How can experiences that you had yesterday affect your baby’s tomorrow?
What’s in the water you drink and how does it affect your health?
Environmental concerns: challenges or opportunities?
University of Lethbridge
BOARD OF GOVERNORS AUGUST 2007
Welcome to the University of Lethbridge 2006/2007 Community Report. Each year, this report makes its way to more than 330,000 households across Alberta. It’s our way of sharing with you the important strides the University of Lethbridge – your university – has made in teaching, research and creative achievement throughout the year.
CHAIR:
Robert Turner, Q.C.
CHANCELLOR:
Richard Davidson, Q.C.
PRESIDENT & VICE-CHANCELLOR William Cade
This year is an extra special year for us at the U of L because we are celebrating our 40th anniversary. Forty years ago, the University of Lethbridge was built on a commitment to the individual student and to providing every student with the most vital and engaging learning environment in the country.
ALUMNI ASSOCIATION:
Aaron Engen John Gill
This vision lives on at the heart of the University of Lethbridge. Although much has changed over the last 40 years, we remain a university that is focused on our students and the student experience.
ACADEMIC STAFF:
Leah Fowler Claudia Malacrida
SENATE:
Kim Kultgen
We are a university that sees teaching as a very important core activity and a university that has become a major research institution. We have developed centres of research excellence that are committed to community-minded research, and this year we received more than $12 million in research funding. These qualities combine to create a very healthy and exciting intellectual community for our more than 8,100 students on our campuses in Lethbridge, Calgary and Edmonton. The University of Lethbridge stands as it does today because the community dared to dream. We are a fabulous example of what can happen when a small group of people are determined to pull-off a big undertaking, and how a university and province can grow and prosper together. As you read through the pages of this year’s report, I ask you to consider one more important question – a question that I’ve been thinking about a lot over the last year:
What would Alberta be like today if visionaries had not decided 40-plus years ago that there needed to be a university in this part of the province? Think about it.
PUBLIC: Karen Bartsch Myles Bourke Gordon Jong Susan Lea Doug McArthur Guy McNab Grant Pisko Dean Setoguchi Doug Stokes STUDENT: Kelly Kennedy GRADUATE STUDENT:
Nafisa Jadavji
NON-ACADEMIC STAFF:
Linda Anderson
SECRETARY:
Rita Law
William H. Cade, PhD
President and Vice-Chancellor Professor of Biological Sciences
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fishing for answers What can the health of fish tell us about the health of humans? As part of on-going research into the health of Alberta’s lakes and rivers, University of Lethbridge PhD student Lana Miller is prospecting for selenium, a mineral released into the environment as a by-product of coal mining. However, instead of digging it out of the ground, Miller is looking for selenium in invertebrates and fish populations – such as brook trout and Athabasca rainbow trout – that live in bodies of water near reclaimed mine sites. Miller’s research focuses on examining and comparing the levels of cortisol and antioxidants in Athabasca rainbow trout, which are native to Alberta, and brook trout, which aren’t. “Because selenium is an essential element, both fish and people need it,” says Miller. “Too much of it is not good, however, as it can be toxic. In some fish, this means that too
much selenium affects their antioxidant and cortisol levels, which in turn affects their ‘fight or flight’ response and can cause other problems with their reproductive systems.”
“How these elements affect this species can ultimately tell us more about how the concentration of elements like selenium might affect people.” Lana Miller In comparing the two species, it appears that native Athabasca rainbow trout are suffering more than the imported brook trout in Miller’s test lakes because the Athabasca rainbow trout have lower reserves of antioxidants than the brook
trout. This is causing concern about losing a native Alberta fish species, and it has broader implications. “Any applied toxicology research you do can eventually have relevance to people and their health,” says Miller. “In my research, I am interested in the conservation of a native Alberta fish population, the Athabasca rainbow trout, and how the quantity of selenium accumulating in their systems affects their health. How long these elements take to accumulate, and how they affect this species, can ultimately tell us more about how the concentration of elements like selenium might affect people.”
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Led by University of Lethbridge researcher and Canada Research Chair Dr. Alice Hontela (Biological Sciences), who is an expert in the field of water toxicology, Miller’s research is funded by Alberta Ingenuity and the Metals in the Human Environment Research Network. She is part of a diverse team at the U of L that includes biologists, chemists, ecologists and geographers who are all focused on water-related issues.
