Alma M atters
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1970 Marjorie Rigaux BEd ’73 “I have taught three generations of children, lived in Pincher Creek since 1946 and raised seven children. I now have 15 grandchildren and three greatgrandchildren. One of my grandsons began attending the University of Lethbridge this fall and is playing soccer for the Pronghorns.”
Burke Helps Ignite a Passion for Science Kristy Burke (BSc ’08), manager of youth science programs at the University of Lethbridge, received an Alberta Science and Technology (ASTech) Foundation Award at its gala reception in Edmonton on Nov. 2. She was also recognized as one of the 2012 Mentor of the Millennium award winners by the Alberta Women’s Science Network earlier this year. Thanks to Burke, the U of L science outreach programming has made great strides over the years. What began with a sleepover camp 10 years ago that invited 16 youths to campus has now grown to a variety of programs that reaches up to 1,500 children per year. Igniting a passion for science, and having the resources to fuel that passion, is what the programs are all about. Burke wants youth
to see the doors that open up for those who have a breadth of science knowledge. “Science is often made so difficult for students at the lower levels that they get turned off of it,” she says. “Our first goal is to have fun and to make fun somehow related to learning. We try to support the curriculum in a lot of our programs and sometimes it’s just a matter of getting their hands dirty and getting into it.” A mother of two, Burke understands how important it is to create positive early experiences for children. She is especially interested in encouraging young girls and minority students to pursue science. Burke is currently working on a master’s degree in education at the U of L under the tutelage of Dr. Leah Fowler.
Alumni Relations University of Lethbridge 4401 University Drive West Lethbridge, AB T1K 3M4 Toll-Free: 1-866-552-2582 E-mail: alumni@uleth.ca
Bruce Beck BEd ’77 Beck is teaching music at Eckville Elementry School in Eckville, Alta. Prior to this, Beck taught Grade 5 and music classes at Bluffton School for 31 years. He then retired for several years but still worked as a substitute teacher for Wolf Creek Public Schools. In addition to voice, he also specializes in recorders. Beck plays a tenor recorder with the Red Deer Recorder Consort.
1980 Otto Rapp BFA ’82 “Since 2011, I have resided in Vienna, Austria, and maintain a studio in the same building as Austrian artist Ernst Fuchs. The studio is in the Palais Palffy (which also houses the Phantasten Museum) in downtown Vienna, next to the Hofburg Palace. One of my works is on permanent display at that museum. Since moving to Austria I have participated in several exhibitions, most notably IMAGO at the Barockschloss Riegersburg. Several other exhibitions throughout the rest of this year in Austria and Germany are also scheduled. In 2009 I founded a private network of visionary artists with a handful of friends.
The network has now grown to more than 370 members – most are artists, but we also have art historians, writers, teachers and museum directors among our members. Our public mirrorsite where we display our best work is the Visionary Art Gallery, a site I built and maintain. I still have my home in Lethbridge but will be living mostly in Vienna until at least next summer.” Arlene Robertson BEd ’82 “I have very fond memories of my years at the University of Lethbridge. My degree served me well as I taught for 27 years in Alberta before retiring from full-time teaching. I have one grown child, my son, who in those university years attended the University Day Care, which was very convenient. I have two grandchildren, a grandson who is in Grade 6 and a granddaughter who is in Grade 1. They live with their parents in Cochrane, Alta. While retired, I still do some substitute teaching within Lethbridge and area. I am thoroughly enjoying my retirement years and love Lethbridge. I am proud to say I am a graduate of the University of Lethbridge.” Darvin Babiuk BASc ’85 “I have two new books published this year, both fiction. One a full-length novel entitled Molotov’s Cocktail, and the other an anthology of short stories entitled Nobunaga World.” Caroline Westwood BASc/BEd ’86 “After teaching children with emotional and behavioural disorders in Strathmore, Alta., and Lancaster, Calif., I received an MA in counselling psychology at UBC (1991) and a PhD in counselling psychology at U of C (2002), specializing in play therapy. I am currently working
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