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It takes big-sky thinking to discover potential cancer treatments, pain medications or cleaner fuels. UBC consistently ranks
among the best in the world for the way it translates research results into new therapies and products, thanks to a bold spirit
of innovation. The approach has created 137 spin-off companies and products that have generated more than $5 billion in
sales. And UBC is among the first universities to commit to ensuring new technologies reach the developing world. That is
big-sky thinking, with a big heart.
UBC I      a place of mind 7reiP
TABLE OF CONTENTS
5    Take Note
12   Letters to the Editor
14  Combing the Cosmos: Searching for
the Origins of the Universe bvmaryveidman,bsc'86
Launched this spring, the Planck and Herschel research satellites are expected to revolutionize
modern astronomy.
17  Footprints and Fables:
John Green's Half-Century Hunt for Bigfoot ByDonWeiis,BA'89
Newspaper journalist, author, publisher, businessman, politician, competitive sailor, boat
builder, husband, father, community service leader and sasquatch investigator. Meet John Green,
wearer of many hats.
20  From Hugs to Hazing: A History of Student Orientation
Often a reflection of the times, student orientation has taken different forms at UBC over the
past century.
24  Literati Party: Alumni Achievement Awards 2009
This annual highlight of the campus calendar was inspiring, stylish and fun.
31 UBC and the Olympics
Learning: UBC is encouraging provocative questions about Olympics and society.
Be there: Enter to win a pair of free Olympic hockey or sledge hockey tickets.
32 Prelude to a Dream Career By David Gordon Duke, bmus>7i
Kevin Zakresky is set to rock the world of choral music.
34    The  BOyS Of War By Bob Bagnall, BASc(Cwil)'49
Seventy years ago war was declared. Sixty years ago the class of '49 graduated. In between, 65
young men completed an intense year of study at UBC before serving in WWII.
36 Alumni News
38 Class Acts
42 Books
44 T-Bird News
47 In Memoriam
Cover image: In May, an Ariane 5 rocket
carrying the Herschel and Planck satellite pair
lifted off from Europe's spaceport in French
Guiana (see page 14). Photo (detail): ESA -
S. Corvaja.
EDITOR IN CHIEF Christopher Petty, MFA'86
MANAGING EDITOR Vanessa Clarke, BA
ART DIRECTOR Keith Leinweber, BDes
CONTRIBUTORS Michael Awmack, Ba'oi, MET'09
Adrienne Watt
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
CHAIR Ian Robertson, BSc'86, BA'88, MA, MBA
VICE CHAIR Miranda Lam, LLB'02.
treasurer Robin Elliott, BCoM'65
MEMBERS-AT-LARGE (07-10)
Don Dalik, BCom, LLB'76
Dallas Leung, BCoM'94
MEMBERS-AT-LARGE (08-11)
Brent Cameron, BA, MBA'06
Marsha Walden, BCom'So
Ernest Yee, BA'83, MA'87
MEMBERS AT LARGE '09-'12
Aderita Guerreiro, BA'77
Mark Mawhinney, BA'94
PAST CHAIR (09-10)
Doug Robinson, BCoM'71, LLB'72.
SENIOR ADMINISTRATION REP (09-10)
Stephen Owen, MBA, LLB'72, LLM
Brian Sullivan, AB, MPH
AMS REP (09-10)
Tom Dvorak
CONVOCATION SENATE REP (09-10)
Chris Gorman, BA'99, MBA'09
YOUNG ALUMNI REP (08-09)
Carmen Lee, BA'01
OKANAGAN REP (08-09)
Catherine Comben, BA'67
APPOINTMENT TO BOARD (09-10)
Ian Warner, BCoM'69
Rod Hoffmeister, BA'67
Judy Rogers, BRE'71
Jim Southcott BCoM'82
EX-OFFICIO
PRESIDENT, UBC
Stephen Toope, ab, llb and bcl, phd
PRESIDENT'S DESIGNATE
Barbara Miles, ba, postgrad certificate in ed.
CHANCELLOR, UBC
Sarah Morgan-Silvester, BCOM'82
ASSOCIATE VP, ALUMNI / EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR,
ALUMNI ASSOCIATION
Marie Earl, ab, mla
Trek Magazine (formerly the UBC Alumni Chronicle) is
published three times a year by the UBC Alumni
Association and distributed free of charge to UBC alumni
and friends. Opinions expressed in the magazine do not
necessarily reflect the views of the Alumni Association or
the university. Address correspondence to:
The Editor,
UBC Alumni Affairs,
6251 Cecil Green Park Road,
Vancouver, bc, Canada v6t izi
e-mail to chris.petty@ubc.ca
Letters published at the editor's discretion and may be edited for
space. Contact the editor for advertising rates.
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Trek Editor
UBC Info Line
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Volume 64, Number 3   I Printed i:
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Canada by Mitchell Press
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Return undeliverable Canadian addresses to:
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Fall 2009    Trek    3 NICELY FOLDED LAUNDRY,
HIGH ACHIEVEMENT AND
THE NATURE OF GREATNESS.
A few weeks ago, I had occasion to use a laundromat. I don't know
what the situation is in your part of the world, but here in Vancouver
laundromats are quickly becoming anachronisms. But my washer was
dead, so I went looking.
The only laundromat within a mile of my house was a broken down
old place on the Burnaby-New Westminster border. I dragged my three
bags inside, expecting the worst. But it was clean, smelled like soap
and had a few open machines. I began loading a machine, then noticed
the sign above the little desk where the manager sat: "Wash and Fold:
$6.50 per load."
A quick visit to my arithmetic skills told me that soap, coin slots
and time dictated spending a couple of dollars on the luxury. Wash
and fold it was.
The manager was a friendly, middle-aged Asian man. He checked
my bags of laundry, then said, "Three loads. Ready by two-thirty." The
clock above his desk, beside the sign, said "11:45." I headed out for my
favourite greasy spoon breakfast at Mom's Cafe, down the street.
Later that afternoon I hauled the washed and folded laundry onto my
bed to sort it out. The laundry guy had put each of the three loads in its
own yellow plastic bag and tied it shut with a strip of fabric-softener sheet.
The knot tying the sheet was a half-bow with a piece sticking out for me
to pull the knot apart. Classy, I thought. But that was just the beginning.
Inside the bags, each piece of laundry was perfectly folded and
arranged so that each stack of clean clothes formed a solid square.
Underwear, socks, facecloths, towels, shirts, pants, all geometrically
folded to oblong perfection. No wrinkles, no mismatched socks. Even
my wife, who is a very picky laundress, was impressed. This guy not only
took pride in his work, he was exceptional at it. At $6.50 a load.
Oddly enough, I happened at that time to be writing speeches for the
MCs of the Alumni Association's gala Achievement Awards celebration.
I was trying to express our theme of "greatness," and what special
combination of character, intellect and personality caused a person to
reach a little higher and try a little harder, like the recipients of our
Achievement awards (see page 24 for bios of these remarkable people).
I'm sure the guy at the laundromat doesn't consider his work great in
any way. It's his way of making a living, providing for his family, building
his business. He doesn't have to put the extra care (or flair) into his work
to keep his customers: wash and fold doesn't require artistry, but that's
what he puts into it.
So, I'm no closer to figuring out what constitutes "greatness," or
why some people, in the course of their day, choose to push towards
excellence instead of settling for OK, especially if they don't have to.
But I look at our remarkable Achievement Award recipients, and at the
guy in the laundromat, and see the similarity. Some people just won't
accept second best.
Lucky for the rest of us.
Chris Petty, mfa'86, Editor in Chief
4    Trek    Fall 2009 take note
UBC student Samuel Bailey (L) and National University of Lesotho
student Lineo Ntho worked together in Lesotho this summer.
Depression Increases
Cancer Mortality Rate
Depression can affect a cancer patient's
likelihood of survival, according to UBC
researchers who have conducted the world's
first analysis of existing cancer and depression
research.
Studies have shown that individuals' attitudes
can impact their physical health. To determine
the effects of depression on cancer patients'
disease progression and survival, UBC department
of Psychology graduate student Jillian Satin
and colleagues analyzed all studies to date on
the topic. They found 26 studies with a total of
9,417 patients that examined the effects of
depression on cancer progression and survival.
"We found an increased risk of death in
patients who report more depressive symptoms
and also in patients who have been diagnosed
with a depressive disorder compared to patients
who have not," says Satin. In the combined
studies, the death rates were as much as 25 per
cent higher in patients experiencing depressive
symptoms and 39 per cent higher in patients
diagnosed with major or minor depression.
The increased risks remained even after
considering other clinical characteristics that
might affect survival, indicating that depression
may actually play a part in shortening survival.
However, the authors say additional research
must be conducted before any conclusions can
be reached. The authors add that their analysis
combined results across different tumor types,
so future studies should look at the effects of
depression on specific kinds of cancer.
The investigators note that the actual risk of
death associated with depression in cancer
patients is still small, so patients should not feel
that they must maintain a positive attitude to
beat their disease. Nevertheless, the study
indicates that it is important for physicians to
screen cancer patients regularly for depression
and to provide appropriate treatments. The
researchers did not find a clear association
between depression and cancer progression;
only three studies were available for analysis.
Take Note is edited from material that appears in other UBC publications, including UBC Reports. We thank
those reporters and Public Affairs for allowing us to use their material.
Going Global
There's a lot to be said for practical
experience as a supplement to academic
learning. Coop students, for example, add a slice
of real life to their education by interspersing
study terms with related work terms. But
International Service Learning (ISL) takes the
whole concept of experiential learning one step
further, forming partnerships around the world
and influencing students in a more profound
way than conventional work experience.
Go Global is UBC's ISL program and it
currently offers student placements in Costa
Rica, Rwanda, Mexico, Swaziland, Uganda and,
new this past summer, Lesotho. It encourages
involvement from students across a broad
range of disciplines including engineering,
social work, psychology, education and science.
Students who meet the criteria are matched
with projects that appeal to their academic
and personal interests, working with local
organizations on achieving locally-defined
objectives. Before leaving for their chosen
destination, students learn about its culture and
are coached in team building and intercultural
communication skills.
Photo courtesy of Tamara Baldwin, Go Globa
Fall 2009    Trek    5 take note
In Lesotho last summer, engineering students
helped design and build ventilated pit toilets
in an area lacking proper sanitation facilities.
Poor sanitation and contaminated water lead to
a host of health issues and high mortality rates.
Mathabo Tsepa, PhD'08, was born and raised
in Lesotho and suggested the project to Go
Global. She now teaches at Lesotho University
but acts as the Go Global liaison with local
organizations. The latrine project was a great
success and more projects are planned for the
coming summer.
Associate director of Go Global Tamara
Baldwin said of the Lesotho project: "The
focus was on working with the community
organization to ensure the work would
continue after they left. They've trained local
youths who have gained important work skills
and will be better able to contribute to their
community." For the students it's a challenging
hands-on test of their ability to problem-solve,
work as an effective team member and make a
real difference in the quality of life of others. It
also gives them a new reference point for
understanding the world.
Other Go Global ISL projects include:
■ Swaziland: working with SOS Children's
Villages on initiatives including teaching
youth strategies for finding work and
supporting families impacted by HIV/AIDS
■ Uganda: assisting community libraries to
raise rates of reading and computer literacy
■ Costa Rica: studying the impact of
tourism and industry on environment
and animal habitats
■ Mexico: assisting small cooperatives
to establish a dialogue for leadership
and development
■ Rwanda: teaching business planning and
ESL to a weavers cooperative
"Buy This, My Friend"
Finding commonality with someone else can
often be the precursor to friendship. While it's
obvious that commonalities make a stranger
seem more familiar and make conversation
easier, this human tendency to make connections
may impact more than just our social lives.
A recent UBC study examined the effect of
perceived similarities in a sales context. It
concluded that clients who thought they shared
something in common with a salesperson might
be more likely to make a purchase.
"It turns out that in face-to-face situations,
the need for social connectedness among
individuals can result in their being persuaded
more easily," says Darren Dahl, a professor at
the Sauder School of Business.
Dahl conducted the study (The Persuasive
Role of Incidental Similarity on Attitudes and
Purchase Intentions in a Sales Context) with
colleagues Jo Andrea Hoegg and Lan Jiang,
along with Amitava Chattopadhyay of the
European Institute of Business Administration.
The researchers observed their subjects in a
fitness-centre setting where a new training
program was being promoted. Subjects who
believed they shared the same birthday as the
trainer were more likely to sign up for the
program than those who did not. Dahl says the
research provides management insight into the
power of cultivating similarity between
consumers and sales agents in the retail context
and points out that Disney's theme park
employees wear badges displaying their names
and home towns.
But if companies try and capitalize on this by
making the shopping experience as personalized
as possible, they may want to exercise caution.
While perceived similarities can enhance
business, accompanying them with negative
behaviour can create the opposite effect. The
study demonstrated that when subjects
witnessed negative behaviour from the fitness
centre trainer (who pretended to yell at
someone while on the telephone), those who
believed they shared a birthday with him were
likely to feel more alienated by the behaviour
than those who didn't.
Human Activity Causes Major Erosion
A new study finds that large-scale farming
projects can erode the Earth's surface at rates
comparable to those of the world's largest
rivers and glaciers. Published online in the
journal Nature Geoscience, the research offers
stark evidence of how humans are reshaping
the planet. It also finds (contrary to previous
scholarship) that rivers are as powerful as
glaciers at eroding landscapes.
"Our initial goal was to investigate the claim
that rivers are less erosive than glaciers," says
professor of geography Michele Koppes, lead
author of the study. "But while exploring that,
we found the causes of the highest rates of
erosion in many areas are climate change and
human activity such as modern agriculture."
In some cases, the researchers found
large-scale farming eroded lowland agricultural
fields at rates comparable to glaciers and rivers
in the most tectonically active mountain belts.
"This study shows that humans are playing a
significant role in speeding erosion in low lying
areas," says Koppes, who conducted the study
with David Montgomery of the University of
Washington. "These low-altitude areas do not
have the same rate of tectonic uplift, so the
land is being denuded at an unsustainable rate."
Koppes says other significant causes of low-
altitude erosion include glacier melting caused
by climate change and volcanic eruptions.
The highest erosion rates are typically
seen at high altitudes where tectonic forces pit
rising rock against rivers and glaciers, says
Koppes, who with Montgomery created an
updated database of erosion rates for more
than 900 rivers and glaciers worldwide,
documented over the past decade with new
geologic measuring techniques.
Contrary to previous scholarship, they found
that rivers and glaciers in active mountain
ranges are both capable of eroding landscapes
by more than one centimetre per year. Studies
had previously indicated that glaciers could
erode landscapes as much as 10 times faster
than rivers, Koppes says.
6    Trek    Fall 2009 UBC Okanagan's new University Centre offers a home away from home.
New Social Hub for Kelowna Campus
Students attending UBC Okanagan have
more places to relax, study and get together
after a major new facility opened this summer.
The $3 3-million University Centre is a hub for
student activity offering everything from fresh
food to financial aid.
It includes three collegia where students can
hang out, eat lunch, spend time with classmates
and study. Each has a relaxing lounge-style
atmosphere and is outfitted with comfortable
furniture and a kitchen, a home away from home
for commuter students. There is also a designated
space for visiting alumni. The 79,000 sq. ft.
building houses learning centres, offices for
student services and the Students' Union, club
space, a sushi bar and a pub-style restaurant.
Another offering on the food front is the Green
Thread Market, an innovative marketeria: part
cafeteria and part market. It provides students
with healthy, ethnically diverse food choices
including organic, vegan, vegetarian and Halal.
The kitchen buys locally wherever possible,
aiming for a 200-km diet. This is the first Green
Thread Market, developed by UBC's Kelowna
food services provider Aramark.
The centre also offers a credit union, a
100-seat cinema, a multi-faith space and a
medical clinic.
"We built the University Centre to serve our
growing student population," says Ian Cull,
Associate VP, Students. "We went from 3,000
students to more than 6,100 students and
expect that number to increase to 7,500
students by 2012. The University Centre will
contribute greatly to the student experience."
The new facility has been more than two and
a half years in the making. The UBC Okanagan
Students' Union contributed $3 million to the
project, and an anonymous donor gave more
than $ 1 million to establish the J. Peter Meekison
Student Centre, located on the ground floor.
Peter Meekison was the public administrator
appointed by the BC government to oversee the
former Okanagan University College's 2005
transition into two new institutions: UBC
Okanagan and Okanagan College.
Long-Term Workers
Hit Harder by Layoffs
tttf Economics Professor Craig Riddell recently
conducted a study that explored the impact of
unemployment on long-term employees versus
more recent hires. He discovered that the first
group experienced more difficulty finding new
work, and when they did were more likely to
face a significant drop in pay.
"When these folks lose their jobs, they are
looking at pay cuts by as much as 30 per cent
when they find new work," says Riddell, who
explains that longer-term employers tend to
accrue higher wages as they become more
senior. "When they find themselves back in the
competitive labour market, most just can't find
employment at a comparable salary with the
qualifications they have." It also takes them up
to 3 5 per cent longer to find replacement work
than other job seekers more used to navigating
the employment market.
The long-termers also faced a greater
emotional toll, being more susceptible to
stress, depression, divorce, suicide and lower
life-expectancy. The numbers of long-term
employees out of work has risen rapidly with
the latest recession and is especially prevalent
among the manufacturing, forestry, fishing and
pulp and paper industries.
Riddell is a member of Canada's Expert
Panel on Older Workers, which exists to
support and improve conditions for older
workers. He also heads the Canadian Labour
Market and Skills Research Network, which
aims to improve our understanding of the
national labour market.
The study fills a gap in national data and
could have beneficial effects if used to inform
unemployment policies. It suggests that despite
paying into EI for many years, long-term
employees facing layoff did not receive
enough support. Riddell thinks the impact of
unemployment on them justifies an increase in
EI benefits. The study also recommends
considering a national wage insurance program.
Photograph: Jody Jacob
Fall 2009    Trek    7 take note
UBC's Barber Learning Centre is supporting a project to digitize images from the Salt Spring Island Archives.
Sharing Island Treasures
Without the support of a UBC-based
program, the rich visual history of a local
island community would remain confined to
thousands of aging film negatives.
Thanks to the BC History Digitization
Program and the Irving K. Barber Learning
Centre at UBC, photos of local events, people
and ceremonies from Salt Spring Island, along
with aerial shots from years past, will soon be
available for viewing online.
The program has provided a matching grant of
$10,000 to the Salt Spring Archives to digitize
15,000 negatives of photos taken from 1958 to
1973 by local photojournalist Marshall Sharp.
"The project wouldn't have happened
without this support, because we needed
additional equipment," says Barbara Dumoulin,
secretary of the Salt Spring Island Historical
Society, and a grant writer and volunteer
archivist for the Salt Spring Archives. The
funding helped the organization purchase two
additional scanners. So far, about 8,000
negatives have been scanned and Dumoulin
hopes to have the rest completed by the end
of the year.
The Salt Spring Island initiative is one of
14 projects throughout BC that received
funding from the digitization program,
launched by the Barber Learning Centre in
2006. Since then, 52 projects around the
province have received more than $450,000
in total funding, underlining the Centre's
commitment to community engagement.
"We continue to be impressed with the
breadth of material represented in this year's
group of applications," says Chris Hives,
University Archivist. "In addition to several
photographic digitization projects, we have
also had requests to support the digitization of
community newspapers and publications, oral
histories, early British Columbia documents
and graphic materials."
The assistance allows recipients to make the
fascinating stories of BC communities accessible
for audiences throughout the province and beyond.
By the way, most of UBC's publications -
including The Ubyssey, the Totem, Trek
Magazine (and the Chronicle before it) and
UBC Reports - have been digitized and placed
online. Visit http://ubcpubs.library.ubc.ca/ to
take a trip back in time.
Sex Trade Outreach
ife A mobile outreach service run by former sex
trade workers for women still in the trade is
having a beneficial impact on their health and
vulnerability to physical assault, according to a
UBC study co-led by Professor Patricia Janssen
of the School of Population and Public Health.
The service operates out of a van and goes to
where women are working to offer advice,
intervene in a crisis, help document dangerous
encounters, make available condoms and clean
needles and provide a watchful presence.
The study surveyed 100 Vancouver sex trade
workers who had used the outreach service, 90
per cent of whom reported the van and staff
made them feel safer on the streets. Sixteen per
cent reported escaping physical assault as a
result of the van's presence and 10 per cent
avoiding sexual assault because of it.
Sex trade workers are one of Vancouver's
most vulnerable populations, with more than
60 going missing from the Downtown Eastside
since the 1980s. "Sex trade workers face multiple
dangers associated with communicable disease,
alienation from family and friends, lack of
access to health services and police protection,
random and partner violence and even murder,"
says Janssen.
Trek    Fall 2009
Photographs courtesy Salt Spring Island Archives The outreach van costs $20,000 per year to
run and is funded by many agencies including
the provincial government. It was launched in
2004 by the Vancouver Agreement Women's
Strategy Task Team, WISH Drop-In Centre
Society and the Prostitution Alternatives
Counselling and Education Society.
Partners in the study include co-author Kate
Gibson, executive director of WISH, Child and
Family Research Group, St. Paul's Hospital,
and the British Columbia Centre for Excellence
in HIV/AIDS.
Downtown Eastside
Initiatives Get Major Boost
Ik Two UBC initiatives in Vancouver's
Downtown Eastside are receiving a major
increase in funding over the next seven years.
The $2.i7-million donation from HSBC Bank
Canada is the largest gift UBC has received
from a financial institution, and the latest of
several it has received from the bank.
One of the beneficiaries is the Learning
Exchange, which engages students and others
from the university community in offering free
educational resources to Downtown Eastside
residents. The Exchange's offerings include
computer skills workshops and an ESL program
for new immigrants. The Exchange organizes
community service learning placements for
UBC students in inner schools and non-profit
organizations where they act as tutors, mentors
and role models for kids and youth, inspiring
them to stay in school. The students learn
about important social issues as a result of
their volunteering.
The other program to benefit from the
donation is a partnership between the faculty
of Medicine and St. Paul's Hospital that is
carrying out leading research into addictions.
Some of the money will fund the HSBC
Fellowship in Addiction Research, awarded to a
post-doctoral student working with individuals
in Vancouver and surrounding areas who are
affected by addiction and mental illness. The
recipient will work with Michael Krausz, a
psychiatrist, researcher and world authority on
addictions treatments who holds the joint UBC/
St. Paul's Providence Health Care BC Leadership
Chair in Addictions Research.
The Force of
Sustainability
Stephen J. Toope, President, UBC
"Sustainability" has become one of our society's most
compelling-if somewhat imprecise- ideas. From climate
change and resource management to social equality and
cultural diversity, this concept drives us to examine how
we can live in harmony with the world around us, and
insists that we make choices that will have a positive
impact on generations to come.
As individuals, each of us has an opportunity and a
responsibility to apply the filter of sustainability to our
activities and show our children, our friends and our
neighbours how they, too, can affect change.
At UBC, we apply that filter to every aspect of our business and have imbedded the notion
of sustainability into Place and Promise: The UBC Plan, a strategic plan for the next phase ofthe
university's development. This is an exciting step for those of us who work at UBC, because it
lets us show the world what a coordinated, collegial and cooperative effort can accomplish.
Our goal is to create a vibrant academic, social and cultural community that governs itself with
the highest principles of sustainability in mind.
This means our research projects and teaching facilities will continue to lead the country in
making sustainability the foundation of campus operations. It also means that faculty, staff and
students on campus-and alumni in their post-UBC lives-wil I reflect the spirit of the university's
sustainability pledge: to factor ecological, social and economic consequences into our personal
and professional decisions. Our Sustainability Academic Strategy, developed this year, outlines
both the philosophical and practical application of this idea, and how it is changing UBC's
campuses. Visit our sustainability website, www.sas.ubc.ca for more information.