Is there an environmentally safe way to control insect outbreaks? University of Lethbridge researchers have found a fungus in Canadian soils that shows promise as a safe and effective way to control grasshopper outbreaks. The project expands on the graduate research of Susan Entz, a U of L alumna and current research associate, who used a newly-developed DNA-based method to discover microbes in Alberta soil samples that have proven effective in killing grasshoppers. Related to previous foreign microbes researched by U of L researcher and Canada Research Chair Dr. Dan Johnson (Geography), this insect-killing fungus represents the first highly virulent indigenous control agent of grasshoppers in North America. The first application of the fungus will be as a non-chemical option in the battle against the next massive grasshopper outbreak. The fungus also shows promise in infecting, and perhaps eventually controlling, other agricultural pests such as the crucifer flea beetle and cabbage seedpod weevil, while at the same time reducing pesticide use. Further research is being planned to investigate how the fungus affects bees, aquatic insects and other beneficial insects. Previous research by Johnson and collaborators show that this type of fungus is not harmful to wildlife. Funding and further testing for this research is being provided by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s Pest Management Centre and the Alberta Crop Industry Development Fund. Environmental Educator Recognized U of L researcher Dr. Rick Mrazek, a professor of science education and assistant dean of graduate studies and research in the Faculty of Education, was honoured as the 2006 Canadian Network for Environmental Education and Communication (EECOM) Outstanding Post-Secondary Individual. The award recognizes Mrazek’s local, provincial, national and international contributions to environmental education. (l-r) Lana Miller and Dr. Alice Hontela
Discovering HOPE How can Ugandan nurses provide better HIV and AIDS care? After studying nursing and health care in the global context, University of Lethbridge School of Health Sciences faculty member Jean Harrowing believes we have to recognize that disease is more than just a physical germ or virus and consider the socioeconomic causes and impacts of disease across the globe.
“There’s a word in Africa - ubuntu - that means ‘I am because we are.’ To me, that means I can’t exist by myself. I see us all as very interconnected. Although Canadians have the power to control disease to some extent in our own population, we need to remember that what we do affects how people in other countries cope with disease; likewise how they cope with disease affects our well-being.
are infected with HIV. There is no single person in Africa who is not touched by this disease. The nurses are struggling to provide good care with virtually no resources and have managed to make small but important advances.
“One of the research projects I’m engaged in now examines the role of nurses and midwives in Uganda in providing HIV and AIDS care. I’ve travelled there three times in the last year to interview and observe nurses as they work with members of the population who
Jean Harrowing
“I see us all as very interconnected. When people in Africa are ill, then I’m not as well as I could be.” “Since nurses are on the front lines working with sick people, they have a pretty good sense of what kinds of strategies might help to address the problems. But in contrast to developed
Framed photo from previous page: “A patient from the children’s nutrition ward where very sick malnourished children (many of whom are HIV positive) are given intensive treatment while their mothers are taught the basics of good nutrition and food preparation,” explains Harrowing. Photo left: Ugandan nurses from Mulago Hospital in Kampala who participated in Harrowing’s research.
countries where nurses are held in high regard, nurses in Uganda don’t receive a lot of respect from their colleagues or the public. My findings are being discussed with Ugandan nurses so that they can use this research to advance their agenda and make positive changes. “A number of U of L nursing students have done clinical fieldwork in Africa and learned about what it’s like to be in another part of the world where people don’t enjoy the privileges we have here. As more students gain this kind of experience, I’m hopeful that they will exert a greater influence over the way we deal with health care for people around the world.”
Photo above, left: A pharmacy and all its contents at Kasangati Hospital in rural Uganda. Photo above, right: “Medical units completely ready for patients to be admitted. There are no linens for the bed unless the family provides them, and the beds are in poor condition,” recalls Harrowing.
Ugandan photos courtesy of Jean Harrowing
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Lessons in GIVING BACK Where can a University of Lethbridge education take you? University of Lethbridge management student Jason Baranec took his passion for entrepreneurship and his current university experiences into an environment that placed him head-
Donald Trump’s television series The Apprentice – Baranec worked with a team on a series of projects designed to test management, sales, advertising and consulting skills. “I was honoured to be considered among some of the top students in the country,” says Baranec. “For me, the highlight of this competition was meeting other like-minded students from across the nation with the same entrepreneurial passion burning inside them.”
that were reinforced through his intense experiences at the U of L as a participant in the Faculty of Management’s popular, but equally grueling, Integrated Management Experience (IME) program.
“Learning through giving back to the community is really what IME is all about.” Jason Baranec
this past summer.
The grueling event took place in Vancouver, BC, over four days in late June, and although no one was “fired,” there were winners and losers.
The U of L’s IME program integrates management theory and practice. Student teams get put through their paces in real-life business situations.
As a participant in the second annual Impact Apprentice competition – modelled after
While Baranec’s team was not in the winner’s circle, the experience provided him with lessons toward becoming an entrepreneur – lessons
They work with clients on community projects, which to date have raised more than $100,000 for local charities, and gain valuable
Canadarm2 Training and Simulation Centre, where their duties included creating animations for training videos and building scale models.
U of L Alumni Intern at the Smithsonian Institution
to-head with 31 other students from across Canada in a unique challenge
New Media Students Boldly Go Where No U of L Students Have Gone Before Science and the arts intersected this summer as new media majors Nate Dekens Wagenaar and Ryan Humphrey headed to the Canadian Space Agency (CSA). This is the first year that bachelor of fine arts (new media) students from the University of Lethbridge have been invited to apply for internships with the CSA. The internships began on May 7 in Montreal. The pair worked on Canada’s contributions to the International Space Station in the
Both agreed that their new media studies prepared them well. “When we reviewed the skills that the CSA required for the job, we could just check them all off,” says Dekens Wagenaar. “Our studies are extremely broad, and we have developed quite a wide range of skills that are applicable to a great many fields.” Dekens Wagenaar has a focus in the artistic and design areas while Humphrey considers his strengths to be in scripting and technical skills.
