COMPLETE
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SPRING/SUMMER 2015
ENGINEER THE MAGAZINE OF THE FACULTY OF ENGINEERING AND APPLIED SCIENCE AT QUEEN’S UNIVERSITY
Saluting the impact our staff have on the student experience
INSIDE... Meet some of our dedicated and talented staff members
PLUS Mike Serbinis (Sc’96) and the creative potential of disruptive technology
SEC TION HEADER
CONTENTS SPRING/SUMMER 2015
DEAN
Kimberly A. Woodhouse DIRECTOR OF MARKETING AND COMMUNICATIONS
Adam Walker
1 A message from the Dean Our dedicated staff ensure that our students have an experience that is second to none 2
The Student Success Services Model From recruiting advisors to J-section, we give our students the support and services to succeed
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How FEAS staff support the student experience Meet the men and women who support students at the program level
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Institutional Knowledge With a combined 67 years at Queen’s, Wanda Badger and Lloyd Rhymer keep their departments running smoothly
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ining staff take top team honours M The Technical and Support Team from The Robert M. Buchan Department of Mining receive Queen’s Special Recognition for Staff Award (Team)
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Jacquie Brown: Mechanical and Materials students’ mother away from home A gentle, guiding influence for over 37 years
MARKETING AND COMMUNICATIONS COORDINATOR
Meagan Suckling CONTRIBUTING EDITORS
Jordan Whitehouse GRAPHIC DESIGN
Walker Design + Communications
10 Machine Shop gives students a cutting edge Hands-on experience helps our graduates set themselves apart 11 A passion for helping students Geological Engineering’s Larke Zarichny has seen at least two generations come through her doors 12 N eed something done? Go see Steven Steven Hodgson has guided and supervised more than 2,000 undergraduates during his time at Queen’s
PHOTOGRAPHY
Stephen Wild CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
Anita Jansman Kirsteen MacLeod CONTACT INFORMATION
Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science Queen’s University Beamish-Munro Hall 45 Union Street Kingston, ON K7L 3N6 Tel 613.533.2055 Fax 613.533.6500 Email complete.engineer@queensu.ca
14 Disruptive influence Queen’s grad and Kobo founder Michael Serbinis talks entrepreneurship and innovation 15 Be inspired now A message from Mike Norris (Sc’75), Chair, Inspiring Greatness: The Campaign for Queen’s Engineering 16 The David W. Bacon Distinguished Speaker Series New endowment will foster the exchange of ideas and experiences 17 Enter the Gael’s Den Student design teams vie for alumni funding 18 Alumni engagement Toronto Queen’s Young Engineering Alumni (QYEA) group finds an innovative new way to connect with, and support, student design teams, and the Faculty hosts receptions in Ottawa and Calgary
Want to learn more about the amazing things happening at Queen’s Engineering? COMPLETE
THE
SPRING/SUMMER 2015
ENGINEER THE MAGAZINE OF THE FACULTY OF ENGINEERING AND APPLIED SCIENCE AT QUEEN’S UNIVERSITY
Saluting the impact our staff have on the student experience
Visit our Vimeo page!
https://vimeo.com/queensengineering
We have over 150 videos made by engineering students.
INSIDE... Meet some of our dedicated and talented staff members
PLUS
Mike Serbinis (Sc’96) and the creative potential of disruptive technology
Chemical technologist Steven Hodgson and fourth year engineering student Anna Kosmacheva inspect an injection moulding machine
Be sure to also follow us on Twitter and join our alumni LinkedIn group.
FACULT Y
Dean’s Message Our strength is our people
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elcome to this year’s spring/summer edition of The Complete Engineer. Another busy academic year has come to a close and in reflecting back, I remain immensely proud to be working with the dedicated and talented people who help make Engineering and Applied Science such a great place for tomorrow’s engineers. In that vein, this issue profiles some of the amazing work of our support staff, who devote their time and energy to making the student experience here at Queen’s so positive and unique. They work beyond the classroom to ensure that our students have the tools and support they require to succeed, and they help keep our Faculty operating smoothly. I hope you enjoy reading about them and the testimonials they’ve received from our students. A particularly exciting piece of news is our planned collaboration with Northern College Haileybury School of Mines. We are collaborating with them on a four-year, Bachelor of Technology (Mining Engineering Technology) Program, a partnership that will bring together two of the top mining educational institutes in the country. This specialized and intensive program will combine the strengths of both institutions to provide a format that contains the best elements of both college and university studies. To learn more, visit btech.engineering.queensu.ca. Enjoy your summer!
Kimberly A. Woodhouse PhD, PEng, FCAE, FBSE Dean, Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science
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They work beyond the
classroom to ensure that our students have the
tools and support they require to succeed...
