Fall 2011 McMaster Times

THE NEWSMA G A Z IN E FO R M cMASTER UNIVERS ITY ALUMNI FALL 2 0 1 1

C L I M B I N G T O N E W H E I G H T S

A F O R U M F O R H E A LT H Y D E B AT E

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LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

MEET MCMASTER

ALUMNI DIRECTIONS

ALUMNI ALBUM

IN MEMORIAM

McMASTER WRITES

LAST WORD

DEPARTMENTS

UNIVERSITY NEWS

Meet McMasterPsychology professor Joe Kim ‘95, ‘00 talks about his roles as a teaching professor, director of the Pedagogy and Applied Cogni-tion Lab and as a member of the campus community dedicated to working on teaching and learning issues.

Climbing to new heightsAn innovative roster of new programs at McMaster is encouraging fi rst-generation students to attend university.

Changing hatsThese McMaster alumni have gone on to experience dynamic careers in multiple fi elds and the variation in their career paths might surprise you.

VOL. 26, NO. 2 - FALL 2011

THE NEW

SMAGAZIN

E FOR MCM

ASTER UNIVERSITY ALUM

NI

What is your favourite memory of McMaster? To celebrate McMaster’s upcoming 125th anniversary we are asking alumni to share their favourite people, places and things. See page 20.

Immunologist Mark Larche and his research team

have developed a vaccine to treat cat allergies.

See page 9.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper visited McMaster to announce the winners of the Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarships for 2011. See page 7.20

16

FEATURES

contents

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7ht tp : / /b i t . l y /VanierCanadaC H E C K I T O U T O N L I N E AT :

Wilson Building an investment in students

TEDx McMaster U

Downtown Health Campus

Innovator Awards

Investment in Indigenous Studies

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dailynews.mcmaster.ca4

Contributors

Gord Arbeau, Patrick Deane ‘11 (honorary), Michelle Donovan, Wade

Hemsworth ‘87, John Lavis, Bill McLean ‘90, Karen McQuigge ‘90, Pat

Morden, Erin O’Neil ‘08, Matt Terry ‘09

Advertising Sales

Sandra Rodwell

Offi ce of Public Relations

905-525-9140 ext. 24073

Offi cers, Alumni Association

Bill McLean ‘90, president; David Adames ‘92, past-president;

Mark Stewart ‘06, fi rst vice-president; Don Bridgman ‘78, fi nancial

advisor; Jennifer Kleven ’90, executive councillor; Candy Hui ‘04,

executive councillor; Sean Baker ‘09, executive councillor

Representatives to the University Senate

Ian Cowan ‘71,‘76; Peter Tice ‘72; Suzanne Craven ’73;

Dennis Souder ’70

Representatives to the University Board of Governors

Brian Bidulka ’87; Quentin Broad ’86; Lauren Cuddy ’80, ‘84;

David Lazzarato ’79; Howard Shearer ’77

McMaster Times is published two times a year (spring and fall) by the

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Association. It is sent free of charge to University alumni and friends.

Non-alumni subscriptions are available at $15 (Canada and U.S.A.) and

$20 (foreign). Please make cheques payable to McMaster University.

Ideas and opinions published in the McMaster Times do not necessarily

refl ect those of the editor, the McMaster Alumni Association or the

University. Letters and editorial contributions are welcomed. National

and local advertisers are invited.

Editorial communications:

McMaster Times, DTC 125

McMaster University, Hamilton, ON L8S 4L9

Tel: 905-525-9140, ext. 23662

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Publisher

Andrea Farquhar

Art Director

JD Howell ’04

Editor

Shelly Easton

On the CoverMcMaster grads wear many hats. Go to page 12 to learn how

the McMaster experience has helped alumni to make dramatic

changes in their careers and their lives.

THE NEWSMAGAZ INE FOR McMASTER UNIVERS ITY ALUMNI FALL 2011

C L I M B I N G T O N E W H E I G H T SA F O R U M F O R H E A LT H Y D E B AT E

LETT

ERS

TO T

HE E

DITO

R

Letters to the EditorThe tribute to Roger Trull ‘79 [A Legacy of Leadership, Spring

2011] was very well done, but I note a small correction. In the

sidebar list of his awards, the 2011 entry was cited as the MSU

Lifetime Achievement Award. In fact, it was the MSU Alumni

Association Lifetime Achievement Award for Leadership. Th e

award is presented by the MSUAA, which is an affi nity branch

of the McMaster Alumni Association, composed of former MSU

student leaders. Th e award is given to a graduate who exhibited

superior leadership, fi rst as a McMaster student and again in

their career, or in the community, following graduation.

Geoff Ritchie ‘95

MSUAA Executive Member

MSU President ‘96/’97

What a delightfully easy way to go through the magazine,

knowing that you are also saving paper! You have the best of

both possible worlds here, a fl ip book to skim through and read

what you want right away, and a PDF version for more leisurely

reading later. Th anks.

William Sturgess ’51, ’86 (honorary)

Editor’s Note: Th is letter is in reference to the new online fl ip

book format of the Times. You can access the current and past

issues in fl ip book format at bit.ly/McMasterTimes.

Corrections

Due to an editing error in the last issue, there was a reference to

Second World War trench maps. Th e reference should have been

to First World War trench maps.

Th e Spring 2011 McMaster Times was incorrectly identifi ed as

Vol. 23, No.2. It was Vol. 26, No. 1.

This paper has been certifi ed to meet the environmental and social standards of the Forest Stewardship Council® (FSC®)and comes from fi bres from responsible sources, and verifi ed recycled sources.


How do you create leaders? There isn’t just one answer

to that question, but if we want to strengthen our society,

it is important that we find as many ways as we can to help

young people develop leadership potential.

McMaster alumni Sam McNutt ‘91, ‘92 & ‘05

(honorary), Lisa Mattam ‘97, ‘01, Tony Valeri ‘79 and

David Williamson ‘83 are just a few of the leaders you’ll

find highlighted in this edition of the Alumni Album.

They are representative of the thousands of McMaster

alumni who continue to have tremendous impact in their

fields of expertise and in their communities.

Current students are anxious to follow in their footsteps,

and I’m anxious to make sure that as many as possible

have the opportunity to be leaders on campus and in the

broader community.

We already have a stellar example of how to make such a

program work. The Bachelor of Health Sciences program

includes a fourth-year course called Peer Tutoring and

Collaboration. The work for the course doesn’t begin in

an undergraduate’s final year. It begins in year one when

students develop their own goals and objectives enabling

them to grow as leaders and members of a team.

Students then gather leadership experience on campus

by mentoring other students, for example, or in the

broader community, where they often volunteer in food

banks, shelters and schools. Each year they continue this

work and when they reach fourth year they register for the

course and compare their leadership objectives with what

they’ve experienced. It’s self-directed learning, inquiry and

community engagement at its best.

There are other examples on campus where programs

have found their own way of providing this sort of

experience for students. But imagine the potential that

would be unleashed if all undergraduate students had such

an opportunity to experience the rush of knowing that

they are making a difference in their community.

It’s an ambitious goal. But McMaster has always been

willing to be a leader. It’s one of the reasons why we have

again been ranked among the top 100 universities in

the world. We continue to be one of only four Canadian

universities to earn this distinction in the annual Shanghai

Jiao Tong University rankings.

This fall, people across the University will be spending

considerable time discovering how to develop further

our tradition of innovative learning and community

involvement. We hope our alumni are a part of that

discussion and the evolution of McMaster as one of

Canada’s leading teaching and research universities.

Patrick Deane ‘11 (honorary)

President, McMaster University

LEADING POTENTIAL

PRESIDENT’S M

ESSAGE

McMaster President Patrick Deane, pictured here at Gore Park in downtown Hamilton, is a fervid proponent of enhancing the University’s focus on innovative learning and com-munity involvement.

JD H

owell


A $45.5-million investment by the Ontario government will allow

McMaster to build a major new liberal arts building that will be used by

more than half the entire student body and improve access to education for

under-represented groups such as Aboriginal people, Crown wards and fi rst-

generation students. Th e Minister of Training, Colleges and Universities,

John Milloy, made the announcement with Minister Sophia Aggelonitis and

MPP Ted McMeekin.

“I know that I speak for everyone when I say how grateful we are to the

province for making this exciting announcement,” said President Patrick

Deane. “It is a signifi cant investment in Hamilton and our region.”

Th e Wilson Building for Studies in Humanities and Social Sciences will

feature a wide range of fl exible spaces for teaching, learning, research and

performance, all equipped with cutting-edge technology. At least 13,000

students will use the building, including students from all of McMaster’s six

faculties. Th e building will create space for 1,275 more students on campus,

in keeping with the province’s post-secondary attainment goals.

bit.ly/McMasterPresident

As part of ongoing efforts to keep the McMaster community informed and engaged, Patrick Deane launched an online video series, “This month with the President.”

NEWSLINE What has happened since the last issue...

UNIV

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MARCH 2011FEB 2011

McMaster’s dream of a downtown health campus gath-

ered momentum this summer.

Th e McMaster Health Campus will be a hub for students,

teaching, patient care and research. It will allow up to

15,000 Hamiltonians from across the city now without a

doctor to have a family physician. Th e City will also relo-

cate some of its public health services and clinics at the site.

Th e Campus will see up to 54,000 patient visits every year

and bring 4,000 McMaster students downtown to partici-

pate in classes, training and events. It will be home to 450

McMaster employees and create 650 jobs during design and

construction. At the time of publication the University was

continuing negotiations with the Hamilton-Wentworth

School Board for its property at Main and Bay Streets for

the health campus.

A class of fi rst-year women’s studies students hosted a

stop on the Stephen Lewis Foundation’s Grandmothers to

Grandmothers speaking tour in the spring. A grandmother

and granddaughter from South Africa (above) came to Mc-

Master to speak about how HIV/AIDS aff ects their com-

munity. Th is coming February, Canadian journalist, writer

and activist Michelle Landsberg will be on campus to speak

about feminism, being a grandmother and the Grandmoth-

ers to Grandmothers campaign.

Grandmas at Mac

bi t . l y /L ibera lAr ts

C H E C K I T O U T O N L I N E AT :

Wilson Building an investment in students

JD H

owell

SLF/Alexis M

acDonald

A McMaster student group launched the University’s

annual TEDx program with a weekend conference. Stu-

dents, professors and University administrators gave

unique Ted talks on a wide range of topics. Learn more

and watch the TEDx McMaster U talks at:

bit.ly/TEDxMcMasterU

Downtown Health Campus


Experiential Ed turns 10Over the last 10 years, the

Faculty of Social Sciences

has enriched its undergradu-

ate programs with unique ap-

proaches to classroom learn-

ing in several popular expe-

riential education courses.

UNIVERSITY N

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Innovator AwardsThe McMaster Innovator Awards were presented as part of the McMaster In-novation Showcase. Winners included Jack Gauldie ’64, ’11 (honorary) and Mick

Bhatia ’92.

