Western students among adult ed winners
Fifteen learners from a variety of educational institutions and agencies, including three from The University of Western Ontario, received “Adult Learner Awards” from the London Council for Adult Education on May 12. These awards recognize the benefits of adult learning in the lives of these individuals. Western’s winners included:
Karen Ann Bridge
Ten years ago, Karen Ann Bridge was a single mom working full-time as a dental hygienist and teaching fitness classes on the side. When she decided to enrol in two university correspondence courses, she had never before used a home computer. Since, she has completed her honors science degree, will be completing her master of science at Western this spring and has been accepted to the Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry dental clinician-scientist program starting Fall 2011. All this was accomplished while Bridge worked part-time in the dental training clinic at Western, and cared for an adult child whose illness required routine hospitalization. Bridge also earned a reputation as a mentor among her younger peers at university.
Steve Duncan
As a child, Steve Duncan was told he could never do more than become a factory worker, like his father. Losing his dad when he was 16, his mom when he was 19, Duncan attempted college in his early 20s but lacked the support and drive to complete his studies. After more than 15 years working in the service industry, he decided to try some university-level courses. Enrolling at King’s University College as an undergrad, he discovered philosophy and theology were subjects in which he thrived. Now writing his thesis, Duncan will graduate with a master’s of divinity in May, and he is determined to be on the Dean’s Honor’s List upon graduation.
Cindy Jensen
As the corporate training manager for Trojan Technologies Inc., Cindy Jensen’s commitment to learning is demonstrated in her daily work. After graduating from Fanshawe College in 1990, Jensen completed approximately eight additional programs focusing on adult education, leadership and coaching. Most recently, she studied in the Adler Professional Coaching Program through Continuing Studies. It was there she set goals to apply the concepts of coaching to her work as a trainer and to design leadership modules which incorporated coaching tools. Jensen’s contribution to the learning in the classroom has been extraordinary. She has volunteered to assist in other coaching classes in hopes more students could learn from her experiences. Likewise, she has learned from the experiences and contributions of all of her classmates.
Benedetti wins NNA for short feature
Paul Benedetti, a University of Western Ontario Faculty of Information and Media Studies lecturer, picked up his first-ever National Newspaper Award, May 13 in Ottawa. Benedetti, a former Hamilton Spectator reporter who now writes a weekly column for the newspaper, won for best short feature.
His winning piece describes how his daughter learned to play Debussy’s Clair de Lune as a Christmas present in memory of a grandmother she never knew. For top honours, he beat out Ingrid Peritz of The Globe and Mail and Oakland Ross of the Toronto Star.
Conference focuses on music education
One thing that sets humanity apart is the ability to organize sounds. Around the world and through time, the need to express ourselves through music has been a constant and common factor.
Ruth Wright, Music Education chair at The University of Western Ontario, is organizing the Leading Music Education International Conference (LME) from May 29-June 1 at Western to explore that need as well as learn about how musicians and educators can enable that expression.
Wright has been awarded a Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) Aid to Research Workshops and Conferences grant to bring together an international gathering of more than 100 presenters from South Africa, Senegal, Brazil, France, Finland, Greece, Ireland, Norway, United Kingdom as well as the United States and Canada.
Featuring workshops, research papers and poster presentations, the conference will host three keynote speakers: Christopher Small, author of Music, Society, Education; Music of the Common Tongue: Survival and Celebration in African and American Music and Musicking the Meanings of Performing and Listening; Hildegard Froehlich, professor emerita at the College of Music, University of North Texas; and Randall Everett Allsup, assistant professor Teachers College, Columbia University and recent Fulbright Visiting Professor, Sibelius Academy, Finland.
Also as part of the conference, Wright has invited Theodora Stathopoulos, Canadian Music Educators’ Association vice-president, to co-convene a Canadian El Sistema Symposium.
Education faces new challenges in the 21st century, yet it continues to play a vital role in the future life-chances of at-risk children and young people. Can El Sistema, the internationally acclaimed music program that helped lift children from the slums of Caracas, Venezuela, be a new model of success for music education with youth-at-risk in Canada?
This symposium, scheduled for May 29, looks to answer that question and includes an opening lecture by Jonathon Govias, Abreu Fellow of the New England Conservatory.