Megan Mericle (BFA ‘07) completed an internship at the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden at the Smithsonian in Washington, DC, this summer. The Hirshhorn is the institution’s museum of modern and contemporary art. Candace McMillen (BA ’07) completed an internship at the Museum Conservation Institute, a research Centre for the Smithsonian, conducting X-ray diffraction analysis of archaeological pottery.
work experiences, contacts and value-added life skills outside the classroom. Baranec says that the community project in the second semester of the IME program proved to be most beneficial in terms of readying him for the Impact Apprentice experience. “Our IME group was given $10, and we had a month to turn that sum into something greater to donate to a local charity. Through a variety of projects, including a large-scale community barter event, we ended up with $2,500, a used SUV and other donations to contribute. Learning through giving back to the community is really what IME is all about.”
A surf club at the U of L? Believe it or not, the securely landlocked University of Lethbridge has a surf club. In February 2007, more than 20 U of L students spent about 30 hours on the road during their spring break to get to New Brighton State Beach near Santa Cruz, CA, to hone their surfing skills. While there, they spent part of their time volunteering with a local environmental organization and helped clean up a stretch of the beach on which they spent their time surfing. Their charitable activity was reported by the surfing columnist of the Santa Cruz Sentinel, a major newspaper in that region.
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(l-r) Drs. Pamela Adams, Robin Bright and Mary Dyck
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Online INVESTIGATION Who are your children really chatting with online? University of Lethbridge researcher Dr. Mary Dyck warns that parents can’t look to the four walls of the family home or technology tools to keep adolescents safe in cyberspace. “The Internet is not a thing, but a place where teens interact and face all of the same vulnerabilities as they do in the physical world,” says Dyck, who has just completed the first-ever Canadian study on rural teens’ online social communication.
The Department of Kinesiology and Physical Education faculty member collaborated on the study with U of L education researchers Dr. Pamela Adams and Dr. Robin Bright. Over the past year, 1,700 students between 12 and 15 years of age at 16 schools in southern Alberta were surveyed about their use of e-mail, instant messaging, text messaging, chat rooms and blogs/social networking profiles/ personal web pages.
The study found that the typical rural Alberta teenager is online every day and is comfortable using e-mail, instant messaging and text messaging. Nearly 40 per cent of teens own cellphones that provide 24/7 access to the Internet. In many cases, youth have more freedom on the Internet than they would elsewhere – 65 per cent of the students said they are usually unsupervised online. This lack of supervision allows them to engage in a number of risky behaviours ranging from cyber bullying to lying about their age to “flirt” to meeting online “friends” in person. Dyck, Adams and Bright are concerned by the lack of awareness among both teenagers and parents about the real-world consequences of social interactions in cyberspace.
“Adolescents’ development is shaped by what they witness, experience and learn in the world around them. Negative experiences in the virtual world can distort teens’ understanding of reality and impair their development into healthy citizens,” says Dyck. Recognizing that many teens are more cyber-savvy than their parents, the researchers have collaborated with the Lethbridge Regional Police Service to offer information sessions for parents at participating schools. “We tell parents that you don’t have to completely understand the Internet, but you do have to learn more about it. Communication with your teens is critical – ask them what they are doing, who they are hanging out with and all the same questions you used to ask before letting them go out to play. After all, the Internet is basically a public playground online,” says Dyck.
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BRAIN exploration How can prenatal experiences have lifelong effects? According to pioneering neuroscientist Dr. Bryan Kolb, prenatal experiences can have lifelong effects. Kolb has devoted his distinguished 31-year career at the University of Lethbridge to asking questions about the brain and how the brain changes as a result of experience. The answers he has discovered have fundamentally changed the field of neuroscience and the way we think about the brain. “One of the major changes in thinking about how the brain works occurred in the mid- to late-1980s. It was the idea that the brain is constantly changing – it’s
How can we use the tools we’ve developed in astronomy or earth sciences in neuroscience or vice versa? This is a question U of L physicist Dr. Philippe Teillet is asking now that he’s returned to academia after a distinguished 29-year career as a research scientist with the federal government. “The imaging research conducted at the U of L was critical in my decision to come here. I was impressed by the U of L’s strategic vision, the strong research base and the collegiality,” says Teillet.
plastic – and it can change in ways that are irreversible. “Brain plasticity begins right after conception. Any experience that affects the development of neurons – the number of cells; the migration, differentiation or maturation of the cells; and the making of connections – will change the way the brain develops. “We know that when the mother is exposed to drugs – and this includes anything from illegal drugs, to alcohol, nicotine or caffeine – it affects the way cells in the brain mature and possibly the way they migrate. As well, sensory or motor experiences that happen to the mother can alter the construction of the baby’s brain. “We have found that when you take a female rat and place it in a complicated environment, the brain becomes more complex because it is stimulated. The same is true in
“With the experience that some of us have, we hope to work with other universities and the province to see where this cross-fertilization of ideas can bear fruit.” Much of Teillet’s research focuses on the physical underpinnings of remote sensing satellites. His work helps to ensure that the images of the Earth acquired by satellite sensor systems are calibrated to account for such factors as the atmosphere and sun angle and view angle effects. Teillet’s work will further enhance the University’s strong research program in imaging in neuroscience, physics and earth sciences.
humans. If a pregnant woman is in a complicated environment, the baby’s brain will be different than it would have been had the mother not been in that environment. We think this is the result of growth factors that the brain produces when you’re stimulated or stressed. Growth factors can cross the placental barrier, and when the mother produces them, the fetus is also affected.
