Civil Engineering Technology Program receives national accreditation
Lethbridge College’s Civil Engineering Technology program has been granted a national program accreditation by Technology Accreditation Canada (TAC). The accreditation means graduating students will now have more advantages to begin their careers, earn higher wages and have flexibility to work anywhere in Canada. The accreditation of the Civil Engineering Technology program means that all three programs in the college’s School of Engineering Technologies have now received TAC accreditation.
College joins international antibiotics campaign
Lethbridge College hosted events in November as part of the international effort to raise awareness of antibiotics and the human cost of antibiotic-resistant bacteria during the World Health Organization’s Antibiotic Awareness Week. Lethbridge College microbiology senior research scientist Dr. Sophie Kernéis, lab technician Leanne DuMontier and instructor Dr. Roshanee De Silva held a laboratory open house where visitors were able to view the microbes living inside their own mouths and learn about bacteria and the life-and-death challenge of antibiotic resistance. Students also staged an information display in Centre Core about antibiotics where they shared information from the World Health Organization.
Suicide prevention at centre of Friendship Bench initiative
Lethbridge College has joined a growing number of post-secondary institutions that have installed a Lucas Fiorella Friendship Bench as a suicide prevention technique. Anyone who feels they need support but isn’t ready to reach out in a formal setting can sit on the bench, and others in the area can take it as a sign to initiate a conversation with the person. The Friendship Bench foundation was started by Sam Fiorella in honour of his son Lucas, an Ontario student who died by suicide in 2014. Yellow benches have now been installed in more than 50 post-secondary institutions and high schools across Canada. The Lethbridge College Friendship Bench is installed in the Andrews 1700 wing. “The goal of the initiative is to reduce the escalating number of youth suicides,” says Fiorella, who was on-site for Lethbridge College’s bench unveiling in January. Young people, he says, “want to talk to their peers and know they are not alone, and we see that then leads to them approaching their parents or professionals for help. We need to make it completely OK to not be OK and to talk about how we’re feeling.”
Celebrating Our Students
Congratulations to these outstanding Lethbridge College students, who have been making a mark in their academics, work and communities in recent months:
- Jesi Lauzon, a student in the Conservation Enforcement – Bachelor of Applied Science program, was one of just 10 recipients of a Colleges and Institutes Canada Paul and Gerri Charette Bursary of $5,000.
- Interior Design Technology students Jessica Banman and Teunieke Anker designed a house (as part of their program) that was named top single-family home in its price range at the BILD (Building Industry and Land Development Association) Lethbridge Region awards.
- Engineering Design and Drafting Technology students Aidan McLean and Nathanael Heyburn submitted the winning design (and Matt Hagedorn and Kai Matsalla the runner-up team) in a contest held by the City of Lethbridge to allow for the permanent display of the Blackfoot Confederacy flag, the Reconciliation Lethbridge flag and other flags at City Hall.
- Monica Bartha, a student in the Ecosystem Management – Bachelor of Applied Science degree program, was one of just 10 students from across Canada to receive a prestigious scholarship by Canada’s Parliamentary Outdoor Caucus (an LC student won last year, too!).
- Jason Cotton, a third-year Ecosystem Management student, was selected as one of the student/alumni representatives to join CiCan’s ImpAct Student and Alumni Advisory Committee.
SHARING THEIR STORIES IN OTTAWA
Six Lethbridge College students shared their research and initiatives with a national audience when they attended CICan on the Hill and Student Showcase in February. This is the largest contingent from LC selected by the Colleges and Institutes Canada (CICan) to attend the event.
The students and their projects are:
- Tianna Gerber, first-year Environmental Assessment and Restoration student, presented her project, An Antibiotic for the Livestock Industry, focused on discovering antibiotics from a botanical source to serve the livestock industry.
- Selena Medicine Shield, first-year General Studies Indigenous – Career Pathways student, was nominated for her work promoting awareness of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls (MMIWG).
- Blaire Harley, fourth-year Ecosystem Management student, shared his project, Evaluating the Success of Variable Rate Irrigation Scheduling in Maintaining Uniform Plant Available Water, exploring the use of precision agriculture technologies.
- Matthew Eagles, Maxwell Veer and Brendin Pede, all second-year Civil Engineering Technologies students, shared their project, An Investigation of the Use of Slab Wood and Fibreglass for Hollow Structural Beams, which investigates the viability of building with hollow beams.