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The Student Success
Helping students get a good start—
Associated Dean Clapham welcomes a student
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f you’d walked into Beamish-Munro Hall on April 8 expecting to see tense students hunched over their laptops, studying hard for exams, you may have been surprised. Many were taking a break for free massages, pet therapy with dogs, yoga or to play in the “throwback” room with Lego, colouring books, board games, jigsaw puzzles, and other games and toys. Others were listening to an alumnus’ reassuring talk titled “You Are More Than Your Transcript.” Three hundred students participated in Queen’s Engineering’s first Health and Wellness Day, which was designed to help students de-stress. The event was made possible through the support of Heather Black (Sc’80) and Theresa Wright (Sc’79). Supporting the ongoing success of students—both inside the classroom and out—is a FEAS tradition. “We have
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a leadership legacy of working closely with our students, and do all we can to help each one to reach his or her academic potential,” says Associate Dean (Academic) Dr. Lynann Clapham. The 10-point model helps consolidate this work. Its positive influence is reflected in the FEAS’ impressive retention and graduation rates. More than 94 per cent of students successfully move from year one into year two. Further, 89.3 per cent graduate, one of the highest rates of any engineering program in Canada. Asked what accounts for the model’s success, Stacy Shane, manager of student services, is decisive. “We’ve hired really well: our staff genuinely care about the students,” says Shane, who has been with the FEAS for 10 years. “Staff contributions are huge: we have amazing people, both in my office and the 10 program departments,” confirms
Clapham. “When we hire, we seek people who, most of all, have a heart for the students and go the extra mile to help them get the support they need.” Levels of student support in Engineering are exceptional, says Clapham. In fact, student support is a big factor in drawing students, and their parents, to the FEAS, on par with Queen’s reputation and quality programs. “What we do is special and original. Apparently, other universities don’t do it as well as we do.” Geared mainly toward first-year students, the model flows from the FEAS’ unique approach, says Shane, who is responsible for implementation. “We’re not trying to weed anyone out. We believe every student who comes through the door in first year can succeed and graduate, and we do everything we can to make that happen.” Students entering postsecondary education deal with new challenges, says Shane, such as the transition from home to living on their own, homesickness, family problems, stress and anxiety, fear of failure, and worries about not living up to expectations. “This model provides us with a cohesive framework that helps ease the students’ transition and helps set them up for the greatest chance at academic success.” Many programs have been in place for a long time, she says. “But the model gives us cohesion, shows how everything ties in.” Services include, among many others: • A dedicated recruiting advisor who develops activities and arranges personal visits to campus for potential students and their families. • Two first-year-specific academic advisors, 36 additional academic advisors and an engineering-based mental health counsellor, all ready to help. • Douglas tutorials for first-year students, which is a free service run by students for students. • In-house counselling, provided by Health, Counselling and Disability Services, available in Beamish-Munro
Services Model >>>
—and succeed Hall. It’s funded by Gregory David (Com’89) and Neil Rossy (Artsci’93) through the Queen’s Initiative Campaign. As well as seeing 18-20 students a week at no charge to students, the counsellor develops workshops and supported research, oversees student mentors, and advises student leaders, professors and staff. • An Engineering BounceBack program tailored to Engineering students that provides peer coaching to develop effective study habits, time management skills, strategies for dealing with stress and other important topics, which was partially funded by Jack.org.
10-Point “Each year, 60-70 students enter J-section, about half of them in jeopardy of failing their year,” says Shane. “Only one or two usually fail after J-section, and typically because of extenuating circumstances.” Another initiative that takes the pressure off: all who pass first year can select any discipline, and they don’t have to compete with others for limited spaces. “We adjust timetabling and scheduling to meet the interests of students,” says Shane. “Resource-wise, it’s a huge commitment for us, but what’s best for students comes first.” The model, Clapham predicts, will continue to evolve organically. “We’ve got the basics with the 10-point model. Now
The FEAS student services team (l-r): Back row: Stacy Shane, Micheline Johnston, Catherine Gurnsey, Gillian Woodruff. Front row: Karen Merrill, Corrine Hoas, Anne-Marie Pap
Student Success Services Model
The Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science at Queen’s University has always had a very strong record of supporting its students. In the last few years we have quantified this into our 10-point “Student Success Services Model.” This model brings together the key elements that students need to be successful over their years at Queen’s.
1 Recruiting Advisors 2 First-year Advisors 3 Section 900/J-Section 4 Douglas Tutorials 5 Free Choice of Discipline 6 Wellness Skills Workshops 7 Study Skills Workshops 8 EngBounceBack 9 Personal Counsellor 10 36 Advisors
With these 10 points, the Queen’s Engineering community is unlike any other. Not only do
• J-section, a long-established program that allows students who have difficulties in the fall term of first year to repeat fall courses before proceeding with a clear record.
we will maintain good communications to know what’s working, what’s not and what else we can do to respond—as we did recently by introducing our new Health and Wellness Day.”
we focus on giving students a strong academic and professional background, but this model provides students with the support system they need to succeed.
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How FEAS staff support student experience All Engineering students have access to a plethora of invaluable academic, career and technical support services provided by the Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science. But these services would not be possible without our dedicated staff, most of who are not thanked enough or given enough recognition for their hard work. One of them is First Year Program Associate Aphra Rogers. Most first-year students can attest to Aphra having a friendly and understanding face, even when going through a tough academic situation. Chances are that students will also use the Integrated Learning Centre plazas maintained by our excellent lab technicians for both academic purposes (e.g., labs in first and upper years) or as places to study and interact with other students. If a student is involved in a design team, they’ll likely benefit from the staff in the shop who help manufacture components of their final deliverable. These are just a few examples of how staff deeply impact students by providing an environment where students can do good work, ask questions and grow. My experience at Queen’s would not be the same without the resources that our wonderful staff members provide year after year.
