Inside the Head of Willy Loman pg 18 Harnessing Collaborative Energy pg 22 CURA Wraps Up 12 Years pg 12 The 14th Annual TRU WolfPack July 2–August 29 • Baseball • Basketball • Volleyball • Golf • Soccer • Multi-Sport • Flag Football • Pre-School And More For more information or to register, please email sportcamp@tru.ca call 250.852.7135 or visit 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. MC116082 www.tru.ca/sportcamps 12 18 Campus Commons 4 Learning for Nothing and Your Course for Free 5 Academic Plan Marks Access to Excellence Student Street 6 Learning All the Way Home 9 Student Research Informs Homelessness Action Plan Research Review 12 How CURA Put Kamloops on the Cultural Map 16 Fire Ants Invade BC Lawns 16 TRU World 22 International Practicum Harnesses Collaborative Energy Alma Matters 24 2012 Distinguished Alumni Awards 28 Class Notes Track the 'Pack 36 1st Annual Kamloops Marathon Inside TRU 18 Inside His Head: An expressionist take on Death of a Salesman 36 On the cover: Japanese student Kana Shimizu plays at the Showcase at International Days. Amer Alnefaie's photo won the International Days photo contest. Student & Alumni Contributors Sherry Bennett is a freelance writer and a graduate of TRU’s Bachelor of Journalism program. Her affinity for local history has lured her to local libraries and archives, where she has spent many a pleasant hour. Publishers > Office of University Advancement Christopher Séguin > TRU Alumni & Friends Association Arlene Olynyk Amy Berard is a fourth-year TRU Business co-op student studying marketing and public relations. Her work experience in the Kamloops non-profit sector made her happy to highlight student engagement with the Kamloops Homelessness Action Plan. Editors > Diana Skoglund > Anita Rathje Rolena deBruyn is in her third year of a BSc in Ecology and Environmental Biology at TRU. After graduation, she plans to travel and later pursue a master’s and PhD in Marine Ecology. She is currently co-captain of the TRU Cross Country Team. Contributing Editors > Bart Cummins > Larry Read Allison Gibbard is a recent graduate of the Bachelor of Journalism program at TRU. She has been a contributing writer for Bridges for the past two years and is looking forward to seeing where her degree and life will take her. Photography > Bart Cummins > Diana Skoglund > Anita Rathje > Matthew Tarzwell Graphic Design > Amanda Blyth Michael Potestio is a fourth year Journalism student, graduating in the spring of 2013. In his spare time he enjoys being with his friends and family. Advertising Sales > Karen Gamracy Megha Sequeira is an adventure-hungry, food-loving Journalism student at TRU. Originally from Goa, India, she grew up in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. After graduation she plans to travel across India to soak up its rich heritage, learn Bhangra, and eat as much butter chicken as possible. 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 online? Update your information www.tru.ca/alumni/updates Alumni Board of Directors: • Susan McIntyre, Chair Committee Directors • Rob Williamson, Vice- Chair • Christine Anderson • Hoberly Hove • Rob Wycherley, Treasurer • Melissa Baker • Bill Jaswal • Christopher Séguin, • Jennifer Billingsley • Janice MacDonald • Ryan Dunn • Dean Paravantes • Mike Finch • Niki Remesz • Wendy Heshka • Lindsay Wilk Ex-Officio • Ray Sanders, Ex-Officio Williams Lake MC115955 • Arlene Olynyk, Alumni Officer Welcome Friends W elcome to the latest issue of Bridges Magazine. We are always eager to present life on campus and beyond and our connection with the community through this magazine. TRU is unique in the breadth of programs and opportunities for students. In this issue, you will find undergraduate research assistants getting involved in the culture of small cities in interdisciplinary ways (CURA, page 12), aspiring actors delivering a bold new take on Arthur Miller's classic play (Inside His Head, page 18), and trades apprentices harnessing solar power on an international practicum (page 22). We can be proud that our institution continues to develop new programs (Communications, page 7, and Forestry, page 10), and to give back to our community (Homelessness Action Plan, page 9), ensuring that it remains relevant and strong. We're also proud of our faculty (Fire Ants, page 16) and alumni (Micro to Macro, page 34, and Growing, page 35) as they represent TRU at home and abroad. Our TRU Alumni & Friends membership program is also featured in the magazine. You gain the privilege of membership through graduation, contribution to the institution through donations, volunteering or advocating, and the career development or mentoring of students (page 33). As an organization we believe that offering opportunities for thought leadership and collaboration are key drivers of keeping you engaged with TRU. Watch for invitations to the President's speaker series (page 7), attendance at our Distinguished Alumni Awards dinner (see page 24) and other events with visiting guests and dignitaries. We also know that you are looking for ways to network and we plan on having invitation-only events and signature activities to provide great networking experiences with Alumni, Friends, Faculty and Staff in the future. Our strongest feedback has been people wanting to know what is new with each and every one of you whether you were at Cariboo College, UCC, Open Learning or TRU. Check out Class Notes (page 28) to catch up with old friends, and send us your current stories and photos. This is my last Bridges Welcome column as the Chair of the TRU Alumni and Friends Board. I write with mixed emotions. We have made significant progress in the last few years with a solid Board and dedicated team all supporting our goals. I will watch with great interest to see what new and exciting ideas come from the new Board and Executive and will miss being part of the development. Many thanks to the many wonderful people who have made my time with the TRU Alumni & Friends Association memorable and fulfilling! TRU Alumni & Friends Association Chair “While many courses are now freely available worldwide, the next step is to see how learning from these resources can be further extended and recognized” Campus Commons –Irwin Devries, Director of Instructional Design at TRU-OL Learning for Nothing and Your Course for Free T RU is collaborating in the Open Education Resource initiative, which seeks to provide students around the world with access to low or even zero cost learning materials and avenues leading to university credit. best universities in the world, it’s clear that many people are looking to these resources to advance their education,” said Dr. Alan Shaver, President and Vice-Chancellor, TRU. “The OERu project is an experiment to help learners access this wealth of learning resources for self-development in a way that assures excellence in learning outcomes.” Invited to be an anchor partner in Open Education Resource university (OERu) because of the innovative work of TRU Open Learning, TRU is contributing “While many courses are now freely to a new international collaboration available worldwide, the next step is to see to make learning accessible to everyone, how learning from these resources anywhere. Excellent universities around can be further extended and recognized,” the world are increasingly making distance said Irwin Devries, Director of Instructional education courses freely available online Design at TRU-OL. Devries joined TRU-OL following the model of MIT, which made Vice-President Judith Murray and senior its content available for free 10 years ago. education leaders from the other 13 OERu anchor partners, including the United Open Education Resources (OERs) Nations Educational, Scientific and are learning materials, made readily available via the web, with the intent that Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and the Commonwealth of Learning, at the OERu they be used, distributed, and modified planning meeting at Otago Polytechnic by anyone at little or no cost to the user. in Dunedin, New Zealand last fall Many OERs are now available as full online courses. Attributing a credential to learning to discuss the actions required to implement the first OERu credential. obtained through OER courses, however, is a challenge facing both learners and “TRU is one of the first Canadian formal degree-granting institutions. universities to be part of a growing “Given the explosion of high-quality online resources, led by some of the around open content, recognizing learning achieved through OERs, and incorporating peer collaboration models when assembling courses from existing OERs,” said Murray, noting that the traditional OER movement offered minimal crossinstitutional collaboration. TRU and the other partner institutions that formed OERu last year will contribute two or more OER courses at the first-year level to the OERu prototype project this year. OERu, coordinated by the non-profit OER Foundation, based in New Zealand, will select a few to begin trials, aiming for courses that will ladder into a Bachelor of General Studies or similar degree at any of the accredited educational institutions among the OERu anchor partners. OERu courses would piggy-back on TRU’s and other partner institutions’ existing open learning processes and policies, allowing learners to obtain credit for OER learning towards an accredited degree – a TRU Bachelor of Arts, for example. OERu plans to launch the first courses in 2013. international movement of agencies interested in building service models EduGarden H orticulture students embraced interdisciplinary thinking this March for the Educational Food Garden design project, which asked them to envision the mostly concrete-featured corner of land between the Library and the Culinary Arts building as a potential garden to grow an abundance of vegetables, fruit, and herbs, and provide learning opportunities for students in culinary arts, horticulture, and the community. Left: Kyle Kapsha shares his ecological perspective of an educational garden. 4 Thompson Rivers University • Spring 2012 Academic Plan Marks Access to Excellence What we teach: • At TRU, we explore science inside and outside of the lab, through theoretical, applied and vocational science programs. • TRU has a large population of Aboriginal students and also international students from over 80 countries, so it makes sense for our students to have the option of studying power, politics and social justice. • TRU strives to link a healthy campus to health policy and practices in the communities we serve, while remaining a leader in leisure and tourism programs. • At TRU, we recognize that the four pillars of campus and community health and sustainability are the environment, the economy, society and culture. How our students learn: • TRU values equally community and global awareness, flexible learning options, and academic excellence. New technologies allow TRU to create innovative learning environments and flexible learning options for students, both face-to-face and at a distance. • TRU students look close to home and around the globe for complex answers to complex questions, applying traditional Aboriginal ways of knowing to global issues and international education. • TRU trains critical thinkers who can address complex problems through multiple perspectives and disciplines. • TRU students engage in hands-on learning, meaningful research and creative work to explore global issues. • TRU supports life-long learning, offering a wide array of learning options for all ages and varying interest levels. TRU students include mature, working and retired learners, high school and younger students who attend summer camps, and children who attend TRU daycare. Alliance for Mountain Environments M ountain environments play an important role in today’s complex society and will be receiving closer examination in the coming years thanks to a recently signed agreement between TRU and Sun Peaks. Called the Alliance for Mountain Environments, the initiative aims to involve students and faculty from a range of disciplines and encourages interdisciplinary and collaborative experiences. "The research and learning opportunities involve academics from 15 departments across the entire campus, and offer opportunities for interdisciplinary teaching, research, and community outreach initiatives,” said Dr. Kathleen Scherf, TRU Professor of Communications. “This is a new chapter in TRU’s relationship with one of the top mountains resort communities in Canada.” The Alliance for Mountain Environments is also a way of recognizing 50 years of operation for Sun Peaks. New AVP of Research and Graduate Studies Appointed D r. Will Garrett-Petts brings 30 years of experience at TRU to his new role as Associate Vice-President of Research, Innovation, and Graduate Studies. He has held many roles, including Instructor, Professor, Chair of Journalism and then of English and Modern Languages, and most recently, Associate Dean of Arts. His experience includes three years as SSHRC Campus Representative, liaison during the National Research Transformation Consultations in 2004, an invited member of a Tri-Council National Advisory Committee, a member of both the Interdisciplinary Studies MA Planning Committee and the current MEd Steering Committee, and a member of the Senate Research Committee. responsible for more than $2.3 million in direct funding and an additional $2.5 million in matching funds. His research and teaching have been recognized with awards, and he has published extensively, including books. TRU thanks Dr. Don Noakes, Interim Associate Vice-President, who has been instrumental in ensuring that the Research and Graduate Studies Office continues to operate smoothly and efficiently. Dr. Noakes will remain in his position until June 30, and Dr. Garrett-Petts begins his five-year term on July 1, 2012. Principal investigator on 20 external research grants, Garrett-Petts was Open Access Academic Excellence www.tru.ca/academicplan