Surgite Magazine - Vol. 13, No. 2 - Summer 2021

A Brock community magazine

Brock’s rock star Earth Sciences Professor Mariek Schmidt and her role on NASA’s mission to Mars

Vol. 13 No. 2, Summer 2021

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IN THIS ISSUE

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Change on the Horizon

IN EVERY ISSUE

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50 years of business education

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LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT

Celebrating your achievements

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COVER STORY

Brock scientist part of NASA Mars mission

Alumnus steps up to offer support

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THEN AND NOW

DeCew Residence reopens after facelift

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DEVELOPMENT

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Top 100 for sport science programs

$250,000 to support student mental health

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ALUMNI UPDATES

Career updates from across the decades

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PASSAGES

Remembering Brock’s first female faculty member

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Celebrating your achievements A LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT

W

elcome to the latest edition of Surgite magazine.

It is always such a wonderful opportunity to connect with our Brock University alumni and the whole community through the pages of this publication.

VOL. 13 NO. 2, SUMMER 2021

The transition from spring to summer is an exciting time in post-secondary education. At Brock, it is the season of Spring Convocation, when we celebrate the academic accomplishments of approximately 3,500 of our students.

EDITOR

Of course, the ongoing pandemic has meant a change to how we celebrate the accomplishments of our students and engage their supporters, including faculty and staff, in these proceedings. We have now just held our third online Convocation during pandemic times, and with each iteration, we take another step forward to connect with our students, their families and supporters.

DESIGNER

Dan Dakin PUBLISHER Gord Arbeau

Kev Greene PRODUCTION CO-ORDINATOR Carol McIntosh CONTRIBUTORS Amanda Bishop

For the first time, we offered our graduates the opportunity to acquire souvenir gowns and hoods.

This was something many students have been asking for, especially during a season when public health guidelines do not allow for the act of walking across the physical Convocation stage in the traditional Brock gown.

Kevin Cavanagh Dan Dakin Stephen Leithwood Kaitlyn Little Cathy Majtenyi

We take great pride in celebrating our graduates — both when they convocate and as they move through their future careers. The connections forged between Brock and our alumni are strong and lasting.

Surgite is all about informing our more than 110,000 alumni about the many good things happening at Brock. It is about keeping you connected with each other and with the University by providing updates on significant milestones.

Our new Alumni Updates feature has quickly become a reader favourite because it highlights some of the career achievements of our graduates. We could fill many magazines listing the successes of our alumni, including their promotions and new roles, so we take this opportunity to congratulate you all on the outstanding achievements you have had over the years and more recently accomplished.

Maryanne St. Denis Samantha Tapp Jocelyn Titone

GENERAL INQUIRIES Brock Alumni Relations maintains a database of contact information for each graduate in accordance with all legislative requirements protecting privacy.

We do not sell, trade or give away our mailing lists.

If you do not wish to receive the magazine, or if you prefer to subscribe to our digital edition of Surgite, please fill out the form at brocku.ca/alumni.

STAY IN TOUCH

Through Alumni Updates, we hope to periodically highlight some of these fantastic accomplishments. It will serve as a reminder of just how proud we are of our Badgers — former and current.

Do we have your correct name and address?

If not, please call 905 688 5550 x4190 or update your information at brocku.ca/alumni

We hope what you read in these pages will also make you proud of your alma mater. From our involvement in the latest NASA Mars mission to a $1-million scholarship for under-represented students, to hosting a community COVID-19 vaccination clinic, your University continues to work hard to be an important part of the community in Niagara, Ontario and beyond.

BEYOND PRINT twitter @brockuniversity linkedin Brock University Alumni facebook brockuniversity instagram @brockuniversity

Thank you — and Surgite!

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GERVAN FEARON

Surgite/sur-gi-tay/Latin for “Push on”

President and Vice-Chancellor, Brock University

The inspiring last words of Maj.-Gen. Sir Isaac Brock

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CONGRATULATIONS CLASS OF 2021!

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#VACCINATEDATBROCK As part of its ongoing efforts to support the health and vitality of the Niagara community and beyond, Brock University has been proud to host a Niagara Region Public Health COVID-19 mass vaccination clinic, with more than 7,000 seniors receiving their vaccine in the first week.

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Josh Clarke

Tram Anh Bui

Helena Tizaa

Nneka Onyeachonam

Ash Grover

Onika Forde

Xiaoyang Xia

Sara Madanat

Elvia Lopez

Anel Turgambayeva

Sali Moieldin

Sarah Lukaszczyk

Nwakerendu Waboso

Teshawn Smikle

Nwakerendu Waboso (BA ’07, MA ’12) was honoured to be chosen as one of the first 20 recipients of Brock University’s Horizon Graduate Student Scholarship.

By Maryanne St. Denis

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wakerendu Waboso (BA ’07, MA ’12) remembers it like it was yesterday.

She was 14, had just moved back to Canada from Nigeria and was thrust into a new school midway through Grade 8 where she was one of only two Black students.

It was a daunting experience for the typically outgoing teen, who came face to face with racism for the very first time.

“Nobody had prepared me for this,” Waboso recalled, adding racism was rarely, if ever, an issue in the West African community where she spent her formative years.

But suddenly, it was her reality.

“Nothing I did was right — the way I dressed, the way I talked. People made fun of the texture of my hair, because it was different,” she said.

She dreaded having to say her full name out loud, with glaring eyes saying plenty without saying a word.

While she was able to build a strong circle of close friends, the abhorrent acts worsened in high school, where Waboso deflected racial slurs, and was told to “die” and “go back to Africa” because of the colour of her skin.

“I had never faced any of these experiences before,” she said. “But they helped to define, shape and inform my passion and my focus.”

Now a Brock University Child and Youth Studies PhD student, Waboso has taken those experiences and used them to drive her success.

Earlier this year, Waboso was honoured to be among the first 20 students recognized with the University’s Horizon Graduate Student Scholarship.

The fund will provide $1 million to high-achieving graduate students from BIPOC and other underrepresented groups over the next 10 years, with 20 students from research-based programs chosen each year to receive a one-time award of $5,000.

The scholarship aims to help Brock attract top researchers and students from various fields while building a diverse and inclusive university community.

Waboso’s goal is to make an impact on the education system in hopes of preventing future students from facing situations similar to hers.

“I want to work on Black, Indigenous and People of Colour (BIPOC) curriculum development,” said the Niagara Falls wife and mother of three. “My dream is to engage a curriculum that is equitable and inclusive, one that I would be proud for my children to participate in.”

Waboso wants to ensure the education system holds people accountable for their actions and does not brush aside acts of racism and discrimination, both which can

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LEFT: Nwakerendu Waboso and husband Dan Weatherall with sons (from left) Chikezie, Chijioke and Naesochukwu.

