Melanie Rogers eagerly accepted the chance to return to Mount Royal University (MRU) in Calgary.
It wasn’t just the role of vice-president of university advancement at MRU that attracted her.
“It also was because I love Mount Royal and what it stands for. I was really excited to come back,” says Rogers, who started her external relations role at the Calgary post-secondary institution in June.
Before her return to MRU, Rogers held a similar position at another Edmonton post-secondary institution.
Her long history with Mount Royal — where she worked for nearly two decades — was a significant factor in her decision to come back.
“Its vision as a leading community-minded post-secondary really resonates with me,” says Rogers. “For an undergraduate university, it does a tremendous amount of community-engaged research, with both faculty and students, that is truly meaningful.”
Examples are many, including MRU’s Institute for Innovation and Entrepreneurship and its Institute for Community Prosperity, which facilitate collaborative, multidisciplinary research, affording learners hands-on experience on meaningful projects in the community.
“One of the cool things at our Institute for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, for example, is the LaunchPad program, helping students create businesses meeting community needs.”
Charter Beselt is one of those students. He founded Avis Solutions, which uses drones to help farmers map their fields to improve efficiency.
It’s not just one or even a handful of success stories. MRU’s 110,000-plus alumni are a testimony to the positive impact its education has on communities.
Since 1910, MRU has focused on providing education that helps graduates forge impactful careers, bettering the lives of others.
Today, it is a leader in developing curricula rich in work-integrated learning where “students go into the community to get practical knowledge, building on theory learned in the classroom,” says Rogers.
MRU’s faculty is also top-notch, being among Calgary’s thought leaders who address critical issues such as climate change and Indigenous reconciliation.
“Our president, faculty and students are out in the community, and we strive to invite the community onto our campus. This makes Mount Royal University a phenomenal place to be.”
This story was created by Content Works, Postmedia’s commerical content division, on behalf of Calgary Economic Development.