Dr. Judith Kulig

Health Sciences
Contact Information
Phone Number: 
(403) 382-7119
Email: 
kulig@uleth.ca
Link: 
Personal Research Page

Judith Kulig is a Professor in the Nursing Program within the Faculty of Health Sciences. Judith’s clinical background is in community health. She has worked with numerous multicultural groups including First Nations communities in Northern British Columbia and Alberta, Cambodian and Central American refugees and Conservative Mennonites.

Judith has devoted her research program to understanding rural health issues specifically addressing unique groups who live in rural areas, nursing practice in rural and remote Canada and community resiliency in rural communities. She has been funded by the three top Canadian funding agencies: the Canadian Health Services Research Foundation, the Canadian Institutes of Health Research and the Social Science and Humanities Research Council. Her research emphasizes community and decision maker involvement from its inception. In addition, she has implemented dissemination venues that reach the participants, residents and decision makers equally. Judith has published widely in multi-disciplinary journals and she has presented as a keynote speaker in Canada and Australia. Judith is Past Chair of the Canadian Rural Health Research Society for which she was one of the founding members.

What first piqued your interest in your research discipline?: 

Truly trying to understand the impact of being from a different culture and how it influenced the person’s beliefs and practices.  This was heightened by being interested in why communities were different in terms of their ability to work together and move forward.

How is your research applicable in “the real world”?: 

Because of my nursing background, I have always been able to tie my research to the real world of nursing and to pubic health.  The work I do with the Low German-speaking Mennonites, for example, has direct links with providing care to this group.  The work with wildfire communities informs us about public health policies regarding emergencies and disaster preparation and management, as well as, recovery.  The work on rural nursing has implications for health human resource development and capacity building.

 

What is the greatest honour you have received in your career?: 

One of my Mennonite Advisory Board members described me as follows: "Judith is not like other academics, she is humble."  That truly was the greatest compliment I could ever receive and it was an honor to receive it.  In terms of tangible honors, being chosen to receive the CARNA Nursing Excellence in Research Award was great.

How important are students to your research endeavours?: 

They are crucial. I love teaching them about the everyday world of the research process and how it plays out (or does not).  I hope that my passion rubs off on them.

If you had unlimited funds, which areas of research would you invest?: 

I would continue with my rural research and examine how rural nurses impact community resiliency, I would also conduct an international comparative study on wildfire communities and their recovery and finally I would continue research with Mennonites across Borders (so into South America, Belize, Mexico and all areas of Canada and the US).

 

 

In the news: 
  • "Researchers confirm Slave Lake shows community strength as wildfire recovery process continues." U of L noticeboard, September 20, 2012
  • "Kulig study a blueprint for recovery" Legend June 2011
  • "Slave Lake wildfire focus of Kulig research" UNews, University of Lethbridge
  • "U of L's Kulig a wildfire expert" UNews, University of Lethbridge
  • "Seeking to understand" Snapshot Faculty of Health Sciences Spring 2011 (see p.6)
  • "Kulig receives grant to study Mennonite attitudes" Legend May 2009
  • "Community resiliency and disaster response: What are the connections?" Snapshot Faculty of HealthSciences Spring 2009 (see p.4)
  • "Study looks at Pass residents' ability to rise from the ashes" Lethbridge Herald July 16, 2007
  • "Pass residents will prevail" Lethbridge Herald August 2, 2006
  • "Nursing research reveals shrinking numbers, shifts in work patterns for rural and remote nurses" Legend March 2005 (see p.4)
  • "Sense of belonging factor in good health: study" Lethbridge Herald October 4, 2004
  • "Small town living good for you?" Lethbridge Herald July 6, 2004
  • "Health report sounds alarm bells for women" Lethbridge Herald October 1, 2003
  • "Rural adversity, health linked: researcher" Lethbridge Herald April 9, 2003
  • "No Nurses?" Lethbridge Herald March 7, 2003
  • "U of L, U of C researchers to study rural youth violence" Legend October 2002 
  • "Mennonites returning to their roots" Lethbridge Herald May 19, 2002
  • "Decision not to immunize may be misinformed: study" Lethbridge Herald March 14, 2002 
  • "U of L awarded grant to study Kanadier Mennonites" Lethbridge Herald April 8, 2000
  • "Video bridges gap of cultural diversity" Lethbridge Herald February 18, 1993
  • "Learning by Living: Understanding Cambodian lives" Lethbridge Herald October 27, 1992