Abramson is a gallery pioneer, teacher, and grad

One of the pioneers of the University of Manitoba Gallery of Student Art (GoSA) is ready to become an art educator. Stacey Abramson, who is graduating this year from the University of Manitoba’s Faculty of Education has a strong passion for fine arts.

Over the last few years the Gallery of Student Art has become a fixture in University Centre.

“I was honoured to be GoSA’s first director and curator. Being able to see something I had always wished for and worked so hard at developing, was one of the high points at my time at the University of Manitoba,” said Abramson. “I believed, along with the UMSU executive at the time, that the students at the University of Manitoba deserved a free gallery space in which to show the creativity and artistic talent that exists across all faculties, specifically at the School of Art.”

Abramson majored in video in 2004, and has a great appreciation for traditional media as well.

“I love the idea of having something so easily accessible and relatable as video to work with. In today’s society, most people can relate to a moving media such as video - it’s a common component of culture around the world,” said Abramson.

Abramson also enjoys the history of video art.

Through her time at the University of Manitoba, Abramson became involved with The Manitoban student newspaper, where she developed her journalistic career.

“The Manitoban staff gave me the chance to try out writing and develop my skills as a journalist. This led me to many different freelance writing opportunities across the country over the last eight years or so,” said Abramson.

Abramson is currently employed with the Winnipeg Free Press as an art critic. She said this is something she always dreamed of.

“Being given the incredible opportunity to discuss the strong and diverse art exhibitions and community in the city influences the way I see, make and teach art,” she said.

Now that she is an art educator - graduating from the Faculty of Education - Abramson strives to keep current with art movements and trends, and to bring that knowledge to the classroom.

“I am very much looking forward to my new career as an educator in Winnipeg. I’m fresh off my second life as a student at the U of M Faculty of Education, and have had two fantastic practicum experiences in the inner city and hope to continue work in this area,” said Abramson.

“I plan on returning (once again!) to the University of Manitoba to continue to upgrade my studies in education throughout the next several years.”

Posted in:  School of Art

Featured Graduate: Corey Mohr

We’ve all heard the old saying about how good fences make for good neighbours.

For proof, look no further than the community of Gilbert Park, where residents of one of the largest Manitoba Housing complexes in Winnipeg are finding themselves united – and more importantly, empowered – by the newly-built fences made possible in part by the Nor’West Co-op Community Health Centre.

Or you could ask Corey Mohr, a graduate of the University of Manitoba’s Faculty of Kinesiology and Recreation Management (FKRM), who’s spent the last three years working for Nor’West as the Community Facilitator for Gilbert Park.

The new fences – which were paid for and installed by the Manitoba Housing Authority – are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the many upgrades and improvements that have resulted from Nor’West’s continued presence in Gilbert Park. In early June, residents devoted an entire Saturday to beautifying their neighbourhood, cleaning up litter and planting flowers alongside Nor’West staffers, as well as representatives from the United Way’s GenNext mentorship program.

“Now that they have these fences and yards, a lot of residents are taking ownership. They’re planting flowers, or getting picnic tables or even barbecues and dining tents,” says Mohr, who earned his Bachelor of Recreation Management & Community Development in 2005. “And this is something you just virtually did not see, even a year ago. It was a ghost town at times – people just weren’t out as much as they are now.”

Though residents of Gilbert Park (located near the intersection of Burrows Avenue and Inkster Boulevard) have long faced their share of challenges – poverty, addiction and unemployment among them – it’s Mohr’s hope they’ll continue working towards self-reliance and self-sustenance.

With those targets in mind, Mohr says his role is to provide advice, support and leadership, whether by overseeing the Gilbert Park Community Resource Centre (a “one-stop shop” for social and recreational services, made possible through partnerships with Manitoba Housing and Employment Income and Assistance, and support from the Centre for Aboriginal Human Resource Development), or by chairing the resident advisory meetings held every month.

“The ultimate vision for this community is to have healthy, resilient people who can help themselves, and then ultimately help each other,” says Mohr. “And it is happening. I see a lot of positive changes, a lot of people getting employed, a lot of exciting things happening in the community and a lot of great service providers working with our residents. I think if we can highlight those successes in the community – really see those individuals who’ve fought addictions, or fought through the difficulties of what it means to be a single parents – then we can shed a light on those individuals and say, ‘You can do it, too.’”

