Honorary degree for global community builder RICHARD ALEXANDER MURRAY (DENGR'64, BENG(NSTC)’66) Richard Alexander Murray’s relationship with Dalhousie goes back 50 years. He earned a Diploma in Engineering and a Bachelor of Science in Engineering in the mid-1960s from what was then called the Nova Scotia Technical College, and is now Dalhousie’s Faculty of Engineering. He has gone on to become an outstanding engineer, industry leader, mentor to young engineers, successful entrepreneur and philanthropist. Early in his career, Mr. Murray spent 11 years as a civil engineer in Jamaica, returning to Canada in the 1970s to build the company we know today as R.A. Murray International Limited, an award-winning firm based in Halifax that provides engineering, general contracting, material procurement, and logistical services all over the world. R.A. Murray International specializes in the design, building and financing of highway
bridges; and the sale and transport of construction aggregates. One of Mr. Murray’s most impressive accomplishments was his work for the Jamaica Bridges Development Program from 2007 to 2011. His company designed and built 17 bridges plus connector roads across Jamaica. They also strengthened local communities–reconstructing schools, repairing police stations, supporting local employees and their families to further their education, and donating to charities. In keeping with his philosophy of giving back, Mr. Murray and his wife Melda endowed a $1-million scholarship fund in 2012. The Richard and Melda Murray Scholarships bring Jamaican students to study engineering at Dalhousie. The Murrays’ hope is to train a new generation of engineers who will build the future of Jamaica.
From Jamaica to Halifax MURRAY SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENT DEVENE SINCLAIR CHOOSES BIOENGINEERING At first glance Devene Sinclair looks like any average student – she loves music and enjoys playing tennis. But, in reality, her 'average' qualities are few. This outstanding student came from Jamaica to Dal with clear goals of success, thanks to the $22,000 Richard and Melda Murray Scholarship. Born in the rural town of Frankfield, Devene began excelling at a young age. She achieved the “Young Leader” level of girl guides and was in her school’s environmental club. She was also active in the Interschool’s Christian Fellowship (ISCF) program. There’s a strong sense of community in Frankfield that Devene still draws upon for support. Her community expects all of its advanced students to seek opportunities for post-secondary education. In fact, Devene's sister chose to study medicine in Cuba
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ENGINEERING
FOLLOWING HER OWN PATH Devene opted for a degree in bioengineering. She knew she wanted to help people and bioengineering seemed to fit the bill. Her choice led her to the Murray scholarship. “The scholarship was established by the Murrays in 2010, specifically for students from Jamaica studying engineering at Dalhousie,” says Oluronke Taiwo, the head of the Black Student Advising Centre (BSAC) at Dal. The scholarship is renewable every year of Devene’s undergraduate studies as long as she maintains a certain GPA, which shouldn’t be a problem. “I hold myself to a higher standard, and being a scholarship-holder puts you in the limelight. People expect you to live up to it,” she says. Devene is actively pursuing her dream of becoming a bioengineer and
making significant contributions to Jamaica and her new home in Canada, and she doesn’t plan on slowing down before achieving her goals. “When I have an assignment or busy day I just think, ‘Let’s get this done.’”