May 15, 2013
Grad student wins creative, cross-cultural awards
Andréa Ledding, a student in the MFA in Writing Program through the Interdisciplinary Centre for Creativity and Culture (ICCC ), is the 2012 recipient of the Dick and Mary Edney Masters Scholarship for International Understanding through the Humanities & Fine Arts. The aim of this scholarship is to enrich the cultural life of Canada by promoting the study of other cultures.
Ledding received the award for her multilingual creative thesis focusing on first contact in Canada. Ledding says she was thrilled to be a part of the inaugural class of the new MFA in Writing program. “It is wonderful that there is a scholarship the focuses on the fine arts and humanities,” she says. “It is through creativity that understanding, growth and connectivity take place. I am very grateful to the Edney family for this gift of sustenance for creative work. As a writer and freelancer and single parent, this reliable monthly income allows me some security to focus on my studies.”
(Posted May 15, 2013)
May 01, 2013
Dedicated veterinarian supports students through his legacy
When Dr. James (Jim) Mailer of Stettler, Alta., passed away on July 20, 2011, he left a generous gift of $200,000 to the Western College of Veterinary Medicine (WCVM). The legacy was his way of giving back to the institution that had laid the foundation for his successful and rewarding career as a veterinarian.
Jim’s generous gift supports research funding and scholarships for graduate and undergraduate students in WCVM. Additionally, the James Peter Mailer Student Bursary Fund was created to support veterinary students who wish to enter mixed animal or large animal practice.
“It was important for him to give back to the college for all that he was given as a result of his education,” explains his daughter Brenda Mailer. “And he wanted to contribute to those areas that will help to keep building the veterinary profession.”
(Posted May 01, 2013)
April 26, 2013
Ore Gangue launches alumni bursary fund
The Ore Gangue’s Alumni Bursary Fund is off to a healthy start with more than $80,000 raised toward an ambitious target of $500,000. The first two recipients, Zoe Brewster (’14) and Carson Brown (’14), will receive bursaries of $3,500.
The idea of the bursary fund developed at the annual golf tournament held by Calgary alumni each autumn. Spearheaded by Gordon Beach (BSc’74), the committee has attracted both younger as well as older, experienced alumni. The goal of the bursary is to provide financial support, reward academic performance and recognize the contributions of the society’s student members.
To support their initiatives, the group recently launched a website (oregangue.org) that includes a history of the Ore Gangue dating back to its earliest years. Beach calls the Calgary Ore Gangue a tight-knit organization with strong social and professional bonds. They first met as university students in Saskatoon, and as they migrated towards the centre of the oil and gas industry in Calgary the group continued to stick together.
(Posted April 26, 2013)
April 15, 2013
Donors Leslie and Irene Dubé receive top honour at international awards for philanthropy
Leslie and Irene Dubé, honoured alumni and donors to the University of Saskatchewan, received the 2013 Award for Outstanding Philanthropist – an international award that recognizes exceptional generosity and philanthropic leadership in their community. The award was presented by the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) at the 50th International Conference on Fundraising in San Diego, CA on April 6, 2013.
The Dubés donation of $10 million to the U of S’s Health Sciences Project, and their continued leadership to promote interdisciplinary learning and research across all health sciences disciplines, were two of the significant contributions that were mentioned in the nomination submitted by the University of Saskatchewan.
(Posted April 15, 2013)
April 04, 2013
Inspiring students to follow their passions
This week students at the Saskatoon campus had a unique opportunity to learn from one of the city’s leading developers and philanthropists, Professor Emeritus Karim (Kay) Nasser. The event, which took place this past Wednesday in Place Riel, was the official launch for Dr. Nasser’s second book, How to Achieve Your Dreams.
By sharing on his own life experiences and the resulting path he took navigating his diverse career, Dr. Nasser hopes that this book will be a road map for success for students, inspiring them to achieve their personal and professional goals. He says, “It’s what I’ve learned in my life - my observations. I’m passing this on to students so they can hopefully learn from the experience of others.”
(Posted April 04, 2013)
March 21, 2013
Federal government introduces first-time donor super credit
The federal government is encouraging new donors to make a charitable gift, by offering a temporary tax incentive. First-time donors will be eligible to receive an additional 25% tax credit, for any charitable gifts made before 2018.
Currently, the Tax Act allows any donor to claim a non-refundable tax credit of 15% for the first $200 of charitable donations made per year, and 29% for all donations made over that threshold.
