Coming Home - Dr. Richelle Marynowski
It is fitting that Richelle Marynowski left the University of Lethbridge as a student and returned as a professor.
From the time she was two years old, Richelle Marynowski experienced the University of Lethbridge as an extension of herself. Affectionately nicknamed “Rikki,” she accompanied her father, honorary doctorate recipient and former Member of Parliament Rick Casson, to work at campus Printing Services and became intimately familiar with the institution’s spaces and people.
“This really is my home,” she says. “I got involved in the community. I worked in the equipment room and as a cashier. I was also in the curling club. I spent 8 a.m. to midnight here every day.”
The Picture Butte, Alberta native was in Grade 3 when she set her sights on a career in Math education. After graduating from the U of L with a BEd in 1990, she worked in rural, urban, private, and outreach schools, and for Alberta Education. A strong interest in enhancing Math evaluation and assessment practices led to a master’s degree and then to a PhD.
It is fitting that Marynowski left the institution as a student and returned as a professor. “It’s interesting to come back as an adult to see how some things have changed and how some things have remained the same. Despite the growth, the campus still has that small and friendly atmosphere.”
Today Dr. Marynowski instructs future Math educators. She emphasizes the importance of getting to know students on an individual basis. “The best way to help a student is to facilitate more than one way of learning. Children have many ways of understanding.”
“Education doesn’t stand still,” adds Marynowski, who encourages her students to embrace change. “It’s an amazing time for education in Alberta. The opportunity for involvement is great.”
Marynowski’s research foci are teaching, learning, and assessment, particularly in the field of Mathematics. “There are so many ideas I want to explore. Now that I have my PhD, I can.”
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