Our efforts are no better exemplified than in our approach to the development of UBC's
academic core and residential neighbourhoods. UTown@UBC has earned praise across the
country and is viewed in other university settings around the world as a model, sustainable
community that incorporates the very best social, intellectual and cultural elements in a
residential university setting.
Our academic core is no less exemplary. The needs of a large, research-oriented university
tend to challenge the good intentions of a sustainability policy. The competitive nature of
university awards dictates that institutions like ours be able to respond quickly when new
facilities need to be built. But at UBC, sustainability trumps all other pressures. Our list of recent
"green" buildings is impressive, including the Lui Centre, which uses materials salvaged from
the old Armouries; the heritage core of the Irving K. Barber Learning Centre; the spectacular
Life Sciences Centre; and the Aquatic Ecosystems Research Laboratory, both built to LEED Gold
certification; and many others.
Indeed, sustainability is more than just an idea at UBC; it's at the core of our mission.
Fall 2009    Trek    9 take note
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1 Primary lobular breast cancer tumour cells.
1 Photo: courtesy BC Cancer Agency
Breast Cancer Breakthrough
it The October issue of international science
journal Nature carried the cover story of a
cancer research breakthrough made by
investigators in BC. The new findings increase
our knowledge on the origins and spread of
cancers and will help shape new therapies.
Samuel Aparicio's team used next-generation
sequencing technology to decode the DNA of a
metastatic lobular breast cancer tumour, and
have found the mutations that caused it to
spread. Lobular breast cancer accounts for
around io per cent of all breast cancers and
(with the exclusion of non-melanoma skin
cancer) breast cancer is the most common
cancer affecting Canadian women.
Aparicio is head of the breast cancer research
program at the BC Cancer Agency and holds
the Canada Research Chair in Molecular
Oncology. He also holds the Nan and Lorraine
Robertson Chair in Breast Cancer Research at
UBC and is a professor in the department of
Pathology and Laboratory Medicine. Also on
the team was professor of medical genetics
Marco Marra.
Aparicio's team partnered with BC Cancer
Agency's Genome Sciences Centre to examine
the progression of the lobular breast cancer
tumour over a nine year period, comparing the
3 2 mutations they found in the metastatic
tumour with those in the original tumour and
finding an overlap of just five. This led the
scientists to believe the five mutations were
associated with the origins of the cancer, an
association not previously made.
"I never thought I would see this in my
lifetime," said Aparicio. "This is a watershed
event in our ability to understand the causes
of breast cancer and to develop personalized
medicines for our patients. The number of
doors that can now be opened to future
research is considerable."
Climate Change Challenges Fisheries
ifc'The first major study to examine how
climate change impacts ocean fisheries was
recently completed by the Sea Around Us
Project at UBC with partners at Princeton
University. It concluded that fisheries distribution
is likely to be affected by climate change and
that tropical regions - areas where land-based
food production is already forecast to suffer -
would be hardest hit.
"Our projections show that climate change
may lead to a 3 o to 70 per cent increase in
catch potential in high-latitude regions and a
drop of up to 40 per cent in the tropics," said
lead author William Cheung, now based at the
University of East Anglia in the UK.
The study covered more than a thousand
species of fish accounting for about 70 per cent
of catch worldwide and considered a large
number of environmental and biological factors
influencing ocean fisheries. It used two different
climate change scenarios and calculated the
impact of both on fisheries distribution
between 2005 and 2055.
Areas expected to see the biggest losses in
catch potential by 2055 include the US (with
the exception of Alaska and Hawaii), Indonesia,
Chile and China. High latitude areas expected
to see the biggest increases include Norway,
Greenland, Alaska and the east coast of Russia.
Overall, Canada's is projected to stay the same,
but the west coast may see a 20 per cent decrease
and the east coast a 10 per cent increase.
UBC Fisheries professor Daniel Pauly, who
leads the team, cautions against interpreting
an increased catch in some areas as a benefit.
"We need to keep the big picture in mind when
looking at the 'winners' and 'losers' of climate
change," he says. "Major shifts in fish populations
will create a host of changes in ocean ecosystems
likely resulting in species loss and problems for
the people who now catch them.
"While warmer waters might attract new
species to colder regions, the rise in temperature might make the environment inhospitable
to current species in the region that cannot
move to even higher latitudes. Often these
species are important to the diets and culture of
native subsistence fishermen."
The Sea Around Us Project is a scientific
collaboration between UBC and the Pew
Environment Group. It exists to assess
fisheries impacts and seek policy solutions. See
www.seaaroundus.org for more information.
Canary Islands Trip winner
Olivia Freeman graduated this year with a BSc degree
in Natural Resource Conservation. She entered UBC's
Unbelievably Easy Travel Contest in September and
won a Canary Islands Cruise for two. Her friends and
family are being exceptionally nice to her.
10    Trek    Fall 2009 Shared Resource, Shared Responsibility
Ian Robertson, BSc'86, BA'88, MBA, MA, Chair, UBC Alumni Association
Look back over UBC's 100-year history
and you'll realize how far the university
has come.
Now that it has a $10 billion impact on
BC's economy and produces a sizable
share of the social capital required for a
healthy society, it's hard to imagine the
struggle to establish the university in the
first place or the fact that it could ever
have faced closure.
But UBC's evolution from a collection
of shacks into a first-class research and teaching institution didn't just
magically happen. It came about as a result of the efforts of people who
understood the importance of post-secondary education and cared about
the university's future - not least its alumni.
The fact that UBC is a shared resource is even reflected in the university
motto Tuum Est (it's yours, or it's up to you), coined by UBC's first president,
Dr. Frank Fairchild Wesbrook. He believed that student self-government was
vital to the growth of a university.
In turn, the student body stands to gain or lose depending on its investment
in university governance, and the AMS over the years has advised, criticized,
lobbied on behalf of, and tempered the decisions of university administrations.
It's not surprising that the same group of students who set up UBC's AMS
also set up the Alumni Association in 1917. Its raison d'etre then was the same
as it is now - to serve the university and its alumni.
The Association communicates regularly with the alumni body: alerting
you to both the university's considerable accomplishments and its challenges;
notifying you of opportunities for involvement; and enlisting your support as
members of UBC's convocation. One upcoming issue to which alumni - and
indeed all British Columbians who benefit from UBC's success - will want to
pay attention is the relationship between the university and Metro Vancouver
(formerly the GVRD), specifically as it pertains to governance over the academic
use of UBC's lands.
Alumni are regularly consulted as important stakeholders when the
university is undergoing major change, and the Association's Board of
Directors are your front-line representatives. When issues warrant, you
should make your views known to appropriate decision makers. You should
also make sure you have a say in who sits at your Alumni Association board
table. The success of any election is determined not by the result, but by the
voter turnout - a more reliable indicator of relevance, emotional investment,
and faith in process.
As part of a broader review of our bylaws and the way we nominate
candidates for Chancellor, UBC Board of Governors, and Senate, we will be
examining the way you vote for members of the Alumni Association Board
of Directors. We hope to enhance your ability to exercise your right. After all,
the university is in your hands, too.
From Here
Marie Earl, Executive Director UBC Alumni Association I Associate Vice President, Alumni
UBC has recently launched a branding
campaign. This is a public story-telling effort
aimed at capturing some essential truths
about UBC that are both individually held
and, in some fashion, resonate with those
of us who make up the UBC community:
faculty, students, staff, alumni and others.
Visit the UBC homepage (www.ubc.ca)
and  you  can   browse  through  some
observations from students, faculty staff
and alumni about UBC. Click on "A Place
of Mind" in the top banner, then "Learn More." You will find A Place of
Mind. UBC is tackling the world's big problems. From here, with you.
Having been invited to share, one student writes, "I can promote inter-
religious cooperation and action. From Here." Let's wish her every success.
Another student offers, "Increasing access to essential medicines. From
Here." A web link then delivers those whose interest is piqued to another
website to learn about the student organization Universities Allied for
Essential Medicines, which is dedicated to enhancing the impact of universities'
biomedical research on global health. Their tagline? Our drugs. Our labs.
Our responsibility. A powerful statement of accountability.
Others are cynical or flippant. "I can see Alaska. From Here." Or "No Sky
Train to and From Here."
Alumni entries include: "Making friends from across the globe. From
Here." "Contribute as a global citizen. From Here." And from what must
surely be a proud Theatre department graduate judging from the web link
back to the department, "Artistic vision ignited. From Here."
Thus we see the fabric of our community begin to take shape. It's a sort
of crazy quilt to which a great number of people have contributed. I find
inspiration in this act of co-creation.
Asa metaphor, A Place of Mind certainly works for me. Cultural geographers
study how our physical environs inform our sense of who we are as a people. I
cannot imagine anyone being immune to the beauty of the Point Grey and
Okanagan campuses. These are special places that we are privileged to inhabit.
And UBC is very much a place of discovery. Whether professors or students,
UBC scholars are endlessly curious about the world. They challenge us to
share in their passions. Alumni tell us also about discovering so much about
themselves while at UBC. They fall in and out of love. They take risks of all
kinds. They form lifelong friendships. They figure out what they truly value
and why.
So for me, talking about UBC solely as a place of mind doesn't tell the full
story. For me, UBC is also an emotional landscape. Developing the heart.
From Here. letters to the editor:
Dear Editor:
I enjoyed the summer 2009 issue of Trek
Magazine, but I question a couple of small
factual points. First, in the article UTown®
UBC, the Science Building is in the list of major
academic buildings undergoing renovation in
recent years. The Faculty of Science has
students, staff, and faculty in many buildings
on the Point Grey campus so none can be
considered "the" Science Building. I believe you
refer to the heritage core of the Chemistry
Building, the first of many Science buildings
erected and recently re-opened after major
renovations to the interior.
Second, in Little Known Facts about UBC
(p.34) I find it difficult to accept the notion that
the Biological Sciences building is shaped like a
cell. As an undergraduate who studied in the
building and as a long-time faculty member
occupant, I know the building presents a
challenge to anyone trying to find a lecture hall
or office for the first time (and probably the
second and third times), but there are few
biologists who would liken the current building
configuration to a cell. A cell has a semi-permeable
membrane enclosing its contents whereas the
building has a major gap in its perimeter and
any plans that may have existed for a wing that
would complete the perimeter were long ago
abandoned. On the other hand, to those with a
long-term view the structure has grown over
the decades through the periodic addition of
new wings and so has a certain "organismal"
character. Come to think of it, the article could
provide the basis for an interesting topic for
discussion in an introductory biology course.
Dr. Paul G. Harrison, BSc'jo, Associate Dean,
Students, Faculty of Science
Dear Editor:
I was reading through the Trek Magazine I
received in today's mail, and I couldn't help
but notice an error in the Little Known Facts
about UBC.The Ladner Clocktower does not
have 133 bells. In fact, it has zero bells. Having
been inside on several occasions, I can assure
you there is not a single bell in the tower. It's a
moderately well-known fact that there are no
bells, but rather a series of loudspeakers (visible
from the outside, below the windows, protected
by metal grating), which blast music from a
cassette player on a timer in the small carillon
building beside the tower. This is why it was so
easy for the engineers to change the song as one
of their pranks years ago - they simply broke
into the little building and changed the cassette.
You're welcome to ask Plant Ops to confirm
that there are no bells in the tower. In addition,
according to the Library Archives website, the
height of the tower is 121 feet, not 140 as
printed. (See http://www.library.ubc.ca/
archives/bldgs/ladnerclocktow.htm) I believe it
would be appropriate to print a correction in
the next issue.
Chris Anderson BA'oy
The building we refer to in the article was
partially built before the outbreak ofWWI in
1914. During the Great Trek, marchers sat on
the girders of the unfinished structure, providing
us with a great iconic photo of the event.
At that time, the structure was called "the
Science Building."
As far as the cell shape of the Biological
Sciences goes, it would be hard to define what,
exactly, a cell looks like. There are other
buildings on campus that look like things (the
computer science building looks like a computer, circa i<)<)6), and we still insist that BioSci
looks like some kind of cell.
We've asked everyone, and no one can tell us
with any certainty that the Ladner Clock Tower
has or has not any bells. Guess we're going to
have to enlist some engineers to break into the
place to find out. -Ed.
UBC Alumni Association Board of Directors 2009-2010
Ex-Officio
PRESIDENT'S DESIGNATE
Barbara Miles BA, Postgrad Certificate in Ed.
UBC PRESIDENT
Stephen Toope AB, LLB & BCL, PhD
UBC CHANCELLOR
Sarah Morgan-Silvester BCom'82
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Marie Earl, AB, MLA
Directors
CHAIR '09-'10
Ian Robertson BSc'86, BA'88, MA, MBA
VICE CHAIR '09-'10
Miranda Lam LLB'02
TREASURER '08-'10
Robin Elliott BCom'65
MEMBERS AT LARGE '07-'10
Don Dalik BCom, LLB'76
Dallas Leung BCom'94
MEMBERS AT LARGE '08-'11
Brent Cameron BA, MBA'06
Blake Hanna MBA'82
Marsha Walden BCom'80
Ernest Yee BA'83, MA'87
MEMBERS AT LARGE '09-'12
Aderita Guerreiro BA'77
Mark Mawhinney BA'94
PAST CHAIR '09-'10
Doug Robinson BCom'71, LLB'72
AMS REPRESENTATIVE '09-'10
Tom Dvorak
CONVOCATION SENATE REP. '09-'10
Chris Gorman BA'99
FACULTY REPRESENTATIVE '09-'10
Sally Thorne BSN'79, MSN'83, PhD
SENIOR ADMIN REPRESENTATIVES '09-'10
Stephen Owen MBA,LLB'72, LLM
Brian Sullivan AB, MPH
APPOINTMENTS '09-'10
Carmen Lee BA'01
Catherine Comben BA'67
Rod Hoffmeister BA'67
Ian Warner BCom'89
Judy Rogers BRE'71
Jim Southcott BCom'82
12    Trek    Fall 2009 UBC
O
The MBNA® MasterCard® credit card
Credit you don't have to cram for
Apply now for your University of British Columbia Alumni Association
MasterCard and join more than 16,000 UBC alumni and students in
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Call 1-866-434-5393 for an Instant Decision and quote Priority Code BPFY Monday - Friday 8 am - 8 pm (Eastern Time)
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MasterCard Combing the Cosmos:
Searching  for the origins of the Universe
Launched this spring, the Planck and Herschel
research satellites are expected to revolutionize
modern astronomy.
By HILARY FELDMAN BSc'.
Unbelievably lush and green, even by West Coast
standards, the jungle grows in overlapping
layers. Exotic birdcalls ring out, joining the
tiny croaks of poison dart frogs and loud
monkey shrieks. Every surface crawls with life
as super-sized insects scurry about. Without
warning, a thunderous roar reverberates,
drowning out everything. Blazing brightly, a
huge Ariane rocket rises into the air followed
by a puffy trail.
French Guiana is a surreal combination of
Caribbean paradise and rocket science mecca.
The area boasts one of the most modern and
well-equipped spaceports in the world, and
sun-seeking tourists are often outnumbered by
astronomers and rocket scientists attending
launches. This May, one of those VIP guests
was UBC astronomy professor Douglas Scott,
who joined colleagues to witness the culmination of years of hard work. Two research
satellites, Planck and Herschel, were heading
into space.
"A launch is really a once-in-a-lifetime
experience," says Scott. "Satellites take ten or
twenty years to build. I've been involved with
Planck for at least a dozen years, and many
people have been involved since the 1980s."
The mission is focused on an area of
astronomy known as cosmology, which is the
study of large-scale structure in the universe.
It's a topic that brings together scientists from
around the globe. Planck and Herschel are
huge multinational collaborations coordinated
by the European Space Agency. Herschel will
collect infrared data on star and galaxy
formation, while Planck is surveying the cosmic
microwave background, sometimes called the
"echo of the Big Bang." Essentially, this is
radiation left over from long ago when the
universe was just starting to grow structure.
"It's the same kind of wavelengths you use in
your microwave oven," says Scott, "but these
are fantastically faint so you need a very
sensitive instrument to detect them."
Scott and his UBC colleagues are involved in
several aspects of the mission. Along with
postdoctoral researcher Adam Moss and
programmer Andrew Walker, Scott is responsible
for developing data analysis software to test
Planck. In addition, department members are
involved with the Herschel observatory. Scott,
Mark Halpern, and four postdoctoral researchers
are part of the largest survey, which focuses on
early star-forming galaxies.
The spaceport in Kourou is a long way from
UBC. Travelling from Vancouver is complicated,
requiring multiple flights and island-hopping
across the French Caribbean. In contrast, flying
from Europe is simpler thanks to regular direct
flights from Paris to the sole airport in Cayenne. French Guiana is one of the 26 regions of
France, classified as an overseas department. It
is the only part of Europe located in South
America. In fact, sharp eyes will notice that
French Guiana appears as an inset on the euro
coin's map of Europe.
Why is there a vital spaceport in such a
remote place? Not only are the French
ambitious about taking a leading role in the
European Space Agency, but the site is ideal for
the purpose, lying only 500 kilometres north
of the equator. From here, rockets benefit from
a slingshot effect thanks to increased rotational
velocity, along with a wide launch angle,
consistently great weather, and a conveniently
sparse population (just in case something
goes wrong).
Fortunately for the spectators, the launch of
Planck and Herschel went without a hitch. After
much cheering, sighs of relief and champagne
celebrations, the scientists found time to
explore the sights before dispersing around the
world to follow the satellites' progress.
Although it seems a long way from stately
chateaux along the Loire or rolling fields of
lavender - most of French Guiana is equatorial
rainforest - colonial history has left a long and
complicated legacy around this part of the
Caribbean. Tourists can experience a mix of
features, from verdant South American jungle
to haute cuisine (with a good chance of a
rocket launch thrown in for excitement). It's
not a cheap holiday destination. But where else
could you find a version of Paris transplanted
to South America? You can buy baguettes and
pain au chocolat in the boulangerie, while
admiring fantastic biodiversity. Avid naturalists
will find myriad treasures, from mangrove
swamps to macaws, sloths to nesting sea turtles.
With the gruelling work of data analysis still
months away, Scott and his colleagues opted
for a boat trip to the lies du Salut, which
includes infamous Devil's Island. The penal
colony, formerly home to Henri "Papillon"
Photos (Clockwise from top):
Toucan on the fles du Salut ■ Leatherback sea turtle
returns to the ocean after laying eggs ■ Mother and
baby three-toed sloths in French Guiana.
Photos: Brendan Crill. I'
Scientists remove the Planck telescope's
protective cover. Photo: ESA -S. Corvaja.
Planck spacecraft undergoing
testing at a facility in Toulouse.
Photo: Thales/ESA - Studio Bazile.
Charriere, operated for a century until the
1950s and was immortalized in books and on
film (think Steve McQueen). Now a pristine
nature reserve, the islands combine decaying
prison ruins with incredible flora and fauna.
The French Space Agency owns the area, which is
evacuated on launch days to avoid any accidents.
Started in 1964, Guiana Space Centre is the
region's biggest single employer and contributes
about 15 per cent of the gross domestic
product. The spaceport's long-term viability is
promising, thanks to a safe, efficient and
reliable record. With up to nine Ariane rocket
launches each year, plus future Russian Soyuz
rocket launches scheduled, the spaceport is
busy and lucrative.
The joint launch of the Planck and Herschel
satellites is poised to revolutionize modern
astronomy. Each instrument weighs in at the
size of a small truck, making it momentous to
send these high-precision detectors into space.
Once in position, the satellites are designed to
separate and take independent measurements.
The information gathered by the satellites can
answer some fundamental questions. Very early
in time, some unknown process caused minute
variations in the distribution of matter, which
led to the gradual formation of all structure
including galaxies, stars, and planets. Those
early times and processes can be studied by
looking at the microwave background.
Now back at UBC, Scott remains in
constant contact with his collaborators as the
measurements start to pour in. Both Planck
and Herschel are functioning as hoped. Over
the coming months and years, the core science
teams will meet in slightly less exotic places,
primarily mainland Europe, to discuss the
detailed findings and agree on answers to some
pretty big questions. Their hope is to advance
our basic understanding of the universe, so that
future generations can look at the sky and see
the beauty of its underlying intricacies.
Hilary Feldman is a Vancouver-based freelance writer.
While her own training is in zoology, Hilary has had
lifelong exposure to space science - both her father
and husband are astronomers.
UBC'S GREAT  (STAR) TREKKERS
UBC's contribution to space astronomy includes work by Jaymie Matthews,
lead investigator for the MOST microsatellite, which studies variation in
the brightness of stars. Mark Halpern and Douglas Scott worked on the
balloon-borne experiment BLAST, which served as a prototype for part
of the Herschel observatory and was the subject of a recent feature-length
documentary (BLAST!). Halpern is also working on a second balloon
experiment, SPIDER, looking at the microwave background. Matthews
and Brett Gladman are on the team for the Near Earth Object Surveillance
Satellite, which will study nearby asteroids and comets.
Beyond research funded by the Canadian Space Agency, UBC astronomers
are involved in a wide range of space projects. Harvey Richer is one of the
main Canadian users of the Hubble Space Telescope in his search for the
oldest stars in the universe. Halpern is a key member of the science team
for the Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe, a previous microwave
background project sponsored by NASA. Canadian scientists, many from
UBC, also contribute to missions looking at physical, chemical, and biological
processes in space.
16    Trek    Fall 2009 /
Newspaper journalist,
author, publisher,
businessman, politician,
competitive sailor, boat
builder, husband,
father, community
service leader and
sasquatch investigator.
Meet John Green,
wearer of many hats.
By DON WELLS BA'8
I have vivid memories of the sasquatch. I grew
up in the shadow of Alberta's Rocky Mountains
and was enthralled by the reports of sightings
of an enormous bipedal creature in the Kootenay
Plains wilderness region near Banff National
Park. I was part of a group of kids that regularly
fished with our fathers in that area in the late
1960s, and I remember casting our lines in the
twilight hours and listening to our fathers
discuss the most recent "Bigfoot" sightings they
had heard on the radio or read in newspapers.
I was 12 years old, and the prospects of a hairy
monster stalking the mountains where our
families went camping thrilled and terrified me.
I also remember being excited to discover
a book in our local library about sasquatch
encounters written by a man from Harrison
Hot Springs, BC, named John Green. Those
times came back in a big way when, four decades
later, I found myself sitting in the living room
of the author himself, a UBC graduate (BA'46)
who still resides in Harrison Hot Springs and is
still regarded as the world's most prolific
researcher and author on the lingering mystery
of the sasquatch.
John Green is not a rugged outdoorsman
who has spent a lifetime in the bush. His
upbringing was strictly urban and his 82
years have been spent in amazingly eclectic
1
pursuits. Yes, sasquatch investigator is on
the list, but so is newspaper journalist, author,
publisher, businessman, politician, investor,
competitive sailor, boat builder, husband,
father and community service leader.
The sasquatch may never have received
worldwide attention if it had not been for
Green, and for a serendipitous chain of events
that began at UBC in 1943. An academically
gifted 17-year-old majoring in English, Green
agreed to tag along with a chum on his way to
the Publications Board office in the basement
of Brock Hall to pick up a writing assignment
for The Ubyssey newspaper. It was there in the
offices of "the Pub" that his interest was sparked
to pursue a career in the newspaper world.
As the son of Howard Green, a long-time
Member of Parliament and Cabinet Minister,
John was no stranger to public issues. He was
also a born communicator who took quickly to
the mechanics of news writing. While a student,
he turned out copy on university affairs for
The Ubyssey and Totem yearbooks, and for
The Province newspaper. He graduated at 19
and went to work for a year as a reporter for
the Vancouver News Herald before moving to
New York in 1947 to attend graduate school in
Journalism at Columbia University.
He worked part-time for The Globe and Mail
in New York, and later as a full-time reporter for
two years at the paper's Toronto headquarters,
then returned to Vancouver to cover local news
for The Province. After a subsequent stint at
the Victoria Times Colonist, he bought his own
paper in 1954, the Agassiz-Harrison Advance.
