It has become an annual rite of spring for University of Lethbridge students and now, the broader community will have the opportunity to take in an enhanced online edition of the Last Lecture Series.
Presented annually by the University of Lethbridge Students’ Union (ULSU), the Last Lecture Series has become one of the most popular events of the academic year. It traditionally features three U of L professors talking about life lessons that cannot be learned in the classroom, posing the question to them, “If you could talk about just one thing for your last lecture, what would it be?”
This spring, with an in-person event not possible due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the ULSU is co-hosting with the student club PACT (philanthropy, advancement, community, traditions) and taking the event online. They have also expanded the lecturer list to an impressive eight speakers who represent a broad cross-section of disciplines from throughout campus. Celebrating a theme of adaptability, this impressive group will be online Friday, June 5 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. to present their individual thoughts on what adaptability means to them.
“With most end-of-semester events cancelled, we wanted an initiative that could bring the uLethbridge community together,” says Kierian Turner, one of the event organizers and a past PACT president. “The Last Lecture has always been important to students of the graduating class, so we prioritized moving to an online model so that students are still able to get that final takeaway. It was important to have a panel with diverse experiences and research backgrounds so that attendees have the opportunity to connect on a deeper level and have a more holistic experience.”
The speaker schedule is as follows:
Tony Montina (BSc '08, MSc '10) — Introduction
10 a.m. — Adam Letourneau (Dhillon School of Business) — Life can Wonderfully be a Series of Career Changes
10:30 a.m. — Dr. Robin Bright (BASc '79, BEd '82, MEd '88) (Faculty of Education) — Everything I Really Need to Know, I Learned in University
11 a.m. — Dr. Shannon Spenceley (BN '84) (Faculty of Health Sciences) — Strange Days - Thriving in Uncertain Times
11:30 a.m. — Dr. Janay Nugent (BA '95) (Department of History) — The Empowerment of Young People in Tumultuous Times
12 to 1 p.m. — Lunch Break
1 p.m. — Don McIntrye (Dhillon School of Business) — Tricksters & Butterflies: Belonging Beyond this Day
1:30 p.m. — Dr. Robbin Derry (Dhillon School of Business) — What to Hold onto When Everything is in Flux?
2 p.m. — Dr. Anne Dymond (Faculty of Fine Arts) — Is it Too Late to Switch my Major? Or How I Learned to Live with Doubt
2:30 p.m. — Dr. Bryan Kolb (Department of Neuroscience) — Adaptability and the Brain that Changes Itself
Tony Montina — Closing
“What I love about our speaker lineup is that each of these professors apply their personal experience and expertise to a theme that is relatable to everyone — adaptability,” adds Turner. “This lineup will truly demonstrate the importance of a liberal education and how you can apply your uLethbridge experience to the many ways you will have to adapt throughout your lifetime. We have world-class faculty, and we are excited to share a glimpse of that with our community.”
The Last Lecture is a book co-authored by Randy Pausch, detailing everything he wanted his children to know after he was diagnosed with a terminal illness. Pausch delivered his last lecture entitled Really Achieving Your Childhood Dreams as part of a lecture series where academics are challenged to think about what really matters to them and give a Last Lecture.
For more on The Last Lecture speakers, follow this link: uleth.ca/alumni/last-lecture. To join the event, check in at go.uleth.ca/LastLecture2020.