RIGHT: The 1975 graduation photo of Nwakerendu Waboso’s father, Chijioke Waboso, hangs in the halls of Brock University.

have a considerable affect on the mental health of young learners.

“I’m passionate about doing work that deconstructs racism in the education system, because I have three children in the education system. It’s very meaningful and personal work,” Waboso said. “I don’t want children’s experiences to slip between the cracks.

“I know what it’s like to feel powerless, like your voice isn’t relevant and doesn’t matter. I’ll never forget that feeling and I want to act on it in a formal environment.”

Waboso knows how drastically education can change the course of someone’s life. Her father, Chijioke Waboso (BSc ’75), is living proof.

A chance encounter in Nigeria between Chijioke and former Brock registrar Ron McGraw led to the family moving to Canada — where Nwakerendu was later born — so Chijioke could pursue his studies at the University.

After earning his bachelor’s degree, he went on to pursue his master’s and PhD in geophysics at Western University before the family returned to Nigeria.

It was after Nwakerendu Waboso contracted typhoid fever at the age of 14 that her parents made the difficult decision to send her back to Canada to stay with family friends and get the medical care she needed.

Waboso said the serendipitous meeting between her father and “Uncle Ron,” as he’s known to the family, set off a chain of events that had a significant impact on their lives.

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Now, she is working to make her own mark at Brock.

Waboso and the other inaugural recipients of the Horizon Graduate Student Scholarship represent research disciplines from across the University. They include students who were born to immigrant parents or are immigrants themselves, have come from low-income households, are first-generation post-secondary students, and identify as members of the LGBTQ+ community.

“ I KNOW WHAT IT’S LIKE TO FEEL POWERLESS, LIKE YOUR VOICE ISN’T RELEVANT AND DOESN’T MATTER. I’LL NEVER FORGET THAT FEELING AND I WANT TO ACT ON IT IN A FORMAL ENVIRONMENT.” — NWAKERENDU WABOSO

While they each have different inspiring backgrounds and have faced their own challenges, they share the same level of passion for their graduate studies work.

“I want to thank Brock for recognizing that equity within the institution is important enough to address overtly,” Waboso said. “By creating this scholarship, the University has elevated us as students and amplified our platform.”

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S R A 50YE BROCK’S INVESTMENT IN BUSINESS EDUCATION MAKING BIG IMPACT

By Kaitlyn Little

I

n September 1971, Brock University launched the Bachelor of Administration program to respond to a community need for business education. Now, 50 years later, that initial commitment is yielding a significant return.

Brock’s Goodman School of Business recently received the Business School Impact System (BSIS) label in recognition of the contributions the School makes both locally and globally.

What the assessment process found was Goodman’s contribution to the Niagara economy adds up. The School’s activities contribute to an economic impact totalling $380 million annually through direct, indirect and induced contributions.

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“We were confident our school was providing value to the community, yet we were short on compelling qualitative and quantitative metrics to offer a comprehensive assessment of the impact our presence was making,” Goodman Dean Andrew Gaudes said.

The assessment found that co-op placements and in-class service-learning projects, which are signature elements of Goodman’s student experience, play a large role in this impact. Co-op contributions to the economy from the more than 950 business students adds up to $11.7 million each year. More than 2,880 students take part in student consulting projects in class, providing a value of more than $30 million each year to local businesses and non-profits.

Beyond the economic impact, the analysis also revealed that faculty members contribute more than 8,500 service hours to the community through pro-bono consulting, and service on boards and committees. In addition, Goodman’s customdesigned professional development programming provides the necessary training for members of the greater community.

As part of the review process, Goodman submitted a substantial pre-visit report and hosted the BSIS review team, including BSIS Director Michel Kalika, virtually for three days.

“Based on our experience of more than 50 schools across 17 countries that have received the BSIS label, I can say that I was very impressed by the relationship between the Goodman School of Business and the Niagara region,” Kalika said.

“We have discovered the business school is strongly embedded in its ecosystem. The relationships with the private sector, public actors and other educational institutions are highly intensive and fruitful.”

Goodman is the third North American business school to have received this label.

The BSIS analysis also highlighted that in September 2020, Goodman’s MBA program was ranked first in Canada for Class and Faculty Diversity by QS Global Rankings. QS measures student and faculty gender balance, the percentage of international faculty members within the business school and the number of nationalities represented by students in the MBA program.

“These external indicators are confirmations of how we’ve grown,” Gaudes said. “It shows we aren’t simply offering a business education. Rather, we provide a business education with a purpose, which works with leading schools and organizations around the world in addressing the needs of our local community.”

For Gaudes, the School has constructed a strong foundation of research, connections and collaborations to build on.

“The next 50 years is about our responsibility as a global leader in business education,” he said. “It’s about working with other organizations in underscoring the importance of what business education should be going forward, which is an education accessible to all; one that is inclusive and addresses the multi-faceted needs of our community.”

1971 1977 Administrative Studies School created

— Andrew Gaudes, Dean, Goodman School of Business

1981 Accounting co-op program introduced

1989 Bachelor of Accounting (BAcc) program created

1991 Taro Hall built

1990 Faculty of Business created and BAdmin renamed Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA)

1999 2003 Master of Business Administration (MBA) and Master of Business Administration International Student Pathway (MBA ISP) programs created

“We aren’t simply offering a business education. Rather, we provide a business education with a purpose which works with leading schools and organizations around the world.”

Bachelor of Administration (BAdmin) launched in the Faculty of Social Sciences

2012 School renamed after transformational gift from the Goodman Family Foundation

2019 Goodman Group launched

2019 International Partnership of Business Schools (IPBS) adds Goodman as its only Canadian partner school

2020 MBA-Master of Public Health double degree program launched

Master of Accountancy (MAcc) and International Master of Accountancy (IMAcc) programs created

2008 International Double Degree program started

2018 United Nations co-op placements established

2019 Graduate level (MBA and Master of Science) International Double Degrees launched

2019 Goodman School of Business building expansion completed

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Brock Board of Trustees Chair Gary Comerford speaking at Convocation.

THE CAREER JOURNEY THAT LED COMERFORD BACK TO BROCK

By Kevin Cavanagh

W

hen Gary Comerford same position at SunLife of Canada, where particularly during his years as Chair. The chats to students about the job embraced numerous roles, including challenges of a pandemic, he says, just further career paths, he offers general manager for its India operations. complicate an era that was already tough on some simple advice: Be He eventually became SunLife’s Senior universities.

“The sector has witnessed some real Vice-President, International. He would open to opportunities.

It has been a lifetime theme for Comerford, also become President of the Canada India difficulties over the past several years,” says Comerford. “As we all saw, early this year the international management and financial Business Council.

“I never thought I would be an international Laurentian University declared bankruptcy. specialist who this June concluded four years business executive as I really did not like But the fact Brock has maintained consistent as Chair of Brock University’s Board of financial discipline in recent years is what flying,” says Comerford, “But it was one of Trustees, a body he first joined in 2014.