TRU Alumni & Friends Magazine www.tru.ca/alumni 5 Student Street Learning All the Way Home By Diana Skoglund H ealth care is changing. Patients with chronic and acute diseases or injuries are doing more of their recovery at home. This change has increased the emphasis on community rather than acute care nursing, and requires a more holistic focus to make sure transitions from hospital to home maintain the level of care throughout the process. In many cases, patients are better served by being cared for at home, and moving their care out of the hospital is also proving cost effective for an overburdened health care system. But as the delivery system changes, so must the educational model for nursing. Dr. Barbara Paterson, Dean of Nursing at TRU, and Susan Rolph, the Residential Manager of Ponderosa Lodge and Overlander Extended Care Hospital in Kamloops, recently developed a plan for TRU and Interior Health (IH) to adapt student nurse education to address the changing delivery system. Their research proposal, "Innovation in Clinical Nursing Education to Foster Competencies Required by Emerging Changes in Health Care", was recently awarded $113,151 in funding by the Michael Smith Foundation for Health Research through its BC Nursing Research Initiative. The two-year research project now underway at Ponderosa Lodge established the Dedicated Learning Unit and Community of Practice, involving approximately 36 nursing students, 30–50 practitioners, and 90–120 clients and their families. At Ponderosa, TRU’s Bachelor of Nursing students complete a practicum that involves residential care, respite, and services for patients convalescing before moving to home care services. For students, it’s much more than a rotation in geriatrics. The project will focus on developing student nurses’ leadership and collaboration skills, and a seamless continuum of care that spans care settings over time. 6 BScN students Marianne Semeaton and Sophie Stanley assess patient Lorne Primrose just prior to his return home after three weeks in Ponderosa. The research team, co-lead by Paterson (research) and Rolph (practitioner) will examine how nursing students – who do their training mainly in acute care settings – can adapt and manage their approach to fit different types of care settings. The project will also study the best way for nurses to fully understand the complexities of managing chronic illness, and identify the potential gaps in transition services as health care delivery continues to move from acute care facilities to home care situations. When Sophie Stanley compares her experience at Ponderosa to other clinical rotations in maternity, surgery, and acute care, the second year TRU nursing student says she has come to know the patients better. Being assigned to individual patients or clients, not to wards, gives nursing students a more complete understanding of their patients and the wide range of issues they face as they transition from hospital to home. The student nurses are included in health care teams along with doctors, nurses, social workers and physiotherapists. “When I do a home assessment, I understand that healthcare is more than hospitals, nurses and healthcare providers. It’s family and home too,” Stanley adds. Aided by iPads and smart phones, students can check the name of a drug Thompson Rivers University • Spring 2012 or take a photo to better handle wound care or illustrate the situation in a patient’s home. “Sometimes the patients don’t know what they need, or the resources that may be available to them. We are learning the resources that will support the clients when they move home,” says nursing student Marianne Semeaton, who was part of the class at Ponderosa in the winter semester. “When I thought about going into nursing, I thought about hospitals, medications and IVs,” Semeaton said. “I am learning there is so much more to nursing than what I had imagined.” Sitting across the table in Ponderosa’s kitchen, Stanley agreed. For Michelle Funk, the TRU clinical nursing instructor at Ponderosa, it’s been a privilege to see her students think beyond the walls of traditional learning settings normally offered in schools of nursing. “They are seeking care for patients beyond the ailment they originally presented with in acute care,” she said. “These students are able to consider the health and care of this person in the real world, in their homes… their communities. Students have become masterful in providing resources well past (patients’) initial contact with the hospital.” Only One Sustainable World T he mantra of Kartikeya Sarabhai, founder and director of India’s Centre for Environment Education and an advocate for environmental sustainability and community building since the 1980s, is “Increase your Hand Print! Decrease your Footprint!” Sarabhai’s March 21 talk, “Sustainability in India: Learnings and Challenges”, captivated students and guests with his vision of sustainability and the global impact he has achieved. “For Canada to succeed in addressing challenges such as environmental degradation and sustainability, we should look everywhere for new ideas: here at home and abroad,” said Alan Shaver, TRU President and Vice-Chancellor. “As a pioneer in internationalizing our student body, we are also determined to pioneer in internationalizing our creativity and innovation, because knowledge, innovation and understanding know no national boundaries.” The TRU President’s Lecture Series has welcomed such international figures as Wade Davis and John Ralston Saul, Environmental educator Kartikeya Sarabhai, 2012 President's Lecture Series delivering presentations on topics of global importance that have motivated many TRU students to become involved in a variety of developing world projects. Now We're Talking TRU launches new communication majors By Allison Gibbard T RU’s new academic plan focuses on the concepts of “interdisciplinary” and “flexibility”, and new program initiatives in the Faculty of Arts are an early example of ways in which these concepts can become reality in the months and years ahead. The Journalism, Communication, and New Media department will offer two new Communication majors in the Bachelor of Arts program, pending final approval. A redesigned Bachelor of Journalism program in 2013 will offer students the chance to take four years of journalism instead of two. Students participating in the Communication major will have a choice of focusing on either communications and new media or communications and public relations. “The two programs do overlap in core courses but ultimately, the two streams have different lower and upper level requirements,” said Brenda Thompson, Journalism department chair. Both options will include required and optional journalism courses in the first two years, with several more courses, such as Media Law & Ethics, required in the final two years. The separate streams were designed to allow students to concentrate on different areas of communications. “Communications and public relations will have more of a focus on the business part of public relations, in others words the marketing, advertising, interpersonal communication, and intercultural communications side of things,” said Thompson, “while the communications and new media major will concentrate more on how we disseminate information through many different venues and mediums, whether it’s online, radio, television, or magazine.” Communications students are encouraged to reach out into other faculties and disciplines on campus, and apply the communication and media concepts and skills learned to other areas of interest. Broadening out the Journalism program to four years, explained assistant professor Mark Wallin, “allows for more capacity to teach more classes to bring students in.” While the program will still accept students to transfer into second or third year, it will require that they Journalism is expanding their focus to include Communications and New Media options complete core courses and satisfy prerequisites. “The programs have allowed the department to offer an integrated view of both journalism and communications,” said Wallin. This means that students will take the required core courses but also branch out and get experience in other areas of the department. “Everyone’s got their focus but there’s so much on the communications side that journalism students can benefit from, and there are so many great things in journalism that the communications students can benefit from,” said Wallin. While the programs all rely on a foundation of effective writing and speaking, it’s clear that the two communications majors and the journalism degree will offer students a wide range of skills, information and experiences. Student Street New Name Embraces Broader Offerings T his winter the School of Tourism, which encompasses Tourism Management, Culinary Arts, and Adventure Studies, changed its name to ACT: the Faculty of Adventure, Culinary Arts and Tourism. The Faculty's offerings are growing. Adventure Studies offers several new programs including an Adventure Sports Certificate and an Adventure Management Diploma, as well as majors, minors and concentrations in both the Bachelor of Tourism Management and the Bachelor of Interdisciplinary Studies. Culinary Arts offers a certificate and apprenticeship programs, as does Retail Meat Processing. Tourism continues to offer a range of programs including certificates, diplomas and the Bachelor of Tourism Management degree. Recently ACT added four new post-baccalaureate diplomas in the following areas: Adventure Studies, International Tourism Destination Development, Tourism Experience Management and Tourism Destination Development. Creative Writing Professor’s Work Wins Provincial and National Acclaim K aren Hofmann, associate professor and chair of English and Modern Languages, can empathize with her Creative Writing students’ jitters when their writing assignments are due. "The Burgess Shale", Hofmann’s story of an ex-nun and former linguistics professor on a post-retirement road trip across Canada, was shortlisted as one of the top ten English language selections for the 2012 CBC Short Story Prize. On the salt-rimmed lake at Chaplin, an unlikely pelican, relic of the vast Cambrian Sea. Loving divine pelican. Is there redemption, after a wounding of the self? She sleeps at Super 8s, dreams she is still driving, the highway flowing toward her, a black oleaginous stream. Ten English and ten French texts were selected from over 3,750 short stories received from across the country. Earlier this year, Hofmann won the 14th annual Okanagan Short Story Contest for her short story, “Billeh and the Bee Man”. She has won the Okanagan contest, sponsored by UBC’s Faculty of Creative and Critical Studies, CBC Radio One, the Canada Council for the Arts, and the Okanagan Regional Library, once before for “Canoe” in 2007. Her book of poetry, Water Strider, was published in 2008 and shortlisted for the Dorothy Livesay prize. With a novel underway, Hofmann’s recent acclaim is providing her more impetus to write and publish, even as she looks forward to the expansion of TRU’s Karen Hofmann, associate professor of Creative Writing and winner, Okanagan Short Story Contest. program. The new Minor in Creative Writing in the Bachelor of Arts will be available in the fall of 2013. Hofmann has taught second and upperlevel courses in fiction and poetry at TRU since 1990 and creative writing since 2003. 7th Annual Undergraduate Innovation & Research Conference C lose to 50 students presented their research during TRU’s 7th Annual Undergraduate Innovation & Research Conference, March 30-31. The halls of Student Street featured 46 posters, and 48 students gave 15-minute lectures. New this year, some students described their work in an informative and fun 8 manner. Kristen Tilbury won for her submission, "Comparing Production of Sexual Structures, Petal Reflectance and Overall Floral Chemical Profiles in an Androdioecious Population of Sagebrush Buttercup (Ranunculus glaberrimus ssp xxxx)". To streamline the submission and registration process Thompson Rivers University • Spring 2012 next year, organizers plan to move the contest online, along with portions of the conference proceedings. View the Entries at: www.youtube.com/TRUresearch Student Research Informs Homelessness Action Plan Community Partnership By Amy Berard T T hrough their research, TRU students are impacting Kamloops’ future in the goal to end homelessness. The Kamloops Homelessness Action Plan (HAP) has engaged students since its inception when focus groups were held across the campus and community. “We can’t do anything without research; it is a major premise of the plan. True community involvement begins when students are genuinely engaged in the process,” stated Tangie Genshorek, HAP Coordinator. Last summer, Laura Lamb, economics professor at TRU's School of Business and Economics, worked with students to develop a special topics course for HAP. Ben Gayfer, a third year student in Economics and Political Science, was one of three students who researched the successes and failures of a living wage in communities abroad. The students presented their results to a subcommittee of Kamloops’ Changing the Face of Poverty Group, and Gayfer appeared before Kamloops city council. Their research confirmed the living wage should not be used in a campaign to change policy, but instead utilized as an education and awareness tool in Kamloops. Gayfer felt his studies prepared him for the research, but was challenged by the teamwork and presentations. “This adds an extra layer to my degree and résumé. It was great to have this opportunity and it is definitely one of the better experiences of my degree,” he said. “It opened my eyes to the current situation in Kamloops”. Another HAP student research project was lead by Patty Cornborough (BSW 2012). Last fall, Cornborough discovered the Plan needed a Kamloops support service inventory. She approached professor Michael Crawford of