Surgite Magazine - Vol. 14, No. 2 - Spring 2022

A Brock community magazine

Spring 2022 Vol. 14, No. 2

Advancing engineering at Brock How a transformational $5M gift from the Haj-Ahmad family was decades in the making Yousef Haj-Ahmad (BSc ’80, MSc ’82)

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In this issue

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10

Hot tips from a business ‘dragon’

Journey from Brock student to philanthropist

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Education grad changing lives

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Answering the call for nurses

In every issue 04

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PRESIDENT

RESEARCH

THEN AND NOW

ALUMNI UPDATES

BIRTHS

Welcome to the new world of engineering

Canada Research Chairs put Brock on the map

The transformation of Sean O’Sullivan Theatre

The Brock grad shaping Tim Hortons’ retail sales

Baby Badger’s cross-country trip

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LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT

Welcome to the new world of engineering

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dapting to climate change.

Harnessing the power of artificial intelligence. Planning for the next public health

emergency.

The future (and present) is filled with challenges that humanity must overcome, or risk disaster.

Post-secondary institutions have always played a key role in preparing young engineers to solve the problems of tomorrow. But often that preparation has been narrow, focused on specific subsets of the field — training highly-skilled electrical or civil engineers, for instance, over individuals with a broader skill set.

It has become increasingly clear in recent years, however, that successfully tackling 21st-century challenges requires a new way of thinking.

That’s why we’re so excited about the new Yousef Haj-Ahmad Department of Engineering (pg. 10). One of only three Integrated Engineering programs in Canada, it blurs the lines between traditional engineering disciplines, helping the engineers of tomorrow lead in fields as diverse as big data, bioengineering, medical device development, sustainability, robot automation, manufacturing and transportation.

It's an example of the innovative thinking that happens here at Brock every single day — but it’s hardly the only one.

As you’ll see in this issue of Surgite, Brock is home to 11 Canada Research Chairs (pg. 18) who are world leaders in everything from aging to fighting cancer, a cutting-edge new facility (pg. 20) providing Ontario industry with access to technological solutions and highly-skilled talent, and has even produced grads who have learned to tame dragons (pg. 8).

The future may bring challenges, but if the stories on the following pages are any indication, Brock alumni will be well prepared to face them.

Surgite!

VOL. 14, NO. 2, SPRING 2022

EDITOR Dan Dakin PUBLISHER Gord Arbeau DESIGNER Kev Greene PRODUCTION CO-ORDINATOR Carol McIntosh CONTRIBUTORS Amanda Bishop Dan Dakin Doug Hunt Tarryn Landman Stephen Leithwood Kaitlyn Little Cathy Majtenyi Mitch Morrone Colleen Patterson Maryanne St. Denis Matt Terry 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.

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

LYNN WELLS Interim President and Vice-Chancellor, Brock University

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Surgite/sur-gi-tay/Latin for “Push on” The inspiring last words of Maj.-Gen. Sir Isaac Brock

CONGRATULATIONS CLASS OF 2022!

WELCOME TO THE CAMPUS STORE ALUMNI FAMILY Receive 10% off your order by using the promo code ALUMNI at checkout or showing your Brock University Alumni Card when shopping in-store.* *Excludes textbooks, tech, gift cards, clearance merchandise and cannot be combined with another offer.

GET VIP SAVINGS AND NEW ARRIVAL ALERTS Receive 15% off your next purchase when you subscribe to the Campus Store email.

Shop online at campusstore.brocku.ca

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A lasting legacy

Canada Games Park will be a legacy of the 2022 Canada Summer Games being held Aug. 6 to 21 across Niagara.

After the Games, it will serve both the Brock University community and residences from around the region for years to come. Along with hosting Canada Games competitions and the Athletes’ Village, Brock is leveraging the Games through multiple research, teaching and community partnership opportunities.

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5 tips for Business Success Brock grad shares top tips to launch a new venture

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efari Bailey (BA ’19) knows a thing or two about launching a big idea.

The Brock alumnus received a $500,000 financial boost from CBC’s Dragons’ Den after pitching Hutsy, an online-only financial technology company to the show’s celebrity investors.

Co-founded by Bailey in 2019, Hutsy is a neo-bank, which has no physical branches and aims to offer a simple and convenient way to use money.

Bailey says the bank’s online model will help to keep money in people’s pockets.