"Talk about an upside-down career," he
laughs as he recalls the peculiar journey from
New York to a tiny community paper in the
Upper Fraser Valley. "Our circulation was in
the hundreds, but owning your own paper was
what many people in the business wanted to do
in those days."
/
Fall 2009    Trek    17 John Green's high-profile father studied law at
the University ofToronto. His mother, Marion
Green (nee Mounce), was the daughter of a
Vancouver Island lumber baron and the first
woman to graduate from UBC's faculty of
Agricultural Sciences. In spite of his blue-blooded
urban roots, small town life in Agassiz agreed
with John and wife June, and they quickly settled
in and began to raise the first of four children.
A turning point came one day in 1956 when
a Swiss-born farm labourer from the Alberta
foothills named Rene Dahinden entered the
newspaper's office and asked Green if he knew
anything about reported sightings of a large
two-footed creature that bore a resemblance to
the Abominable Snowman of Nepal. Green told
Dahinden that the reports were nonsense and
that he was wasting his time.
"I referred him to some local hunters
thinking they would talk him out of it. But of
course I also put something in the paper about
it and that started some talk about sightings
that happened here in 1941. People I knew and
respected were involved, so I had to take it a
bit more seriously."
In the months that followed the visit by
Dahinden, Green became increasingly curious
about the 1941 incidents that reportedly took
place in the vicinity of Ruby Creek, a short
distance up the Fraser River. His research began
by interviewing the son of a deceased deputy
sheriff from Whatcom County in Washington
who had investigated sightings around Ruby
Creek. The deputy had made sketches and
plaster casts of footprints and arranged for a
local magistrate and former trial lawyer to
cross examine four witnesses to the incidents
before taking their sworn affidavits.
Then in the fall of 195 8, The Province
newspaper reported that a bulldozer operator
from Eureka, California, named Jerry Crew
had discovered hundreds of footprints on a
logging road in northwestern California. Green
and his wife immediately drove south where they
connected with Crew on a road construction
site near the Oregon border. At first he thought
they had made the three-day drive only to be
confronted with a prank.
"When we got there, this fellow said that we
were too late and that they had just back-bladed
the fresh prints, and I thought, oh sure," said
Green. "Then he said, 'but have a look around,
you'll find some older ones.' June opened the
car door and there was a footprint a few feet
from the car. What particularly impressed me
was the similarity between the outline of these
tracks and the tracings I had of one of the
Ruby Creek footprints."
Convinced that something much heavier
than a man had made the deep footprints,
Green stepped up his efforts to get scientists
to take the subject more seriously and made
frequent trips to California, sometimes with
tracking dogs, to investigate the validity of
reports and inspect footprints. He also became
part of a loose network of sasquatch hunters,
one of whom was Roger Patterson from
Yakima, Washington, who Green invited on an
excursion to an area of Northern California
known as Bluff Creek.
Patterson came to Bluff Creek a month later
hoping to get pictures of fresh tracks for a
movie he intended to make about his search for
Bigfoot. What he got was a 40-second 16
millimetre film clip of what appears to be a
large female biped walking upright along a
creek bed.
Almost overnight, the film went around the
world, including a screening at UBC, and
sparked renewed interest and speculation about
the creature's existence. "There was already
some publicity at the time, but it would have
died down had the movie not been made,"
says Green.
In response to claims that the film had been
manipulated, he went to Los Angeles and the
Walt Disney film studios to ask if they could
have wildlife film experts look at the film to
determine if it was a fake. The man Green
spoke to declined, saying that they had already
seen the film and deemed it to be legitimate,
and that whatever it was in the film was neither
an animal nor a machine and had indeed
walked in front of a camera.
The number of reports increased dramatically
after the film caught public attention, and
Green had to work hard to maintain his
records of reported sightings and tracks.
Once the computer came of age, he spent a
dozen years maintaining a data base that
grew to some 4,000 entries, but abandoned
his work when the Internet made it impossible
to keep up with the information that was
available on-line.
In 1968, he released his first book on the
sasquatch and sold his newspaper a few years
4.' Green measures the stride distance of
B tracks discovered in 1967 near Bluff
M Creek where the Patterson film was made.
later to concentrate on producing more books
and continuing his research. He has lost track
of the number of books and revised versions he
has written, but estimates that he has sold close
to 250,000 copies.
Rene Dahinden tramped fruitlessly through
the wilderness for decades until his death in
2002, but Green's sasquatch investigation did
not dominate his life. He kept up with a
number of other occupations, including raising
his family, running a business and pursuing his
political aspirations, which focused on offering
the provincial electorate an alternative to BC's
traditional two-party system, or as he describes
it, "a free enterprise government that hasn't
gone crazy." He eventually announced his
intention to run for provincial office as a
Conservative, losing by a wide margin in each of
the four elections in which he ran. After getting
himself elected as village mayor of Harrison Hot
Springs in 1963, he led a crude but effective
process of pumping hundreds of thousands of
tons of sand from the lake bottom to cover the
enormous boulders that lined the shore, thereby
creating the popular beach that exists today
and helping to transform the area into one of
southwestern BC's most popular recreation
destinations. Some years later he founded the
World Sand Sculpture Championships, which
gained international profile for the region for
almost two decades.
A competitive sailboat racer in his youth and
an engineer at heart, he found the time and
ingenuity to design and construct the first
fiberglass hull sailboat to ply BC waters. He
18    Trek    Fall 2009 tr-
F John Green began archiving plaster casts of footprints in 1958 following the
discovery of tracks on a remote road construction site in Northern California.
also became an adept investor after his father
died and left him a sizable inheritance.
"I had the golden touch there for a while,"
he says with a wry smile. Finding himself with
more money than he had ever wanted or
needed, he gave some away to his children, but
also exercised various forms of philanthropy.
Well into his seventies, he returned to municipal
what the tracks in question were actually like,
and they had no interest in finding out."
In spite of ongoing reports of sightings and
tracks, and in spite of a number of prominent
primate experts endorsing the merit of further
investigation, the media on both sides of the
Canada-US border determined that Bigfoot had
died along with Ray Wallace. Still, Green
politics after becoming increasingly disenchanted      contends, the work to find out what kind of
with the decisions and priorities of the Harrison      creature can make deep tracks throughout the
Hot Springs village council. Four decades after
first being elected, he again waged a successful
campaign for a commissioner's seat in 2002.
That same year, news broke that the family
of a road-building contractor from Washington
named Ray Wallace claimed upon his death
that it was he, and not a large unknown
animal, that had made the tracks using huge
carved wooden feet in the Bluff Creek area
where Roger Patterson's film was made. Green
bitterly recalls how the media had a hay day
with the story that Bigfoot was a hoax all
along, perpetrated by a renowned practical
joker, even though it was clear that it was
Wallace's family, not Wallace himself, who had
"confessed" about the footprints. As an
ex-newspaper man, Green knew that editors
love such revelations, substantiated or not, and
the effect they have on newspaper sales.
"The story was nonsense, since everyone
who had looked into the subject knew that
huge bipedal tracks had shown up all over
North America long before Ray Wallace was
born. None of the media bothered to check the
accuracy of the story. None of them realized
western North American wilderness continues,
but in relative obscurity. Nobody in the media,
he laments, really cares.
"The fact is that the tracks exist, and no
human being has yet proven to be able to
replicate the tracks of the depth recorded. I'd
like to know what's making the bloody tracks."
He has been encouraged recently by new
investigations, led most notably by Dr. Jeff
Meldrum, a physical anthropologist from Idaho
State University who specializes in the evolution
of bipedal walking.
There is also new interest in the Patterson
film. Forensic animators and physical
anthropologists have begun using animation
software to examine 116 frames of the film,
paying particular attention to the pivot points
of the joints in the arms and legs to pinpoint
their relative length. He hopes that new
technology will show that the creature in the
film is not merely a human in a suit by
accurately determining the ratio referred to
by primatologists as the intermembral index,
which compares the relative lengths of bones in
the arms and legs. If somebody can successfully
Below: Bigfoot ancestor? John Green with a skull
model of Gigantopithecus. Washington State
University Professor Grover Krantz constructed the
model of what the skull of the giant ape might have
looked like, based on size and structure of fossilized
teeth and jawbones found in China.
do that, he contends, neither the media nor the
rank and file of zoologists will be able to ignore
the possibilities.
In the meantime, those of us who have been
fascinated by the idea of another bipedal
hominid existing on the earth should be
grateful for the work of John Green, and for
his courage in maintaining an open-minded
attitude in spite of mainstream skepticism.
His work and personal credibility were
instrumental in prompting a wider body of
inquiry, one that has been essential in responding to an enduring groundswell of innate
human curiosity, and which has applied
much-needed rigor and discipline to the
investigation of a subject that for decades
thrilled many an imagination, mine included.
Don Wells is a freelance writer, producer and
communications strategist based in White Rock, BC
Global Minds Challenge
how digital technologies are fostering global learning
Calling all K-12 Teacher
+ Show the world how you and yoi
are using digital technology in innovative
■ Showcase your technology projects on the
VANOC 2010 Website.
■ Win 1 of 5 $2010 prizes for your school!
educ.ubc.ca/globalminds
Class: December 19,2009
Fall 2009    Trek    19 FROM HUGS TO HAZING: „„..„„,- .- 1IBC
A HISTORY OF STUDENT ORIENTATION AT UBC.
Often a reflection of
the times, student
orientation has taken
different forms at UBC
over the past century.
Early Frosh initiations involved the preparation of a bonfire
on False Creek flats (1921). Photo: Bridgman Studio.
It's the morning of September 8, 2009, and
busloads of students are arriving at the eastern
edge of the Vancouver campus. A nervous
anticipation pervades the slightly chilly,
late-summer air. The students are beginning a
four-year journey that will forever shape their
academic, professional and personal lives.
Student orientation - or Imagine, as it is called
these days, and Create on the Okanagan
campus - will help them keep the memory of
this day vividly intact for decades to come.
Throughout the morning, lines of students
snake around campus chanting faculty yells
with spirit that would put even the Great
Trekkers to shame. Many are dressed in faculty
colours and some future engineers have painted
their faces red. Student bands strut their stuff
and student clubs of every stripe vie for new
recruits. Later, thousands assemble for a pep
rally in the new Doug Mitchell Thunderbird
Arena, giving voice to the UBC rant: "I AM
UBC. I am not a number or an apathetic bore.
I don't go to school on a hill, or on an island,
or in Ontario." Afterwards, students filter out
of the arena towards the Imagine carnival on
Main Mall, where the celebratioins continue.
Whether they're aware of it or not, the
students are carrying on a decades-long tradition.
Orientation has taken a few different forms at
UBC over the past century, sometimes more
akin to hazing ritual than welcoming ceremony,
and often a reflection of the times.
The following excerpts describing student
orientation (or initiation) through the decades
are taken from UBC: The First 100 Years by
Eric Darner and Herbert Rosengarten, available
for purchase at the UBC Bookstore. Please note
that references have been removed. See the
publication for sources.
1915-1925
During "Frosh Week," freshmen were subjected
to various combinations of paint, dye, grease,
foodstuffs, blindfolds, dunking, electric shocks,
shaving, and messy or uncomfortable obstacle
courses before being marched through the streets
ofVancouver by older students beating pans
and reciting Varsity chants and yells. When
Homer Thompson, future archaeologist and
professor of Classics, entered UBC in 1921, he
was the youngest member of his class, and was
wearing short trousers, as a fifteen year old boy
of modest height would have done in those days.
Legend has it that some "hairy-legged engineers"
fell on him, "debagged him and hoisted the
offending shorts on an outside pulley beam in
the gable of the physics building where they
fluttered ominously to other callow freshmen."
"Freshettes" may have been treated better,
although they too were infantilized and
tormented by female Seniors: the hazing of
freshettes in October 1917 included their being
blindfolded, led into a room, and given an electric
shock. "After crawling under some benches into
the assembly hall they had various stunts to do,
such as playing leap frog, riding brooms, eating
soda biscuits suspended from strings, and
rubbing off chalk marks on the floor with wet
cheesecloth held in their teeth." However, a
protective "big sister" attitude soon developed
that kept these ceremonies from the excesses
perpetrated by the men. After their separate
rituals, men and women (and occasionally a
few faculty members) joined together for the
huge bonfire and pep rally held in the evening.
20    Trek    Fall 2009
Photos courtesy of UBC Library Archives 1925-1930
As UBC's second decade wore on, students
began to challenge some of their social
traditions, particularly the rites of initiation.
Some student leaders were keen to reform this
annual tradition, partly in the hope that
respectable initiations would convince Senate
to accord more power to the AMS. Perhaps
because of their growing numbers, frosh
effectively protested initiation rituals in 1924
and 1925, participating instead in a day of
public service followed by mandatory arm-band
wearing. By 1929, initiation was officially
described as a welcome to the University,
requiring only that frosh wear placards and
green skull-caps, carry the AMS handbook, and
attend AMS meetings and games. To these
events was added a new and important
ceremony to acknowledge the Great Trek: the
annual Cairn Ceremony, held on Main Mall
beside the cairn constructed by students
participating in The Pilgrimage, reminded
incoming students of the self-help tradition
established earlier. Such restrained and
well-ordered events notwithstanding, more
traditional forms of initiation persisted:
students still attended pep rallies, formed snake
parades through downtown Vancouver, and
built huge bonfires. However, the more extreme
forms of hazing, especially those involving
physical violence disappeared, or, as later
events would suggest, went underground.
1930-1939
Large Arts-Science brawls in 1931, 1934, and
1936 were seen by many in the university
community as an expression of youthful
exuberance and camaraderie, but the Senate
and others concerned about UBC's public
image were not impressed, and sought to bring
them to an end.
Brawls often accompanied the first-year
student initiations, which continued unabated.
The Ubyssey and the student handbook warned
first-year students that they had better follow
the rules of Frosh Week or suffer unspecified
but dire consequences. Officially, initiation in
the early 1930s was relatively tame, consisting
of such modest rituals as wearing a green
toque, beret, necktie, or placard (purchased at
student expense). Frosh were expected to
attend a special Players' Club performance,
compete against sophomores in a tug-of-war
match, participate in a Friday night smoker,
attend special athletics events, and build the
usual huge bonfire for the pep rally preceding
the snake parade through downtown Vancouver. Other stories, however, were later told of
the liberal application of mercurochrome,
lampblack, grease, kalsomine, and plaster of
Paris to blindfolded frosh, as well as mock
beatings with "bludgeons the size of baseball
bats." At least the hair-cutting and electric
shocks of earlier years appear to have been
abandoned First year women, freshettes,
Till Students involved in hazing
in front of the library (1950).
Stories were told of the
liberal application of
mercurochrome,
lampblack, grease,
kalsomine, and plaster
of Paris to blindfolded
frosh, as well as mock
beatings with
"bludgeons the size of
baseball bats."
faced a less intimidating initiation with a
special dinner and candle-light ceremony
followed by two weeks of wearing green hats
or socks and obeying strict rules on public
behaviour. Women students from out of town
were also subjected to a ritual tea with the
Dean of Women, who served them sausage rolls
and pastries in her apartment on South
Granville, and engaged them in polite but
awkward conversation.
Despite their popularity, initiation rituals
became a potential liability to the image of the
University. Following a scandal at the University
of Alberta in which a student successfully sued
for mental trauma suffered during his initiation,
UBC's Senate considered limiting student
exuberance in 1934 and the following year
forbade any form of student fights or initiation
rituals that might damage people or property.
Nonetheless, autumn revelries went a little too
far in 1936 when students disrupted downtown
Vancouver and damaged property during what
was considered the biggest snake parade ever
held there. City police responded in large
numbers to the disturbance after one reveler
cut his hand smashing the windshield of a car
that had tried to break the line of students...
the annual bonfire that autumn exploded
because of excessive use of gasoline, seriously
burning one student.
Fall 2009    Trek    21 1939-1945
President Klinck used the war to reform
student culture Year after year, he had
attempted to persuade the Freshman class that
wild initiation rituals damaged the image of the
University. Now Klinck explained that there
was no place for such "childish foolishness"
when all extra-curricular efforts should support
the war. Student leaders agreed, replacing overt
hazing with volunteer games of "push-ball."
However, these contests (which used a huge
canvass ball filled with hay) soon became
known as "push-brawl" and attracted unfavourable media attention [In 1942] there
was no "Frosh Reception" or accompanying
rituals, but instead a "Frosh Dance" which
seniors could attend only by invitation. The
1943 Frosh Week was very quiet, although a
spontaneous skirmish in front of the Library
resulted in a few freshmen being thrown into
the lily pond Although the Student Council
agreed to tone down official freshman initiation
activities, not all students were so restrained.
The relative peace of 1943 was broken in
November by a large "three faculty" fight that
interrupted classes and brought complaints
from professors. It was believed that freshmen
and sophomores were responsible, organized
by some unknown leader and including COTC
cadets who took part quite against regulations.
Lt.-Colonel Shrum promised to discipline the
cadets, and the Student Council promised to
find the instigators. The Ubyssey condemned
the whole event as immature and demanded
action by the Discipline Committee.
1945-1950
If President Klinck set a standard for sober
propriety (frequently violated by students), his
successor had a very different influence.
President MacKenzie surprised students with
his penchant for roaming the campus dressed
in shabby clothes, drinking cups of hot milk in
the cafeteria, and chatting with whomever he
met. Students were flabbergasted when they
learned that this down-to-earth stranger with
the lumbering gait was in fact the University
President. He wore a freshman beanie during
his first year and swapped war-stories with
student-veterans, turning a blind eye to liquor
violations and sharing the occasional beer	
Pranks and petty practical jokes (such as
planting a hen on a Library bookcase to
surprise the Librarian) were on the rise, as were
infractions of AMS regulations. The Discipline
Committee was mocked in The Totem for its
ineffectiveness, especially regarding the
prohibition of drinking on campus. One club
above all set a new tone for unabashed
frivolity: the Jokers' Club, founded in 1945 by
three veterans intent on performing amusing
and sometimes outrageous antics such as gold
fish swallowing, a Frog Derby, and roller
skating marathons Lively initiation rites
returned, but aside from the formal welcoming
ceremonies, freshmen were usually subjected
only to embarrassing clothing and silly rituals,
with a few victims tossed in the lily pond; gone
were the huge pep meets, bonfires, and snake
dances through the streets of Vancouver. Still, a
determined group maintained the rowdier
traditions that now pitted engineering students
against all other freshmen, who sometimes
turned the tables on their would-be assailants.
Fraternities continued their own hazing
traditions, but without official sanction. Faculty
Balls, and the annual High Jinks women-only
parties organized by the Women's Undergraduate
Society, were popular once again.
1951-1962
In keeping with their well-earned reputation for
rowdy intransigence, some engineering students
did their best to paint themselves as the "bad
boys" on campus with spitting contests,
homage to a symbolic Lady Godiva, sorties by
goon squads during Frosh Week, and such
childish pranks as stealing toilet seats or other
campus fixtures men at Fort Camp residence
from time to time raided the women's residences nearby, stealing their underwear or
decorating their rooms with crabs taken from
the nearby beaches. When freshmen initiation
ran amok ("sadistic," observed psychology
professor Edro Signori), students promised to
keep participation voluntary and to bring an
end to the physical intimidation that had
characterized these rites; as a token of their
new sense of responsibility, they even began
bringing their own dunk tanks to preserve the
lily pond outside the Library from damage.
President Norman MacKenzie joins
students in a soccer match (1940s^ 1962-1975
After only four months on the job addressing
strident and seemingly endless student
demands, [President] Hare retreated to England
to recover from influenza and exhaustion,
staying there for much of September and
October 1968 and attracting the accusation by
the unsympathetic Ubyssey that he was hiding
from students. While he recuperated, students
unofficially opened their new Student Union
Building (SUB) with a "pub-in"—illegal beer
drinking—to protest the absence of a licensed
facility on campus. After all, students had paid
for much of the new SUB. A month later, on
October 24, 1968, American youth radical and
Yippie Jerry Rubin visited UBC where he
addressed an unruly crowd of 1,000 or more
before leading many of them to the UBC
Faculty Club for a sit-in. Protestors (some of
whom were not students) made vague demands
for an end to the authoritarian structures of the
University (including the AMS Student Council)
and for greater democratic participation by
students. As reported in The Ubyssey:
The students created mass confusion and
participated in such activities as drinking the
faculty liquor, smoking their cigarettes, doing
up dope, climbing over furniture, burning
dollar bills and an American flag, swimming
nude in the patio pool and basically enjoying
themselves.... Most of the faculty in attendance
seemed to accept the situation with resignation
and merely left when it became apparent that
the students wouldn't.
Imagine 2009, UBC Vancouver.
1975-1985
Some student pranks and stunts were losing
their appeal; although beer drinking contests
and the occasional tanking still occurred each
autumn, freshman hazing had effectively been
discredited and discontinued; and instead of the
near-riots of earlier years, inter-faculty rivalry
found less damaging outlets, such as the
symbolic vandalism of the new concrete "E"
block placed on Main Mall near the recently
completed engineering buildings. Students in
Forestry, Agricultural Sciences, Nursing, and
other programs took turns painting their own
identities onto the block, faithfully repainted
each time with a red E by students in engineering.
The growing influence of the feminist movement
also contributed to the more serious—some
might say more mature—outlook of UBC
students toward stunts by engineering students.
The Lady Godiva ride, the offensive "Red Rag"
newspaper, and the annual Smoker with its
often lurid entertainment now met with
considerable opposition, especially from
women entering Applied Science, and after
1979, from the new Dean, Martin Wedepohl....
The AMS held welcoming barbecues, but many
of the earlier traditions intended to inculcate
school spirit and group identity had been
re-evaluated over the 'seventies and found
wanting. Gone were pep meets, freshman
beanies, and school songs and yells. Individual
faculties or residences still held welcoming
ceremonies and socials, but by 1980 students
were doubting the merits of holding the UBC
Imagine 2009, UBC Vancouver.
"frosh retreat," the official gathering organized
by the University at Camp Elphinstone since
the late 1950s; its demise brought an end to
any sort of university-wide formal initiation
until the arrival of "Imagine UBC" days in the
late 'nineties.
1997-2008
Improving the student experience was among
the first priorities of the [Martha] Piper
administration For the past several decades,
as the institution grew larger, faculties and
departments had largely taken over the job of
greeting new students, but in the autumn of
1997 UBC revived an earlier tradition of
welcoming first year students across the
University. Through "Imagine UBC" new
students received a welcome by the President,
an opportunity to meet deans, tours of the
campus, and an evening of social events.
Classes were cancelled for the day to permit
senior student volunteers to coordinate and
host the occasion; with over 5,000 first-year
students participating in the inaugural event,
the day was deemed a great success. Within a
few years, "Imagine UBC" had added faculty
representatives and a pep rally, complete with
chants and slogans designed to instill a sense of
pride in the University... "Imagine UBC"
became the largest welcome event at a
Canadian university, escalating into a whole
week of activities coordinated with the AMS
and the Graduate Student Society.
Photos: (left) courtesy of UBC Library Archives
Fall 2009    Trek    23 The 2009 UBC Alumni
Achievement Awards
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UBC SCHOOL OF NURSING
What makes a UBC
Alumni Achievement
Award Recipient
Great? On November
10, more than 500
alumni and friends of
UBC gathered at UBC's
Life Sciences Centre to
find out.
Hon. John A. Fraser llb'54, lld'04
LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
Since graduating from UBC law school in 1954,
John Fraser has had a long and successful
career, first as a practising lawyer and later as
a federal politician, cabinet minister and
Speaker of the House of Commons. His deep
commitment to social and environmental
causes has earned him the respect of his peers
as well as a considerable collection of awards
and honours. Even in retirement, he remains an
active member of numerous boards and councils.