APRIL 2011 MAY 2011 JUNE 2011

bit.ly/MacVoteMob bit.ly/MacInnovator

bi t . l y /VanierCanada

C H E C K I T O U T O N L I N E AT :

McMaster alumnus Adam Felesky ’99 has given $750,000 to

directly benefi t MBA students in the DeGroote School of Business

and prepare them for a career in fi nancial services. Th e Horizons

Exchange Traded Funds CEO made the gift to create a scholarship,

a lecture series and a Burlington campus trading fl oor.

Local philanthropist Murray Hogarth and his company Pioneer Pe-

troleums are supporting business and entrepreneurial students. Th e

$312,500 gift will be used to endow a new Pioneer Petroleums On-

tario Graduate Scholarship and to support the development of the

state-of-the-art Pioneer Petroleums Lecture Th eatre in the DeGroote

School of Business’ Ron Joyce Centre in Burlington.

Canadian orchestra conductor Boris Brott has donated his per-

sonal archives to McMaster. Th e collection includes recordings,

correspondence, fi les, photographs and materials that date back

to his childhood. Brott served as music director of the Hamilton

Philharmonic Orchestra from 1969 to 1990. He has conducted all

over the world and is currently the conductor and music director of

the National Academy Orchestra of Canada.

Global health care company Abbott has donated funds to cre-

ate an endowed education chair in rheumatology, which will be

equally funded by the Department of Medicine in the Michael G.

DeGroote School of Medicine. Th e inaugural chair is McMaster

rheumatologist and clinical professor Dr. Alfred Cividino.

Felesky gift boosts business

Pioneering support for students

Conductor’s archives music to library

Rheumatology education chair established

INVESTING IN MCMASTER

McMaster students participated in a national wave of student vote mobs in the lead-up to the federal election on May 2. See the CBC report here:

JD H

owell

Prime Minister Stephen Harper made his fi rst visit to McMaster campus on Aug. 3 to announce the winners of the prestigious Vanier

Canada Graduate Scholarships for 2011. Th e federal government established the awards in 2009 to attract and retain world class doctoral

students. Each of the 167 recipients of this year’s scholarships, including six from McMaster, will receive $50,000 a year for up to three

years. Above: Prime Minister Harper and President Patrick Deane speak with scholarship winner Carolina Alba.

PM visits Mac


Development director honoured Lorna Somers ’81,

’85 is the 2011 and

first Canadian re-

cipient of the Frank

L. Ashmore Award

for Service to CASE

and the Advancement

Profession. Somers

is McMaster’s director of development and

Engineer grad wins goldCivil engineering

graduate Erica Barnes

’11 won the 2011 Gold

Medal Student Award

from Engineers Can-

ada in recognition of

her focus on sustain-

ability and dedication

to creating change

during her undergraduate years.

Rookie makes national swim team

Konrad Bald, McMaster’s Rookie of the Year,

was selected to the Canadian national swim

team for the North American Challenge Cup

in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico in August. The

18-year-old swimmer is 6-foot-6 and special-

izes in breaststroke. He hopes to eventually

make it to the Olympics.

Bringing Brockhouse back to Mac

The Canadian Association of Physicists award-

ed its Brockhouse Medal to Bruce Gaulin ’86.

The medal is named for eminent professor

Bertram Brockhouse, who was awarded the

1994 Nobel Prize for physics. Brockhouse

died in 2003. Gaulin is no stranger to Brock-

house’s name – he is director of McMaster’s

Brockhouse Institute for Materials Research

and is the Brockhouse Chair in the Physics

of Materials in the Department of Physics &

Astronomy.

Canadian Medical Hall of Fame

University professor

and Brain-Body

Institute Director

Dr. John Bienenstock

is one of six 2010

inductees to the

Canadian Medical

Hall of Fame.

Bienenstock’s

landmark studies in pathology and molecular

medicine have fostered an improved

understanding of how the nervous and

immune systems communicate with one

another.

Mac grads make top 40 under 40 Three alumni were included in the Globe and

Mail’s list of the top 40 Canadians under the

age of 40. Karen Bakker ’95, of the Arts &

Science Program, is director of the Program

on Water Governance and a UBC associate

professor. Commerce graduate Naman Budhdeo

’96 is the founder and CEO of Flightnetwork.

com, Canada’s second most visited online travel

agency. Brian Coombes ’97, ’02 is an assistant

professor in the Department of Biochemistry

& Biomedical Sciences and a member of the

Michael G. DeGroote Institute for Infectious

Disease Research.

UNIV

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AWARDS & HONOURS

For many McMaster administrators, a visit from Donald M. Shepherd was like a visit

from Santa Claus. A generous donor to the University, Shepherd would insist on personal-

ly delivering his cheques into the hands of his thankful beneficiaries. The professor emeri-

tus in classics, who died in August 2010, extended his generosity with a planned gift to

the University of $2 million. The gift will support Mills Memorial Library, the McMaster

Museum of Art, the Faculty of Humanities and the Department of Classics.

Researchers in the School of Geography & Earth Sciences and the Department of

Chemistry have received nearly $2.2-million to examine important environmental pro-

cesses in Alberta’s oil sands. Syncrude Canada Ltd. recruited the team, led by Lesley War-

ren, to investigate bacterial sulfur reactions occurring in byproducts of the oil sand ex-

traction process. Syncrude will invest more than $1.14-million in the three-year research

project, with an additional $1.05-million from a Collaborative Research & Development

grant from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC). The re-

search could help speed up the land reclamation process for Syncrude, one of Canada’s

largest oil companies.

Philanthropist Paul MacPherson ‘57, ‘10 (honorary), a passionate supporter of students,

education and the arts at McMaster, gave $2 million to establish the Paul R. MacPher-

son Chair in Indigenous Studies and the Paul MacPherson Teaching Fellowships in the

Centre for Leadership in Learning. He has also given an expansive collection of nearly

50 important works by artists of the Woodland School to the McMaster Museum of Art.

MacPherson also presented a rare ancient white pine wood bowl created by artisan Don

Thur. The wood dates back more than 8,000 years to the end of the last ice age. The pre-

cious artifact will be displayed at Thode Library.

Thirteen regional construction organizations have pledged

more than $1.25 million to establish a chair in heavy con-

struction at McMaster. Saiedeh Razavi will be the inaugural

chair holder. She comes to McMaster from Concordia

University and will hold an academic appointment in the

Department of Civil Engineering as well as with the

McMaster-Mohawk Bachelor of Technology civil engineer-

ing technology program.

Bequest supports Library, Museum and Humanities

Syncrude supports oil sands research

Heavy construction chair created

Indigenous studies, teaching fellowships supported

Investing in McMaster continued

has been an active member of the Council for

the Advancement and Support of Education

(CASE) for more than 15 years. Throughout

her career, she has shared her expertise at more

than 40 conferences across four continents. She

has also played a key role in building a culture

of philanthropy in Africa through her work

as mentor and teacher as part of a partnership

between CASE and the Carnegie Corporation

of New York.


Under Rice LakeLisa Sonnenburg, a

School of Geography

& Earth Sciences

instructor, has turned

up evidence of hu-

man activity that has

been submerged since

Rice Lake covered it

thousands of years ago.

Using extracted core samples, Sonnenburg

and her team discovered microdebitage, or

the accumulation of tiny flakes of stone chips,

indicating that tool-making took place on the

land now at the bottom of the lake.

Tiny worms,

big jobMcMaster researchers

are using a $450,000

grant from the Col-

laborative Health

Research Projects

program to test drugs

for the treatment of

Parkinson’s disease on

thousands of tiny worms. They are using new

technology created at the University to assess

the effects of more than 500 drug compounds

on nematodes – tiny worms that are almost

invisible to the naked eye, but which share

more than 50 per cent of their DNA with

humans.

Stem cell specificsA new discovery by McMaster researchers

shows how human stem cells turn into more

specialized cell types, such as neural or blood

cells. The research team, led by Mick Bhatia

‘92, discovered that stem cells have a preferred

specialization, such as becoming blood cells,

and are stronger if put to this purpose. The re-

search, nearly five years in the making, shows

that the preference of human stem cells is

encoded by how their DNA is arranged, and

this can be detected by specific proteins on the

surface of the stem cells. Common scientific

belief has been that all stem cells have equal

potential to become all types of cells.

New radiation standards Interim results of a

new study show that

additional radiation

treatment improves

survival rates and de-

creased recurrence of

breast cancer in some

women. The study was

led by Dr. Timothy J.

Whelan and looked

at more than 1,800

women who had been treated with breast-

conserving surgery followed by chemotherapy

or endocrine therapy. A five-year follow-up

showed 30 per cent improvement in disease-

free survival.

UNIVERSITY N

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RESEARCH NEWS Mapping McMaster’s reach McMaster faculty and students are all around

the world, studying abroad, competing in-

ternationally, performing groundbreaking

research and working toward solutions to

some of the world’s most pressing issues. Read

about the work they’re doing in our own

backyard and across the globe on McMaster’s

interactive map: bit.ly/MacMap

Feline vaccineA team of McMaster

researchers has devel-

oped a vaccine to treat

cat allergies. Led by

immunologist Mark

Larche, the research

team created the vac-

cine by isolating a

protein in cat fur that

causes most allergic reactions. The team is

now using the same process to create vaccines

for house dust mites, ragweed, grass, birch

trees and mould.

It’s all in the voiceA study from the Department of Psychology,

Neuroscience & Behaviour links voice pitch

to perceived infidelity. Researchers found that

women believe that the lower a man’s voice,

the more likely it is he will cheat. Conversely,

they found that men believe women with

higher voices are more likely to be unfaithful.

Knowing in your gutMcMaster researchers have discovered that

the bacteria in our guts can influence the

development of psychiatric illness and meta-

bolic disorders like obesity and diabetes. The

research was conducted by Jane Foster at the

Brain-Body Institute. She hopes that the dis-

covery could lead to therapies that target the

body, free of complications related to current

psychiatric treatments. McMaster research-

ers Stephen Collins and Premysl Bercik have

also conducted research that suggests bacteria

residing in the gut influence brain chemistry

and behaviour.

Mating mammothsA DNA-based study out of McMaster’s an-

thropology and biology departments suggests

that the woolly mammoth mated with a com-

pletely different and much larger species. The

research team sequenced the complete genome

of two mammoths discovered in Utah and

Wyoming and compared the sequences to the

genome of a previously discovered mammoth.

The comparison showed two different species,

suggesting that mammoths interbred.

Scoping Stoney Creek soldiersAnthropologist Megan Brickley is using high-tech equipment to analyze the events of the

Battle of Stoney Creek during the War of 1812. The remains of soldiers killed in the battle

were unearthed in 1998 and Brickley is studying the skeletons with a $15-million state-of-

the-art electron microscope and other sophisticated imaging technology. Her research will

reveal information about the health, nationality, age and gender of the soldiers.


What is your role at McMaster?

I am a teaching professor. I teach Introduction

to Psychology. It’s a gigantic course – about

5,000 students enrol in an academic year. I

also direct the Pedagogy and Applied Cogni-

tion Lab, and this research is directly linked

to my teaching. I’m investigating what condi-

tions lead to effective teaching and learning

and how to use learning technology to help

that process. And I can give you a hint: it’s

not “death by bullet points!”The third part of

my job is working with various groups across

campus on teaching and learning issues.