the School of Social Work & Human Service to ask if she could use this as her practicum. She coordinated interviews between 30 homeless individuals in Kamloops and over 20 TRU social work students. The research provides an understanding of local non-profit services for the homeless. Drawing from her own experience as a homeless individual, Cornborough helped train the students for what they could encounter in the interviews. The leadership and communication skills she developed have made her confident in her future after convocation. “Research is not something I had considered before, but I love it. It’s nice to have a tangible contribution to the Plan,” Cornborough said. The students continue to work with Genshorek in further developing their research for the community. Both Gayfer and Cornborough summarized their research experience similarly, “I just dove in!” Patty Cornborough, Bachelor of Social Work student he TRU Small Cities CURA: Community-University Research Alliance announced a formal research partnership with the Thompson Nicola Cariboo United Way in February 2012. TRU is one of the first five universities across Canada to collaborate on research inititiaves with a local United Way. This partnership centres on community-engaged research by TRU faculty and students, to study the social aspects of the community. It’s a role that the Kamloops Homelessness Action Plan hopes will generate research for its work. One of the first priorities is to study youth homelessness locally. Few Canadian cities have gathered research specifically on youth homelessness, and Kamloops as a hub and university city is recognized as needing its own research. Student Street Police and Justice Studies Puts Theory in Context By Bart Cummins Y ou never know what can come out of an informal suggestion over coffee – the Police and Justice Studies program is a shining example of that. In 2004, Brian Cassell, then a member of the RCMP, and Andrew McKay, then Continuing Studies Director for TRU, sat down for a coffee and Cassell floated the idea of a police academy at TRU, believing the Interior of BC needed one and Kamloops would be a perfect location. After four hard years of prep work, which included needs assessment research, getting the go-ahead from the university, finding money to buy equipment, writing the curriculum, and hiring faculty, the first cohort of students began classes in the Fall of 2007. Throughout the two years, students balance applied courses related to policing and a required number of academic courses in business, compositional English and presentation skills, philosophy, political science, and sociology. June of this year will see the biggest graduating class to date, and where these 31 students end up working or how they choose to continue with their schooling, is part of the program’s appeal. Graduates have a competitive advantage in applying for entry-level police and other justice-related positions, or may ladder into degree programs such as TRU’s Bachelor of Arts or Business Administration. Graduate Brad Walsh (2012), chose to apply to the RCMP's six-month training program. Being accepted into “Depot” as it’s called is a dream come true that came about in part because of the program at TRU. He's found the blend of hands-on and academic training puts him in a better position to be a well-rounded officer. The sociology, psychology and even philosophy have provided the 10 David Ancheta, 2011 graduate of the Police and Justice Studies Diploma, with family members and Brian Cassell, instructor and former member of the RCMP understanding needed to better interact with people of different nationalities and walks of life — something that's becoming increasingly important in a country known as a melting pot of nations. "The academic courses give you an understanding of what to expect with people and why they act they way they do," offered Walsh. "You begin to see how all the courses are all connected and how society is connected. You come away with a better idea of why problems occur." McKay said, "Academic courses are important. "because they increase the laddering opportunities for students who choose to finish a degree, students gain a stronger foundation as informed citizens, and these courses require our students to take classes with the larger university community, rather than always being isolated as a cohort." Meanwhile, Jennifer Aviss is taking a different route to a career in policing. After graduation she will ladder into a Criminology Degree by distance through Royal Roads. "At first I wanted to be a sheriff, but now I want to go into policing," said Aviss, who also works as a loss prevention Thompson Rivers University • Spring 2012 officer — someone who apprehends shoplifters in stores. It was that job and the Police and Justice Studies program that helped change her mind. "In my job, I like seeing what it is in their lives that brings them to where they are stealing. A lot of times they just need to be pointed in the right direction, know that there is help for them." It's at the time of apprehension that Aviss is able to offer guidance. For those who aren't as self-directed or are younger than the minimum age of 19 to apply to the RCMP, the TRU program has become an avenue to test the waters and get experience at the same time. "This has exceeded my dreams and I never thought it would be as successful as it is," said Cassell, who became an instructor in the program and retired from the RCMP. "It has exploded more than I thought possible." Part of the explosion is because the instructors teaching the policing portion bring a wealth of real-life stories that help illustrate concepts and put the theory in context. The academic courses help develop the critical-thinking skills needed in today's policing world, where officers require grace under pressure and the ability to successfully interact with people. New Trades Training For Jobs in Forestry and Mining By Alison Gibbard and Anita Rathje T he logging industry in British Columbia has begun to recover from the effects of the pine beetle infestation and the housing market crash of the past year, but now faces another challenge: a shortage of skilled heavy equipment operators and logging truck drivers. A skills shortage in the Thompson-Nicola and Cariboo regions could mean its communities miss out on the benefits of the lumber industry’s recovery, and jobs in mining and construction. TRU’s School of Trades and Technology and TRU Williams Lake have developed three new programs that hope to address the skills shortages in forestry, mining and other industries, and support communities in TRU’s region. TRU is taking applications now for the new Heavy Equipment Operator – Forest Harvesting program (HEOF) and the Logging Truck Driver Training program (LTDTP), developed in partnership with the Interior Logging Association specifically for the forest-harvesting sector. Addressing skills shortages in mining, road building, and construction, TRU partnered with the BC Aboriginal Mine Training Association two years ago to develop the Heavy Equipment Operator – Civil and Mining pr ogram. Both the heavy equipment operator programs are recognized by the Industry Training Authority (ITA), the provincial body which oversees trades certification, so graduates can become certified journeypersons. The HEOF program is designed to give students experience through operating at an actual logging production site. The eight-week course, starting in Kamloops in August, and 100 Mile in January, will combine classroom and hands-on training, including time on a simulator. Developed in collaboration with contractors and licensees in both regions, Back: Dan Weks (Driver), Rick Welke (West Fraser), Larry Price (Tolko), Tom Hoffman (Tolko) Front: Trudy Temple (Tolko) and Shirley-Pat Gale (TRU North) the LTDTP includes Class 1 driver training, logging truck driver training, and mentorship. Students will experience the industry from harvesting to transport of the log to the mill or the port. The LTDTP program begins in May and will be offered at both the Kamloops and Williams Lake campuses with several intakes. The Heavy Equipment Operator – Civil and Mining program will provide students with on-site experience at mining and other work sites, and include opportunities to job-shadow a foreman as well as extra hours on the equipment. The Kamloops program, starting in June, includes the New Gold New Afton mine site outside of Kamloops, and another intake begins in Clearwater in March of 2013. On May 4th in Williams Lake, BC Premier Christy Clark announced funding for the new heavy equipment operator and logging truck driver programs of $1.6 million, provided through the Canada-British Columbia Labor Market Agreement. “Our government is proud to support Thompson Rivers University students by investing in skills training for jobs in high demand,” said Premier Clark. “Access to training programs like the The three employment-ready programs will provide students with a solifoundation in safety and equipment maintenance, and enable those who live in these regions to obtain well-paying jobs without having to move away from their communities. “This training could not occur at a better time,” said Dean of Trades Lindsay Langill. “This is an area where TRU thrives: listening and moving quickly in response to the needs of industry.” www.tru.ca/trades/constudies1/ heavy_equipment_operator ones offered at TRU is the first step in helping meet the continued demand for skilled workers in priority industries like mining and forestry.” The funding will cover seat costs for training unemployed non-EI eligible and underemployed individuals to become heavy equipment operators and logging truck drivers in the forest sector as well as heavy equipment operators in the civil and mining sector. TRU Alumni & Friends Magazine www.tru.ca/alumni 11 “We were a small university then… but we used our size to our competitive advantage, for who can study small cities better than those that work and live in a small city?” - Will Garrett-Petts, former CURA director and new AVP of Research and Graduate Studies Small Cities Community-University Research Alliance (CURA) Puts Kamloops on the Cultural Map By Sherry Bennett P rior to the 21st Century, when researchers, planners and national governments talked about culture, they usually referred to cosmopolitan centres like Vancouver or Toronto. But in 2000, when the Kamloops Art Gallery heard of the new CommunityUniversity Research Alliance (CURA) program, all that was about to change. The gallery explored grant possibilities for the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) program, and approached Will Garrett-Petts, 12 Thompson Rivers University • Spring 2012 then Director of UCC's Centre for Multiple Literacies, as a research collaborator. The two institutions partnered and secured a three-year, $600,000 Small Cities CURA grant, initiating the largest Faculty of Arts research project ever undertaken at the university. Using Kamloops as a living laboratory, an enthusiastic team of artists, academics and community partners explored why and how arts and culture flourish in cities with populations under 100,000. A key and innovative initiative involved the memory and story mapping of Kamloops. Artist-researchers gathered stories in schools, malls and other community hubs, engaging the public in expressing their sense of place and identity, and identifying the things important to the people in the community. Through the collection of personal narratives from nearly 1,000 Kamloops citizens – from pre-schoolers to pensioners – researchers identified From top left to bottom right: Cory Hope, Deb Cousineau, Emily Hope, Dani Kohorst, Will Garrett-Petts, Doug Buis, Jim Hoffman Community As Classroom: Student Research Assistants Learn With CURA H aving made the case for viable undergraduate research at TRU, CURA introduced “service learning”: faculty supervised opportunities for civic participation and community involvement. By extending the walls of the classroom into the community to target real-world problems, CURA served as a rich and creative environment for undergraduate students learning to do research. “Working as a research assistant with the Small Cities CURA has been an incredible experience,” said Fine Arts student and CURA website designer Emily Hope. “I have presented four keys to culturally-healthy small communities: a vital, culturally rich and diversified downtown core; an authentic, publicly-celebrated history; a high level of cultural participation, including volunteerism, growth coalitions and leadership; and a cultural policy that links the city’s centre and heritage to its outlying areas. The program was so successful that in 2004, SSHRC extended the CURA by two additional years, injecting an additional $400,000. In 2006 a further $1 million was awarded to TRU to lead the next phase of research, to measure quality of life in small cities. Broadening the scope to include the communities of Comox Valley, Nanaimo, Port Moody and Prince George, the CURA and its large network of partners undertook more than 20 projects. The Quality of Life Indicators project developed a reporting system and toolkit geared specifically to small cities, to be released soon. Other projects contributed to the development of new research centres at conferences across the province and internationally, and have been included in gathering primary research locally and in Los Angeles. I have been given the freedom to follow my own research interests, allowing me to blend my roles of artist/student/researcher, so that there isn’t a clear separation between my work, school, and artistic practice.” In its lifetime CURA invested just under $400,000 in undergraduate student research, including paid research assistantships, enabling students to pursue interests allied to the program and participate in many aspects of research. at TRU, such as the Centre for Walking, Health and the Civic Landscape; the Centre for Communications, Education