AWARD RECIPIENTS

HONORARY DEGREE RECIPIENT

Throughout her 42-year career as a lawyer, Marlys Edwardh has been dedicated to rectifying injustice. She was an outspoken critic of the death penalty and, after it was abolished in Canada in 1976, Edwardh succeeded in preventing the extradition of Canadians who faced the death penalty in other countries. Her work on behalf of those found not guilty by reason of insanity brought an end to the power of the Lieutenant Governor’s sole discretion over detention. She has spoken out against solitary confinement and her involvement was a factor in the development of a new approach to prisoners with behavioural problems. She helped found the Association in Defence of the Wrongly Convicted and her passionate belief in individual rights has led her to work on many challenging cases, including overturning the wrongful convictions of Donald Marshall Jr., Guy Paul Morin and Steven Truscott. Edwardh also represented Maher Arar in the commission that investigated his unlawful rendition to Syria.

Edwardh’s work on behalf of the mentally ill in the criminal justice system brought to light key fundamental truths. The constitutional principles set out in these cases formed a basis for Supreme Court decisions that have decriminalized medically assisted suicide and activities related to sex work.

Notable among her achievements is serving on several commissions of inquiry. Most importantly, Edwardh was Commission Counsel to the Krever Inquiry, which examined the contamination of Canada’s blood system.

Edwardh was one of the early recipients of the Canadian Journalists for Free Expression award for her work supporting freedom of the press. She represented the National Post and its reporter Andrew McIntosh, who sought to protect his ‘Shawinigate’ source. While they lost that particular challenge, the Court observed that “the law should and does accept that in some situations, there is a public interest in protecting a secret source.”

Edwardh has also been a vocal supporter of the LGBTQ+ community, most recently acting for that community in the successful Supreme Court challenge of Trinity Western’s covenant.

Edwardh was born in Lethbridge and graduated from Osgoode Hall Law School. A partner with the firm Ruby & Edwardh from 1976 to 2008, she went on to form her own firm and, in 2011, joined Goldblatt Partners LLP, where she worked until her retirement in 2018. In 2010, she was appointed a Member of the Order of Canada.

HONORARY DEGREE RECIPIENT

Richard (Dick) Haskayne had the highest standards instilled in him from his earliest days. Born during the Great Depression, his parents operated butcher shops in Gleichen and Bassano where they quietly helped those struggling to feed their families. Running the family business alongside his parents and brother, he was taught the fundamentals of honest and ethical business practices and the importance of philanthropy.

As a newly minted chartered accountant, Haskayne performed audits for a wide range of companies — work that allowed him to see the big picture. The skills he developed served him well in his career as he became president of Hudson’s Bay Oil and Gas, Home Oil and Enbridge, and later as chairman of TransAlta Corporation, MacMillan Bloedel, Fording, NOVA Corporation, and TransCanada Pipelines. He has served as a director on 20 public company boards.

He kept a balance between work, family and giving back to the community, applying his values to various duties, including chair of the board of governors at the University of Calgary, trustee of the Alberta Heritage Foundation for Medical Research, a board member of the Hotchkiss Brain Institute and the Alberta Bone and Joint Institute and advisory committee member for the Order of Canada. Numerous other community, health and arts organizations have benefited from his involvement.

His leadership was acknowledged by the University of Calgary in 2001 when it established the Richard F. Haskayne Chair in Accounting. The school’s Faculty of Management was renamed the Haskayne School of Business the following year.

Haskayne has received many awards and recognitions over the years, including honorary degrees from the universities of Calgary and Alberta, the Award of Excellence in International Business from the University of Calgary, a lifetime achievement award from the Institute of Chartered Accountants and membership in the Canadian Business Hall of Fame and the Canadian Petroleum Hall of Fame. Haskayne was appointed an Officer of the Order of Canada in 1997 and inducted into The Alberta Order of Excellence in 2006. In 2004, Haskayne received the Woodrow Wilson Award for Corporate Citizenship.

For many years, Haskayne was a friend and adviser to the late Dr. Margaret (Marmie) Perkins Hess. As co-executor of her estate, he followed through on her wishes that much of her incredible art collection stays in Alberta under good care, be accessible to the public and be used for teaching and research. The majority of her collection came to uLethbridge and today, the Hess Gallery proudly showcases the remarkable collection.

HONORARY DEGREE RECIPIENT

Globally recognized for his extensive research on improving maternal-child health, David Olson is leading the way in developing new diagnostics and therapeutics to predict and diminish the risk of one of the world’s most significant health issues — preterm birth.