You recently redesigned the Introduction

to Psychology course. Tell us about your

approach.

I think that in designing a course, you have to

honour the face-to-face time. You also have to

consider the role of the instructor. They have

all this knowledge and experience. It’s a waste

of time to have them just say “Okay, now

memorize this, this, this.” The actual context

and stories and experiences that they can

share are much more valuable.

Introduction to Psychology is different

from every other course on campus. We use

what we call a blended learning model. We

moved all the facts, theories and terms into

interactive web lectures. Then we have tuto-

rial groups with only 25 students each, led by

teaching assistants who take a course with me

called Educational Psychology. The final com-

ponent is one weekly lecture that I deliver. My

goal is to give a colloquium – an interesting,

engaging talk that builds on the foundational

information established in the web lectures

and tutorials. I even have some students who

bring their parents to my lectures.

Why did you choose McMaster as a

student and what made you come back

to McMaster?

I really loved the campus. I loved the people

who I met, and that really drew me. What

also drew me back was this specific position. I

was one of the first teaching professors hired.

It’s so forward-thinking, having a faculty

member whose focus is on teaching. I think

it’s a great thing. McMaster is really ahead of

the curve. Parents love hearing that most of

my career merit is determined by my teaching

and how well I’m doing at it. That’s who they

want taking care of their students.

Who are your mentors?

One is Shep Siegel ‘08 (honorary), who was

my grad supervisor. He gave amazing feed-

back and really cared about my career progress

and development. I learned a lot from him.

He’s my role model for how I am as a grad su-

pervisor myself, now that I supervise two grad

students. The other is Dick Day ‘77. He ran

Introduction to Psychology for many years,

and I took over from him in 2007. I talk to

him all the time. There’s always something

new I learn from him. He has great insight,

and he’s the most patient person I’ve ever met.

He actually hired me as a TA for Introduction

to Psychology when I was in my undergrad.

The field of teaching and learning seems

to be constantly evolving. Why?

I think there’s a lot of interest growing in

pedagogy research because, for the most part,

we’re stuck in the same old ways. But it’s im-

portant to rigorously test out new ideas. It’s

easy to have theory, but actually implement-

ing it properly and thoughtfully takes a lot

of research time. Whether or not a new idea

is effective depends on how it’s implemented.

New pedagogical ideas are often related to

learning technology, but we need to consider

how it can be used to really engage students. I

think the key with learning technology is not

just using technology for the sake of technol-

ogy, but using it thoughtfully.

Why is lifelong learning important, and

what role does the University play in life-

long learning?

It’s important for continued intellectual stim-

ulation, for things such as memory and atten-

tion. Being engaged makes you a more active

person – physically and intellectually.

We run a Discover Psychology lecture series

that was created specifically for a general

public audience. The lectures are designed

to be really interesting and engaging. They

run on Friday afternoons during the school

year. They’re free and we film them so they’re

downloadable on iTunes.

We really get a wide selection of people that

come out to these talks, and people have so

many interesting questions. The professors

like giving the talks because they’re looking

back at an audience of people who are really

interested. I think this sort of public outreach

program is really important and a key part of

a university community.

What are you most looking forward

to this year?

We’ve just revamped our Level II honours

psychology program, which is a huge deal. It’s

been years in the planning and we’re debuting

it this year. We have a course called Integrated

Psychology, Neuroscience and Behaviour that

covers topics from across all three major areas

in our department, so we have three different

faculty members. Every two weeks there’s a

different module looked at from these three

perspectives. Part of what I think will be the

magic of this course is seeing these three fac-

ulty members interact and maybe even debate.

I think that’s really good behaviour to model

for students. Things aren’t cut and dry in sci-

ence; things are debatable and there are differ-

ent perspectives.

TEACHING TO LEARN

Joe Kim ’95, ’00 doesn’t get much rest

throughout his work day. The Mac alumnus-

turned-teaching professor keeps himself busy

reinventing teaching and learning at the Uni-

versity. But even during down time in his of-

fice, Kim doesn’t actually sit – he stands. “I

do my best thinking this way,” he says, flick-

ing a switch to demonstrate that his tall desk

is motorized to lower to sitting level, a con-

venient option for the rare occasion when he

needs to rest his feet. Kim recently stood and

shared his experiences about working, teaching

and learning at McMaster.

MEE

T M

cMAS

TER

Sample web lecture for Introduction to Psychology: http://intropsych.net Discover Psychology public lecture series: http://www.discoverpsychology.ca


FAVOURITE McMaster Things

Mentor(s):

Shep Siegel, Dick Day.

Transportation to work:

Bike. I like having built-in exercise. Sometimes I’ll

walk.

Building on campus:

The student centre. There’s always activity there

and it’s a great meeting space.

Place to eat on campus:

Coffee at MoMac. Bridges for food.

Place to eat off-campus:

La Luna. They have the best tabbouli.

Time of year on campus:

Fall. It’s an exciting time. It’s energized.

Place to do your best thinking:

Here. I like my office.

Student resource on campus:

Student Success Centre. There are all these re-

sources out there to help students that they might

not know about or don’t think they need.

JD H

owell


JD H

owell


CHANGIN

G HATS

Janet Lewis ’96 graduated in kinesiology, taught English in Korea,

trained as a teacher, worked in an e-learning start-up, and launched her

own online retail business. “At some point in time,” she says, “if you

want to be fulfi lled, you have to be willing to take risks and try new

things.”

Lewis is one of many Mac grads whose career paths have surprising

twists and turns. It’s a growing trend. More and more people are mov-

ing through multiple and diverse jobs in the course of their working

lives. Th e numbers are

not precise – estimates

range from two to 19

diff erent jobs per person–

but it’s clear that the days

of graduating from uni-

versity and spending the

next 40 years with the

same company are over.

According to a recent U.S. study, only 10 per cent of employees have

spent 20 years or more with the same employer, and 23 per cent have

spent less than 12 months.

Th e reasons are many. Some careers evolve or simply disappear as

technology moves forward, and markets ebb and fl ow. New careers

are being created: one study estimates that 65 per cent of children in

preschool today will be employed in jobs that don’t yet exist. Catherine

Maybrey, McMaster’s alumni career coach, notes that more companies

are hiring contract workers and fewer are off ering pensions, making the

decision to move on easier. “It’s a global economy,” she adds. “Jobs are

shifting to diff erent locations. It’s harder than ever to have one single

career.”

As often as not, a change in career refl ects a change in family situa-

tion or a lifestyle choice. It can be a way to realize a childhood dream

or live a personal passion.

For many, it’s about seiz-

ing opportunities when

they present themselves

and taking risks when the

rewards are great.

What can Mac gradu-

ates do to thrive in the

new world of multiple ca-

reers? “You have to keep learning,” says Maybrey. “It could be through

formal education, or informally through mentoring. If your skills are

outdated, you won’t be able to move forward.”

Th e McMaster Times spoke to six alumni who seized opportunities,

took risks, and donned several diff erent hats in pursuit of their dreams.

Here are their stories:

Changing HatsWinding career paths are the new norm.

What advice do McMaster alumni have for today’s graduates?

Seize the opportunities!

David Robinson ’91, ’02

Family medicine > Sports medicine

Carla Sorowka ’06, ’08

Business manager > Academic

administrator

“… if you want to be fulfi lled,

you have to be willing to take

risks and try new things.”

by Pat Mordenphotography by JD Howell ‘04


CHAN

GIN

G HA

TS

Janet Lewis ‘96

A kinesiology student and stand-out varsity volleyball player, Janet

Lewis dreamed of becoming a university coach. When she tore her

ACL in her fi nal year, everything changed. She spent two and a

half years teaching English as a second language in Korea, and then

enrolled in education at the University of Toronto. A placement in

corporate training at the Bank of Montreal led to a job with a start-up

e-learning company.

Lewis had found her passion. She loved what technology could do

and embraced its challenges. At the same time, she was exploring her

artistic side by making jewellery in partnership with her sister. Th ey

sold their work at trade shows, a process that seemed to Lewis anti-

quated in the digital age. “Trade shows are so much work. Some of

them are more than worth it, others are terrible.” She decided there

must be a better way.

Th at thought led to the creation of orangefi sh.ca, a company that

retails unique handcrafted gift and fashion items online. Lewis started

in 2006 by selling a selection of products at trade shows, gathering

information about consumer preferences and pricing. Th e website

debuted in 2007 and underwent a major re-design in 2010. Today the

membership base is nearly 4,000 and growing steadily.

Lewis says her time at Mac, and especially her experience as a var-

sity athlete, has been useful throughout her diverse careers. “I learned

about the communication and discipline required to be part of a

team,” she says. “I also learned the value of being frank and open.”

Lewis urges today’s graduates to, “Never do something because

somebody else thinks you should.” She adds: “Whatever path you’re

on, when other opportunities arise, consider taking them.”

Shean Stacey ‘91

As a rough-and-tumble kid growing up in North Vancouver, Shean

Stacey was patched up many times at the local hospital emergency de-

partment. He dreamed of becoming a doctor, but it was only a dream

– his family was of modest means and university seemed out of reach.

Instead he became a long-distance truck driver, then a lab technician

in a high-tech explosives plant, and then a member of the RCMP.

Still drawn to his childhood dream, he explored the McMaster med-

ical program. During a visit to campus, he met with a counsellor who

told him that while medical school might be a stretch, he should con-

sider nursing. He took the advice.

It wasn’t easy for Stacey and his wife. “When we fi rst moved to

Hamilton there was a store that made 22-inch pizzas,” he recalls. “We

would live off one of those pizzas for a week!” He worked in the hospi-

tal to pay for his studies, racking up nearly 10,000 hours of seniority

by the time he graduated.

After Mac he worked as a nurse for a year and then at the age of 35

was accepted into medicine at the University of Calgary. Today he is

an anesthesiologist at Foothills Medical Centre. “I love what I do,” he

says. “I have an unseemly amount of fun at work.”

Stacey says his unusual career path was motivated by a burning desire

to realize his potential. “I was trying to climb out of a rut that I didn’t

want to get stuck in for the rest of my life,” he says. “I felt there was

more I could do.”

He knows there are many young people eager to follow in his foot-

steps into medicine. “You have to develop a strong vision of yourself

doing what you want to do,” he says. “At the same time it makes sense

to have a good back-up plan.”

Tom Wolfe ‘94

As a teenager growing up in the “wilds of Mississauga,” Tom Wolfe was

fascinated by a photograph of a man climbing a B.C. mountain that

appeared on the cover of a Mountain Equipment Co-op (MEC) cata-

logue. Wolfe was inspired. While in Mac’s Arts & Science Program, he

spent every summer planting trees and climbing mountains in western

Canada. Th e day he fi nished his last exam, he moved to Canmore,

planning to become a certifi ed mountain guide.

Life intervened. His wife Deb suff ered a miscarriage, and he decided

that guiding didn’t fi t with family life. He completed a bachelor of

education at the University of Calgary and began working with the

Stoney Education Authority, a group of First Nations schools west of

Calgary. Although his teaching subject was English, the schools needed

help with their computer systems. He had a talent and interest in tech-

nology and by 2006 found himself working solely in IT, for the school

board and as an independent consultant.