and New Media; and the Centre for International Sustainable Development and Research. While the Small Cities CURA’s federal funding finishes in 2012, the network of researchers the program has cultivated will ensure the continuation of community/action-based research at TRU. TRU Alumni & Friends Magazine www.smallcities.ca www.tru.ca/alumni 13 CURA “Working with CURA has been a major paradigm shift in my approach to research…. I joined with professors from disciplines other than my own, with students, and with community partners, in collaborative projects – in my case studying the impact of professional theatre companies in three small cities in BC…. Ownership was shared, as were beneficial results.” – James Hoffman, Professor of Theatre, TRU Helen MacDonald-Carlson T hrough the roles of Co-Director and Community Research Liaison, the late Helen MacDonald-Carlson played a major role in the Small Cities CURA program. An early childhood education researcher at TRU, MacDonald-Carslon and her team of community and university researchers made solid contributions to several quality of life assessment projects involving children. During CURA’s first phase, when she heard that the Kamloops Museum and Archives was looking to improve its services for families, she jumped right in, offering her scholarship on the Reggio Emilia approach to early childhood education, a method of inquiry-based learning that empowers young children to act as ‘little researchers’. While she was not able to see the project through to its completion, MacDonald-Carlson played a pivotal role in the development of BC’s first children’s museum in Kamloops. Top Left: At Sandy Island Provincial Marine Park Top Right: Emily Hope and Tom Dickinson Bottom Left: Mapping at the Kamloops Chinese Cultural Association Bottom Right: Drawing a cultural map First Phase of CURA (2001–2005) 8 16 Faculty Researchers Community Partners 13 29 Student Researchers > Working in over 100 student RA positions Projects Student RA Bonnie Klohn at a conference in Coimra, Portugal Student Researchers > Assisting in multiple projects Second Phase of CURA (2006–2012) 20 37 21 Collaborators Partner Groups Co-Investigators > 27 TRU Faculty Members 520 "We always felt we were part of a team and I think that was one of the strengths of the CURA – that it wasn't the academics leading the research. The CURA was very community-development focused and they [the researchers] really valued the partnerships – the community partnerships.” – Valerie Janz, Director of Child and Family Services, Interior Community Services Projects 36 42 Publications “I think there are huge benefits on both sides for community-based research – for the researchers as well as for us people in the community who need to tap into the university’s brain trust.” – Ann McCarthy, Executive Director, Vision21 Consulting “The CURA opened doors and we continue to walk through those doors today. The CURA helped pull the cultural community together, creating a cohesive network. There have been some amazing spin-offs after the fact.” – Jann Bailey, Executive Director, Kamloops Art Gallery “In my position with the City there are often times when I require more detailed community research and information to help assist with my decision-making. CURA and the members I worked with were able to provide that…. It’s a great initiative, one that provided us with rich and diverse information so specific to our community.” – Jennifer Casorso, Recreation Supervisor, Social and Community Development, City of Kamloops Fire Ants Invade BC lawns Research Review By Michael Potestio V at once if their nests irtually unnoticed by most of us, – often in lawns ants play an important role in the and gardens – ecosystem as a food source, a pest controller and by adding nutrients to soil. are disturbed. Children and pets With some recent discoveries by Dr. Robert are at risk of being Higgins, British Columbians may want stung, as well to pay more attention to the ants as people mowing at their picnic. their lawns In the summer of 2010, North Vancouver or gardening. residents contacted the city about ants that were swarming and stinging. The following winter Agriculture Canada sent samples to Higgins, an assistant professor and specialist in ant biology at TRU Williams Lake and one of only three entomologists in Canada specializing in identifying different species of ants. He identified them as the invasive Myrmica rubra, the European fire ant, which had not been documented in BC before. “When new species or something which is unusual turns up in Canada it requires one of the three of us to do the identification work,” said Higgins. He has since identified European fire ant infestations in a community garden in Burnaby, the yards of two homes in Victoria, and two locations, seven kilometers apart, in Vancouver. Unlike most ants in BC, which rarely attack in great numbers, European fire ants are aggressive when it is warm, and will quickly swarm and sting all “I’ve had two reports now of individuals who’ve had to Dr. Higgins collects fire ants found in a Burnaby garden. go to emergency Photo by Jude Isabella, judeisabella.com because of fairly severe swellings Europe fly away to initiate new nests, associated with the stings,” said Higgins. in nests like the one Higgins found in He is concerned this species might the Lower Mainland, virgin queens are move into a high value recreational mating on their home nest and walking park such as the one located near the to new nest sites, causing a greater North Vancouver infestation, and make concentration of nests. it unusable, as has happened to parks in eastern North America where the ants “In North Vancouver for example,” said are more widely established. Higgins, “in one home owner’s yard there was a nest every square meter, and in European fire ants enjoy wet, warm some places there were four in a single habitats, but this discovery marks the square meter.” This way fire ants first time these ants have been found overwhelm other competitors in the area. above the 49th parallel and they appear to be living on the edge of their “There’s a pro and a con to that. The bad environmental tolerance. side is you get these heavy densities of nests, but on the good side you get Since being introduced to North America very localized infestations,” said Higgins. in the early 1900s, the European fire ant In the areas he has inspected, the ants has developed high densities of nests. seem to be contained to about a city block. While newly mated fire ant queens in Myrmica rubra, the European fire ant, collecting sugars on a peony 16 Thompson Rivers University • Spring 2012 The European fire ant is 4–5mm long. Photo by Robert Higgins. Under a paving stone, a nest with several large queens. Higgins is advising a newly formed agency which is conducting a risk assessment on this invasive species in B.C. Photo by Susan Horton “The primary risk of Myrmica rubra is people getting stung. Therefore, it would be in the best interest of the public to become knowledgeable about the signs of presence of Myrmica rubra and what (to) do if found. Loss of use of green space if the ant becomes widely established should also be of concern to the public,” said Hueppelsheuser. Because European fire ants are commonly found in soil around the root balls of plants, it is likely these ants are being introduced to new areas through transplanting of landscaping plants. Higgins advises home owners and landscapers to check the soil for ants before planting, and be cautious about moving a plant from an infested area elsewhere. If ants are found, he recommends submerging the plant soil in water for an hour. “At this moment, British Columbia has just formed an inter-agency invasive species council and we’re going through the process right now of doing an official pest risk assessment for this species. That risk assessment will then be used as a foundation for how the province is going to deal with this ant,” said Higgins. The nests themselves are difficult to destroy as surface pesticides are not very effective and there are multiple queens in a colony. Higgins noted that established nests could be handled with sugar and borax baits, but all residents in the affected area need to co-operate to prevent being re-invaded. An infestation is never just in one homeowner’s yard. Tracy Hueppelsheuser, an entomologist for the British Columbia Ministry www.tru.ca/faculty/rhiggins/ of Agriculture, is working as a technical myrmica_ rubra_index.htm advisor to the Inter-Agency Invasive Species Working Group on this issue. “Ants are socially structured. Invasive ant She said at this time there’s no indication species use that social organization to how this ant will impact coastal BC great advantage. Controlling infestations ecosystems but it is still a good idea for will require us to be more social than people to educate themselves on the ant. they are.” – Dr. Robert Higgins Ants on the March: New Discoveries in BC H ypoponera punctatissima, another invasive species Higgins identified from specimens from the Royal BC Museum, lives in building walls but is rarely noticed, as only the queens can become aggressive and sting when looking for new nests. The specimens were found in Duncan, BC. UBC also recently discovered samples in their collection from the 1960s, from Burnaby. Higgins identified Aphaenogaster boulderensis from a single ant, sent to him by the Spencer Museum at UBC. This native species, found nowhere else in Canada, is located in a small area in the southern Okanagan and this find showed the range of this ant is greater than previously thought. There is only one other type of Aphaenogaster in BC. He also discovered a species of dry wood termite in the Churn Creek protected area near Kamloops. At 52.28 degrees north it’s the highest latitude this species has been found at. Higgins has two publications currently in press, “The effect of manipulated shading on the colony abundance of two species of ants, Formica aserva and Leptothorax muscorum, in dead wood” and “An evaluation of sampling methods for ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in British Columbia, Canada.” TRU Alumni & Friends Magazine www.tru.ca/alumni 17 H I S HEAD: I N S I D E An expressionist take on Death of a Salesman By Anita Rathje Photo by Skylar Nakazawa “W “Willy!” Willy!” “Willy!”The entire cast repeats the first line of Death of a Salesman in a crescendo of sound. Lighting punctuates the scenes, muted sepia tones contrast with hits of intense colour, and the action is framed by a visual, tactile representation of the inside of Willy Loman’s head. Here is Arthur Miller’s classic as you’ve never seen it before. figures haunting the protagonist’s journey.” Hoffman’s chorus visually adds to or counterpoints elements suggested in Miller’s timeless lines. Hoffman’s collaboration with set designer Mark Anderson took the allegorical aspect of expressionism one step further with set design. The set’s rear wall is the shape of a man’s head in profile, filled with props and symbolic items like a postcard, picket fence, and license plate. Jim Hoffman, director and professor in the Theatre program at TRU, “Jim didn’t want a standard staging wanted to imbue the TRU Actors so we came up with this idea,” Workshop Theatre production said Anderson, who joined the faculty with the Expressionism in vogue in February of 2011, bringing over in the 1930s 25 years of set when playwright “We put all the props design experience. Arthur Miller This is his third set used in the show, began his career for TRU. “The head in theatre. all the detritus of is exposed and each In addition to Willy’s disturbed mind, of the shelves has expressionist into it for all to see” bits and pieces techniques like of Willy’s life.” dramatic lighting, –Professor Jim Hoffman, Director It was a challenge inspired use of for the crew to build set design and the head large staging, and rapid changes between enough to fit all the props and still scenes of present and past, Hoffman allow room for the actors to move used his supporting cast around and through it. as a chorus. Onstage throughout the “We put all the props used in the show, play, the chorus brings to life the blurring of reality and memory all the detritus of Willy’s disturbed in Willy Loman’s deteriorating mind. mind, into it for all to see,” You won’t find a chorus in Miller’s script. said Hoffman. The actors pick up clothes, flowers, or a football from “More and more I saw the play the shelves as needed in each scene, as a kind of medieval allegory, and return them there, so the props, with an everyman figure, the salesman like the actors, never leave the Willy Loman, on a desperate journey stage. The head grounds a central of spiritual salvation,” said Hoffman. platform that replicates an American “Similar to the popular expressionist Foursquare house plan from the plays of the early decades of the early 1900’s, with multiple levels twentieth century, characters were on either side. There is no furniture: not so much individuals as types thirteen suitcases take the place of people of a particular society, of other elements of the set. often appearing as choruses of memory continued “The suitcases were one of Jim’s first choices,” said lead actor Andrew Alfred. Because the chorus represented aspects of the travelling salesman and his past, there was a case for each actor. “And they were used to build everything,” Alfred added. Made identical, they are interchangeable building blocks with which to create the scenes, often in the midst of the action: Willy uses them to build a car, and in other scenes they form tables, chairs, even tombstones. Anderson had to make all the suitcases from scratch so they would stand up to the rigors of the play. a Bachelor of Education after he takes a year off to explore acting after graduation. TRU may see him again as an alumnus, in another TRU Actors Workshop production. Hoffman has directed a lot of student actors in over 20 years of teaching at