Identified by the World Health Organization as the second largest health issue of 125 diseases, preterm birth is the leading cause of death in children under the age of five and a major risk factor for lifelong disability and noncommunicable diseases. In Alberta alone, nearly nine per cent of pregnancies result in preterm birth, the highest rate in all of Canada and one that weighs heavily on the health care system.

Olson, a professor of obstetrics and gynecology, pediatrics and physiology at the University of Alberta, has spent nearly 40 years addressing an urgent need for improved pregnancy outcomes by developing new strategies for early risk assessment and intervention. Focusing on discovering the mechanisms of preterm birth, he has identified and patented a new test that can be used to predict women at risk of early delivery.

Eager to inspire collaboration and further advance this important work, Olson has consistently been at the forefront of establishing national and international research networks. Over the years, he has obtained $45 million in research funding, utilizing his unique ability to build relationships to create a society of researchers willing to reach for a broader goal.

His impact has been felt especially in southern Alberta where he serves as an adjunct professor at uLethbridge. Working closely with Dr. Gerlinde Metz, Board of Governors Research Chair in Neuroscience, their research has inspired and trained young scientists and health professionals from high school students to post-doctoral fellows. His significant contribution has included writing collaborative grants from which the University has realized more than $8 million in research funding, as well as organizing national and international meetings, particularly the Canadian National Perinatal Research Meeting, where uLethbridge trainees and professors have been able to share their research findings.

Olson has been recognized as the founder of the Optimal Pregnancy Environment Risk Assessment program, a global framework that brings together researchers and their trainees from North America, Europe, Asia and Africa for workshops and collaborative grants and projects.

Olson continues, through his own research as well as the colleagues and trainees he inspires, to improve perinatal health for the benefit of maternal and baby health locally, nationally and throughout the world.

HONORARY DEGREE RECIPIENT

At the tender age of 11, Paulette Senior joined her family in Canada, leaving her grandmother’s home in Jamaica. Adjusting to a new culture was challenging and her school teacher failed to recognize her capabilities and placed her into a basic level education class. Later, a different teacher realized she didn’t belong there, and she rejoined the regular stream. That experience left an indelible mark and kindled her interest in fairness, activism and dismantling barriers. After marrying young, Senior became a single parent a few years later and, wanting to ensure she could provide for her son, she became a full-time student at York University. Thanks to the support of her family, she completed a double honours Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and Urban Studies while working part-time.

Senior began her career in the social services sector and soon learned the systemic barriers she’d faced were widespread. As a frontline worker and community advocate in some of Toronto’s most diverse and economically marginalized neighbourhoods, she saw the structural barriers that prevented inclusion, advancement and even survival for women, young people and particularly folks from racialized communities.

In response, she worked across several program areas within various organizations, including in shelters, supportive housing, employment counselling and leadership development for women, and became a vocal proponent of equity and justice. Senior worked with all levels of government on issues related to housing, poverty, educational access, gender-based violence, immigration and social justice. She continued her work on the frontlines and rose to senior management overseeing shelters, housing, and employment and support programs.

The success of these efforts eventually led to a national role as the CEO of the YWCA, the country’s oldest and largest women’s organization. There she continued to support a strong network of shelter and housing programs for women and their children and worked with local YWCAs to develop intergenerational and inclusive leadership initiatives to advance gender equality.

In 2016, Senior became the President and CEO of the Canadian Women’s Foundation, a national charitable organization focused on gender equality. The Foundation raises funds to support programs across Canada which address gender-based violence, economic security, girls’ empowerment and inclusive leadership, with a priority on communities with the greatest need, while advocating for systemic change. Since its inception in 1991, the Foundation has raised over $130 million and funded more than 2,000 life-transforming programs across Canada.

Her work has earned her numerous awards, including the Harry Jerome Leadership Award, African Canadian Achievement Award, Afroglobal Excellence Award for Leadership, Black Women Civic Engagement Award and the MicroSkills Margot Franssen Leadership Award.

HONORARY DEGREE RECIPIENT

If there were a list of champions for the University of Lethbridge, an argument could be made easily for Janice Varzari (BN ’90, MEd ’02) to be the first name on the record. For Varzari has been a part of the fabric of uLethbridge for greater than 30 years.

Varzari’s connection to the University began with her time as a student, first in the Bachelor of Nursing program, from which she graduated in 1990 with Great Distinction while earning the Gold Medal in Nursing. She returned to the University to complete a Master of Education with Specialization in Counselling Psychology in 2002. In 2008, Varzari was inducted into the University of Lethbridge Alumni Honour Society. Amazingly, this was just the start for Varzari as she continued to not only stay connected with the University, but sought ways in which she could further contribute to the institution. She began to take on a number of volunteer roles with uLethbridge, beginning with terms on both the University Senate and Board of Directors. In 2015, Varzari was appointed by the Senate as the 13th chancellor, the first alumnus to ever assume the post.