Two years ago, Wolfe decided it was the right time to pursue his

original dream. He took a year off work and completed the rigorous

international certifi cation for mountain guiding. Th e man who handed

Wolfe his certifi cate was the same one who appeared on the MEC

cover many years earlier.

Wolfe loves the variety in his job, which involves everything from

mountain climbing with a group of young people in the warm summer

sun, to guiding a single climber across the Columbia ice fi elds in snow.

“As a guide I work with some very well-educated and successful people

who spend a lot of money for a brief experience of the sort I have all the

time,” he says. “I’m not suggesting they’d prefer to have my life, but

there is huge value in doing something you love.”

Hedie Epp ‘81

Hedie Epp was working as a registered nurse at a community health

centre in Winnipeg in the late 1970s. Th e centre needed more nurse

practitioners, but in those early days they were hard to fi nd. Epp sug-

gested that she be sent to McMaster to do the training. To her surprise,

her boss agreed.

When the program was complete, she returned to Manitoba, work-

ing at the centre and on northern reserves. Th en in the course of three

years, she experienced three devastating bereavements – a murder, an

accidental death and a suicide, all aff ecting people close to her. While

she was working her way through the grieving process, she noticed

a job listing for an investigator with the medical examiner’s offi ce in

Winnipeg.

Th e medical examiner’s offi ce investigates all deaths that occur out-

side a hospital – car crashes, homicides, suicides, deaths at home and at

work – and all children’s deaths. Investigators decide when an autopsy

is required and work closely with families during the fi rst days and

weeks of bereavement.


Epp began to realize that grieving families often don’t have the sup-

port they need. “Non-grieving people have no idea about the length

of grief or intensity of devastation caused by a sudden death,” she says.

She started a consulting business to educate people working in support

systems about the realities of death and grief. Now retired, she con-

tinues to work in the fi eld.

Epp says her diverse career is linked by a focus on crisis and caring,

and a willingness to take opportunities as they present themselves. “Be

open to challenges,” she advises fellow graduates. “Don’t be afraid to

change what you’re doing. I’ve taken some risks, and the experience has

been phenomenal.”

Farhan Lalji ‘00

When Farhan Lalji started

his degree in kinesiology, he was

planning to become a doctor. One day

the professor in his sports psychology class

asked if anyone could help him put his notes up

on the internet. Lalji volunteered. Th e following year

he did an internship with the Ontario Physical Health and

Education Association, helping build websites and electronic

communications.

He liked the work but it was hard to fi nd a job in Canada, in an

industry still dominated by engineers. During a vacation in London,

England, he began to see more opportunities. When he accidentally

missed his fl ight home, he decided to stay.

Lalji did contract work for international media company Saatchi &

Saatchi, and then joined start-up company pixelpark as a designer and

developer. From there it was on to Casenove and Co., an investment

bank, and fi nally to Precedent Communications as a consultant and

director of business development. Along the way, he completed an

MBA part-time at the London Business School.

After a stint with Yahoo that took him to the new European head-

quarters in Switzerland, Lalji felt he was ready to launch his own online

business. Ad Avengers is an application that helps agencies compare

diff erent advertising channels and make informed decisions about

where to spend their budget. Th e application launched in July 2011.

Lalji says his time at McMaster helped him develop resilience, in-

dependence and a basic understanding of many subjects. Perhaps most

important, it gave him a chance to discover his passion for technology.

“Th e world is a diff erent place than it was 20 years ago,” Lalji says.

“Because of technology, there are lots of opportunities that didn’t exist

then. You have to be open to change and opportunity. And you have to

be passionate about what you’re doing.”

Paul Beckwith ’84, ‘86

When Paul Beckwith was a child, his hero was oceanographer Jacques

Cousteau. But growing up in Oakville, Ontario, there wasn’t much

opportunity to explore the sea and he turned to other scientifi c inter-

ests. Today as a PhD student in climatology, Beckwith is taking core

samples of the ocean fl oor to help understand the impact of carbon in

the Earth’s atmosphere.

After degrees in engineering physics and laser physics at Mac, Beck-

with spent two years working at an aerospace research centre in Cali-

fornia, and then returned to Canada and a job at an Ottawa-based laser

company. His career path took its fi rst turn when he was laid off and

his father died of lung cancer. He settled in Oakville for a time and

pursued his interest in chess. Soon he was working as an administrator

at Toronto’s Chess ‘n Math Association, teaching children, and com-

peting nationally and internationally.

Ready to get back into science but disillusioned with poor funding

for research in Canada, Beckwith became a software tester and then a

product manager with companies growing rapidly in the tech boom.

When the bust came, he once again found himself considering his op-

tions.

Along the way, Beckwith had developed a passionate interest in the

issue of climate change, both from the scientifi c and political perspec-

tives. “Our climate is undergoing huge change,” he says. “Every time

there’s a projection based on computer modeling or simulations, what

actually happens exceeds it.” He started a PhD in physics and then

decided to pursue the subject that mattered most to him, joining the

climatology program at the University of Ottawa. He plans to teach

and do research in the academic world, while continuing to advocate

for better public policy. “I fi nd it all fascinating,” he says. “I told my

wife that I think I may have fi nally found what I want to do with my

life!”

CHANGIN

G HATS

Tom Venner ’81, ’91Biochemistry > Financial planning

Millie Zhou ’05Teacher > Author

Robert Remedios ’74Auditor > Online entrepreneur

Duncan Sanderson ’77

Physical education > Sociology

Rami Reda ’07Retail manager > Award-winning entrepreneur

Tony Di Emanuele ’00

Business development > Health sector CEO

Julie Vinnai ’04

Philosophy > International

business


In May 2011 a group of 50 Grade 7 students

from Cathy Wever Elementary School in

Hamilton descended on McMaster’s campus

for three raucous and joyous days. Led by

enthusiastic McMaster students, they played

games, did rock climbing, visited the plane-

tarium, the radio station and the green screen,

went on a scavenger hunt, visited with the

“bat man,” and attended the first ever Hamil-

ton Nationals lacrosse team game. Staying in

residence was a special part of the experience,

especially for one student who is used to shar-

ing her bedroom at home with seven other

children. “It was a fantastic experience,” says

Laura Laverty ’03, the public health nurse

who helped organize the visit. “The kids had

a blast!”

The visit was more than just good fun. It

was part of a strategy to introduce children

from one of Hamilton’s neighbourhoods to

the possibility of going to university. “We

intentionally arranged for them to travel to

campus on a city bus,” Laverty says. “It was

very important to let them know that Mc-

Master is right in their backyard.”

The Cathy Wever visit is just one of many

activities happening at McMaster to encour-

age and support students from under-repre-

sented groups who might not otherwise attend

university.

Research has shown that several groups –

those with lower family income, Aboriginal

and disabled youth, Crown wards, children

whose parents didn’t attend university, and

others – are significantly less likely to attend

university than students who grow up with

the expectation of post-secondary education.

That’s a concern, says Charlotte Yates, dean

of Social Sciences. “We pride ourselves on

having a public education system,” she says.

“It follows that we want to make sure that all

citizens have equal access and opportunity to

grow.” Danielle Stayzer ’92, ’97, manager of

transition and academic success in the Stu-

dent Success Centre, adds that removing bar-

riers for under-represented groups helps ensure

the University can draw the best students

from the widest pool of candidates.

But the issue goes deeper. There is clear

evidence that the income and employment

gap between those with post-secondary educa-

tion and those without is growing. We know

that people with more education are generally

healthier and live longer. Says Yates, “If we

want to have an impact on poverty, create a

sustainable health system, and improve the

quality of life for Canadians, one way is to

ensure that those who want to go to university

are able to do so.” Supporting students from

these groups is nothing new for McMaster.

The Indigenous Studies Program has been

supporting Aboriginal students since the early

1990s and the Aboriginal students health

sciences office has been in operation since

the late 1990s. The University now has an

Aboriginal recruitment and retention officer,

Jennie Anderson, based in the registrar’s of-

fice. Although there is always more to be

done, there are now more than 100 Aboriginal

students at McMaster. In recent years, two of

these students became class presidents in the

MD program.

Students whose parents didn’t attend uni-

versity also face barriers. A study published

last winter found that having no family his-

tory of college or university is “the most sig-

nificant obstacle to post-secondary education”

in Canada.

For the past three years, the University

has addressed the problem through its First

Generation Students Program. The program

offers networking events, peer mentoring,

academic preparedness courses, and referrals

to other support services. During the last

academic year the Faculty of Social Sciences

participated, also providing peer mentoring,

developing a training module for staff and

faculty, and offering a first year Inquiry class

that allowed students to develop and hone

their academic skills in a small group setting.

CLIMBIN

G TO NEW

HEIGHTS

CLIMBING TO NEW HEIGHTS

McMaster reaches out to attract and support students who

might not otherwise consider a university education.

Left: Grade 7 students from Cathy Wever Elementary School tackle the outdoor climbing tower at McMaster’s ALTITUDE facilities.

by Pat Mordenphotography by JD Howell ‘04


There’s a website with targeted information

and a brochure that tells parents how they can

support their university students. Stayzer says

that the goal is to reach out to the students to

help them feel that they are part of something

that has meaning for them, and to know that

they are supported.

In another initiative, the Faculty of Social

Sciences is planning to offer a free university-

level credit course for first generation students.

The course will begin at a local high school,

and move to McMaster. “This is a chance for

students who think they can’t do university to

experience success and begin to make the dif-

ficult transition to campus,” says Yates.

Yates and Stayzer work with a group that

faces even more daunting barriers to univer-

sity -- Crown wards. Among other activities,

two groups of Crown wards – Grade 7 and 8

students, and Grade 11 and 12 students – are

invited to visit campus. The older students

learn about financial aid and academic re-

quirements, as well as getting a sense of what

the University looks and feels like. They are

invited to pick a book of their choice at the

book store, and receive McMaster sweatshirts.

“It’s amazing to see it happen,” says Stayzer.

“They put on their sweatshirts and they in-

stantly identify with Mac.” For the younger

students, it’s a fun day similar to the Cathy

Wever program. Both groups get tips and

perspectives from a Crown ward who has been

successful at university. There is also an ongo-

ing peer mentorship program.

Yates makes a point of participating in many

of the activities and connects one-on-one with

many Crown wards. “The number of caring

adults in their lives is minimal,” she says. “I

want to be one of them. They know who I am

and they know they can call on me.”

For some non-traditional students, college

may seem more affordable and manageable

than university. McMaster is working to open

up new pathways from college to university

for students who ultimately aspire to a univer-

sity degree. The University already has a num-

ber of collaborative programs with Mohawk

College, and is developing more. Among the

most innovative is the Health and Commu-

nity Studies program, designed to help college

diploma students and graduates in the health

and social services fields complete a degree

with two or three years of additional study.

The program, says Susan Denburg, associate

dean (academic), Faculty of Health Sciences,

is designed to address community needs. It

will help diploma graduates upgrade their

knowledge and skills in the social determi-

nants of health, health systems, health policy,

management and leadership. “We all under-

stand the link between poverty and health,”

she says. “This program will give students

what they need to take on positions of leader-

ship and to mobilize the various agencies that

must work together.” It will be developed in

consultation with community stakeholders

and may involve part-time and online studies.