—Julie Tseng, Engineering Society President
Chemical Engineering, Engineering Chemistry staff Left to right: Megan McKever, Dawn Free, Elizabeth Agostino Laurie Phillips, Lynn O’Malley, Liann Joanette
Civil Engineering staff Left to right: Debbie Ritchie, Lloyd Rhymer, Maxine Wilson, Angelina Gencarelli
Electrical and Computer Engineering staff Top row, left to right: Steve Humphrey, Mary Gillespie, Grier Owen, Debra Fraser, Patty Jordan Bottom row, left to right: John McKay, Irina Pavich, Greg MacLeod
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Mechanical and Materials Engineering staff Left to right: Onno Oosten, Paul Morehead, Charlie Cooney Corey Fowler, Christina Fowler, Jacquie Brown Jane Davies, Andy Bryson, Kate Minor
Mining Engineering staff Kate Cowperthwaite and Tina McKenna
Engineering Physics staff Left to right: Sam Millard, Tammie Kerr John Odell, Gord Campbell, Gary Contant Kyra Funk, Loanne Meldrum, Phil Harvey Marc Dignam, Peg Hauschildt, Steve Gillen Rob Gagnon, Koby Dering
Geological Engineering staff Left to right: Larke Zarichny, Kelly McCaugherty, Lorna Dumond, Linda Brown
Mathematics and Engineering staff Left to right: Cindy MacIntosh, Anne Burns, Johana Ng, Marge Lambert
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Institutional Knowledge What solid foundation supports the daily lives of the Queen’s civil and mining engineering communities? The answer, according to grateful faculty, students and alumni, is two long-serving department managers, Lloyd Rhymer from Civil Engineering, and Wanda Badger from The Robert M. Buchan Department of Mining.
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Lloyd Rhymer, Department Manager, Civil Engineering
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hirty-three years ago, Lloyd Rhymer joined Civil Engineering as an electronic technologist. He was promoted to technical supervisor, in charge of managing staff and labs, and later found himself running the department. The diversity of his job keeps him engaged. “I often work on 10 different projects in a day,” he says. “Plus, I always know there’s something more I can do to make things better, and that’s really rewarding.” Describing how he spends his workdays, he says, “I’m a problem solver.” Facility improvement is how he’s applied his expertise most recently, developing and implementing a five-year space plan. “Our labs were stuck in 1958; now, they are nearly all renewed,” he notes. His job has many satisfactions, he adds. “Most of all, I enjoy supporting student and faculty projects, and taking away any barriers to their success.” His work really makes a differ-
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Lloyd has provided endless
contributions to the development of these facilities, from the design stage to the overseeing of their smooth daily running...
ence, says Professor Ana Maria da Silva (PhD’95). In her research and teaching on river mechanics and river engineering, she makes use of large-scale experimental space at the Coastal Lab. “Lloyd has, throughout the years, provided endless contributions to the development of these facilities, from the design stage to the overseeing of their smooth daily running by both graduate and undergraduate students.” Doug Tomlinson, a PhD candidate, concurs. “Lloyd has been an invaluable
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asset for me and my fellow grad students. His extensive knowledge of the Ellis Hall lab facilities helped me greatly in establishing and conducting my experimental research program.” Ellis Hall, Tomlinson adds, has been undergoing substantial renovations over the past few years. “Lloyd has ensured that these renovations have proceeded with minimal interruptions to research, teaching, and that the end product best benefits our department.” Dr. Mark Green, acting department head, praises Rhymer’s contributions. “Lloyd is outstanding in what he’s accomplished. He’s assisted greatly in making our department one of the best in the country. If not for him, we’d never have been able to bring our labs to current world-class standards.” Asked if his department will ever consider letting Rhymer retire, Green laughs, then says emphatically, “No, we won’t! Life would be very, very difficult without him.”
Wanda Badger, Department Manager, The Robert M. Buchan Department of Mining
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anda Badger has been with Mining for 34 years, and Department Head Dr. Takis Katsabanis says he wants her to stay until technology can clone her. “She’s the ultimate professional,” says Katsabanis. “She’s very efficient and organized, remembers everything, and handles problems—whether with students, administration or financial issues—exceptionally.” Mining prides itself on a family atmosphere, Katsabanis adds. “Wanda leads this. She’s good with students, cares for them and listens to them—many problems are solved before they ever come to me. She also deals well with office staff, technical staff and professors. I can’t even imagine this place without her.” Badger, describing her role, says: “People refer to me as the glue that holds everything together. I’m a troubleshooter. I try to smooth the waters for staff and faculty, and support the students too.” What’s most rewarding? “I love this department. There’s a sense of caring, and a real team environment. Plus, I’m always learning things—you never quite know what you will be faced with,” she says.
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Helping to shape young minds, even if it’s just fostering an
environment of caring and support, feels good at the end of the day.
Supporting students is the highlight. “Helping to shape young minds, even if it’s just fostering an environment of caring and support, feels good at the end of the day.” Natalie Kawun, a third-year mining engineering student, says Badger is a beacon of wise counsel. “She’s helped me with academic issues and personal issues. She’s like my Mom at school.” In Kawun’s toughest times—after a bad outcome on a midterm, and when she was trying to apply for a placement and everything was going wrong—Badger was there for her. “She’s the most helpful person on the planet, rational when I’m being irrational, and I’m so grateful. She can calm me down and talk sense into me,
even when I’m making no sense at all.” Assistant Professor Dr. Joshua Marshall (Sc’99, MSc’01) says, “Wanda is a facilitator, mediator and shoulder to lean on for a great number of students, staff and faculty.” When he was a student, he recalls, “She was always there reminding us, ‘You can do it! We are so proud of your accomplishments.’” As a faculty member, he finds her “extremely long institutional memory” and her kindness invaluable. “Wanda is the most encouraging, supportive person I know at Queen’s.” Assistant Professor Dr. Ursula Thorley notes that in her work with students, staff and faculty, Badger is “respectful and sympathetic. She’s a critical component of the supportive, familial environment that exists in the mining department.” As well, she makes a huge impression on the lives of alumni, Thorley adds. “People send her life updates, pictures of their children, and always stop by the main office to catch up with her when they are on campus. In fact, Wanda is often their first stop!”