After being called to the Bar of British
Columbia in 1955, Mr. Fraser became a partner
at the law firm of Ladner Downs - now Borden
Ladner Gervais - where he remained until his
election to the Canadian House of Commons
in 1972. From 1979 to 1980 he served as the
Minister for the Environment and from 1984
to 1985 he was the Minister of Fisheries. In
these roles he made significant contributions to
the environmental protection of North America
through his involvement in the creation of a
US-Canada acid rain reduction agreement (he
was the first Canadian politician to broach this
issue with the US), the US-Canada Pacific Salmon
Treaty and an international agreement to prevent
the flooding of parts of BC by a proposed
Skagit River dam in Washington State.
From 1986 to 1994, Mr. Fraser served as the
Speaker of the House of Commons, the first
Speaker to be elected in a free vote by the
Members of Parliament. His achievements in
this role include establishing the House of
Commons Environmental Program, which
included "Greening the Hill," and the Task
Force on the Disabled and Handicapped, which
addressed access and employment opportunities
on Parliament Hill.
Following his retirement from politics in I994> Mr. Fraser was appointed Canadian
Ambassador for the Environment, a role he
filled until 1998 and in which he was responsible
for Canada's follow-up to commitments made
at the UN Conference on Environment and
Development held in Rio in 1992. Since then,
he has chaired the Defence Minister's Monitoring
Committee (1997-2003), the Pacific Fisheries
Conservation Council (1998-2005) and the BC
Pacific Salmon Forum (2005-2009), and has
been a director on many other boards. He is a
past member of the Advisory Council for the
faculty of Graduate Studies at UBC. He is
currently a Director of Oceans Network Canada
under the aegis of the University ofVictoria.
He is a Queen's Counsel, and in 1995 was
made an Officer of the Order of Canada and
member of the Order of BC. In 1994 he was
appointed an honorary Lieutenant Colonel in
the Seaforth Highlanders and in 1997 was
made an honorary Colonel. He has also
received the Canadian Forces Decoration. In
2002, he received the Vimy Award from the
Conference of Defence Associations Institute in
recognition of his outstanding contribution to
the defence and security of Canada and to the
preservation of our democratic values. He has
received honorary doctorates from Simon
Fraser University and St. Lawrence University,
both in 1999, and from UBC in 2004.
The Right Honourable
Kim CampbeU ba'69, llb'83, lldvo
ALUMNI AWARD OF DISTINCTION
At UBC, Kim Campbell studied political
science, was involved in student government
and became the first female president of a
freshman class. It was just a hint at the
groundbreaking career to follow. Before becoming
Canada's 19th and first female Prime Minister
in 1993, she was the country's first female
Minister of Justice and Attorney-General and
the first woman to become Minister of
National Defence for a NATO country.
She has represented Canada at Commonwealth and NATO conferences, the G-7
Summit and the UN General Assembly. She
has continued to be a high profile player in
the political sphere, holding many senior
advisory roles in international organizations
concerned with the promotion of democracy,
the economic challenges of developing nations,
nuclear non-proliferation and climate change.
After her tenure as PM, Ms Campbell joined
the John F. Kennedy School of Government at
Harvard as a Fellow before serving as the
Canadian Consul General in Los Angeles
(1996-2000). She returned to the Kennedy
school afterwards as a Fellow in the Centre for
Public Leadership and joined the faculty as a
lecturer. She remains an honorary fellow.
uests gather in the west atrium of UBC's Life Sciences
Centre for the awards presentation ceremony.
She is a founding member of the Club of
Madrid, a group made up of former heads of
government and heads of state who work to
promote democracy through peer relations
with country leaders. From 2002 to 2006, she
served the organization first as acting president,
then vice president and then secretary general.
One of the club's initiatives with which she is
currently involved is the Global Leadership for
Climate Action. Other exclusive organizations
she has headed are the Council of Women
World Leaders, composed of current and
former female prime ministers and presidents
and the International Women's Forum, a global
organization of women of significant and
diverse achievement.
She plays senior roles in several other
organizations with a mandate to promote
democracy and good governance. These include
the [Ukrainian] Foundation for Effective
Governance, the International Centre for
the study of Radicalisation and Political
Violence, the World Movement for Democracy,
the Arab Democracy Foundation and the
Pacific Council on International Policy. She is
also a trustee of the International Crisis Group,
which is generally recognized as the world's
leading independent and non-partisan source of
analysis and advice to governments and
intergovernmental bodies.
Ms Campbell's work in the corporate sphere
has focused on the hi-tech, bio-tech and medical
devices industries. She is also a popular public
speaker. Among her many accolades, Ms Campbell
is an honorary fellow of the London School of
Economics (where, in the 1970s, she undertook
doctoral studies in Soviet Government), holds
several honorary doctorates and was recently
appointed a Companion of the Order of
Canada. Her best-selling autobiography, Time
and Chance, is now in its third edition.
Jennifer Mervyn PhD'06
OUTSTANDING YOUNG ALUMNUS AWARD
It isn't easy for homeless youth to get off
the streets. The family histories of violence,
substance abuse and neglect that many of
them share make the street community a
welcome alternative, at least for a time. But
without the stability and sense of purpose that
a home and steady job provide, many will find
themselves trapped in lives filled with drugs,
violence and crime.
Photo: Chris Borchert
Fall 2009    Trek    2 5 Jennifer Mervyn is a Metis community
health leader who understands the challenges
these youth face. She found herself living on the
streets in the early 1990s, and her experiences
motivated her to build a career dedicated to
improving the lives of at-risk and homeless
aboriginal youth.
Dr. Mervyn was able to get her own life back
on track after moving to Montreal in 1994. She
attended Concordia University, graduating with
a BA in psychology in 1996. She then returned
west to complete an MA in counselling
psychology at Trinity Western University.
After writing her master's thesis, Dr. Mervyn
decided on a different (and more impactful)
medium for her PhD project. Between 2002
and 2006, she researched, produced and presented
the first video-ethnography doctoral dissertation
ever submitted at UBC. Metamorphosis: an
In-Depth Look at the Lives of Former Street
Kids focused on the stories of a number of
former street youth who had found the strength
and determination to make the transition back
into mainstream life. The film screened at a
number of aboriginal research and homelessness
conferences and was well received.
In 2005, she became involved with the
Kla-how-eya drop-in centre in Surrey, BC,
meeting with the aboriginal street youth there
and setting up a photo-therapy program. The
participants told their personal stories by
creating collages using photographs, leading to
greater community understanding of the issues
underlying homelessness. The collages were
displayed in the centre and received a significant
amount of media coverage.
Dr. Mervyn used a similar approach for a
10-week expressive-therapy program for at-risk
youth in the South Fraser region, a partnership
with the Knowledgeable Aboriginal Youth
Association. In addition to learning technical
skills, the youth had the opportunity to make
their voices heard and put their artistic talents
on display. Some of their work was selected for
inclusion in a wall-sized installation piece at the
World Urban Forum, hosted by Vancouver.
Dr. Mervyn worked for the Fraser Health
Authority for more than seven years as a crisis
counselor and is based now with the Ministry
of Children and Families working in Child and
Youth Mental Health. She assesses mental
health and suicide risk and provides support
for youth in need of assistance. She has been an
official member of the Aboriginal Homelessness
Steering Committee since 2005 and is a voting
member for the Urban Aboriginal Strategy.
Since 2003, she has worked with children in
five slum areas of Cebu, Philippines, on behalf
of the Orchid Project and the International
Gospel Centre.
Dr. Edwin H.K. Yen
HONORARY ALUMNUS AWARD
Edwin Yen served UBC as dean of Dentistry for
13 years until 2006. Under his watch, the
faculty evolved into a world leader for research
and education. He modernized learning
facilities, restructured the undergraduate
curriculum, increased international collaboration and raised standards for the dental
profession worldwide. He is highly respected in
his field and an inspiration and role model to
colleagues and students.
Dr. Yen believes in lifelong learning and the
retention of professional competence. To this
end, he was involved in creating bylaws to
support ongoing learning. He also stepped
forward to tackle the complex problem of
establishing a process for assessing and training
international dentists in accordance with
national standards. He established a novel
Gary Birch addresses the audience after
receiving his Global Citizenship Award.
26    Trek    Fall 2009
Photo: Chris Borchert international Dental Degree Completion
program that has become the model for
Canada, and the resulting international
collaboration has enriched the student
learning experience.
Students also benefited from his reimaging of
the undergraduate program, creating a
problem-based learning model and a high-tech,
multidisciplinary oral health centre. He won
financial backing from the Nobel Biocare
Company of Sweden (an advanced dental
equipment company) for this international
educational facility and community service
clinic. Dr. Yen established sound financial and
business policies in the faculty, to sustain and
grow its mission. He also led a delegation from
the Canadian Association for Dental Research
to enhance research funding as the former
Medical Research Council changed to the
current Canadian Institutes for Health Research.
Dr. Yen's other contributions include the
initiation of an integrated patient-centred care
clinic, the launch of a degree program in dental
hygiene, the introduction of a simulator system
to assist in clinical training and the co-design of
a patient management software system. Beyond
the faculty, he served on numerous UBC
advisory and task committees. Beyond the
university he has served on international
institutional reviews and curriculum task
forces, and is a popular presenter at international conferences.
Dr. Yen has been successful in engaging
dentistry alumni in the life and future of the
faculty. An annual alumni reception he initiated
eight years ago has grown from 3 o attendees to
more than 500. He celebrates alumni career
successes and provides a forum for discussion
via the annual dental conference. Many alumni
are now involved in providing clinical experiences for students and their donations to the
faculty support the next generation of dentists.
Engaging and enthusiastic, Dr. Yen is a great
ambassador for the faculty and UBC. He is past
president of the Canadian Association for
Dental Research, the Canadian Association of
Orthodontics, the Association of Canadian
Faculties of Dentistry and the Canadian
Foundation for the Advancement of Orthodontics, and served as treasurer for the International Association for Dental Research.
Parisa Bastani basc'09
OUTSTANDING FUTURE ALUMNUS AWARD
Not many people can claim to have driven a
race car, and hardly anyone can say they headed
a team to design, build and compete in one, but
for recent engineering grad Parisa Bastani this
experience was just one of several highlights to
mark her jam-packed years at UBC. Her student
record is notable not only for outstanding
academic achievement, but also for extensive
involvement outside the classroom and a
willingness to serve the student population as a
leader, mentor and representative.
Ms Bastani's brush with race cars came
as captain of UBC's Formula Society of
Automotive Engineers, which designs and
builds a new race car each year to compete
against 140 other universities and colleges
worldwide in an annual race in California. She
was the first female to captain and technically
lead a Formula SAE team from North America
and during her time at UBC has been a mentor
to more than 100 students in automotive
engineering design and manufacture.
But the Formula Society was not the only
team she was involved with. As chair of the
Engineering Student Team Council she
provided leadership to hundreds of fellow
students working in 12 teams on challenging
projects to design and/or build submarines,
robots, space shuttles, rockets, concrete
toboggans, helicopters and fuel-efficient green
cars. She not only provided technical expertise,
but also encouraged collaboration among
departments and facilitated fundraising.
She has mentored many junior students in
their career planning and academic needs,
helped international students settle into new
surroundings and advised on effective leadership
in multi-cultural teams. She has been a speaker
for various leadership, engineering, and
international events, and has served on several
committees and councils within the faculty of
Applied Science.
Academically, Ms Bastani is outstanding. She
was a permanent fixture on the Dean's Honour
list since her first year at UBC and in 2009 was
named a Wesbrook scholar, UBC's most
prestigious student designation. She has also
been noticed by professional organizations and
the corporate sector, and was granted an award
for Best Engineering Paper on suspension
design from GM in a competition that included
faculty as well as students. She recently
accepted full graduate scholarships for Oxford
and Cambridge universities.
Although she will be in demand from
industry, automotive engineering isn't necessarily
her future. Her graduate work will be in
technology management and policy. She is
driven by humanitarian considerations and
how technological advances can be optimized
and regulated for the well-being of all segments
of society.
Vida Yakong bsn'04, msn'08, Phd candidate
OUTSTANDING FUTURE ALUMNUS AWARD
The Okanagan may be a long way from
northern Ghana, but that doesn't stop
community health nurse and current UBC
PhD candidate Vida Yakong from travelling
back to the West African country every year.
These aren't your usual visits home, however.
Vida makes the annual trip as part of her
work with Project GROW (Ghana Rural
Opportunities for Women), an organization
focused on building economic capacity and
improving health outcomes for the women and
children of the northern Ghanaian villages of
Nyobok and Nksenzie.
Project GROW applies theories of adult
education to best practices developed at
successful asset-based community development
and microcredit projects around the world, and
has created a sustainable model for working in
these communities. Much of the success of the
project is the result of Vida's passion and
commitment to the cause, as well as her
personal knowledge of the gender inequalities
and socio-cultural and economic problems that
women and children face in the region.
Born in Nyobok to a polygamous family of
subsistence farmers, Vida was one of ten
children. At the age of eight her father took
her out of primary school and put her to work
as a shepherd. Because of deeply engrained
beliefs about gender roles and responsibilities,
her education was not seen as a priority. At the
age of 11, after the death of her father, Vida
was able to return to school, eventually
completing primary and middle school with the
strong support of her mother. Because of her
family's poverty as well as continued gender
discrimination, she was unable to attend
secondary school. But Vida refused to let this
roadblock stand in her way. She worked
Fall 2009    Trek    27 through the secondary curriculum independently
and challenged the national graduation
examinations. She continued her education, first
training - and later working - as a community
health nurse and rural nurse practitioner in
Ghana. She moved to Kelowna to complete her
bachelor's and master's degrees in nursing at
UBC Okanagan. In doing so, she became the
first female in her village to attain a university
education. Her desire in completing her PhD
and working with Project GROW has been to
leverage her own educational opportunities for
the betterment of the lives of women and
children in her home village.
Carrying out this work, of course, requires
resources. Fortunately, Vida also acts as an
effective advocate for her organization. The
inspirational leadership that she has provided
over the past two years has made it possible for
Project GROW to raise more than half the
funds required to meet its $40,000 long-term
fundraising goal.
Vida has received numerous scholarships and
awards including the UBCO School of Nursing
MSN Scholarship, the UBCO PhD Tuition
Award and the PEO International Peace
Scholarship. This past May, she traveled to
Washington, DC, to receive a Margaret
McNamara Memorial Fund Award, given to
ten female graduate students from developing
countries, from the World Bank.
Gary Birch basc'83, PhD'hh
GLOBAL CITIZENSHIP AWARD
Gary Birch is an adjunct professor of electrical
and computer engineering who specializes in
human-machine interface systems with a view
to developing technologies that assist people
with limited mobility. He is a social advocate
with a keen sense of the responsibility that goes
hand-in-hand with the engineering profession
and its potential to serve humanity.
As someone who enjoys widespread respect
from scientists, the disabled community, policy
makers and the corporate sector, Dr. Birch is an
effective driver of innovative and collaborative
research, and has been particularly successful at
transferring research and development into
commercially available devices.
The main vehicle for these efforts has been
the Neil Squire Society, a non-profit founded 25
years ago for which he serves as executive
director. It exists to develop technologies,
services and programs to increase options,
improve life, and empower members of the
disabled population. Dr. Birch's longtime
leadership has guided research efforts and
resulted in many life-changing technologies.
His current work developing a brain-
computer interface - a switch that can be
controlled using brain signals - is particularly
exciting. In the future, people with even severe
physical disabilities may gain control over
elements in their immediate environment, such
as light and heat, and even over prosthetic
limbs. This potentially life-changing research
could lead to far greater independence and less
reliance on resources and caregivers.
Dr. Birch's connections and prodigious
research record - he has produced more than
100 original papers - ensure that the latest
technology is available for both applications
and further research. At UBC, he has ties to the
International Collaboration on Repair
Discoveries (ICORD, an organization seeking
new treatments for people with spinal cord
injuries) and helped raise funds for a new
research centre at Vancouver General Hospital.
As someone who has lived with a spinal cord
injury since his teens, Dr. Birch participates on
a panel that advises ICORD on research
relevance. At the governmental level he has
served on the Advisory Committee on Disability
Tax Measures for the Canada Revenue Agency
and the BC Minister's Advisory Council on
Information Technology. He is currently chair
of Industry Canada's advisory committee on
assistive technologies.
Service on many key councils and committees
means he has been able to exert influence on
industry standards and best practices, and he is
playing an instrumental role in pushing for
policies and action to ensure that persons with
disabilities who stand to benefit the most have
access to new technologies.
Dr. Birch has been recognized with a
Leadership Award from BC Paraplegic
Association, induction into the Terry Fox Hall
of Fame, and a Meritorious Achievement Award
from the Association of Professional Engineers
and Geoscientists of BC. He was recently
appointed an Officer of the Order of Canada.
Dr. Judith Hall
OUTSTANDING FACULTY COMMUNITY
SERVICE AWARD
Judith Hall is a leading pediatrician and clinical
geneticist who has focused her research on
disorders of growth, such as dwarfism, and
birth defects, such as spina bifida and congenital
contractures. She is driven by curiosity, sees her
field as an art as much as a science, and enjoys
her work so much she tends to take little time
off. The results have been prolific. During more
than 3 o years of clinical research Dr. Hall has
identified many new syndromes (two bear her
name) and documented the natural history of
many others. She has also discovered the
mechanisms behind many disorders and
developed new ways to classify them. She has
published more than 290 original articles -
some considered classics - and 10 books, two
of them award-winning. Her Handbook of
Normal Physical Measurements is essential for
physicians specializing in growth disturbances
in children.
Dr. Hall was educated and spent her early
career in the US, where she studied under
Victor McKusick, widely regarded as the
founder of modern medical genetics. She moved
to Vancouver in 19 81, becoming a UBC
professor of Medical Genetics and director of
Genetic Services for BC and, later, Head of the
Department of Pediatrics at UBC and BC
Children's Hospital. Now a professor emerita,
she is based at the Children's and Women's
Health Centre of British Columbia.
Although Dr. Hall is a world authority in her
field, her biggest motivation has been translating
discovery into clinical care and improved
treatments. To this end she has devoted
countless volunteer hours driving professional
standards, providing advice to patients and
caregivers, and developing links with lay
support groups.
She has served on parent support boards,
written newsletter articles in layperson's
language and been instrumental in developing
the resources, services and care guidelines so
vital for coping with genetic illnesses. She also
advocates for research into rare disorders. Dr.
Hall has been honoured with life membership
in Little People of America.
Dr. Hall has also done much to set high
standards for her profession. She has held many
senior roles in major national and international
Trek    Fall 2009 Co-hosts Claire Newell BA'92
and Duncan McCue LLB'96.
science and medicine organizations, helping
them to reshape priorities and commitments.
Her volunteering includes board work for the
Michael Smith Foundation for Health Research,
the International Pediatric Association, the
Vancouver Foundation, the Medical Research
Foundation of Canada, the US and Canadian
Children's Miracle Networks, Genome Canada,
and the Canadian Council of Academies. She
has received many prestigious awards including
a Senior Killam Prize for Research and the Ross
Award from the Canadian Pediatric Society.
She is an Officer of the Order of Canada.
Mr. Justice GrantD. Burnyeat llb'73
BLYTHE EAGLES VOLUNTEER LEADERSHIP AWARD
Grant Burnyeat's appetite for volunteering was
evident during his undergraduate years when
he became involved in student government. He
started out as AMS representative for Law, but
when a crisis occurred with the AMS executive
after half a term he decided to run against the
incumbents and was elected president in one of
the largest voter turnouts in the society's
history. He graduated the following year, but
Mr. Burnyeat's involvement with the university
had only just begun.
He joined the law firm Davis and Company
in 1973 and was appointed Queen's Counsel in
The reception and after party were held in the east atrium of UBC's Life Sciences Centre.
1992. He was founding chair of the insolvency
section of the BC branch of the Canadian Bar
Association and in 1987 was elected as a
bencher of the Law Society of British Columbia, which is responsible for upholding and
protecting the public interest in the administration of justice; establishing professional and
educational standards; and regulating the
practice of law. He went on to become
treasurer (now called the president). Despite
career demands on his time, he had plenty of
advice to spare for articling UBC law students
and recent grads, whose formative professional
years are guided by the Law Society.
Mr. Burnyeat's volunteer efforts are not
limited to his profession. He continued his
volunteering bent acting as president of the
Vancouver and BC Safety councils and as chair
of the Vancouver Planning Commission. He
was the founding president of Bard on the
Beach Theatre Society, a non-profit dedicated
to making Shakespeare affordable and
accessible to a broad audience. He was a
long-time member of the Board of Variance for
the City of Vancouver. He presently volunteers
with The Arts Club Theatre Company and
Focus Foundation, and is a director of the
international board of his fraternity, Delta
Kappa Epsilon. He has also served as president
of the BC Liberal Party and of the Vancouver
Civic Non-Partisan Association.
But one of the main beneficiaries of Mr.
Burnyeat's time and effort has been UBC. From
1973 to 1980 he was a member of the fundraising
and management committees for the university's
Aquatic Centre, built in 1978. In the mid '80s,
he served a term as president of the Alumni
Association and chaired a fundraising committee
for alumni programs. He was a member of the
UBC Senate from 1983 to 1989 and more
recently has been heavily involved in a
fundraising project to replace the Law faculty
building. He was a founding director of the
Law Alumni Association and co-founder and
the first and current president of AMSnet, an
organization that links past student leaders
with the current AMS executive. It recently
provided guidance for students during
deliberations with the UBC administration for
a new Student Union Building.
Mr. Burnyeat was honoured during the
university's 75 th anniversary celebrations as one
of its top 75 graduates. In 2002, he received
The Queen's Jubilee Medal. He was appointed
as a judge of the Supreme Court of British
Columbia in 1996.
Photos: Chris Borchert
Fall 2009    Trek    29 UBC School of Nursing
Since its beginnings in 1919, the UBC School
of Nursing has been a pioneer in the field of
public health. As the first degree-granting
nursing program in the British Empire, the
school's innovative approach to nurse education forever changed the way that Canadian
nurses were trained. The informal hospital
apprenticeship undertaken by many early
nurses was replaced with a rigorous theoretical
and practical academic experience, creating a
new professional standard for Canada.
The early twentieth century was a time of
great change and growth in British Columbia.
Immigration, urbanization and industrialization were all on the rise and, as the province
grew more prosperous, interest in education
and health status increased. By the time Canada
entered into World War I, there were already
indications that the field of nursing was set to
experience significant and lasting change. The
enormous contribution made by women,
including nurses, during the war secured a
major social shift in how the occupation and
women in general were regarded. Nurses were
increasingly being seen as role models in society
and nursing leaders were beginning to lend
their support to the idea of nursing becoming a
profession that required a university education.
Although previous attempts to introduce a
I Vida Yakong (C) received an
Outstanding Future Alumnus Award.
university-level education had been thwarted,
in 1918 two significant events prompted a
move towards the requirement of formal
academic credentials. The passing of the
Registered Nurses Act set new standards for
the profession, creating new and greater
expectations for nurses. At the same time, the
Spanish Influenza epidemic that was spreading
around the world with the return of soldiers
from Europe demonstrated the need for
Canada to develop robust public health
leadership. Given the environment, it became
clear that nurses needed the further training
and knowledge that a university education
would provide.
Around this time Ethel Johns, a public health
leader, became director of the Vancouver
John Fraser received a
Lifetime Achievement Award.
General Hospital School of Nursing. Her
commitment to raising nursing standards led
UBC to launch its bachelor's degree program in
nursing administered by the Faculty of Applied
Science. In 1919 the school enrolled its first
students and over the next 90 years more than
8,000 graduates joined the ranks of nursing
professionals occupying positions in homes and
hospitals across the province and around the
world.
Thanks to the foresight and dedication of
Johns and others 90 years ago, the UBC School
of Nursing is recognized world-wide as a leader
in academic nursing, offering programs that
remain on the cutting edge of both knowledge
generation and practice application.