Not that the road ahead was always clearly those career moments where you either took enabled the University to cope with the visible. As a teenager in St. Catharines, the assignment, or you were on your way out pressures inflicted by COVID.” Comerford is pleased that on his watch, Comerford wasn’t sure what he wanted to the door. I took it.”

Brock expanded its infrastructure do when he grew up. Working with invaluable additions such as summers for a local pool company “ It was one of those career moments the Rankin Family Pavilion, the made him realize he liked business, where you either took the assignment, new Goodman School of Business so he followed his History building, the massive overhaul undergraduate degree at what was or you were on your way out the door. of DeCew Residence and the then the University of Western I took it.” construction of Residence 8. But Ontario by doing his Master of he is most proud of helping secure Business Administration there, — Gary Comerford Canada Summer Games legacy graduating in 1975.

For someone who didn’t like to fly, buildings for Niagara, insisting that Brock After graduation, the motivated business grad incorporated a small company while also Comerford has made more than 90 round maintains balanced budgets, and hiring managing the annual Niagara Home Show trips to India, including travelling with just University President Gervan Fearon.

And the road ahead? about every trade minister Canada has had and teaching marketing part time at Brock.

“We must remain an integral part of Then one day in 1977, he applied for a over the past 20 years. the Niagara community,” says Comerford.

These days, the Niagara native is CEO of branch manager trainee position at Canada Permanent Trust (later to become TD Comerford Management Consultants. He and “Brock needs to enhance its important Canada Trust). Comerford got the job, his wife Catherine divide their time between role in supporting the region’s economic development, and we need to be seen as beginning a journey that would take him homes in Oakville and Niagara-on-the-Lake.

For most of the past decade, he has brought Niagara’s university, with residents feeling a around the world.

After working his way up to become Vice- his efforts to Brock’s Board of Trustees, a strong sense of pride for the institution.”

President, Marketing, he was offered the responsibility he has taken very seriously,

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KEN CHAN JOINS BROCK AS VICE-PRESIDENT, ADMINISTRATION

By Dan Dakin

K

en Chan, who brings diverse and broad leadership experiences in the public, private and non-profit sectors, has joined Brock University as VicePresident, Administration.

Chan started his tenure at Brock on June 1 after serving as an Assistant Deputy Minister with the Government of Ontario.

“We are delighted to welcome Ken to Brock University,” said President Gervan Fearon. “He brings diverse experiences and significant skills to this important role.

During the search process, he made clear his deep commitment to advancing the Brock strategic plan and its mission and priorities.”

At the Ministry of Heritage, Sport, Tourism and Culture Industries, Chan led major projects such as the Ontario Place redevelopment and provided oversight for 14 provincial agencies including the Niagara

Parks, Ontario Trillium Foundation, Ontario Arts Council, Royal Ontario Museum, Ontario Heritage Trust and the Metro Toronto Convention Centre. In December, Chan was asked to set up and lead the provincial COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution Secretariat at the Ministry of the Solicitor General.

“It is an honour to be joining Brock University and I’m energized by the opportunity to contribute to its future,” said Chan, who previously held roles in the biotechnology, health and life sciences sectors. “I look forward to collaborating with faculty, staff and students across the University and with the broader community in support of Brock’s mission as an engaged, comprehensive university.”

Chan completed CPA Canada’s Senior Executive Advanced Finance and Accounting Program and attended executive education

Ken Chan, Vice-President, Administration.

programs at Saïd Business School, Rotman School of Management and Kellogg School of Management. He earned a Master of Forensic Accounting from the University of Toronto, Master of Business Administration from City University of Seattle and Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Simon Fraser University.

He is currently pursuing a Global Executive PhD at École Supérieure de Commerce de Paris Business School.

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COVER STORY

Her eyes were glued to the screen as the countdown ticked away.

TEN. NINE. EIGHT… This was the moment Mariek Schmidt, a Participating Scientist in NASA’s Mars Perseverance rover mission, had been waiting for, quite literally for years.

SEVEN. SIX. FIVE…

BROCK SCIENTIST PART OF

NASA MARS MISSION

BY MARYANNE ST. DENIS

Just as the rover was about to make contact with the mysterious Red Planet, Schmidt’s viewing partners began to wrestle.

FOUR… She quickly scooped up three-year-old Levi, drawing his attention away from sixyear-old Amity, as only Mom can do, and toward history in the making happening before them.

THREE… Her heart was racing.

TWO… This was it.

ONE.

ENDLESS POSSIBILITIES

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Mariek Schmidt and husband Brian Scott with daughter Amity (left), son Levi (right) and dog Yuki.

A

s Perseverance touched down, Schmidt — with Levi still in hand — jumped with joy, an unconscious reflex of the momentous occasion. Cheers erupted from the whole family, including husband Brian, in a show of excitement that rivaled the engineers at NASA’s mission control in California.

“I felt emotional. My husband felt emotional as well,” Schmidt says. “I was just feeling so proud to be a part of this moment.”

This is the third Mars rover mission for the Brock University Earth Sciences Professor, but the first landing experienced from the comfort of her living room with her home’s youngest space enthusiasts by her side.

When the Curiosity rover landed in 2012, Schmidt was surrounded by her colleagues at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif. The ongoing pandemic meant that was not a possibility this time around, but instead allowed for an unforgettable experience with her family — one the volcanologist was thankful for.

Both of Schmidt’s children are fascinated by space — the youngest of the two often found sporting an astronaut costume and building rocket ships from household items.

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COVER STORY

“It’s fun that they’re so excited about what I do,” Schmidt says, adding her eldest also has a love for rocks and minerals, just like Mom. “I wouldn’t be able to do what I do without the support of my family.”

On the Perseverance mission, Schmidt works with other Participating Scientists from around the world to help guide use of the rover’s instruments for research and data collection.

The dynamic robot comes equipped with seven key instruments — each with its own team to facilitate its use — as well as 23 cameras and two microphones. It also houses the Ingenuity helicopter, the first aircraft to successfully complete a powered, controlled flight on another planet. The drone flights will allow for advanced mapping in areas too challenging for the rover to reach.

Schmidt’s focus is on the Planetary Instrument for X-Ray Lithochemistry (PIXL), an x-ray fluorescence spectrometer used to determine the fine scale elemental composition of Martian surface materials.

While Schmidt’s fundamental background is in terrestrial geology — or simply, working with rocks on Earth — she applies this knowledge to rocks on Mars as she and her colleagues hunt for signs of past microbial life.

ABOVE: Mariek Schmidt with sixyear-old daughter, Amity.

BELOW: Mariek Schmidt’s three-yearold son, Levi, has a love for space and can often be found in his astronaut costume.

A love of nature initially drew Schmidt to the Geology field, but she never dreamed it would someday lead to space exploration.