STUDENT PROFILES
Wanda and Lloyd
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Mining staff take top team honours
The Technical and Support Team (l-r): Perry Ross, Oscar Rielo, Larry Steele, Maritza Bailey, Tina McKenna and Kate Cowperthwaite
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hen Department Head Takis Katsabanis and Manager Wanda Badger nominated Mining staff for the Queen’s Special Recognition for Staff Award (Team) last year, they didn’t know whether it would fly. “Our team certainly deserved it, as they’re amazing,” says Badger. “But the award historically goes to more standard teams, where people have similar positions and responsibilities.” At The Robert M. Buchan Department of Mining, there’s a unique dynamic in which administrative and technical staff work closely together. “Their roles are different, but they are all friends, dedicating time to the operation of the department, the labs and the research work,” says Katsabanis. “Plus, they go above and beyond the call of duty to help students, or each other, whenever there is a need.” “That’s what we’re most proud of— we can actually say they are a team, as
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they support one another, even though the scope of their jobs is so varied,” Badger adds. The judges tended to agree, and in December 2014, the six people who make up this unique team received their award: Tina McKenna, undergraduate program assistant; Kate Cowperthwaite, graduate
“” They go above and beyond the call of duty to help students, or each other, whenever there is a need.
program assistant; Oscar Rielo, senior program coordinator; Maritza Bailey, mineral processing technician; Perry Ross, mining engineering technician; and Larry Steele, testing operator. “They never ask for any recognition, and it’s good to see them honoured,”
Katsabanis says. “They are leaders in teamwork who come up with solutions and ideas—they really take the initiative.” When it comes to faculty support, the team has an amazing ability to anticipate and pre-empt administrative snarls and technical nightmares, and to find resolutions, Katsabanis adds. “When I was undergraduate chair, for example, my job was easy because staff found the way forward before issues ever got to me.” For her part, Badger says it’s satisfying to see top teamwork rewarded. The team’s problem-solving abilities are well known throughout the department, whether it’s regarding an academic, technical or personal matter. “We pride ourselves on our collaborative, caring atmosphere,” she says. “These people create that— for everyone in our workplace and for students, who count on their professionalism, ingenuity, kindness and support.”
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Jacquie Brown: Mechanical and Materials students’ mother away from home
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hen Jacquie Brown started her career at Queen’s at age 17, she regarded the students as her contemporaries. Thirty-seven years later, she says of the students, “I could be their mother!” Having finished Grade 12 in 1978, “in the days when your character, integrity and optimism was your degree,” she says, Brown had an opportunity to prove herself and grow in her career in the Department of Mechanical Engineering, now the Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering. “Luckily, I was given a chance, and here I am, all these years later, still loving what I do.” As a program assistant, Brown requires a sharp eye for detail, fortitude to deal with the ever-changing
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My journey here at Queen’s was
filled with some highs and lows, and when I had any problems
or worries about my academic
requirements I would visit Jacquie.
technology and office practices, and a good dose of maternal instinct. “I am very motherly,” she says when talking about the countless students who have gone through the Mechanical and Materials Engineering Program. And the students, past and present, love her for it. Mike Wilton (Sc’13) recalls the time when he had transferred from Arts and Science to Mechanical Engineering. He credits Brown with being a huge contributing factor to his success at Queen’s. “I found myself faced with numerous scheduling conflicts as a result of my transfer. Jacquie was always very accommodating, and everything was sorted out. Conflicts were a recurring issue, and so we would routinely meet at the beginning of each semester and sort out my classes, something for which I am deeply grateful.” Brown has witnessed extraordinary change at Queen’s since 1978—from a huge jump in enrolment, to going from typewriters to word processors—but
Jacquie
the one that she believes has affected the student population the most is the disappearance of Grade 13 in Ontario high schools. “Students are younger, and living away from home at age 17 and 18 brings new challenges. Sometimes their academics slip as a result,” she says. Student Craig Rushon (Sc’15) has experienced Jacquie’s caring attention.
“My journey here at Queen’s was filled with some highs and lows, and when I had any problems or worries about my academic requirements I would visit Jacquie,” he says. The gratification Brown gets from the job is second to none. “The students are what keeps me here. They are like a new spring garden after the snow.”
