Faculty & Staff - ULethbridge Stories

Asheley Cowie, National Recruitment Manager, is signing off

After a 17-plus-year career at ULethbridge, Asheley Cowie is off to a new career adventure with the City of Lethbridge.

Meet Vicki Grisack, Governance Officer and Assistant to the Vice-Provost of Accessibility, Community and Belonging

Vicki Grisack is saying goodbye to her duties as Governance Officer and hello to retirement after 17 years. She's changed desks six times and worked under three presidents during her tenure.

Celebrating 30 years for the Ecumenical Campus Ministry and Rev. Canon Erin Phillips

Rev. Canon Erin Phillips has been with the Ecumenical Campus Ministry from the beginning. Serving students at Lethbridge Polytechnic and ULethbridge, she and her volunteers have been providing food, support and smiles to students for 30 years.

Arlene Curran, Faculty of Fine Arts, Head Scene Shop/Props Carpenter

As the Head Scenic Carpenter, Arlene Curran gets to exercise her creativity with every stage production. A journeyman carpenter, Curran has been with ULethbridge since 2002.

Kirsten Meiszinger (BFA - Studio Art '16), Programs Coordinator, Art Gallery

Kirsten Meiszinger found her niche in the art world after having a summer job in an art gallery and museum. She helps people of all ages engage in art and creative pursuits.

Mike Burland, Academic Advisor, Dhillon School of Business

Growing up in Lethbridge, Mike Burland had ties to ULethbridge even as a kid when he took classical guitar lessons on campus. He came back to campus to work as an International Recruitment Officer in 2015, a position that eventually led to his current job as an Academic Advisor.

Meet Jackie Fletcher (BA/BEd '03, MEd '20), Manager, Accessible Learning Centre

Alumna Jackie Fletcher brings a wealth of educational experience to her new position as Manager of the Accessible Learning Centre.

Meet Scott Harling (BMgt '03), General Counsel

Alum Scott Harling, ULethbridge's General Counsel, hails from Winnipeg. After attending Mount Royal College and ULethbridge, he returned to Manitoba to complete a law degree.

Meet Susan Jefferson, Director, Campus Development

Susan Jefferson is the Director of Campus Development. Born and raised in Lethbridge, Susan's roots run deep in the city. Her love of design and a desire to live in a big city centre motivated Susan to move to Toronto. But her love of Lethbridge called her home.

Meet Mark Sera (BMgt '01), Director, Horns Recreation

Mark Sera (BMgt '01) was born and raised in southern Alberta, and he has called ULethbridge his workplace home for 20 years. He worked in Financial Services until he took the position as Director of Horns Recreation last July.

Meet Deborah Lucas, Vice-President Finance and Administration

As Vice-President of Finance & Administration, Deborah Lucas joined ULethbridge last fall after holding a similar position at Huron University, an affiliate of Western University.

Meet Dr. Lauren Kennedy-Barrows, Manager, English Language Institute, International

Dr. Lauren Kennedy-Barrows joined ULethbridge in 2020 as Manager of the English Language Institute. As a high school student, she spent a year attending a high school in Japan, an experience that ignited her interest in languages and cross-cultural learning.

Meet David Scott, Library, Professional Librarian

David Scott came to ULethbridge to complete a co-op internship at the Library. A short time after he completed the internship, he was offered a full-time position in January of 2016.

Dr. Jessica Jacobson-Konefall awarded grant to study ancestral culture in contemporary art

Department of Art assistant professor, Dr. Jessica Jacobson-Konefall, is one of several University of Lethbridge researchers receiving funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC).

A small tribute to Jon Oxley, Gallery Manager, on his upcoming retirement

Jon Oxley, Art Gallery Manager, is retiring on Dec. 31. In this story, his colleagues and friends share their thoughts on his departure.

Shawna Koots (BMgt '18), Payroll Specialist, Human Resources

Shawna Koots joined the staff at ULethbridge in 2020 when everyone was working remotely due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It took a year before she met her coworkers face-to-face.

Marty MacLeod (BA '15), Admissions Specialist, SEARS

For Marty MacLeod, the best part of his job as Admissions Specialist is telling someone they've been accepted into the program of their dreams.

Farewell to a fixture — Jim Booth set to retire

After more than 30 years at the helm of Ancillary Services, Jim Booth says he's had a great career, but it's time for him to change gears.

Andrea Kremenik (BFA - Art '14), Registrar, ULethbridge Art Gallery

University of Lethbridge alumna Andrea Kremenik (BFA - Art '14) is the new Registrar of the University of Art Gallery, making her the first graduate from ULethbridge's Art History/Museum Studies program to hold this role in the institution.

Lethbridge Musical Theatre Footloose production highlights ULethbridge talent

The Lethbridge Musical Theatre's production of Footloose is in full swing and the cast and crew of the popular musical features some familiar faces in the University of Lethbridge campus community.

Jeff Oliver, Manager, Network and Telecom, IT Services

Jeff Oliver is retiring after a 30-year career in Information Technology with ULethbridge. As a network administrator, he's seen many technological changes in that time. And he says one thing is sure — the changes will keep coming.

Dr. Devon Smither to investigate the legacy and impact of Artist-Run Centres in Canada

ULethbridge Faculty of Fine Arts Associate Dean Dr. Devon Smither has been awarded a significant grant from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) for Parallel: The History and Archives of Artist-Run Centres in Canada.

Dr. David Kootnikoff, Instructor of English, Faculty of Arts & Science

Dr. David Kootnikoff is a dedicated scholar who earned three master's before completing a doctoral degree. He has taught and worked as a journalist in Japan and Hong Kong.

Gene Lublinkhof, Director, Major Capital Projects, Facilities

Working in the Capital Projects office (now Campus Development), Gene Lublinkhof has had a hand in planning many of the recent building projects on campus, including Science Commons. In addition, he was in charge of many renovation and maintenance projects in all areas of campus.

Emily Villanueva, Professional Librarian II, Library

Emily Villanueva serves as the Science and Scholarly Communication Librarian at ULethbridge, helping the University community find and use quality information.