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Vancouver Courier
30    Trek    Fall 2009
Photos: Varun Saran, BSc'08 LEARNING  FROM THE  GAMES
As the 2010 Winter Games approach,
UBC is encouraging people to ask
provocative questions about what
Olympic and Paralympic Games mean
to our society.
A diverse mix of scholars and athletes
will explore the upcoming mega-event
through a variety of lenses, such as
gender, diversity, ethics, science and
sustainability.
Intellectual Muscle: University
Dialogues for Vancouver 2010
Intellectual Muscle is an eclectic series of thought-
provoking podcasts by prominent and up-and-coming
Canadian scholars on topics related to the 2010
Winter Games:
INTELLECTUAL MUSCLE
UNIVERSITY DIALOGUES FOR VANCOUVER 2010
www.theglobeandmail.com/intellectualmuscle
Developed by Vancouver 2010 and UBC in collaboration with universities across Canada and The Globe
and Mail, the series will run until the end of the
Games in March 2010.
Speakers such as Judy Illes (UBC Canada Research
Chair in Neuroethics) and Margaret Sommerville
(of McGill's Centre for Medicine, Ethics and Law)
examine topics ranging from gender identity in
men's figure skating to the politics of sport.
The program is being led by UBC Continuing Studies'
Don Black, who has been seconded to VANOC as
director of Education Programs for 2010.
"The Games may be in Vancouver, but they are
Canada's Games and this is an opportunity to
participate in a truly national conversation," says
Black, calling Intellectual Muscle part of the first-ever
online, interactive, bilingual Games education program.
Another component of VANOC's education program
is an online teachers' forum moderated by UBC's
Faculty of Education. Led by Professor David Vogt,
this website helps K-12 teachers share resources and
innovative ideas for Games-themed classroom
lessons. As a special legacy, the Faculty of Education
has also launched The UBC Global Minds Challenge,
an international initiative for K-12 schools to
demonstrate how digital technologies are fostering
global learning (see page 19).
Sports and Society Speaker Series
Join us in person and online for five thought
provoking dialogues with Olympic & Paralympic
athletes. The events will take place at the Chan Centre
for the Performing Arts over February and March.
Sport and Society will be the feature program on
Intellectual Muscle during the Olympic and Paralympic
Winter Games.
Canadians will be invited to the website where
topical polling questions raised by these events will
invite dialogue. Keynote speakers will also be
available to chat online and video and podcasts will
be available after the live events.
Moderated by prominent Canadian journalists, this five-
part series will feature Olympians and Paralympians
who have used their celebrity to make a difference in
lively, debate with prominent invited guests. All events
will take place in UBC's Chan Centre.
February 8: What new ethical challenges have
recent scientific advances created? (with Richard
Pound, former Olympic swimmer, McGill Chancellor
and World Anti-Doping Agency chairman.)
February 12: Can sport and play serve as a
development tool for the world's most disadvantaged
children? (with Johann Koss, former Olympic speed-
skater and president of international humanitarian
organization Right To Play.)
march 5: Are major sporting events inclusive of First
Nations and other groups? (with Waneek Horn Miller,
former water polo Olympian and member of the
Mohawk First Nation.)
march 10: Rick Hansen, former wheelchair basketball
Paralympian, will discuss sports and challenge.
march 13: What are Olympic legacies and are they
worth the effort? (with Bruce Kidd, former track and
field athlete and University of Toronto professor.)
UBC Winter Games Event Series
Beginning this fall, UBC lectures and symposia will
focus on Games-related themes.
"We will be showcasing the diverse mix of Games-
related research and critical scholarship that is taking
place at UBC," says Bob Sparks, director of UBC's
School of Human Kinetics and chair of UBC's 2010
Education Committee.
Confirmed topics include the relationship between
sport, art and politics; technology and the body;
symbolism in sport; and the historical context of the
Olympic Games. Events include:
December 3: Dismissing the Dis in Disability (with
Andrei Krassioukov, clinical associate director, ICORD
and Gary Birch, executive director, Neil Squire Society
and adjunct professor, Department of Electrical and
Computer Engineering)
December 8: Don Cherry Got it Right (for once):
Why Maurice Richard is a Canadian Hero (with Benoit
Melancpn of the University of Montreal, award-winning author of The Rocket: A Cultural History of
Maurice Richard, 2009).
December 17: Vancouver 2010, A State-of-the-Art
Anti-Doping Program (with Dr. Matt Fedoruk,
manager for VANOC in Anti-Doping Operations)
January 21: Back or Ban Boosters for the Body
and Brain? (with James Rupert, assistant professor,
School of Human Kinetics, and Dan Eisenhardt, CEO,
Recon Instruments.)
Visit ubc.ca/2010 and events.ubc.ca for information
on these and other UBC 2010 learning opportunities.
Are you a torchbearer helping light the way to the
2010 Winter Games? Let us know. Send your name,
graduating year, degree, along with the date and location
of your route to 2010.games@ubc.ca. (Torchbearers will
be recognized online at ubc.ca/2010)
Get in on the Olympics Action!
ENTER A DRAW FOR FREE HOCKEY AND SLEDGE HOCKEY TICKETS
Fill out an online form or call us by January 22 to
be entered into a draw for one of three pairs of
Olympics hockey and sledge hockey tickets:
Web form: www.alumni.ubc.ca/tickets
Telephone: 604.822.3313
You must a UBC alumnus residing in Canada
(outside Quebec) to enter.
Prizes:
A pair of tickets to the women's hockey playoff
on Saturday, February 20, at 2:30pm
A pair of tickets to Canada Vs Norway Sledge
Hockey on Tuesday, March 16, at 8:30pm
A pair of tickets to the Sledge Hockey Bronze
Medal game on Saturday, March 20, at 1:00pm
Fall 2009    Trek    31 IBP9IH
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On the UBC campus, at its leafy best in early
August, Kevin Michael Zakresky fit in perfectly
with the other twenty-something summer
students. He was trying out a shaved-head look
for the season and sporting a fresh tattoo, one
of the first things on his to-do list when he
returned to the coast earlier in the summer
from his new base in southern Virginia.
The new look somewhat belies his status in
the music world; Kevin Zakresky is one of this
country's rising conductors, a specialist in
choral music with a strong back-up interest in
historical performance practice.
He was back at UBC to conduct a musical
theatre ensemble for the elite Young Artist
Experience summer music program. YAE brings
top young classical performers to campus,
providing them with traditional workshops and
coaching as well as a wider and more eclectic
range of enrichment activities, such as musical
theatre, African drumming and dance. Afterwards
he shared his approaches to motivating young
singers at the BC Choral Federation's Summer
Workshops for teachers, and directed seminars
on conducting. After a busy 2009/10 season
including an assortment of workshops and
adjudicating gigs, he'll return to campus next
May to conduct in a special Chan Centre
program celebrating the late Joyce Maguire,
a greatly loved - and wonderfully effective -
doyenne of the British Columbia choral scene.
At 27, Zakresky has accumulated a surprising amount of experience. He was active as a
rehearsal pianist from his early teens, and has
been playing piano (he was a soloist with the
Prince George Symphony), singing tenor, and
conducting for at least half his life.
Born in Saskatchewan, but hailing from Prince
George, Zakresky came to Vancouver to study at
UBC. Very quickly he entered the orbit of Bruce
Pullan, the long-time conductor of the renowned
Vancouver Bach Choir who, as it happened,
was just starting a new phase of his teaching
"I got to do just
about everything at
UBC, from chant
to contemporary
music to Gilbert
and Sullivan."
career at the School of Music. This proved a
happy conjunction: Pullan's way with choirs
and developing conductors made him the
perfect mentor. Even while studying at UBC,
Zakresky landed the plum job of music director
at St. Francis-in-the-Wood Church in the posh
West Vancouver neighbourhood of Caulfeild
Cove, and picked up conducting and coaching
assignments for a number ofVancouver groups,
including a gig with choral luminary Sir David
Wilcocks on a sing-your-way-to-Alaska cruise.
"I got to do just about everything at UBC,"
says Zakresky, "from chant to contemporary
music to Gilbert and Sullivan."
After completing his Master of Music degree
in 2006, Zakresky sampled a number of different
vocal and choral environments, including
Cambridge, before deciding that the master's
degree in Choral Conducting and doctoral
program at Yale were the right next step for him.
Yale's lavish resources were a bit of a
pleasant shock after cash-strapped British
Columbia. Zakresky arrived on full scholarship,
supplemented by a living stipend. For his master's
thesis project, he was given a substantial
US$8500 to put together a team of performers.
Most of the other grad students opted to
conduct makeshift choirs with instrumental
32    Trek    Fall 2009 ensembles; Zakresky decided to stage Purcell's
hour-long opera Dido and Aeneas, with
soloists, small choir and period orchestra.
"I got players in from New York and
planned the rehearsals very carefully, since they
weren't all that interested in too many trips up
to New Haven. I also got a theatre guy who
was very, very familiar with the conventions of
Restoration theatre." Ultimately they settled on
a mixed historical/modern conception, with
some period costumes and wigs and more
trendy details like Aeneas, the caddish male
lead of the piece, abandoning Dido with
Starbucks mug in hand.
Yale was also a place to work with conducting
guru Simon Carrington. "Simon was all about
detail, detail, detail: know everything there is to
know about a score before even thinking of
conducting." Zakresky is now learning
repertoire and prepping for doctoral level
exams; he expects to complete his Doctor of
Musical Arts degree from Yale in 2011.
While that's going on, he's not haunting the
libraries of New Haven. Last year he was offered
the position of Choirmaster and Music Program
Director at Chatham Hall, a private Episcopal
school for Girls in South Central Virginia.
"It's a wonderful environment: great resources,
small classes and a very fine staff of teachers."
He's got big plans for this season: Britten's
Missa Brevis or possibly the pageant opera
Noye's Pludde, Medieval composer Hildegard
von Bingen's Ordo virtutum (a religious
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allegory that he intends to stage as a beauty
pageant) and a piece by Ontario composer
Nancy Telfer: all demanding works well
beyond regular high-school musical fare.
Much as he enjoys his new environment, as
an ambitious conductor on the way up he has
to keep his eye out for opportunities. At this
stage in his career trajectory, working in the US
is a distinct possibility, at least for the time
being. But his ultimate dream is to find a
conducting gig back here at home. Whatever
pragmatic decisions dictate, there are matters
of heart. In this Zakresky wears his loyalties,
if not on his sleeve, then just as prominently
displayed: the new tattoo is a Maple Leaf.
David Gordon Duke, BMus'71 regularly writes about
music and musicians in Vancouver. He is currently
dean of the faculty of Language, Literature and
Performing Arts at Douglas College.
Fall 2009    Trek    33 The Boys
of war
By BOB BAGNALL, PEng, BASc(Civil)'49
Seventy years ago war was declared. Sixty years
ago the class of '49 graduated from UBC. In
between, 65 young men taking the No. 2
Canadian Army University Course at UBC
completed an intense year of study before
serving in WWII. I was one of them.
We were among 1,100 boys attending
universities across Canada who absorbed 44 hours
of lectures and labs every week from September
1943 to May 1944. To qualify for the course,
we had to be between 17 and 19, in good
health and have junior and senior matriculation
marks of 75 per cent or better in math, physics
and chemistry. The army's intention was to
create a pool of NCOs and officers for the
Royal Canadian Electrical and Mechanical
Engineers and the Canadian Military Engineers.
After a month of basic training in Alberta we
arrived on campus in September and were
housed in the wartime huts at Acadia Camp.
We marched to class each day in uniform and
returned in the evening for two and a half
ne successful grads of UBC's Canadian Army University Course standing on the Library
steps. FRONT ROW: Registrar Wood (far left), Chancellor Eric Hamber (in overcoat),
Major-General Pearkes (centre), Dr. Gordon Shrum (next to Pearkes), Captain Dunster
(wearing glasses) and Professor Walter Gage (far right). Photo courtesy Bob Bagnall.
hours of compulsory homework. The curriculum
was weighted heavily to sciences and math.
Discipline was provided by a captain and three
sergeants, who were present 24 hours a day.
Pay was $1.30 per day, which didn't leave
much opportunity for hi-jinks!
On graduation, we were offered a choice of
serving with the Infantry, Artillery or Armoured
forces. Most of us became NCOs and some of
us officers during the last year of the war.
The army university course was arduous and
difficult, but we cherish the fellowship and
camaraderie that it spawned and have maintained
a close association over the past 65 years.
Many of us returned to UBC to complete our
education in engineering. This September, the
class of '49 returned to campus to celebrate the
60th anniversary of graduation.
2010 UBC Desert Classic
March 7-8,2010 ■ Palm Desert, CA
Brought to you by UBC Alumni Affairs
and UBC Athletics
Catch up with fellow UBC alumni and friends at dinner. The next morning, break out your
clubs for a round of great desert golf.
•If Tourn
Monday, March 8,1:00pm shotgun start,
esert Willow Golf Resort, Palm Desert, CA
Register at www.alumni.ubc.ca/events.
Questions? Contact Sarah Saddler: 604.822.6183 or sarah.saddler@ubc.ca.
ALUMNI
WEEKEND
DATE
IClC]
yj
H^H^I
34    Trek    Fall 2009 A student is "tanked" during orientation in 1987.
Photo courtesy AMS Archives ALUMNI NEWS
A Reunion Story By Al Boggie BA'50, MD'54
In May, UBC's first graduating class in
Medicine met in Whistler for its 55 th anniversary
reunion. We had a particularly strong camaraderie as students and we were excited to renew
it. The bonds created through learning,
challenges and opportunities experienced
together at UBC were as strong as ever.
We planned our visit to Whistler with the
goal of visiting its Olympic venues. We stayed
at the Pan Pacific Whistler Village Hotel and
took a four-hour tour of the venues with
Whistler Eco Tours. A local guide described the
particular features of each, and a chance
encounter with two small black bears at one
site added a dose of reality to the venture. The
hospitality and enthusiasm of hotel and tour
staff contributed to an ideal reunion.
I am a retired professor of family practice and
associate dean of admissions at UBC, and the
university has been the source of many lifelong
friendships and important experiences. But it
was my years as a student that were the most
formative. As much as I enjoyed the wonder of
the mountains at Whistler and was awed at the
new construction for the Olympics, I was struck
by how fulfilling it was to be with my old
classmates. There is something deeply personal
about education. One's accomplishments, failures,
inspiration, perseverance and intelligence are
revealed to peers, and living through it all
together creates unique relationships.
Our 55 th anniversary reunion was a wonderful
reminder of this, and I encourage other alumni
to engage fellow classmates at every opportunity.
If you find it half as fulfilling as I have, it is not
something to be passed up.
Reunions
To find out if your class is planning a special
celebration or to initiate one yourself, visit our
website at: www.alumni.ubc.ca/events/reunions.
For help and more information, please contact:
APPLIED SCIENCE: Tracey Charette at
604.822.9454 or alumni@apsc.ubc.ca
ARTS: Christine Lee at 604.822.9359
or christine.lee@ubc.ca
DENTISTRY: Jenn Parsons at 604.822.6751
or dentalum@interchange.ubc.ca
FORESTRY: Jenna McCann at 604.822.8787
or jenna.mccann@ubc.ca
LAW: Janine Root at 604.822.2584
or janine.root@ubc.ca
MEDICINE: Laura Laverdure 604.875.4411
extension 67741 or Med.Alumni@ubc.ca
SAUDER SCHOOL OF BUSINESS: Kim Duffell at
604.822.6027 or alumni@sauder.ubc.ca
SCIENCE: Matthew Corker at 604.822.1864
or matthew.corker@ubc.ca
If your faculty isn't listed, please contact Liz
King at liz.king@ubc.ca, 604.827.5084 or toll
free at 800.883.3088.
Alumni Networks
All alumni are members of the Alumni
Association, but smaller networks form around
alumni with common affinities. Graduates of
the Arts Co-op program recently formed the
Arts Co-op Alumni Network, for example, and
other affinity groups are in the works.
Find out if your faculty, department, student
club or current locality has an alumni group
(or how to set one up) by asking your Alumni
Relations representative:
UBC Okanagan alumni:
Brenda at brenda.tournier@ubc.ca
Asia-based alumni:
Mei Mei at meimei.yiu@apro.ubc.ca
■ All other UBC alumni:
Caely-Ann at caely-ann.mcnabb@ubc.ca
There are already more than 50 regional
networks around the globe and the list
continues to grow.
Find out if there is any activity in your
current locality by visiting www.alumni.ubc.ca/
connect.
Boston-area alumni have a new alumni
representative; Yuanyuan Yin, BASc'08, is busy
planning her first alumni gathering, so keep an
eye out for your email invitation.
We're looking for volunteers to build the
alumni network in Montreal. If you're
interested, contact Caely-Ann McNabb at
caely-ann.mcnabb@ubc.ca or 800.883.3088.
Past Events
UBC Bound! took place throughout Asia and
North America over the summer with alumni
helping to welcome more than 300 new
students into the UBC community ... San
Francisco alumni attended the Canadian
Consulate's Canada Day celebration, caught a
Giants game with UVic alumni and volunteered
at the San Francisco Food Bank ... Florida
alumni got together for their regular brunch ...
New York alumni recently gathered for a pub
night and the annual Canadian Association of
New York alumni reception ... Alumni in
Toronto enjoyed an afternoon of beer-tasting
and a brunch ... Ottawa alumni gathered for
an evening at the pub ... Victoria alumni
formed a book club ... alumni in London (UK)
shared a picnic on BC Day.
These are just samples of UBC alumni
activity going on all over the globe. Be sure to
update your email and current address with us
so we can let you know when an event is
happening in your area.
Alumni and friends living in
Florida met up in July.
Jumni thronged Banana Republic to
pick up tips on dressing for success.
36    Trek    Fall 2009 UBC Dialogues: Coming
to a community near you!
UBC Alumni Affairs brings UBC Dialogues to
communities near you - asking provocative
questions and fostering dialogue. Our event
series sponsor for the Lower Mainland is CBC.
Here are some past highlights. For photos and
podcasts of these and other UBC Dialogues as
well as a listing of which communities we'll be
visiting next, see www.alumni.ubc.ca.
CBC
(OTTAWA) Pierre Berton: Canada's Original
Gonzo Journalist, 1920-2004
Whether he was teaching Canadians how to
roll a joint on CBC TV, releasing a greased pig
at the Hotel Vancouver or making Canadians
take interest and pride in their own history,
Pierre Berton, BA'41, DLit'85, was always larger
than life.
(BURNABY) Personalized Medicine:
Hope or Hype?
DNA may reveal a pre-disposition to a myriad
of diseases. What are the ethical, economic and
social implications? (Moderated by Stephen
Quinn ofthe CBC)
(SEATTLE) US Health Care on Life Support:
Is the Cure Worse than the Disease?
As the healthcare debate continues to heat up
in the US, opponents of universal healthcare
have taken aim at the Canadian model. Is
there a model of universal healthcare that
would work in the US? What are the pros and
cons ofthe current international universal
healthcare systems?
(TORONTO) Sustainability and the City:
Can you make the scene and still be green ?
Since an average city requires 300 to 1000
times its landmass to support daily demands
such as food, garbage disposal and energy, is it
really possible for urban residents to be green?
The Next Step: Defining Your Style
The Next Step event series is aimed at recent
grads who are transitioning into the world of
work. On October 22, alumni packed Banana
Republic on Robson Street for style tips from
fashion columnist J. J. Lee, MArcb'oo, and
entertainment from broadcaster, comedian,
filmmaker and future grad Tetsuro Shigematsu.
Visit www.alumni.ubc.ca/events/nextstep to
pick up style tips and watch a short video.
Second Annual UBCO
Alumni Endowment Fund Gala
Two hundred alumni and friends gathered on
September 23 for the second Annual UBCO
Alumni Endowment Fund Gala. This year it
was held in the brand-new University Centre's
Ballroom, hosted by the Okanagan Alumni
Chapter Committee, and emceed by chapter
chair, Catherine Comben, BA'6y. The evening
included the presentation of the 2009 Community
Builder Award to alumnus Paul Mitchell, QC,
BCom'78, LLB'79.
Alumni around Campus
Four young alumni presented at the CLASS
Conference on October 24, a new initiative to
help first year students make the academic
transition from high school to university. More
information can be found at http://class.ubc.ca/
program/young-alumni-panel-and-reception.
| The TBirds 1959 football team, including Bill Crawford (R), was welcomed back to campus for
homecoming and met the current squad before cheering them on against the Regina Rams.
At this year's TEDxTerry Talks on October 3,
alumna Jennifer Gardy, BSc'oo, spoke on the
topic of "Public Health in the 21st Century: the
Open-Source Outbreak." Her presentation is
available to view at www.terry.ubc.ca/terrytalks.
Thirty alumni took to rough waters in late
September to compete in the alumni heat at
Day of the Longboat. Next fall, consider
putting together an alumni team and make a
splash at this fun campus community event.
More than 3,000 students and alumni cheered
on the T-Birds at Homecoming in September.
A sea of blue and gold ensured the Regina
Rams were intimidated in the stands, but this
phenomenal show of school spirit wasn't
enough to tilt the scales in our favour as the
T-Birds lost 28-17. The T-Birds '59 Football
team - the 1959 CIAU champions - was
honoured at the game and celebrated its 50th
reunion with a pre-game locker room visit and
reception. Co-captains Jack Henwood, BCom'60,
and Doug Mitchell, LLB'62, participated in a
ceremonial coin toss before the game.
Photo: Richard Lam
Fall 2009    Trek    37 claSSACTS
The Golden
Girls of UBC
This September, the International Triathlon Union
held the World Championship Grand Final at Surfer's
Paradise on Australia's Gold Coast. Representing
Canada in the 35-39 age group was Suzanne
Chandler, BA'94, (L) now a resident of Australia but
still a Canadian citizen at heart. In the 40-44 age
group was Stephanie Kieffer, BSc'89, (R) of Vancouver.
They are the daughters of Anne J. Brown, BA'82,
and John C. Brown, who was a UBC faculty
member from 1964 to 1992.
Stephanie entered the race to defend the gold
medal title she earned in 2008 in Vancouver.
Suzanne entered determined to give her sister a
run for her money, even though they competed in
different age groups. They had trained together in
Vancouver during the summer and their times for
the swim, cycle and run were all very close.
In the end, the sisters both won gold for team
Canada. Suzanne was challenged throughout the
cycling by the eventual second-place finisher, but
took the lead early in the run. Her finishing kick
allowed for a healthy margin by the end of the
race. Stephanie (a former UBC varsity swimmer)
led her age category from the first swim buoy.
Suzanne and Stephanie's impressive achievement
is even more remarkable given the demands
on their time. Stephanie is the mother of three
children under the age of 12; holds a part-time
position as a genetic counsellor at Children's
and Women's Health Centre of BC; is a clinical
assistant professor in the department of Medical
Genetics at UBC; and is the head coach of two
ice hockey teams with the Vancouver Thunderbird
Minor Hockey Association. At the age of 22,
Suzanne was diagnosed with a cardiac problem
requiring the implantation of a pacemaker. She
has never allowed this to interfere with her
participation in physically demanding sports,
including soccer. She was awarded a cross country
scholarship to the University of Hawaii; won the
Northern Territory Australia Sprint Championship; and after a local race at Alice Springs was
anointed Queen of the Mountain. She has two
children under the age of seven.
The sisters are quick to credit others for making it
all possible. Coaches Alan Carlsson and Margaret
Beardslee provide motivation and guidance, while
spouses Andrew Chandler and Timothy Kieffer,
BSc'89, PhD'94, provide support around the home
to enable upwards of ten training sessions a week.
Both spouses have demanding professions. Andrew
is a pilot with Qantas Airlines and Timothy is a
respected UBC professor operating an extensive
laboratory involved in diabetes research.