“We are our brain; to understand people, we need to understand the brain.” Dr. Bryan Kolb “In some senses, things that happen to the father even before conception can influence brain development as well. Unlike females who are born with a certain number of eggs that don’t change, males continually produce new sperm. You can change the way in which
How can experience alter DNA? U of L researcher and Canada Research Chair Dr. Stacey Wetmore (Chemistry and Biochemistry) uses computer modelling to study reactions between DNA and various harmful chemicals to understand how DNA can be altered. She is also studying how enzymes that already exist in the body repair DNA by chemically removing the damaged pieces. Wetmore says that understanding how the damage occurs and how nature repairs the damage will put scientists in a better position to develop more effective techniques to repair or prevent DNA damage.
genes are expressed – that being whether they are on or off – by experience, and that can show up in the sperm. Experiences can alter gene expression. Once you know that, you begin to see that there are many ways in which the structure of the brain can be controlled though a genetic change. “Early life events can result in disordered behaviour, including a range of neurological and psychiatric conditions such as cerebral palsy, mental retardation, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), schizophrenia and fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD). About 50 per cent of the population will experience some kind of neurological problem, and approximately 20 per cent of children have developmental problems of one kind or another that are related to the brain.”
“Computer modelling is extremely useful to study molecules that are difficult or impossible to study using traditional experiments. For example, some molecules are difficult to study experimentally due to their short lifetimes, but comparatively easy to study using computers.” This spring, Wetmore pressed the “on button” of a cluster of lightning-fast Dell machines that compute more than fivetrillion complex mathematical operations a second, cutting research time and costs. “With the installation of the cluster, we will be able to advance our research even further by using even larger models and more accurate theories,” she says.
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PRESERVING the past How do portraits from the past help us understand history? By capturing the faces of the First Nations people he encountered, Canadian painter Nicholas de Grandmaison (1892-1978) left a deeply personal record of history. His documentation was grounded in the belief that the soul of a person was found in the face. Today, the University of Lethbridge holds the most comprehensive collection of de Grandmaison works in Canada, including more than 100 of his paintings, personal photo albums, letters and sound recordings of conversations he had with the individuals in his portraits.
U of L Art Gallery Director/Curator Dr. Josephine Mills says the de Grandmaison collection reveals the past in a very intimate way. “There are not many paintings that actually depict First Nations people as individuals,” says Mills. “De Grandmaison’s paintings focus on the honour, dignity and character of each person. He didn’t see First Nations people in a stereotypical light; he really tried to show their individual personalities and life stories.” From the 1930s up until his death in 1978, de Grandmaison was struck with an urgency to capture the Plains Indians because he believed they were
in a time of crucial transition where their old ways of life were quickly disappearing. Having been a Russian aristocrat forced out of his homeland, a prisoner of war and eventually an immigrant to Canada, de Grandmaison felt intimately connected to the First Nations people. “He really felt he could relate to the idea of being displaced and to the kind of persecution they experienced,” says Mills. This fall, the U of L Art Gallery is presenting an exhibit called Drawn From the Past: The Portraits & Practice of Nicholas de Grandmaison. The exhibition
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includes a ceremonial costume de Grandmaison was given when he was made an honorary chief as well as many of his portraits and recordings. “If we didn’t have these paintings, we would be missing a part of our western heritage,” says Mills. “While we tend to understand history as big events like battles, this piece of Canada’s history focuses on the individuals and their stories.”
How can we prevent an endangered language from disappearing? Imagine the early days of colonial exploration and settlement in North America. French fur traders crossed vast distances of land, meeting and trading with countless Native tribes. As these explorers immersed themselves in the cultures of the people they met and small culturally mixed communities arose, a fascinating language called Michif evolved. Michif mixes the rules of Cree and French grammar to form its own unique tongue. It arose in the Métis’ homeland in the Red River Valley in Manitoba. U of L researcher Dr. Nicole Rosen (Modern Languages) works with Michif speakers to learn about the structure of this endangered language, which is still used today by a small number of Canadians. “There is no good description of the language anywhere. I hope to record, document and preserve the Michif language before it falls out of use and is forgotten,” says Rosen. Rosen explains that she wants to document Michif in two ways. “First, I regularly undertake fieldwork to better understand Michif rules and patterns with the long-term goal of writing a grammar of the Michif language. Second, I’m currently working on creating a Michif language database that could be turned into a dictionary,” says Rosen. What happens when art and technology meet? The whole world now has access to the impressive U of L Art Collection thanks to a recently launched online research database. “This project adds another dimension for providing public access to the more than 13,000 objects in the art collection,” says U of L Art Gallery Director/Curator Dr. Josephine Mills. “The information associated with these objects is as important as the objects themselves.” To view the U of L Art Collection online, please visit: www.uleth.ca/artgallery
Inspired TEACHING What is the value of a liberal education? Learn to think – it’s a mantra that’s echoed throughout the University of Lethbridge. From the boardroom to the classroom, “learn to think” defines the undergraduate experience at the U of L. Dr. Craig Monk is an associate dean in the Faculty of Arts and Science and an English professor. He sheds light on what a liberal education is, its relevance to today’s students and how at the U of L, students really do learn to think.