Having been inspired to enter FKRM after hearing a guest lecture by Professor Michael Campbell, Mohr initially focused on outdoor recreation, which led to a post-grad placement with Manitoba Conservation’s Parks and Natural Areas branch. After working as an interpreter/educator at Spruce Woods Park, Mohr took a job co-coordinating recreation programs for the Downtown Senior Health Resource Team, which in turn led to a similar stint with the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority’s Downtown Senior Council.

“In community development work, I find it doesn’t matter if it’s youth or adults or single parents or seniors,” says Mohr. “They all have needs, and need support – someone to listen to them and find out what they might need to better their life, or the life of their family.”

Even better, says Mohr, the field appears to be expanding, meaning there’s more work available than ever before for those looking to give back to their communities.

“Right now, within our city, there are a lot of jobs available in recreation and community development,” says Mohr. “Even since I graduated, I’ve seen a real increase and an influx. I get a lot of job postings that come across my desk, and a lot of them look really exciting.”

For more information about the Nor’West Community Health Centre, which also staffs development teams in the communities of Brooklands and Blake Gardens, check http://www.norwesthealth.ca/Nor_West_Co-op_Community_Health_Centre/About_Us.html

And to learn more about the United Way’s GenNext program, see http://www.unitedwaywinnipeg.mb.ca/gennext08.html

Posted in:  Kinesiology and Recreation Management

A Nursing Student to Know

Jay Bodner is a 3rd year nursing student at the Faculty of Nursing, University of Manitoba with an unique role in his “other” life!  In May, 2009 the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra (WSO) launched the First Indigenous Festival, a celebration of Indigenous cultures from around the world.  This 4 day event culminated in an innovative concert at the Burton Cummings Theatre which featured the WSO playing with the Juno award winning Aboriginal rock band, Eagle and Hawk.  Nursing students were in the audience cheering on their fellow student, Jay Bodner, the lead singer and as he refers to himself, the “grandpa” of his nursing student cohort!

Jay Bodner first joined Eagle and Hawk when band leader Vince Fontaine approached him at a musicians’ hockey league event. The band was looking for a lead singer to accompany them on a European tour.  That was 11 years ago and Jay is still singing, playing and composing with the band.  Jay describes the cultural composition of Eagle and Hawk as representative of the diversity of the Canadian cultural mosaic. Vince, a proud Ojibwa leads the band which is composed of Marty Chapman an English drummer,  Caribbean keyboard player,   Italian Irish Mi’kmaq bass player and Jay who describes himself as a Canadian mutt with Lebanese heritage and a little bit of the unkown.

Originally the band’s music was primarily about the Native experience but over the past 3 – 4 years has now blossomed to something larger which Jay describes as the human experience. Over the last 11 years Jay has been submerged in the Aboriginal culture, learned much and developed an affinity to the Aboriginal people. Besides playing for northern communities, the band undertakes mainstream trade shows and festivals. The main message of their music is positive, priding itself on good melody and lyrical content that does not include swearing or negative lyrical content. The live shows aim to be friendly and positive, described by Jay as “an all round feel good rock and roll show”.

Jay has also had a career within health care for at least as many years as he has been a musician. Over the past 17 years, he has worked as a ward clerk and health care aide in the emergency ward of Concordia Hospital. Currently he is on the casual list at Misericordia and Concordia. He describes his experience with his family as “winning the lottery of life”. He credits his mother, who is a nurse as influencing him to enter health care. With the band, he assumed the role of “House Mom”, advising other band members about ailments that occurred on the road. Advice was generally given after a telephone consultation with Nurse Mom! At various points in his life, Jay has found his work in health care to be sustaining particularly after experiencing the death of his brother.  Jay found himself often comforting families in the ER as they awaited news of their loved ones. His ability to stay calm with the families has been helpful. His mother’s example and passion for nursing inspired him to enter the Faculty of Nursing and work towards his dream of becoming a university prepared registered nurse.

Balancing studies, family and band responsibilities is challenging, particularly when the other band members depend on you to contribute to the band for their living. Some of the band members have been his best cheerleaders. Last year was the band’s most successful year with Eagle and Hawk winning six awards out of ten nominations at music award shows in Canada, and a ground breaking concert with the WSO. While a long time coming and inherently joyful, it was difficult to meet all the diverse demands placed upon him. Three important children are also in Jay’s life. He tries to be “Dad” to them and spend time with them. Some nights that means opening the nursing text books late at night and trying to stay awake!