Having honed his entrepreneurship skills at Brock, Bailey has now completed his preliminary round of pitching to investors to finish developing Hutsy’s technology — a task he could not have completed without inspiration from his classmates and instructors at the University.

“Making lifelong friendships and connections with other entrepreneurs really inspired me to not only want to become an entrepreneur, but also to become the best entrepreneur I can be,” he says.

Bailey has drawn on his own experiences to share his Top 5 tips for getting an idea off the ground.

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Find a mentor Having a mentor you can trust is a valuable asset, and they can accelerate your growth by sharing industry experience that you don’t have. Someone who has already climbed the mountain you are looking to climb may have taken longer to get where they are; however, with all the things they have learned along the way, they can likely help you do the same in a fraction of the time.

Hire A+ team members Behind every successful business is a reliable and competent team. The dynamic range between what an average person can accomplish and what the best person can accomplish is 50 or 100 to one. Be mindful of that when looking for talent.

Develop a business plan A business plan materializes your ideas onto paper and helps you to envision how your business will be operated. The more detailed and clear your business plan is, the more clarity you will have about running your business. Every successful entrepreneur has created a business plan to stay on track.

Find a mind-bodysoul balance Find a hobby, an appropriate diet or a workout routine to keep your mind clear, as launching an idea can be a stressful journey — especially in the early days. Your personal wellness is as important as your company’s bottom line. Even if your office is at home, find ways to unplug from work and recharge by going for a walk or exercising. Excessive stress is detrimental to your health. Remember that your business only thrives if you do.

Continuously educate yourself Knowledge is power. Be a voracious learner.

There are many different ways you can stay up to date with your industry, whether it’s attending live seminars, taking classes online or reading books about your industry. Learn from both the successes and failures of others around you and in your industry. Observing how they solve problems can give you tips on resolving your quandaries.

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Cover story

The journey from Brock student to philanthropist

Decades in the making

BY DAN DAKIN

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ome 45 years before yousef haj-ahmad

(BSc ’80, MSc ’82) and the family foundation run by his daughters Lila (BSc ’16) and Miriam (BA ’19) made a $5-million donation to Brock’s Department of Engineering earlier this year, Yousef was simply a curious university student on a summer vacation.

Born in Syria and attending medical school in France, Haj-Ahmad — then in his early 20s — spent the summer of 1976 working on a tobacco farm in Ontario as a way to fund his travels around the province.

One of those day trips included a visit to Niagara and, in what would be the first of a number of seemingly unremarkable occurrences that turned into something so much more, Haj-Ahmad visited Brock University.

“Brock was tiny at that time. But I was struck by the people and how friendly they were,” he said.

Decades in the making

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So impressed by what he saw, Haj-Ahmad went back to France with a new life plan: he would move to Canada to study Biology at Brock. He arrived as an international student in 1977 and, with the transfer of his existing university credits from France, started his studies at Brock in third year.

“What is very interesting is back then, Alan Earp was the President and he invited all the international students to his house at Christmas,” Haj-Ahmad said. “That’s definitely something you don’t forget.”

“The Biology chair and professors were very different in many ways from the professors I met in France,” said Haj-Ahmad.

“They treated me very well and I never forgot that. Brock University was lucky to attract these talented professors.

“Even after all of my years, I still cherish the discussions I had with my professors at Brock. They had an influence on me and they’re the reason why I came back to Brock.”

What he didn’t realize at the time was that it was the friendship and mentorship with his professors that would one day many years in the future lead to Haj-Ahmad and his family foundation making a transformational gift to Brock.

In February, the University announced the naming of the Yousef Haj-Ahmad Department of Engineering in honour of the gift, and launching the Haj-Ahmad Engineering Scholarship for Women, which will support female students pursuing STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) education each year, paving the way for generations of skilled female engineers.

Haj-Ahmad wrapped up his Biology degree at Brock and then stayed for another two years to get his master’s. From there, he headed to McMaster University for his PhD, where the idea of launching his own biotechnology company first started. But he knew he needed industry experience first.

“I went to work in Labatt’s research department,” he said. “I studied molecular biology of the yeast there for three years.”

But in another one of those serendipitous moments, Haj-Ahmad was attending a genetic biology conference in Toronto when he ran into Donal Hickey, then a Brock Biology professor who had been his master’s supervisor.

“It was just a chance encounter. We had lunch and he told me there was a job opening at Brock I should apply for,” Haj-Ahmad said.

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Cover story

He landed the job and spent the next two and a half decades teaching the next generation of biologists and scientists.