It was after finishing her PhD at Oregon State University that Schmidt was offered an opportunity she couldn’t walk away from — a post-doctoral fellowship with the Smithsonian Institute and the chance to work on the Mars Exploration Rover mission. That relationship with NASA has continued to grow through the years, even after she joined the Faculty of Mathematics and Science at Brock University in 2009.

“When I first joined the Mars Exploration Rover mission in 2005, I was somewhat dismayed by Mars science, because it seemed like the amount of data we had was so limited and people were making these really giant leaps about the state of the planet,” she says. “Over the course of my career, I’ve seen the amount of data from Mars totally balloon and it’s super exciting now.”

Schmidt’s work with NASA has helped her to appreciate how “varied and complex the Mars environment is,” and, with so much still unknown about the planet, her interest in its exploration has only continued to grow.

After the successful Perseverance landing on Feb. 18, the team’s first task was to conduct a series of engineering checks to evaluate the robot explorer’s health. Each instrument had to be tested to confirm it was functioning properly before the rover’s slow-andsteady land journey could begin.

Perseverance is now meticulously navigating the terrain of Jezero Crater — once thought to have held a giant lake billions of years ago and believed to be an ideal spot to search for signs of ancient life. The river delta is home to rocks and minerals that could only form in water.

As anticipation grows, patience remains key.

Similar to its predecessor Curiosity, Perseverance only moves about 100 metres per Martian day (or sol), which is about 30 minutes longer than a day on Earth.

Curiosity travelled just 20 kilometres over eight years.

The team has regular virtual meetings to discuss — Mariek Schmidt each next step for the rover, modifying targets as information is received. The mission is held in ‘Mars time,’ which often means logging on in the middle of the night for these important discussions.

It’s an interesting experience for scientists who have to use their expert knowledge to analyze data communicated by Perseverance without having access to physical samples, Schmidt says.

“We have a good idea of what we’re looking at, because we’ve done our homework,” she says, “but we can’t really say for sure what kind of rocks we’re seeing yet.”

That will change once the rover is cleared to use its full science payload and explores the surrounding terrain. During Perseverance’s traverse, the science team will collect samples for eventual return to Earth.

While the samples aren’t expected to arrive until around 2034, Schmidt is eager to be a part of the team that gets to analyze them.

“I would love to be a part of that mission,” she says, adding she’s “in it for the long haul” despite the more-than-decade-long wait.

“ Over the course of my career, I’ve seen the amount of data from Mars totally balloon and it’s super exciting.”

ENDLESS POSSIBILITIES

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Mariek Schmidt at the Askja volcano in Iceland — landscape she likens to the terrain of Mars.

“ We’re seeing what humankind is capable of and the possibilities are endless.”

— Mariek Schmidt

Mariek Schmidt examines rock samples in her Brock University lab.

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COVER STORY

Prior to the pandemic, Schmidt’s work often had her travelling to conduct field research in various spots around the globe. She’s hopeful that site work will be reignited in the near future as COVID-19 vaccinations continue to roll out and restrictions are eased.

Like many people, she’s found the past year to be challenging, both personally and professionally, with unexpected obstacles appearing at what seemed to be every corner.

Schmidt was thankful to have her Mars work to immerse herself in — a welcomed temporary escape from the difficult, and at times tragic, circumstances being seen on Earth.

“I was feeling kind of down for a little while,” she says, “but this perked me right up and made me look at the bigger picture.”

She hopes others will look to the Mars mission and find the same kind of inspiration.

“We’re seeing what humankind is capable of,” she says, “and the possibilities are endless.”

After Perseverance touched down, Schmidt was invited to a teleconference where U.S. President Joe Biden offered his congratulations, thanks and words of inspiration to the hundreds of people who made the mission possible.

Mariek Schmidt with the test bed rover for Curiosity, used by engineers at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Lab in Pasadena, Calif., to test rover driving and arm movement configurations.

“He said something that really stuck with me: ‘With science, hope and vision, there’s not a damn thing we can’t do,’” Schmidt says. “The message was that this really marked a moment of hope in the world.”

Schmidt considers this time in the spotlight an opportunity to share with others the dynamic research being done across Brock University, including in Earth Sciences.

“We have some really good scientists in our department that are doing cutting-edge research,” she says. “Even though we’re a small group, we still do some pretty cool things, including studying climate change and defining the Anthropocene geologic time period.”

With her Mars involvement drawing national exposure, Schmidt was humbled to find herself representing not only Brock University, but also the Niagara community at large.

“I’m not really used to having that kind of attention,” she says, adding she’s appreciative of being able to share her work with the world.

While Schmidt conducted interviews with media outlets across the country, including the Globe and Mail, CBC’s The Current, Global News and CTV News, there was one appearance in particular that she marked a crowning achievement.

“I was asked to do a talk with my daughter’s class,” she says, “and they planned to feature me in the school’s newsletter.”

As a woman in science, Schmidt used the opportunity as a chance to potentially spark early interest in the next generation of female scientists.

The St. Catharines resident makes it a point to actively work with up-and-comers in her field, participating in high school mentorship programs and welcoming both undergraduate and graduate students into her lab.

“It’s a way for students to truly gain an understanding of what science is,” Schmidt says, adding common misconceptions often see the exciting search for knowledge reduced to little more than memorization and math.

“There are components of creativity and exploration in every aspect of science,” she says. “It’s more than just going to the library and researching a topic. You’re coming up with methodology, figuring out how to answer questions and problem solving to understand Earth and other planets.”

ENDLESS POSSIBILITIES

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ALUMNI INSPIRE COMMUNITY THROUGH WOMEN IN LEADERSHIP

By Amanda Bishop

S

ince 2018, several Brock alumni have shared their expertise, experience and insight with Women in Leadership, a campus initiative to support women in formal and informal leadership positions and encourage the next generation of leaders.

Homed in the Faculty of Social Sciences, Women in Leadership facilitates participation in community events and organizations and hosts presenters from within and beyond the University to lead discussions on topics ranging from women in media to intimate partner violence, affordable housing and equality in sport leadership.

Brock alumna Kattawe Henry (BA ’16) completed a graduate degree at McMaster before returning to Brock to work as the University’s Human Rights and Anti-Racism Advisor in the Office of Human Rights and Equity. While she has since left the

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role, she drew on her undergraduate experience as a student of Sociology and organizer of events and lectures on sexual violence prevention and the intersectionalities of race and gender.

Henry presented about anti-racism to Women in Leadership in June 2020 and found the audience to be engaged and curious about additional resources.

“Women in Leadership is a great initiative for folks to be able to reframe their understanding of leadership broadly and to have spaces where they can start to talk about the nuances of leadership,” says Henry. “From there, hopefully we can have conversations and enact change around what we understand leadership to look like, what we understand it to mean, and to start to push our thinking toward what it means in the colonial framework that is Canada.”

“ Hopefully we can have conversations and enact change around what we understand leadership to look like.”