TRU and appreciates their flexibility and enthusiasm. “This cast had to endure all characters staying on stage for the full show, the reassigning of many lines to an ever-present chorus, and the use of thirteen suitcases for everything!” Alfred said working with Hoffman on Death of a Salesman really challenged him. “Jim makes strong decisions. He has a clear idea of what he wants, and expects a lot. His knowledge of the play and his passion flowed through to us.” Alfred found a powerful metaphor in the opening scene, when the chorus piles the cases in front of the door. “The cases were stacked, Linda couldn’t move them, (they were) full because he didn’t sell anything, like shackles,” he said. A fourth year Geography major who is minoring in Theatre, Alfred said in his two and a half years at TRU he’s seen almost every show, and hasn’t seen a set before with so much meaning to it. “When Willy has a headache, the chorus bangs on (the head). They’re the voices in his head that drive him mad. It was a surreal experience, hearing the voices, letting the chorus move you.” When Death of a Salesman was announced as one of the year’s plays, Alfred didn’t hesitate to audition for the lead. “Willy Loman is a defining role as an actor,” he said, pointing out that the role is 78 pages out of the 100-page script. It took him about four weeks to memorize his lines and get the characterization. “It was a foreign experience. I’m 24; Willy Loman is in his mid-sixties and his mind is deteriorating.” Outside of rehearsal Andrew studied mannerisms and movements, and wore a knee brace for three weeks to master a limp. “Most acting relies on recall, but I haven’t experienced this myself, so I spent a lot of time observing others.” The recognition Alfred has received for his portrayal of Willy Loman has made him reconsider a career in acting. He says he has always been driven, but his success as an Aboriginal student has made him a role model at home and within the Moricetown band, which supported him to come to TRU, so he feels a sense of responsibility. He plans to combine his passions for theatre and geography as a teacher, going back to school for Left to right, back row: Andrew Robertson, Dan Ondang, Matt Hardy, Dion Owen, Torrey Owen, Jared Raschke Middle row: Katie McKee, Brittany McCarthy, Brooke Ballam, Mercedes Basford, Lindsey Wray, Meagan Petrie Front row: Jim Hoffman, Andrew Alfred Photos by Skylar Nakazawa. Jim Hoffman says farewell after 21 years S ince coming here in 1991 I have directed around 15 major play productions and feel extremely privileged to have been able to work with such wonderful groups of students—coming from all over the province—in a variety of plays culminating in this year’s unique staging of Death of a Salesman. The students have always been highly positive, totally committed, and, best for me, wonderfully open to fresh ideas of acting and staging. I am truly grateful for the sheer energy and inspiration of all these students over the years—as we watched our little theatre program grow from two play productions a year, and a faculty of two, to the present four productions and five theatre faculty. All I can say is thank you so much to all of you, students and colleagues alike, and break a leg! – Jim Let's Remember D ina Salvatore was a tech and voice student in her third year in Theatre when she passed away on March 15. A professional makeup artist, Dina aged the lead characters in Death of a Salesman, and created the glittery makeup for the Fairies in last year’s production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream. With unending enthusiasm she also taught students to apply their own makeup and took on the roles of set painter and head electrician. Her pride in her young daughter, Scarlett, and desire for a better life for them both inspired her return to TRU as a mature student. International Practicum Harnesses Collaborative Energy By Diana Skoglund Photos by Roger Smith and Kenn Ross W hen TRU Electrical Foundation students travelled to one of the least developed areas in Mexico to install solar panels, it wasn’t just the villagers who saw the light and were inspired. Six simple homes in Olivos de Sol, a small village on the west coast of Oaxaca province, each received one solar panel, a charge controller, a storage battery and a few lights through the efforts of nine TRU students, their two instructors and the coordination of Esperanza International. The small village is a five-minute walk from the country’s power grid, but at a cost of at least $20,000 US, the few hundred metres to connect it to the hydro line might as well have been several kilometres. For the first time, the families of Olivos de Sol now have light in the evenings and the ability to charge cellular phones and similar devices without hearing the drone of a generator. “The students could see right away how their newly acquired skills (their trade) could make a difference in other people’s Innovating Learning Opportunities The School of Trades and Technology’s practicum to Mexico is one of TRU’s most recent international academic development initiatives. This pilot project is designed to offer students increased opportunities to enrich their educational experience by incorporating international, intercultural and/or global dimensions to their program of study. One of a growing number of innovative learning opportunities being developed at TRU, this project is in support of its recently approved Academic Plan. Other international academic development initiatives currently under consideration include a volunteer for credit course, double and joint program offerings at the undergraduate and graduate level, blended course delivery models, and increased international mobility opportunities for students and faculty. 22 lives,” said Dana McIntrye, one of two electrical trades instructors who organized and took part in the first international field school opportunity for TRU trades students. “Put simply, with the students’ help, children in Olivos de Sol are able to read in the evening and the craft economy may be able to expand.” For electrical instructor Steven Benoit, the trip amplified the level of student engagement and raised the bar for student-teacher relationships. “Like the students, we were immersed in the community and culture and had the profound growth experience that is an inevitable part of these trips,” said Benoit. “Getting to know these students and the people we worked with in Olivos de Sol has given me greater empathy towards students and people in general.” The practicum field trip was Travis Johnston’s first trip to Mexico. The 30-year-old, second year electrical apprentice is pleased that his first impression of the destination holiday hotspot was authentic, not a resort community swarming with tourists sporting sunburns and tropical cocktails. An interest in smart home technology lured Johnston to learn the electrical trade. What is really smart, he concedes, is that families living in the modest homes he worked on in Mexico will never be billed for their utilities. He and his classmates worked alongside the homeowners, who when employed, may have earned $12 per day. The experience changed him, he said. He hopes to go back again in August to help build houses. “People all around the world know something about Western culture from television. We, on the other hand, don’t usually know much about how the rest of the world lives. This exposure, combined with the adventure of a new place, is what makes the international practicum such a rich learning environment,” McIntyre said reflectively. The experience opened the students and instructors up to seeing themselves and the world in a new way. As they installed the solar panels, they trained community Thompson Rivers University • Spring 2012 members to maintain the equipment to ensure sustainability. Adding this teaching component instilled a sense of pride and value for the homeowners in their recent skill acquisition. Although the applications of solar technologies are easily transferable to remote BC communities, Tawny Fortier is confident the experience will transfer well on many other levels. A single mom, Fortier had spent some time during the last three summers job-shadowing BC Hydro’s electricians. As she neared the end of her Foundation Electrical Trades Program, she jumped at the chance to travel to Mexico for the project. “I knew going into trades that I needed good communication skills, (to) be willing to relocate for work and adapt to new environments, and learn to improvise. We experienced all that in Mexico.” Fortier said they all also experienced a profound sense of belonging as each Clean Energy for Developing Communities Steve Benoit was in Mexico as the Electrical Instrumentation instructor. For many years he has developed and taught the Water Treatment Technician programs delivered to operators of the small waste water and drinking water facilities in small,rural, often First Nation communities throughout the province. It’s a background that has inspired his plans to move solar power into larger systems to operate small medical clinics, water treatment plants and public buildings such as schools and community centres. A clean energy, with no carbon footprint, solar power is ideal for developing communities like Olivos de Sol to grow their economies without the financial burden of connecting to the existing hydro power infrastructure. Benoit and McIntyre intend to make this an ongoing relationship so these larger projects can be part of future field schools. family welcomed them with open hearts. She was struck by how friendly and happy the people were, despite having so little. “This was a nice gift because they don’t have to use candles anymore and they are one step closer to having things just a little easier for them.” TRU Trades worked with Esperanza International, partners with Fundación Esperanza de México, A.C., a non-profit organization registered in Mexico. Not religiously or politically affiliated, the group was founded in 1990. Similar to Habitat for Humanity, they harness volunteer sweat equity to stimulate sustainable development of Mexican families by building homes with the homeowners. Travel costs were kept to $1,500 for each student, including airfare, land transportation, meals, and accommodation. Tools and safety gear were packed alongside sandals and t-shirts. The solar components for the project were bought at a hardware store in the nearest town, Rio Grande. Expectations for the trip were for the students to learn as much or more from the locals as the families learned from the delegation from TRU. On non-work days the group participated in guided aboriginal cultural trips provided by the host, Experanza. One moonlit night they released newly hatched endangered sea turtles into the ocean. It’s a memory Fortier will cherish forever. As for outcomes, Dana McIntyre summed it up this way, “This trip accomplished so much. Not only have we trained electricians, we will be graduating students with world citizenship attitudes.” For more photos from this trip visit the website below. www.esperanzaint.org/ log/2012/03/15/ solar-panels-in-oaxaca TRU Alumni & Friends Magazine www.tru.ca/alumni 23 2012 TRU Distinguished Alumni Amanda Jones BSc Student – Neil Russell Student Leadership Award support, and collecting resources to enable students to prepare for med school. She hopes to combine work in the medical or pharmacy field with international volunteering, and to continue motivating youth through sports. Leadership for Amanda Jones means her time and developing others to follow her lead. To ensure girls had an opportunity to play hockey, she volunteered as a peewee/bantam coach, and encouraged other students to do the same. A Chemistry major, Amanda mentored first year science students, volunteered with the Chemistry/Biochemistry Club, and recruited other student leaders to sustain the supplemental Learning program. “Volunteering is like tossing a stone in water, you impact one person and the ripples that form from that one stone spread out and affect others around them." Amanda recently co-founded the TRU Pre-Med Society, running events, providing peer James McCreath BJour 2002 – Community Service Award An athlete and a journalist, James McCreath used his leadership and communications skills to raise funds and create programs for KidSport Calgary, an organization ensuring all kids are able to afford organized sports. He visits youth groups every month for Volunteer Calgary, and sits on the fund development committee for Education Matters, Calgary’s public education trust. James has remained active in sports, coaching soccer from community to collegiate levels for several years, and last year completed Ironman Canada. His race raised more than $14,000 to help elementary-aged new Canadians learn English. He has an MBA from Royal Roads University, and is an investment advisor at BMO Nesbitt Burns in Calgary. “I try to identify ideas and organizations that I’m passionate about – particularly education and sports – and then find a novel and purposeful way to support the cause. I’ve got a simple mantra: If you give, you begin to live.” KPMG Milestone Achievement Award Making a difference in the communities it serves is one of KPMG’s long-standing values. Their community leadership in Kamloops has included giving time and support to TRU students year after year. KPMG staff regularly sit on committees, volunteer at fundraising and networking events, guest-lecture in business and co-op classes, provide coaching for “At KPMG, our objective is to translate the passions of our people into leadership in our communities and our profession.” competitions and presentations, and mentor students. The organization also supported student learning through a sizable donation to the construction of the Brown Family House of Learning. Many of the people at KPMG are proud TRU grads supporting the next generation of TRU students. Paul Houle BSc 2001 – Professional Achievement Award