For the McMurray family, these words by the author Frederick Buechner are words to live by: “Vocation is the place where our deep gladness meets the world’s deep need.”
“You always want to work in a place where you’re contributing and where you’re hopefully making the world a better place,” says Dave McMurray, Lethbridge College’s manager of Applied Research with the Centre for Applied Research, Innovation and Entrepreneurship (CARIE). “I’m incredibly fortunate to work with colleagues, faculty, and researchers who are doing that. To help support the advancement of their far-reaching and beneficial research is fulfilling.”
In his role, Dave has helped boost the college’s applied research capacity over the past seven years, helping create strategic partnerships, secure grants from national and provincial funding agencies, and expand the research and administrative teams. Dave and his wife, Melanie (an elementary school vice principal), say all three of their children have also seen their future come into focus in the halls of Lethbridge College.
Joel (Criminal Justice – Policing 2016) now works with a private security firm that trains airport security personnel. His fiancée is another former student, Taylor Callahan (General Arts and Sciences 2017), whose father, Lewis Callahan, is an instructor at Lethbridge College’s Business Administration program. Nathan (Engineering Design and Drafting Technology 2018) is an engineering technologist-in-training. And Janelle is a current student in the General Arts and Sciences program and plans to continue her post-secondary career after graduating from the college. She plans to become a social worker helping immigrant and refugee families. This year,
Janelle received the Jason Lang Scholarship which was named for the 17-year-old high school student killed in a school shooting in Taber in 1999 and who also happens to have been Janelle and her brothers’ first cousin.
“When you’re a parent, you always hope that your kids can find their role,” says Dave, “and we’re proud of the paths they’re on. Though they’re not done with education, I know the college has set them up for lifelong success.”
Dave McMurray
Dave has been working with Lethbridge College since 2009. He is currently manager of Applied Research with the CARIE team.
Joel McMurray – Criminal Justice – Policing 2016
Joel works with GardaWorld, the world’s largest privately owned integrated security and risk company.
Nathan McMurray – Engineering Design and Drafting Technology 2018
Nathan is working with BCB Engineering Ltd. in Lethbridge as an engineering technologist-in-training.
Janelle McMurray – General Arts and Sciences student Janelle is a current student expected to graduate in spring 2021.
Are you a multi-generational Lethbridge College family? If at least three members across one or more generations attended Lethbridge College, let us know by emailing [email protected]. We’d love to profile you.
