In Memoriam
Condolences are extended to the family and friends of Ron Jacobson, a founding member and first director of the Lethbridge College Foundation Board, who passed away in Lethbridge in October just before his 88th birthday. Ron worked as a lawyer and later as a provincial court judge in Lethbridge, and he devoted his life to service to the Canadian Armed Forces and a wide range of community organizations, including the college. He was named to the college’s Hall of Fame in 2000.
Donor gift opens doors for young people
Lethbridge College was pleased to welcome a team from Exteriors by Leroy and Darcy Ltd. to campus in August to see some of our youth summer camps in action. The Lethbridge-based construction company generously supported the college’s summer camps, providing more than $50,000 to support opportunities and provide souvenir T-shirts to all of our young chefs, creators, scientists and athletes. Principal owner Darcy Jerome is a devoted supporter of sports and is an avid outdoorsman, so the campus tour included our Hubbard Wildlife Collection and Kodiaks basketball camp. The college is grateful to Exteriors by Leroy and Darcy Ltd. for their support of programming that gives young people opportunities to explore, learn and succeed while having fun.
START Centre receives $700,000 grant
Lethbridge College received a significant boost toward its vision of making Alberta a global leader in virtual and augmented reality in October. Alberta Innovates announced that the college received a $709,202 grant as part of the Ecosystem Development Partnerships program. The grant will help the college’s Spatial Technologies Applied Research and Training (START) Centre serve as a provincial hub for Alberta’s extended reality (XR) technology, services and operations.
The Ecosystem Development Partnerships program is designed to enhance Alberta’s research and innovation ecosystem by collaborating with multiple organizations through research, activities and products aimed at giving the province a competitive advantage in innovation and emerging technologies. The program’s goals align with what the college set out to do when it launched the Lethbridge College START Centre in March 2023.
College launches Wildlife Analytics Lab
Lethbridge College’s Centre for Technology, Environment and Design has launched its Wildlife Analytics Lab, a new research initiative offering fee-for-service cementum analysis of wildlife teeth. Cementum analysis is a technique that involves examining the layers of cementum (a hard tissue covering the roots of teeth) to determine the age, reproductive history, and even migratory patterns of wildlife species. Tens of thousands of teeth are collected from wild animals in Canada every year to estimate their age.
The Alberta Professional Outfitters Society played an instrumental role in establishing the lab by providing more than $145,000 in funding and gifts from its Wildlife Management Fund. The funding allowed the Wildlife Analytics Lab to purchase new analytical equipment from Leica and to hire a dedicated lab technician. For more information, visit lethbridgecollege.ca/wildlife-analyticslab or email wildlife_analytics_lab@ lethbridgecollege.ca.
Wider Horizons honoured with industry awards
Lethbridge College’s Marketing, Communications, Alumni and Engagement team was recognized with more than a dozen industry awards for work completed in 2022. The team received three awards in the international CASE Circle of Excellence competition; four awards from the regional CASE District VIII competition; and seven awards from the Alberta Magazine Publishers Association. In addition to Wider Horizons being named the best community college magazine in North America, the team was recognized for the Spring 2022 “Never Enough Nature” special issue of Wider Horizons, the Kodiaks Coke Cake project and more (see the full list at learn.lc/industry-awards23).
Valedictorian inspires at Convocation
Digital Communications and Media student Rachel Gelowitz (she/they) led the procession of graduates at the fall 2023 Convocation and inspired fellow graduates with a moving speech about overcoming challenges and the importance of mental health. Gelowitz says what they will remember most about their time at the college is the personal growth they experienced in the DCM program. “The program itself forced me to get out of my comfort zone and confront my social anxiety that, at times, felt rather crippling,” Gelowitz says. “During my second year, I was able to meet with Dalaine Kubik, a therapist at the college, who helped me practise self-compassion and gain a better understanding of myself. Overall, I went through a lot of change and growth while at the college, and that means the most to me.” Gelowitz says after graduation, they would like to begin their career as a junior designer at an agency to maximize their learning potential. Watch the whole ceremony (including Gelowitz’s speech that starts at 34:45) at learn.lc/convocationfall23.
Campus Kudos
Congratulations to the following Lethbridge College community members for making a difference in their life, work and community. Here are some highlights of their successes:
Andrew Dunlop is the new director of applied research operations for the Centre for Applied Research, Innovation and Entrepreneurship (CARIE). He comes to the college from Northwestern Polytechnic, where he was in roles including the associate vice-president of the Centre for Entrepreneurial Excellence and Applied Research, and the dean of Applied Science and Technology.
Wim Chalmet has joined the college as the new director of Facilities Management. He comes to Lethbridge College from the University of Lethbridge where he worked as the director of Operations and Maintenance in the Facilities department.
Three new members were appointed to Lethbridge College’s Board of Governors. Marni Hope (Miisomii’kitsikaakii/Long Time Offering) is serving a three-year term while student members, Niculina (Nicky) Jensen and Stefan Joseph, are serving one-year terms.
Lethbridge College’s Indigenous Services team was one of eight community members and organizations recognized by the City of Lethbridge with a Reconciliation Award. Colleagues Brittany Lee, Marni Hope, Lowell Yellowhorn and Marcia Black Water, received the “Kiitsi ‘Nooh’ Piin’ Naana” (We See You) award.
Alex Baybuz, risk and liability officer in Institutional Planning, Analysis and Reporting, was one of 24 college and institute climate champions – including institutions, groups and individuals – through the first ImpAct-Climate Challenge from Colleges and Institutes Canada (CICan).
Emmerson Reyes (Computer Information Technology 2016), interim manager of Enterprise Systems, reached his goal of making 100 blood donations in his lifetime this summer, after completing 18 blood and 88 plasma donations.
Dr. John Derksen, chair of the Aquaculture Centre of Excellence, presented at the 12th annual Aquaponics Conference in Albuquerque, N.M., in September on “Aquaponics Microcredentials – Self Tailored Learning From Anywhere.”