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(l-r): Andy Bryson, Derek Hodgson, Paul Moreland, Corey Fowler
Machine Shop gives students a cutting edge T
he Machine Laboratory in the Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering, fondly known as the “Machine Shop,” is a little-known gem of a facility tucked away in the basement of McLaughlin Hall. According to Andrew Bryson, Machine Lab supervisor, it is one of the few remaining machine shops in any engineering school in Canada. A professional tool and die maker, Bryson has been overseeing the lab for nine years, and has been a Queen’s employee for 27. He worked through the ranks in the Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering, and is now responsible for supervising a staff of three, purchasing new equipment and maintaining a safe workplace for staff, faculty and students. He’s seen tremendous change in the lab over the years. Although all secondyear students using the lab begin with manual machinery, the days of manuallyrun machinery dominating the lab are gone, replaced by computer-numericallycontrolled (CNC) equipment. “Secondyear students have to prove themselves to be capable of running the digital machinery and advance through proven competency,” he says. In his shop, safety comes first, but Bryson knows all too well the value of giving students the opportunity to create something with their own hands. “The lab gives our students an edge,” he says. “They stand out because they get hands-
on experience before they come out of university, which is extremely valuable in industry.” Such practical experience helps to develop a well-rounded engineer, allowing students to build a skillset that few student engineers in Canada can. Dan Foresi (Sc’14, MSc’16) gained a wealth of experience in the lab as an undergrad, and he continues to benefit from it now that he’s pursuing a master’s
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The lab gives our students an edge. They stand out because they get
hands-on experience before they come out of university, which is extremely valuable in industry.
degree. He believes this hands-on component of the engineering program is essential. “Understanding what is and is not possible, or what is and is not cost effective in manufacturing terms, is an integral component of any wellexecuted design,” he says. “Spending countless hours in the Machine Shop manufacturing components for the Queen’s Formula SAE car not only gave me the valuable experience of seeing why certain designs were flawed, but it paid massive dividends in industry where I quickly took on more advanced tasks than my recently graduated peers.” While the lab is primarily meant
for students, it’s also used to build prototypes for other departments within the Faculty and repair machinery for Queen’s Physical Plant Services and, occasionally, Kingston-based companies. Throughout the school year, student design teams are hard at work designing competition-ready vehicles. One of them is the Baja SAE team that designs, fabricates and races a small off-road vehicle. Another is the Queen’s Eco-Vehicle Team (QEVT), which manufactures and races gasoline prototype and concept vehicles that are the most fuel-efficient possible. The Machine Lab is equipped with two rapid prototypes, more commonly referred to as “3D printers”; a flow water jet cutting machine, which can cut up to eight inches of solid steel; and a CNC plasma cutter and other CNC machines. This year’s addition was a new metalcutting shear. “We continue to get a lot of wonderful gifts from donors, and that is what allows us to keep the equipment up to date,” says Bryson. “We are extremely grateful for their support.” He points to the 3D printers, a gift from alumnus Donald McGeachy (Sc’40), as an example of how engineering alumni support the Machine Lab. The Machine Lab continues to be a valuable facility in the Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering, one that helps to distinguish students and graduates in the industry.
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A passion for helping students T
hirty-three years with the Department of Geological Sciences and Geological Engineering has not dampened Larke Zarichny’s passion for “her students.” In fact, the undergraduate assistant looks forward to facing whatever challenge comes her way each day, be it helping a student sort out course conflicts, to dealing with a new online enrolment system, to just listening to a student’s frustrations during the busy academic year. It’s all part of the job. Zarichny began her career as a legal secretary in April 1980, but an opportunity to become a finance clerk took her to Queen’s, and in May 1982, she successfully applied for a job in Geological Sciences and Geological Engineering. She has been there ever since.
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Always caring, she is the friendly
voice of a department and the hand that makes our journey through undergraduate engineering as amazing as possible.
Zarichny has seen at least two generations of students come and go through the department, including the Krentz family. Dan (Sc’83, MSc’87) and Val (Sc’83), who met at Queen’s in 1983 and married after graduation, sought the assistance and support from Zarichny during their university years. Some 20 years later, they proudly saw their son, Andrew Krentz (Sc’11), enroll in Geological Engineering. Through the years, she has gained the respect and affection of countless students. “Larke is patient, helpful, amazing,” says Samantha Taylor (Sc’14). It’s a common refrain among students and alumni. Max Howarth (Sc’13) recalls Zarichny’s generous spirit. “Larke cares about the students. She not only remembers all of our names, but also knows our timetables, what classes we want to be in, even what’s going on with us on a more personal level.” Since Zarichny began her career at Queen’s before desktop computers became commonplace, she says the greatest transformation she’s witnessed at
Larke the university has been the increased use of technology to do her job. “Going from paper registration in the fall to online registration in the summer was a huge change,” she says as she recalls the size of the early data disks and the computers that took up so much office space. Physical and technological changes aside, Zarichny says what keeps her going are people, the excellent faculty, her staff colleagues and, of course, the students. “Seeing those young people
walk across the stage on convocation day is so rewarding,” she says. Current student Alexander Savides (Sc’15) sums it up best when he says, “Larke is one of those administrators who truly cares for the students, both past and the present. She is a force to be reckoned with. Always caring, she is the friendly voice of a department and the hand that makes our journey through undergraduate engineering as amazing as possible.”