“When students come to university they bring with them some of the preliminary material
How can professors become better teachers? The University of Lethbridge is devoting people, time and effort to a new initiative that will help faculty members reaffirm the central importance of teaching and learning to the institution. This spring, the University launched the Centre for the Advancement of Excellence in Teaching and Learning (CAETL). According to education professor and teaching fellow Dr. Pamela Adams, “The CAETL promotes and sustains outstanding and inspirational teaching in a vital and engaging learning environment.”
to solve problems. Liberal education suggests a wider range of necessary tools for their development. When we say that students ‘learn to think,’ we really mean that they discover how to pull together these pieces drawn from their experiences and focus them to approach questions they encounter in the classroom and in the world at large. “As professors, it’s our job to ensure students get the most out of the experience in the classroom. Being active in research is tremendously important for being a good teacher. All of our disciplines are continuing to evolve. People are saying and discovering new things, and I think it’s our responsibility to make our topics – no matter how distant in the past they may be
She explains that the CAETL not only helps faculty members with their teaching challenges, but also looks into the research aspects of good teaching, finds and implements the best practices, and reminds all involved that effective teaching can be defined, learned and demonstrated. “We want to aggressively promote the many tools required in the professional development of university-level teachers and lecturers,” says Adams. “This commitment to excellence in teaching will ensure that in a rapidly changing educational environment, the U of L will continue to provide outstanding learning opportunities and experiences for its students and faculty.”
based – relevant to students by making sure they get the most upto-date information.
“Being active in research is tremendously important for being a good teacher.” Dr. Craig Monk “Often students are career focused and they have a practical end in sight. A liberal education can show them how other disciplines are relevant to that very specific goal. At the end of that process, students gain a wider appreciation for how their specific career interests fit into the world around them. “Literature, for example, is a reflection of the society of the time in which it was written. There are historical, sociological
When it comes to teaching, how does the U of L score? According to the Canadian Undergraduate Survey Consortium 2007 Survey of First Year Students, the following percentage of U of L students strongly agree/agree to the following statements: 94%: Most of my professors are reasonably accessible outside of class to help students. (Compared with 90% of survey participants)
92%: Generally, I am satisfied with the quality of teaching I have received. (Compared with 88% of survey participants)
and political components to it, and students get a good sense of what that world was like from reading its literature. They also gain wonderful interpretation, communication, reading and writing skills. “One of the best moments for me as a professor is when a student who was skeptical of taking an English course comes to me at the end of the term and says that he or she sees the relevance of studying literature to his or her life and career.” The University of Lethbridge recognized Monk’s teaching excellence at the spring 2007 convocation where he was awarded the Distinguished Teaching Medal – an award that was established in 1987 to recognize the central importance of teaching to the University’s philosophy and goals.
89%: Most of my professors encourage students to participate in class discussions. (Compared with 82% of survey participants)
The Canadian Undergraduate Survey Consortium 2006 Survey of Graduating Students reports: 90% of U of L students are satisfied with the quality of education they received. (Compared with 89% of survey participants)
89% of graduating students would recommend the U of L to others. (Compared with 86% of survey participants) Comparisons are based on participating Canadian institutions. Complete information is available at: http://www.cusc-ccreu.ca.
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Drilling for SOLUTIONS Social responsibility: ethical or just good business? According to U of L management professor Luis Fernando Escobar, the answer isn’t either or. “The answer is a combination of both and depends on every single case,” he says. “I tell my students that actions related to environmental and social issues are business decisions – no different than opening in a new market or coming out with a new product. But to have an impact in the long term, ethical decisionmaking must be strategic.”
Originally from Peru, Escobar grew up in the oil towns of Venezuela and has spent his career working in and researching the energy industry. “When I worked in South America with multinational companies, I found there was a lack of managerial understanding regarding business decisions related to environmental and social issues, not a lack of technology,” says Escobar, who went on to complete a master’s degree in energy and the environment and is currently completing his PhD. “Now as a researcher, I try to understand industry issues from an academic viewpoint without losing sight of the practitioner’s need to solve problems. My goal is to transfer this information to managers.” Escobar is researching environmental and social issues as they apply to competitive advantage within multinational corporations working in lessdeveloped countries. Much of his research focuses on stakeholder
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engagement and how it can create benefits for the stakeholders and the company. “Stakeholder engagement can be a source of competitive advantage for business units and multinational enterprises,” he explains. “Closing the gap between the benefits a company thinks it provides and the stakeholders’ expectations and concerns creates bridges. Those bridges build trust. Once you have trust, it’s cheaper for a company to operate in the long run.” Escobar primarily focuses his research on subsidiaries of multinational corporations because he says they are the ones who directly interact with the stakeholders and face the issues head on. “Change happens at the local level and then spreads internationally,” he says. “When you give stakeholders a voice, they are better able to communicate with the company, and the company is better able to build capacity in the community.”
“Closing the gap between the benefits a company thinks it provides and the stakeholders’ expectations and concerns creates bridges. Those bridges build trust. Once you have trust, it’s cheaper for a company to operate in the long run.” Luis Fernando Escobar
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A YEAR IN
REVIEW... (Selected highlights from October ’06 to August ’07)
“Luxie,” the U of L’s new mascot, was unveiled as an anniversary gift to the University at the grand opening of the 1st Choice Savings Centre for Sport and Wellness in February. Luxie’s name is a reference to the U of L’s “Fiat Lux” motto, which is Latin for “Let there be light.”