— Kattawe Henry

Julie Rorison (BA ’10)

Angela Salvatore (BA ’02)

Political Science (Public Administration) grad Julie Rorison (BA ’10) spoke in October about community engagement.

Rorison has dedicated herself to supporting women locally as the President of the YWCA Niagara Region and through her work on the Women in Niagara (WIN) council of the Greater Niagara Chamber of Commerce.

“The Women in Leadership initiative really reflects that leadership does not depend on your title, rank or position — it’s about how you make an impact, how you make people feel and how you make change,” says Rorison.

“We also see that women in leadership are engaged in the community, impacting the people around them. By creating space for

women and gender diverse leadership to be seen and heard, this group reflects more diverse leadership styles, experiences and creates possible models for other leaders, too.”

Angela Salvatore (BA ’02), the first woman Chair of the Ontario Bar Association Taxation Law Section, joined the group to discuss her journey from pursuing her Juris Doctor at Osgoode Hall Law School (OHLS) to working in civil litigation and as in-house legal counsel for the Children’s Aid Society of the Niagara Region to transitioning to tax law in 2015 and completing her Master of Law (Taxation) at OHLS in 2017.

Salvatore calls the Women in Leadership initiative “imperative as a means by which

accomplished women can share experiences in a collegial setting and assist others in feeling secure enough to find their voices and articulate and assert their opinions.”

She says her time studying Sociology helped her find her own voice.

“Brock’s small seminar group format permitted me to feel comfortable enough to speak my mind and forced me to express the ideas I wished to share in a convincing way,” she says. “This was my first attempt at advocacy.”

Ingrid Makus, Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences, says the initiative has been enriched by contributions from alumni and community leaders, as well as Brock’s own scholars and staff experts.

“When we first created Women in Leadership for women in or aspiring to leadership, we sought to create a space where we could ask tough questions and get meaningful answers,” says Makus. “We’ve found that even under the restrictions of the global pandemic, the community thrives and continues to be eager to learn more about embracing leadership, challenging the status quo and supporting other women.”

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THEN/NOW

It took more than just new furniture, paint and carpeting to modernize this DeCew Residence bedroom. An extensive renovation project also saw enhancements to the heating, ventilation, air conditioning, electrical and plumbing systems.

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LEFT: Brock University’s DeCew Residence is pictured under construction in 1969.

BELOW: New flooring, furniture and fixtures brighten up and modernize the 52-year-old DeCew Residence.

Residence renewed:

DECEW RESIDENCE TO REOPEN AFTER SIGNIFICANT FACELIFT

By Jocelyn Titone

T

he 1970s decor of DeCew Residence may be gone, but the community spirit of Brock University’s oldest residence still holds strong.

After two years of renovations, DeCew is set to reopen and a celebratory event for the Brock community is expected to take place this fall.

Built in 1969, DeCew Residence is a traditional-style residence with 414 beds.

It is made up of 10 houses, each with space for 38 to 42 students. The floors typically accommodate 12 students in single and double rooms, with two common lounge areas and two shared washroom facilities. The building also has several employee offices, common rooms for students to gather, and is home to one of Brock’s dining halls.

“There is a huge convenience factor about living on campus, but residence life is so much more than that,” said Jamie Fleming, Director

of Residences. “Many students look at residence as an opportunity to be supported and become thoroughly engaged in campus as they transition from home to university life.”

Fleming said the community created in DeCew is particularly strong.

“The design of this traditional-style residence — having 40 students and one Don in a house —allows students to more easily meet people and develop lasting friendships,” he said.

In 2018, the University’s Board of Trustees approved a major self-funded infrastructure plan, which included the DeCew Residence renewal project. Work began in April 2019 to revitalize the residence that has been home to an estimated 17,000 students over the years.

“It is so much more than the bedrooms being repainted and recarpeted,” said Fleming. “The building from top to bottom,

“The building from top to bottom, from one end to another, has been revitalized with many enhancements.”

— Jamie Fleming, Director of Residences

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A construction worker is seen in one of the new collaborative gathering areas along the main hallways in DeCew Residence that feature floor-to-ceiling windows.

from one end to another, has been revitalized with many enhancements.”

Collaborative and communal spaces were redesigned with purpose. Several areas along the main corridors have been widened to include bright and spacious areas for students to gather. New seating nooks were created and mailboxes were replaced with a parcel locker system to accommodate the age of online shopping.

Improvements to DeCew’s new space, including dedicated areas planned for art, music and Residence Life programming is what most excites Jenna Freeland, a fifth-year Business Economics student and former DeCew Residence Life Staff and Head Resident.

“Music is such an important outlet for a lot of students,” she said. “It’s little things like this that are going to modernize DeCew while still making it feel like home.”

In addition to bedroom and bathroom renovations, DeCew’s infrastructure also had a major overhaul with enhancements to the heating, ventilation, air conditioning, electrical and plumbing systems.

Also included in the University’s infrastructure project is a complete renovation

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brocku.ca/homecoming 26

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to DeCew Residence Dining Hall that will expand the serveries and improve seating areas.

Many of the friendships developed in DeCew have lasted beyond students’ university lives.

“I’m still good buddies with my first-year roommate,” said Terry Cockerline (BA ’97), Director of Alumni Engagement and Annual Giving, who is hopeful the DeCew celebration event will take place during Homecoming Weekend Sept. 24 to 25.

“Residence life was quite a close community,” he said. “You saw the same faces in the hallways and at events, so to have an opportunity to see those same people and hear their stories so many years later would be a great trip down memory lane.”

As September approaches and public health regulations around the COVID-19 pandemic are updated, more information will be shared about the celebration event.

Alumni interested in receiving updates about the DeCew celebration event and Homecoming Weekend are encouraged to add themselves to the alumni mailing list by emailing alumni@brocku.ca

BROCK RAISES MORE THAN

TO SUPPORT STUDENT MENTAL HEALTH

By Samantha Tapp

I

n a year unlike any other, Brock University stepped up its our commitment to improving the support and resources available to students.” commitment to supporting student mental health and wellness.

Surpassing the goal was made possible through the generosity of As the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic forced most classes and activities online, resulting in the majority of students learning the Brock University Students’ Union (BUSU), Niagara Community in isolation, the demand for University mental health resources Foundation, the Board of Trustees Impact Fund and several individual donors, including Brock alumni, faculty, staff and community members. significantly increased.

“Our mission is to foster an ever-improving student experience that While Brock’s Student Wellness and Accessibility Centre (SWAC) is transformational, enriching and empowering,” swiftly transitioned its mental health resources said BUSU President Asad Jalib. “A cornerstone online, the University wanted to do even more to “ The successful of achieving that mission has been our support its students. contributions to mental health services.”