“I loved it. I taught for over 25 years and never took a sick day or cancelled a lecture.

It’s not because I’m superman, it’s because I was interested in what I was doing. During the week I was so full of energy,” he said.

Haj-Ahmad launched Norgen Biotek Corp. in 1998, eventually retiring from Brock to run the Thorold-based company with a window view of Schmon Tower full time.

The company now has more than 80 employees and, throughout the years, ‘Dr. Haj,’ as he’s known to his staff, has supported the University and its students both financially and by launching the careers of countless graduates.

The decision by Haj-Ahmad and his family to make a transformational gift to the University is the result of their lifelong collective connection to Brock, and their belief that their alma mater can play a major role in an emerging sector.

“This is the century of knowledge and science, and engineering is across all of the sciences,” says Haj-Ahmad. “Brock University can have a major impact in the community and worldwide. I’m thankful I’m able to give back to a community and a university that put me on the right track.”

Officially launched in 2021 with the offering of a Minor in Engineering Science, the Yousef Haj-Ahmad Department of Engineering now includes six faculty members (with more to be hired) and plans to welcome its first cohort of undergraduate Integrated Engineering students for the 2024-25 academic year.

Learn more about the Haj-Ahmad Family Foundation gift to the University and see videos of ‘Dr. Haj’ and his family talking about why Brock is so important to them.

I’m thankful that I’m able to give back to a community and a university that put me on the right track.”

Yousef Haj-Ahmad

2020

Program Genesis

Minor in Eng.

July 1, 2020 — A Minor in Engineering Science program is launched in the Physics Department of the Faculty of Mathematics and Science.

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Understanding Integrated Engineering

Program launch

2022 $5M gift

Feb. 16, 2022 — Brock announces the Yousef Haj-Ahmad Department of Engineering after a transformational $5 million gift from the Haj-Ahmad Family Foundation.

2024

July 1, 2021 — The Department of Engineering launches with three new faculty appointments and three new cross appointments. The department is now home for the Minor in Engineering Science.

2023 Master’s

The department adds a one-year Professional Master of Engineering, Integrated Engineering.

Undergraduate The department adds an accredited four-year Bachelor of Engineering, Integrated Engineering program.

2025 Graduate

2026 Growth

Using an experiential student-centric, projectbased approach, the department offers Integrated Engineering programs that enable students to gain the broad skill sets necessary for future employment.

The department expands to include research-based master’s and doctoral programs in Engineering.

Beatrice Ombuki-Berman

Ejaz Ahmed

Interim President Lynn Wells calls Brock’s launch of engineering programming a “significant milestone” in the University’s history.

“As one of only three Canadian universities offering Integrated Engineering programs at the undergraduate level, this move fills an important need for a wide-ranging sector,” she says.

But what exactly is Integrated Engineering?

Students will explore topics such as big data, artificial intelligence, medical devices, sustainability and climate change, robot automation, manufacturing and transportation.

Integrated Engineering takes key concepts from traditional engineering fields — such as mechanical, civil and electrical — and brings them together into a single coherent program where students learn about each field as well as the connections between them.

“Brock’s innovative approach will have a significant impact because, unlike specialized engineering programs, our students will graduate with a diverse and broad set of skills,” says Interim Department Chair Beatrice Ombuki-Berman.

Mathematics and Science Dean Ejaz Ahmed says the Department of Engineering is “an important next step” in the Faculty’s future.

“This will open the doors to new possibilities for our faculty members and students from teaching, learning and research perspectives,” Ahmed says.

Yousef Haj-Ahmad says Brock can become a world leader in integrated engineering.

“Brock University is in the process of competing with the leading universities around the world and it has its place,” he says. “Universities must have a global impact. Brock is not just Niagara, it’s global.”

Decades in the making

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It really helps advance the academic community at Brock, especially with the integrated program.”

Lila Haj-Ahmad

Miriam Haj-Ahmad (BA ’19)

Miriam Haj-Ahmad hopes the family’s gift will inspire others.

“It’s exciting to be able to say that at the place where I went to University, we’re helping to establish a new department and program,” she says. “Hopefully the people I went to school with at Brock and the other alumni will look at our family and be inspired to also do things like this.”

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Cover story

Lila Haj-Ahmad (BSc ’16)

Lila Haj-Ahmad says both her father and mother Camle Houlou Ajjouri have been inspirations in the careers of all of their children.