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Need something done? Go see Steven S
teven Hodgson started his job as a chemical technologist at Queen’s in 1987. Nearly 30 years later, sitting in his Dupuis Hall office, he’s trying to steer the conversation away from his many accomplishments. “I don’t like to be in the spotlight; I like to work behind the scenes,” he says. On the wall hangs a Golden Pillar Award from the Engineering Society in recognition of his guidance, encouragement and dedication to students. Beside it is the Special Recognition for Staff Award he received in 2007 for exceptional and consistent contributions to the learning and working environment. Watching students gain confidence and become engineers is rewarding,
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Over nearly three decades, he’s
guided and supervised more than 2,000 undergraduates in
the laboratory component of their programs.
he says. Helping them find solutions is one highlight. “I always enjoy problemsolving.” He also enjoys Homecoming, when he reconnects with alumni, hearing about their families and careers. In the Pilot Plant in Dupuis Hall, Hodgson monitors safety, provides advice to students on equipment and is a driving force in space improvements. His influence, says Department Head Dr. Jim McLellan, ripples out far and wide. “Steven is in many ways the soul of the chemical engineering department to undergraduate and graduate students, faculty, and staff alike.” Over nearly three decades, he’s guided and supervised more than 2,000 undergraduates in the laboratory component of their programs. Graduate students have also benefitted from his assistance. Sylvia Woolley (BSc’15) says: “Steve is an asset to us, and you can tell by his actions that his main goal is to see all students succeed. He engages us to think for ourselves—yet always seems
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Steven to be there when we are struggling to get an experiment to work!” He’s also at every social event, taking photos for an end-of-year slideshow. “This does not go unnoticed by students, and we all appreciate Steve’s dedication to our success.” Department Manager Lynn O’Malley says Hodgson’s devotion to students is from the heart. “He genuinely cares about their well-being and their learning, and
he takes pride in their accomplishments.” His contributions are exceptional, she adds. “He has championed the handson learning of engineering students, and the importance of safety in all of our activities. He has been a tireless supporter of extracurricular activities that enrich the lives of everyone associated with our department, and has played an important supporting role in recruiting students as well.”
SEC TION HEAD
There’s more than one way to earn a prestigious Queen’s MBA. Immerse yourself in the renowned full-time program on our campus in Kingston, or choose one of our internationally respected executive and accelerated programs, offered throughout Canada. No matter where you live or which program you select, you can take advantage of Queen’s innovative approach to team-based learning, goalfocused experiential opportunities and unique culture of personal coaching. You can earn Queen’s MBA, no matter where you live in Canada.
Find the MBA program that’s right for you at qsb.ca/mba Queen’s Full-Time MBA and Executive MBA ranked #1 in Canada by Bloomberg BusinessWeek THE COMPLETE ENGINEER
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ALUMNI
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p t i v e u r s i Influence
Queen’s grad and Kobo founder Michael Serbinis talks entrepreneurship and innovation Michael (right) and LEAGUE Co-founder Todd Humphrey in their Toronto office
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nnovator and entrepreneur Michael Serbinis (Sc’96) is best known for “disrupting” Canada’s publishing industry as the founder and CEO of digital reading empire Kobo. But the Queen’s graduate’s high-powered career didn’t exactly get off to a fairy-tale start. A week after his last final exam in May 1996, Serbinis packed his bags and headed south to Silicon Valley, where he planned to join former Queen’s student Elon Musk at his web software start-up Zip2. He didn’t get far. “I got turned away at the border,” laughs Serbinis. The border guard accused the Queen’s grad of taking a job away from an American citizen and told him to produce his official degree as a customs requirement. “I went home with my tail between my legs,” he says. “My parents propped me up and made me go back.” This time, though, Serbinis made it all the way to California. Over the next 10 years, he designed search engine technology for Zip2; developed network routing technology at Microsoft; and founded and sold cloud storage pioneer DocSpace for $568 million. In 2006, married and expecting the first of his three children, Serbinis returned to Canada. “I absolutely loved what I was doing in the Valley and I figured I could
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do it in Canada, too. The grey matter here is just as strong and capable. All it needed was some leadership.” Three years later, Kobo burst onto the publishing scene with $110 million in sales in its first year alone. Under Serbinis’s leadership, the company became the only global competitor to
“
At Queen’s, I absolutely worked
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hard and played hard and learned to solve hard problems. Those
ingredients are the raw materials you need to be a guy who builds and creates companies.
Amazon’s Kindle. Serbinis sold Kobo to Japanese internet giant Rakuten for $315 million in 2012. A year ago, he turned his attention to a new challenge—the ailing healthcare system. With a whopping $4 million in seed funding, Serbinis is launching LEAGUE, a digital health and wellness platform that empowers Canadians to take control of their own health. This is about preventative healthcare, not “sick care,” he says. The fact that he’s managing to leverage these kinds of entrepreneurial
successes north of the border leaves Serbinis feeling optimistic about Canada’s future, despite a recent Conference Board of Canada report that ranks Canada’s innovation performance a dismal 13th out of 16 countries. “I look at the start-up ecosystem and it’s probably the best it’s ever been. When it comes to public and private investment in R and D, though, it’s pathetic. We’ve got to do better than that as a percentage of GDP.” Serbinis is pushing hard for Canada to develop a national agenda on innovation that focuses investment and efforts on a handful of areas at which we can be the best in the world. He’s also committed to grassroots initiatives like the Queen’s Innovation Connector, established in 2012 to support the innovation activities of students, professors, entrepreneurs and Canadian companies. “We live in a petro-loonie-driven economy. We need to move away from that and technology is the way to do it. At Queen’s, I absolutely worked hard and played hard and learned to solve hard problems. Those ingredients are the raw materials you need to be a guy who builds and creates companies. “That’s what we need—more disruptors in this country.”