What’s all the celebrating about?
What happens when a university, its students and the community work together? The University officially launched its 40th anniversary celebrations at the grand opening of the 1st Choice Savings Centre for Sport and Wellness on Feb. 8.
Built on community partnerships, the 1st Choice Savings Centre stands as a testament to what can be achieved when a university, its students and the community work together towards a common goal. “We saw an opportunity to team up with an amazing organization that, like us, wants to inspire excellence in people. We are working hard to make southern Alberta a better place to live, and believing in our community and its potential is why we’re working
with the University,� says Gerry Jensen, president and chief executive officer, 1st Choice Savings and Credit Union Ltd. The state-of-the-art facility enhances fitness and recreation services in the community; benefits students and athletes; and advances kinesiology-related research. Equipped with an indoor 200-metre track, a triple gymnasium with seating for 2,000 spectators, expanded locker rooms, a climbing wall and classroom and
lab space, the 1st Choice Savings Centre has something for everyone. The 1st Choice Savings Centre is funded by the City of Lethbridge, the University of Lethbridge, U of L students and private investment. Pictured above: 1st Choice Savings and Credit Union Ltd. management and staff at the grand opening celebrations.
Generous Beat Thanks to a grant from the Lethbridge Community Foundation, the U of L Global Drums! ensemble was able to purchase 11 authentic taiko drums to add a Japanese component to their music. The U of L is one of the few universities in Canada to have a taiko ensemble. The taiko drums will give students and members of the community an opportunity to understand another culture in a personal way. “The taiko drums are going to broaden horizons for both musicians and audiences,” says conductor Adam Mason (Music). “Even if you’ve never travelled to Japan, you can have the opportunity to take part in a Japanese cultural experience and learn about the beautiful things it offers.”
U of L Community Members Receive National Honours Dr. Reg Bibby (Sociology) and Chancellor Emeritus Dr. James Horsman (LLD ’04) were invested into the Order of Canada on Feb. 9 at a ceremony presided over by Governor General Michaëlle Jean. On Feb. 20, it was announced that Senator Henry Bergen, 2002 distinguished alumnus of the year Dr. Austin Mardon (BA ’85) and alumna Joan Stebbins (BFA ’79) have been appointed as members of the Order of Canada.
GIVING IN STYLE Generosity can come in a variety of shapes, sizes, colours and even styles. This past spring, the U of L’s costume shop received its largest donation to date from the family of
The Steacy Winning Streak Continues (l-r) U of L Pronghorn track & field team members Sean, Jim and Heather Steacy continued their sibling success story this summer. Jim and Sean won the gold and silver medals,
respectively, in hammer throw at the Canadian Senior Track & Field Championships in July. Heather earned a bronze in hammer throw at the Pan-American Junior Championships in São Paulo, Brazil, and Jim took the gold in the same event at the Pan American Games in Rio de
Janeiro. Heather also won a silver medal at the Canadian National Junior Championships before teaming up with Sean to finish the summer by winning gold medals in hammer throw at the Western Canada Summer Games in August.
the late Leo and Phyllis Singer, who operated Leo Singer Men’s Wear in Lethbridge for more than 40 years. The unique collection of clothing dating from the 1930s to the early 1990s includes more than 1,500 items. The collection will serve as costumes for University productions as well as a teaching tool in the classroom. “To hold and see what a pair of spectator shoes from the 1930s looks like and how clothing in the 1940s was cut, constructed and fitted, and to gain an appreciation for the fabrics used in each decade is a marvellous resource,” says Costume Shop Manager Teresa Heyburn.
UNIVERSITY OF LETHBRIDGE 06|07 REPORT : Something else to think about
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A Stamp of Approval Canada Post and University of Lethbridge officials were proud to unveil a new stamp set featuring University Hall, the U of L’s signature building, on May 8, 2007. Designed by well-known Canadian architect Arthur Erickson, the 450,000 sq. ft. building is one of four landmark structures to be recognized by Canada Post and the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada (RAIC) in honour of the RAIC’s centennial.
Davidson SElected AS Chancellor Chancellor Emerita Shirley DeBow ended her four-year term as the University’s chancellor in March, but her personal touch and caring will be remembered for years to come. In February, the University of Lethbridge Senate selected lifelong Lethbridge resident and wellknown lawyer Richard Davidson as the University’s 11th chancellor. Davidson was an honouree at the U of L Faculty of Management Scholarship Dinner in 2002, and he has served numerous community organizations as president, Chair or a member of the board of directors. Davidson was officially installed at the U of L spring convocation on May 31, 2007.
NEW VICE-PRESIDENT (ACADEMIC) and PROVOST APPOINTED As the University of Lethbridge’s new vice-president (academic) and provost, Dr. Andrew Hakin is responsible for the academic life of the institution – which relies on the full participation of faculty and staff in providing an engaging learning environment for students. As he settles into his new position, the awardwinning chemist, researcher and educator is working to establish a new academic direction for the institution, and a new view of how the U of L will continue to build on its well-established reputation – and it all starts with the student.
