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Your Mount Royal News
May 12, 2022

Champion of global health equality awarded

Fatima Hassan received this year’s Calgary Peace Prize for her exemplary contributions towards justice in South Africa and as a defender and promoter of human rights, especially for those with HIV and AIDS.

Excellence in teaching at MRU

This year's Distinguished Faculty Award recipients include four individuals whose outstanding work in teaching, research and service has made a major impact in both internal and external communities.

External support for the midwifery program

A dedicated group of women who make up the Canadian Federation of University Women (Calgary) have banded together to extend the creation of their bursary in support of Mount Royal's midwifery students.

Announcements

Home for the Office of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion

F101 (formerly the Office of Student Success adjacent to the Cougars Campus Store) will be the home of Mount Royal’s Office of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion and the new campus residence of Dr. Moussa Magassa, PhD, MRU’s associate vice-president, equity, diversity and inclusion. Moussa begins at MRU on May 24.

MRU Camps staff discount

Bring your kids to work and drop them off at MRU Camps, which delivers diverse, fun and educational camps in creative arts, sports, outdoor and STEM programs. Receive 10 per cent off using the discount code MRUSTAFF and register today. Your payroll payment deduction form is available on MyMRU under the Employee tab/Work Tools.

Donations for MRU Camps wanted

With summer fast approaching, MRU Camps is requesting the donation of recyclables for summer crafts and projects. Please see this list of recyclable items currently being sought.

Big Bob’s BBQ on May 24

The Transitional Vocational Program (TVP) invites you to attend Big Bob’s BBQ on May 24. This fun, inclusive event is in support of TVP’s programming for adults with developmental disabilities. There will be burgers, live music and valuable door prizes, including a $500 Superstore gift card. Tickets are $20 and will be available soon. Learn more.

Human Research Ethics Board (HREB) Application Submissions Deadline

Friday, May 13, is the deadline for submitting HREB applications for research involving human participants that require approval prior to June 15. Please contact the Ethics Compliance Officer at hreb@mtroyal.ca if you have any questions. More info.

Empty fridges on June 10 for the annual electrical maintenance shut down

This year's annual electrical maintenance shutdown is scheduled for Saturday, June 11, at 8:30 p.m. to Sunday, June 12, at 7:30 a.m. Only operational staff will be granted access during these times. PC power will be impacted, so remote VPN will not be available. All directly impacted end users and system stakeholders have been engaged directly by Building Operations for mitigation as required. As office fridges will be without power, please have them emptied on June 10.

Tuition reimbursement deadline

Thursday, June 30, is the deadline for MRSA members to apply for up to $500 of tuition reimbursement for a credit course at an accredited post-secondary institution. Download the application and email your completed form to mrsa@mrustaff.ca beginning June 1. The application can also be found on MyMRU under Employee/Human Resources/HR Toolkit > Other Resources > Professional Development. Please contact prodev@mtroyal.ca with any questions.

New Massage Therapy clinic for specialized treatment

Mount Royal University’s new Outreach III clinic provides no-cost therapeutic massage to eligible clients with a range of conditions, such as spinal cord injuries, Alzheimer's and chronic pain. Students in their final semester of training operate under the direct supervision of our experienced instructors, who are also veteran licensed massage therapists, in the on-campus clinic. Learn more.

Did you know?

Dell’s parents and grads gift event ends today! Members can save on the perfect gift for a new graduate or upgrade mom and dad's tech. Request your Member Purchase Program coupon at www.dell.ca/mpp/myroyal then shop online using the link in your email.

In Memoriam

Remembering Gordon Williams

Gordon Williams was dean of Mount Royal College’s Faculty of Science and Technology from 1990 to 1995. During that period, the faculty had an annual operating budget of $5 million and supported students in ten university transfer and vocational programs, including aviation. Throughout his career, Williams was a major figure within the Alberta geological community, serving as president of three professional associations: Association of Professional Engineers, Geologists and Geophysicists of Alberta (APEGGA); Canadian Council of Professional Geoscientists (CCPG); and, Canadian Society of Petroleum Geologists (CSPG). He was also Professor of Geology (and Department Chair) at the University of Alberta from 1961 to 1985. Read the obituary.

Bleed Blue

Faculty member leads health journey content and data strategy

Professor and chair of Health and Physical Education, Christy Tomkins-Lane, PhD, has joined Optimity, Inc. as a scientific advisor. Tomkins-Lane is a founding member of the Stanford Wearable Health Lab and a pioneer for digital health and wearable data in risk scoring and underwriting. Read more.

More steps to come

Professors Gaye Warthe, PhD, and Cathy Carter-Snell, PhD, were awarded a Family Violence and Abuse Grant for $100,000 from the Alberta Government for their project, "Stepping Up: Dating, Domestic and Sexual Violence Prevention." Learn more about the initiative.