“My mom was an engineer in Syria and my sister and I are both in the STEM sector, so it just felt like a good next step,” says Lila. “It really helps advance the academic community at Brock, especially with the integrated program.”

Zak Haj-Ahmad (BSc ’17)

Sibling Zak Haj-Ahmad (BSc ’17) says many of his own achievements and those of his family are thanks to Brock.

“Everyone at Brock is really part of a big family and that’s what Brock means to me,” he says. “Brock welcomed my own family and helped us achieve our goals in life. Knowing we can do the same for future generations is really an incredible feeling.”

Online exhibit looks back at Brock through 40 years of Surgite magazine

BY JOCELYN TITONE

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urious to know what Brock was like in the 1970s?

Grads can take a trip down memory lane via a new digital exhibit showcasing 40 years of archived issues of Surgite magazine.

The exhibit enhances a digital repository of the magazine by offering readers a more interactive experience and providing historical and contextual information. It showcases significant milestones, such as new programs, marketing campaigns and fundraising initiatives, as well as successful stories of students, employees, graduates and community members on a local and international scale.

Archives and Special Collections Digital Resource Assistant Shauna Ribaric (BA ’03) said she approached creating the exhibit like a time capsule for each decade. Beginning with the publication’s

first issue in 1977, she searched through every issue for content that would adequately illustrate the experiences of each decade of graduates.

“I wanted it to be a visual story because there were so many photos and graphics that stood out,” she said. “You can see the evolution of the University and how student, employee and alumni experiences changed through the decades.”

Director of Alumni Engagement Terry Cockerline (BA ’97) said the online exhibit offers a medium for graduates to relive big memories.

“In Alumni Relations, we deal a lot with current relationships, but nostalgia is a big part of how we keep our grads connected,” he said. “Every time I visit the site, it brings a smile to my face because I recognize classmates and colleagues who have made a positive impact.”

Scan to visit the new digital exhibit showcasing 40 years of archived issues of Surgite.

Become a Brock Changemaker!

At Brock we believe that when we come together as a community, great things happen. That is why we’re bringing together a group of visionaries who believe in the collective impact of supporting students at Brock and investing in the future of our institution.

Double the impact of your gift. Make a gift of $1,000 or more to the fund of your choice before December 31, 2022. Become a Changemaker and have your gift matched to a maximum of $1,000; increasing the impact of your gift for students in classrooms and across campus.

Learn more at brocku.ca/changemakers

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Competitive advantage:

How adding an MBA to their Brock degree set these grads up for success

BY KAITLYN LITTLE

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hen preparing to cross the Convocation stage and collect a hard-earned degree, heading back to Brock for more classes might not be front of mind.

But for many Brock grads, pairing their undergraduate degree with an Master of Business Administration (MBA) from the Goodman School of Business has given them a competitive advantage in the job market, setting them up for career success.

Steven Latinovich (SPMA ’03, MBA ’05), Managing Director, Corporate Finance at BMO Financial Group, joined Goodman’s first MBA cohort after completing his undergraduate degree in Sport Management.

“The MBA changed my life for the better,” Latinovich said. “It opened my eyes to financial concepts and business acumen I didn’t have before. I was surrounded by people I learned so much from in the classroom context and still keep in touch with today.”

Although the thought of two more years of school might discourage some from applying for or pursuing an MBA, Latinovich likes to reframe that thinking.

“It’s hard to pause your career, and it can feel that way when you’re doing it,” he said. “But you’re really just loading up the cannon to be that much more nimble in any industry.

That’s the power of the MBA.”

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For Regan Fitzgerald (BA ’13, MBA ’16), a Psychology degree provided an important skill set she would use every day. However, the Shopper Marketing Manager at PepsiCo Foods Canada said it would not have been enough to fully explore her career aspirations in marketing.

“It made me much more marketable in my job search,” she said. “It has definitely opened doors that would not have been available had I not chosen to do my MBA.” Fitzgerald, who specialized her MBA in Business Analytics, said the small class cohorts of students from diverse backgrounds added to the program experience.

The Goodman MBA program is available for both part- and full-time studies. In addition to the general MBA, students can choose to specialize in one of six areas, including accounting (CPA Accredited), business analytics, finance, human resource management, marketing and operations management.

Goodman has now added three two-year double degree programs at the master’s level. To meet the needs of public health professions, Brock launched a two-year Master of Business Administration and Master of Public Health program while there are also two international double degree programs. One combines a Master in Management from the Kedge Business School in France with a Goodman MBA and the other offers a Master of Science from the Burgundy School of Business with Goodman’s MBA. Brock grads who have a Goodman undergraduate degree are eligible for advanced standing and can receive exemptions for up to half of the credits needed for the MBA.