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“Student engagement is a key to the development of community within our University. We must provide the facilities, activities and the sense of school spirit that promotes community. At the same time we must continue to provide high-quality academic opportunities that address both the present and future needs of our students. “In other words, the U of L must ensure that it is providing lasting value. Faculty and staff engagement are also essential pieces to building community, and we are proud of the growth of our strong academic community in which professional expectations and aspirations can be achieved. “The University has developed a strong reputation for being student centred, and I believe every employee has a role to play in making the U of L the institution of choice within the Alberta post-secondary system.
“Student engagement is a key to the development of community . . .”
Dr. Andrew Hakin
“The external connections we have are critical to future successes, and the U of L is well positioned as we conclude our 40th year. The University is developing a strong alumni base and significant connections in the local, regional, national and international communities. Many of our former students have indicated that the academic journeys in which they were involved at the U of L have provided them with lasting value and benefit. “My wish is to reinforce in them – wherever they are in the province or elsewhere in the world – a mindset that their graduation is not a final destination point and that the U of L has been, and will continue to be, central to their academic progress.”
UNIVERSITY OF LETHBRIDGE 06|07 REPORT : Something else to think about
What happens when you believe that education has made a difference in your life? For the late Dr. John Prentice (LLD ’06) – a Calmar, AB, based agri-business entrepreneur, award-winning agrologist, industry leader and U of L honorary degree recipient – and his wife, Connie, the answer is easy: You give back. On Dec. 7, 2006, the Prentice family joined University officials to announce John and Connie’s initial gift of $8.25 million to the University of Lethbridge – the largest individual gift in the U of L’s 40-year history. The Prentice’s extraordinary gift will enable the University of Lethbridge to launch the Prentice Institute for Global Population and Economy.
John and Connie Prentice Photo courtesy of Willow Creek Imaging
The Prentice Institute will attract outstanding faculty who will address some of the most difficult challenges of the next generation. They will focus on big-picture issues relating to global population change, demographics and economic factors. The multidisciplinary institute will provide individuals, organizations and governments with necessary resources to make informed decisions regarding complex and difficult sets of issues such as aging, retirement, pensions and innovation. For the Prentice family, establishing the Prentice Institute was a way to invest in education – something they believed made a significant difference in their own lives. Their generosity is helping to ensure that opportunities for success in education and research will be available for years to come.
“I have chosen to endow the Prentice Institute for Global Population and Economy at the University of Lethbridge because I believe that long-term demographic and economic cycles are under researched, and that improved knowledge in these areas would inform the public and cause both individuals and governments to make better decisions, thus changing the course of history for the better. I hope that the Institute will encourage people to take a more global approach when setting policy and making personal decisions.” Dr. John Prentice
06/07 University of Lethbridge Financial INFORMATION
The University of Lethbridge is accountable to many stakeholders: students, the government, granting agencies, donors and the community. Through sound budgeting and planning processes, the University maintains exemplary financial management of public and private funds, satisfies stakeholder expectations and achieves the U of L’s goals.
statement of cash flows For the year ended march 31 (thousands of dollars)
2007
statement of operations For the year ended march 31 (thousands of dollars)
2007
.
2006
REVENUE Grants Tuition and related fees Sales of services and products Miscellaneous Investment income Gifts and donations Amortization of unamortized deferred capital contributions EXPENSE Salaries Employee benefits Scholarships, fellowships and bursaries Supplies and services Repairs and maintenance Cost of goods sold Equipment Travel External contracted services Utilities Professional fees Interest on long-term obligations Insurance Property taxes Unrealized loss on write-down of investments Loss (gain) on disposal of capital assets Amortization of capital assets EXCESS OF REVENUE OVER EXPENSE
$ 86,517 34,442 13,152 1,358 6,265 728 6,271 $ 148,733
$ 77,961 35,060 11,860 1,179 3,486 713 6,033 $ 136,293
77,452 12,813 2,252 8,424 1,478 3,113 3,327 3,540 3,194 2,645 1,369 497 432 111 (49) 12,305 132,903 $ 15,830
73,960 11,278 1,978 7,478 1,671 3,004 2,742 3,447 2,593 2,934 911 414 408 234 492 564 12,087 126,196 $ 10,098
2007
2006