An invitation to review

Humanities professor Ranjan Datta, PhD, has been invited to become a member of the Canadian Institute of Health Research (CIHR) College of Reviewers. The CIHR College of Reviewers is a member-focused resource designed to professionalize peer review, enhance the quality of peer review at CIHR, and provide a more stable base of experienced members for peer review of all funding competitions.

Events

D2L Brightspace Instructor Essentials
May 13, 19, 25 and 30 at various times — Online
Learn essential coverage of the Brightspace Learning Environment for new clients. May 13 registration. May 19 registration. May 25 registration. May 30 registration.

Negotiating Respectful Interpersonal Boundaries
Tues., May 17 from 10 to 11 a.m. — Online
This online session with Homewood Health will outline how to consciously set time, task and role boundaries in order to create successful relationships. Register.

Copyright Support Drop-In
Tues., May 17, 24 and 31 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. — Service Desk Consultation Point A
Meet with Copyright Advisor Taylor Stevens to discuss copyright questions related to assignments, projects and more. No appointment needed. Learn more.

Using KeePass
Tues., May 17 from 2 to 3 p.m. — Online
Learn the basic steps of using KeePass so you can stop reusing passwords and safely store them. Register.

Unconscious Bias Training
Wed., May 18 from 10 a.m. to noon — Online
Identify your own biases and gain a deeper understanding of how your own social identity can impact your decision-making. Register.

Changemaker Conversations: Culture and Connection
Thurs., May 19 from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. — Online
Discover Woezo Africa's journey to encourage cross-cultural exchange and diversity in the arts. Register.

Introduction to Zotero
Thurs., May 19 from 3 to 4 p.m. — Online or Viz Classroom (EL1441)
Learn Zotero, a free open-source citation management tool that allows you to save and organize your references and create bibliographies in the citation style of your choice. Register.

Introduction to Mendeley
Tues., May 24 from 9 to 10 a.m. — Online or Viz Classroom (EL1441)
Learn Mendeley, a free citation management tool that allows you to save and organize your references and create bibliographies in the citation style of your choice. Register.

Supply Chain Knowledge Mobilization Summit
Wed., May 25 3:30 to 9 p.m — Online
Government, industry, academics and students come together to explore the problems and best supply chain management practices to build resilient and sustainable supply chains. Register.

XR Toolkit Series: Editing 360 Photos and Videos with Adobe Photoshop and Premiere
Wed., May 25 from 11 to 11:45 a.m. — Online
Learn how to process, edit, and view your 360 videos and photos using Adobe Premiere Pro and Photoshop. Technical Requirements: Adobe Premiere Pro and Adobe Photoshop. Register.

decolonizing our mind — a virtual book club
wed., may 25 from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. — online
this facilitated group seeks to engage readers’ minds with works from Indigenous authors to educate and raise awareness about the decolonization of thought. join.

tea with oid (office of Indigenization and decolonization)
wed., may 25 from 2 to 4 p.m. — t123
join the oid for tea and a demonstration about the MMIWG2S book wrapping and library project and a talk about the traditional teachings pilot program on aug. 4 (Cree) and aug. 10 (Blackfoot). register.

International Panel on Mental Health

Thurs., May 26 from 3 to 4 p.m. — Online

Join this international panel discussion on mental health with representatives from MRU, University of Padua, Italy and the Hotchkiss Brain Institute. Join.

Beginner’s Guide to Transforming Social Connections with Virtual Reality
Wed., June 1 from 11 to 11:45 a.m. — Experience Lab (EL1355)
Learn how social VR platforms (Altspace VR, VR Chats, Facebook Spaces) work, and how you can use them to socialize, learn or teach. Register.

Walk & Talk
Thurs., June 2 from noon to 12:30 p.m. — East Gate
Join some of your MRU friends for a 25-minute outdoor walk around campus to get moving and connect with others. More information.

Spring Convocation 2022
June 1, 2 and 3 — Triple Gym
Cheer on our graduating students at the first in-person conovocation ceremonies since 2019, where six ceremonies will take place over three days. More information. Live stream.

Indigenous Graduation Celebration
June 4 from 2 to 5 p.m. — Triple Gym
MRU graduates more than a hundred First Nation, Métis, Inuit and non-status Indigenous students every year. More information.

Have a story, announcement or info to share?

Summit and website stories

We would love to hear about your story! Go to the online story submission tool and guidelines.

MyMRU announcements

Please send announcements for MyMRU's homepage to mymru@mtroyal.ca. Review the guidelines.

Start of semester emails, with option for distribution list
sign-up

As each semester begins (August/September and December/January), areas with ongoing employee activities can send an email to all employees describing their semester activities. Employees can then choose to opt in to that area's distribution list (Google Group) for regular updates. If you would like to send an email and/or set up a Google Group for your area, please contact Marketing and Communications for guidelines.

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