Pride E Joy Behind-the-Scenes of Convocation pg 18 Moving Mountains pg 10 Education on the Fly pg 27 Ruminate on This pg 12 26 18 Campus Commons 4 20 Years of Adventure 6 What You Read Into It 27 Student Street 8 Global Insights 9 Honouring Tiny Tots 10 Moving Mountains 11 Around the World in 80 Seconds Research Review 12 Ruminate on This 14 Research Trials 17 Putting Their Heads Together to Connect With Industry Tribulations Interior Settings 22 Featuring Lisa Nielsen Track the 'Pack 24 Coming Back Alma Matters 26 A Peak Experience 27 Education on the Fly 28 2013 TRU Distinguished Alumni 32 Class Notes TRU Historical 35 The Man with The Plan 36 President's Message Inside TRU 18 Pride & Joy On the cover: 24 Class of 2013 Arts Valedictorian Mark Ramsay goes from gamer to graduate student. Story page 21. Photo by Hugo Yuen 9 Student & Alumni Contributors Publisher > Lucille Gnanasihamany, Office of Marketing and Communications Associate Publisher > Christopher Séguin, Office of University Advancement Sean Brady is a third-year Journalism student at TRU. He is a regular contributor to the Omega, and a photographer by hobby. His background is in web design and development and he enjoys producing content for the web. Wayne Cardinal is a retired Canadian Forces Officer and student in TRU's post-baccalaureate journalism program. He has traveled throughout Canada, the Arctic, Europe, South America and Africa. He owns a safety and security consulting company and writes on a part-time basis. Editor > Diana Skoglund Managing Editor > Anita Rathje Contributing Editors > Bart Cummins > Elise Desjardine > Linda Komori > Becky Mann Photography > Bart Cummins > Jon Fulton > Peter Olsen > Anita Rathje > Diana Skoglund > Andrew Snucins > Hugo Yuen > Larry Read Graphic Design > Amanda Blyth Advertising Sales > Karen Gamracy Contact us: TRU Alumni & Friends Association 900 McGill Road, Kamloops, BC V2C 0C8 Phone: 1.250.828.5264 Email: alumni@tru.ca Interested in receiving Bridges? MC117627 Update your information www.tru.ca/alumni/updates Natascha Hedrich is a fourth-year Physics and Honors Mathematics student. She is looking forward to her last co-op work term at CERN in Geneva, Switzerland. Her love of travel has influenced her decision to pursue graduate studies in Germany in 2014. John King is a third-year Journalism student. Prior to arriving at TRU he went to design school, and before that, took photos for newspapers across Western Canada while working as a reporter. Taking pictures reminds John of being a tourist. Tyler Lowey is a Journalism student and athlete whose life revolves around sports. He recently finished his last season with the WolfPack baseball team, and hopes to turn his love of professional sports into a career as a sports reporter. Larkin Schmiedl is a budding journalist who graduated from TRU's program in 2012 and started working for the local daily paper. His main areas of interest are food systems and environmental and social justice. He plans to write and live on the land. Karlene Skretting is a fourth-year Journalism and Public Relations student. She has an interest in sports writing and was the WolfPack Communications Specialist this season. She is eager to see what opportunities lie ahead and looks forward to working in the media industry. Jessica Wallace is a graduate of TRU’s Journalism program and has returned to Kamloops as a full-time mobile journalist for InfoTel's new online news publication. Journalism is her way to learn about the world and explore creativity in writing. Throughout Bridges magazine, former iterations of the institution including UCC, Cariboo and Open Learning Agency are assumed in use of “TRU”. On campus (Read Into It, page 6 and Tiny Tots, page 11), in the region (Global Insights, page 8) and internationally (Around the World, page 11) we’re setting an example of the power of new perspectives to enrich learning. I n this issue, Bridges Magazine explores leadership. I believe every person has the potential to lead. Whether through words or action leaders choose to act to bring about change or to motivate. It’s the leaders who are responsible for the big and the small differences that make our communities better places to live. At this year’s signature event, the Distinguished Alumni Awards, we heard about leadership that rallies others to make a difference. Bridges expands on the theme and showcases student determination and achievement (Moving, page 10, Swiss Hypothesis, page 15, and Coming Back, page 24). TRU is taking the lead in innovative partnerships with the community, expanding research opportunities for As we celebrate the success of our students at convocation, Bridges takes a behind-the-scenes look at the staff and faculty making the event happen and showing their pride (Pride and Joy, page 18), and reveals the legacy of two campus fixtures (Interior Settings, page 22 and Man With the Plan, page 35). It’s a reminder that not all leaders make the news. Whether you are showing leadership at home, in your place of business or in life’s playground, this issue salutes everyone who makes even the smallest efforts to better the world. Visit us at www.tru.ca/alumni to find out how you can make a difference. Campus Commons undergraduate students, responding to industry needs, and fostering interdisciplinary collaboration (Ruminate, page 12, New Face, page 16 and Heads Together, page 17). Still an industry leader, our Adventure Guide program celebrates a milestone and looks to the future (20 Years, page 4). Contact Us The TRU Alumni and Friends office is in room G301 on the top floor of the TRU gymnasium complex. Call 250.828.5498, email alumni@tru.ca or stop by and say hello! Learn about: • Upcoming events • Guest speakers • Alumni and Friends Cards • Affinity partner discounts • Volunteering and mentoring • Distinguished Alumni nominations www.tru.ca/alumni Alumni Board of Directors: Niki Remesz, Chair Rob Williamson, BBA ’00 Vice Chair Rob Wycherley, BBA ’99 Treasurer Christine Anderson, BA ’05 Member Liaison Ryan Scorgie, BTM ’07 Secretary Hoberly Hove, Board of Governors Cross Appointee Chair, TRU Alumni and Friends Association Melissa Baker, BEd ’09 Marty Hastings, BJour ’09 Wendy Heshka, MBA ’13 you Bill Jaswal, UT ’91 What's new? Do you have a new job? Are you married? Do you have children? Have you moved? Janice MacDonald, RN ’80, BSN ’97 Dusan Magdolen, BBA, BA ’07 Kenna Sim, (Student Rep) Lindsay Wilk, BBA ’11 Susan McIntyre, EDHR ’03 Past Chair Dr. Ray Sanders, Ex-officio – Williams Lake Christopher Séguin, Ex-officio Send us your update in 160 characters or less. Your classmates are asking for you! Staff It's simple. Go to www.tru.ca/alumni/updates and fill out our form. Kelley O’Grady, TRU Network Liaison Photos are welcome and must be high resolution (300dpi). Arlene Olynyk, Alumni Officer Larissa Pepper, Career Mentoring Communications - Coop It would be great to hear from you! Bridges Magazine • Spring 2013 3 Campus Commons 20 Years of Adventure By Wayne Cardinal A dventure Studies has steered the careers and personal journeys of over 600 students in its 20-year history at TRU. Started by Ross Cloutier in 1992 with the Adventure Guide diploma, the department’s alumni span the globe in the eco and adventure tourism industries, and eight programs of study from certificate to bachelor’s degrees produce graduates who go on to a wide variety of fields, such as environmental protection, search and rescue response, geological exploration, and community development. “We tied it to tourism because that is what guiding is, we tied it to business because that is what it needed and we also tied it to the associations,” says Cloutier. ”We are the only university that runs a mountain guide training program anywhere internationally.” TRU provides the Canadian Mountain and Ski Guide program for the Association of Canadian Mountain Guides in addition to its other courses. “Paddle, ski and climb for a diploma”— that’s what Kevin Tessier (’96) saw in an ad in Outside magazine. Three years after graduation he started North West Voyageur Company at Sun Peaks, providing historically based canoe tours, and just opened the Voyageur Bistro in December 2012. “It’s about a headspace, about trying to maintain a work life balance,” says Tessier. “I’m very passionate about what I do.” A graduate of both the Adventure Guide diploma and Bachelor of Tourism Management, Angela Bueckert (’04) has guided and paddled in Tibet, Nepal and Bhutan, taught and guided throughout the US and Canada, and has returned to TRU as the Adventure Sport Certificate Coordinator. “It’s inspiring to watch students change and grow throughout the two years they are here,” says Bueckert. “Overcoming fears and challenges teaches students about their everyday lives, and it is amazing to see that personal growth.” Icelander Jokull Bergmann (’05) made the decision to come to TRU after an avalanche put him in hospital for six months. “If you go to Europe where mountain guiding is a hundreds-of-years old tradition, mountain guides get the same kind of respect as doctors, lawyers and higher educated people,” says Bergmann, who returned to Iceland to start Bergmenn Mountain Guides and Arctic Heli-ski. “It is very prestigious to be associated with mountain guides and mountain guide schools.” Eddie Gapper (’12) worked in advertising in the UK for 12 years before coming to BC. “TRU appealed because of the fairly even mix of practical small business skills and field skills,” he says. “I couldn't read a balance sheet, didn't know where to start on a business plan and so on. As far as the field skills go, it was an opportunity to be the person I had wanted to be at 15.” Gapper runs Offwidth Consulting and recently accepted a position teaching business to adventure students in New Zealand. As Adventure Studies prepares for summer expeditions and the start of the new school year, the Adventure Guide program welcomes almost twice the number of students as years past and looks forward to another 20 years of life-altering learning. See Adventure students in action: http://theadventureproject.wordpress.com Read more about alumnus Jokull Bergmann on page 26. Left: Photo courtesy of Adventure Studies Department: Hector McLellan, Upper Clearwater-Falls Creek, 2010, taken by Francois Brassard. Middle: Photo courtesy of Jokull Bergmann, Arctic Heli Skiing. Right: Photo Courtesy of Eddie Gapper. 4 Thompson Rivers University • www.tru.ca By Jessica Wallace T he seniors are quiet in anticipation until the first few notes of “Ain’t Misbehavin” ring out. Then they remember, both the band and a lifetime of memories attached to those precious sounds. Piano player Doug Baleshta and band members Al Lachance, Bill Long, Ray Nyuli, and Len Bloomfeldt began playing live jazz for patients at the Ponderosa Lodge and Overlander Residential Care facilities about four years ago, as a way of giving back to the community. “People with dementia can still tap their toes and sing along,” says Baleshta, an assistant professor at TRU’s Centre for Student Engagement and Learning Innovation. “It kind of rips your heart out actually.” Order Up! M ore choices will be on the menu at TRU’s Food Services starting this fall. Thanks to feedback from students over the course of a seven-month review by Ancillary Services, food service provider Aramark is expanding and upgrading to meet a wider variety of dietary, sustainability, and cultural needs, and providing extended hours A new second floor food court in Old Main will feature kiosks like Triple-O's, Miso, and Sultan's. of service. A new food court on the 2nd floor of Old Main, a full service Starbucks in BMO Student Street, and a renovated Terrace food court— re-launching in September as the Urban Kitchen, complete with wood-burning oven—will meet the needs of TRU’s diverse and growing student body. He believes music is therapeutic and sees its positive effects, fostering nostalgia and uniting residents who may not typically relate to one another. “Music is an international language,” he says. Trumpet player Lachance, guitarist Long, and clarinetist Bloomfeldt, who are all in their 80’s, enjoy being able to contribute. Fellow faculty member and violinist Annette Dominik sat in with the group last year, and Baleshta encourages others to join them. Contact him by email at dbaleshta@tru.ca. Printmakers' Cooperative Story and Photo by Sean Brady T he Kamloops Printmakers Society is a non-profit organization run by TRU faculty and graduates. It provides artists with studio space and printmaking equipment that allows them to continue to produce as artists. Student and community