The new tax incentive, named the “First-time Donors Super Credit” (“FDSC”), will combine these incentives, and allow the following for first-time charitable donors 40% on donations $200 or less, and 54% on donations over $200 and up to $1,000.
(Posted March 21, 2013)
March 20, 2013
Kaplan instrument collection opens
From drums and zithers to more exotic instruments like crumhorns, shawms, and racketts, during and beyond his 30 years at the U of S, Professor Emeritus David L. Kaplan (music) has collected historical and Indigenous instruments from all over the world.
During the past year, Kaplan has assembled a part of his collection as a donation to the College of Arts & Science's Department of Music for research, exhibition, and use by student and faculty musicians. On March 9, the department honoured Kaplan at the opening of the collection’s new storage and display space in the Education Building.
(Posted March 20, 2013)
March 15, 2013
PotashCorp supports Huskies' CIS teams
For the third straight year, PotashCorp has made a significant donation to Huskie Athletics at the University of Saskatchewan. The $150,000 gift will support all 15 of the Huskies’ Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS) teams, will supplement each team’s budget and will provide funding for student athletes in the Huskies Sport Health Centre.
“We are proud to support our hometown Huskies and athletic programming at the U of S,” said Denita Stann, vice-president of investor and public relations at PotashCorp, in a media release. “Athletic programs teach important lessons outside the classroom about leadership, commitment, and teamwork – the same values that drive our company and our people everyday.”
(Posted March 15, 2013)
March 08, 2013
Fitzhenry Family Foundation brings nursing technology to the North
Florence Nightingale, the most famous nurse of all time, was the inspiration for the winning entry in contest to name one of two community-nursing robots located in northern Saskatchewan. The robot’s full name is RoboGale and it is located Air Ronge. Along with a second one called IleXPERT, or Pert for short, in Ile-a-la-Crosse, the robots are part of the University of Saskatchewan College of Nursing initiative to provide undergraduate nursing education to students in both communities.
The University of Saskatchewan's College of Nursing unveiled the new technology this past summer, thanks to a $10,000 gift from the Fitzhenry Family Foundation. The project helps students learn without having to leave home, an attempt by the college to address the growing need for nurses in Saskatchewan’s North.
(Posted March 08, 2013)
February 26, 2013
Plant breeder’s legacy draws support for graduate student award
The next generation of plant breeders at the College of Agriculture and Bioresources will be supported by a new graduate award honouring Gerhard Rakow. Rakow retired earlier this year after 30 years working as a canola and mustard breeder with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. His work in canola breeding improved both the uses and nutritional benefits of canola oil.
Industry partners that benefited from Rakow’s work were eager to help out with his retirement party. With more funds raised than needed, the surplus was used to establish the Gerhard Rakow Legacy Award to encourage graduate student research projects focused on plant breeding.
(Posted February 26, 2013)
February 25, 2013
Brainfreeze race supports Huskies
This year over 200 participants will brave the prairie winter as they take part in a 10km or half-marathon race at the Brainsport Brainfreeze on March 3rd. The runners will wind their way along the scenic Meewasin river trail, passing by iconic Saskatoon landmarks, such as the Bessborough Hotel and many of the historic bridges spanning the South Saskatchewan River.
The Brainfreeze winter running race was first conceived in 2008, with the first race actually taking place in the winter of 2009. At that time, there were many races in Saskatchewan during the late spring, summer and early fall, but few offered throughout the winter months, a time of year that the Brainsport Running Store wanted to promote for running. Meanwhile, the University of Saskatchewan Huskies Cross Country program was searching for a fundraising project that could generate the funds needed to supplement its athlete recruitment scholarships and could help cover some of its travel expenses to high-level competition around North America.
(Posted February 25, 2013)
January 29, 2013
$250K Gift Supports Innovative Health Sciences Project
The U of S has received a significant investment to its Health Sciences building project, thanks to a generous $250,000 gift from the Dr. Stephen and Michelene Worobetz Foundation. The Health Sciences project is the largest capital building project in the history of the University of Saskatchewan, and is currently under construction, with an expected completion in 2015.
The donation will also support the Clinical Learning Resource Centre, a state of the art teaching and learning space that provides health sciences students with an immersive, directed, interprofessional education through simulated healthcare experiences in a truly multidisciplinary environment.
(Posted January 29, 2013)