For those who have moved beyond high

school and college, the possibility of university

can seem even more distant. Jean Wilson,

director of McMaster’s Arts & Science pro-

gram, is spearheading the McMaster Discov-

ery Program, designed to reach out to any

Hamilton residents who may face barriers to

post-secondary education.

Wilson heard about similar programs at

an educational conference last October and

brought the idea back to McMaster. It took

root quickly, with strong support from Presi-

dent Deane. The pilot course, “Voicing Ham-

ilton,” taught by English professor Daniel

Coleman, will get under way in September.

It focuses on works of art that tell the story

of Hamilton, and will engage students in ex-

pressing their own experiences of the city. One

of the texts for the course is a graphic novel

created and self-published by Tings Chak ’09,

an Arts & Science graduate.

The McMaster Discovery coordinator,

Jeanette Eby ’09, is working through com-

munity agencies to identify potential students.

They will complete an application and un-

dergo an interview. “The process is designed

to ensure that students know what they’re

getting into and can experience success,” says

Wilson. “When they take this course, we want

them to discover things about themselves and

McMaster. We want them to discover that

university can be part of their reality.”

And that, ultimately, is what this initiative

and many others are about – making univer-

sity part of the reality for students who face

real and perceived barriers to post-secondary

education. Is it working? It’s probably too

early to tell, but Laura Laverty has seen one

positive sign.

At the last day of the visit, she asked the

Grade 7 students how many of them had

considered university before coming to cam-

pus. Three or four students shyly raised their

hands. Then she asked them how many were

considering university since participating in

the program. A forest of arms waved back at

her. “We’ve still got lots of work to do with

these kids,” she says, “but at least they know

now that university is accessible.”

CLIM

BIN

G TO

NEW

HEI

GHTS

Students from Cathy Wever Elementary School learn about academic life at the Lyons New Media Centre in Mills Memorial Library.

“This is a chance for

students who think they

can’t do university to

experience success ...”


JOIN McMASTER UNIVERSITY ALUMNAE for the second annual Professional Development day in downtown Toronto. Spend the day in thought-provoking sessions while networking with other professional women looking to broaden their horizons and acquire new skills.

FEATURING | Jill Birch, Leadership & Strategic Performance Expert

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 10, 2012 | 8:15am - 4:00 pmLOCATION | Toronto Board of Trade, 7 Adelaide St. West, TorontoCOST | $100 per person

For more information visit www.alumni.mcmaster.ca or email: [email protected]

Leadership, Networking, & MoreMAC WOMEN’S SUMMIT:

(almost)

Happy anniversary to us!

alumni.mcmaster.ca


It’s true – McMaster is getting set to celebrate its 125th anniversary in

2012. In preparation for the big event, we are looking for 125 McMaster

“favourite things” from our alumni.

As alumni, you have experienced some of your life’s most important moments at McMaster. You have forged friendships, found inspiration,

competed, collaborated, struggled, succeeded and revelled in life on campus. Whatever it is, we want to know: What is your favourite thing about

McMaster? It may not be raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens, but it could be a professor, a class, a building, a sport, a moment in time or

anything at all! Send us a word, a sentence, a paragraph, even a photo or sketch. It’s all up to you.

We’ve already asked some alumni who have stayed connected to the University community as employees or volunteers. You can see some of

their favourite things displayed on pages 22 and 23.

We’ve also set up a website for this project. Go to www.mcmaster125.ca to see what your fellow alumni have submitted as their McMaster fa-

vourite things. Th en, submit yours to the website or send us an email at [email protected].

Alumni who submit their McMaster favourite things will be entered into a contest to win an iPad! We’ll reveal a sampling of 125 of your favou-

rite things about McMaster in our next issue, so stay tuned.

McM

ASTER UNIVERSITY TURN

S 125 (almost)

“The front of University Hall, the building


member I have always loved the

McM

ASTE

R UN

IVER

SITY

TUR

NS

125

(alm

ost)

“Live music at the Rat.”

Laila Bastedo ’92, ’95, ’08

“Partying at the Board of

(honorary)


from north of Orillia to Hamilton

by students from the University of

McM

ASTER UNIVERSITY TURN

S 125 (almost)

Jim Greenlee ‘68, ‘69 & ‘75 has been given three years to sum up a 30-year

period at McMaster.

His research has taken him from the basement archives in Mills Memo-

rial Library to dusty broom closets in the engineering building, and he has

gathered more than 10,000 pages of handwritten notes in the two years

since he began the project. His goal is to turn these pages into a complete

volume of history before the end of McMaster’s 125th anniversary year.

Greenlee is tasked with chronicling the years from 1957 to 1987 at Mc-

Master. Th e period includes milestones such as the transition from Baptist

to non-secular, the opening of the nuclear reactor, the adoption of the

interdisciplinary model that continues to defi ne McMaster and the Univer-

sity’s largest sit-in protest that involved 4,000 students.

Th e book will be the third volume of the University’s history; professor

emeritus Charles Johnston ‘49 previously published McMaster University,

Volume 1: Th e Toronto Years and McMaster University, Volume 2: Th e

Early Years in Hamilton.

Now retired, Greenlee taught history at Memorial University for 30

years. A Hamilton native, he has returned to campus for four months every

summer and hasn’t missed a season of the Graduate Students’ Association

softball league since 1968.

Writing McMaster’s

history


THERE IS NOTHING TO BE FEAREDYour entrance into student

life at Mac in September will

be marked by a period of “fun-

filled” initiation. The Year ’61

Initiation Rules (August 1957)

reads: “There is nothing to be

feared if the initiations are en-

tered into in the right frame of

mind.”

Everyone who reads the

McMaster Times likely has an

emotional connection to the

University. If you’re invested in McMaster, it’s likely focused on a con-

cept of McMaster at a particular time – your time. You think of certain

spaces and buildings on campus, certain fashions, routines and people.

When it gets down to it, your individual idea of McMaster is probably

based on a handful of moments and memories that defined you at a

particular age more than they defined the University as a whole.

The bench where you proposed, the cafeteria where you met your best

friend, the residence hallway where you decided on grad school instead

of taking that job offer – these are your places more than the Universi-

ty’s. There are no plaques or monuments to these moments in your life

and so sometimes they may feel a little insubstantial – especially when

things change on campus.

I see that a lot. At events and meetings, through e-mail or phone

calls, Mac grads ask me if the Downstairs John is still there (it’s a day-

care now), if first-year students (once known as “frosh”) still do the

Pyjama Parade (yes, but the shenanigans have been toned down) or if

kids still tray-boggan in Faculty Hollow (not so frequently now with

global warming). If the locations, events and traditions of a person’s

memories have disappeared, there is always disappointment.

I feel the same. I miss the Rat. When I graduated, the ceremony

was in a sweaty Ivor Wynne Centre, not an air-conditioned Hamilton

Place. I loved the stinky and sticky old Togo Salmon Hall cafeteria.

But here’s the good part. I have the same conversations with grads of

the ’40s and grads of the ’90s. The more things change, the more they

stay the same. McMaster evolves. It’s how we’ve become one of the top

100 universities in the world. With something like 9,000 universities

worldwide, that’s the top 1.1 per cent globally. You don’t get there by

sitting still.

So as the Class of 2015 begins its time at McMaster, we can be con-

fident in two things. First, those students will create exactly the kinds

of memories and moments in the next four years as the Class of 1961 or

any other class in Mac’s 124-year history. And not long after the Class

of 2015 graduates, its members will wonder what happened to their

personal places and routines.

In fact, that may be one of the greatest McMaster traditions of all. It’s

certainly better than the mandatory mismatched shoes and half-inch

brush cuts faced by the Class of 1961 and far more timeless than the

“Marauders” chant those frosh were forced to learn: “Marauders go.

Marauders win. Smear the foe, then we’re in. O-kee-fen-o-kee, o-kee-

fen-oo. McMaster, McMaster, McMaster U!!!”

AS TIME MOVES FORWARD

This upcoming year represents

a significant milestone in the

history of Mac – 2012 will

mark the 125th anniversary of

McMaster University. We are all

a part of a shared history that

has been marked by significant

changes over this time period.

As each year passes, the number

of Mac alumni grows. As of the

2011 Spring Convocation at

Mac, there are now more than

152,000 Mac grads located in 129 countries around the world. The

influence of a Mac education is truly having an effect at a global level.

As time moves forward, the McMaster Alumni Association also con-

tinues to change as a reflection of the diversity of its growing alumni

membership. While our rich history will always be a source of pride

for our alumni, continuing to embrace the change that lies ahead of us

will be equally important. This will ensure that the Alumni Association

will be as relevant as possible to the ever growing number of McMaster

grads.

As a Mac grad, you may possibly go through various changes in your

personal “connection” to the University and the part you play in its

overall history. In the early years following graduation, you may stay

closely connected to many of the friends you’ve made during your time

at Mac. Or, you may seek out the support of McMaster career services

as you contemplate the development of your career plans. At another

point in time, you may find you have a greater interest in the overall

developments underway at McMaster or you may want to stay abreast

of the countless accomplishments your fellow grads are achieving

around the world. At yet another time, you may decide that you’d like

to re-connect with your Mac roots and become more actively involved

in a volunteer role of some kind. The Alumni Association is here to

support all of these connection points and more! I encourage you to

pursue the ones that work best for you in the present and at any point

in the future.

I’m delighted to represent our Mac grads in the role of McMaster

Alumni Association president for the upcoming year. A warm welcome

to Peter Tice ’72 who is now one of the representatives on the Univer-

sity Senate. I look forward to working with all of the dedicated mem-

bers of the Alumni Association board and the University as a whole. I

extend a very special thank you to past president David Adames ’92 for

his outstanding dedication to the McMaster Alumni Association.

I invite you to visit the McMaster alumni website at alumni.mcmas-

ter.ca to stay connected to the University, or by contacting the Alumni

Office at [email protected].

ALUMNI DIRECTIONSK

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PRIDE ON YOUR SLEEVEWear your pride with our great McMaster alumni athletic apparel, AVAILABLE ONLINE!

Featuring performance sport shirts in CoolPlus fabric, nylon running suits, quality athletic suits for both men and women and roomy McMaster alumni crested duffl e bags. For product details, shipping costs, and to order, please visit us on the web at:www.mcmaster.ca/ua/servicesandbenefi ts/alumniclothing or, by phone: 905.525.9140 ext. 23900, toll-free: 1.888.217.6003.

Thank you for your participation!

The McMaster University Alumni Directory will be ready soon.

Thank you to the thousands of alumni who shared updates, stories

and photos to create this unique compilation. We appreciate your par-

ticipation and hope you will enjoy perusing your copy when it arrives

later this fall. If you would like to order a copy, please contact Harris

Connect directly at 1-888-869-0786 to place an order.