1950S
Irving K. Barber OC, OBC, BSF';o, LLD'02 has
been awarded a 2009 Special Award for
Philanthropy by the BC Museums Association
(BCMA). The award was made in recognition
of his involvement with several philanthropic
activities in the province, most notably his gift
for the Irving K. Barber Learning Centre at
UBC, which provides innovative support and
funding to the cultural sector. The award was
presented at the BCMA's annual Awards
Banquet in Osoyoos, BC ... Douglas Henderson
BA'j6 was recently made a Fellow of the Royal
Society of Chemistry (FRSC). This is the highest
level of membership. Since the last course in
chemistry that he ever took was Chemistry
101, he is possibly the only FRSC ever elected
with just freshman chemistry. After some years
with the IBM Research Laboratory in San Jose,
California, he was a professor of chemistry at
Brigham Young University. He is now an
emeritus professor but is still active in research.
Next June he expects to attend a conference in
I96OS
Brno, Czech Republic, and intends to take a
balloon ride over Prague with his friend, Anatol
... Ian H. Stewart QC, BA'57, LLB'60 received a
Legacy Award for Sport from the University of
Victoria at its annual awards dinner on
October 13.The award recognizes Ian's role as
a visionary for athletics at UVic, where he
served for 12 years as a member and chair of
the university's board of governors. He helped
set the course for the Vikes recreation and
athletics program, now regarded as one of the
best in Canada. As a student at UBC, Ian was a
member of the Thunderbird football and rugby
teams, served as president of the Big Block
Club, the Men's Athletic Association and
Students' Council and was a member and
president of Phi Delta Theta. Ian resides in
Victoria with his wife of 43 years, Gillian (nee
Edgell, BFA'61), where he practiced law and
until recently owned a multi-award-winning
auto dealership.
Maurice Hornocker PbD(Zoology)'68 is one of 29
animal conservationists nominated to receive
the Indianapolis Prize, the world's leading
award for animal conservation. Maurice, a
native of Allerton, Iowa, and president of
Selway Institute, a non-profit research and
education organization, has been nominated
for devoting his career to studying wild cats
and advocating for the conservation of large
carnivores, including the first-ever field
investigation of cougars. His findings on social
behavior and predation ecology changed how
cougars were managed across the West: from a
bounty animal to a regulation-protected
species. Maurice is currently producing two
books on cougars.
38    Trek    Fall 2009
Photo: Johnathan King aul Mitchell is the 2009 recipient of the
Okanagan Alumni Community Builder Award.
1970S
Alan F.J. Artibise PfoD'72 has been named provost
of the University of Texas at Brownsville and
Texas Southmost College, starting in late
October. Preceding this appointment he was
executive dean of the College of Liberal Arts
and Sciences at Arizona State University (ASU);
served as executive director of ASU's Institute
for Social Science Research; and was a professor
in the School of Government, Politics and Global
Studies. He is a certified planner and a recognized
expert in North American urban development
and is trained as a political scientist and urban
historian ... Okanagan lawyer and community
advocate Paul Mitchell BCom'78, LLB'79 ls the
2009 recipient of the Okanagan Alumni
Community Builder Award. The award honours
his outstanding efforts in building bridges
between UBC Okanagan and the greater
community while making a difference locally,
regionally and globally. Born and raised in
Kelowna, Paul is a managing partner of the law
firm Pushor Mitchell LLP, the largest BC law
firm outside of Vancouver. He has been a
driving force behind numerous community
initiatives, from leading efforts to bring UBC to
Kelowna to chairing a bid campaign to host the
Memorial Cup. Paul has also devoted his time
as president of the Kelowna Chamber of
Commerce, director of the BC Chamber of
Commerce, trustee of Kelowna General
Hospital, vice-chair of the Central Okanagan
Foundation and Kelowna General Hospital
Foundation, campaign chair for the United
Way, and director of BrainTrust Canada ...
In June 2009, Margaret Ostrowski LLB'79, QC
received the YWCA Women of Distinction
Award in the category of Business and the
Professions for her leadership, volunteerism,
sustained commitment and support and
encouragement of others in the legal profession.
She is a past president of the Canadian Bar
Association in BC and a former member of the
governing body of the Law Society of BC ...
Brian J. McParland BASc'79, MSc'81, PbD'85 has
been living in Amersham, England, for ten years
with wife Sharon and daughters Siobhan and
Aine. He is the head medical physicist of GE
Healthcare Medical Diagnostics and has been
managing and advising on proprietary diagnostic
nuclear medicine and PET tracer clinical trials
in the UK, India, Europe and the US. His book,
Nuclear Medicine Radiation Dosimetry:
Advanced Theoretical Principles is published
by Springer and he was recently an invited
speaker describing his views on the future
of medical imaging and PET tracers to the
Royal Society of Medicine in London and the
Association of Nuclear Medicine Physicians of
India in Bangalore.
I98OS
Kenton Low BCom'80 has joined Bardel
Entertainment as head of its interactive division,
leaving his position as president of New Media
BC. Previously, he served as president and CEO
of Robeez Footwear Ltd. and as an executive
with Disney and Vivendi Universal ... Vicente
Loyola MD'83 's a pathologist at Kootenay
Boundary Regional Hospital in Trail, BC. He
recently became a certified Diplomate of the
American Board of Medical Microbiology. To
earn the credential, Dr. Loyola met rigorous
educational and experiential eligibility
requirements then passed a comprehensive
written examination. He has demonstrated the
knowledge and skills necessary to direct laboratories engaged in the microbiological diagnosis
of human disease.
1990S
Heidi Clark BA'90, BEd'93 was profiled in the
September 2009 issue of Canadian Family
magazine as a Great Teacher Award recipient.
The kindergarten teacher at Vancouver's
inner-city Florence Nightingale Elementary
School has a holistic approach towards
education and incorporates lessons about yoga,
meditation and nutrition into her classroom
teaching. She is passionate about literacy and in
her free time runs two popular intensive
literacy and numeracy programs for preschoolers. She has also written the book An
Alphabet Adventure with artist Susan McCallum, with illustration help from her class.
She's currently working on her master's degree
in education through UBC's urban learner
program ... The Synergy Awards have honoured
outstanding university-industry research
collaborations since 1995. Winners ofthe 2009
Synergy Awards for Innovation include Dr.
Robert Rohling BASc'91 and Dr. Septimiu (Tim)
Salcudean of UBC, and their research partners
at Ultrasonix Medical Corporation, a leading
developer and manufacturer of high quality
diagnostic ultrasound imaging systems. The
partnership began in 2001 when Ultrasonix
released its initial research device, and has
developed over the years to include five
laboratory and clinical installations of the
Ultrasonix ultrasound system at UBC. The
company has taken advantage of research being
performed at UBC by licensing cutting-edge
technologies that help improve patient care in
multiple ultrasound markets. Ultrasonix now
employs four UBC grads as full-time research
and development staff and has provided co-op
opportunities for current students ... Cindy
Meston BA'9 T> MA'93, PhD'95 is a professor of
clinical psychology at the University of Texas at
Austin. She has published a book, Why Women
Have Sex, with evolutionary psychologist
co-author David Buss. Using the voices of real
women, Why Women Have Sex reveals the
motivations that guide women's sexual
decisions and explains the deep-seated
psychology and biology that often unwittingly
drive women's desires. Published by Times
Books and Henry Holt Publishing, the book
was released on October 1 in the US, Canada
Fall 2009    Trek    39 why
women
have
sex
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thr PrK^jJt^ 4j/ Kr± in
cv.vwv.v. Metmw f/ux ™> mvmto. buhupum.
and in seven other countries. Throughout the
fall, Cindy did extensive publicity for the book
on national television and radio as well as in
magazines. Information about the book and
about Cindy Meston's work can be found on
her research website, www.mestonlab.com ...
GO Design Collaborative, a local emerging
design studio founded by Pauline (Alam)
Thimm BA'93 and Jen Uegama BA'96 was
recently recognized in the wild card category of
FormShift, a sustainable design contest put on
by the Architectural Institute of British
Columbia (AIBC) and the City of Vancouver.
In August, Pauline and Jen's submission,
DenCity:IntenCity, was featured in the
FormShift exhibit at the AIBC Architecture
Centre Gallery. The proposal addresses the lack
of vision for Vancouver's remaining industrial
lands by suggesting non-traditional uses, such
as integrating urban farmland as an artificial
elevated ground plane.
DenCity:IntenCity encourages broader thinking
with respect to the city's infrastructure. It calls
for the revitalization of unused rail tracks. It
also demonstrates the benefits of densifying
diverse, large-scale activities in terms of waste
recycling and energy production. Finally, the
proposal suggests that such a visionary
form-shifting structure be located at one of the
city's numerous waterfront gateways, where
transportation, infrastructure, services and
industry collide, and where it could serve as a
beacon of Vancouver's commitment to building
bold solutions for its future ... Jonathan Aikman
BA'94 has completed a new book on the
financial crisis, When Prime Brokers Fail: The
Unheeded Risks to Hedge Funds, Banks and
the Financial Industry. It will be published by
Bloomberg Press in February 2010 ... Joanne
C. McNeal PhD'97 has taught art education at
the University of Alberta for the past year,
spending her summers coordinating mural
painting projects for the City of Edmonton
along a previously graffiti-ridden light rapid
transit corridor. This summer, she led community
youths and artists in painting four new murals
to accompany one they completed in 2008.
Business owners paid for scaffolding, fences,
and security and even loaned ladders to the
painters. The transit authority supported the
initiative. The murals took two weeks each to
complete and seem to have achieved their
purpose of decreasing the amount of graffiti
along the tracks. Although the first mural was
hit with graffiti after six months and needed
repainting, none of them have since been
targeted. Not only have the murals beautified
the neighbourhood and cheered up the corridor,
they have raised the level of local pride ...
Richmond chartered accountant, Dennis
Cojuco BSc'99 has received a Community
Service Award from the Institute of Chartered
Accountants of BC. In 1999, Dennis co-founded
the Enspire Foundation with the aims of
supporting the education of children living in
substandard conditions and inspiring others to
make a difference in the global community.
The Enspire Foundation began its outreach
program by organizing soup kitchens, hosting
fundraisers, and partnering with the Pag-aalay
Ng Puso Foundation in the Philippines.
Between 1999 and 2002, Enspirey sent funds
through this partner foundation to help pay for
the education of children living in Navotas, a
poverty-stricken city in Metro Manila. Dennis
has served as vice president and a director of
Enspire since its inception, and has been one of
the lead event coordinators for Resonance, an
annual amateur choir festival and fundraising
event. Enspire's last six Resonance festivals
have raised more than $62,000. This money
has been used for tuition fees for indigent
students in Navotas, and locally for Richmond
High's global perspectives program. This
money also enabled Enspire to fund and build
the first stand-alone library in Norzagaray, in
the Philippines' Bulacan province. Dennis was
one of 15 Canadians to help build the facility
in 2006. In the short term, Enspire continues to
support families in Navotas and help build the
community in Norzagaray. In May, Dennis and
a group of Canadian professionals and students
helped fund and build the first two homes in a
new housing community for 130 low-income
families. In the long term, he and his colleagues
hope to undertake similar projects in other
developing countries.
2000S
Bryan Nykon BA'01 has been selected as one of
Rotary's World Peace Fellows and will study
peacemaking and conflict resolution at the
Rotary Center for International Studies at the
University of Bradford in England. Sponsored
by the British Columbia Rotary District 5040,
Nykon started his fellowship in fall 2009,
pursuing a master's degree in peace studies with
Joanne C. McNeal coordinated mural-painting projects for the City
of Edmonton along a graffiti-ridden light rapid transit corridor.
40    Trek    Fall 2009 David Velan was nominated for an
INDEX: People's Choice Award for
his heat exchanger, EcoDrain™.
a strong focus on media studies. His goal is to
bring cultures together by creating media
content that shows our common humanity and
looks for solutions to conflicts beyond the
traditional win and lose. The Rotary World
Peace Fellows are selected every year in a globally
competitive process based on their professional,
academic and personal achievements ... The
BC Agriculture in the Classroom Foundation
has named Chef Daniel Lesnes BEd'oz as the
recipient of its 2009 Outstanding Teacher
Award. The foundation is dedicated to working
with educators to bring BC's agriculture to
students. For the past nine years Daniel has
been the official chef for the foundation's
summer institute, searching out local produce
to serve and sharing cooking techniques and
recipes with participants. Determined to do more
to teach students the benefits of supporting
local agriculture, Chef Lesnes is launching a
pilot program involving local produce and 13
secondary school teaching kitchens in the
Fraser Valley and Metro Vancouver regions ...
This summer, a new product co-designed by
David Velan, BASc'oz, was nominated for an
INDEX: People's Choice Award. The mission of
INDEX: is to generate design that improves
quality of life. Velan's product, EcoDrain™, is a
unique patent-pending heat exchanger which
transfers heat from hot shower waste water to
cold incoming water. This cuts water heater use
for showers by 25 to 70 per cent. Learn more
about EcoDrain™ at www.ecodrain.ca ... The
British Columbia Film Foundation has awarded
a $10,000 Daryl Duke Scholarship to UBC film
production alumna and past president of the
UBC Film Production Alumni Association Amy
Belling BFA'03. The scholarships were created to
honor the significant contribution of Daryl Duke
to the film and television industry while assisting
in the advanced education of exceptional BC
filmmakers. Amy is an award-winning director
of photography and producer. Her production
credits include the acclaimed short films Why
The Anderson Children Didn't Come to Dinner
(2003), The Saddest Boy in the World (2006)
and the Genie-nominated short Regarding
Sarah (2006), as well as the feature film Mount
Pleasant (2006). Amy is currently completing
her master of fine arts in cinematography at the
American Film Institute in Los Angeles. ... In
July 2009, Diane P.Janes PhD'oj began her new
position as an associate professor (tenured) with
the University of Cape Breton in Sydney, NS.
She serves as chair of the education department
of the School of Education, Health and
Wellness and teaches in their BEd and MEd
programs. Before moving to Nova Scotia, Diane
was faculty with the University of Saskatchewan.
She is also adjunct faculty with Royal Roads
University, Athabasca University and UBC. Her
research interests include educational technology,
e-learning strategic planning, and e-research ...
The Global Forum for Health Research and
The Lancet have shortlisted an essay by Brenda
Ogembo BA'oj. Show Me the Money! From
Rhetoric to Action in Addressing the Global
Human Resources for Health Crisis will be
published in Young Voices in Research for
Health 2005) m November ... Janet Hudgins
BA'06 has published Treason: The Violation of
Trust (Xlibris Publishing, 2008). Treason tells the
story of William Palmer and his descendents,
blending fiction and fact into a compelling
historical narrative. As Puritans in the 17th
Century; Quakers in the 18th Century; part of
the Loyalist Diaspora to Shelburne, Nova
Scotia, after the American Revolution; and
Canadian soldiers in the trenches of World War
I, the Palmer family lived the events of this key
period of North American history. Hudgins'
story, which was written after more than eight
years of searching records and exploring the
sites it would depict, was written largely to
encourage young people to read about and
enjoy their own fascinating history ... Educator
Tiffany Poirier BEd'06 has just published Q is
for Question: An ABC of Philosophy, an
illustrated non-fiction book for children about
life's most important questions. Through
thought-provoking and playful verse, she asks
open-ended questions that guide a child to
discover, debate and articulate his or her own
true beliefs ... In October and November, Steve
Bell-Irving BHK'07 and Nicole Akeroyd BHK'09
volunteered in Kathmandu, Nepal, through a
group called Volunteers Abroad. During their
eight week placements, they used skills
developed at UBC including teaching children
and young adults about nutrition, physical
rehab and exercise. After their placements, they
planned to hike the Annapurna Circuit. They
blogged about their experiences at: http://
carpediemwhynot.blogspot.com (Steve) and
http://nicaker.blogspot.com (Nicole) ... Natalie
Doonan MFA'08 and Katherine Somody BA'08,
along with collaborators Meghan Eldridge and
Sean George, started The Miss Guides. The
Miss Guides is a Vancouver-based artist
collective whose members and collaborators
have all worked together as animateurs (the
haughty French name for tour guides), on and
off for the past 15 years. This summer they led/
performed Walking the Ruins: Fragments of
Vancouver. Part historical tour and part
fictional performance, this hour-long walk was
rooted in the idea of ruins as fragmentary
remains, and attempted to piece together
conflicting visions of the city by making
unexpected connections between four diverse
and surprising sites of past and present-day
ruin. From breathtaking attractions such as
Harbour Centre's The Lookout to contentious
projects like the new Canada Line, The Miss
Guides turned their lens on a city gearing up
for the international pageantry of the 2010
Winter Olympics.
Tiffany Poirier has published an illustrated book for
children about life's most important questions
Fall 2009    Trek    41 books
Huge Blue: Western Canadian Travel
Sketches
PATRICK M. PILARSKI, BASc'04
Leaf Press, $16.95
west coast haiku set
deceptively simple words
perfectly precise
BE DIFFERENT or be dead:
Your Business Survival Guide
ROY OSING, BSc'69
Granville Island Publishing, $34.95
Distinguishing your company in a saturated
marketplace is a persisting test that many business
leaders never pass. In order to survive unruly
external conditions, organizations need to adopt
internal practices that allow them to be seen as
unique by their customers. Osing refers to these
practices as his BE DIFFERENT strategies.
It is important to recognize that creating a
formula for being different is difficult and sounds
almost counter-intuitive. Osing, however, cuts
through the inspirational jargon with which
many business texts distract their readers and
provides a practical and concrete framework
that can be customized to suit both large and
small enterprises. His recommendations to
improve your strategic planning, marketing,
sales and customer service approaches also
compel you to rethink your staff structure and
your investment in information technology.
BE DIFFERENT does exactly what it
recommends its readers to do: cuts the crap and
focuses on execution.
Osing is the current president and CEO of
Brilliance for Business. More information about
this book and the seminars Osing offers can be
found at: www.bedifferentorbedead.com.
Reviewed by Matthew Corker, BCom'08
42    Trek    Fall 2009 McPoems
BILLEH NICKERSON, MFA'03
Arsenal Pulp Press, $15.95
So often, poets take their work far too
seriously; emphasizing form and word choice
over insight and accessibility. This is not the
case with the clever collection McPoems. Its
unpretentious and humorous take on fast-food
culture flows with a pace and wit that is
uncommon in the poetic tradition.
In one poem, Tricks, Nickerson reflects on
the absurd behaviour he'd seen in his years
working at a fast-food restaurant.
Sometimes it's grown men with straws attached
to their bicuspids so they look like walruses, or
people who place their burgers on top of their
heads like models in a comportment class.
Despite his irreverent tone and titles like
Pancakes and No Pickles, Nickerson manages
to successfully inject a necessary dash of
humanity into his work. In Gloria, he writes:
For weeks fellow workers find GLORIA spelled
out in French fries, underlined in ketchup on
bare tabletops. In the staff room a group
wonders who would do such a thing... At the
monthly staff meeting your manager asks to be
summoned as soon as someone finds the culprit,
but on the afternoon you spot her, an elderly
woman with shaky hands.. .you just sit down
with her, listen as she tells you why.
Billeh Nickerson's first poetry book, The
Asthmatic Glassblower, was shortlisted for the
Publishing Triangle Poetry Prize. He is a founding
member of the performance troupe Haiku
Night in Canada and is the past editor of the
literary journals Event and Prism International.
Enter the Chrysanthemum
FIONA TINWEI LAM, BA'86, MFA'oz
Caitlin Press, $16.95
Fiona Tinwei Lam's latest poetry collection, Enter
the Chrysanthemum, is a heartfelt and startlingly
honest examination of family and relationships.
The opening poem, Chrysanthemum, is a bold
look at the insecurity of a child.
My favorite of her paintings was of
chrysanthemums...
If only I had been paper, a delicate, upturned
face stroked with such precise tenderness.
This longing for parental affection is echoed
in House, when she reflects on the emotional
repercussions of divorce. In it, she uses a
gingerbread family as a symbol of a boy's
shattered sense of family.
This year, the house is smaller.
My son makes a gingerbread self a dad, a mom
- all burnt.
We eat them, cut new ones from the spare roof,
and bake again, his father and I lying chastely on
the sheet...
Throughout the collection, the chrysanthemum
appears repeatedly as a symbol of stability and
connection between generations. The most
notable reappearance is in Chrysanthemum
Tea, where the flower acts as a curative bond
between a mother and daughter.
As a child, I marveled: flowers I could drink...
Pale gold elixir my mother dispensed to quell a
fever or aching throat.
Lam's simple yet sincere lyrically-driven
poems portray slices of life that reveal hidden
truths about our relationships and the important
role that family plays in our personal development.
Her clear and intimate style makes it easy to
relate to her work.
Tragedy at Second Narrows
ERIC JAMIESON, BA'71
Harbour Publishing, $32.95
On June 17, 1958, the bridge under construction across Vancouver's Second Narrows
collapsed into Burrard Inlet, killing eighteen
workers. As dramatic images of broken
bridge-spans tilting into the sea appeared in the
media, people began asking how a construction
project using the most modern engineering and
materials available could possibly suffer such a
catastrophic failure.
In Tragedy at Second Narrows, Eric Jamieson
examines the story of the Ironworkers Memorial
Bridge collapse in the form of a gripping narrative
involving local politicians, construction bosses,
engineers and the ironworkers themselves. With
fascinating archival images to complement the
story, the book provides an engaging look at the
worst industrial accident in Vancouver's history.
Other Alumni Books
Out of Hungary
Towner
CAROL WOOTTON, MA'70
The Briss
New Star Books, $19.00
MICHAEL TREGEBOV, MFA'78
Stranger Wycott's Place:
Stories from the Cariboo-Chilcotin
New Star Books, $19.00
JOHN SCHREIBER, BA'69, MA'76
Hitler's Greatest Speeches
XLibris, $111.99
NATHAN S. GANAPATHI, LLB'74
The Summer Between
Harbour Publishing, $17.95
ANDREW BINKS, MFA'07
Bubble Homes and Fish Farts
Charlesbridge, $23.95
FIONA BAYROCK, BCom'86
Woodstock Rising
Dundurn, $21.99
TOM WAYMAN, BA'66
Fall 2009    Trek    43 I Josh Whyte
Men's Basketball
Expectations run high for this season's T-Birds.
After a second place finish in last year's CIS
finals, the team has added some talented
recruits to a strong group of returning players.
Among the key returnees is Canada West
all-star Josh Whyte, who averaged 13.8 points
per game and was fourth in Canada West with
4.9 assists during the 2008-09 season. Three-
point specialist Blain LaBranche and 2008-09
rebounding leader Brent Malish are also among
the familiar faces that will star in this year's
line-up. The most highly-touted of UBC's 2009
rookies is 6'n" Chad Posthumus, who
averaged 39 points and 25 rebounds per game
at River East Collegiate in Winnipeg. Another
name to keep tabs on is Kamar Burke. A
transfer from Thompson Rivers University, he
led the Wolfpack with 15.5 points, 8.2
rebounds and three assists per game during the
2007-08 season. Despite the loss of some key
figures from last year's silver medal squad, the
Thunderbirds look poised for another run at a
birth in the National Championship Final Eight.
Women's Basketball
After last season's first-half growing pains, this
year's edition of the Thunderbirds figures to
have a more immediate impact in the Canada
West. The T-Birds' young players now have a
full season of CIS experience under their belts
and the potential to go deep in the playoffs.
Point-guard Lia St. Pierre is one of the players
who should benefit from last year's campaign.
St. Pierre averaged an impressive 9.4 points as
a rookie in 2008-09, and can build on those
totals. In the absence of Leanne Evans, last
year's points-per-game leader, Zara Huntley,
the highest-scoring returning player, will figure
prominently in UBC's quest for success.