CASH PROVIDED BY (USED IN) OPERATING ACTIVITIES Excess of revenue over expense Non-cash transactions Amortization of unamortized deferred capital contributions Amortization of capital assets Loss (gain) on disposal of capital assets Unrealized loss on write-down of investments Increase in long-term employee benefit liabilities Increase (decrease) in non-cash working capital CASH PROVIDED BY (USED IN) INVESTING ACTIVITIES Purchase of investments (net) Capital asset additions Internally funded Externally funded Collection additions Increase in long-term receivable Increase in asset retirement obligation Proceeds on disposal of capital assets CASH PROVIDED BY (USED IN) FINANCING ACTIVITIES Capital contributions Endowment contributions Capitalized investment earnings Long-term debt repayments INCREASE IN CASH CASH & SHORT-TERM INVESTMENTS, beginning of year CASH & SHORT-TERM INVESTMENTS, end of year
$ 15,830
2006
$
10,098
(6,271) 12,305 (49) 175 21,990 4,144 26,134
(6,034) 12,087 564 492 623 17,830 (476) 17,354
(16,076)
(3,269)
(18,736) (14,784) (38) (3,358) 1,085 185 (51,722)
(12,723) (12,700) (8) 67 (28,633)
22,858 8,825 477 (122) 32,038 6,450
20,160 1,292 274 (115) 21,611 10,332
28,528 $ 34,978
18,196 $
28,528
statement of financial position AS AT march 31 (thousands of dollars)
2007
2006
ASSETS CURRENT ASSETS Cash and short-term investments
LONG-TERM LIABILITIES
$
Accounts receivable
34,978
$
28,528
Long-term obligations
4,309
3,654
Employee benefit liabilities
6,343
6,168
8,245
5,895
Inventories
447
432
Deferred contributions, research and other
Prepaid expenses
787
665
Deferred contributions, capital
44,457
35,520
70,180
54,102
3,358
-
206,855
185,726
$ 324,850
$ 275,348
INVESTMENTS PLEDGES RECEIVABLE - Long-term portion CAPITAL ASSETS AND COLLECTIONS
LIABILITIES AND NET ASSETS
UNAMORTIZED DEFERRED CAPITAL CONTRIBUTIONS
$
9,946
$
7,528
Employee benefit liabilities
4,107
4,656
Deferred revenue
4,441
4,007
11,001
8,192
Deferred contributions, research and other Current portion of long-term obligations
430
122
29,925
24,505
577
20,625
12,585
31,850
22,984
99,617
91,103
NET ASSETS Investment in capital assets and collection
102,499
90,846
Endowments
24,537
13,663
Internally restricted
17,758
16,541
Unrestricted
18,664
15,706
163,458
136,756
$ 324,850
$ 275,348
CURRENT LIABILITIES Accounts payable and accrued liabilities
573
Commitments and contingencies
The financial information presented cannot be expected to provide as comprehensive an understanding as the information provided in the University’s audited financial statements. Please refer to www.uleth.ca/fsr for complete financial statements, accompanying notes and the Auditor’s Report.
The University of Lethbridge’s 40th anniversary has been a time to reflect on the University’s past, the foundation the institution was built on and the many people who have contributed to the emergence of Canada’s most vital and engaging learning
“My major interest in having a university in Lethbridge stemmed from my belief that having an educated public is a very important part of having a democracy. I believed then, and still do today, that education is the most important thing in our society. It is the foundation for a democracy. It is the hope for humanity.” Dr. Van Christou Board Member, 1967-1973 Chancellor, 1975-1979
environment. Former presidents Drs. Russell Leskiw, W.A. Sam Smith, William Beckel, John Woods and Howard Tennant, and founding Board of Governors member Dr. Van Christou have thought about the University of Lethbridge’s first 40 years and they share their reflections with us.
“We rented a corner of the science building at Lethbridge Junior College, operated independently and embarked immediately on planning the university program for September 1967.” Dr. Russell Leskiw Acting President, 1967
“As president, I felt that it was my responsibility to lead in the creation of an environment where everyone could move toward their own career goals while the collectivity, the institution, was moving in the direction of its goals.” Dr. W. A. Sam Smith President, 1967 – 1972
“When I came to the U of L, I brought with me the conviction that university education should be accessible to a wide range of students ... By this I meant anyone who would become a more interesting and useful person because of a liberal education.” Dr. William Beckel President, 1972 – 1979 “The single most important thing that a university can do is to teach students well.” Dr. John Woods President, 1979 – 1986
“We changed the image of the institution from an undergraduate teaching university to a full-fledged research university with a defined mission.” Dr. Howard Tennant President, 1987 – 2000 “The relationship between the city of Lethbridge and the University of Lethbridge is very special. The University has co-evolved with the city, and we have had tremendous influence on how this city and province were shaped.” Dr. Bill Cade President, 2000 – present
University of Lethbridge LETHBRIDGE CAMPUS 4401 University Drive Lethbridge, AB T1K 3M4 Ph: (403) 329-2200 Fax: (403) 329-2097 www.ulethbridge.ca
University of Lethbridge CALGARY CAMPUS Room N104 Senator Burns Building 1301 - 16 Ave. NW Calgary, AB T2M 0L4 Ph: (403) 284-8596 Fax: (403) 284-8057
University of Lethbridge EDMONTON CAMPUS U of L Building 1200, 10707 - 100 Ave. Edmonton, AB T5J 3M1 Ph: (780) 424-0425 Fax: (780) 424-0455
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ASSOCIATE EDITOR:
WRITERS:
PRINTING:
University Advancement at the University of Lethbridge
Alesha Farfus-Shukaliak
Bob Cooney
Calgary Colorpress
PUBLISHER: University of Lethbridge Board of Governors
Alesha Farfus-Shukaliak DESIGNER:
Jana McFarland
COVER PHOTO:
Stephenie Chester
Shelagh McMullan
PHOTOGRAPHY:
CONTRIBUTORS:
U of L student Anna Watkins, Women’s Pronghorn basketball player, first-year psychology major
EDITOR:
Jones Foto
Tanya Jacobson-Gundlock
Glenda Moulton Bernie Wirzba
Mandy Moser Carrie Takeyasu Katherine Wasiak