Bachelor of Health Science
University of Calgary
Student Accomplishments
iGEM Team brings home a Gold...
Congratulations to this year’s iGEM team who had a great showing at the iGEM Regional Competition in Indiana over the weekend (October 8th through 10th, 2011). Our iGEM team won a gold medal, a trophy for best WIKI and best measurement device. This great showing means they will be going on to compete at MIT later this fall in the International Competition. Way to go iGEM team!
For more information about this recent iGEM event, visit this link…
Rob Aronson, Founder at Spread the Love, named Peter Cruddas Social Innovator at Buckingham Palace
June 2010 was a month to remember for Rob Aronson and 12 young social entrepreneurs from around the globe as they were selected to spend five days in the United Kingdom as finalists for the Peter Cruddas Social Innovation Initiative –a project set up to highlight and encourage positive social change.
Highlights of the trip included a weekend workshop in Windsor and a celebration at Buckingham Palace, where the finalists were presented with certificates by HRH Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex. At the celebration, Spread the Love was one of four organizations to be visually displayed in grand style for all to see in the palace.
“It was an extreme honor and privileged to be invited to Buckingham Palace. I was motivated and inspired by the other youth finalists from around the world. It was such an incredible experience” said Aronson.
World Health Organization internship
Karolina Kowalewski will travel to Geneva, Switzerland for her WHO internship.
Photo credit: Bruce Perrault
By Kyle Glennie
Over 10,000 people apply annually and only
"Basically it came from working at PHIRC and networking," says Kowalewski.
Kowalewski is being slightly modest. The recent Bachelor of HealthSciences (BHSc) graduate worked part-time at PHIRC–the PopulationHealth Intervention Research Centre at the University of Calgary'sFaculty of Medicine–while she earned her BHSc degree. While there, shewas taken under the wing of several PHIRC researchers, namely AlanShiell and Penny Hawe.
"I had mentioned to Dr. Shiell that I was interestedin doing an internship and he really got the ball rolling for me,"recalls Kowalewski. While that may have started the process, there werestill more hurdles to clear before she was chosen for the internship.Shiell says Kowalewski's hard work and intelligence are the realreasons for her success.
"Karolina has been working in PHIRC for a number ofyears in various capacities as a research assistant, and she's verybright, keen to learn and always a team player," Shiell says. "Throughpersonal and professional connections with the WHO, I knew there wasinterest in having an intern support our investigations into theeconomics of health promotion. It was very easy to put the two thingstogether; she's a perfect fit."
Kowalewski will help both Shiell and Dr. KC Tang ontheir economic evaluation research, which seeks to determine how tobest promote health given the limited resources available. "We knowthere are difficult choices to make regarding health promotion and weseek to evaluate the costs and health consequences of those choices toensure the best decisions are made," explains Shiell.
After the six-month internship, Kowalewski believesshe'll likely return home to Calgary and enroll in medical school. "Myinterests lie in global health so this opportunity at the WHO isabsolutely incredible."
Thane Kubik chosen for an International Fulbright Science and Technology Award
Article by Kyle Glennie
For the first time ever, a Faculty of Medicine student has won the International Fulbright Science and Technology Award for Outstanding Foreign Students, arguably the most prestigious international scholarship in the world. Thane Kubik, a recent graduate of the Bachelor of Health Sciences (BHSc) program where he majored in biomedical sciences, was chosen for the award by the Fulbright committee for his unique aptitude and innovation in biomedical science.
“It’s an incredible feeling to win this award and I’m very grateful to all my mentors at the Faculty of Medicine for helping me achieve this honour,” says Kubik. His mentors, especially Dr. Christian Jacob and Sonja Georgijevic, certainly helped him become the student he is today, but Kubik also owes a few other people in the BHSc program a debt of gratitude for bringing the Fulbright Scholarship to his attention.
“I had never heard about this particular scholarship before and it was actually the BHSc program coordinator who spoke to some of the directors and they recommended that I apply,” recalls Kubik.
It’s a good thing they did. Kubik was chosen as one of two Canadian nominees for the international award, usually given to about 45 people around the world. After that he was named one of the international recipients and his award was approved by the Fulbright committee.
The process may have been long and in-depth, but the benefits are obvious. Each winner chooses a list of schools in the US they would like to attend, and with the help of the Institute for International Education, they apply for admission. Once they find out which schools they are accepted to, the grantee then chooses which one to attend, with the first three years of tuition fully paid for by the scholarship. Not only that, the student is given funding for books and expenses, a monthly living stipend, a research allowance, and money to fly to conferences and even to travel home once a year.
“I ended up choosing Rockefeller University because I absolutely love research and this passion is really nurtured by the community at Rockefeller,” says Kubik. “I’m really interested in studying the physical principles that underlie biological systems, and Rockefeller is a great place to do this.”
Looks like Rockefeller is getting a very promising student!