Huntley played with Team Canada at the 2009
FISU Games in Belgrade and is continuing to
develop into a dominant offensive force in the
paint. Also helping bolster the T-birds will be
Devan Lisson, who should have an improved
2009-10 campaign after an injured ACL
diminished her output last year. Alex Vieweg
is another Thunderbird coming off an injury-
plagued season and if she is able to stay
healthy, her contributions will be noticeable.
Vieweg and Lisson are also expected to
be among the leaders on this young team
that features just one fifth-year senior in
Candace Morisset.
Scott Wasden
Volleyball
After historically spending a large portion of
their pre-season in Vancouver, both the men's
and women's volleyball teams have taken their
2009-10 exhibition seasons on the road. The
two squads open their seasons at home against
the Winnipeg Wesmen on October 23-24.
With a short regular season, the men play nine
weekends and the women 10, both T-Bird
teams will have to be at the top of their game
from the get-go. The women's squad looks to
continue their dominant play and will have a
major target on their collective back as the
two-time defending National Champions.
Despite the losses of All-Canadian Marisa Field
and captain Danielle Petersen, the T-Bird
women have the talent to be one of the top
squads in the country with national team
players Jen Hinze, Kyla Richey, Liz Cordonier,
and Claire Hanna leading the charge. The men
also lost key fifth-years in All-Canadian Steve
Gotch and captain Jared Krause, both of whom
are now with the men's national team, and they
are going to rely on some their youngsters to
step up and fill the void.
44    Trek    Fall 2009
Photographs: Rich Lam Football
The Thunderbirds will need a massive mid-
season turnaround in order to make the
post-season. UBC has struggled to find a way
to slow down opposing offences and currently
sits last in Canada West, having allowed a
league-worst 32.8 points per game. A defensive
bright spot, however, has been the UBC pass
defence. They rank second in the league in
passing yards allowed and safety Alex Babalos
sits atop Canada West in three different
tackling categories. Despite some early-season
woes and bouts of inconsistency, the T-Birds'
offence is improving as the season progresses.
Quarterback Billy Greene had a surge in
passing yards and touchdown passes recently
with former high school teammate Spencer
Betts being Greene's end-zone target of choice
with three touchdown receptions in five games.
Greene ranks fourth in the conference in
individual passing yards and if he keeps up his
play (he has thrown for over 600 yards in his
last two games), he should continue to climb in
the rankings. With some help from other teams,
and an about-face on the field, UBC could still
sneak into the fourth and final playoff spot.
It won't be easy, as the always competitive
Canada West has been as unpredictable as ever
this season. However, a more consistent result
on both sides of the ball will go a long way
towards making the playoffs a real possibility.
Men's Soccer
After a tough start to the season, the T-Birds
have won four of their last five matches,
putting them in the middle of the pack in
Canada West at 4-3-0. UBC has been rock
solid defensively, and is one of only two teams
to have averaged less than one goal against per
game. Unfortunately, the Thunderbirds have
managed just eight goals themselves in seven
games, despite frequently dominant offensive
zone play, which includes being awarded more
than twice as many corner kicks as opponents.
The biggest contributor on offence is Devin
Gunenc, the 2008 Canada West Rookie of the
Year. Gunenc leads all T-Birds with two goals
and two assists, while no other T-bird has
scored twice this year. The T-Birds should be
able to stick around and be a threat in the
playoffs, provided they find some finish and
make good on their offensive zone threats.
With only one spot at Nationals available to
a Canada West team, they will need timely
scoring down the stretch as they look for
another shot at a CIS National Championship.
Women's Soccer
UBC's traditionally strong women's soccer
team has struggled to find their footing this
season and currently find themselves battling
for a playoff spot in the Canada West. The crux
of the T-Birds trouble is offence. Their goals-for
total to date exceeds only the two last place teams
in the conference. On the other hand, rookie
striker Rachael Sawer accounts for one-third
of all T-Bird goals with four, and shows no
signs of slowing down. Additionally, Caitlin
Davie has recently had a surge of offense after
a slow start. Davie now has two goals and two
assists, and leads the team with nine shots on
goal. On the back end, things look much better.
UBC sits tied for second fewest goals against,
and All-Canadian goalkeeper Jaclyn Dunnett
has continued to be a solid presence between
the posts. A tough start to the season - UBC
faced rivals and top-ranked TWU twice in their
first six games - will have to be overcome if
these perennial powers are to battle for the
conference crown.
Men's Hockey
The Thunderbirds have faced some tough tests
heading into the 2009-10 pre-season. In their
first exhibition game, the T-birds were upset by
the NAIT Ooks before bouncing back the next
night with a dominant win. Scott Wasden, one
of six newcomers on this year's team, stepped
up in the victory with three goals and an assist,
showing that he could be the man to lead the
Thunderbirds in their upcoming season. UBC
was the underdog in the next game, a home-ice
affair versus the Abbotsford Heat, the Calgary
Flames' AHL affiliate. The T-birds battled back
from a three-goal deficit, but ultimately lost the
hard-hitting game 3-2. In their final two games
of the pre-season, the T-birds traveled to
Minnesota to face two NCAA Division 1
teams. The T-Birds were shut out 4-0 by
Minnesota-Duluth, and lost 6-1 to the
University of Minnesota.
Women's Hockey
The UBC women's hockey team looks to build
on last season's improved play with a good mix
of new faces and experienced veterans. Standout
goaltender, Melinda Choy, is foremost among
returning players, and the T-Birds will need
another big season from Choy in order to make
a repeat trip to the post-season. On the blue line,
Kelsey Halvorson is coming off a great rookie
campaign in which she was named to the
2008-09 Canada West All-Rookie Team.
Halvorson, along with rookie Rayna Cruickshank
of the national U-18 team, anchor UBC's
defense corps. Jenny Mahovlich, who led last
season's Thunderbirds in scoring, and speedster
Lisa Bonang are expected to lead the charge to
the net. Converted defender Tamara Pickford
will also contribute in her new role as forward.
Despite strong exhibition play, the team enters
the 2009-10 regular season with much still to be
determined. They opened their home schedule
on October 9-10 versus the Calgary Dinos.
Fall 2009    Trek    45 ■nJ_>
\;
Tales from the Old Auditorium: If Walls Could Talk
The Old Auditorium is being renovated, and we're reminiscing
about a campus landmark. Do you have a story to share?
Did you tread the boards during your time at UBC? If
so, you may remember the Old Auditorium, a
favourite venue for musical and theatrical performances. Built in 1925, it is one of the campus'
original buildings.
Members of The Players' Club (a student theatre club
founded in 1915 and revived last year) and the
Musical Society (founded in 1916, with its final
season of shows in 1989) used the building to put on
countless productions over the years. Members of the
Film Society also took advantage of the space, which
has played host to the likes of Van Morrison, Ravi
Shankar, Dylan Thomas and Paul Robeson.
It     1
Still visible on the wooden backstage walls are
names, years and productions roughly daubed in
paint: Pat Larsen (1933-39); David Gurr (1952); Mary
W. Spilsbury (1962-63); Hugh Maclean (Macbeth
72); Barb Lindner (South Pacific, '82); Bill Houghton,
(No, No, Nanette, 74); Bobbi Allard ('83). If only
walls could talk.
Now the Old Auditorium is undergoing renovations
with the grand reopening scheduled for the fall of
2010. The new Old Aud will be a performance space
for UBC's prestigious School of Music. As many
original features as possible, including ornate
plasterwork and huge windows, will be retained. And
it will gain some new ones, such as an orchestra pit.
The painted names, of course, will stay.
We'd love to hear some of the stories behind those
names and productions to help preserve the history
of a campus landmark. Do you have a tale to tell
from the Old Auditorium? Did you fall off the stage?
Pull off a record number of encores? Forget your
lines? Experience a backstage emergency? Did you
meet your partner there? Start a food fight in the
cafeteria? See someone perform before they became
famous?
Send your behind-the-curtains scoop to Vanessa
Clarke, and we'll publish the best stories in the spring
issue of Trek Magazine:
vanessa.clarke@ubc.ca
UBC Alumni Association,
6251 Cecil Green Park Road
Vancouver BC V6T1Z1
THE DEAN'S LIST
UBC     ALUMNI     WINE
The dean may be listing,
but the wine is exceptionally
well-balanced.
Never made the Dean's List when you were a student? Well now you can demonstrate
how smart you are by buying a bottle or three of this excellent Chardonnay.
It's one of four varieties (pinot noir, merlot, and an award-winning pinot blanc
are the others) that we are offering under the UBC Alumni label. Our partner in
wine is Bounty Cellars of Kelowna.
Proceeds will support the construction of an alumni centre on the Vancouver
campus, with amenities and space to serve the whole community as well as
providing a welcoming spot for your next visit to campus.
See our website for details on how to order:
www.alumni.ubc/rewards/wine.php N MEMORIAM
DONALD B. RIX, LLD'o6
Dr. Don Rix was an icon and his passing leaves
a huge void in the community and sorrow in
many hearts. A visionary, entrepreneur,
philanthropist, business leader, tireless community
volunteer, mentor, consummate corporate citizen,
devoted husband and father, Don was - at the
core - a physician and healer.
Born in Orillia, ON, in 1931, Don grew up
in nearby London, where he attended London
South Collegiate High School, followed by the
University of Western Ontario, where he
obtained his BA in 1953 and his MD in 1957.
Don moved to Vancouver in 1958 to intern at
the Vancouver General Hospital. Following his
internship, he worked with Adam Waldie,
practicing family medicine in Point Grey for
five years. Don attributed his passion for
community service to Adam, volunteering for
the first time as a door-to-door canvasser for
the United Way and the Salvation Army.
While in general practice Don's fascination
with diagnostic medicine grew and he joined
the fledgling lab company, Metropolitan
Biomedical Laboratories (Metro). He left
general practice, returned to VGH, and
completed general pathology in 1968.
After a short stint as a pathologist, Don
decided to focus on building Metro. Through
acquisition and expansion, Metro became
Metro-McNair; through partnership with MDS,
it became MDS Metro; and through its sale in
2006, it became LifeLabs. Don's vision and
innovation built the largest private laboratory
company providing services across BC.
He applied that same visionary thinking to
Cantest, a small environmental laboratory he
purchased in 1974. Through his leadership,
Cantest became one of Canada's leading
industrial labs. Don did business the old
fashioned way. His handshake was as good as
a signed deal.
Don was a pioneer. Long before private
companies offered pension plans, he did; long
before companies provided educational support
to their staff, he did; and long before companies
supported their staff's volunteerism in their
communities, he did.
Even in the early days of his career, Don gave
his time to charities as a member or chair of
many boards including Sunnyhill Hospital
Foundation, Children's Hospital Foundation
and Canuck Place Children's Hospice. Don's
approach to philanthropy was rare. He was
personally interested, involved, and gave his
experience and leadership generously. Don
was extremely proud of his association with
the organizations and institutions he helped
and supported - like the Bursary Fund at
BCIT, MusicFest and UBC and the University
of Western Ontario for expansion of their
medical training.
Don was passionate about education, which
he viewed as fundamental. Some of his most
memorable times were those spent mentoring
medical students.
As a leader, Don was particularly proud to
be the first physician to chair the Vancouver
Board of Trade (2008/09). During that time, he
established the Rix Center for Corporate
Citizenship and Engaged Leadership to
encourage philanthropy among business
We depend on friends and relatives for our IN MEMORIAM materials. Please send obituaries (500 words
or less) to Michael Awmack at michael.awmack@ubc.ca. We will edit all materials to fit the space available.
When sending photos, please send originals or high resolution scans (at least 300 dpi) as separate files.
leaders and businesses. Don received numerous
awards and honours for his community service
including honorary doctorates from UWO,
UBC, SFU, UVic, UNBC, BCIT and The Justice
Institute. Don cherished the Order of British
Columbia (2004), the Order of Canada (2008),
and the Canadian Medical Association's FNG.
Starr Award for distinguished achievement
(August 2009).
Don faced his final challenge with enormous
courage and grace. His legacy is entrenched
and the thousands of people whose lives he
touched will never forget him.
Predeceased by his beloved wife Eleanor in
2007, Don is survived by his daughter Laurie
and her husband Neil Macrae, his brother
Robert (Bob) Rix and wife Judith, Neil's sister
Donna Macrae and her husband Bill Didur and
close friends Frances Lasser and Jim Russell.
ABRAHAM ROGATNICK Honorary UBC Alumnus
Abraham Rogatnick - architect, academic,
artist, teacher, actor, mentor, and author - was
born in Boston, MA, in 1923. He passed away
on August 3 o in Vancouver, aged 8 5.
The rich cultural scene we enjoy in Vancouver
today was nurtured in its infancy by people like
Abraham, who arrived in the city more than 50
years ago to work as an architect and quickly
plunged into active support of the arts, which
the city had only begun to foster at the time.
Abraham studied architecture at the Harvard
Graduate School of Design under the influence
of Walter Gropius, a major early twentieth
century pioneer and educator in modern art
and design. Abraham had interrupted previous
undergraduate studies to serve a three and a
half year stint as a foot soldier during WWII,
experiencing combat at the German Front,
participating in several campaigns including
the Battle of the Bulge and ultimately being
promoted to staff sergeant.
On his arrival in Vancouver, just after
completing further study in Germany on a
Fulbright Fellowship, he and Alvin Balkind
founded the first commercial gallery in Vancouver
devoted to contemporary art featuring the
work of pioneer artists such as Jack Shadbolt,
Gordon Smith, Lionel Thomas and John
Koerner, and launching the careers of younger
Fall 2009    Trek    47 artists such as Tony Onley and Roy Kiyooka.
In 1958, Abraham joined a group of artists,
architects, writers and theatre people to found
what is now known as the Arts Club Theatre.
He was appointed to the school of
Architecture at UBC in 1959, where he initiated
the Study Abroad Program that now provides
students with learning experiences in cities
around the world. It began in Venice, where
Abraham was already considered a world
expert on the history of the architecture and
urban development. Abraham spoke Italian
fluently and was proficient in several other
languages. He received a Master Teacher Award
and retired as professor emeritus in 1985.
He served on juries for many arts awards
and competitions in Canada and supervised
the compilation of the architectural program
for the National Gallery of Canada. He
continued to act as architectural advisor to
its director, Jean Sutherland Boggs, as well as
to the Philadelphia Museum of Fine Art and
director of the Crown Corporation appointed
by Prime Minister Trudeau to oversee the
building of the National Gallery and the
Museum of Man in Ottawa.
From 1971 to '72 Abraham served as interim
director of the Vancouver Art Gallery and
designed several installations for exhibitions
there and many others for the UBC Fine Arts
Gallery among other venues.
He wrote and lectured extensively on art and
architecture, including a contribution to the
book devoted to his friend and colleague, B.C.
Binning. During the 1960s and early '70s he
collaborated with Binning on the successful
Festivals of the Contemporary Arts at UBC.
A few years after retirement Abraham began
a career on the stage and in film, quickly
racking up roles in several Vancouver theatres
as well as appearing in films and videos made
for TV. He designed stage sets for several
Vancouver productions and often coached
speech makers in various fields, including
government.
Abraham attained honorary status in the
Architectural Institute of British Columbia,
was a Fellow of the Royal Architectural
Institute of Canada, and a recipient of the
Barbara Dalrymple Award for Community
Service and an honorary doctorate from the
Emily Carr Institute of Art and Design. Last
year, he was presented with an Honorary
Alumnus Award at the UBC Alumni Achievement
Awards. For many of those in attendance, his
witty and memorable speech was the highlight
of the evening.
HENRY (SYD) SKINNER Honorary UBC Alumnus
Mr. Henry (Syd) Skinner passed away on
April 19, 2009. Syd was an honorary alumnus
of UBC and a generous supporter of the
landscape architecture program in the School
of Architecture and Landscape Architecture.
Henry Skinner
Syd was born in England in 1909 and came
to Canada in 1928. He spent more than 70
years in Vancouver, working mostly at various
executive dining clubs as both a server and a
maitre d'. However, Syd's own passion was
gardening. His love of the land began in his
early years when he worked as a thresher on
farms. When he moved to Vancouver and bought
his own home, he spent his leisure time
gardening and produced prize-winning azaleas
and camellias. Syd once said that he saw
himself as a nurturer, helping others to
thrive - and this included everything from his
garden to his family to students who studied
topics close to his heart at UBC.
Syd's association with UBC began with his
friendship with President Norman MacKenzie,
who was president of UBC from 1944 until
1962. He was friends with many other notable
UBC figures including dean of graduate studies
Gordon Shrum (1956-1961) and former
president John MacDonald (1962-1967). In
1989, Syd established the Henry (Syd) Skinner
Scholarship, which provided funding for four
students in the landscape architecture program.
His lifetime contributions to the endowment
for this scholarship total more than $500,000,
and his generosity has helped more than 5 5
students achieve their goals of becoming
landscape architects.
The landscape architecture program, the
Faculty of Applied Science and the university
would like to extend their deep regrets and
condolences to Syd's family. Syd was a valued
member of the UBC community, and his
friendship will be very greatly missed.
MARY CAMPBELL BA'30
Mary Elizabeth Campbell was born on October
11, 1910, in Vancouver. She was one of the last
two living members of Vancouver's 1930 world
champion women's basketball team. After
learning to play basketball in the basement of
St. Giles United Church in the Vancouver
neighbourhood of Mount Pleasant, Mary
earned a spot as a forward on the UBC varsity
team. In 1930 the team traveled to Prague for
the International Women's Games, winning the
championship over the French team with a
score of 18-14.
48    Trek    Fall 2009 After graduating, Ms Campbell embarked on a
teaching career that would last four decades. She
taught physical education at John Oliver High
School in Vancouver, creating a local powerhouse
in track and basketball. In 1961, she joined the
teaching staff of the new Windermere High,
where she headed the English department.
She trained uncounted young athletes over
the decades, few of whom ever knew she had
played for a world championship team. The
UBC squad was all but forgotten for many
years until university sports historian Fred
Hume and others revived interest in the team in
the early 1990s. Feminist scholars also found
much to admire in young women who travelled
halfway around the globe to contest a world
sport championship. Mary passed away on
March 4, 2009, at the age of 98.
LOIS FISHER BA'31
Lois Marion Fisher (nee Tourtellotte) was
born on May 30, 1911, in Schenectady, NY.
She died on April 18, 2009, at Vancouver
General Hospital. The death of teammate
Mary Campbell a month previously, age 98,
left Mrs. Fisher as the sole surviving player of
the 1930 Vancouver's world champion
women's basketball team.
A guard for the UBC varsity squad, she was
a 19 year-old Arts student when the team was
selected to represent Canada at a tournament held
in Czechoslovakia. The Canadian women scored
an 18-14 victory over France before 10,000
spectators at on outdoor cinder court at Prague.
After graduation in 1931, Mrs. Fisher became
a homemaker and mother. The team was inducted
into the BC Sports Hall of Fame in 19 81, the
university's sports hall of fame in 1993, the
Basketball BC Hall of Fame in 2003, and the
Canadian Basketball Hall of Fame in 2006.
IRENE GRACE SCOTT BA'34
Irene Grace Scott (nee Elgie) passed over just
after her 95th birthday on July 4, 2009. Irene
was born in Davidson, SK, but lived most of
her life in BC. She will be joyous to be reunited
with her parents, her sister Norma, and her
husband Ivor. Her daughter, Beverley, and son
Brian already miss her. Elisa, who provided much
assistance, Dan, her grandchildren, and nieces
and nephews all have fond memories of her.
Irene was a truly remarkable woman
who, despite the devastating blow of her dad's
death as a teenager, assisted her Mom in the
Depression and still managed to graduate from
UBC in the '30s. Irene taught high school, and
to get to her exchange school in Moncton, NB,
she drove alone in her Plymouth across the
country and then back again through the States
because WWII had broken out and gas was
rationed in Canada.
At the end of the war, she married her
dashing airman and became a devoted mother
to Brian and Beverley. Later she founded a
successful jewelry business that required no
initial capital since she began with beach agates.
Irene rode horses, skied, spoke French, wrote
about BC history (among other pieces) and was
always active in the University Women's Club
of Vancouver. She was always considerate of
others, never ever complained and was kind
and dignified - a lovely lady.
JOSEPH ROY POGSON BASc'40
It is with great sadness that we announce the
passing of Joseph Roy Pogson on July 24,
2008, at Royal Jubilee Hospital in Victoria, BC.
Roy was born in Vancouver on January 16,
1920, to Joseph and Minnie Jane (nee Burman)
Pogson. He was predeceased by his parents,
sister Jean, and his loving wife, Ruby Elizabeth
Pogson (nee McDonald).
Roy was an excellent student, passing
through high school quickly and, after
completing Grade 13, continuing on to UBC.
He thoroughly enjoyed attending university
and earned a degree in electrical engineering.
His first job in his professional career was with
BC Electric in Victoria. After a short time there,
he enlisted in the RCAF. He was posted to
Vernon, Montreal, Ottawa, Brandon, and Great
Britain. After the war ended in 1945, Roy
returned to BC Electric/BC Hydro where he
worked until his retirement in June 1984.
Roy enjoyed traveling in his retirement.
Roy and Ruby traveled to England and
Scotland to trace their roots. They went to see
the fall colours of the Maritimes, the bright
lights of Las Vegas and Reno, the warm sands
of Honolulu and Maui, the huge trees of Big
Sur, the pounding waves off the coast of
Oregon and the sights closer to home on
Vancouver Island.
Roy was a wonderful family man who
loved his children, grandchildren and great
grandchildren dearly. He welcomed visits from
family and enjoyed hearing how everyone was
doing. He provided his family with a solid,
caring, loving home where children were
nurtured and raised.
WILLIAM GEORGE WELLINGTON BSc'41
Bill passed away peacefully on November 25,
2008, at the age of 88, in his birth city of
William George Wellington
Fall 2009    Trek    49 IN MEMORIAM
Vancouver. Bill was a respected and honoured
entomologist and biometeorologist. He received
his bachelor's degree in honours zoology under
the mentorship of Professor George Spencer
duringWWII. He then joined the Canadian
Meteorological Service, where he became a
forecaster for the Royal Canadian Air Force.
Bill spent hours in an upper-air calibration
laboratory in Ontario, checking the accuracy of
air-temperature gauges used on aircraft flying
to Europe. On summer evenings he was often
the target of black flies and, as a retaliatory
measure, released several of them into the
calibration lab at conditions equivalent to
10,000 metres of altitude. The flies survived,
and Bill's interest in insect responses to
high-altitude conditions and transport in the
upper atmosphere was piqued. His experiments
led to a master's degree and ten papers,
including one published in Nature.
After the war, Bill left the Meteorological
Service and, at the invitation of Professor Carl
Atwood, began a doctorate in entomology at the
University ofToronto. Bill's doctoral work led to
a thesis on behaviour of spruce budworm larvae
in response to meteorological variables and to a
series of papers that included another in Nature.
Bill was known for his generous collaborative
and mentoring spirit. His career took him to
Victoria to lead the bioclimatological unit in forest
biology (1953-1968); to the University ofToronto,
as professor of ecology (1968- 1970); and back to
UBC (1970- 1988) where he was director of the
Institute of Resource Ecology from 1973 to 1979.
Bill was ambidextrous: during lectures, he
switched the chalk from his right hand, where
it had been writing words, to his left, which he
used for drawing. During his career, he was
honoured with: the Gold Medal for Outstanding
Achievement in Canadian Entomology; Award
for Outstanding Achievement in Biometeorology;
CJ. Woodworth Award for Outstanding
Scientific Achievement; Undergraduate
Professor of the Year; Killam Senior Research
Fellow (UBC 1980); professor emeritus status;
and Fellowship in the Entomological Society of
Canada, the Explorer's Club and the Royal
Society of Canada. He was especially proud of
being in the Explorer's Club with all his
boyhood heroes.
Bill will be remembered by his wife, Margret
(nee Reiss), and his family. His legacy includes
a lasting appreciation for the power of the
spoken and written word, the value of careful
observation and attention to detail, an
enjoyment of history, the importance of hugs,
and the delight of Monty Python.