As chancellor, Varzari was able to utilize all her skills as an ambassador for the University and was involved in a number of prominent initiatives which further enhanced the profile of the institution. She saw the University through its 50th anniversary celebrations, ushering in a new era of growth and maturity for uLethbridge, and was dedicated to taking a personal approach in enhancing the experience for all students. Professionally, Varzari served in health care for a number of years, beginning as a staff nurse at the Lethbridge Regional Hospital in 1972. She went on to assume roles as a nursing educator and assessment nurse before taking on the position of Home Care Coordinator for the Chinook Health Region, a post she held from 1990 to 2000. She then concentrated her efforts on assisting the community in a mental health capacity, serving as the Mental Health Counsellor for Lethbridge Family Services from 2001 through 2010.

The vice-president and co-owner (with her husband Glenn) of National Salvage Ltd. and National Holdings Ltd., they have continued to show steadfast support for University students in particular. In 2021, the couple backed the launch of the Student Wellness Ambassador Program, ensuring a legacy of student support would continue.

SPEAKER RESEARCH AWARD

Stacey Wetmore learned early that her understanding of advanced chemistry principles were not best applied in a lab setting but rather in front of a computer, where she could also utilize her mathematical aptitude. So began an outstanding career in computational chemistry.

Born and raised in Saint John, NB, Wetmore completed her undergraduate degree at Mount Allison University before earning her doctorate in computational chemistry at Dalhousie University. She came to uLethbridge in 2006 as a Canada Research Chair and quickly established the University’s own computer cluster, allowing for cutting-edge computational research. Wetmore’s research is primarily focused on using computer calculations to understand how the structure and function of DNA changes upon damage from external factors in our environment, how naturally occurring modifications impact the many critical roles of RNA, and the function of enzymes that interact with nucleic acids.

Her work has broad and farreaching implications, including directly impacting the health of the general population. For example, by providing fundamental information about the structure of modified DNA/RNA and how enzymes that interact with nucleic acids work, her research permits the design of cancer treatments that minimize drug resistances or therapy-derived secondary tumors.

Wetmore’s contributions to the field have earned her numerous accolades, including a Tier II NSERC Canada Research Chair and a Tier I Board of Governors Research Chair. In 2016, she was named an International Fellow by the Australian Association of Theoretical and Computational Chemists, in 2018 was elected as a Fellow of the Chemical Institute of Canada (the only one at the University of Lethbridge), and in 2021 earned election as a Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry.

A prolific writer, Wetmore has published more than 160 manuscripts, including more than 60 in the past five years as she earns spots in the most prestigious chemistry journals. Her work is often cited and has led to her being a highly soughtafter presenter at conferences and universities throughout the world, facilitating international collaborative opportunities.

Wetmore is also a proven mentor to her students, which range from the undergraduate level to graduate, PhD and post-doctoral fellows, who routinely earn competitive and prestigious scholarships under her guidance. She has also shown overwhelming success in securing external funding for her research projects, earning more than $6 million over the course of her career, further highlighting her position as one of the world leaders in her field of study.

EXCELLENCE IN TEACHING AWARD

Susan Findlay quickly became an integral part of the Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry after she was hired as an instructor in 2004. She is the lecture coordinator for both the first-year general chemistry and introductory organic chemistry courses, a role focused on providing an equitable and enjoyable experience for students in all sections.

She likens learning chemistry to learning a new language. Findlay first gives her students a basic vocabulary of concepts to help them avoid being overwhelmed by information. She helps them practice using these concepts so that, when new concepts and reactions are introduced, students see how they’re related to the basics they’ve already learned. Students then begin to see patterns and once they realize that most chemistry can be explained and predicted by a few simple rules, they gain confidence in their ability to deal with new problems on their own.

One of Findlay’s goals is to make learning chemistry fun and she accomplishes this through innovative teaching strategies. She designed a course in medicinal chemistry with two separate components connected by a central theme of pharmaceuticals. Part of the class time is devoted to lectures and discussions, and part is devoted to active problem solving where the class works as a group to predict reaction paths in drug design, taking turns in leadership roles.