In the fall of 2020, Brock reaffirmed its priority fundraiser shows the Notably, BUSU contributed $160,000 towards of supporting student mental health resources strength of the Brock the Student Mental Health Fund, which was with the launch of the new Student Mental Health then augmented by $30,000 in matching funds Fund. With the announcement of this initiative, community to come provided by an anonymous donor. the University also set the ambitious fundraising together to support The funding will build upon what is already goal of $250,000, which was met and exceeded in in place for students, which have ranked less than a year. those in need.”

Brock first in mental health supports among The initiative was a direct response to the — Anna Lathrop all comprehensive universities in Canada for increasing mental health needs of students, as three-consecutive years in the annual Maclean’s nearly half of Brock students said they had been University Rankings. affected by mental health issues.

“Our generous donors have stepped up and these gifts will directly “The successful fundraiser shows the strength of the Brock community to come together to support those in need, especially in support and help improve services for students,” said Sonia Dupte, the current climate of a global pandemic,” said Anna Lathrop, Vice- Director, Development and Stewardship. “We are grateful to all of the donors in the community and for the shared importance they Provost and Associate Vice-President, Students. “The well-being of Brock students continues to be a main priority, and these funds, which have placed on supporting the success of our students so they can will enhance our mental health services, are just one way of showing contribute to our campus, community and beyond.”

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BROCK FORMS TWO RESEARCH PARTNERSHIPS WITH

NATIVE FRIENDSHIP CENTRE

By Cathy Majtenyi

W

hen it comes to health care and education, a onesize-fits-all approach isn’t necessarily the most effective.

This is especially true when policies and practices fail to consider the unique lived experiences of Indigenous Peoples, a shortcoming the Fort Erie Native Friendship Centre addresses in its various programs.

The Centre is collaborating with Brock University research teams on two separate projects to deepen understanding of the challenges faced by Indigenous caregivers and high school students.

The federal government’s Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC) is funding both initiatives.

The caregiver project examines the experiences of people in Niagara’s Indigenous community who provide care to elderly or disabled adults while being employed full time.

That research is being co-led by Eva Jewell, an Anishinaabe Adjunct Professor of Sociology at Brock University who is an Assistant Professor of Sociology at Ryerson University, and Andrea Doucet, Canada Research Chair in Gender Work and Care and Professor of Sociology and Women’s and Gender Studies at Brock University.

Last year, Brock and the Centre held two focus group consultations in the form of ‘sharing circles’ with urban Indigenous members and Centre support workers in which they discussed their experiences balancing caregiving duties and paid employment.

Several themes emerged.

Indigenous Peoples are oriented to kinship ties and care for elders, says Jewell. These “relationship-based societies” place a high value on caring for sick, disabled and elderly community members even beyond immediate blood relatives.

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RESEARCH

But putting the sick and elderly in institutions such as long-term care facilities is not an option for most caregivers, says Karen Hilston, Life Long Care Co-ordinator with the Centre.

“If you have elders who have come from a residential school, the last place you’d want to put them is in a nursing home,” she says.

“You have to be aware of the past, you have to know and understand intergenerational trauma that has happened.”

It also emerged that Indigenous Peoples’ health determinants are unique compared to wider populations. For example, Indigenous Peoples in Canada are three to five times more likely to develop Type 2 diabetes. Factors accounting for such discrepancies include systemic racism and household demographics such as income level, say the researchers.

Doucet says the research team is writing up what they learned from the sharing circles of urban Indigenous caregivers and will make recommendations on how Indigenous perspectives can be added to the Canadian Caregiver Inclusive and Accommodating Workplace (CIAW) Standard.

The Fort Erie Native Friendship Centre is collaborating with Brock University research teams on two separate projects to deepen understanding of the challenges faced by Indigenous caregivers and high school students.

The CIAW Standard outlines gendersensitive, caregiver-friendly practices that guide employers, human resource professionals and others to support employee-caregivers in a wide variety of workplaces.

Brock’s other partnership with the Centre involves exploring the challenges many Indigenous youth face in secondary school education.

The mainstream school system’s lack of understanding of Indigenous cultures, practices and knowledge can cause Indigenous students to become disengaged as they deal with the emotional wounds of being misunderstood or ignored, says Professor of Education Lorenzo Cherubini.

Cherubini is heading up a research team consisting of elders and an Indigenous graduate student to hold conversations with students attending the Centre’s Courage to Soar Alternative Secondary Program.

That program, which assists urban Indigenous students to complete their Ontario Secondary School Program Diploma, incorporates cultural teachings

and learning approaches as they prepare students for workplace readiness.

“Our research objectives are twofold: to investigate how Indigenous youth mediate their experiences in education, and to investigate how Indigenous youth understand socially and historically constructed power relations in the context of their education and in the broader community,” says Cherubini.

“It considers the knowledge that learners bring to their education to create meaning in the curriculum,” he says.

The team will also investigate how Centre staff perceive Indigenous students’ experiences in the Courage to Soar program.

The students’ feedback will be used to inform provincial policy on the education of Indigenous youth, particularly identifying those components of alternative education programs that can be integrated into mainstream secondary school education, says Cherubini.

It will also help inform teachers’ educational practices, he says.

Andrea Doucet, Canada Research Chair in Gender Work and Care, and Professor of Sociology and Women’s and Gender Studies

Lorenzo Cherubini, Professor of Education

RESEARCH

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WHEN A BROCK ALUMNUS SUFFERED A STROKE, ANOTHER WANTED TO HELP

By Stephen Leithwood

Nick Spillman’s longtime friend and fellow Brock alumni, Matthew Finley (pictured) raised more than $20,000 with a goal of rowing 100 kilometres on a rowing machine.

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ATHLETICS

Nick Spillman successfully underwent brain surgery after suffering a stroke in September 2020.

The 26-year-old former Brock student-athlete is now progressing through physiotherapy.

I

t felt like any other day for Nick Spillman (BA ’18).

After graduating from Brock University with a degree in Sociology, the 26-year-old former Brock baseball player was settling into life in Alberta, sporadically picking up overtime shifts at the arrest processing centre in Calgary, where he worked.

Despite the imminent second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in the fall of 2020, he lived a healthy, happy life.

On Sept. 15, 2020, Spillman met up with co-workers at their workplace gym for a physically-distanced fitness challenge. He strapped his 6-foot-2, 195-pound frame into a Concept 2 rowing machine and started feeling lightheaded almost immediately.

His head started spinning, and his leg began a bizarre behaviour despite having his feet strapped into the erg.

“I was unable to control my left leg, and it just flopped around with each stroke,” said Spillman.

He turned to a co-worker and said he wasn’t feeling well before losing feeling in his left arm.

Spillman was suffering a stroke.

His workout partners rushed to get Spillman to the hospital, where he underwent a CT scan.

He remembered the doctor delivering the news before being transported to Foothills Medical Centre to be stabilized and ultimately undergo brain surgery.

Back in Spillman’s hometown of Welland, word of his health quickly spread through the Brock Badgers community.