DR. MARTIN GOODWIN BSc(Agr)'43
Dr. Martin Goodwin, of Portales, NM, died
Wednesday, April 1, 2009, at the age of 87.
Dr. Goodwin was born August 8, 1921, to
Ray Star and Emma Goodwin (nee Brune) in
Vancouver. He left for the US in 1948. On
March 7, 1980, he married Cathy Dennison at
Cannon Air Force Base. After graduating from
UBC, he earned his medical degree at McGill
University in 1948.
He served his internship and residency at
Scott and White Hospital in Temple, TX, from
1948 to 1952. In 1952, he was an instructor of
radiology at the University of Texas. He served
as a captain in the Medical Corps of the US
Army from 1952 until 1955, and served as a
colonel in the Medical Corps of the US Air
Force from 1975 to 1979.
Dr. Goodwin practiced medicine specializing
in radiology in Clovis, Portales, Tucumcari, and
Cannon Air Force Base from 1955 to 1996. He
also served as the chairman of the board of
directors of the New Mexico Health and
Human Services, and as a clinical professor of
health at Western Michigan University and
Eastern New Mexico University.
Dr. Goodwin was a fellow of the American
College of Radiology and was a member of
the New Mexico Radiology Society of New
Mexico, Thoracic Society, Radiology Society of
North America, Society of Nuclear Medicine,
American College of Nuclear Physicians,
American College of Chest Physicians, First
Presbyterian Church, the Elks Lodge, the Lions,
the Masons and the Shriners.
He was a ham radio enthusiast, loved
traveling and politics, and was the team doctor
at Clovis High School for many years.
KENNETH (KEN) W. HARRIS BASc'49
Born on July 18, 1927, to British immigrants
Marjorie Francis Watson and Harry Joseph
Harris, Ken was born and raised in Melville,
SK. At 18, he pursued his dream at UBC. His
first job upon graduating was with Public
Works. He married the love of his life, Loraine,
on April 6, 19 51.
In 1965, Ken moved his family across Canada
to Fort William to take a promotion with the
Greater Water Levels Board of Canada to survey
Lake Superior. On finishing this project, he
moved to Ottawa in 1967 to work with Public
Works and retired from Environment Canada
in 1984. Curling and golf were his sports. His
greatest joy was his cottage on Calabogie Lake.
Ken passed away on March 31, 2009.
MACKENZIE CHARLES "MAC" NORRIS BASc'ji
Mac passed away after a brief illness, peacefully
and with dignity, with his family at his side on
January 25, 2009, at Lion's Gate Hospital. Mac
was born June 2, 1925, in Silverton, BC, and
raised in Nelson. During WWII he served as a
pilot in the RCAF and the RNVR Fleet Air
Arm. He returned to Canada graduating from
UBC with a degree in forest engineering.
During his undergraduate years at UBC he
worked in sawmills, logging camps and at
timber cruising throughout BC. He had a long
and distinguished railroad career spanning 20
years with Canadian Pacific Railroad and 20
years with PGE/BC Rail.
From 1978 until 1990 Mac was president,
CEO and director of the BC Rail Group
Mac Norris
50    Trek    Fall 2009 of Companies and during his tenure as VP
and president the railway was rebuilt and
reorganized, becoming a very profitable venture.
He had a special 20 year association with
Peter Armstrong, executive chairman and CEO
of Great Canadian Railtours Co/Rocky
Mountaineer Vacations. He was a founding
director of Rocky Mountaineer and upon
retirement was honoured with a lifetime
Honorary Director Award.
He also served as a director of Pacific Insight
Electronics Corp.
Mac had a strong sense of public service and
gave generous support to his church congregation,
his Rotary colleagues (he was a Paul Harris
Fellow of the Vancouver Rotary Club) and the
fellow residents of his beloved Silverton, BC.
During his life Mac touched others with his
traits of integrity, responsibility and initiative,
but his greatest legacy is the love he had for his
beloved wife, Clara, his family and his home
province. The family wishes to express their
heartfelt thanks to Dr. Mayo, Dr. Fingland and
all the other outstanding personnel at Lion's
Gate Hospital ICU and for the exceptional care
provided by Dr. Greg Phillips.
ADELIA FRANCES LIVESEY BA'57, MA'61,
Senior Instructor Emerita, English dept.
Adelia Livesey (nee Thurber) was born on June
11, 1916, in the small fishing town of Freeport,
NS, on the Bay of Fundy. Her parents were
descendants of 17th Century Puritan settlers to
the eastern seaboard and of United Empire
Loyalists. She was an enthusiastic teacher of
English, equally at home with literature, ESL
and the crafting of clear expository prose and
fine report writing. Given her Nova Scotian
Baptist ancestry, it is not surprising she had a
special love for 17th Century poetry and prose:
Marvell, Donne, the Metaphysical and Cavalier
poets, and above all John Milton - that great
poet of the will, somewhat out of fashion in
our time.
She grew up in Prince Rupert where her
father captained a small fishing fleet. Her high
school principal was the outstanding French
and classics scholar and educator, Dr. Edith
Lucas, whom she would meet again in the
1950s when teaching English to new Canadians
in Victoria. Dr. Lucas pioneered the teaching of
English to the wave of immigrants and
displaced persons arriving in Canada prior to
and following WWII.
Adelia's family moved to Vancouver in 1932.
She finished high school at Lord Byng in West
Point Grey, and entered UBC. Having studied
elocution and performed on stage from
childhood, she immediately joined the Players
Club, performing such roles as Mrs. Hardcastle
in Goldsmith's She Stoops to Conquer (1936)
and acting as assistant director to Dorothy
Somerset (1937). After marriage she moved to
Victoria, raising a family and turning her
energies to community service. She served on
executive boards for a multitude of organizations: Local Council of Women, Women's
Canadian Club, YMCA and the John Howard
Society. Her teaching career began in 19 51
when, as convenor of the welfare committee of
the Greater Victoria Citizenship Council, she
was asked to help teach English to a group of
seventy-five newly arrived German lads. With
the help of Dr. Lucas, classes were set up and
later formalized under the School District of
Greater Victoria. Adelia taught with the
evening division of the adult education
program for nine years, the last five as director.
After teacher training at Victoria College, she
taught for two years at Oak Bay High School
before moving to Vancouver in i960. Her
master's thesis was based on her experience
Adelia Livesey
teaching ESL in multilingual classes. Shortly
after, she joined the English department at UBC
to teach undergraduate literature and creative
writing. She continued with graduate work in
linguistics at the University ofWashington,
was a member of numerous professional and
learned societies, and served as consultant to
consulates and organizations on the teaching of
English. As well, she was active on the boards
of the Dante Alighieri Society and the Chamber
Music Society of Vancouver.
In 1963, through the Centre of Continuing
Education, Adelia began offering technical
writing programs to engineers and other
professionals in BC. She also set up courses for
the departments of electrical and mechanical
engineering to help improve students' reports.
Upon retirement in 19 81, Adelia was granted
emerita status. By this time, her work with
engineering students and professionals had
grown into a much-enjoyed second career. She
continued to teach report writing at UBC and
give seminars to major engineering firms. As
well, she edited guidelines for the Association
of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists
of BC, and acted as consultant to several of
the Association's brief committees, going over
presentations to various levels of government. In
1992 she was included in the honours and awards
list for her contributions to the profession.
Adelia loved to travel. Special places, where
she would spend many weeks at a time, were
Florence and Assisi, Iran, Istanbul and
elsewhere in Turkey, and London. In the latter,
she could indulge her love of the stage and
pack in as much as possible - theatre, opera,
ballet, concerts and musicals. She was an
accomplished seamstress, confectioning
wardrobes for herself and her two girls, later
smocking dresses for her granddaughters. She
was one of the happy recipients in the English
department of the witty, light and satiric verse
of Geoffrey B. Riddehough, professor emeritus
of classics. Penned or typed on scraps of paper,
post cards and memoranda, a remarkable
collection of his amusing 'little things' arrived
by mail, were dropped in a box at the office or
delivered discreetly in person.
Among her favourite prose is the following
from 17th C Law Reports:
Fall 2009    Trek    51 IN MEMORIAM
And yet Time hath its revolutions; there must
be a period and an end to all
Temporal things - finis rerum - an end of
names and dignities and whatsoever
is terrene, and why not ofDe Vere? For
where is Bohun? Where is Mowbray?
Where is Mortimer? Nay, which is more and
most of all, Where is Plantagenet?
They are entombed in the urns and sepulchres
of mortality. And yet the name
and dignity ofDe Vere stand so long as it
pleaseth God.
Judgement of Lord Justice Crewe
in the Earl of Oxford's case, 1626
RUTH KRON SIGAL BA'57 MEd'77
Ruth (Ruta) was born in Kaunas, Lithuania on
July 28, 1936, and lived a privileged life in
Siauliai (Shavel) until the Nazi invasion in
1941. Ruth, her younger sister, Tamara, and
her parents, Gita and Meyer Kron, were
interned in the ghetto in Siauliai. In 1943,
the ghetto was cleared of children during a
kinderaktion. Ruth was given responsibility
for hiding herself and her sister, but they were
ultimately discovered and Tamara was taken
away on a transport truck, never to be seen
again. Ruth was saved by her mother's cousin -
who had connections - and was quickly
smuggled out of the ghetto in a garbage truck.
She was hidden by a Catholic family, Ona
and Antanas Ragauskas and their two-year-old
daughter, Grazina, for about 18 months until
liberation by the Soviets. At that point, Ruth
reluctantly returned to her parents. She was
still afraid to be openly Jewish. The family lived
in Lithuania for two more years, then escaped
from the Soviets when the KGB wanted Meyer
to spy for them. They escaped via Poland into
Germany where they settled in a Displaced
Persons' Camp. There, her younger brother,
Leo (MD'71), was born.
After five years in Germany, the family
moved first to Montreal, then to Regina, finally
settling in Vancouver. With only six years of
formal education and four years of English,
Ruth began classes at UBC, graduating with a
BA in bacteriology. While at Hillel she met
Cecil (MD'59) and they were married for close
to 52 years. They raised two daughters, Marilee
(MA'87) and Elana, and a son. When her
youngest, Michael (BA'90), was born in 1967,
Ruth took a "break" from work. This was the
beginning of a change of career as she was
instrumental in founding the Vancouver Crisis
Centre and SAFER. In her 40s, she completed a
master of education in counselling psychology
and became a registered psychologist as well as
a registered social worker. Ruth then became
the director of UBCs Women's Resources
Centre for 25 years. There, she profoundly
shaped the lives of thousands of women and
men. Upon "retiring" from UBC, Ruth
continued to supervise practicum students there
and worked as a consultant at Hope House and
Jewish Family Services Agency.
Ruth received many awards for her contributions to both the UBC and general community.
She received the YWCA Woman of Distinction
Life Achievement Award, UBC AMS Great
Trekker Award and the UBC President's Service
Award for Excellence, all in 2001. As well, she
was honoured by the BC Psychological Association and other national and local organizations.
Not bad for an immigrant girl who was told by
her first English 200 professor that she wasn't
university material and that she should drop
out. Instead, she switched professors.
In later life, Ruth became more active in
reconnecting with her early childhood experiences
during the Holocaust. She reestablished many
friendships that she had made immediately
before and after the war. She continued to have
warm relations with the Ragauskas and visited
them on numerous occasions after the USSR
fell. Their own granddaughter was named
Ruta, after her. Grazina, who now lives in
Surrey, told us that Ruth died four years to the
day, after "their" mother, Ona.
Ruth was co-founder of the Vancouver
Hidden Children of the Holocaust Group and
was active in Holocaust education, establishing
an award in her parent's name to support
Holocaust education in high schools in BC.
Ruth lived with great courage, passion and
vivacity, filling every room with fun and
laughter. She was a woman who followed her
own rules and provided a living model for how
a woman could "have it all." She deeply
mourned the losses of her sister, her parents
and her grandson, Zach Prince.
On December 16, 2008, Ruth died peacefully
at home surrounded by her family after a
valiant struggle with kidney cancer. Donations
in her memory may be made to The Meyer &
Gita Kron & Ruth Kron Sigal Fund for
Excellence in Holocaust Education at The
Vancouver Holocaust Education Centre
(604.264.0499).
PAUL E. JARVIS BASc'58
Born in Fort William, ON, in 193 5, Paul
attended Lakehead Technical College, working
at logging and fire-fighting camps. At UBC he
earned a degree in forest engineering.
From 1958 to 1977, Paul worked on a range
of projects for several water engineering
consultants and agencies, such as Silver Falls
Hydro Station, ON; Lakehead Harbor Terminal;
BC Water Resources Branch; Burntwood River
Hydro Project, Manitoba; Manitoba Hydro;
and Newfoundland Marine Works.
In 1977 Paul was appointed deputy minister
of the Manitoba Department of Energy and
Mines and later deputy minister of the merged
Department of Natural Resources and Northern
Affairs. He subsequently served as VP of corporate
planning for Manitoba Hydro, and VP of
special projects for Saskatchewan Water Corp.
In the 1990s, Paul returned to consulting in
renewable resource development for crown
corporations, government agencies, First Nations
and private corporations. In the international
arena, he led a CIDA team in planning
assistance to the Ghana Water Corporation.
Paul is survived by his wife of 51 years, Joan
Lecain, and daughters Elizabeth Handford,
Catherine and Mary Ellen, plus grandson
Henry Jarvis Handford. Family and friends will
deeply miss his wry sense of humor and great
story-telling. He was a favorite classmate of '58.
DAVID HOWARD ROSS STOWE BCom'58
David was an extraordinary man who lived
life to the fullest and gave much of himself to
create opportunities for others. Following a
short battle with cancer, he passed away on
September 7, 2009. He leaves behind his wife
of 51 years, Mary-Anne, and their children,
Lesley (Geoffrey Scott), Craig (Elisabet), and
52    Trek    Fall 2009 Marianne (Rob Thomson); his sister, Diane
(Don Merson) and brother-in-law Bruce
Johnstone; and grandchildren Mackenzie,
Alexa, Sebastian, Douglas and Gillian, along
with many nieces and nephews.
Born inToronto in 1932, David was a
graduate of Upper Canada College and UBC.
He enjoyed a distinguished career with Scott
Paper Ltd. as corporate VP of sales and
marketing. David served as chairman of The
Vancouver Port Authority, chairman of Junior
Achievement of BC and as national revenue
chairman (BC) for the Liberal Party of Canada.
He was also a very active member of the Royal
British Columbia Museum Board.
An avid skier and golfing enthusiast he
enjoyed spending time at Whistler and Palm
Desert. David will be greatly missed by family
and friends. The family would like to extend
their greatest appreciation of the care and
support given by all the staff at the palliative
unit at VGH.
CHESTER (CHES) JAMES LARSON BEd'6i
Ches Larson passed away at the age of 8 5.
He left his wife of 62 years, Ev, children Ken
(Lynne), Al (Val), Judy (Gerald), Sue (John),
six grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.
In addition to teaching for 3 5 years - 3 3 at
Kelowna Secondary School - Ches served as
caller for the Kelowna Wagon-wheelers, and
president of the 1120 Rock Club and the
Ches Larson
Kelowna Badminton Club. He also ran
marriage encounter weekends and was
founding president of the local Central
Okanagan Retired Teachers Association
branch. He was also greatly involved at St.
Michael's Cathedral where he was a sidesman
and a bible reader.
Ches enjoyed dancing, wine-making,
gardening, the birds in the backyard and most
of all his family. He was excited by the fact that
he had been retired for almost as many years as
he had taught. Ches' life was full of activity,
always helping where he could. Finally his spirit
gave out on him, but not before he left a legacy
to be remembered and cherished by many. Ches
will be missed by all who knew him.
DONALD ARTHUR WEBBER BEt>'65, MEd'73
Don passed away at the Royal Jubilee Hospital
in his 81st year. He will be greatly missed by his
loving family - wife Nancy and sons Donald
and Darren.
Don was born in Vancouver, graduated from
Lord Byng High School and then Normal
School. After beginning his teaching career, he
pursued his education during evenings and in
the summers until he earned his master of
education in fine arts from UBC. Don loved
teaching and enjoyed interaction with students
and co-workers. He used materials in a myriad
of ways. He was one of the founders of the BC
Art Teachers Association, with which he was
involved in many ways.
Don's faith in God was significant and
he was always an active member of his church.
Family and friends will remember Don for
his love of conversation, his spontaneity and
his helpfulness.
SONIA WILLIAMS BA'67, MEd'74
Sonia Lawrence Williams passed away in
hospital on January 20, 2008, after a long
illness, stoically borne. Three of her friends
were at her bedside.
Sonia was born in 1934 in Cheshire and
grew up in Yorkshire, England. The only child
of Frank and Isa Williams (nee Lawrence),
Sonia often acknowledged the interests and
talents that her parents bequeathed to her.
Through her father she developed a love of
literature; from her mother, an interest in the
theatre arts, especially costume design. Her
Grandmother and Grandfather Lawrence also
greatly influenced her. Her grandmother was an
Edwardian woman of strong personality, and
Sonia learned (through example and through
observation) how a household was managed -
from the household budget, to the cooking, to
being a gracious hostess - and how to enjoy life
outside the home. Sonia also spoke of the love
and great kindness of her Aunt Marian.
From an early age, Sonia decided she wanted
something more from life. She began training
as a radiographer at the age of 16 and a half.
She attained her certification and began to
work in British hospitals as an x-ray technician.
"On a lark," she decided to travel to Canada,
with the intention just to visit and experience a
bit of the world. She found employment in a
Montreal hospital immediately. The cold
climate, always a concern for Sonia, persuaded
her to move west. She settled in Vancouver in
the 1950s, where she remained the rest of her
life. Sonia practised as an x-ray technician at
the Royal Columbian Hospital in New
Westminster and at the Vancouver General
Hospital. In 1959, she received her certification
as a Canadian x-ray technician. Ever restless
and ready for new challenges, she upgraded her
education and entered UBC. She obtained her
honours BA in history in 1967. Her love of
history would enrich all her travels.
Sonia Williams
Fall 2009    Trek    53 IN MEMORIAM
Sonia joined the staff at the BC Institute of
Technology in the 1960s. Concurrently, she
completed her master's degree in education.
Sonia would remain at BCIT for the rest of her
working life, ending her career as head of the
Health Administration Program. In 1976, she
married David L. Watkins, a marriage that
would last until his death in 1991.
Sonia had a passion for travel. She returned
annually to England in the years after her
mother's death, to care for her father. While
there, she tried to find a bit of time to explore -
to bicycle in Scotland, or visit the Lake
Country. After her father's death in the mid-8os
Sonia was able to indulge her passion. She
travelled to India, China, Cambodia (an
unnerving experience), South Africa, Egypt
(she loved the desert heat), the Middle East,
Turkey, Greece, Libya, Tunisia, and Australia,
as well as the European countries. In between
these adventures, she sought warmth in Hawaii
and Mexico.
Sonia loved the opera, and was a regular
attendee ofVancouver Opera for many years.
Whenever possible, she would travel to see
rarely performed operas at festivals around
the world - Glyndebourne, Glimmerglass,
London, Berlin, Wexford She enjoyed
numerous trips to San Francisco, Seattle,
New York, and Victoria with the Vancouver
Opera Guild and the Opera Club. She was able
to visit Bayreuth for the Wagner Festival in
2006. Her opera activities extended to working
for the Guild and the Opera Club in many
volunteer capacities.
Sonia bought her condominium in 1975, and
would live there until her death. She served
many terms on the strata council, and later
worked as a volunteer for the Condominium
Home Owners Association.
Sonia had a love of fine cooking and wine. She
was an excellent and adventurous cook, and many
friends have been treated to delicious meals and
excellent wine, as well as good conversation.
GERALD PODERSKY-CANNON BA'70, MA'79
Gerry passed away peacefully on July 15, 2009,
at 12:20am in the presence of his loving family
after a long and valiant battle with lymphoma.
Gerry will be sadly missed by his wife,
Donna Moroz, sons David and Joel Podersky-
Cannon, daughter Selena La Brooy, son Julian
La Brooy and daughter-in-law Noriko Tajima,
mother May Cannon, brother Wayne Cannon
and sister-in-law Nancy, nephews Kipp and
Renny, sister Lynne Cannon and partner
Gail Spitler, and long time family friend
Eileen Mitchell. He was predeceased by his
father, Harry Cannon, and former wife Shari
Podersky-Cannon.
Gerry was always active in his community
and its political life as chair of the UBC Alma
Mater Special Events Committee and member
of the UBC Alumni Association board, UBC
Senate, various federal Liberal Party policy
development committees, the board of the
internationally renowned Kinesis Dance
Troupe, the Canadian Club and the Canadian
Council of Africa.
Gerry developed a worldwide network of
friends from experiences in England, Canada
and Africa (including the Yukon and Tanzania),
and from his varied business relationships at
Vancouver City Hall, the film industry,
Pricewaterhouse Coopers, BC Hydro, Lightwave
Medical Industries, Spectrum, Natco International, P2 Solar Energy Corp, Cordova Mining,
Sterling Health Service and Canafra Minerals.
To his children, he was a mentor, role model,
man of inspiration and loving father. To his wife
he was everything: business partner, friend, lover,
husband, and soul mate. He may be gone but
never forgotten. There will only be one Gerry
Podersky-Cannon.
PAUL LEROY RIOPELLE BSW'83
Retired alcohol and drug counsellor, bon
vivant, friend for the long haul, brother and
uncle, Paul - born April 9, 1941, in Cut Knife,
SK - passed away September 22, 2008, in
Salmon Arm, BC, of cancer, at the age of 67.
Following the premature death of his father,
Leroy, who managed a grain elevator in Cut
Knife, Paul moved to Salmon Arm in 1958 with
his mother and sisters. There he completed high
school while serving as a keen member of the
Rocky Mountain Rangers army cadet corps.
Paul was a high-spirited, popular and bright
student for whom learning came easily, despite
a less-than-perfect attendance record. "Teach
me the course in 15 minutes," he would say at
exam time to a boyhood friend and fellow cadet.
After graduation, Paul was accepted for the
Regular Force Officer Candidate program and
completed training as a signals officer.
Transferred to the reserve force in 1964, he
was called back to active duty and employed in
a supervisory capacity during construction of
the Diefenbunker in Carp, ON. Increasing
alcohol dependency brought an end to his
promising military career.
For a decade or so, Paul lived hard and
worked around BC as an assistant forest ranger
and log scaler. Then, "fed up with this kind of
life," he quit drinking and returned to school,
leaving UBC in 1983 clutching a degree in
social work. Paul began working as an alcohol
and drug counsellor at a treatment centre in
Maple Ridge where his humanity soon became
apparent and lifelong bonds were formed.
Succeeding postings took Paul to other
centres in the BC interior before a major heart
attack in 1987 slowed him down. Later, he
stoically came to terms with the onset of cancer.
Recuperating back in Salmon Arm, Paul
remained active in his field through contract
assignments and the shared fellowship of
Alcoholics Anonymous. Army cadets and the
Legion also benefited from his support.
Determined to defeat an expanding waistline,
Paul forced himself to keep walking, but it was the
joy of skiing - and occasionally snowboarding -
with friends on Silver Star Mountain that he
truly fancied. Perhaps a stable female relationship was the one thing missing in Paul's life,
though "there were a couple of scares."
Nevertheless, women were drawn to him and
remained friends. Maybe it was his infectious,
dervish way on the dance floor.
Paul's accessibility had no boundaries - literally.
One night he picked up a ringing phone to
learn a friend was seeking help in the wake of a
highway accident.
"Where are you?"
"Kalispell, Montana," the friend replied.
"I'll be right there," Paul said. And he was.
Paul had a shining personality and special
ability to connect and impart meaning to the
lives of those who knew him. He leaves behind
a host of admirers.
54    Trek    Fall 2009 ALUMNI     TERM LIFE INSURANCE
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