printmakers alike can become members and use the Society studio space. “We’re fully equipped for intaglio and relief printing, as well as for water-based screen printing,” says Crawford. “We’ve been really lucky there’s been that commitment among our graduates and the faculty as well. We get a lot of support from people who are interested in seeing this printmaking cooperative continue.” The society offers “Friend” memberships Fine arts instructor and Printmakers for $100 that enable anyone to support Society member Ila Crawford is one of the society. In return, friend-level those behind the Society’s 2007 startup. members will receive four prints. “One of the reasons we wanted to start “If we didn’t have this, printmakers who this was because the equipment used in printmaking is very expensive,” she says. are active in the arts community would probably be isolated. It creates its own Society membership covers the studio’s community,” says Crawford. “Our hope rent, and the printmaking equipment has is that students will continue to work.” been provided by members. The Society’s studio provides printmakers with the workspace and large equipment necessary for their art. Visit kamloopsprintmakers.wordpress.com or follow Kamloops Printmakers Society on Facebook Bridges Magazine • Spring 2013 5 Campus Commons Soothing Sounds Campus Commons What You Read Into It Banned books make for challenging reading By Bart Cummins M uch like travel opens our eyes and minds to other people, cultures, and values, books can do the same by testing our assumptions, and revealing the world like a road map of how far we've come, where we need to go, ground untraveled, and places to avoid. Banned and challenged books (those removed from shelves or curriculum, or that have documented complaints against them) play an important role in the collision of ideas and alternative points of view, even if elements within the pages are unsettling or contrary to our thinking, because they incite debate. Barbara Bearman, an English lecturer at TRU’s Williams Lake campus, uses challenged works like A Handmaid’s Tale by Canadian author Margaret Atwood to prompt discussions around some of life’s bigger questions, like the misuse of power, freedoms, and the rights of women. “Students are often angered by the protagonist’s apparent submissiveness and lack of action,” says Bearman. “Additionally, they are repulsed by the Aunts who, after choosing to be a part of the patriarchal theocracy as a self-preservation technique, actually seem to enjoy their power as they abuse the other women in their charge. Atwood pushes students to their limits, making them speculate about the controls government, institutions, and religions exert. Why did the people just let it happen?” By transforming the characters from mere To illustrate her point, Bearman uses excerpts from Atwood’s story of a dystopian society where an overzealous religious government rules and women have few rights. We slept in what had once been the gymnasium... Aunt Sara and Aunt Elizabeth patrolled; they had electric cattle prods slung on thongs from their leather belts.... —from A Handmaid’s Tale, chapter 1 6 Thompson Rivers University • www.tru.ca words on the page into realistic people, Atwood brings bigger themes to the forefront and in doing so, challenges readers to examine their beliefs and opinions. Campus Commons Recent Canadian challenges of books by Canadian authors C anadian titles have often come under scrutiny. Freedom to Read Week, a project of the Book and Periodical Council, has a selected list of recent challenges, including the following titles: • The Handmaid’s Tale, by Margaret Atwood (1985) Challenged in Toronto, ON in 2008 for language, religious sentiments, violence, and sexual degradation • The Wars, by Timothy Findley (1977) Challenged in Lambton County, ON, in 1991, and in the Bluewater School District, ON in 2011 for violence and sexuality • Something To Tell, by Ann Alma (1998) Challenged in Prince Edward Island in 2000 for mature subject matter So why do books like these face being banned? In most cases it is because an individual or group interprets passages to be inappropriate subject matter for children and young people. A short list of books and some of the challenges brought against them illustrates how the bigger message is sometimes overlooked: Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut, challenging religious beliefs; The Color Purple, Alice Walker, excessive coarse language; To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee, appearance of racism; Of Mice and Men, John Steinbeck, defamatory statements against women; The Kite Runner, Khaled Hosseini, sexual explicitness; And Tango Makes Three, Peter Parnell and Justin Richardson, scenes of homosexuality; Captain Underpants series, Dav Pilkey, unsuitable content for younger readers; Thirteen Reasons Why, Jay Asher, suicide; and the Harry Potter series, J.K. Rowling, occult. • The Shepherd’s Granddaughter, by Anne Laurel Carter (2008) Challenged in Ontario in 2010 for religious and political sentiments For the reason behind these challenges visit www.freedomtoread.ca/challenged-works Much of the documentation around challenged and banned works is from the United States thanks to the efforts of the American Library Association’s Office for Intellectual Freedom. Since 1990 the ALA has upped its efforts to record challenges and bans by creating a database of material gleaned from media reports, reports submitted by individuals and those submitted through its website. There are situations where written works should be challenged, says Mark Wallin, an assistant professor in Journalism, Communication, and New Media at the Kamloops campus. “Where things get interesting is when we discuss the banning of texts that attempt to propagate intolerance and hate. I tend to side with the view that the only speech we should censor is speech that fosters, encourages and promotes the hatred and harming of others." Judy Blume, the famous American author of young adult books like Blubber and Are You There God? It’s Me Margaret, continues to be one of North America’s most-challenged authors and had this to say during a promotion a few years ago for Freedom to Read Week: “Those who want to censor are sending such a dangerous message to kids. They’re sending a message that books are dangerous, that there is something in this book that we don’t want you to know. We don’t want to talk about what’s in this book; we don’t want you to ask us questions about what’s in this book; we don’t want you to know about it.” Bearman believes that whatever response the reader has to a banned or challenged work, the benefit is in the conversation it inspires. “Whether they change their minds from previously-held beliefs, or whether their original beliefs are strengthened, students at the very least are exposed to new perspectives and this exposure can lead to personal growth, and hopefully, understanding and tolerance.” For the TRU Library's compilation of banned and challenged books for Freedom to Read Week, see http://inside.tru.ca/2012/12/07/readbannedchallengedbooks/ Bridges Magazine • Spring 2013 7 Student Street TRU Journalism student Raj Rajimwale displays the first issue of Insight, a new Indo-Canadian newspaper for the Thompson-Okanagan region. Global Insights Journalism students find an international niche By Becky Mann G etting in on the ground floor of a new publication can be a journalist’s biggest dream—a dream that has become a reality for Rajeshwari Rajimwale. The TRU journalism student travelled from India to Canada to pursue her education and has landed a career at Kamloops’ new bi-monthly Indo-Canadian newspaper, Insight. “Insight serves one of the largest and fastest growing ethnic communities in BC, as well as readers who have an interest in the vibrant Indian culture and lifestyle,” says Rajimwale, doubling as both writer and editor for the newspaper. “Regular features will highlight unique cultural events and festivities such 8 as Diwali, Holi, Eid, Baisakhi, and many more. Insight will offer a mix of stories on other subjects as well, including business, entertainment, events, food, fashion, education, careers and travel.” Upon arriving in Canada over a year ago to attend TRU’s Post-Baccalaureate Diploma in Journalism program, Rajimwale had to quickly adapt to Canadian culture, and to the Canadian Press writing style. “Coming from India to TRU was a big leap for me,” says Rajimwale. “The classes at TRU helped.” Rajimwale and fellow international student Guneet Singh, who contributed an article to Insight’s inaugural issue, were surprised to find journalism Thompson Rivers University • www.tru.ca opportunities so quickly. They spend the majority of their spare time putting pen to paper and focusing on building their audience. “My father was a writer,” adds Rajimwale, who thinks writing might be in her genes. Aspiring to fashion writing, she is thankful for the opportunity to write what she is passionate about. “Apart from the journalism training at TRU, this whole experience has helped me to grow and develop as a person,” she says. “I really like Kamloops.” Insight is published by Glacier Media, with a circulation of 15,000 distributed through the Thompson-Okanagan region. Honouring Tiny Tots The 3rd annual Honouring Our Tiny Tots Traditional Powwow, organized by TRU students, called attention to the new generation and congratulated Aboriginal graduates Renee Narcisse, Nicole Cahoose, and Carl Archie with an honour song and eagle feathers. 1 Photos by John King 2 5 3 4 6 7 Left to Right, Top to Bottom: 1. Men's grass dancer Maynard McRae of Douglas Lake, BC takes part in the ceremony on March 1. 2. Elder Norman Sampson Sr. takes the floor. 3. A youngster holds his dad's hand during the powwow. 4. Aboriginal art adorning a drum skin. 5. Eagle feathers, as shown on this bustle, are a prominent part of Aboriginal ceremonies. 6. Young grass dancer Atlan Anthony of Chase and Canim Lake, BC. 7. Elder traditional dancer Dennis Francis moves through the opening dance. 8. Grass dancer Allan Anthony from Canim Lake, BC. 9. Amanda Baker helps her two-year-old son Matoska tie up his moccasins. 8 9 Bridges Magazine • Spring 2013 9 Student Street Moving Mountains Story and Photo by Sean Brady D ebra Kessler is a TRU Fine Arts major. Her life in art started in Manitoba, and in 1999, it almost ended there as well. Kessler barely survived an accident involving a post-hole digger on a Manitoba farm. “I punctured my lungs, broke ribs, damaged both of my legs, lost both of my arms and injured my head,” she says. An artist all her life, Kessler used to paint contemporary versions of Cree-Métis scenes, and even painted two wall murals. But after the accident, she spent her time learning how to deal with the everyday struggles of her new life, including how to walk again. “I can remember my first steps in the hospital, with people moving my legs for me so I could walk,” says Kessler. With her focus on recovery and adapting to life without arms, her painting lapsed. In 2010 Kessler relocated to Kamloops for the drier and more comfortable climate, but something else happened. “I go out and look at mountains and I want to paint them,” she says. “I believe that everything has a spirit or a soul. Even the 10 mountains. There’s something that animates them and turns them into beings or entities that make our earth. When I see that, I want to draw them.” “I believe that everything has a spirit or a soul. Even the mountains. There’s something that animates them and turns them into beings or entities that make our earth. When I see that, I want to draw them.” —Debra Kessler Inspired by the scenery, she was also encouraged by her family to take up painting again. “Both my girls got together at Christmas and bought me painting supplies. That’s how it started,” Kessler says. “For the first six months I was painting, I was so sore. There were days when it was a chore, but I had to work through it.” Thompson Rivers University • www.tru.ca Debra Kessler adds finishing touches to her latest work, an autobiographical expression of the tragedies of farming life. Kessler joined the Mouth and Foot Painters Association (MFPA) as a student member and came to TRU for her Bachelor of Fine Arts to increase her credibility as an artist. The MFPA provides assistance in the form of painting and drawing materials, something Kessler has to carefully consider given that it all touches her mouth. “Because my face is so close to the paintings, we’ve had to use walnut oil to thin paint instead of mineral spirits,” she