C AMPAIGN
Message from the Chair Mike Norris, Civil Engineering ‘75 Chair, Inspiring Greatness: The Campaign for Queen’s Engineering
Be inspired now
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hen we publicly launched the $85 million Inspiring Greatness: The Campaign for Queen’s Engineering in 2012, we invited you to help us enable more of the inspiring experiences that set Queen’s Engineering apart. We called our campaign “Inspiring Greatness” because we wanted to inspire great new ways of thinking, teaching and researching. But we had an even bigger goal: We wanted to inspire you to invest in this exciting future for Queen’s Engineering—and you did! Queen’s engineers can never resist a challenge. Our alumni, together with our corporate and foundation partners, students, parents and friends, have rallied in support of our four campaign priorities: Inspiring Student Experiences, Inspiring Programs, Inspiring Teaching and Research, and Inspiring Spaces through the Queen’s Innovation Commons. Thanks to your commitment to the future of Queen’s Engineering, we are entering our final campaign year with our goal in reach—not unlike that tam at the top of the grease pole. We need all of you to get us over the top. If you have already given, thank you. If not, now is the time to be inspired! We are setting our sights on the Queen’s Innovation Commons, the new heart of Queen’s Engineering. This sustainable 70,000 square foot teaching and research facility will include room for bioengineering, innovation and design, and mechanical and materials technologies. We’ll combine new undergraduate facilities, laboratories and design studios, and bring together professors and students from a number of faculties to empower our graduates to become change leaders through innovation and collaboration. Your support will be building the future of Engineering at Queen’s. There are many ways to make your gift. The Engineering Advancement team is ready to help you meet your philanthropic goals. Like me, you may be celebrating a special class reunion year (My class of Sc’75 is working on an exciting initiative to give back to Queen’s.) Consider making a donation to your class fund or one of the campaign priorities.
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”
We need all of you to get
us over the top. If you have already given, thank you. If not, now is the time to be inspired!
Your support will ensure that Queen’s Engineering remains great for future generations of change leaders, just as others did for us. Help inspire greatness today by making your gift at www. givetoqueensu.ca/engineering. You are both our history and our future—thank you.
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C AMPAIGN
The David W. Bacon Distinguished Speaker Series: Recognizing a respected leader and compassionate educator
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hen Dr. Jim McLellan (Sc’81, PhD’91), Queen’s head of Chemical Engineering, meets with alumni of a certain age, one sure thing happens: “They ask about David,” he laughs. Right up until his death last year, Dr. David Bacon was a leader—well ahead of his time. He is remembered by alumni as both a rigorous and compassionate educator and mentor who had a knack for blending statistical theory and practice in the classroom. During an 11-year term as dean from 1980 to 1991, he emerged as an early champion of women in engineering, hiring the Faculty’s first full-time woman faculty member in 1986, followed by three more appointments by the end of his term. After retiring in 1999, he became an active emeritus professor and member of the Retirees’ Association of Queen’s.
“We all respected him tremendously,” says McLellan, who began his own engineering career as one of David’s students in 1977. “Many called his courses the most useful they’ve ever taken.” In memory of his mentor and friend, McLellan is calling on Queen’s Engineering alumni to help establish a speaker series in David’s name. The David W. Bacon Distinguished Speaker Series will attract academics and industry leaders from around the world to share insights into the technical aspects of their work and its applications. “This is about the exchange of ideas and experiences,” says McLellan. “It’s a poignant and appropriate way of recognizing David’s incredible contributions.”
To make your gift to the David Bacon Speaker Series Fund: Visit: www.givetoqueens.ca/davidbacon Call: 1-800-267-7837 ext. 79533 Email: inspiring@engineering.queensu.ca 16 THE COMPLETE ENGINEER
ALUMNI NE WS
Enter the Gael’s Den
Student design teams vie for alumni funding
Vikram Bhatia (Sc’13), Queen’s Young Engineering Alumni co-chair
Richard Hayward (Sc’00) speaks to Formula SAE Team A Mars rover was on the line when Jordan Marr (Sc’16) and the Queen’s Space Engineering Team (QSET) stepped into the Gael’s Den on March 14th in Toronto. QSET was one of five Queen’s student design teams to participate in the Dragons’ Den-style event hosted by the Toronto Queen’s Young Engineering Alumni (QYEA) group. The teams competed for more than $20,000 in funding—including more than $10,000 in donations from QYEA members and a matching gift from Paul Goddard (Sc’90). “Our team was in a deficit at the start of the year, and we weren’t sure if we’d be able to compete in the University Rover Challenge this year,” explains Marr, 2014-15 captain of the approximately 40-member team. The University Rover Challenge, which challenges students to design and build the next-generation Mars rover, pits student design teams against each other from around the world. Queen’s finished 13th out of 31 teams in 2014, but the
Amelia Cooper (Sc’14) of the Queen’s Solar Design Team
Members of the Baja Design Team effort left the team with next to nothing in the bank. Says Marr: “We wondered if we could afford it again.” Then came QYEA’s Gael’s Den invitation. QYEA was founded in 2011 to help new grads network and reconnect with old classmates, and the group established the GPA Society in 2014 to encourage young alumni to give back. “We’ve learned that younger donors want to maintain strong ties to Queen’s and build their professional networks,” explains Cochair Phil Sager (Sc’03). “They also want to see the impact of their contributions. The Gael’s Den allows us to do that.” Sager and the QYEA Committee came up with the idea of the Gael’s Den to engage young alumni and support the innovative work of Queen’s design teams. Top donors to the GPA Society were invited to participate as “Gaels”— Queen’s version of the Dragons. The panel judged the pitches and then spent one-on-one time mentoring each of the
Jordan Marr (Sc’16) of the winning Queen’s Space Engineering Team
Phil Sager (Sc’03), Queen’s Young Engineering Alumni co-chair competing teams on how to improve their presentations for the future. “This was only the first year for the GPA Society and the Gael’s Den,” says Sager, “but the response we’ve received from our donors and the design teams has been so strong, we’re going to need a bigger room next year.” “It was a great experience and we’re so grateful for the alumni support,” agrees Marr. QSET left the Den with $5,000—enough to participate in the 2015 University Rover Challenge finals at the Mars Desert Research Station in southern Utah in May, and to jumpstart the team again in the fall. But Marr says the benefits go beyond a healthy bottom line: “The real highlight was the chance to meet some of these young alumni and hear how our experiences might translate into a career. That was huge for me.”