The dual worlds of music and nursing while initially seeming far apart do influence each other. As the lead singer Jay has had to learn how to connect to his audience whether it be in a small intimate group or a large audience with a language barrier.  Through these experiences, he has had to learn new ways to communicate. This has stood him in good stead in nursing practice where he sees communication issues being key, with patients, families and the health care team. Working with band members has similarities to working with a health care team; everyone has a common goal, performs different jobs and needs to get along. His music life has also taught him to be flexible, a quality that the nurse of the future will need. Rapid changes in society will require nurses to be open to change. Jay’s mother has illustrated flexibility in her nursing career having been a nursing supervisor, ward nurse, and community nurse. His father has taught him staying power and with that Jay is committed to completing his degree. While not sure where he will eventually practice nursing, Jay feels that he will both contribute to nursing with his life experiences and be challenged by his nursing career.

Good luck in the upcoming year!

Posted in:  Nursing

Graduate Student Awards

The Faculty of Human Ecology would like to congratulate the following graduate students!

Chibuike Udenigwe, PhD student (HNS)
Received NSERC CGS award for PhD studies
Awarded First place in the graduate student poster competition organized by the Protein and Co-Products Division of AOCS at the 100th conference in Orlando, FL, May 3-6 2009.

Trisha Pownall, MSc student (HNS)
Awarded second place in the graduate student poster competition organized by the Protein and Co-Products Division of AOCS at the 100th conference in Orlando, FL, May 3-6 2009.

Gayatri Thiyam, MSc student (HNS)
Received first prize for poster uin the Health & Nutrition Section at the 100th AOCS Conference in Orlando

Jennifer Protudjer, PhD student (IHP)
Won a 2 year graduate scholarship from CIHR to complete her Ph.D

Posted in:  Human Ecology

Enriching Nutrition Knowledge

Dr. James House, professon and head of the Department of Human Nutritional Sciences, Faculty of Human Ecology

The Canadian Society for Nutritional Sciences recently awarded the 2008 Centrum Foundation New Scientist Award for Outstanding Research to Dr. James House, Professor and Head of the Department of Human Nutritional Sciences, Faculty of Human Ecology at the University of Manitoba.

Dr. Jim House investigates how vitamins contained in the diet are used to support healthy animals and people.  His primary focus over the past few years has been the study of the vitamin folic acid.  His research is helping to define how changes in the way we feed animals can influence the vitamin content of the meat and eggs.  He is also conducting research to determine whether certain segments of the population may be at risk for consuming either too little or too much of specific nutrients or foods.
The New Scientist Award was established to recognize outstanding contributions to nutrition research by a member of the Canadian Society for Nutritional Sciences who is within 15 years of completing their Ph.D.

Four out of five of the last award recipients have been from the Department of Human Nutritional Sciences at the University of Manitoba.

Dr. Carla Taylor - 2005

Dr. Harold Aukema - 2006

Dr. Mohammed Moghadasian - 2008

Dr. Jim House - 2009

“I think this a reflection of the strength of the nutrition research program here at the University of Manitoba, and a testament to the fact that the Canadian nutrition community recognizes this strength,” said House.

Posted in:  Human Ecology

Abramson is a gallery pioneer, teacher, and grad

Over the last few years the Gallery of Student Art has become a fixture in University Centre.

“I was honoured to be the GoSA’s first director and curator. Being able to see something I had always wished for and worked so hard at developing, was one of the high points at my time at the University of Manitoba,” said Abramson. “I believed, along with the UMSU executive at the time, that the students at the University of Manitoba deserved a free gallery space in which to show the creativity and artistic talent that exists across all faculties, specifically at the School of Art.”

Abramson majored in video in 2004, and has a great appreciation for traditional media as well.

“I love the idea of having something so easily accessible and relatable as video to work with. In today’s society, most people can relate to a moving media such as video – it’s a common component of culture around the world,” said Abramson.

Abramson also enjoys the history of video art.

Through her time at the University of Manitoba, Abramson became involved with The Manitoban student newspaper, where she developed her journalistic career.