Alumni Association Awards Nominations We are accepting nominations for awards granted to outstanding Mc-

Master alumni. Nominations for the Distinguished Service Award,

the Arch Award and Honorary Alumni Association Membership are

requested prior to Feb. 1, 2012. Nominations for the 2012 Distin-

guished Alumni Award are due March 31. Last call for Alumni Gal-

lery nominations – please submit by Sept. 30, 2011. For forms, visit

www.mcmaster.ca/ua/alumni/programs_recognition.html.

Hong Kong Branch AGM Plans are underway for the annual general meeting of the MAA

(Hong Kong Branch) Ltd.. Go to alumni.mcmaster.ca – events.

Alumni Weekend 2012 Pull out your McMaster cap or jacket and tour the campus on June 1

to 3, 2012. Meet with friends from your class, hear from the President

as he welcomes alumni back to campus and join in the festivities as

McMaster celebrates 125 years at Alumni Weekend 2012.

Graduates from the classes of 1962, 1957, 1952, 1947, 1942, 1937 and

1932, celebrate the milestone anniversary of your graduation from

McMaster at a class reunion. Further details about your reunion will

arrive in the mail from your class committee. For more information,

please visit alumni.mcmaster.ca and click on Alumni Weekend, e-

mail [email protected] or call 905-525-9140 ext. 23900.

ALUMN

I EVENTS


1950sMichael Stadnyk ’51 was re-

united with his high school

sweetheart, Phyllis Mitton, in

their hometown of Fredericton in

March, more than 65 years after

the last time they saw each other.

They are both widowed.

1960sPaul House ’69 was appointed

temporary CEO of Tim Hortons

in May 2011. He has worked at

the company since 1985 in several

key executive roles.

Mark Innis ’69 recently retired

after a long career as a probation

and parole officer in Kitchener-

Waterloo. He is enjoying retire-

ment by volunteering in the

community and taking time to

travel and enjoy his many hob-

bies and interests. Innis would

welcome contact with any of his

fellow Mac grads via e-mail at

[email protected].

1970s

Simon Johnston ’72 won the

Cultural Leadership Award at the

Richmond Arts Awards in April.

He announced in May that he

will be retiring from his post as

artistic and executive director of

Gateway Theatre, Richmond’s

only professional theatre com-

pany.

Heather Monroe-Blum ’74, ’07

(honorary) was appointed to the

board of directors of the Royal

Bank of Canada. She is the prin-

cipal and vice-chancellor of Mc-

Gill University.

Steve Poad ’74 was appointed

chief financial officer of Excellon

Resources Inc.

Frank Westcott ’74 earned Best

Story by an Emerging Writer at

the Exile Short Fiction Competi-

tion in Toronto on May 28. The

awards gala was hosted by Gloria

Vanderbilt.

Gordon Milne ’75 was commis-

sioned by the Canadian Sport

Centre to produce a series of

large-scale portraits of Canadian

Olympians for the 2010 Vancou-

ver Olympics. These large-scale

portraits are now on display at

Canada’s Sport Hall of Fame in

Calgary.

Astronaut and scientist Roberta

Bondar ’77, ’92 (honorary) was

appointed to the board of direc-

tors for COM DEV International

Ltd., a leading manufacturer of

space hardware subsystems.

Rob Corso ’77 has completed

35 years of service as the mu-

sic director and organist at the

Cathedral of Christ the King in

Hamilton. Corso taught music

at Bishop Ryan High School in

Hamilton and at Notre Dame

Secondary in Burlington, Ont.

Phil Johnson ’78 is president of

Master of Business Leadership

Inc., a system and coaching plat-

form that helps business execu-

tives achieve results through the

development of emotional intel-

ligence and authentic leadership

skills.

Hans Schols ‘78 is global presi-

dent and CEO of Data Insurance

Licensing Systems Ltd. He and

his partners launched the new

insurance entity with a patented

process that provides clients with

coverage against the loss of elec-

tronic data.

Anne Leavitt ’79, ’96 became

president and vice-chancellor of

the University of King’s College

in Halifax on Aug. 1, 2011. She

left her position as dean of the

Faculty of Social Sciences at Van-

couver Island University in Na-

naimo, B.C., where she worked in

various academic and leadership

roles since 1983.

Tony Valeri ’79 was appointed

vice-president, corporate com-

munications and public affairs

for ArcelorMittal Dofasco. Valeri

served as a member of Parliament

from 1993 to 2006, including

terms as Minister of Transport

and Leader of the Government in

the House of Commons.

1980sMargaret Burden ’81, ’83 lives

with her husband in Truro, N.S.,

where she has worked at Crossley

Carpets as chief technical design-

er for the past 20 years. They are

currently renovating their second

rental property. Her 80-year-

old mother lives in a house they

bought for her next door.

Elizabeth (Hanson) McCullough

’81 was inducted into the Cana-

dian Association of Exposition

Management’s (CAEM’s) Hall of

Fame. The award is presented to

leaders who have achieved promi-

nence in the expo industry and in

the CAEM. McCullough is gen-

eral manager of trade shows at the

Canadian Institute of Plumbing

& Heating in Toronto.

John Warner ’81 retired from

AECL on March 31, 2011.

Jay Turvey ’82 has co-written a

musical that is being produced by

the Shaw Festival as part of their

50th anniversary season. The mu-

sical, Maria Severa, is about the

life of the first Portuguese fado

singer. It previewed in July and

opened in August at the Court

House Theatre. Turvey is in his

11th season at the Shaw Festival.

Neil McCartney ’83 was named

dean of applied health sciences

at Brock University. McCartney

leaves his position as professor

and former chair of McMaster’s

kinesiology department. He was

the director of McMaster’s Centre

for Health Promotion and Reha-

bilitation and is a founding mem-

ber of the Canadian Association

of Cardiac Rehabilitation.

Steven Parfeniuk ’83 has accept-

ed the position of vice-president,

finance and administration with

Sheridan College. Parfeniuk

continues to teach as part-time

faculty in the continuing educa-

tion program at the University

of Guelph. He has two children,

Anne-Marie and Sarah, with his

wife Jacqueline.

ALUMNI ALBUM

ALUM

NI A

LBUM


Ingrid M. Kanics ’86 is an oc-

cupational therapist who has

worked for more than 10 yeas

helping communities create

spaces where all children can play

together. She owns her own con-

sulting business, Kanics Inclusive

Design Services.

Francois Perron ’86 was ap-

pointed director and chairman of

the board of directors of Copper

One Inc. Perron leaves his role

as president and CEO of Alexis

Minerals Corporation.

Mitchell Levine ’88 received an

appointment from Health Minis-

ter Leona Aglukkaq as vice-chair

of the Patented Medicine Prices

Review Board. Dr. Levine is a

professor in the departments of

medicine and clinical epidemiolo-

gy and biostatistics in McMaster’s

Faculty of Health Sciences.

Neil Skelding ’88 has been elect-

ed as chair of the Credit Valley

Hospital Board of Directors. He

has been a board member since

2009 and most recently served

as treasurer and chair of the re-

sources committee. Skelding is

the president and CEO of RBC

Insurance.

1990sDr. Bob Bilkovski ’91 joined Wal-

greens as a medical director for

health and wellness in May 2011.

He is based in the Chicago area

and looks forward to helping to

shape the company’s position in

the realm of healthcare reform.

J. David Williamson ’83 has tak-

en on the role of senior executive

vice-president at CIBC and will

be responsible for CIBC‘s per-

sonal and business banking op-

erations in Canada. Williamson

has been chief fi nancial offi cer of

CIBC since January 2008.

Amrik Ahluwalia ’85 was ap-

pointed to the Peel Region Police

Board.

Peter Biro ’85 was appointed

president and CEO of Newcon

Optik. Th e Canadian company

has achieved international recog-

nition as a leader in the research

and development, design and

manufacture of state-of-the-art

laser rangefi nders and night vi-

sion systems.

Dean Clevett ’85 was promoted

to manager of technical engineer-

ing services at BASF Canada,

after more than 25 years with the

company. Clevett and his wife,

Michele, will celebrate 20 years of

marriage with a cruise in the fall.

He would love to connect with

any old Mac friends on LinkedIn

or Twitter (@DinoDinosaur1).

ALUMN

I ALBUM

Michael Briks ’72 knows the value of a postage stamp – and it’s not

just 59 cents at Canada Post.

As a collector, he knows what people will pay for an old stamp. But

it’s the intrinsic value that truly inspires him: the moments in history

that have been facilitated by a postage stamp, the achievements of

humankind celebrated on stamps around the world and the simple

fact that stamps have connected people to one another for centuries.

“Th e history of stamps plays into human circumstance,” he says.

“For instance, some people who immigrated to Canada at certain

times in history couldn’t bring silver or gold with them, so they

brought stamps or mailed stamps to relatives in advance of their

arrival.”

An avid stamp collector since the age of eight, Briks says that

stamp collecting is an exciting way to make connections between

individuals and within the community. “You meet incredibly inter-

esting people through this hobby because it attracts people from all

walks of life … all cultures in the world have stamp collectors.”

Briks has been a member of the Hamilton Stamp Club since the

1980s. Th e club currently boasts 145 members representing more

than 15 nationalities. Many club members hail from the McMaster

community: “We have profs, former profs, alumni and students

from McMaster in the club,” says Briks, a graduate of the Faculty of

Social Sciences.

Since becoming club president last year, Briks has dedicated

himself to expanding the club and forging stronger community

connections. He created the Newcomer to Hamilton project, which

welcomes people who have just moved to Hamilton – mostly new

immigrants to Canada – with packages of Canadian stamps.

“Hamilton really is a mecca for newcomers to Canada, so it all

came together that this would be an ideal project,” he says.

Hamilton Stamp Club members donated the stamps – some quite

valuable. Th rough a club connection, Briks enlisted the help of a lo-

cal Grade 5 class to assemble the welcome packages. “We gave them

thousands of stamps to dole out,” he says. “Not only were the kids

eager to help, but many of them became instant stamp collectors

themselves by the conclusion of the project.”

Th e club then distributed the welcome packages to Hamilton new-

comers through several community organizations. As a social worker

who has previously worked for the Ontario Ministry of Citizenship

and Immigration, Briks knows that initiatives like the Newcomer to

Hamilton project have a lasting positive impact. He hopes to con-

tinue the project for years to come.

Briks runs a private practice in Burlington specializing in employ-

ee assistance programs, confl ict resolution and post-traumatic stress

management.

Local philatelic club has Mac stamp all over it

JD H

owell

by


Samantha Nutt ’91, ’92 & ’05

(honorary) was appointed to the

Order of Canada for her contri-

butions to improving the plight

of young people in the world’s

worst conflict zones. Nutt is the

co-founder and executive director

of War Child Canada.

David Robinson ’91, ’02 started as

a full-time sports medicine physi-

cian at Mac’s David Braley Ath-

letic Centre in August. He sold

his family medicine practice of

18 years to make the career move,

but will continue to serve as the

team physician of the Hamilton

Bulldogs.

David Adames ’92 was appointed

CEO of the Hamilton Cham-

ber of Commerce. He leaves his

position as founding executive

director of Tourism Hamilton.

Adames is past-president of the

McMaster Alumni Association.

Shirley Forsyth ’92, ’01 was ac-

cepted into a PhD program in

global leadership at Indiana Tech

University.