explains. “I don’t want to jeopardize my health.” The process of re-learning how to paint is an ongoing one. “I’m still struggling to put it exactly how I saw it,” she says. “I’d like to go larger, but I haven’t quite figured out how. It’s a really creative process, figuring out how I can adapt.” Kessler has embraced the practical struggles of painting as just part of her process as an artist. “It is a very vital part of my life, and one of my past activities I never thought I would be able to do again.” Around the World in 80 Seconds Word travels on facebook.com/truworld By Karlene Skretting B ands have them. Clothing labels have them. Celebrities have them in the millions. And with over 100,000 of them, TRU World’s Facebook page is proving that social media followers can translate into students. From choosing a university to connecting with peers, students trust social media channels such as Facebook, Twitter and YouTube as a resource to quickly find information. Written from a student’s point of view, TRU World’s Facebook page helps prospective students get information about applications and residence options, and find mentors who have already taken programs or classes they may be interested in. Students have also used the page to find roommates and friends, to purchase used textbooks and to coordinate carpools to Sun Peaks or Vancouver. TRU students from countries such as Ukraine, India, Mexico and Jamaica who are highly involved and engaged in campus life have taken on the role of social media ambassadors, monitoring questions on the Facebook page and responding promptly with concise but thorough answers. “It is always better if you get feedback from someone with the same background and similar age, because it is more honest,” says Oriol Salvador, a Journalism student on exchange from Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. A social media enthusiast, Salvador takes advantage of the power his blog, Twitter and Facebook accounts have to network and build his name. Student Street “In Canada, in general, I think the university and education sectors have not been paying a lot of attention to social media,” says Mike Henniger, director of international marketing at TRU. “TRU World has made it a priority focus in our strategy over the last two years. The results have been very good and now other colleges and universities are seeing that this really can be done.” Since TRU World began its Facebook campaign in June of 2009 it has gained 114,000 followers, the majority of which come from overseas. Indonesia accounts for the most fans with over 18,000, followed closely by India, Turkey, Colombia, and the Philippines. The reach of the Facebook page is exceptional. “In a one week period, 60,000 people had seen TRU content more than 20 times. That means they are actively interacting and engaged,” says Henniger. Social media also has perks for the 50 to 60 domestic students who leave TRU each semester to study abroad. “Social media has made studying abroad more accessible, welcoming and convenient. It can be a very helpful aid for students in their international prospects,” said TRU Study Abroad ambassador Andrew Dalgleish. Following an institution on Facebook or Twitter is a great way for students to get involved. Social media is often the first source of information about student groups, events and activities, and helps students feel more connected to friends and family when they are away from home, which makes adjusting to a new country, culture and lifestyle easier. More than a social venue, Facebook and other social media are important tools to help students find resources, make choices, and connect to their university. www.facebook.com/truworld Bridges Magazine • Spring 2013 11 Ruminate on This TRU researchers tackle cattle industry questions By Larkin Schmiedl Research Review T he ecological interactions of British Columbia’s cattle industry, native grasslands and climate change are the meeting point for a growing collaboration between TRU professors and students in natural resource science, biology, chemistry and other fields. Researchers are taking a number of perspectives, from investigating the nutritive properties of BC grass-fed beef to determining whether cattle grazing strategies could actually improve grassland soil health. Dr. John Church, the BC Regional Innovation Chair in Cattle Industry Sustainability, has spent much of his career studying cattle one way or another. Leading a research team that explores new sustainable beef industry practices, class of fatty acids called conjugated linoleic acids or CLAs,” says Church. Fat-soluble vitamins—A, D, E and K— are also part of the equation. He and his team found that vitamin K can be much higher in grass-fed beef and dairy products, and that organic makes a difference too. methods of preservation.” Hay and silage can be wrapped up and fermented, which helps preserve its nutritional composition as feed. “Our goal is to look at the fatty acids in the grass, and in the preserved forages, and see how that affects the nutritional composition of the final beef product.” “You tend to think that organic beef is more about being free of pesticide residues and hormone-implants, antibiotics, and drugs like that—but we're already starting to see that organic beef can have higher levels of these beneficial fatty acids than conventional beef. That's because, when you look at the organic standards, even when they're feeding grain, they dictate that a certain percentage of the diet must The grass-versus-grain-fed debate is significant, because cows have evolved to eat grass, and findings suggest it's not only healthier for the cows, but for the people eating beef and dairy, and for the environment, too. “…if we can formalize this relationship between grazing and carbon storage, it's possible that through grazing management ranchers will be able to demonstrate carbon offsets, which can then be traded on the carbon market.” —Lauchlan Fraser Church has set out to discover what nutrition is found in different types of beef, in the milk and cheese the cows produce, and even in the grasses the cows eat. “What we're looking at primarily are omega 3 fatty acids, as well as another 12 come from forages,” says Church. His team also found that the grass-fed cheese they studied had two-to-three times higher CLAs than conventional or organic dairy. Church is also researching the fatty acids in grass itself. “We're looking at not just native range, but also hay, and the Thompson Rivers University • www.tru.ca “There's a critical link between a healthy environment and healthy beef that has ignored,” says Church. Church’s colleague in Natural Resource Science and Biology, Dr. Lauchlan Fraser, is exploring that link from a grasslands preservation standpoint. The Canada Research Chair in Community and Ecosystem Ecology is mapping range management practices in cattle grazing areas all over BC to get a better idea of which types of grazing management build soil, and which destroy it. “Different grasslands have different amounts of soil carbon stored within the soil, and different range management practices are likely to affect the total soil carbon,” says Fraser, who worked with undergraduate Biology student Katie DeGroot to map soil organic carbon all over the province last summer. “Some work that's been done in the past has suggested that moderate grazing actually increases the amount of carbon in the soil. We're trying to put the two together.” says Fraser. He hopes they'll extend into the Peace River area this summer to continue Dr. John Church analyzes grass fed beef products. Photo by Tyler Stalman. www.stalman.ca taking samples. “There's a critical link “There's a lot of He has found warming the areas does tend work yet to be done, but it's an exciting between a healthy to reduce species richness, but it depends area because if we can formalize this on the type of grassland, as the wide environment and healthy relationship between grazing and carbon variations in elevation alter results. Rainfall beef, that has been ignored.” storage, it's possible that through grazing also affects different elevations differently. management ranchers will be able to —John Church “In combination with these climate demonstrate carbon offsets, which can treatment effects, we also bring in the then be traded on the carbon market.” “The theory is that some types of grazing cow,” says Fraser. “Not literally, management can increase soil organic Fraser is also doing intensive research because it would destroy all of our carbon, which is good, because soil organic into climate change effects on grasslands. equipment, but we clip the grass as carbon is an indicator of overall ecosystem In Lac du Bois Grasslands, he is setting up a surrogate of grazing, so we can look health,” explains DeGroot. “If you have mini-greenhouses to affect temperature, at interacting effects—how does grazing lots of soil carbon, everything is healthy. and altering precipitation levels by interact with warming?” But if the cattle are causing decreasing erecting what he calls “rain-out shelters”. levels, it suggests that 20 or 30 years Fraser and Church’s projects are ongoing, “We are manipulating the season and down the road, if that continues, your and their data is still being analyzed. grassland is going to become degraded.” the frequency of rain events on small Church has been developing faster plots of grasslands,” he explains. testing methods using TRU’s new Nuclear While the nutrients nitrogen, phosphorus “Because global warming has altered Magnetic Resonance Spectrometer, and potassium are common indicators precipitation cycles, we expect that in with Chemistry faculty Dr. Bruno Cinel of soil health, DeGroot says without soil our area we may have drier summers and Dr. Kingsley Donkor. Church has carbon, plants cannot grow healthily. and wetter winters. But we don't know also collaborated with Jason Cochran It also helps soil hold onto those essential whether rainfall might be affected in fall in Culinary Arts and microbiology nutrients. “So it's a very good indicator or spring, so we've been altering rainfall professor Dr. Jonathan Van Hamme, of effective grazing strategies, whether additions according to season and who has several cattle and climate change it's too many cows, or too little,” she says. frequency. If rain falls weekly, does that projects with students underway. “The first step is to map the soil carbon in change how plants grow compared to grasslands across the province,” if rain falls monthly?” Bridges Magazine • Spring 2013 13 Research Review TRU researchers explore the links between grass-fed cattle, nutrition, climate change, and grassland sustainability. Photos by Peter Olsen Photography. s on ti la u b ri T Research Trials By Larkin Schmiedl R esearch, as undergraduate researcher Katie DeGroot learned, doesn't always go as expected. Research Review “When someone tells you it's not going to go right when you do research, believe them,” says DeGroot. With support from the Undergraduate Student Research Experience Award Program (UREAP), the Ecology and Environmental Biology major set out to find out whether planting oats and peas together as companions would produce higher yields than when planted separately, under the elevated temperatures caused by climate change. DeGroot, long a passionate gardener, started out with three research questions looking at different temperatures, planting densities and companion planting. She faced a number of unexpected obstacles during her project, however; setbacks that taught her what the world of research can really be like. “I knew there were mice in the greenhouse, as well as black widows and a bird,” says DeGroot, “but I did not think the mice could jump up onto the tables, and that they would dig through the soil and eat my seeds.” Before the mice could eat them, she had to get seeds. Told she could buy the type of oats she needed locally, it turned out they had to be ordered from Saskatchewan, so her project started a month later than planned. 14 When dealing with these frustrations, DeGroot says all she could do was laugh. “It's like this niggling sensation in the back of your mind of ‘what else is going to go wrong?’ I'd come home and tell my parents, ‘OK, guess what happened today?’” DeGroot’s experiment ended early, with a catastrophic climate change that wasn’t part of the plan: a broken greenhouse suffered plummeting temperatures on Christmas Day. She and her family spent the holiday harvesting the fragile plants. During her shortened experiment she found the only variable that affected the plants was temperature—the yields at hotter temperatures were unexpectedly “It's like this niggling sensation in the back of your mind of ‘what else is going to go wrong?’” —Katie DeGroot higher. She hypothesized that had she been able to progress to the point where planting density had created nutrient scarcity, she may have seen a different result, and perhaps have been able to observe the synergistic effect of companion planting oats and peas that she had hoped for. Thompson Rivers University • www.tru.ca “People say research never goes the way you want it to; that stuff is going to go wrong,” says DeGroot. “I thought, ‘Oh no, that's not going to happen to me.’ When everyone else is saying it, don't think you're the exception.” Her supervisor, Natural Resource Science professor Dr. Lauchlan Fraser, notes setbacks challenge all researchers, not just novices. "Research often requires trouble-shooting and problem solving. Sometimes first-timers have no issues with their research projects, while others experience lots of difficulties. The same can be said for old-timers.” DeGroot graduates this spring, and begins both her naturopathic doctor designation and her Master of Science in Portland, Oregon in September, ready to expect the unexpected. Brain on fire: Natascha Hedrich lands a summer internship at Switzerland’s Large Hadron Collider. The Swiss Hypothesis Science students take off with a bang By Anita Rathje wo Science students are getting to the core of nuclear questions during visits to Switzerland this summer. Fourth year Physics student Natascha Hedrich is preparing for two months in Geneva on a prestigious internship at the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN). The Institute of Particle Physics selects only five Canadian physics undergraduates annually for the Summer Undergraduate Research Experience at CERN’s Large Hadron Collider. “Visiting CERN is every physicist’s dream,” says Hedrich, who heard about the internships while at a co-op placement at TRIUMF, the national laboratory for particle and nuclear Thinking ahead: Hart Plommer takes his computations to the Molecular Quantum Mechanics Conference. physics. When Dr. Dugan O’Neil of Simon Fraser University’s High Energy Physics Group gave a seminar at TRU on Higgs boson particle research, Hedrich approached him to be her supervisor for the internship. Hedrich began her research on the Higgs boson at the end of April, spending two months at SFU on a concurrent Undergraduate Student Research Award from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC). Partnership at its peak By Jessica Wallace A partnership between TRU and Sun Peaks Resort—dubbed the Alliance for Mountain Environments—is providing opportunities for students to gain undergraduate research experience that complements their education. “We've got about 25 faculty members wanting to do research, teaching, and community partnerships with the private sector and government about mountains and the environment,” says Dr. Kathleen Scherf, a jointly-appointed professor in Journalism, Communication and New Media and in Tourism Management. Faculty and students from Arts, Science, Law and Business have added momentum to a collaboration that started with Adventure, Culinary Arts and Tourism. Mountain Studies, Scherf’s third-year Communications course, is a prime example of the partnership. Her class is developing a deep map of the resort, to move beyond a brochure and try to convey the spirit of the place online. Jamie Tattersfield, Mountain Operations Manager at the resort, hopes Sun Peaks will gain the basis of a municipal information system through this project. Future initiatives include an outdoor, “ski- and board-through” art show this Christmas, mounted by Visual Arts students and faculty. Once at CERN, she will work with one of O’Neil’s graduate students or post-doctoral candidates to analyze data collected by the Atlas Detector, for a total of 15 weeks of research. She returns to TRU in the fall to finish her second major in Honours Math. Also bound for Switzerland is Hart Plommer. The fourth year Chemistry major will attend the 7th Molecular Quantum Mechanics Conference in Lugano from June 2 to 7 to present the results of his year-long directed studies, researching a topic that could contribute to reducing corrosion in CANDU nuclear reactors. Using computational chemistry, Plommer has been able to model the behaviour of a large collection of acids under the conditions found inside pressurized heavy water reactor pipes, which are subject to corrosion. “Being able to make predictions through chemistry will ultimately enable the development of chemical treatments that will minimize the corrosion," he says. He is reviewing his calculations and data collected last summer—also on an NSERC Undergraduate Student Research Award—to prepare a poster presentation at the conference, joining supervisor Dr. Nelaine Mora-Diez. Plommer graduates this June and plans to publish a paper on his findings. Bridges Magazine • Spring 2013 15 Research Review T The New Face of Sleep Science By Linda Komori F rom the early years of elementary school, children hear messages about the importance of good nutrition and regular exercise. But Les Matthews of TRU’s Centre for Respiratory Health and Sleep Science thinks that there’s another, equally important message that Conference in March. Both Ipsiroglu isn’t getting out to kids—or their parents. and Whitmans pointed to the need for “We’ve neglected sleep as a crucial increased recognition of the way sleep component of child health,” he says. impacts children. “Our understanding of sleep now is where “Poor sleep interferes with brain our understanding of nutrition was 50 development and with memory years ago.” consolidation, which results in children Matthews, associate professor having trouble understanding and of respiratory therapy, believes that many retaining information. How do we children are not meeting their potential get parents—and school boards—to because of lost sleep. Children who recognize this as an education issue?” are sleep deprived are more likely asks Matthews. to suffer from obesity and to have Matthews is currently working with trouble in classroom environments. Ipsiroglu, Whitmans, and the Kamloops “The symptoms of sleep deprivation and school district on a proposal to study Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder the sleep hygiene of local children. (ADHD) are nearly identical,” he says. The project would involve the While a growing body of research shows development of a questionnaire, the importance of adequate sleep for delivered online, for children to children, public education about sleep self-report about their sleep habits. hygiene has lagged behind. Adjunct TRU “Studies like this will help build professors Dr. Osman Ipsiroglu and awareness and an understanding of the Dr. Manisha Whitmans are working to current situation for children and sleep,” address the gap. Ipsiroglu, a pediatrician, says Matthews. “Ultimately, we need and Whitmans, a pediatric respirologist, more public education and a recognition discussed the current state of research that sleep is just as important as other on children and sleep at TRU’s 4th aspects of health.” Annual Multidisciplinary Sleep Science You know how important it is to do well in school.... ...at United Way we know that too. It’s why we fund in-school mentoring programs, which give students in grades K to 7 a role model and a friend. On Fridays Seth and Christina make sushi and play badminton. It’s Seth’s favourite day of the week. When you donate to United Way you support children and youth to do well in school. Visit www.unitedwaytnc.ca to make a donation. 16 Thompson Rivers University • www.tru.ca Put Your Heads Together Problem-solvers collaborate for industry By Natascha Hedrich I ndustry in today’s society focuses on production more than ever before. For a company in any industry—mining, for example—to maximize productivity and minimize costs, it has to find an effective balance between constraints on resources such as materials and labour, variable factors like workplace dynamics and sustainability, and complex considerations like environmental protection and safety regulations. Using mathematical and computational models, optimization studies ways to balance desired outcomes with limited financial and physical resources. Members of the Centre have already been successful in partnering with groups such as Interior Health to find better lab schedules, and are currently “Big issues have to be dealt with by adding multiple perspectives. You can’t answer it using one point of view.” —Peter Tsigaris collaborating with Highland Valley Copper to establish performance benchmarks about energy usage to improve energy efficiency. Experts in the fields of mathematics, computing, business, geography and environmental sciences are drawn from TRU, the Kamloops region and other universities all over the country, reflecting the Centre’s multifaceted character. “Big issues have to be dealt with by adding multiple perspectives. You can’t answer it using one point of view,” Undergraduate Shane Sangha and supervisor Dr. Richard Taylor get their heads around a mathematical model of an industrial robot. says Dr. Peter Tsigaris, associate professor of Economics. The Centre will act as a gathering place for local and visiting professors, post-doctoral candidates and graduate students to collaborate and study optimization and decision-making. “The Centre will provide a mechanism for collaboration to benefit the region and TRU,” says Dr. Richard Brewster, chair of the department of Mathematics and Statistics and another founding member of the Centre. Undergraduate students are also engaged in that collaboration through opportunities to participate in research studies with professors and local experts. “The key to the Centre is students,” says Dr. Tom Dickinson, Dean of the Faculty of Science. “They are TRU’s ambassadors and will make connections with industry partners that will take them into the world." Over the past year, undergraduates like fourth year Physics student Shane Sangha have worked on projects ranging from automating pilot training schedules to robotics. “This work shows me a whole new side of research which will be very useful for graduate school,” says Sangha. The Centre for Optimization and Decision Science has already been effective in bringing together industry and academic research and will expand this role in the future. “The Centre represents a collective effort,” says Yu. “It will serve as a platform for the university to improve interdisciplinary connections, interact with industry and support undergraduate student training.” 2nd MEXT Win for Microbiology F or the second year in a row, a TRU Microbiology student has won one of nine Japanese government MEXT scholarships. Tamara Bandet begins her MSc in Applied Microbiology at Hokkaido University in Sapporo, Japan this fall. “Having MEXT recipients from Biological Sciences two years in a row not only boasts that our students can successfully compete with those from larger universities across the country, but also demonstrates the high quality of undergraduate science education at TRU,” says Bandet’s supervisor, Dr. Naowarat (Ann) Cheeptham. Bridges Magazine • Spring 2013 17 Research Review TRU’s new Centre for Optimization and Decision Science brings together research from all disciplines to solve such challenges for any type of industry. “The goal,” says Dr. Roger Yu, a founding member and the Centre’s current director, “is to create a solutions centre to help industries find efficient ways to run their operations.” To that end, the Centre is built on three principles: real life applications, interdisciplinary collaborations and student engagement. Pride Story by Anita Rathje, Photos by Hugo Yuen, Bart Cummins, and Anita Rathje E Joy O n convocation day, before the procession of mortarboards weaves its way into the view of family and friends, the graduands arrive in ones or twos or entire cohorts to check in. There is no dress rehearsal; here, behind the scenes, the students move towards their walk across the stage thanks to a small but enthusiastic chorus of staff and faculty. “Convocation is a grand spectacle that celebrates the achievements of students and faculty,” says Dr. Katherine Sutherland, Interim Associate Vice-President Academic, Student Relations, “but like any theatrical production, the success of the event depends as much on the talents of the people behind the scenes as those on the stage.” Of the stations set up to prepare students to convocate, gowning