Soon after graduating with a BSc in organic chemistry, Paul Houle led a national survey of pharmaceutical contaminants in municipal water supplies. An analytical chemist, he has testified as an expert witness in the measurement of ultra-trace contaminants. As a drilling fluids chemist, he patented an environmentally-friendly drilling fluid additive and has published two papers. He then went on to establish two state-of-the-art ultra-trace laboratories. Research he conducted with TRIUM Environmental Inc. on levels of contaminants in Albertan soils was presented at the International Dioxins Symposium in 2010. Paul shared his experiences in a 2010 TRU Science Seminar. He currently oversees operations that provide chemical analyses for energy exploration in Alberta. “Almost everything I’ve learned in Chemistry at TRU has in some way helped me succeed in the analytical industry. The knowledgeable, accessible faculty provided me with all the tools I’ve needed.” Raj Chahal BSW 2002 – Grace Chronister BSW Award Raj Chahal started work for the Ministry of Children and Family Development after completing her Bachelor of Social Work at TRU. In 2005 she obtained her master’s, and joined Royal Inland Hospital, where she has three roles: Parkview Child and Adolescent Team Leader, Social Work Head of Psychiatry, and designated social worker for the Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Unit. Raj works with children and youth living with mental illness, supporting individuals, families, teachers, physicians, and other community professionals, and providing advocacy through education. Raj has taught courses in both the Social Work and Police and Justice programs at TRU, and she welcomes BSW practicum students in her role at RIH. She also volunteers as a counsellor for the Kamloops Indo-Canadian community, and tutors Indo-Canadian youth. “I try to help decrease barriers for children and families so that their strengths are more visible.” Alma Matters TRU Distinguished Alumni Awards recognizes the remarkable people who have achieved outstanding success in their careers or communities. Nomination forms available at: www.tru.ca/alumni/daa Call for nominations in the following areas: • Public or community service • Professional, academic or athletic achievement • Student Leadership • Community Milestone achievement Thank you to our DAA Sponsors to the Alumni & Friends Golf Tournament Sponsors Presenting Sponsor: LMG Finance Presenting Sponsor: Participating Sponsors: Sponsors: Studio09 Creative Services Wayside Printers Kamloops Florists Ltd. Faculty of Science 26 Thank you Thompson Rivers University • Spring 2012 • BDO • BMO Financial Group • BMO Nesbitt Burns • Frilan Appraisals LLP • Golfland • iCompass • Integra Mortgage • Kamloops Computer Centre • KPMG • MacFin Developments Inc. • Morelli Chertkow • Oronge Boardshop • Pineridge Golf Course • Radio NL • Rivershore RAM • Scotiabank • Skilltech • Smith Chevrolet Cadillac Ltd. • Sun Rivers • TRU Career Education • TRU Residence & Conference Centre • Venture Kamloops • Verico We invite you to take a Campus Tour Individual/Family Tours available on request. Set on 400 acres in the heart of Kamloops and overlooking the North and South Thompson Rivers, the TRU campus is something you need to experience – it’s more than most people expect! STAY ON CAMPUS May – August You can stay on campus in our Residence & Conference Centre, located across the street from the Welcome Centre. For more information contact the Office of Student Recruitment and Liaison 250.828.5006 or email: tours@tru.ca www.tru.ca/welcome You have to see it — to believe it! “I am writing this in appreciation to my host family for providing me with an unforgettable life-time experience and heart-felt hospitality during my study in Kamloops.” — Joung Soo You, Korean short term contract student Are you interested in hosting an international student? Visit our online application site for more details: www.truhost.ca/index or contact Craig Engleson, Manager, Activities, Events and Housing TRU World at 250.852.6312 or email cengleson@tru.ca www.truworld.ca Alma Matters Class Notes Where are YOU now? Send us your update in 160 characters or less. Your classmates are asking for you! It's simple. Go to www.tru.ca/ alumni/updates and fill out our form. What's New? Have a new job? Married? Children? Moved? Photos are welcome and must be high resolution (300dpi). It would be great to hear from you. '81 Bill Gallis ’81 Bill Gallis, Kamloops, BC, attended Cariboo's university transfer program, and transferred to the University of Calgary, where he completed his BA in Psychology and then studied Human Resources management. After graduating Bill continued his studies while working full time. He turned pro in golf for five years, then returned to Kamloops to establish his own consultancy firm (HR and Occupational Health & Safety), serving clients throughout BC. Bill and wife Marilyn have two sons. ’98 Jillian Tamblyn, Penticton, BC, followed her Bachelor of Natural Resource Science degree by volunteering and working in Costa Rica and Grenada. After a short stint in Edmonton, she has worked in the Okanagan for the past 10 years. Jillian is an environmental planning consultant with her own business, Water's Edge Consulting. '98 Jillian Tamblyn ’00 Anita Dumont, Williams Lake, BC, graduated with a BA in Sociology and went on to complete her master’s in Distance Education from Athabasca University in 2008. A writer and mother of two, Anita has a new youth e-book out, Trapped By Terror, just released by Write Words Inc. and available online, and hopes to have her adult novel, Fully Consumed, out in print soon. She also works through distance as an office administrator. ’02 Christina G. Myers, Burnaby, BC, is a Bachelor of Journalism grad who has been a reporter with the Burnaby Now and the New Westminster Record since 2003, two maternity leaves. She is excited to be a finalist in this year's Ma Murray BC Yukon Community Newspaper Awards in the business writing category, and a finalist in the Canadian Community Newspaper Awards for history writing and community service. Find Christina on Facebook and Twitter. ’98 Marni (Gillis) Turek, Port Moody, BC, worked with the BC Conservation Foundation and the City of Kamloops ’04 Shirley Selski, Kamloops, BC, through TRU’s Co-op program before was Valedictorian in ’02 and completed completing her BSc in Environmental her BSW in 2004. She joined an Aboriginal Chemistry. She then joined the City’s delegated agency shortly after graduating, Engineering Division, coordinating and continues to practice child welfare environment and sustainability-related there. Her work is full of challenges research and education programs. but very rewarding. Shirley highly In 2004 she started work for the Fraser recommends the child welfare practicum; Basin Council, and got married the its diverse situations challenged her following year. Marni has been the to be very creative. Having recently Corporate Relations and Sustainability obtained her Family Mediation manager at her father’s West African certification, Shirley embraces those skills mining exploration company for six years, in all aspects of her work, and hopes has two daughters, and recently began to offer private mediation to the to paint, donating part of her proceeds Kamloops area. to charity. Find Marni’s work on the web. 28 Thompson Rivers University • Spring 2012 '98 Marni Turek '00 Anita Dumont ’04 Carmen (Maalerud) Barisan, Whistler, BC, joined the Ministry of Children and Family Development as a child protection social worker after graduating with her BSW. She has stayed with MCFD but recently moved from Kamloops to Whistler to work out of the Pemberton office, and is loving life in Whistler. ’04, Fraser Laveay, Phoenix, Arizona, followed his Bachelor of Journalism with a Master’s at Texas Tech, majoring in sport marketing, media, and management, and published his thesis. The Kamloops native has lived in Australia, England, and the Dominican Republic, taught skiing and snowboarding in Colorado, and interned for the Nashville Predators. For the past six months he was a regional manager at Feld Entertainment, the world’s largest live family entertainment producer, and a recent promotion has now brought him to Phoenix. Fraser is also the '05 Kenny Joe '05 Kristen Rodrigue '02 Christina G. Myers '04 Fraser Laveay brainchild behind Northern Nightmare, the first Canadian-themed monster truck. ’05 Kenny Joe, Mount Lake Terrace, WA, graduated with a BA in Geography and has been working in the cultural resource management sector with various First Nations in BC and the Yukon. He did a two-year stint in lands management in Merritt, BC and two years with Golder Associates Kamloops, working as an archaeologist on various large projects throughout BC. Kenny lives in Washington State, mending Canada/USA relations after the 2010 Gold medal hockey game. ’05 Kristen (Jordan) Rodrigue, Kamloops, BC, was a Marketing major and BBA Valedictorian. The TRU Co-op program gave Kristen her start in the advertising agency world and she hasn’t stopped since. She is now co-owner of Pulse Group Media & Communications Ltd, a full-service advertising agency with '09 Samantha Lloyd '05 Siobhan McGovern offices in Kamloops and Kelowna. Kristen specializes in media planning and buying and loves the challenges every day brings. Her wonderful husband of 3.5 years, Jovan, has just finished his first year of TRU's CSOM program. They enjoy spending time with family, including their two nephews. ’05 Siobhan McGovern, Phuket, Thailand, got her Bachelor of Music in Jazz Studies by distance in a joint program with Humber College in Toronto. Four years ago she arrived in Phuket to perform on a six-month contract, loved the climate and lifestyle, and stayed. A music teacher at the British International School, Siobhan now has over 50 private students in voice and violin, and leads a glee club, string ensemble and a young rockband. She also gigs regularly – highlights include Hard Rock Cafe Phuket and the Phuket International Blues Festival. '10 Allan Singh TRU Alumni & Friends Magazine '11 Kyri Coulombe www.tru.ca/alumni 29 Find us Alma Matters on campus: continued to become an Urban Planner either ’09 Samantha Lloyd, Victoria, BC, in the public or private sector. graduated with a BSc Co-op, majoring in Physics and minoring ’11 Kyri Coulombe, Kamloops, BC, in Math. She completed an MSc in finished classes in December 2010 Medical Physics at UVic in August 2011 and went to work as the Human and is working on her PhD, all in conjunction with the BC Cancer Agency. Resources Administrator for The Bay Kamloops. In July 2011, she officially Samantha was extremely excited graduated with her BBA Co-op degree to deliver a TRU Science Seminar (Human Resources) and secured this April. Since moving to Vancouver a position at TRU as a Student Recruiter Island she has become a community in the Welcome Centre, which was mentor with Big Brothers Big Sisters, one of her past Co-op positions. been elected President of the Rotaract Kyri loves representing the university Club of Victoria for the 2012/2013 as an alumna and is getting married Rotary Year, and completed the West at TRU in September. Coast Trail. ’10 Allan Singh, Kamloops, BC, completed his BA in Sociology and Political Science and started his Masters of Environmental Design (Planning) at the University of Calgary. When he graduates in 2013 he hopes ’10 Amanda Makortoff, Kamloops, BC, graduated from the Legal Administrative Assistant program and has joined Paul & Company as a full-time Legal Administrative Assistant. The TRU Alumni and Friends office is G321 on the top floor of the TRU gymnasium complex. Call 250.828.5498 or stop by and say hello! online: • Upcoming events • Guest speakers • New Alumni & Friends Card • Affinity partners discounts • Updates and story ideas • Volunteer as a Career Mentor • Nominate a Distinguished Alumni Email us at alumni@tru.ca www.tru.ca/alumni Thompson Rivers University Career Education Department Alumni Employers Personalized support to reach your career goals… Flexible recruitment solutions for your organization… • Career decision making and assistance with career planning and work search, including career change, career choice and career advancement. • Labour market information and career trends. Assistance developing résumé and cover letter documents • Interview and networking preparation • Access to job postings • Career mentoring opportunities • Provide access to over 10, 000 students in over 60 programs • Offer free job postings on our website and job boards • Help you recruit co-op students in multiple program areas such as Arts, Advanced Technology, Business, Science and Tourism • Assist you in the collection of résumés and job applications • Assistance coordinating interviews, employer information session and job fairs For more information contact our office today! 