Where are you from?
I was born in Peace River, Alberta and raised in High Prairie, Alberta. I decided to come to the University of Lethbridge as an undergraduate student, never having been to the University and only to Lethbridge once as a child. I used it as an adventure — going somewhere new and not knowing anyone here. I had goals of doing a degree in social psychology or in geography but after taking my first neuroscience class, I was hooked. I completed a BSc and MSc at uLethbridge and worked as a research associate in the Department of Neuroscience before applying for a job in the Office of Research and Innovation Services (ORIS). I live with my husband and son on our family grain farm with two dogs and a bunch of farm cats. Every day, I am glad I made the leap to come to southern Alberta. It is hard to imagine what life would be like if I had not made that jump.

How long have you been at the U of L and what do you do here?
In one way or another, I have been at uLethbridge since 1994. I often make the joke that I have been here longer than half of the buildings! I have been in ORIS for 15 years, first as a split position between being a grants facilitator (health/medical sciences) and assisting in the Technology Transfer Office with commercialization activities. Gradually, there was a greater need for a grants facilitator in health and so the position was transitioned solely to that role. As a grants facilitator, I assist in all aspects of grant development for faculty members applying to health-related funding agencies. It can start with an idea and then finding funding for that idea, followed by the submission of a grant, and then putting the pieces in place to administer the grant if the application is successful.

What’s the best part of your job?
The best part of my job would have to be the people I work with, both in the office and the faculty members at the U of L. ORIS has worked hard to assemble a fantastic team. It is amazing what has been accomplished over the past year working remotely and I don’t imagine it would have been possible without the entire team. The faculty members I work with are extremely dedicated individuals and it is a pleasure seeing them succeed. Securing external funding can be extremely difficult and I love celebrating their successes as part of my own.

What’s one thing most people don’t know about you?
I enjoy challenging myself to try new things, especially if they involve being outside. I love to ski, hike, bike, fish, and camp — anything related to being outside. Growing up in northern Alberta, we spent a lot of time outside and this has carried forward into what our family likes to do in our spare time. Now, we spend a lot of weekends skiing in the winter and spend most of our summers camping and hiking. A couple of years ago, I started mountain biking which has been so challenging and rewarding. My latest challenge is I joined a running streak which has been a real difficult some days. I have run at least a mile every day since December 1, 2020 and I have set the goal of continuing the streak for a year.