Matthew Varay ’92 created and

led a new initiative that increased

scholarship offers to his Grade

12 students at Etobicoke School

of the Arts, where he teaches vi-

sual arts. The initiative featured

a showcase event in the fall and

brought in about $1.6 million

in offers for 20 students and was

covered by the Toronto Star, the

Globe and Mail, and City TV.

Robert Hilson ’93 was appointed

director of athletics at Brock

University. He leaves a position as

communications manager for the

University of Western Ontario’s

Department of Sport and Recre-

ation Services. Previously, Hilson

worked for 12 years in athletics

and recreation at McMaster.

Sen-Foong Lim ’94, ’99 has pub-

lished a board game, Train of

Thought, with business partner

Jay Cormier. The game is a prod-

uct of hard work by many Mc-

Master grads. Lim’s wife Carrie

Stevenson-Lim ’95 co-designed

the game and the tech support

team includes Leroy Wissing ’94

and Errol Elumir ’96.

Mark Findlay ’95 was appointed

vice-president access and external

relations at AstraZeneca Canada

Inc, a global biopharmaceutical

business focused on the discovery,

development and commercializa-

tion of prescription medicines.

Leon Tom ‘95 and Kerri Lynn Tom

‘96 welcomed their first child, Za-

den Michael, born June 6, 2011.

Colin Ferguson ’96 co-owns

Snakehead Games Inc. with his

brother Greg Ferguson and their

business partner, Chris Burr. The

Hamilton-based company cre-

ates online video games at www.

starpirates.net. Their products

have attracted more than 100,000

gamers worldwide.

ALUM

NI A

LBUM

Jim Georgiades ’96 is living in

Cyprus, where he runs a language

school. He is completing his MA

in English through online study

at the University of Sheffield and

recently got engaged to Maria

Georgiadou.

Lisa Mattam ’97, ’01 was named

Female Entrepreneur of the Year

by the Indo-Canada Chamber of

Commerce at its annual awards

and gala night in Toronto in

June. She is the founder of The

Mattam Group, a management

consulting firm specializing in

leadership, organizational devel-

opment and strategic process.

Jasmine Albagli ’99 started her

own company, Jasmine Photogra-

phy (www.jasminephotography.

ca), doing family and wedding

photography. She has two kids

and previously worked for Car-

leton University and the Govern-

ment of Canada in Ottawa.

Deirdre Henne ’99 joined Mc-

Master as chief financial officer in

July. Henne previously worked at

Hamilton Health Sciences Corp.

as director of research and as

chief operating officer of the Pop-

ulation Health Research Institute.

2000sRay Mariuz ’03 retired from

the Canadian Football League

after eight seasons. The former

Marauder played for the Toronto

Argonauts and Hamilton Tiger-

Cats as a linebacker, winning a

Grey Cup with Toronto in 2004.

He will now turn his focus to his

family and real estate career.

Amanda Rayburn ’03 was ap-

pointed chair of the Board of

Health for Wellington-Dufferin-

Guelph Public Health in January

2011. She continues to manage

her family’s heavy equipment

contracting business, Rayburn

Construction Ltd., in Oran-

geville. She will marry her fiancé,

Andrew Fines, on Oct. 7.

Ken Seville ’03 founded Guaran-

teedInterview.com. The website

works with employers to ensure

that veterans are considered

for advertised positions. The

company was selected for the

Startup Chile program (www.

startupchile.org). Seville travelled

to Chile in July to begin imple-

mentation.

Melody Adhami ’04, ’07 is the

co-founder and COO of Plastic

Mobile, a mobile marketing

agency in Toronto. She led proj-

ects at the company to deliver the

first-ever video streaming iPad

apps and local news radio apps

in Canada and has worked on

mobile marketing apps for major

Canadian brands.

Jeremy Greenspan ’04 released

a fourth album, It’s All True, as

part of the duo Junior Boys.

Vanessa Ricci-Thode ’04 and her

husband, Mike Thode, would like

to announce the birth of their

daughther, Sofia. She was born on

April 27, 2011.

Pamela Kwok ’06 and Kent Law

’08 led a team of fellow McMaster

graduates in the annual Dragon

Boat Festival in Hong Kong on

June 6. The McMaster team com-

peted in two races and did very

well considering that many mem-

bers of the team had never raced

dragon boats before.


ALUMN

I ALBUM

Melissa Sky ’06 won the Local

Focus Film Festival 24-Hour

Film Challenge Award for her six-

minute production, Longing. It

was also screened at the Waterloo

Region Film Festival and can be

viewed on YouTube. Sky is now

completing a mentorship in Van-

couver at OUTtv, Canada’s pre-

miere gay/lesbian TV network.

Jessica Gilbert ’07 and Steve

Mendel ’08 welcomed baby girl

Nava Leah, born Jan. 23, 2011.

Sheldon Francis ’08 was named

head of the Canadian National

Under-17 Wrestling Team. A

former junior national champion

and McMaster Marauder, Francis

has served as assistant coach of

the McMaster Wrestling Team

for three years.

Rev. Owen Juhlke ’08 was or-

dained into the work of Christian

ministry within the Canadian

Baptists of Ontario and Quebec

by Durham Baptist Church on

Nov. 14, 2010. He has been pas-

toring at this church since May

2010.

Jesse Lumsden ’08 retired as a

CFL player in order to concen-

trate full-time on being a member

of the Canadian bobsled team.

Nanda Lwin ’09 is the new chair

of the Willowdale/Thornhill

Chapter of Professional Engineers

of Ontario.

2010s

Chelsey Gotell ’10 has accepted

a position as a communications

and public relations associate for

the Toronto 2015 Pan/Parapan

American Games. Gotell was a

member of the McMaster swim

team and is a 12-time Paralympic

medalist.

Michael Williams ’10 recently

found a full-time position at AZX

Sport as an account executive in

promotional products.

Joanna Simon ’10 has worked

as a lieutenant in the Canadian

Army Reserves since 2005 and

is currently second-in-command

of a 60-person unit in the area of

combat service support.

Donna Gosling ’11 was cheered

on by her son, actor Ryan Gos-

ling, as she walked across the

stage at spring Convocation.

Mary Koziol ’11 has been ap-

pointed assistant to the president

for special community initiatives

at McMaster. Koziol recently

completed a term as president of

the McMaster Students Union.

Kim Morris ’11 won third place in

the 2011 Arthur W. Page Society

and Institute for Public Relations

case study competition in April.

Morris is senior advisor of com-

munications and public affairs at

the North East Community Care

Access Centre in Sudbury.

Mac alumnus travels to Mars in the Utah desert

Yuval Brodsky ’09 can now say he has traveled to Mars and back

- sort of.

The graduate of McMaster’s environmental science program

spent two weeks at a research station in the Utah desert where

he worked with the Mars Society, a non-profit organization

dedicated to the exploration of Mars. Brodsky says that while he

enjoyed the opportunity to perform research in a simulated space

environment, at least part of the experience left a bad taste in his

mouth - literally.

“Part of our task was to test the types of food that would be

taken along should humans try to explore Mars,” he said. “Let’s

just say I was happy to get a steak dinner in me once we were fin-

ished that part of the research.”

Brodsky received his degree from McMaster in 2009, and then

earned his master’s degree at the International Space University

(ISU) in France. From there the Vaughan, Ont. native, along

with a group of other ISU graduates, headed to the desert where

they helped to simulate an actual mission to Mars. The research-

ers practiced collecting soil samples, conducting experiments and

deploying and repairing equipment while wearing space suits.

They also studied the psychological effects of remaining isolated

for long periods of time.

The experience was a unique one for Brodsky, though he hopes

it won’t be his last.

“I want to learn more about how humans adapt to extreme en-

vironments, whether it’s in space or on Earth,” he said. “There is a

wide range of applications for this type of knowledge.”

Those applications include areas like telemedicine, which can

be used to treat sick or injured patients in remote environments

such as space. Brodsky hopes to continue to work in the space

industry and, perhaps one day, combine his passions and study

space medicine.

“So much of what we learn from working in space can be ap-

plied here on Earth, in everything from space engineering to

navigation. I’m really excited to be getting into the industry right

now.”

by Matt Terry ‘09

Cruise to the Lesser Antilles Voyage of Discovery: Wonders of the Galapagos Islands European Coastal Civilizations Village Life: Dordogne Treasures of The Mekong Cruising the Black Sea River Life Along the Rhine, Main and Mosel Canary Islands Waterways and Canals of Holland & Belgium Treasures of Costa Rica Apulia, Italy Normandy and Paris China & the Yangtze River Grand Danube Passage Treasures of East Africa Cuenca, Ecuador Treasures of India & Nepal Haida Gwaii The 2012 Masters Discover your adventure.

Join us as we set off on an exciting set of adventures!

Tel: 905.525.9140 ext. 24882 Toll-free: 1-888-217-6003 Email: [email protected]

discoveryourmacadventure.ca

yourmacadventure.cadiscover

McMaster Alumni Travel program 2012


ALUMN

I EVENTS

This September, the number of Arts & Science (or Artsci) stu-

dents on campus will increase exponentially, but just for a few days.

A boisterous weekend of anniversary celebrations is planned for

Sept. 23 to 25 to mark the 30th year of the small interdisciplinary

program that boasts about 1,000 graduates. The weekend itinerary

will feature a number of beloved Artsci traditions, including a milk

n’ cookies night and a student-prof debate, expanded for this special

occasion to include alumni.

Both the outgoing and incoming directors of the Arts & Sci-

ence Program have been integral in the planning of the anniversary

celebration. “It’s like magic watching them work together,” says

alumna Angela Nardozi ’07, who is on the planning committee for

the anniversary weekend. Gary Warner, was director from 2000

to 2005 and served in the position again for the 2010-11 school

year. Jean Wilson ‘77, who has taught literature in the program for

many years, assumed the role this past summer.

“As I begin my term as director of the Arts & Science Program,

I look to the 30th anniversary weekend as an occasion to celebrate

this very special community of learning and to seek the wisdom

and support of its alumni in the process of program renewal that we

have just begun,” says Wilson.

As part of the weekend itinerary, she will facilitate an afternoon

forum on interdisciplinary education in order to hear the opinions

of the program’s alumni. Nardozi says that the new director sees the

forum as “an opportunity to envision the future of the program.”

The weekend will also feature an open house at the Arts & Sci-

ence Program office in the Commons building, as well as time for

networking, socializing and exploring on and off campus.

Celebrating 30 years of the Arts & Science Program - Sept. 23-25, 2011

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Develop a support network of technical and business mentors

Build investor ready proposals to support your new technology-based business

www.businessinnovation.ca/MTEI


John Baldwin ’33 died March

19, 2011, survived by his wife

Dorothy, three sons and eight

grandchildren. During the Sec-

ond World War, he served in the

Department of External Affairs

and then in the Privy Council

Office for the War Committee

of the Cabinet. After the war, he

was chairman of the Air Trans-

port Board and then Deputy

Minister of Transport. He be-

came president of Air Canada in

1968, retiring in 1974. Baldwin

was inducted into the McMaster

Alumni Gallery in 2005.

John Boich ’63 died March 15,

2011.