is the point when excitement kicks in. Months of work by events coordinator Wanda Cowles and her team, the Registrar’s staff and the Facilities crew culminates in a roomful of gowns, caps, cords and coloured hoods, where a handful of “gowners” spend a few hours or an entire day in a flurry of tassles and congratulations. their toes. It’s just part of a campus-wide effort that began, much like the students, with a vision and a plan that takes on a life of its own. "Convocation is a year-long planning process for our office that encompasses Spring and Fall ceremonies,” explains Cowles. “Each year is bigger than the last with the constant addition of new programs and faculties like Law.” The Events team works with internal and external partners on the set-up of the venue and the campus at large, coordinates ceremony programs and other print materials, and tries to be everywhere at once at the event to ensure the succession of backstage procedures, multiple ceremonies and receptions run according to plan. The Facilities department is essential in the execution of the event, from the stage and seating that visitors see to the signage that leads students from check-in through gowning to the processional. The Facilities team spends about 100 hours in direct support of convocation, before and after the event. “I've pinned thousands of hoods onto gowns, given out lots of hugs and said, ‘you look lovely’ hundreds of times,” says Biology faculty member, Dr. Nancy Flood, who has been gowning graduates for over a decade. Stating their names and programs in varying degrees of pride and wonder, students are whisked into black robes and program colours. Loaned out and returned for two ceremonies a day, the regalia keep gowners— here and at the faculty station—on Top to bottom, left to right: Jon Fulton is one of a crew recording and broadcasting the event live. Registrar's Office staff help graduands check in. Nancy Flood pins the hood on an excited Nursing student. Master of Education graduates celebrate on the Commons. Malcolm Henry abroad on his trike during convocation take-down. Bridges Magazine • Spring 2013 19 The entire campus has an extra sparkle as they also give every building a final spit and polish and make the gardens burst with colour. During the event, staff are on hand across campus to help with directions or last minute parking, or give grads time to take pictures on the stage. “I don’t know how many pictures we have taken of the grads and their families,” says Utility Coordinator Malcolm Henry. “The team knows that this is a special day for the students and we help them and their families in any way we can.” The graduates’ credentials and other print materials also involve weeks of preparation. Students planning to convocate must apply to graduate and RSVP for the convocation ceremony. Program advisors then inform the Registrar's Office of the applicants who have completed the requirements to graduate, and credentials are prepared. The Registrar’s office and program advisors, Financial Aid and Awards and Marketing and Communications staff collaborate in the process of preparing programs, recognizing honorary doctorates, valedictorians and medal winners, printing hundreds of certificates, diplomas and degrees, and even creating the name cards read out as each graduand crosses the stage. InsideTRU “Everyone in the Registrar's Office celebrates with our graduating students— we feel we’ve played a role in their accomplishments,” says Acting Registrar Dennis Acreman. At the first check-in station on convocation day his staff greet arriving graduands, re-connecting with familiar faces met at Admissions semesters before. At the final station, pronunciations are checked, pins tucked back into hoods, and name cards handed out before the faculty marshals take over for the academic processional. The stage is set, the stands are full, the bagpipes approach. At the head of the processional, the Registrar leads the Chancellor, President, honourary guests and faculty—also pinned into robes, hoods, and their alma maters’ colourful hats—to their places on the stage, while the graduands are escorted by ushers to their chairs. Faculty member Saskia Stinson has worn the red satin usher’s vest at Convocation ceremonies for six years. “A student leaving the stage once asked me, ‘Were you in the military?’” laughs Stinson. It takes parade-ground precision to keep 150 to 200 students and their guests moving through each ceremony. The TRU camera crew staff hover on the sidelines, capturing the onstage drama and streaming it live online. After the caps are tossed and the graduates follow the drummers in a recessional, helpers return to their stations for another ceremony or join the grads and their guests at the reception to offer personal congratulations. An elated Arts graduate approaches advisor Heather Wisla, recognizing her from program advising in Open Learning over two years before. The grad came all the way from Toronto with her mother to attend convocation, proud to have finished her degree. “She wanted me to meet her mother,” says Wisla, amazed and honoured. Moments like these make the preparations, whether a few hours “I've pinned thousands of hoods onto gowns, given out lots of hugs and said, ‘you look lovely’ hundreds of times.” —Nancy Flood, Biology at check-in or months of detailed planning, all the more rewarding. Back in the gowning room, the day ends when the last graduates return their caps and gowns, family and friends in tow. The congratulations are louder, the smiles are wider, and the party shoes staff admired as the gowns went Top left to right, bottom: Mary Ann Peressini checks in students in the gowning room. Each ceremony is broadcast via Livestream so family and friends don't miss a moment. Holding TRU's mace, Dennis Acreman leads the processional. 20 Thompson Rivers University • www.tru.ca From Gamer to Grad Student By Anita Rathje Mark Ramsay, Arts Valedictorian for the Class of 2013, had no plan and few passions outside music and video games when he began his degree four years out of high school. During a survey of Arts courses in first year, however, the Kamloops native discovered sociology, and when a second year research project on stay-at-home fathers struck a chord, he found his major, and a love of research. “I’d really like to take a more leadership approach and decide what I’m researching,” he says about pursing a master’s. His directed studies on social media in the family inspired him to look for graduate programs focused on the impact of modern technology on society, and he applied to three, including Queen’s University. Ramsay has accepted their offer—complete with a teaching or research assistant position—and is preparing to move to Kingston. on now dangle from graduates’ fingertips. “For me, it is an honour to be part of this rite of passage for our students,” says Flood. “I love being on stage in my academic regalia and rising with my colleagues to give the graduates a standing ovation when the last one has passed the stage—but I enjoy it all the more having been in the background helping them before (and after) the ceremony. It's exhausting, but well worth it. I know how hard many TRU staff work to make the day a special one. I'm proud to be a part of the effort.” and 14 at the TRU Gymnasium, with a ceremony each day at 10am and 2pm. When the caps fly into the air for the last time, staff and faculty will shout congratulations with the rest, inspired to start the process all over again. It’s a special triumph for his family: his mother and uncle are the only immediate family with a degree, and only his mother achieved a master’s. Now Ramsay is also nominated for a Bombardier Master’s Scholarship from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC). He is elated, and still somewhat surprised, by how his life as a student came together. “TRU is a place where you get the room to try different things and reaffirm your own interests,” he says, excited to find out where this next phase of student life takes him. InsideTRU Science faculty Janine Chan and Brian Heise don their alma maters' regalia. President Shaver poses with Open Learning grad Sam Vedan Sandhu and her mother. Expanded to three days and six ceremonies this year, Spring 2013 convocation runs June 12, 13, Bridges Magazine • Spring 2013 21 5 3 6 4 2 7 9 1 Interior Settings Lisa Nielsen The Groundskeeper on the Kamloops campus since 1987, Lisa Nielsen wears many hats, carrying out responsibilities which range from planting, propagation and maintenance to supervising outdoor facility staff and Horticulture students, who get hands-on experience under her watchful eye. She thinks of the 40 cultivated acres of campus as her canvas. 1. 8 A chronicler, she fills her daily planner with colour much like the grounds: reminders to order and start seeds and cuttings, maintenance and planting schedules, workshops and orientations, budgeting for both plants and hardscaping, and logs of when plants come up each spring. 6. The TRU greenhouses overflow each spring with plants propagated from bulb, seed, and cutting, or overwintered in the greenhouses’ protection. Red tags identify those destined for campus beds and planters, or arrangements for campus events like convocation. 2. The TRU Arboretum and Gardens Guide was published in 2005, a labour of love by Nielsen and former faculty member Dave Williams. 7. The campus irrigation system is carefully mapped; software connected to city weather data and 21 radio controllers automates the watering process. 3. With its cream-edged leaves and a summer-long show of bright red flowers, this geranium remains a favourite 25 years after it was first planted in campus borders. Cuttings from that original plant and from every descendant since ensure it continues to brighten the grounds each summer. 8. Tools of many shapes and sharp edges frame her working life. From pruners and trowels to trimmers and riding mowers, she maintains the groundskeeping equipment, gives safety orientations, and logs the experience each student gets during their training. 4. Next to Nielsen’s office are the floor to ceiling shelves of the TRU Friends of the Garden Library. Besides librarian, her volunteer FOG duties include giving summer Garden Tours, and propagating extra plants for the annual Plant Sale. 5. Photos of the “bowl” beside Old Main recall dozens of ponderosas that fell victim to BC’s pine beetle epidemic. Thanks to groundskeeping efforts, many affected trees including the white pine below survived on campus. A piece of bark illustrates the cycle of the beetle. 9. Crammed full of seed packets and nursery labels, handouts for students, order records from dozens of suppliers, and notes on which new plants were a hit—or were eaten— Nielsen’s order binder is her planting bible. Past editions line her shelves, a testament to her 25 year career at TRU. Track the 'Pack Tyler Lowey returned to WolfPack baseball in February 2012 after losing his eye during an exhibition game in October. Photo by Andrew Snucins. After a few practices, I began to feel like my chances of coming back in the spring were getting better and better. By Tyler Lowey I thought I would play baseball forever. My dream was to win the World Series for the Blue Jays four times. At some point I would retire and greatly miss the game. That all changed on October 9, 2011. The stands were packed that Thanksgiving Sunday for a fall exhibition game as lots of families were in town. I was up to bat and the count was full. It was a high fastball, probably ball four, but still close enough to the zone to hack at. It fouled off my bat and hit me square in the right eye.I collapsed to the ground in a world of pain, bleeding profusely. My eye exploded. I was carried from the field and rushed to Emergency. I dropped out of school 24 a few days later, and my parents took me home to Calgary to figure out what life without my right eye would look like. Most of October was spent lying on my couch, popping painkillers and prescription eye drops. I had to re-learn how to do everything; how to walk up stairs, pour water into a cup and drive. Life was different, but I was adapting quickly. My goal was to do something new each day. I started with simple tasks such as throwing darts and playing pool. Coordination was the biggest obstacle. In November I started working at a car dealership and rehabbing in Okotoks, working with their high school teams. Thompson Rivers University • www.tru.ca The Journalism department helped me out by taking care of my classes for January. The only thing holding me back was when my mom got really