“The Manitoban staff gave me the chance to try out writing and develop my skills as a journalist. This led me to many difference freelance writing opportunities across the country over the last eight years or so,” said Abramson.

Abramson is currently employed with the Winnipeg Free Press as an art critic. She said this is something she always dreamed of.

“Being given the incredible opportunity to discuss the strong and diverse art exhibitions and community in the city influences the way I see, make and teach art,” she said.

Now that she is an art educator – graduating from the Faculty of Education – Abramson strives to keep current with art movements and trends, and to bring that knowledge to the classroom.

“I am very much looking forward to my new career as an educator in Winnipeg. I’m fresh off my second life as a student at the U of M Faculty of Education, and have had two fantastic practicum experiences in the inner city and hope to continue work in this area,” said Abramson.

“I plan on returning (once again!) to the University of Manitoba to continue to upgrade my studies in education throughout the next several years.”

Posted in:  Education

Meet Mark Whitmore

As Dean of Science, Mark Whitmore runs a faculty with 3,000 students and 250 academic and support staff.  “It’s the breadth of the educational and research opportunities, and the excellence of our programs, that attracts people to science,” he explains.  “A degree from the Faculty of Science literally prepares you for ‘Many Futures;’ if you study science here, you have a multitude of options to choose from, and you can go anywhere in the world with your degree.  Our students work with world-class professors in research programs involving laboratory work, field work or theoretical research depending on their own personal preferences.” 

Whitmore believes that universities are, arguably, the single most transformational agents in society: “they transform us, our lives, and the world in which we live.”  

He says: “I’ve tried to imagine this world without universities.  When I think about all that university research and teaching have made possible, I can’t imagine how different our world would be.  I’ve thought about what my life would be, even in this world with universities, if I hadn’t attended one.  It would be very different.  And I am particularly privileged to be spending my life working at universities.”

As well as running the Faculty of Science, Whitmore maintains an active research program.  For most researchers, doing hands-on work means a trip down to the lab. But for Whitmore, switching to research mode can be as simple as switching on his desktop computer.

“I don’t need a lot of laboratory space,” Whitmore said. “I do a lot of my research using my desktop computer. So, if I have an hour during the day, I can turn to it and get in some work.”

Of course the whole system hinges on his desktop having access to much more powerful computers both at the University of Manitoba and elsewhere, but still it’s not a bad balancing act for a person who has to manage the administrative duties of being dean while still maintaining his research interests.

“I do computer simulations,” Whitmore said. “My goal is to predict what’s going to happen and to understand why it happens.”

“At times you can have a phenomenon that looks puzzling, but you can identify some factor which is really the underlying one and say, “Yeah, that’s why that happens.” And that can be very satisfying,” Whitmore said.

A theory that Whitmore and his colleagues developed a number of years ago involving phospholipids is a good example.  Phospholipids are chain-like molecules that form the backbone of cell walls in the human body. Whitmore and another colleague were busy coming up with a computer model of phospholipid behaviour, when one of their colleagues in the experimental field posed a question: why, when you apply pressure to phospholipids forming a wall, does that wall actually become thicker rather than thinner.

“The timing of the question was perfect. We took a day to run the simulation and, when we did, we reproduced this intriguing result,” Whitmore said.  So, the computer model was accurately reflecting what the experiment on phospholipids showed. But could it explain the results?  Yes.

“When you take a section of the cell wall, the chain-like lipids are oriented perpendicular to the layer, pointing generally inwards.  However, they do not point straight in, but are partially disordered, or compressed,” Whitmore said. “When you apply pressure you squeeze them together – the space between them is also constricted – so it forces them to straighten out, and that causes the layer to get thicker. On balance, this effect is stronger than that of the compressing forces on the layer surface, and the layers get a bit thicker.” 

So, inside of a day, Whitmore could not only tell his colleague that the computer simulations backed up the experiments, but he could also tell him why the molecules behaved as they did. This, and related systems, remain the focus of his research.

Born in Hamilton, Whitmore earned his degrees from McMaster University; his undergraduate degree was in applied mathematics and theoretical physics and his graduate studies were in physics. He had considered studying languages in high school but, by Grade 13, there was no question science was his future.

“It was an exciting time for physics; Neil Armstrong landed on the moon the summer when I was in high school. This was the culmination of a mere 10 years of space exploration - we went from the first human in space to a person actually setting foot on the moon,” Whitmore said. “I think the excitement of space exploration influenced a lot of students. There was a general enthusiasm around physics and astronomy.”