In addition, the symposium will feature one of the first screenings of El Sistema, Teaching The Life Of Music, a new 48-minute documentary by Toronto-based filmmaker Noemi Weiss and narrated by Glee star Cory Monteith. The film will be followed by a round-table discussion.
For information, visit the conference site, lme.uwo.ca/
Western to fight MS
Western’s participation in the annual RONA MS Bike Tour has grown with the merging of two teams. MS Road Warriors have merged with Team Western for the 160 kilometre Grand Bend to London biking fundraiser scheduled for July 23-24. To register as a rider with Team Western or to make a donation, visit the MS Bike Tour website at mssociety.ca/ontario/biketour.htm. If you want to communicate with either of the team co-captains, email either Michael at mmics@uwo.ca or Gord at grobinso@housing.uwo.ca.
PMA taps new leadership
The Professional and Managerial Association (PMA) named its leadership team for 2011-12 at its recent annual general meeting.
The new officers include Jacqueline Hassall, president; Leslie Gloor Duncan, first vice-president; Chris Thompson, second vice-president; and Sean Wheatley, treasurer. Committee chairs include Chris Thompson and Christine Wilton, communications; Deanne Babcock, personnel policy; Glenn Silver and Debbie Acton, negotiating; and Melanie Molnar, equity.
In addition, long-serving PMA members Bob Gough and Peggy Wakabayashi were awarded the Nancy Kendall Award recognizing exceptional service and commitment to the PMA membership.
Law Librarian Institute set for on-campus conference
The University of Western Ontario will play host to the inaugural New Law Librarians’ Institute June 5-10.
The institute, sponsored by the Canadian Association of Law Libraries / L’Association canadienne des bibliothèques de droit (CALL), aims at developing librarians’ skills in the key competencies of law librarianship. Welcoming participants from across North America, the event will feature expert instruction from leading law librarians and law professors offering a mix of lectures and practical sessions.
During the institute, participants will also have the opportunity to explore some of the best Western and London have to offer including a walking tour of the campus.
For information, visit the CALL website at callacbd.ca/.
Exhibit focuses on Egyptian revolution
As Egypt welcomes a ‘new dawn,’ the Egyptian Canadian Association of Ontario (ECAO) has organized “Walk Like an Egyptian: An Exhibit on the Egyptian Revolution,” scheduled for 1-5 p.m. Saturday, May 28 at the Central London Public Library, 251 Dundas St. The exhibit will not only explore the civilization and history of Egypt, but also showcase, using a chronological multimedia tour, footage from Egyptian revolutionaries as they protested for social justice, freedom and democracy.
“After the 25th of January Egyptian revolution, Egyptians all over the world have felt a great sense of pride. For many Egyptians, this was the first time to smell the breath of freedom,” says University of Western Ontario civil engineering professor Ashraf El Damatty, who along with 40 other area Egyptians organized this exhibit. “The Egyptian community in London wanted to showcase and document the revolution and decided to organize an exhibit that will not only be displayed in London, but also will be toured around Canada.”
Western Notebook
https://tinyurl.com/3qxt5dq. … Dawn Mackay recently received the Students Aged Gracefully through Experience (SAGE) Student of the Year Award at the Student Success Centre’s Excellence in Leadership Awards ceremony for her contributions to the SAGE Society for Mature Students. …
The University of Western Ontario’s Department of Mathematics was ranked recently among the Top 100 institutions in the world by the QS World University Rankings. Universities are ranked based on academic and employer reputation as well as research citations per paper. View the results atBecca Carroll, assistant director of leadership, learning and programs with the Division of Housing and Ancillary Services at Western, has been named dean of students at Wilfrid Laurier University, Brantford campus, effective July 1. … King’s University College graduate Laurie Schultz has developed an educational study guide to accompany the recently released book Behind Our Doors: A Memoir. The book shares the story of family who saved the lives of nearly 250 Jewish children and young adults in Nazi-occupied Holland. Schultz’s educational guide has been produced for secondary schools. … Second-year Western law student Devesh Gupta won a bursary from the Ontario Expropriation Association for his paper, A Summary of Injurious Affection: where no land of the claimant is expropriated.