sick. There was no way I was going to leave her behind after everything she had done for me. Shortly after Christmas the illness passed. That was the final piece; I was ready to go back to Kamloops. I’m not sure who was more excited about me coming back, my teammates or myself. The boys helped me out whenever I asked for extra work and they were all very encouraging. It was mid February 2012 and our team was off to Arizona for spring training, a little over four months after I lost my eye. Playing baseball again was extremely different. Hitting and ground balls were Track the 'Pack obviously tough, but what surprised me the most was not being able to see the field as well as I used to. My numbers weren’t the same as they normally were, but I was fine with that. I discovered new ways to contribute to the team, becoming a more aggressive base runner and the team’s closer. Normally the end of the season brings on disappointment, but this time I was content with how the year went. I never felt sorry for myself or asked why this happened to me—I never saw the point in that. That summer, I spent a lot of time recalling everything that happened since October 9. Everything from getting carried off the field by my teammates, to playing my last game for TRU. I will never be able to fully thank my family and friends for everything they did for me. Without them, I would never have been able to complete my comeback. It was my way of saying thanks to everyone. As I finish my Journalism degree and help out with the TRU baseball team by webcasting games and attending practice, I am looking forward to a career in sports reporting instead of professional baseball. I never played for the Blue Jays and I never won the World Series, but I’m cool with that. I was able to come back to finish my baseball career on my own terms. Tyler Lowey and Mike McDonald webcast a game at NorBrock Stadium. Tyler Lowey Award A new award established in Tyler Lowey’s honour in 2012 recognized two WolfPack players this year for overcoming adversity. Sebastian Gardner returned to TRU and WolfPack soccer after battling lymphoma. Lowey’s baseball teammate, Kevin Cramer, came back after suffering a spinal chord injury. The award winners were joined by Lowey at the 2012–2013 awards banquet on March 28. Gardner (left) and Cramer (right) with Lowey at the awards banquet. Larry Read photo. Bridges Magazine • Spring 2013 25 A Peak Experience By Wayne Cardinal A n avalanche swept Jokull Bergmann (’05) into TRU’s Adventure Guide program and a career as a mountain guide. soon quit and were evacuated. Those who carried on had to stop and pitch a tent when one of them became hypothermic. Bergmann was approaching an ice climb with Bergmann was cutting sausages with friends in his native Iceland when he was a knife as he kept an eye on the hypothermia caught and badly injured. During six months victim, warming up in a sleeping bag. of recuperation, he heard about the Adventure The delirious man rose suddenly and Guide program from a first year student, and grabbed the blade, attempting to stab him. decided it was time he tried something new. “We were in a small expedition tent in a huge “I always had this ambition to finish the whole storm. One slash in the tent and everything thing and get my international certification,” is gone,” says Bergmann. “In the end I had says Bergmann. He and his wife moved to to knock him out.” Subdued, the Italian and Kamloops in 2004, and he completed his Bergmann spent the next five days in the diploma the following year. He earned his tent until rescue came. Association of Canadian Mountain Guides “At the end of the trip he was so happy to and International Federation of Mountain be alive, he wanted me to come to Italy Guide Associations certification in 2008. to marry his daughter. It was one of the Since returning to Iceland, Bergmann has put his training to the test—like being a last-minute guide for a group undertaking a two-week arctic ski traverse across Iceland’s volcanic glacial desert. The Italian skiers were ill equipped and conditions were harsh. Half of the group funniest things that ever happened to me.” The 36-year-old father of three lives on northern Iceland’s Troll Peninsula, in Dalvik, a town of 1200 people. He operates Bergmenn Mountain Guides, specializing in ski touring, and the more high-end Arctic Heli-ski, and is a partner with Glacier Guides. Bergmann lives up to his name, which means "mountain man" in Icelandic. We’re here for you, TRU Alumni, Students, Faculty, Staff and Friends. Let’s Talk. MONDAY - WEDNESDAY THURSDAY - FRIDAY SATURDAY SUNDAY 26 9:30 AM – 5:00 PM 9:30 AM – 7:00 PM 9:30 AM – 4:00 PM 12:00 PM – 4:00 PM Thompson Rivers University • www.tru.ca Education Fly on the O wning a profitable business that requires travel to exotic world destinations, being signed to author a book and star in a reality TV show, appearing on the covers of a dozen magazines, writing columns for numerous publications, and being a sportswomen sponsored by Patagonia sounds like success to most of us. But for April Vokey, self-fulfillment required something more. “One of my biggest regrets in life is that I never finished my business degree upon leaving high school,” says Vokey. “It has been an obstacle for me in more ways than I could have imagined and I vowed to one day complete it.” April Vokey and Colby, her furry sidekick on local fly fishing adventures, take a break after a fly casting lesson in the Fraser River in Chilliwack, BC. Photo by Jon Fulton. to 300 days a year on the water doing what she loves. So why return to school? “I took a business management class and it really helped me to relate to the people who work with me, and work for me,” Vokey says. “I definitely have taken some of the strategies that I learned in the class and applied them to real life and to my business.” “Can I be a fishing guide forever? Probably not. Can I be a business owner as long as I’m alive and breathing?Well, I sure hope so!” —April Vokey At age three Vokey began troll fishing with her father. Then at 16, with a new driver’s license in hand, Vokey found herself fishing almost every day. “My escape and my way of diving or digging into myself is to go fishing,” she says. “I fly fish for adventure, excitement, survival and everything else in between.” In addition to improving her confidence, Vokey sees a business degree as a safety net for the physically taxing industry she has invested her whole being in. “Can I be a fishing guide forever? Probably not,” she explains. “Can I be a business owner as long as I’m alive and breathing? Well, I sure hope so!” As a fishing guide, fly casting instructor, and the owner of Fly Gal Ventures, a fly fishing guiding company based in Chilliwack, BC, Vokey now spends 260 After guiding or teaching on the water all day, Vokey works in her home office until midnight and then gets up at six am to do it all over again. “Being so busy, the only way that I could truly get my education and finish my degree was to pursue online education options,” she says. “I decided I would take my time on the road—whether it be in airplanes, taxis, or hotel rooms—to complete this education.” With the help of a bit of technology, Vokey even combined some of her time spent fishing with her coursework. She simply transferred course disks from her computer to her iPhone. “I can not only fish, but have my education in my ear at the same time,” says Vokey, who completed six TRU-OL credits by online and distance studies to finish a Certificate in Business Skills in 2012. “You’re not going to get that sort of education by sitting in a classroom.” Vokey’s pursuit of a business degree with Open Learning will continue alongside fly fishing, photo shoots and her new reality TV show. “If I have my vision set on something I try to conquer it,” she says. “Education was one of the final checks I needed to mark off on my list.” Bridges Magazine • Spring 2013 27 AlmaMatters By Elise Desjardine 2013 TRU Distinguished Alumni Amy Berard Neil Russell Student Leadership Award Bachelor of Business Administration, 2013 Amy Berard has won recognition for her work with the United Way. The partnership she forged between TRU’s former Students in Free Enterprise club (now ENACTUS) and the United Way’s Youth Advisory was the platform for developing the United Way student club at TRU. Berard facilitated the Youth Day of Caring and organized the Annual Community Carnival. Named Co-op Student of the Year in 2010, Berard’s dedication to the United Way continues with part-time work managing the campus Youth Club, planning BC Youth Week and coordinating a $10,000 Youth Initiative Grants program. She was also a part-time research assistant for the Homelessness Action Plan. From over 1300 Canadian undergraduate students, Berard was selected for The Next 36: Canada’s Entrepreneurial Leadership Initiative, and received a post-secondary award from the Canadian Youth Business Foundation, called You Innovate. Richard Cane Neil Russell Student Leadership Award Bachelor of Natural Resource Science, 2013 Richard Cane has made the most of his university experience. The mature student and father of two resurrected the TRU Natural Resource Science Club, and mentored struggling students. He took the lead to make TRU a full member of the International Forestry Students Association (IFSA), and is helping to establish a local chapter of the Canadian Institute of Forestry in Kamloops. Thanks to his leadership experience, 28 Thompson Rivers University • www.tru.ca which includes encouraging student involvement in community events such as cleaning up local parks, Cane is confident to enter the workforce as a leader “who is ready to advocate for sustainable solutions needed to make this region, province and country leaders in their own rights.” Cane is recognized for making a difference to his field of study and contributing to the personal growth of individuals. Highland Valley Copper Milestone Achievement Award Highland Valley Copper (HVC) has offered a diverse range of opportunities for TRU students and alumni for many years. HVC donates equipment, machines, electrical parts, and thousands of pounds of scrap steel to TRU’s Trades and Technology programs. In 2007 the Heavy Duty Mechanic and Commercial Transport Mechanic programs received surplus equipment from Highland Valley Copper valued at $500,000, and the company has also donated towards the purchase of equipment for Science. HVC sponsors the School of Trades and Technology golf tournament as well as the Foundation Gala and Sports Task Force events. Since 1989, HVC has donated a cumulative $765,000 to TRU in equipment and sponsorship. In 2012, HVC partnered with TRU on an American pika (Ochotona princeps) research study by mapping the pika’s distribution on the HVC site and documenting population demographics. Christopher Flett Professional Achievement Award Bachelor of Arts, 1999 Christopher Flett founded Think Tank Communications Inc. in Kamloops, which grew into a multi-national research firm operating in 16 markets until 2006. He is also founder and CEO of Flett Ventures Inc./Ghost CEO™, which has 60 coaches operating in four countries, serving 1,800 small businesses and corporate clients. A professional speaker and best-selling author of What Men Don’t Tell Women about Business, Flett has been a guest lecturer at universities across North America on entrepreneurial pursuit and gender in the workplace, most notably at UBC, Harvard, Columbia, Princeton, Yale, and UCLA. He has provided expert commentary on gender dynamics in the workplace on the Fox Business Network, in the New York Times and Wall Street Journal, and in other media. Flett was named to the Top 40 Under 40 by Business in Vancouver in 2011. Donna Munroe Lasser Community Service Award Animal Health Technology Diploma, 1996 Donna Munroe Lasser made headlines in 2005 when she was moved to assist animals in New Orleans that needed care after Hurricane Katrina. She mobilized teams of Canadian veterinary technicians and solicited donations of medical supplies to go to New Orleans. After Katrina, Munroe Lasser formed the Canadian Animal Assistance Team (CAAT), a non-profit organization that provides veterinary care to animals in rural and remote communities within Canada and internationally, and also educates children about responsible pet ownership. She was named one of 15 Canadian Heroes, Volunteers for Change by Outpost magazine in May 2008, and received the 2011 BC Animal Health Technologist of the Year Award. Munroe Lasser currently manages two busy animal hospitals on the Sunshine Coast and is the British