So he plunged into his undergraduate studies, not terribly worried about what would be at the end of the road.

“In those days we were less focused on career opportunities; we tended to take programs we enjoyed more for the sake of the program,” Whitmore said. “At the time, job prospects at universities were not very good. If you went to graduate school and got a related job you needed to be very lucky.”

“As an undergraduate, I didn’t expect to have an opportunity to teach at a university.”

But he went on to graduate school anyway, and it turned out he was one of the lucky ones – securing a job at Memorial University after graduation.

It was a good fit.  Memorial gave him room to grow, conduct his research and go on leave to places like Kyoto. And like a lot of talented researchers, he found he loved teaching. 

“The teaching part is something I’ve always enjoyed. I won’t pretend I enjoy grading exams, but the actual teaching part is great” Whitmore said. “A lot of people suggest that the people who are interested in research are not as interested in teaching.  But in my experience the best researchers are some of the best and most dedicated teachers.”

Whitmore started to move into administration at Memorial University.

“At the time, the computer systems at Memorial were becoming obsolete,” Whitmore said. “We really didn’t have a way of financing new research computers on our own, so we had to find ways to partner with major computer manufacturers and other government users in the province.”

Whitmore found himself in charge of the project and it quickly snowballed, and eventually became an Atlantic consortium of seven universities known as the Atlantic Computational Excellence Network, or ACEnet. The involvement made Whitmore a natural choice to join when a national organization with similar goals was formed, the Canadian High Performance Computing Collaboratory, or C3.ca.  The involvement also made Whitmore a natural choice for associate dean of research in the Faculty of Science at Memorial.

As fate would have it, his three-year tenure as associate dean came during the turn over between two presidents, three vice-presidents and three people in the dean’s position in Memorial’s faculty of science.

Between keeping things together in the faculty and organizing cross-country groups such as C3.ca, Whitmore found he was getting a taste for administration. “You bring people together, work with institutions and things can happen,” Whitmore said.  “It’s really quite satisfying to see what people can accomplish when you bring them together.” 

So, when an executive search firm called him to say there was an opportunity at the University of Manitoba, Whitmore was ready for a change.  “I hadn’t really thought about Manitoba before, but when I started looking at the University of Manitoba, I realized there were tremendous strengths.”  Memorial and the U of M are similar in size, and they both have the same job of being the only full-service university in their respective provinces.

Of course, there is one difference.  The weather is better in Manitoba. “I really chuckled when the executive search firm that phoned me promoted the weather as being better than Newfoundland,” Whitmore said. “In fact, I now agree.  I even find Winnipeg winters quite agreeable on the whole, although I will admit there are a few memorable days each winter.”

Posted in:  Science

Featured Graduate: Alain Couture

Winnipeg Blue Bombers Head Athletic Therapist Alain Couture (kneeling) tends to an injured player.

By now, you’ve probably already noticed there’s something different about the Winnipeg Blue Bombers this year.

For starters, there’s a new coach (and a new general manager, to boot). And star receiver Milt Stegall is gone, having made good on his retirement plans earlier this year.

And of course, a flurry of trades has left the roster all but unrecognizable, not to mention all that talk of building a new stadium at the University of Manitoba.

But as the players gear up for the start of another season, they can take comfort in the fact that at least one behind-the-bench presence is the same: Head Athletic Therapist Alain Couture, who’s been with the team for the last six years.

A graduate of the U of M’s Faculty of Kinesiology and Recreation Management, Couture started working with the Bombers while still a student in 2003. He took over as assistant athletic therapist the following year, and became head therapist in 2006 (after graduating and passing his national exam).

But even though the Bombers are surely in store for another season of highs and lows this year, Couture himself swears it isn’t good for him to get too caught up in the game.

“You have to block all of that out,” says Couture, who earned his Bachelor of Exercise & Sport Science degree (with a major in Athletic Therapy) in 2005.

“Whether we win or lose, I still need to stay on track. When we win, obviously I’m happy about that, because I want to see our athletes achieve success. And we are all involved in it, be it the equipment staff or the coaches or myself. We’re all involved in the downside, too, when we’re not winning. But to a certain degree, you have to just block that out. I’ve got a medical responsibility to these guys, regardless of whatever else is going on.”