It has definitely opened doors that would not have been available had I not chosen to do my MBA.” Regan Fitzgerald

Continue You at Brock New continuing education programs coming soon.

Thank you for your feedback to our recent survey. We are listening.

You’re helping us build educational programming that benefits alumni as lifelong learners and the community.

Get first access to our new and exciting opportunities coming to Brock.

Scan to subscribe and get updates

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Brock University's newest Canada Research Chairs (CRCs) are, from left to right: Paula Duarte-Guterman, Assistant Professor, Psychology; Newman Sze, Professor, Health Sciences; Matthew Kwan, Assistant Professor, Child and Youth Studies; and Danielle Sirianni Molnar, Associate Professor, Child and Youth Studies. They are four of 10 CRCs at Brock studying a range of topics across the university.

Canada Research Chairs program puts Brock on the map

BY CATHY MAJTENYI

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rofessor of Psychology Karen Campbell has made breakthroughs in understanding how age affects memory. She’s shown that older adults have difficulty recalling things because they’re more easily distracted and connect more unrelated items in their minds than younger people.

Campbell is a Tier 2 Canada Research Chair (CRC) in Cognitive Neuroscience of Aging and has built up an impressive laboratory, attracted major research funding, formed community partnerships, and received an Early Career Award from the Psychonomic Society, among other accomplishments.

“Being a CRC has benefited my career in a number of ways,” she says. “This position earns you a certain amount of respect, since people know it’s an honour to be nominated for a CRC position.”

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Research

Campbell is one of almost 2,000 researchers in Canada actively holding a CRC position.

The Canadian government created the Canada Research Chairs program 22 years ago to put Canada on the world’s research and development map.

The stated goals are to “improve our depth of knowledge and quality of life, strengthen Canada's international competitiveness, and help train the next generation of highly skilled people through student supervision, teaching and the co-ordination of other researchers’ work.”

The federal government’s three major research granting agencies — the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC), the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC) — invest around $311 million each year in the Program.

There are two levels of CRCs: the sevenyear Tier 1, seasoned researchers deemed by their peers to be international leaders in their field; and the five-year Tier 2, emerging researchers judged by their peers to have potential to lead in their field. Both terms can be renewed once.

Assistant Professor of Kinesiology Val Fajardo, who is Tier 2 CRC in Tissue Plasticity and Remodelling, says the program enables him to pursue exciting and new research in aging, spaceflight, obesity and muscle disease.

“I’m grateful for the Tier 2 award as it provides me with more time to devote to my research, mentorship, training and establishment of national and international collaborations as well as pursuing knowledge translation activities,” he says.

The federal government uses a formula to determine the number of CRCs that each degree-granting institution receives.

Brock University has 14 CRC allocations, 10 of which are currently active with more to be filled.

It’s up to the institution to decide the research areas and descriptions for the allocated CRCs as well as recruitment policies and procedures that meet national requirements. Up until recently, Brock recruited externally to fill CRC positions, but now internal researchers are also eligible to compete with national and international candidates.

Associate Vice-President, Research Michelle McGinn heads up Brock’s CRC program. She says the CRCs’ areas and titles reflect Brock’s research growth, strengths and success in attracting CIHR, NSERC and SSHRC grants.

“The individuals who are coming in as CRCs need to have colleagues to work with, networks, equipment and connections to our graduate programs where students pursue topics that easily align with the CRC,” says McGinn.

She notes that in recent years, there’s been a rise in the number of health-related CRC positions, mainly through successes in securing CIHR grants.

McGinn says Brock is committed to supporting Indigenous research by creating a Tier 2 CRC in Indigenous Child and Youth Well-being, expected to be operational next year.

The CRC program requires institutions to implement equity, diversity and inclusion policies that address barriers faced by groups historically marginalized, including women, Indigenous Peoples, members of visible minorities, people with disabilities and LGBTQ2+ persons.

This includes ensuring that individuals from these groups are nominated as CRCs, says McGinn.

Brock’s CRC Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Action Plan supports the University’s strategic priority of fostering a culture of inclusivity, accessibility, reconciliation and decolonization, says McGinn.

