�Ƭ turns to Mahon as sixth President

Related Topics

��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ turns to Mahon as sixth President