U of A Augustana

Meet Laticia Chapman-Rainway, postdoctoral scholar at Augustana’s Alberta Centre for Sustainable Rural Communities (ACSRC). At the ACSRC, Chapman-Rainway is following her passion for rural life with ethnographic studies of various aspects of small-town community across Canada.

"My childhood was spent in the Williams Lake area and the Kootenays, where no town is bigger than about 10,000 people, so my roots are very much in small communities. I think when I started my research that was probably my main motivation — to understand the place where I grew up. And then as I spent time in more rural communities, I realized that every place has its own story."

Learn more about Laticia and her research:

Meet Laticia Chapman-Rainway A Q+A with Laticia Chapman-Rainway, Postdoctoral scholar at Augustana’s Alberta Centre for Sustainable Rural Communities.

At tomorrow's free, online event in honour of National Indigenous Peoples Day, Superfan Magoo and the Magoo Crew will present an unforgettable hour of inspiration, story-telling and pure energy. Known for an unwavering commitment to spreading positivity and combating negativity, this session will bring a message of hope, teamwork and laughter.

You won't want to miss it! Learn more and register: https://www.ualberta.ca/en/events/augustana/alumni-events/augnipd.html

This event is offered in partnership with the University of Alberta Faculty of Education and the Jeanne & Peter Lougheed Performing Arts Centre.

National Indigenous Peoples Day: Superfan Magoo & Magoo Crew Let’s Go! Spreading Love, Positivity, and Resilience with Superfan Magoo featuring the Magoo Education Crew.

Next week, join us online for a FREE event in honour of National Indigenous Peoples Day! Superfan Magoo, alongside the Magoo Crew, will present an unforgettable hour of inspiration, story-telling and pure energy. Known for an unwavering commitment to spreading positivity and combating negativity, this session will bring a message of hope, teamwork, and laughter.

Learn more and register: https://www.ualberta.ca/en/events/augustana/alumni-events/augnipd.html

This event is offered in partnership with the University of Alberta Faculty of Education and the Jeanne & Peter Lougheed Performing Arts Centre.

National Indigenous Peoples Day: Superfan Magoo & Magoo Crew Let’s Go! Spreading Love, Positivity, and Resilience with Superfan Magoo featuring the Magoo Education Crew.

Congratulations to our Augustana students who are joining the University of Alberta class of 2026 today!

Augustana's convocation ceremony takes place today at 2:30 p.m., with the live stream starting at 2 p.m..

Learn more about convocation and access the live stream: https://www.ualberta.ca/en/convocation/index.html

CONVOCATION FEATURE | Ty Holmes, '26 BA

Coming from a small town, Ty Holmes was drawn to the size of the University of Alberta’s Augustana Campus and the opportunity to pursue a bachelor of arts in law, crime and justice studies — the perfect start towards his dream career in law. Currently working with the Métis Education Foundation, Ty reflects on his time at Augustana and how he was able to learn from engaging and caring lecturers, represent students through the Augustana Students' Association, and make connections with his peers (including his fiancée, who he met through his classes).

Learn more about Ty: https://www.ualberta.ca/en/augustana/news/2026/convocation/ty-holmes.html

CONVOCATION FEATURE | Dorian Park, '26 BMus

Dorian Park’s love of music grew throughout junior and high school in Camrose. Knowing he wanted to pursue those passions further upon entering university, Augustana's bachelor of music in performance-based pedagogy was a great fit! During his time on campus, Dorian helped start the Augustana Jazz Club, which performed their year-end concert this year at the Bailey Theatre in collaboration with École Camrose Composite High School. Looking forward, Dorian is planning to pursue a University of Alberta Faculty of Education after degree with a focus on wind band.

Learn more about Dorian: https://www.ualberta.ca/en/augustana/news/2026/convocation/dorian-park.html

CONVOCATION FEATURE | Stephanie Ejezie, '26 BSc

Stephanie Ejezie has always loved biology, and with her plan to pursue a medical degree, she decided Augustana’s integrative biology major would provide the strong foundation she needed. Drawn to Augustana for its close-knit environment, Stephanie was thrilled to discover the campus’s one-on-one interactions with professors, various opportunities to get involved, and ease of building meaningful friendships were exactly as she had imagined they would be. Following graduation, Stephanie plans to work, prepare for pursuing medical school and explore the opportunities her degree opens up.

Learn more about Stephanie: https://www.ualberta.ca/en/augustana/news/2026/convocation/stephanie-ejezie.html

CONVOCATION FEATURE | Leah Peters, '26 BSc/BEd

Leah Peters's desire to be a teacher and love for science led her to pursue a combined bachelor of science/bachelor of education program at Augustana. She loved the idea of the smaller classes, but ultimately was drawn to Augustana's interdisciplinary approach to learning through its core courses. As she recalls, “It was the only program in Alberta that enabled me to have a teachable major in biological sciences while minoring in social studies!” Her years at Augustana included unexpected opportunities working as a research assistant, and her years at the University of Alberta Faculty of Education involved participating in an event that informed and encouraged would-be teachers about living and teaching rurally.

Learn more about Leah: https://www.ualberta.ca/en/augustana/news/2026/convocation/leah-peters.html

CONVOCATION FEATURE | Justin Krewenchuk, '26 BMgt

Justin Krewenchuk has always been interested in business, so it was an easy choice for him to pursue the management and business economics program at Augustana. A forward and then a volunteer with the coaching team with University of Alberta Augustana Vikings men’s basketball, Justin’s post-secondary journey began at MacEwan University before he transferred to Augustana for his third year. Justin reflects fondly on the friends and connections he made on campus and in the community, his business policy and strategy capstone course, and the ways his education helped prepare him for his career. After graduation, Justin will be starting a role as an assistant project manager in northern Ontario.

Learn more about Justin: https://www.ualberta.ca/en/augustana/news/2026/convocation/justin-krewenchuk.html

Meet Brad Geddes, assistant lecturer in Augustana's management program. An Augustana grad, he brings more than 25 years of public service leadership experience to the classroom, with a varied background that includes modernizing major contact-centre operations and coordinating disaster recovery.

"At Augustana, management education goes beyond the boardroom — we learn how organizations shape communities, affect ecosystems and drive economies. In a deeply connected world, responsible leadership matters more than ever. The ability to lead people, co-ordinate teams and make decisions that affect others is a skill every graduate needs in any discipline. My work is to guide the next generation of leaders through that process."

Learn more about Brad and his work: https://www.ualberta.ca/en/augustana/news/2026/05/meet-brad-geddes.html