Brock University has 14 Canada Research Chair allocations, 10 of which are currently active. They are: Julia Baird Associate Professor, Environmental Sustainability Research Centre, Tier 2 CRC in Human Dimensions of Water Resources and Water Resilience

Karen Campbell Professor of Psychology, Tier 2 CRC in Cognitive Neuroscience of Aging

Vincenzo De Luca Professor of Biological Sciences, Tier 1 CRC in Plant Biotechnology

Andrea Doucet Professor of Sociology, Tier 1 CRC in Gender, Work, Care and Community

Paula Duarte Guterman Assistant Professor of Psychology, Tier 2 CRC in Behavioural Neuroscience

Val Fajardo Assistant Professor of Kinesiology, Tier 2 CRC in Tissue Remodelling and Plasticity Throughout the Lifespan

Michael Holmes Associate Professor of Kinesiology, Tier 2 CRC in Neuromuscular Mechanics and Ergonomics

Matthew Kwan Assistant Professor of Child and Youth Studies, Tier 2 CRC in Youth Mental Health and Performance

Danielle Sirianni Molnar Associate Professor of Child and Youth Studies, Tier 2 CRC in Adjustment and Well-Being in Children and Youth

Newman Sze Professor of Health Sciences, Tier 1 CRC in Mechanisms of Health and Disease

Research

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Brock’s VPMI an open door for industry partnership

BY CATHY MAJTENYI

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t’s seamless, one-stop shopping for industries seeking scientific knowledge and for researchers supplying that expertise.

The recently launched Brock-Niagara Validation, Prototyping, and Manufacturing Institute (VPMI) offers a suite of skills, equipment, training and services to support businesses, from concept development to testing to the launch of new products or processes.

“The facility enhances the competitiveness of the region’s economic clusters, positioning Niagara at the forefront of innovation,” says Brock University Professor of Chemistry and VPMI Director Paul Zelisko.

The VPMI cultivates industry-academia partnerships mainly in southern Ontario’s bioproducts, bioscience, bio-agriculture and chemical manufacturing sectors.

Zelisko says the three pillars that support the new facility include applied research and innovation; testing, analysis, prototyping and early-stage manufacturing; and technology

transfer and training for technology adaptation into production practices, processes and operations.

A $5-million investment from the Government of Canada through the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario is supporting the VPMI’s equipment and applied research projects.

More than a dozen state-of-the-art technologies are available to industry partners such as a machine used to build sensory profiles for samples and products by isolating compounds for analysis; a Thermogravimetric analyzer used to study the thermal stability of materials; a FOSS Winescan, which provides information related to alcohol, sugar and acid content in finished wine and fruit juices; and an Epifluorescence microscope used to perform deep imaging of biological samples.

As construction wraps up on the new facility attached to Brock’s Inniskillin Hall, the fledgling VPMI is making inroads, with around 12 projects already on the go.

Professor of Biology Gary Pickering and Niagara winery Andrew Peller Limited are researching the use of a novel prototype technology to trap specific compounds released during the winemaking process and return them back into the wine, supplying a growing market for highly aromatic white, rosé and sparkling wines across Ontario.

Professor of Biological Sciences Michael Bidochka and the Toronto-based hemp company CanBud are investigating how well a particular type of fungi affects plant health, root mass and plant growth, with the aim of using those fungi as a natural fertilizer for hemp plants.

Professor Emeritus of Chemistry Ian Brindle has partnered with Niagara-based Destiny Copper Inc. to develop simple, mobile new methods of extracting copper from small deposits of copper ore that most large-scale mining companies would consider to be too small to process using conventional methods.

Construction for the Brock-Niagara Validation, Prototyping, and Manufacturing Institute (VPMI) is nearing completion. The new facility offers a suite of skills, equipment, training and services to support businesses, from concept development to testing to the launch of new products or processes.

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Research

Then Now

Sean O’Sullivan Theatre was home to the Brock Centre for the Arts for 45 years before arts programming moved to downtown St. Catharines in 2015. A significant renovation project transformed the theatre space into the bright and modern lecture hall that it is today.

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Changing lives through education

BY TARRYN LANDMAN

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eaching has been Chase Blodgett’s (BEd ’09, BPhEd ’09) calling since he graduated from high school.

School was Blodgett’s safe place. He struggled with learning disabilities and as a gender-creative young person in high school. While a few teachers made positive impacts on his life, most weren’t equipped to help him cope with the grief and trauma of a tragic death in his immediate family.

“I decided I wanted to be a teacher for kids like me,” said Blodgett.