> Want to learn about what it was like in the Gael’s Den? Watch this video: https://vimeo.com/127157116
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Alumni engagement QYEA GPA Society Gael’s Den—March 2015 (continued from previous page)
Student Design Teams: Aero, Baja, Formula SAE, Solar, Space Engineering
QYEA members David McKenna (Sc’03) and Paul Yeung (Sc’95)
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Left to right: Philip Sager (Sc’03), Vikram Bhatia (Sc’13), James Elson (Sc’02)
The Gaels Left to right: Christopher Bury (Sc’02), Richard Hayward (Sc’00,) Paul Yang (Sc’09), Irena Doslo (Sc’08), John Stetic (Sc’97), Philip Sager (Sc’03)
Ottawa Engineering Reception—November 2014 On November 25th Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science Vice-Dean (Research and Graduate Studies) Brian Surgenor (Sc’77, PhD’83) hosted an alumni reception at the Brookstreet Hotel in Ottawa. Faculty in attendance were: Dr. Michael Greenspan (Head, Electrical and Computer); Dr. Kevin Deluzio (Sc’88, MSc’90, PhD’98), (Head, Mechanical and Materials); Dr. James McLellan (Sc’81, PhD’91), (Head, Chemical and Engineering Chemistry); and Dr. Mark Green (Sc’87), (Acting Head, Civil).
Denzil Doyle (Sc’56) and staff member Lindsay Seeger
Dr. Brian Surgenor, Vice-Dean (Research and Graduate Studies)
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Alumni engagement Calgary Engineering Breakfast—April 2015 On April 22nd Dean Kimberly Woodhouse hosted an alumni breakfast entitled “Collaboration for Innovation” at The Ranchmen’s Club in Calgary. Representatives from Queen’s included: Dr. Scott Parent (Sc’91), Hazell Research Professor in Chemical Design and Innovation; Gregory Bavington (Sc’85), Executive Director, Queen’s Innovation Connector (QIC); Michael Campbell (Sc’13), 2013 QIC Summer Initiative; and Lindley Kenny (Sc’15), 2014 QIC Summer Initiative.
Left to right: Howard McLean, Timothy Hughes (Sc’78), Scott Parent (Sc’91)
Left to right: Michael MacArthur (Sc’14), Adam Janikowski (Sc’02), Lindley Kenny (Sc’15)
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Left to right: Michael Sado (Sc’13), Ian Nieboer (Sc’06, Artsci’06), Dane Gregoris (Sc’13)
Michele Harradence (Sc’91) and Dean Kimberly Woodhouse
Charlie Lund (Sc’79) and Gerald Blair (Sc’79)
Left to right: David Ardell (Sc’80), Howard Anderson (Sc’79), Paula Corbeil (Sc’77)
Left to right: Alexandra Crookes (Com’13), Michael Trowell (Sc’09), Kelly Parker (Sc’10)
Left to right: Andrew Williamson (Sc’85), Gregory Bavington (Sc’85), Bill Baillie (Sc’85)
Left to right: Andrew Williamson (Sc’85), Bill Baillie (Sc’85), Gregory Bavington (Sc’85), Riley Waite (Sc’79), Carl Levitt (Sc’11)
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Queen’s Engineers: It will take all of us to
...reach the top!
inspiring.engineering.queensu.ca
As Queen’s Engineering alumni, the challenge belongs to us. With less than a year to go, we are asking all alumni and friends to join together in support of Inspiring Greatness: The Campaign for Building Our Future. Queen’s Engineering. The Queen’s Innovation Your gift, along contributions from classmates Commons willwith provide the setting for will cross-faculty and friends, enhance funding for our four and cross-university campaign priorities: collaboration. Their n Inspiring Spaces: the Queen’s Innovation collective goal: driving Commonsforward in innovation Canada and beyond. n Inspiring Student Experiences n
Inspiring Programs
n
Inspiring Teaching and Research
There are many opportunities available—we invite you to get inspired as we reach for the top—and build the foundation for the future generations of Queen’s Engineers!
10 months to go— Take up the challenge now! Learn more today at: www.givetoqueens.ca/engineering or call Joanne Grills at 613-533-6000 Ext. 75248
inspiring.engineering.queensu.ca
FACULTY OF OF ENGINEERING ENGINEERING FACULTY AND APPLIED APPLIED SCIENCE SCIENCE –– AND Development and and Alumni Alumni Relations Relations Development Beamish-Munro Hall, Hall, Beamish-Munro Queen’s University, University, Queen’s Kingston, ON ON K7L K7L 3N6 3N6 Kingston, www.inspiring.engineering.queensu.ca www.inspiring.engineering.queensu.ca 613-533-6000 Extension Extension 75248 79533 613-533-6000 inspiring@engineering.queens.ca inspiring@engineering.queensu.ca