Columbia representative on the Canadian Animal Health Technologists and Technicians board. Bridges Magazine • Spring 2013 29 Fred Phelps Grace Chronister BSW Award Bachelor of Social Work, 2003 Fred Phelps completed practicum placements with Simpcw First Nation and the Forensic Psychiatric Services Commission while a social work student. Following graduation he worked as a child welfare social worker in North Battleford, Saskatchewan, before embarking on a career path that would take him through several political appointments and eventually into one of the most challenging jobs in Canadian social work. Phelps completed a Master of Social Work in 2006, and held appointments as ministerial assistant to the Saskatchewan Minister of Government Relations and as Chief of Staff to the Saskatchewan Minister of Culture, Youth and Recreation. His direct social work practice and political experience led him to Ottawa and the Canadian Association of Social Workers (CASW). Phelps was appointed Executive Director of CASW in 2011. Tom Williamson Professional Achievement Award University Transfer 1976–1978 Tom Williamson is a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of BC, and just retired from his position as Chief Financial Officer with the BC Lottery Corporation (BCLC). A team-builder, his impressive legacy at BCLC includes strengthening relationships with residents, businesses and organizations. Williamson was nominated by TRU’s School of Business and Economics in recognition of his generosity in giving his time to TRU Thank you to our DAA Sponsors Presenting Sponsor: Sponsors: and its students for many years. Kamloops Athlete of the Year in 1970, he played for the Cariboo College hockey team in 1976–77, and since then has volunteered as a coach for minor hockey and soccer. Williamson has displayed great leadership in his community while being dedicated to family and work, and has held board positions with the YM-YWCA and Developing World Connections. TRU Distinguished Alumni Awards recognize the remarkable people who have achieved outstanding success in their careers or communities. Nomination forms available at: www.tru.ca/alumni/daa TD Insurance Meloche Monnex Call for nominations in the following areas: Kamloops Florist Ltd. TRU Open Learning The Lottie Morris Family TRU School of Business and Economics Studi09 Creative Services TRU Faculty of Arts 30 Thompson Rivers University • www.tru.ca TRU Faculty of Human, Social and Educational Development • Public or community service • Professional, academic or athletic achievement • Student leadership • Community Milestone achievement University By Diana Skoglund H is construction projects mark the economic growth of this region: Sun Peaks, Work Safe BC, New Gold, and many others, including TRU. Guy Mercier, the long-time former owner of Acres Enterprises Ltd, came forward at the 21st annual Foundation Gala on February 2 to add another dimension to his relationship with the university with a $250,000 donation. “My parents instilled me with a belief in education,” says Mercier, who graduated with a BBA from the Universitée de Rimouski, Quebec in 1973. That same year he came to Kamloops “only to view the country” for the summer. Shortly afterwards, he started to work for Dominion Construction as an Engineering Technologist. His first project was the development of Aberdeen Hills Community, for the Bentall Family. By 1980, he was running his own construction company, Action Construction Ltd. It evolved into Acres Enterprises, focusing on roads and municipal infrastructure projects. Branching into general construction in 1990, Mercier completed his first project at TRU. “We have been very involved with TRU’s growth over these last 22 years Local businessman Guy Mercier, whose construction company helped build the Kamloops campus, made a $250,000 donation at TRU's annual Foundation Gala in February. and can see that universities are important to individuals, families and communities,” says Mercier. His gift will go towards student endowments and the revitalization of Old Main. contractor for the Campus Activity Centre, and was a subcontractor for the Brown Family House of Learning. Mercier sold the company in 2012. Acres Enterprises worked on the Main Library (more than once), was a general Leave a legacy to TRU A legacy gift is a simple and thoughtful way to give something back to the community for the benefit of future generations while realizing tax savings for your estate. 3 Easy Ways • Leave a gift to TRU in your will • Donate stocks and avoid capital gains tax • Name TRU as the beneficiary of a life insurance policy To find out more about legacy giving, contact: Karen Gamracy, Director, Advancement Tel: 250.371.5715 | Email: kgamracy@tru.ca | Web: www.tru.ca/foundation Making a difference for future generations *Donors are encouraged to contact their legal and financial advisor with regard to any estate or planned gift decision Bridges Magazine • Spring 2013 31 Class Notes ’77 Neville Flanagan, Kamloops, BC, was an electrician from Australia when he began the Leisure and Recreation program. He went on to complete his Parks and Recreation degree at the University of Oregon in 1978, and his master’s in 1979, then returned to TRU as coordinator of the Recreation Management program. In 1989 Neville and his wife opened their first Subway restaurant for their youngest son to work in. After Neville retired from teaching in 1991 he opened more Subways, and by 1997 he owned eight. He and his wife have just retired and their eldest son has taken over their business interests. ’87 Dawn Brodie has had a varied career since graduating, including research projects with raccoons, employment at the BC Wildlife Park, assisting the Ministry of Environment with big horn sheep captures, ensuring herd health at local ranches, and most recently, reintroducing the burrowing owl back into the grasslands of BC. She received the 2012 Animal Health Technologist of the Year award from the Animal Health Technologists Association of BC. ’91 Michael Grace, Williams Lake, BC, started in sciences in Williams Lake, finishing his BSc and BEd at UBC before completing his MA at UVic. He returned to the Cariboo Chilcotin to teach, and was principal at Tatla Lake Elementary and vice principal at Columneetza Secondary before becoming the principal at Cataline Elementary four years ago. Mike has two teenaged children, and volunteers as a soccer and hockey coach. ‘93 Mary Johnson (neé Whitehouse), Gresham, Oregon, graduated from Cariboo’s Nursing program almost 20 years ago. Mary lives in Oregon with her husband and is a Registered Nurse at Mount Hood Medical Center. '95 Jennifer Harbaruk '98 Fiona Mahr She would love to hear from some of her Nursing class of 1993. ’95 Jennifer Harbaruk (neé Horne), Kamloops, BC, worked at TRU in 2006 at Open Learning, followed by Information Technology in 2007. In 2008 she opened Lizzie Bits Baby Co., which was nominated for four Kamloops Chamber of Commerce Business Excellence Awards. After selling the business, Jennifer joined the Chamber of Commerce board. She is married with three children, is an office manager at a local engineering firm, and is actively involved with the community as a volunteer and fundraiser. ’98 Fiona Mahr (then Coleman), Vienna, Austria, graduated with a BA in Sociology and returned to Europe. Fiona worked for Accenture and the British Council Austria, and since 2007 has been head of recruiting and employer branding at VERBUND, the largest electricity company in Austria. Fiona has re-married and lives with her husband Peter in Vienna. ’99 Darwin Billey, Garibaldi Highlands, BC, taught English in Fukushima-city, Japan on the Japanese Exchange Teachers (JET) program for three years after graduation. He returned and started work with Royal Bank of Canada, and has since moved with RBC all over the province. Darwin got married along the way to another TRU alum and they have two children. ‘02 Melissa Fryer, Nanaimo, BC, won gold in the Best in BC category of the 2011 Ma Murray Awards, presented by the BC and Yukon Community Newspapers Association. In 2012 she became editor of the Nanaimo News Bulletin. ’02 Barbara Maher, Chase, BC, graduated with a Bachelor of Tourism Management. Since graduating she has continued her studies focusing on business development and women '02 Barbara Maher empowerment. Barbara has worked with the Chase Chamber of Commerce, and created several large community events. In March her business, The Spirit of Women, hosted an International Women's Day Conference in Kamloops, and she is planning a Women's Self Discovery retreat in late September. ’06 Karl Delling, Savona, BC, graduated in 2005 with a BA in English, Rhetoric and Professional Writing, followed a year later with a BSc in Nursing. He is a Registered Nurse for Health Canada, First Nations and Inuit Health Branch in northern Manitoba, and an officer in the Canadian Armed Forces. Karl organized and helped run mass casualty simulation scenarios for various medical and emergency organizations in Kamloops and surrounding communities. '06 Jason Sandhu, Kamloops BC, obtained his Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Education, then went on to complete a Masters in Leadership and Administration at Gonzaga University. He started his career by teaching music at various schools in Kamloops and is now working as a grade 5/6 teacher at Pacific Way Elementary. He is currently involved in the SD73/BCTF Mentorship program, where he offers support and guidance to new teachers in Kamloops. ’07 Dušan Magdolen, Kamloops, BC, got his BBA in Marketing and his BA in Theatre from TRU. He spent five years as the Marketing & Communications Manager at Western Canada Theatre and was recently appointed the Development Officer for the Faculty of Adventure, Culinary Arts & Tourism at TRU. Dušan is on the TRU Alumni & Friends Board and is heavily involved with the Kamloops Film Festival. New Affinity program offers TRU Alumni & Friends great savings T AlmaMatters he TRU Alumni and Friends Association is pleased to introduce our new Affinity Partner, TD Insurance Meloche Monnex. In business for over 60 years, TD Insurance offers alumni and friends preferred group rates for home, automobile, and travel insurance. Join the growing number of alumni who already enjoy greater savings with TD Insurance through preferred group rates. TD Insurance offers discounts for 32 Thompson Rivers University • www.tru.ca '06 Jason Sandhu combining your home and auto insurance policies and having a good driving record. Saving money has never been so simple! Request a quote today and you’ll automatically be entered in a draw for a chance to win a Lexus ES 300h hybrid or $60,000 cash. Contact them at 1.866.269.1371 or visit melochemonnex.com/TRU to discover the many ways you can save with TD Insurance. Let's Remember '11 Jasim Khan ’07 Spencer Martin, Victoria, BC, worked his way up to management at a sawmill in Williams Lake for 10 years, but wasn’t happy. He decided to make a change and took sciences at TRU, eventually completing his BSc in Microbiology at UVic in 2010. He is currently pursuing his PhD at UBC and works in the Deeley Research Centre for the BC Cancer Agency. Last year he returned to TRU Williams Lake to volunteer for Science World. '09, Chelsey Schneider (née Buie), Kamloops, BC, graduated with a Bachelor of Education, then taught in Merritt and Barriere over the next few years in various positions including distance education, special education, and classroom teaching. She completed a diploma in Special Education in January 2013. Chelsey is married with a one-year-old daughter, and returned to work in May to a Learning Assistant Resource position in Kamloops. ‘09 Aimee Leih Dillon, Revelstoke, BC, is office manager and logistics coordinator at Selkirk Mountain Experience, a backcountry chalet that specializes in ski touring, hiking and mountaineering. She finds time to travel in the off season, touring Vancouver Island and surfing in Tofino. Last October Aimee spent a month backpacking around Peru. She is grateful to have a great career in her field that allows her to live out her dream of travelling. ’09 Judith Zwickel, Victoria, BC, worked as a forest firefighter with the Ministry of Forests after graduating with a BA in History. She is currently at the University of Victoria, working on her master's in Dispute Resolution. Judith is a research and policy evaluation assistant for a participatory action research project with a First Nation in northeast BC. She is looking for a summer co-op position in an area related to conflict resolution