The news hit his longtime friend and former Brock varsity rower, Matthew Finley (BA ’18), notably hard.

“I honestly couldn’t believe it. It makes you reflect on life, and you realize that at any given second, life can throw you a huge curveball,” said Finley, whose friendship with Spillman goes back to Grade 1.

At first, he felt powerless to support his friend.

“I got the crazy idea to get on an erg and row 100 kilometres to raise some money for him,” he said.

Finley conquered the milestone mark and raised more than $20,000 through a GoFundMe campaign for Spillman and his family.

“It felt meaningful to help Nick in any way I could,” said Finley. “Seeing how far he’s come since the incident is incredible.”

Spillman attends physiotherapy once a week and spends his days exercising to strengthen the connection between his brain and muscles.

“Words can’t describe what Matt Finley means to me,” Spillman said. “I have no doubt that the support I received, both financially and emotionally, helped motivate me to get better.”

As his recovery progresses, Spillman plans to move back to Niagara later this year.

“The good news is that my arm mobility and strength returned relatively quickly,” he said. “However, my leg has taken longer to figure itself out. The further down my leg, the less function I have. I’m pleased with my recovery, but I still have a long way to go.”

THE LONG ROAD TO

TOKYO

By Dan Dakin

T

Track athlete Jessica Lewis (BRLS ’18) is again set to represent her home country of Bermuda at the 2021 Paralympic Games in Tokyo.

wo-time Paralympic track athlete and Brock University Recreation and Leisure Studies alumna Jessica Lewis (BRLS ’18) was ramping up for what she thought would be the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo when the COVID-19 pandemic forced a pause on international sport.

Now, the countdown to Toyko is back on again as the 28-year-old from Bermuda aims to peak for what are now the 2021 Olympic Games.

“In one sense, it was a letdown, but in another, I feel like I had another year to train and get faster,” she said.

Since graduating from Brock, Lewis had been working in therapeutic recreation at a long-term care home in Mississauga while training as a professional track athlete. In March 2020, she headed back to Bermuda for what she thought was going to be a quick

vacation, but stayed there for more than a year when the pandemic hit.

If the global health situation allows for it, her plan for 2021 is to return to Canada to train, compete where she can and then head to Tokyo for the Olympics.

Lewis became the first-ever Paralympic athlete from her home country when she took part in the 2012 Paralympics in London. She won a gold medal at the 2015 Parapan Am Games in Toronto, two golds and a silver at the 2019 Parapan Am Games in Lima, and then a fourth at the 2019 World Championships.

She hopes to continue that success in Tokyo when she competes in the T53 class of the 100-, 400- and 800-metre events.

“I’m focusing more on training and everything I can do to get faster and stronger rather than putting the pressure on myself to get to the podium,” she said.

We’re bringing the celebration to you Badger pride extends far beyond Brock’s campus. Participate in a variety of activities and entertainment designed for all ages including family-friendly activities to enjoy with tiny Badgers, campus tours, alumni awards, reunion gatherings, and more. brocku.ca/homecoming

ATHLETICS

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BROCK EARNS

TOP 100 WORLD RANKING

FOR SPORT SCIENCE PROGRAMS

By Dan Dakin

T

he Sport Management and Kinesiology programs at Brock University have developed a reputation as being among the best in the country.

Now, that reputation has reached the international level.

In the QS University World Rankings released earlier this year, Brock University was ranked in the Top 100 in the Sports Science category, which covers the programs and research of its Departments of Kinesiology and Sport Management.

The rankings are not broken down further than Brock being in the Top 51 to 100 of all schools around the world, ranking it alongside the University of Waterloo and Cornell, and ahead of Queen’s, which finished in the Top 101 to 120 class.

“Being ranked among the Top 100 world programs provides tangible evidence of the quality of education Brock provides,” said Faculty of Applied Health Sciences Dean Peter Tiidus. “The faculty and staff of these programs deserve the credit for their outstanding research and teaching, which has resulted in this recognition.”

He said the outstanding reputation of the Kinesiology and Sport Management programs is also closely tied to the strong network of alumni, which includes national and international leaders in their respective fields.

“They provide future Brock graduates with role models and mentors to advance their career development,” he said. “The inclusion of Brock’s Sport Management and Kinesiology programs among the best in Canada and the world is a testament to the reputation these programs have built over the decades.”

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The QS University World Rankings compare up to 550 institutions around the world in each category and rank them based on things such as academic reputation, employer reputation and research citations per paper.

“The QS rankings are a significant international exercise, and one to which the academic world pays attention,” said Brock Provost and Vice-President, Academic Lynn Wells.

“Brock’s success in this year’s rankings is well-deserved recognition for all of the hard work that Dean Peter Tiidus and “ The QS rankings are a all faculty, staff and students in the Faculty of Applied Health Sciences significant international put every day into growing and exercise, and one to developing our sport science programs. The rankings highlight which the academic this hard work and will work world pays attention.” to attract new attention to the programs, which will in turn help — Lynn Wells, Brock Provost bring more exceptional students and researchers to Brock.”

Kinesiology and Sport Management are among five departments run by the Faculty of Applied Health Sciences.

The Faculty also operates the Departments of Health Sciences, Nursing, and Recreation and Leisure Studies, along with five specialty community service and research centres, including the Brock-Niagara Centre for Health and Well-Being, the Centre for Bone and Muscle Health, the Centre for Youth Sport and Physical Activity, the Centre for Sport Capacity, and the recently launched Brock Centre for Excellence in Inclusive and Adaptive Physical Activity.

ALUMNI UPDATES WHERE ARE THEY NOW?

Here are some other alumni updates from the past few months:

Class of 1990s John Nelligan (BA ’92) has been appointed Senior Vice-President of Meritor, Inc. and President of the company’s Truck, Americas division.

Jason Burgess (BAcc ’94) has been hired as Chief Administrative Officer for the City of Niagara Falls. Burgess had previously served in that role for Norfolk County.

David Arbuckle (BA ’98) has been appointed Executive Director of the Association of Municipal Managers, Clerks and Treasurers of Ontario.

Class of 2000s Erin Hutchison (BA ’00) has been named Global Chief Marketing and Communications Officer for Maryland-based performance marketing agency Merkle Inc. Hutchison has been with Merkle for 19 years, serving in a variety of marketing leadership roles, most recently as Chief Marketing Officer for Merkle Americas. “Erin is a recognized leader who has been integral in growing the Merkle brand into the $1-billion company that it is today,” said Merkle CEO Craig Dempster. “She brings with her cross-industry experience in developing successful marketing strategies, awardwinning campaigns, world-class events, and teams who are consistently recognized as innovators.” Hutchison and her teams have won multiple industry awards, and she has been named by PRNews as a Top Woman in public relations.

Stephanie Dafoe (BRLS ’00) has been appointed Chief Operating Officer of the Niagara Falls Bridge Commission.