What he didn’t expect was the profound impact his students would have on him.

Blodgett moved to the Yukon to teach after graduating from Brock. There, he encountered a student whose experiences caused him to face some parts of his own identity he had been ignoring.

“At one point, I was teaching in a rural community and I had a young person in my class who mirrored to me some things I hadn't had the courage to look at yet, and they refused to be anything but who they were,” he said.

Since graduating from Brock’s Concurrent Teacher Education program, Chase Blodgett (BEd ’09, BPhEd ’09) has become an advocate and innovative educator in the Yukon.

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Photo credit: Gary Bremner

Chase Blodgett (BEd ’09, BPhEd ’09) meets the three-week-old baby of one of his students. Students in his class range in age from 13 to 20 years old.

I want every single person to feel safe, loved and celebrated.”

Chase Blodgett

Blodgett realized he is transgender and began trying to access gender-affirming medical procedures. This medical care wasn’t available in the Yukon at the time and Blodgett began to advocate for genderaffirming care in the territory for himself and in honour of his student.

“I thought about this young person and realized I had significantly more privilege,” he said. “I had the ability to advocate for myself. I had graduated. I had degrees. I had a stable income. None of those things were true for this young person who is also intersectional and marginalized in a number of minority demographics. If this person decided they wanted to transition someday, I wanted them to have access.”

Blodgett played a significant role in advocating for fully-funded genderaffirming care in the Yukon, which he says is now some of the best in North America, and the recognition of gender identity as protected or prohibited grounds for discrimination in the Yukon Human Rights Act. As founder of the All Genders Yukon Society, Blodgett has helped to provide a range of services to members of the transgender, Two-Spirit, non-binary and questioning community, including funding for barrier-free mental health services.

Blodgett’s work inside the classroom is helping change the lives of young people on the traditional territory of the Carcross Tagish First Nation. He teaches a program serving students who are too old for the area’s K-9 school but aren’t able to complete high school by living in dormitories in Whitehorse. These students are often too

young for education programs available through Yukon University.

The students in his class, who range from 13 to 20 years old, are now on pathways to graduate from high school using a collaborative learning environment that incorporates First People’s ways of knowing and principles of learning. It prioritizes development in the four parts of self (physical, emotional, mental and spiritual).

Many of his First Nation students carry an intergenerational legacy of trauma and oppression but are actively choosing to break these cycles for themselves and their families by completing their education through the program.

Blodgett’s goal as an educator and advocate is to empower others in the

classroom and the community.

“I want every single person to feel safe, loved and celebrated,” he said. “If they feel those things, they may feel safe to take risks.”

Blodgett was recognized for his work with Brock’s Faculty of Education Distinguished Graduate Award in 2021, which he said was both humbling and healing.

“I have the fortune of healing every day and being inspired by the immense courage of the young people in the learning community we are part of,” he said.

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Brock University Nursing student Gabrianne Webster works with a patient simulator in one of the University’s Nursing labs on the St. Catharines campus.

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Surgite

With demand soaring, Brock expands renowned Nursing program

BY COLLEEN PATTERSON

F

or more than two decades, Brock University has been educating future health-care workers through its renowned Nursing program. But with demand for nurses soaring, Brock has had to respond by expanding in size and scope.

“We have grown exponentially this year,” said Department of Nursing Chair Karyn Taplay. “Everyone connected to our program stepped up immensely to help make this year of transition a success; all are to be congratulated.”

International Nurses Day is celebrated each May and this year’s theme was ‘Nurses: A Voice to Lead.’ In response, the International Council of Nurses, which represents more than 27 million nurses worldwide, issued a call to action to invest in nursing and respect rights to secure global health.

Brock’s Faculty of Applied Health Sciences has increased undergraduate intake from 80 to 180 students for its Nursing program starting this fall. The increase in enrolment led to the addition of 11 full- and part-time faculty and staff positions, as well as 23 part-time clinical instructors to help teach students.

“The important contributions and leadership Brock Nursing students and graduates provide to the health of citizens in Niagara, the Province of Ontario and beyond, help to address systemic gaps and improve quality of care for patients,” said Dean Peter Tiidus. “More broadly, the growth of our Nursing program and the learning opportunities we provide enables our graduates to embark on career paths that respond to the changing health needs of Canadians.”

To accommodate the rapid growth of Brock’s Nursing program, a third Nursing simulation lab was recently constructed.