Those medical responsibilities require Couture to log 11 to 12-hour days (seven days a week) while the Bombers are training, time he spends assessing and rehabilitating any injuries the athletes sustain, and taking part in medical screening, fitness testing, first aid and emergency management.

And while certain players might be known for their hot tempers or goofy gridiron antics, in Couture’s line of work, it’s always best when cooler heads prevail.

“I think professionalism is huge,” says Couture, who harboured an interest in both athletics and medicine as a student. “I don’t know if that’s something you learn in the Faculty, or if it’s just the individuals themselves, learning to grow and how to handle themselves in different situations. Primarily, it’s about keeping your composure … I’m a fairly serious individual, and I know how to keep my composure, which is huge in professional sports.”

After describing FKRM’s Athletic Therapy program as “one of the top, if not the top” training grounds in the country, Couture goes on to note his U of M days prepared him well for the workload he’d encounter in the professional realm.

He describes himself as optimistic about the recent regime change – “There’s a completely different attitude here … it’s a very positive environment,” he says – and feels the new stadium deal could prove beneficial to both the Bombers and the Bisons. But in keeping with his earlier line of thought, he admits he hasn’t allowed himself much time to think about it.

“There’s potential for a lot of very positive things for both teams,” he says. “But we don’t know – that could be two or three years away – so I can’t get caught up in that too much.”

Posted in:  Kinesiology and Recreation Management

Featured Graduate: Monte Wong

FKRM alum Monte Wong (right) with Evgeni Malkin of the Pittsburgh Penguins.

When choosing a career path, it’s usually a good idea to carefully consider the skills, interests and values that best define your ideal vision of a future self.

Or, failing that, you could just wait for your mom to break her wrist and make the decision for you.

That’s the tack taken by U of M alum Monte Wong, who entered the Athletic Therapy program of the Faculty of Kinesiology and Recreation Management (FKRM) after his mom sustained an injury and sought treatment from program director Jackie Elliott.

“She was trying to paint her room and she used a stepping stool I had made in Grade 8 shops class,” says Wong of his mom.

“It wasn’t level, so she fell and broke her wrist – which is how I ended up in Athletic Therapy. The joke is that I can’t fix things, but now I can fix people!”

The choice came as something of a surprise to Wong, who up until that point had been eyeing a career in medicine. But the former Winnipegger – who went on to receive his physical therapist credentials in Pittsburgh, where he’s spent the last four years working out of the Centers for Rehab Services – says that enrolling in Athletic Therapy soon became a bit of no-brainer.

“Because I was in science, I always thought I’d want to do health care,” says Wong, who was part of FKRM’s first ever graduating class in the inaugural Athletic Therapy  program. “But I also have a love of sports, so doing both things was a perfect fit.”

While in Pittsburgh, Wong worked primarily in a private practice capacity, blending outpatient orthopedics with forays into sports medicine. Licensed in the U.S. as both a physical therapist and an athletic trainer, Wong even found a way to channel his love of sports (and the 4,000-plus hours he spent working with Bison’s athletes at U of M) into a string of gigs with hockey teams at Chatham College, the University of Pittsburgh and eventually the NHL.

“Because I was a Canadian, they felt I must know a lot of hockey, so I ended up helping out with the Pittsburgh Penguins,” says Wong, who was named the BESS Graduate of the Year in 2002. “I ended up being able to do orthopedic assessments for the entire team for the last four or five seasons.”

When Wong first arrived at the University of Pittsburgh (where he earned a Doctor of Physical Therapy degree), he discovered he had an edge over many of his classmates thanks to the broad training base he received at U of M.

“In physical therapy, not only do they touch on orthopedics and partial neurology, they also deal with pediatrics, acute care geriatrics, spinal cord injury – it’s a lot broader,” he explains. “When I came to Pitt, I already had a very strong musculo-skeletal and orthopedic base. Having that knowledge of orthopedics and anatomy, I found I was quite strong in class.”

Even Wong’s fish-out-water status (as a Canadian working in the U.S.) helped contribute to his career progress.

“Coming from a different country and a different program keeps you open-minded, and keeping your options open and staying open-minded will definitely help you in your patient care,” he explains.