30 Phone: 250.371.JOBS • Email: careereducation@tru.ca • Visit: www.tru.ca/careereducation Thompson Rivers University • Spring 2012 Did You Know? You are a member of the TRU Alumni & Friends Association if you are a: Let's Remember Irving K. “Ike” Barber will be remembered as one of BC’s most prominent entrepreneurs and benefactors of post-secondary education. Ike’s belief in education and his vision to help students everywhere access learning will remain an inspiration. The Irving K. Barber BC Centre at TRU stands as a testament to his dedication to the academic success of Aboriginal students, community outreach, and engagement in lifelong learning. Les Batchelor was a respected builder of the mechanical trades programs at TRU, beginning his mechanic instructor career in 1971, with 21 years of automotive experience. He retired in 1993 as Chair of Mechanical and Welding Trades. Les was an avid hobbyist who loved cars, golf, photography, fishing and camping. Cameron Beddome believed • Past Student of TRU who has completed 18 credits • Mentor in our TRU Career Mentoring Program Colin Day was a great friend to TRU since the early days of Cariboo College. He will be remembered for his support of Athletics, his leadership of the Sports Task Force, and his enduring commitment to student athletes and the work of the Foundation. As a prominent member of the Kamloops community, he embraced the grassroots Friends of UCC initiative that ultimately led to the creation of TRU. • Graduate of TRU The Alumni and Friends Association is a not-for-profit society; membership is free. The programs, benefits and student support we offer are made possible by: Shayla Driver was a graduate of the Human Service Diploma in 2011, working towards her BSW at TRU. She was actively involved in projects addressing the homeless and other marginalized groups, with services to Aboriginal students, and with the Gathering Place. An eager, highly engaged student, she was working hard towards the goal of being a social worker, and was always prepared to contribute more to others. strongly in the Open Learning model and worked tirelessly to help stabilize and increase enrollments after the move from the Open Learning Agency to TRU. He was passionate about student service and was instrumental in leading TRU-OL's change of information systems. Very supportive of his team, he strove to ensure their efforts were recognized. Cameron was very active in the United Way campaigns on campus. Lorence Klassen was the tool crib attendant for the School of Trades and Technology from 1980 until his retirement in 2001. During his retirement Lorence enjoyed traveling with the Shuswap RV Club, gardening, woodworking and socializing with friends and family, golfing and curling. He remained active in his community, volunteering at Blazer games and driving the Cancer van to Kelowna. Dr. Roelof Kars Brouwer will Bryan Richards will be remembered be remembered for his contributions to the development of TRU’s Computing Science department. He received scholarly merit awards in 1998 and 2004, and was named Professor Emeritus in 2007. His substantial contributions to curriculum development led to the establishment of two degree programs, and he was instrumental in the adoption of Blackboard. He taught and published extensively in the theoretical side of artificial intelligence and held NSERC grants for many years. • Donor to the Foundation and our student scholarship program for his gifted teaching and many contributions to the university community. He was a passionate instructor of computing in the University Preparation department, and was instrumental in developing upper level UPrep courses. He entertained with music and humour, and brought the community together as creator and captain of the university’s Marmot slow pitch team. He was always there for his friends and colleagues, ready to lend a hand and give support. (Convocation Photography) • Stay informed through our Bridges magazine, AGM, website and e-newsletters. • Get involved through our mentoring programs, golf tourneys and socials. • Stay connected. To update your contact information, tell your story and get details on great services, visit our website. www.tru.ca/alumni Joe Turkenburg took great pleasure in teaching the craft of baking to Cariboo students from 1974 until he retired in 1991. He thoroughly enjoyed his retirement, working in his garden or workshop, swimming, sailing and travelling with Ria, his wife of 60 years, and remained lifelong friends with his colleagues. TRU community passings since November 2011 TRU Alumni & Friends Magazine www.tru.ca/alumni 31 Alumni Events MAY 25 Convocation Time: 5pm Save the date! JUN 27 Place: Williams Lake Campus Annual Alumni & Friends Association Celebration & AGM Time: 5:30pm–7pm Place: Brown Family House of Learning JUN & 15 14 JUN Convocation Time: 10am and 2pm Place: Kamloops Campus OCT 17 Networking 411 Time: 4:45pm–6:15pm Place: Grand Hall, CAC www.tru.ca/alumni “never knew there were so many options for Arts students” –Abhishek Dutta Networking 411: Arts Students By Megha Sequeira A s an Art student, sometimes nervousness takes over and I feel like I don’t have much in terms of job prospects. That’s where networking comes in to bridge the gap. On-campus networking events help students gain perspective and broaden their horizons, while also aiming to open doors in the field of study they’ve chosen. This semester, TRU held a “Networking 411 for Arts Students” event that brought in professionals from across the board – from journalists to directors, English majors to Geographers – altogether amassing about 55 professionals ready to advise and encourage Arts majors in their fields of study. The event was orchestrated in a “speed-date” fashion in which students were asked to rotate tables every nine minutes and engage in conversation regarding a particular field of study. Organizers encouraged students to visit all tables, regardless of whether they thought they were interested in them or not, spurring them on to perhaps discover new interests. Arlene Olynyk, Alumni Officer at TRU, said the event was designed as “a way for students to network in groups, and to help them overcome anxieties about meeting industry professionals”. Many alumni look for ways to stay involved with the university and Networking 411 is an easy way to do that. About 200 students attended the event, including those from other fields. Business student Abhishek Dutta said he “never knew there were so many options for Arts students,” adding that it was quite “eye-opening”. The event was put together by the TRU Alumni and Friends Association and the Career Mentoring department, which also hosts TALCC – Timely Advice Linking Campus and Community, panel discussions that bring in an industry professional from a designated field to engage and mentor students from that specific field. Although this 411 event focused on Arts students, the next networking event will be pan-campus and will be hosted during Career Week in early October. So if you are looking for intellectually stimulating conversation with people that are eager and willing to help you further your career, make sure to come down to the next Networking 411 event. “It’s not what you know, it’s who you know,” as they say, and there are plenty of people at these events you should know! Did I mention there is a cookie table? www.tru.ca/ careermentoring TRU Alumni & Friends Magazine www.tru.ca/alumni 33 Micro to Macro How looking at the tiniest organisms helped Kevin Sherman see the world By Anita Rathje W hen Kevin Sherman first met Dr. Naowarat Ann Cheeptham, he hadn’t spent much time considering his future. He knew he was interested in microbiology, but didn’t see himself doing research. Inspired by Dr. Cheeptham, he has a plan and a vision for the next three years of his life, from the microscopic detail of his research subject to the big, rather daunting picture of a new country, a new culture, and graduate study conducted in a new language. Sherman obtained a Comprehensive University Endowment Fund (CUEF) travel grant to join Cheeptham at the 111th American Society for Microbiology General Meeting in New Orleans in May of 2011, where he delivered a poster presentation on their GBS research. At Cheeptham’s urging he also attended a national conference at Memorial University in Newfoundland with associate professor Dr. Jonathan Van Hamme in June. Cheeptham and Wagner then mentored Sherman with the writing process that led to an article to be published in the Canadian Journal of Infectious Diseases and Medical Microbiology: “Penicillin Susceptibility Kevin Sherman in front of the University of Hokkaido's Graduate School of Agriculture some volunteering and some with an Undergraduate Research Experience Award or other funding. “Then they get hooked to do more research,” she said. Cheeptham was thrilled to see Sherman’s motivation and ambition flourish when the GBS research caught his interest. It’s no coincidence that the University of Hokkaido is Cheeptham’s alma mater – the eight years she spent there completing both her MSc and PhD in microbiology were also on a MEXT scholarship, and she was quick to encourage Sherman to apply for it when he expressed interest in doing graduate studies. Sherman won a prestigious scholarship from the Japanese Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT), to do his master’s in applied “I wanted to study abroad if I could,” microbiology at the University said Sherman, whose previous of Hokkaido’s Special international experience was “Undergraduate students working with me in the lab Postgraduate Program a semester studying language are expected to attend local, national, and international in Bio-Systems Sustainability in Germany. Cheeptham’s conferences for experience…If the study works, in Sapporo, Japan. On April 1st background and knowledge students have publishing opportunities. the BSc grad moved into of three languages – her native It’s an attraction for high-achieving students.” a university residence there – Thai, then Japanese and - Dr. Naowarat Ann Cheeptham with rent also covered by his English – was the inspiration that made MEXT his goal. scholarship – and took the next step in a journey that began when and Macrolide-Lincosamide-Streptogramin The MEXT scholarship will support Cheeptham, assistant professor of Sherman, the only science student out B Resistance in Group B Streptococcus microbiology at TRU, accepted Sherman of the nine Canadian recipients Isolates from a Canadian Hospital”. to do a directed studies research project through six months of Japanese Sherman was given lead authorship. with her. language classes and two or more years “Undergraduate students working with of graduate study. Once Sherman passes “Ann encouraged me and got me excited me in the lab are expected to attend local, the requisite language exams, he will about doing research,” said Sherman. national, and international conferences begin working under a PhD student Their project with Royal Inland Hospital for experience,” said Cheeptham, and retired medical microbiologist who has taught at TRU for almost ten years. in the lab headed up by Dr. Kozo Asano. Asano researches the affect that lactic Dr. Ken Wagner researched antibiotic “If the study works, students have acid bacteria, found in fermented foods resistance levels in Group B Streptococcus publishing opportunities. It’s an attraction and readily exploitable by humans, (GBS) bacteria from pregnant women. for high-achieving students.” She cites have on the immune system and An adjunct professor at TRU, Dr. Wagner’s the one-on-one time with instructors overall health, and possible applications ties with RIH as former head of its and wealth of hands-on experiences in industry. medical biology department enabled as reasons why TRU Science students Cheeptham and Sherman to do the “I’ll be isolating lactic acid bacteria, are so well prepared to do research research, with funding by the Interior testing their interactions with the immune at a higher level. Undergraduates are often Health Authority and assistance from Sue system,” said Sherman. The bacteria chosen to work with faculty on their Whitehead and her staff at the RIH lab. research as Sherman did with Cheeptham, have been shown to have a more 34 Thompson Rivers University • Spring 2012 Alma Matters Growing a Niche Company Mr. and Mrs. Sherman, Consul General of Japan Mr. Hideki Ito, Kevin Sherman, and Dr. Cheeptham at the Consul General's reception in Vancouver honouring the 2012 research scholarship recipients. substantial effect on the immune system than the general benefits consumers are familiar with from probiotics found in dairy products. “I’m excited by the potential applications of Dr. Asano's research for farming, instead of reliance on antibiotics,” he said. Sherman sees the possibility of coming back to Canada to work on applied research in agriculture, but he is looking forward to the international collaboration the MEXT will cultivate. He is focused on the challenge of the next three years for now, but if he does well, he has the option to extend his MEXT scholarship to stay at Hokkaido University for doctoral work after he obtains his MSc. His first hurdle, however, is the language. Sherman spoke hardly a word of Japanese when he arrived in Sapporo, but he began full-time language classes immediately, and welcomes cultural immersion opportunities like homestay and classes in photography. “One of my professors goes on fishing trips all over Hokkaido,” added Sherman, happy to have something in common with his Japanese faculty that will allow him to see more of Japan’s wild northernmost prefecture – without the necessity for fluency. “I couldn’t have imagined being so comfortable in such a foreign place, and I owe that to the Japanese people. Their welcoming nature and willingness to help me fit in is absolutely heartwarming. I’m already building lifelong relationships, and look forward to increasing the strong relationship between Canada and Japan.” www.ca.emb-japan.go.jp/canada_e/ MEXT/index.html By Diana Skoglund A n eye-catching feature of the Brown Family House of Learning is the living wall. Located in the centre of the building, the four storey indoor garden is both beautiful and functional, acting as a biofilter and an essential aesthetic feature of the building. As a natural air filter designed by Nedlaw Living Walls (Ontario) it removes Volatile Organic Compounds and CO2 from the air as it passes through the wall into the building's office and common spaces. Working under Nedlaw direction for the critical first year took a skill set beyond those of an HVAC technician to maintain the 600-plus plants acting as leafy air scrubbers before the air is re-circulated. Although the wall technically requires no more maintenance than any other indoor landscaping feature, the work is nearly all done from the seat of a bosun’s chair suspended from an engineered rail that is integral to the wall’s design. Every two weeks or so the staff of Artizan Landscaping start on the fourth floor and work their