Nathan Tidridge (BEd ’04) received a Governor General’s History Award for his work as a teacher at Waterdown District High School.

Brent van Staalduinen (BEd ’05) has written his third novel, Nothing But Life. He previously wrote Boy, and Saints, Unexpected.

Michael Weening (BA ’07) has been promoted to President and Chief Operating Officer of the cloud and software platform Calix.

Darren Yorke (BSM ’08) has been named an Assistant General Manager with the National Hockey League’s Carolina Hurricanes.

Steven Fry (BBA ’09) opened Sessions Cannabis, the first legal cannabis store in Welland in December.

Class of 2010s Laura Oliver (BBA ’13) was named President of the Grindstone Award Foundation, which provides financial aid for girls wanting to play hockey.



Robin Staats (MEd ’14) has been hired by Grand Erie District School Board as its first System Principal Leader of Indigenous Education and Equity.

Are you a Brock grad who moved into a new role or launched a new business in the past few months?

Ryley Bellows (BAcc ’16) has joined Welland-based Billyard Insurance Group as a controller.

Email your good news to alumni@brocku.ca

Michael Tamane (BBA ’16, MBA ’18) is the new Virtual Services Advisor for the Peterborough and the Kawarthas Business Advisory Centre.

Jennifer Philpott (BBA ’16) has joined Goulart Workplace Lawyers as an associate lawyer practising employment, labour and human rights law.

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BUSINESS GRADS AND TWIN BABIES OVERCOME OBSTACLES

By Jocelyn Titone

Brock alumni Chantal LeBlanc (BBA ’10, MBA ’11) and Bryan Butryn (BBA ’03) and their two-year-old daughter Jolene welcomed twin girls Gwendolyn and Danika on Oct. 1, 2020.

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BIRTHS

A

sk any parent of multiples and they’ll tell you how overwhelming it can be to find out they’re expecting more than one child.

For Goodman School of Business grads Bryan Butryn (BBA ’03) and Chantal LeBlanc (BBA ’10, MBA ’11), the emotions associated with expecting twins were eclipsed by the news one of the babies would be born with a heart defect.

At a fetal echocardiogram appointment, doctors informed the parents that the baby they named Danika had Tetralogy of Fallot (TOF), a congenital heart defect affecting one in 2,000 births. They learned Danika would need multiple open-heart surgeries beginning as an infant.

“We had never heard of the disease and didn’t know the probability of survival,” said LeBlanc. “Many twins are born early, which worried us because if you add premature birth to a congenital heart defect, it could be fatal.”

After a team of doctors walked the expectant parents through a treatment and recovery plan, they felt more comfortable with the situation.

"We spent hours researching the defect,” said Butryn.

“After that, we felt pretty confident about the diagnosis, but you don’t know what to expect until they actually look at her heart.”

Butryn and LeBlanc learned there were hospitals in Toronto and Halifax that specialized in treating TOF. The couple decided to move to the east coast to be closer to LeBlanc’s family and to avoid Toronto's rising COVID-19 case numbers.

After two months in New Brunswick, LeBlanc went into early labour and was transported to IWK Health Centre in Halifax.

“I was panicking, because I was only 32 weeks along,” said LeBlanc.

Doctors were able to stop her contractions, and a week later, Butryn and LeBlanc moved into temporary accommodations in Halifax with their two-year-old daughter Jolene to be closer to the hospital.

At 37 weeks, on Oct. 1, 2020, Danika and Gwendolyn were born. Although Danika spent some time in the pediatric and neonatal intensive care units to monitor her heart condition, both babies were considered healthy.

“Before Chantal was pregnant with Jolene, doctors told her she wouldn’t be able to carry any children, so the fact that she got pregnant with twins and carried them to full term is amazing,” said Butryn.

In January, Danika underwent her first surgery. As part of the procedure, doctors stopped her heart and put her on a bypass machine.

“We were counting the minutes until the nurse would update us,” said LeBlanc.

Danika recovered well from the surgery and both she and Gwendolyn are healthy and developing as expected.

“I would have never imagined everything working out the way it did,” said Butryn. “With two infants and a toddler, our lives feel chaotic, but we wouldn’t have it any other way.”

BROCK REFLECTS ON TRAILBLAZER JOSEPHINE MEEKER

By Amanda Bishop

Josephine Meeker, Brock University's first female faculty member, passed away in January at the age of 90.

J

osephine Meeker, Brock’s first female faculty member, is remembered as an exceptional teacher, scholar, colleague and mentor whose fearlessness, vision and compassion left a lasting legacy. She passed away at the age of 90 in January.

“We can look back at how Jo Meeker laid the foundations for successes in the future,” said Brock Professor Emeritus June Corman.

Meeker studied at McMaster, Indiana University and Columbia, and worked as a school teacher and with the United Nations before coming to Brock in 1965 as a Professor of Geography.

Alan Nursall (BA ’79), President and CEO of Telus World of Science-Edmonton, remembers Meeker as an approachable, interesting and energetic lecturer with personality and passion.

“She clearly loved teaching and pursuing her research interests, and students benefited from both,” said Nursall. “Each summer, she would recruit a team of students for research projects, creating jobs for the students and connecting yet another cohort to the study of geography while helping them to gain appreciation for the Niagara region.”

Meeker also helped create Brock’s first Women’s Studies program.

Corman says Meeker had “a political commitment” to creating spaces in universities for women. Professor Maureen Connolly describes her as “an advocate” for women, especially in geography.

“She saw where geography was going, the gendered character — that it wasn’t only about urban planning and wayfinding, but the politics of space,” said Connolly. “She saw the need for more women in geography because she knew women inhabited space in different ways.”

Meeker was active at Senate and served as Chair, and in 1966, became the first female President of the Brock University Faculty Association.

She spent 10 years as Director of Continuing Education, where her work outside academia helped her understand how the University could better serve the community.

Josephine Meeker teaching at Brock in 1968.

Meeker and her husband Donald Measner were known for their personal kindness, opening their home for parties, class discussions and meetings. Many of the couple’s milestones were celebrated on campus, from a pre-wedding luncheon in 1968 to Meeker’s retirement party in 1996 and a celebration of Measner’s life in 2018.

President and CEO of The Sandbox Project, Christine Hampson (BA ’82), emceed the last two of these events, after a decades-long friendship with Meeker that began when she was an undergraduate.

Hampson then taught at Brock while completing her graduate education and credits Meeker with ensuring she and many others had opportunities to expand their horizons through travel — whether through financial support or by simply driving them herself in rental vans after obtaining a chauffeur’s license.

“She was an incredible spirit who saw everybody as equal and worthy, because she loved the world and was a cultural geographer at heart,” said Hampson. “Today, we talk about inclusion, diversity and feminism, and she just lived that. She was such an amazing role model.”

PASSAGES

35

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