“There are technically many ways to treat the same pathology. There are different mindsets, but if you have multiple ways to treat, and you have that experience, that’s really going to help. Ultimately the biggest thing for a clinician is you want to make your patient better, and if you have more weapons in your arsenal, that’s only going to benefit you – and them.”

That open-minded attitude factored into Wong’s latest career transition. He recently signed on as a staff physical therapist at the TRIA Orthopaedic Center in Minneapolis, a facility with ties to both the Minnesota Vikings and the Minnesota Timberwolves.

“It’s a matter of always keeping your options open,” he says of the move. “That’s one thing I learned from Athletic Therapy: You’ve got to keep your options open and stay creative.”

Posted in:  Kinesiology and Recreation Management

Featured Graduate: Jeff Hnatiuk

Ever played power on a high school volleyball team? Laced up your skates for a beer-league hockey match? Or strapped on shin pads for an outdoor Ultimate tourney?Congratulations: You’re an amateur athlete, and by conservative estimates, you’re among the more than 300,000 Manitobans currently taking part in amateur sport activities.

And while the word itself can carry certain connotations, there’s nothing amateur about Sport Manitoba, the umbrella organization for amateur sport in the province, and advisors to the provincial government on all matters relating to sport.

“Our mandate, quite simply, is to develop Manitoba’s athletes, coaches and officials,” says Sport Manitoba’s President and CEO Jeff Hnatiuk. “That’s done through the programming we provide and the funding we provide to different sport organizations in the province. We focus on everything from increasing participation in sport to helping develop Manitoba’s top athletes - the ones that go on to national or international or even Olympic competition.”

With an annual budget of $12 million ($11 million of which comes from the province), Sport Manitoba funds not just amateur sport organizations, but also high school and university athletics in Manitoba. Running the gamut from grassroots community initiatives to the high-performance elite, they also administer the Power Smart Manitoba Games, prepare Team Manitoba athletes for inter-provincial competition, and provide less fortunate children with access to athletic opportunities through the Canada-wide charity KidSport.

And at the head of it all sits Hnatiuk, a graduate of the University of Manitoba’s Faculty of Kinesiology and Recreation Management (FKRM), who says he’s thrilled with recent advances in the realm of sport - but even more so with certain elements that have stayed the same.

“I’ve been in sport for 23 years now, and what hasn’t changed is the passion and the dedication that volunteers have for sport,” says Hnatiuk, who graduated from the U of M in 1987 with a Bachelor of Recreation Studies degree.

“But the whole area of sport science has really grown tremendously. And what’s really positive is seeing how we’re growing these sport scientists here in Manitoba … and how they’re better able to prepare our athletes. The development of the athlete is far greater now than it was 20 years ago.”

Hnatiuk - who in the past has served as executive director of both the Manitoba Golf Association and Hockey Manitoba - says he’s also excited about trends that link sport more closely with physical activity.

“Often times, the worlds of physical activity and sport get separated,” he explains. “But at Sport Manitoba, we see sport playing a huge role in physical activity. We use the term Sport for Life a great deal, because we feel the basic movements in sport assist in physical activity development. In fact, one of the biggest advancements we’ve seen is the emergence of the Long-term Athlete Development (LTAD) model. The LTAD model speaks to a continuum of activity - from very basic movement skills that a child develops at an early age, right through to what a senior citizen can do later in life - and within that continuum fall sport and sport activities.”

Not surprisingly, Sport Manitoba is also thinking in the long-term, having recently announced plans to build a state-of-the-art Sport for Life Centre at 145 Pacific Ave., in downtown Winnipeg. Boasting office space for Sport Manitoba and its 70-plus member organizations - plus room for the Manitoba Sports Hall of Fame and Museum, community/athletic support areas, classrooms and lecture and conference space - Phase One of the project should be ready for occupancy by December 2009.

Phase Two (plans for which currently include a fieldhouse, an indoor track, strength and conditioning equipment and multi-use activity space) will get underway as funds become available, Hnatiuk says, and should serve as a perfect complement to pending construction of the new football stadium and active living facilities at U of M.

“(The Sport for Life Centre) will create something very unique to the country, where you have administration, training space, education space and therapy space all combined into one,” he says. “If we can create what we want to create, and the University creates what it wants here (in Manitoba), it finally positions us at a level with - or even higher than - most other provinces in Canada.”

Posted in:  Kinesiology and Recreation Management