Gregory Boudreau ‘93 died at

his home in Hamilton on Aug.

6, 2011 at the age of 41.

Ken Bradley ’71 died March 20,

2011 in Elmira, Ont. He is sur-

vived by his wife Muriel.

Margaret (Hansen) Buzzard ’40

died in April 2011. She was a

Faculty of Humanities graduate.

Bruce Cornwall ’62 died May

27, 2010.

Darlene Connors Elliott ‘83, ‘88

died at the age of 50 on March

11, 2011 in Peterborough, Ont.

A graduate from McMaster’s

sociology and gerontology

programs, she is survived by

husband, Craig Elliott ‘84, and

children, Ethan and Katlyn.

George L. Fawcett ’65 died

April 2, 2011 in Hamilton.

Dave Anthony Harris ’84, ’02

died in Hamilton on July 10,

2011.

Edward Henry Krukowski ’62

died March 2, 2011. He worked

as a dentist for 35 years in Ham-

ilton and is survived by his wife

Sally, daughters Susan and Patri-

cia and granddaughter Laurel.

Leslie Laking ’71 (honorary) died April 16, 2011. A member

of the Order of Canada, he was

director of the Royal Botanical

Gardens from 1954 to 1981.

Laking remained involved in the

RBC in his retirement, serving

as the honorary president of the

RBG Auxiliary.

Joseph A. Macaluso ’52 died

March 22, 2011. He attended

McMaster before obtaining his

law degree from Osgoode Hall

and was the Liberal MP for

Hamilton-West from 1963 to

1968.

John T. Macfarlane ’44 died

Aug. 14, 2010. He was a phys-

ics professor with distinguished

service in Canada and Africa.

David McMaster ’71 died in

Riverview, N. B. in December

2010.

Hanna Newcombe ’45, ’82 died

April 10, 2011. She emigrated

from Prague with her family

in 1939 and met her husband,

Alan, while studying chemistry

at McMaster. With Alan, she

founded the Peace Research

Institute in Dundas in the late

1970s. She was a McMaster

Alumni Gallery member, was

the recipient of the 1997 Pearson

Medal of Peace and was appoint-

ed a member of the Order

of Canada for her work in peace

research and international

relations. She is survived

by her three children and seven

grandchildren.

IN MEMORIAM

IN M

EMOR

IAM

Marion O’Connor ‘67 died April

16, 2011.

Mavis Pieczonka (nee Levine)

’54 died at home on July 3, 2011

at the age of 80. While attending

McMaster, she focused on English

and drama, starring in many stu-

dent productions. Later in life, she

became involved in a wide variety

of causes, and was an ardent sup-

porter of Opera Hamilton and

the University. Pieczonka became

interested in mental health while

taking a master’s in adult educa-

tion and counselling and was

a founding member of Mental

Health Burlington. She died of

breast cancer. She is survived by

her husband of 54 years, Wally

Pieczonka ‘57, ‘60 & ‘98 (honor-

ary), and their children Rosalind,

Adrianne ‘10 (honorary), Gregory

and Michael.

Mary Evelyn Rattray ’35 died in

2010. She was a Faculty of Social

Sciences graduate.

John Riddell ’51 died Feb. 6, 2011

in Pennsylvania at the age of 83.

He is survived by his wife, Ruth.

Harry Shore ’45 died May 10,

2011 in Oakville. He is survived

by his wife, Laura Joyce, and chil-

dren John, Marnie and Ted.

Larry Sykes ’50 died Jan. 30,

2011 in Waterloo. He is survived

by his wife, Jeanne, daughters

Barbara and Mary and seven

grandchildren.

Ken Valley ’78 died May 6, 2011

in Trinidad. He was a former

industry and commerce minister

in Trinidad and Tobago and a

long-standing MP there. He was

part of the Jamaican negotiating

team at the World Trade Organi-

zation and the European Union

and was executive chairman of the

Caribbean Latin America Business

Office.

Gerry Wagar ’46 died July 6,

2011. Wagar played hockey, ten-

nis and football and was inducted

into McMaster’s Sports Hall of

Fame in 2000. He continued to

stay active throughout his life,

coaching several sports part-time

in Kingston where he lived with

his wife, Geraldine.

Edmund Welland ’59, ’60 died in

April 2011.

CORRECTION: Audrey Gleave

’66 died on Dec. 30, 2010. An

incorrect date appeared in the

previous edition of the Times.

Dr. Ian Brockhouse and staff take great plea-

sure in announcing that Dr. Andrew Christian

Adams has joined our Dundas dental practice .

After graduating with a B.A. in Health Sci-

ence from McMaster University, Dr. Adams

obtained his Doctor of Dental Surgery degree

from the University of Western Ontario.

N E W PAT I E N T S W E L C O M E


McM

ASTER WRITES

William H. Jones ’54, ’57 & ’01 wrote two

books in 2011: Th e Quest for Soul Liberty and

7 Churches and Th eir Report Cards.

Elmer Thiessen ’68 published his latest book,

On the Ethics of Evangelism: a Philosophical

Defence of Proselytizing and Persuasion (Pater-

noster, UK; IV Academic, USA).

Bob Ryerson ’69, ’70 published Why ‘Where’

Matters: Understanding and Profi ting from

GPS, GIS and Remote Sensing. Th e book has

been sold in more than 25 countries. For more

information, go to www.geoeconomy.com.

Marie Nagloren Minaker ’74 published Sup-

porting a Tradition: a History of the Auxiliary

of Royal Botanical Gardens from 1961-2010.

Minaker wrote the book to celebrate the 50th

anniversary of the Royal Botanical Gardens in

Burlington, where she is a volunteer archivist.

Van Newell ’80 self-published his second

book, Th e Road to Terra Nova. It is a collec-

tion of humorous short stories documenting

his experiences in country living. Newell and

his wife Rosemarie live off the grid in Mus-

koka, where they raise their own animals and

live simply. To purchase a copy of the book,

write to [email protected].

Susan Evans Shaw ’80 published a heritage

travel book, Canadians at War: A Guide to

the Battlefi elds of World War I (Goose Lane,

2011). Th e book features an historical over-

view of each battlefi eld as well as maps, pho-

tographs, and information on the memorials

and cemeteries.

David Royce Phillips ’83, ’86 published his

fi rst book of poetry, Donne Righting Poetry

(Lulu.com, 2010), a collection of 24 poems

spanning 24 years.

Lana Wylie ’91 recently published three

books: Perceptions of Cuba: Canadian and

American Polices in Comparative Perspective

(University of Toronto Press, 2010); Canadian

Foreign Policy in Critical Perspective (with

J. Marshall Beier, Oxford University Press,

2010); and Our Place in the Sun: Canada and

Cuba in the Castro Era (with Robert Wright,

University of Toronto Press, 2009). Wylie is

an associate professor in political science at

McMaster.


A FORUM

FOR HEALTHY DEBATEby John Lavis

JD H

owell

John Lavis is director of the McMaster Health Forum and a professor in the Department of Clinical Epidemiology & Biostatistics.

“... we aim to

make a diff erence.”

JD H

owell

A core tenet of any university is to inspire students, faculty and staff

to aim high in their academic, professional and personal pursuits. At

McMaster, dedication to this tenet has resulted in renown for the Uni-

versity on several fronts, particularly in the health fi eld.

Th e McMaster Health Forum, established in 2009, is leveraging the

University’s strengths as it brings together the right people, informed

by the right information, to spark insights and generate action to ad-

dress some of today’s most pressing health challenges.

At the Forum, we’ve built on two areas for which McMaster is re-

nowned: problem-based learning, which the Forum takes to the next

level by focusing on collective problem-solving; and evidence-based

medicine, which the Forum extends to health systems as a whole

(whether in Ontario, Saskatchewan or Uganda).

We are harnessing the best available research evidence, along with

the views and experiences of key stakeholders, to address current and

emerging challenges.

Th e topics addressed at the Forum include many that touch the lives

of almost every Canadian – diabetes, cancer, aging, chronic pain, nurs-

ing care and primary health care, to name just a few.

We have successfully built partnerships with others at McMaster

whose work supports proven evidence that can be acted upon, as well as

with organizations in Canada and beyond.

We were pleased to be named as the World Health Organization Col-

laborating Centre for Evidence-Informed Policy, which recognizes the

Forum and McMaster University as leaders internationally in helping

to strengthen health systems so that patients get the care they need

when they need it.

Th e 14 stakeholder dialogues we have convened in the past two years,

in partnership with more than 40 government departments and health

organizations, have provided the University and the Forum’s faculty,

students and staff an unparalleled opportunity to interact with and in-

fl uence key players from all levels of health systems – those who shape

their directions, those who work within them, and those who need and

use them.

In all of these interactions, we aim to make a diff erence.

Our innovative methods of enabling debate and dialogue and sharing

evidence, perspectives and plans for future progress with the public at

large, are already having an impact.

Th is success inspires the McMaster Health Forum to aim even

higher. We are expanding our resources and training opportunities

to ensure that the best research evidence is available to and used by

decision-makers. We are in the midst of planning a new slate of dia-

logues on pressing health challenges and are developing opportunities

for greater public outreach and engagement. We hope you can share in

the pride that comes with being part of a University community that

aims high.

Please visit our website – www.mcmasterhealthforum.org – to gain a

fuller understanding of our work.

LAST

WOR

D

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Welcome homeVisit http://www.mcmaster.ca/ua/alumni/homecoming.html for full weekend eventsSept 30 - Oct 2 ’11

Homecoming - Saturday, October 1

Welcome Home! Gather your classmates and join in a fun day of activity and spirit on campus!

Homecoming Free Chilli Lunch & pre-game fun12:00 p.m. - 1:00 p.m., Marauder Plaza Bring the kids for face-painting, enjoy music, get your noisy sticks & tattoos and some great chilli to get you pumped for the game.

Homecoming Game - McMaster Marauders vs. Waterloo Warriors1:00 p.m., Ron Joyce Stadium, McMaster University. Game tickets can be purchased at www.marauders.ca

Homecoming Reunions:

Wrestling ReunionThis year’s event will honour the distinguished 1984/85 team that counts two Olympians and four McMaster Hall of Famers amongst its members. Event details and registration are available at alumni.mcmaster.ca

MD ReunionsMD classes of ’76, ’81,’91, ’96 & ’01 will celebrate their reunions with tours of the McMaster Museum of Art and the DeGroote School of Medicine followed by a dinner. For details and to register, visit alumni.mcmaster.ca/events

Other Special Events:

Arts & Science 30th Anniversary Celebration!Fri., Sept. 23 - Sun., Sept. 25All Arts & Science graduates are invited to participate in a full program of activities to celebrate this milestone. Register for the Alumni/Prof/Student Debate, networking, dinner, open houseand other great events online at alumni.mcmaster.ca

Join us for the fi rst annual McMaster Alumni Hamilton Community Impact Award LuncheonThurs., Sept. 29, 11:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m.at the Art Gallery of Hamilton. For details and to register visit alumni.mcmaster.ca

HOMECOMING 2011

Fall 2011 McMaster Times

Documents

Transcript of Fall 2011 McMaster Times