and/or First Nations issues in the Kamloops area. ’10 Allysa Gredling, Kamloops, BC, has been involved in a number of research projects, has been a contributor in a book on social work ethics, has overseen practicum students, and worked in multiple local organizations since graduation. She is currently the Welcoming Communities Coordinator at Kamloops Immigrant Services. Allysa is a board member with the Kamloops Women's Resource Group Society, volunteers with TRU's Mentorship program and is exploring further education opportunities with plans to earn a graduate degree. Nicholas Guido was an accounting major in the final year of his Bachelor of Business Administration. Through hard work, commitment and careful analysis he achieved outstanding marks, and was motivated by the academic challenges his courses offered. Nick had secured a competitive, highly prized Chartered Accountancy articling position with KPMG, which testifies to his determination and intellect. Always in a good mood, he had a great sense of humor, and will be remembered as personable, intelligent, hardworking, pragmatic and fun. Dr. Wes Koczka joined TRU as Associate Vice President, International and CEO Global Operations nearly three years ago following an accomplished career in internationalization at the University of Victoria. During his time at TRU his foresight, strategic sense and superlative communication abilities sparked connections between TRU and institutions and people around the world. Wes was a visionary, totally committed to internationalization as a way of bringing the people of the world together. Helen Keir, a school trustee representing School District 29, was the voice of the Bridge River Valley on the Cariboo College Board from 1971 until 1984. She represented the Board as a director of the Association of Canadian Community Colleges (ACCC) and served as its chair in 1978. The first year Helen joined the Cariboo College board, the ’11 Ahmad Barakat, Courtice, ON moved to Toronto after he finished his MBA. He began working as a technical sales and mobility specialist at a family-run health care business, but his goal was to use his degree in Engineering. In March of 2012, Ahmad joined one of the largest engineering companies in Canada, SNC Lavalin, as a cost estimator. He is registered with the Professional Engineers of Ontario as Engineer in Training, and is working towards becoming a professional engineer. ’11 Jasim Khan, Reading, United Kingdom, completed the Diploma and Bachelor of Tourism Management, majoring in Management and Marketing, with the Global Competency distinction. He travelled and spent time with family, and worked briefly in college moved from the Residential School on the Kamloops Indian Reserve to its current site. Dr. Tom Owen recently retired as TRU’s first Director, Environment and Sustainability, a role he filled with passion and humour. Under Tom’s leadership, TRU’s environmental commitment ranking in the Canadian University Report improved from a ‘D’ to a ‘B’ in four years, and TRU now leads its peer group of comparison institutions in sustainability. Among other accomplishments, he also created the Environmental Achievement Award, supervised graduate students, assisted student clubs with their projects (TRU Eco) and provided opportunities for at least 5 co-op students. Ron Rosentreter joined Culinary Arts almost 10 years ago with a determination to instill his passion and culinary craftsmanship in students at each level of the program. Prior to arriving at TRU he was an accomplished chef and restaurateur, honing his skills at many culinary competitions, bringing home several gold and silver medals. Three years ago, after taking a course on beekeeping, he had hives installed on the roof of the Culinary Arts Building. Today TRU has wonderful honey for its cooking and healthy bees for its gardens. TRU community passings since November 2012 sales and marketing. Jasim is now completing his Master of Science at Henley Business School at the University of Reading in England. '12 Daniel Davidson, Princeton, BC, successfully completed his Bachelor of General Studies shortly after turning 55 last summer. After considering options like moving to Taiwan to teach ESL, he decided to accept a Teacher on Call position with School District 58 in his hometown of Princeton. After the dust settles, Daniel looks forward to upgrading his math skills, continuing his studies in advanced jazz guitar, and learning Mandarin. Bridges Magazine • Spring 2013 33 AlmaMatters '09 Judith Zwickel Unlocking 79% are taking a course 21% 26% have children are enrolled in a program 73% work fullor part-time Common places to study: 72% are over 24 years of age 30% 56% 66% are female At a desk On the couch 27% 20% In the library Top two programs taken: Bachelor of Commerce Best time to study: Bachelor of Health Sciences At work Reasons for taking a course: Career and monetary reasons provide the main motivation for many students enrolling in online courses. CAREER ADVANCEMENT 28% 15% Most students would rather study in the morning than before bed. SELF-FULFILLMENT TO GET AHEAD TO EARN MORE Do it your way • 590 Courses • 55 Programs • www.truopen.ca MC117596 where and how do non-traditional students fit coursework into a life full of work, WE ASKED, When, family and the daily grind? They enrol in online education and fit studies in whenever and wherever they can. Thompson Rivers University, Open Learning students show us what YOU ANSWERED education looks like to them. SOURCES: “Education Your Way,” Student Survey, July 2012 and December 2012; TRU-OL Enrolment Statistics, April 1, 2011 to November 14, 2012. Numbers are rounded to the nearest whole numbers and may not total 100%. The Facts About Open Learning The Man with The Plan By Diana Skoglund I n 1976, 1,500 students were attending classes at Cariboo College, in a collection of cinderblock buildings on a dusty site tucked between a munitions dump and a landfill. It was the same year a 24-year-old accountant joined the college, as an assistant controller. His name: Cliff Neufeld. He stayed for thirty-seven years. Over the years Cliff’s role changed. In the early 1990s he was promoted to become the vice president of administration and finance. The college, too, had changed, to a student body now encompassing more than 23,000 learners (on campus and by distance) and a setting many describe as one of the most beautiful campuses in Canada. Heralded as a campus builder, Cliff has immense pride in the university, particularly in the pedestrian-friendly campus he helped envision, plan and build. Today, the TRU campus is a major local attraction. Area residents and students proudly show off its grounds to visitors, or even make it the backdrop for their wedding ceremonies and receptions. As VP, Cliff’s portfolio had grown to include to be nimble on our feet and be able to respond quickly.” overall leadership for strategic planning (for areas within his portfolio), finance, He describes his career in similar terms. budget development, human resources, “I have been very blessed and very information technology, institutional privileged, but I never planned it out. We planning and analysis, international could not have a more rewarding career operations, regional campuses, facilities, working with students. In the service side campus and capital development, of the organization, we provide the areas safety and security, ancillary operations, for students to flourish.” As a youthful athletics and recreation and 61-year-old, he also concedes that environmental sustainability. working with students has kept him young. An organization of change As the CFO tasked with strategic planning, Cliff contends that one of TRU’s main advantages is not defining itself too rigidly, in its early years. The one constant has been change, and it’s not just campus that has changed, he notes. “We never laid out a plan for three name changes, four different logos and three athletic team names. Or that we’d grow from a community college to a university complete with a law school, yet retain all the functionality and program offerings of a college. Throughout the past thirty seven years TRU has always been able to maintain year-end surpluses and retain a positive financial balance sheet.” “Constant change has given us greater breadth, greater opportunity than we would ever have had otherwise,” Cliff says. “TRU tends to look at opportunities as they are presented. We have always had During his last few months at TRU, Cliff had been overseeing the nearly complete, remarkable transformation of Old Main. “There can be no finer cap to his legacy as a campus builder than the transformation of the campus’s oldest and most utilitarian building into an architectural icon, not only for TRU but for all of Kamloops,” President Alan Shaver said in a letter to the TRU community announcing Cliff’s retirement. Once the 43,000 additional square feet of space is complete and buzzing with three full cohorts of law students, and the next phase of the Campus Plan is solidly set, Cliff will be focusing on what has always been of tremendous importance to him: Pearl, his wife of 41 years, their two married sons and six grandchildren, his woodworking, work on their rental properties, and volunteering, both with their church and for several months each year as a mentor for developing world leaders. Like his career, retirement is “unplanned” and full of possibilities. “Constant change has given us greater breadth, greater opportunity than we would ever have had otherwise.” —Cliff Neufeld Bridges Magazine • Spring 2013 35 Message from Alan Shaver President and Vice-Chancellor A s I look forward this spring to our largest convocation ever, I’m reminded of why we’re all here: enabling and supporting the achievements of our students. The credential and the proud handshake students receive as they cross that stage signal the greater purpose here. We create new knowledge and understanding for the benefit of people through our teaching and research programs. The power of diverse perspectives and access to different cultural backgrounds and world views; the enhancement of educational experience that comes from internationalization and experiential learning; the benefits to our community and society at large that come from open access to education are all parts of the mosaic. 36 At TRU, everyone is part of the mission to create new knowledge and understanding. Our students, faculty and staff are learners and teachers. This spring, we embark on an institution-wide initiative to establish learning outcomes for each of our courses and programs. Guided by our new Learning Outcomes and Assessment Advisory Committee (LOAAC), and managed through the TRU Centre for Student Engagement and Learning Innovation, we will measure and improve the knowledge and understanding outcomes of our students. Our achievements as an institution will be further developed as we proceed with our application for accreditation from the Washington-based Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU). It’s one more way TRU will learn, evolve, and embrace new ideas. Thompson Rivers University • www.tru.ca TRU is a modern university. We are modern in our understanding of diversity, whether celebrating Aboriginal successes at our campus powwow, or experiencing the breadth of learning from adventure guiding to particle physics. We are building our campus into a village, and our research expertise into centres of innovation for the benefit of industry and community. We are sensitive to underrepresented groups, and committed to supporting their achievements. We are in the ideas business. Ideas that lead to personal and community transformations. president@tru.ca 15th Annual TRU WolfPack July 2–August 30 For more information or to register www.tru.ca/sportcamps Email sportcamp@tru.ca • Phone 250.852.7135 Operated at the Tournament Capital Centre, TRU Gym, Hillside Stadium and other locations within the Kamloops Community. TRU employees and multiple week registrations are eligible for discounts. Please ask at time of registration. Register today at www.tru.ca/sportcamps Discover why over 375,000 graduates enjoy greater savings Join the growing number of graduates who enjoy greater savings from TD Insurance on home and auto coverage. Most insurance companies offer discounts for combining home and auto policies, or your good driving record. What you may not know is that we offer these savings too, plus we offer preferred rates to members of the Thompson Rivers University Alumni Association. 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