way across and down, dusting, pruning and replanting as needed the 1000 vertical square feet of wall. The couple behind Artizan Landscaping are perfectly suited for the undertaking. Susan McDonald graduated from TRU’s practical horticulture program in 2008. Her newly minted diploma complemented the horticulture Artizan's Trevor McDonald hangs four floors up over the living wall. certificate earned several years ago at Capilano University by her spouse and partner, Trevor McDonald. Many landscapers will have their horticulture expertise. What sets Artizan apart is that Trevor is also a journeyman roofer, giving the pair a unique ability to maintain the living wall from an elevated work platform. The plants are all chosen to spread no pollen, and the constantly running water and fresh air stop mould from getting a foothold. A true gardener though, Susan would have liked to try seasonal plants in the wall like poinsettias. Although Artizan lost out to a bigger more experienced firm when the wall’s regular maintenance contract came up for tender, Susan and Trevor are not discouraged. The couple is confident that with the adoption of technologies like living walls and green roofs on more new buildings there will be many opportunities to grow their proudly organic company. Plants on the Living Wall For the last year it’s been a process of trial and error finding the right plants for the wall, with plants being swapped out if they fail to thrive. A balance has been achieved with certain plants but not others. So far the wall prefers rubber plants and ficus; orchid was tried in the wall and failed. • Spider plant (Chlorophytum) • Croton (Codiaeum) • Ficus (variegated) • Rubber Plant (Ficus Elastica) • Philodendron (several species) • Umbrella Plant (Schefflera) • Spathiphyllum spp. (mixed aroids) 1st Annual By Rolena deBruyn I t’s been about 20 years since Kamloops “One of the ideas behind the marathon has held a marathon, but this year is is to also raise money for the TRU Cross the beginning of a great event. The 1st Country Running team,” added Miller, Annual Kamloops Marathon will be held who is also head coach of TRU’s team and July 28th and 29th and will include 5km, an integral part of the Kamloops running 10km, Half, and Full Marathon categories. community. Providing extra funding for This event aims to show the provincial the running team will allow them to travel running community what Kamloops and to more of the races held, including the our University have to offer. National Championships, which were hosted by TRU last November and will “For being the Tournament Capital of be held in Montreal, Quebec this year. Canada I think it’s about time we brought back a marathon to Kamloops,” said Jack Miller, assistant professor in Education at TRU. Miller is a member of the organizing committee and ran in the last Kamloops Marathon in 1992. 36 “We also hope this event will help connect the TRU teams to the community,” said Phil Hiom, race director and a driving force behind the event. “This will also make the community realize there is Thompson Rivers University • Spring 2012 a cross country team at the university.” This event will get the team out in the community, volunteering and representing the university. The four courses for the event will show off the best points of Kamloops: the rivers, the mountains, and the sunshine. “Kamloops is known for our dry climate and sunny skies, and can be hot in the summer, so we are modelling the event after similar marathons in Hawaii and Arizona, where early morning starts and lots of water and aid stations keep everybody cooled off,” said Hiom. The 5km and 10km events will be held on Saturday, July 28th and a barbeque Track the 'Pack Athletics recruits new faces for 2012–13 Women’s Basketball (CIS) • Megan Sherwood (forward, Coquitlam, BC, Riverside Secondary) • Denise Spacek (guard, Coquitlam, BC, Riverside Secondary) • Becky Fernandez (6’2” forward, Vancouver, BC, Britannia Secondary) Men’s Basketball (CIS) • Kenny Monture (6’9” post, Terrace, BC, Caledonia Secondary/ Langley, BC, Walnut Grove Secondary) Women’s Volleyball (CIS) • Katie Wood (5’10” setter, Coquitlam, BC, Riverside Secondary/ Coquitlam Ducks) • Hillary Schell (5’10” outside hitter, Kelowna, BC, Kelowna Secondary/ Kelowna K’Roos) • Rachel Murray (5’10” outside hitter, Edmonton, AB, Jasper Place High School) Women’s Soccer (PAC WEST) • Kindra Maricle (5’8” center midfielder, Kamloops, BC, Valleyview Secondary) • Kelsey Martin (5’7” forward, Kamloops, BC, South Kamloops Secondary) • Olivia Rasmussen (5’0”, defender, Kamloops, BC, St. Ann’s Academy) Meet some of the recruits: will be held Saturday afternoon for all volunteers and runners to enjoy. The half and full marathon events will be held on Sunday morning and awards will be presented in the afternoon. The event hopes to attract 500 participants across the categories this year, and expects to be a major running event in the future. Katie Wood, Women's Volleyball (CIS) Hillary Schell, Women's Volleyball (CIS) Rachel Murray, Women's Volleyball (CIS) Kindra Maricle, Women's Soccer (PAC WEST) Kelsey Martin, Women's Soccer (PAC WEST) Olivia Rasmussen, Women's Soccer (PAC WEST) Registration fees for the categories are as follows: 5km or 10km is $35, half marathon is $45, and full marathon is $65. Volunteers are needed for the event — see the website for more information. www.kamloopsmarathon.com TRU Alumni & Friends Magazine www.tru.ca/alumni 37 Giving the Gift of Life Donating life insurance creates a lasting legacy By Sean S. Simpson, Consultant, Financial Services A Your taxable benefit can be either annually, where each dollar you spend on premiums is considered an annual charitable contribution, or as a lump sum from the proceeds of the policy which is credited to your estate. Consult an accountant or financial advisor to determine which method is more beneficial to you. gift in kind of life insurance presents donors with an opportunity to make a significant future gift to benefit a charity, while enjoying current and/or future tax savings. It is an economical way for you to make a larger and more lasting contribution at a fraction of the ultimate value from your disposable income. Giving life insurance is also an ideal way for you to support a particular area of interest and/or program at Thompson Rivers University, at a level that may not be possible by any other means. Although current donations to TRU are essential for both student services and university expansion, future gifts can provide immense residual benefits for the university and should be considered as a portion of your philanthropic efforts. You will benefit by being able to leave a more substantial legacy without an increasing financial obligation, perhaps in the form of a perpetual bursary from an endowment in your family’s name, as opposed to one that ends when you cease annual donations. The three methods of donation are: Donation of an existing policy: The TRU Foundation becomes the owner and beneficiary, and you pay any continuing annual premiums associated with the policy. Cash value in the policy, plus premiums are considered a charitable donation. Sean S. Simpson, BSc Graduate 2005 New Policy Old Policy Old Policy No Cash Surrender Value No Cash Surrender Value With Cash Surrender Value Policy Donated at Death Charity Charity Charity Donor Death Benefit $100,000 $100,000 $100,000 $100,000 Annual Premium $2,400 N/A N/A $2,400 Net Cash Value $0 $0 $4,500 $0 Monthly Premium N/A $90 $90 N/A Tax Receipt Issued at Time of Transfer $0 $0 $4,500 N/A $2,400 $1,080 $1,080 $0 $100,000 $100,000 $100,000 $100,000 $0 $0 $0 $100,000 Gift to Charity at Death Tax Receipt at Death 38 Thompson Rivers University • Spring 2012 Ed was born and raised in Kamloops (his grandparents homesteaded here). Although Dianne is a graduate of UBC, we make our living in Kamloops and believe strongly in supporting our community. Both our sons attended TRU and that education provided a good foundation for further education for both of them. The benefit to TRU will be $100,000 for scholarships and bursaries for student athletes when we die; the immediate benefit to us is that the annual premiums to the life insurance policy are considered a charitable donation for taxation purposes. Owner of Policy Tax Receipt Issued Annually A number of years ago we made the choice to invest in a Life Insurance Policy with Thompson Rivers University as the owner and beneficiary because we believe in the value of education, we believe in the value of sport and we believe in Kamloops. As Ed moved along in his real estate career, and our financial future became more secure, the disability insurance premiums that Ed was paying seemed redundant. If he became disabled and was unable to work, we would be OK. It made sense to us to take the money we were paying in premiums for a disability insurance policy, and instead, make those same payments toward premiums for a life insurance policy that would provide a lasting legacy to TRU. Donation of a new policy: The TRU Foundation becomes the owner and beneficiary of the new policy, and the premiums you pay are considered an annual charitable contribution. Donation of proceeds: Usually the proceeds are willed or the TRU Foundation is registered as the beneficiary of the policy, and the charitable contribution is the proceeds from the policy. Your estate realizes the tax benefit of the contribution. Ed and Dianne Barker We believe that TRU is a real asset in our community and making TRU the beneficiary of a life insurance policy is an easy way to assist students well into the future. Testimonial courtesy of the TRU Foundation and not related to Sean Simpson, Financial Consultant. This information is not intended as nor does it constitute tax or legal advice. Readers should consult their own lawyer, accountant or other professional advisor when planning to implement any donation strategy. + LAPTOP = OPEN LEARNING This summer, learn while you work or while you lounge lakeside by enrolling in an online and distance course or program. Realize your educational goals through the flexible approach to education offered by Thompson Rivers University, Open Learning. Ladder your existing TRU credential toward a new degree or take a course for professional development and get started on your path to the career of your dreams. The Open Learning Division of TRU is one of Canada’s largest online and distance education providers, offering over 550 courses and 55 programs including degrees and post-baccalaureates. Admission to a course or program is available throughout the year and the online and distance mode of delivery means you can study at a pace and place that fits into your schedule. For a complete list of courses and programs please visit our website. MC#115992 1.888.434.6736 | www.truopen.ca President and Vice-Chancellor’s Message R ecently something very special happened to Professor Nick Mount at the University of Toronto: he won a 3M National Teaching Fellowship, one of Canada's most prestigious teaching awards. Guess what, he is one of ours; he attended Cariboo College. The Association of Universities and Colleges which sponsors the award asked him to write a letter to the Professor who changed his life so they could publish it in the Globe and Mail (see the side bar). Guess what, she is one of ours: Joan Weir. She was an English instructor at Cariboo College more than twenty years ago. (See www.tru.ca/convocation/ awards/honorarydegrees) Now retired, her impact as an educator continues each time Nick Mount stands in front of 450 U of T students to deliver a lecture for his Literature for Our Time course. of our students. Guess what, it still happens all the time; check out our latest Distinguished Alumni Awardees on page 24 and learn about the amazing things they are accomplishing in their lives. What rich traditions of service to our students TRU has: Cariboo College and University College of the Cariboo; the Open Learning Agency and BC Open University; and then the joining of these traditions to form TRU, Canada's first modern university of the new millennium. The tradition continues to shine brighter than ever in the accomplishments of our students. They are changing the world and, as our ambassadors, they remind us just as Nick Mount remembered Joan Weir that it’s the students, faculty and staff that make a university and build a legacy. That's how it works, pay it forward; it’s a generational thing. For our faculty to be referenced as the inspiration for one of Canada’s top teachers speaks to our tradition of being student focused, our dedication to excellence and to the role we have in launching the careers 40 Thompson Rivers University • Spring 2012 Alan Shaver President and Vice-Chancellor president@tru.ca it’s the Details that make your Dream A Home. Dedication, passion and attention to every detail. As an award-winning custom home builder for discerning homeowners, we have a tradition of helping build dreams. We promise that you will enjoy every step of building your dream, and are committed to make sure your home is as rewarding as the one you envisioned. For a personal consultation, please call (250) 374-0224 or visit us at www.mibroc.com Join us at this Years’ Golf Tournaments! 19th TRU Alumni & Friends Association Golf Tournament Friday, May 11 20th Annual Mike Bartram Memorial Sports Task Force Golf Tournament Friday, June 8 For more information or to register go to www.tru.ca/athletics IndoCanLinks 15th Annual Invitational Golf Tournament Saturday, July 14 For more information go to www.indocanlinks.ca 7th Annual Foundation Classic Golf Tournament Friday, August 24 For more information or to register go to www.tru.ca/foundation 2nd Annual RTO/TRU Drive the Trades Scholarship Golf Tournament Friday, September 7 For more information or to register go to www.tru.ca/trades Thank you to our Sponsors Publication Agreement #40040090 Return Undeliverable address to: Thompson Rivers University 900 McGill Road, Kamloops, BC V2C 0C8