When university courses went online in Fall 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Findlay recorded and edited all the lectures for three large undergraduate courses so they could run asynchronously in a flipped format where students watched the recorded lecture on their own time and spent class time working on problems. Findlay also wanted to give students plenty of opportunities for communication, so she investigated and set up message boards allowing students to ask and answer questions at any time and see the answers to everyone’s questions. Because of her talents with software applications, Findlay became somewhat of a technical specialist and offered her colleagues tutorials in using the applications.

Findlay’s leadership extends to the whole department where she serves as associate chair. Her duties include developing the department’s course schedule and distributing resources. In addition, she sits on the Dean’s Advisory Council and provides shrewd input into important policy decisions.

Before joining uLethbridge, Findlay completed undergraduate work at the University of Guelph and obtained her doctoral degree in organic chemistry at the University of Calgary.

BOARD OF GOVERNORS TEACHING CHAIR

Suzanne Lenon teaches a wide range of undergraduate courses in the Department of Women & Gender Studies and she continually explores ways to bridge theory and practice in the design of her courses. This thoughtfulness has led to creative courses that students have said gave them a new way of looking at the world and helped them understand how the theories they learned in the classroom play out in everyday life.

One of Lenon’s primary goals is to help students develop critical thinking skills by encouraging them to be curious about the world around them and interrogate social structures and power relations. Many of her courses deal with complex theories which have the capacity to disrupt established ways of thinking, a process that can be both uncomfortable and life changing. Lenon works to create a positive and engaging learning environment that encourages students to participate and engage in critical work in ways that are respectful and constructive.

Using a variety of techniques, including small group work, peer teaching, large group discussion and group projects, she ensures students have many opportunities to contribute. Lenon constructs unique assignments that illustrate her ability to develop meaningful teaching strategies. In one of her courses, she adapted a qualitative research methodology called photovoice. Students take photos of their lives at home, work, on campus and with their family and analyze them using theoretical concepts they learn in class.

Lenon obtained a Bachelor of Arts in Women’s Studies and Development Studies at the University of Calgary and a master’s degree in Development Studies at Carleton University. Her doctoral degree from the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education at the University of Toronto was in the department of Sociology & Equity Studies and part of the Graduate Collaborative Program at the U of T’s Women & Gender Studies Institute. Lenon joined the Women’s Studies program as an assistant professor at uLethbridge and she has been an associate professor in the Department of Women & Gender Studies since 2015.

Over the years, Lenon has noticed the number of trans and gender non-conforming students who are “out” is growing. As Board of Governors Teaching Chair, Lenon’s goal is to produce a resource manual titled Teaching Beyond the Gender Binary for use by faculty members and instructors from all disciplines. In consultation with trans and gender non-conforming students, she aims to identify best practices in creating an inclusive classroom and teaching strategies that go beyond binary gender.

VOLUNTEER AWARD

The University of Lethbridge Bookstore is an icon on the uLethbridge campus. As the go-to spot on campus for all the essentials that students, faculty and staff need for their day-to-day activities, the Bookstore has also become a hub for student engagement.

What separates the Bookstore is that it is so much more than a retail location. It’s a landmark, a meeting spot and, over the years, has emerged as an inspirational leader for a number of important societal campaigns and student and community issues. One such campaign is the annual Chinook Regional Hospital Foundation Christmas Tree Festival and Gala.

The Bookstore first began its participation in 2004 and has been a strong supporter of the annual initiative ever since. The Bookstore routinely crafts an aesthetically beautiful and well-themed tree, often referred to as the Tree of Knowledge. The trees are renowned for their striking visual beauty and decorated with more than 100 books every year. In addition to the small library found on the tree, the successful bidder will find gift certificates for services, activities and events taking place at and put on by the University. It is a proud representation and symbol of engagement for uLethbridge as a valuable community partner and source of educational and research enlightenment for the southern Alberta region.

The Bookstore staff also puts great effort into creating a theme of expression for each tree, capturing the needs of our community. These themes have included Canada’s 150th anniversary, (books written by Canadian authors), the Pride Tree (LGBQT+ themed literature), the University’s 50th anniversary and Letters from the Past. In 2016, Bookstore staff obtained 1,500 vintage air mail envelopes and stationery. Inspired by this, they recruited over 1,000 students from local schools to write letters of well wishes which were distributed by volunteers to over 1,000 patients at the Chinook Regional Hospital and Green Acres Foundation at Christmas time.

Since 2009, over $26,400 has been raised for the Chinook Regional Hospital Foundation from the auctioning of the Bookstore trees. There have also been multiple years when tree buyers have donated the Tree of Knowledge to local schools, further spreading knowledge and expanding educational opportunities throughout the region.