“Brock’s Nursing simulation labs are safe learning environments that allow students to learn to proficiently care for their patients,” Taplay said. “Practising in the lab prepares students to learn basic skills they will use with every patient on every shift.

“They also become skilled in high stakes, low frequency events they may not encounter during their academic career.”

While the official opening of the new Nursing lab will not take place until September, the space is now being used to teach Brock’s first cohort of accelerated concurrent Bachelor of Nursing/Master of Nursing students. The 20-month, one-of-a-kind program was approved by the Ontario Ministry of Colleges and Universities in January and the first cohort of 23 students began classes in May. “The expansion of Brock’s nationally recognized Nursing program responds to the growing need for health-care professionals,” said Interim University President Lynn Wells. “Brock is proud to support the health-care system in Niagara and beyond with our talented faculty educating future nurses in modern on-campus learning spaces.”

As part of the National Nurses Week celebrations recently, Brock resumed its annual in-person Pinning Ceremony, an important right of passage for Nursing grads.

“The tradition of pinning nurses is more than 100 years old and is the result of Florence Nightingale’s efforts to have nurses’ training recognized and formal programs developed,” Taplay said. “Every school of nursing has its own customized pin which symbolizes excellence in nursing and a commitment that each grad is prepared to serve the health needs of our communities.”

For Brock University Nursing grads, earning that pin and a Nursing degree is the final step before heading off into a fulfilling career, and one with plenty of demand both in Niagara and around the world right now.

The expansion of Brock’s nationally recognized Nursing program responds to the growing need for health-care professionals.”

Lynn Wells

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Former Brock University student-athlete Niamh Haughey (BPhEd ’21) was named to the Canadian bobsleigh team for the Olympic Winter Games in Beijing.

Niamh Haughey: From Brock Badger to Canadian Olympian

BY STEPHEN LEITHWOOD

N

iamh Haughey (BPhEd ’21) credits Brock University with playing a pivotal role in her ascension to the national bobsleigh team that competed at the 2022 Olympic Winter Games in Beijing.

It wasn't long ago that Haughey could be found running on Alumni Field, making tackles as a Brock Badgers women's rugby team member, or skating at Seymour-Hannah Arena alongside her teammates on the women's hockey team.

The former dual-sport Badger made a rapid rise through the Bobsleigh Canada Skeleton team and was named an alternate brakewoman for Team Canada at the Olympic Winter Games in February.

“I give all of my speed, strength and power credit to the Brock Badgers and Brock Sports Performance (BSP),” Haughey said. “All of the staff have helped me be where I am. Playing rugby and hockey completely translated to bobsleigh. Without Brock, I wouldn’t be the athlete I am today.”

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Athletics

In the span of just one week earlier this year, Haughey stood with Team Canada during the closing ceremonies of the Winter Games before returning to St. Catharines to be with her former teammates during Brock women’s hockey senior night.

Haughey graduated during the COVID-19 pandemic, so the Badgers invited her and two other members of the 2021 graduating class to take part in the 2022 senior night festivities on March 3.

“Beijing was an amazing experience.

Being surrounded by athletes competing at the highest level is every athlete’s dream. It was my dream come true,” said Haughey while standing in the foyer of Seymour-Hannah Arena. “It was fuel to push myself and compete for the next four years.”

Haughey noted her work with BSP coaches Vicki Bendus and Dave McDowell as having the biggest influence on her path to bobsleigh.

I give all of my speed, strength and power credit to the Brock Badgers and Brock Sports Performance.”

Niamh Haughey

In 2018, Haughey decided to try bobsleigh on a whim when she signed up for an RBC Training Ground combine held in Brock’s Ian Beddis Gymnasium. She was identified as having potential in the sport. However, she broke her ankle shortly after and had to put the start of her bobsleigh training on hold.

After a long, but successful rehab, she rebounded to make Canada's National Development Bobsleigh team for the 2020-21 season.

Haughey didn't meet the national team standards during the first testing camp in July 2021, but she continued to work with BSP. McDowell supported her with a training plan, since she had the goal of competing in bobsleigh as a sport. The duo

Celebrating Success The Brock Badgers marked 2021-22 as the most successful sports season in Brock University history.

In their first sports campaign since the COVID-19 pandemic cancelled the 2020-21 season, the Badgers roared out of the pandemic to capture seven championship titles in men’s rowing, men’s lacrosse, women’s volleyball, women’s hockey, men’s basketball and men’s and women’s wrestling.

The Badgers had 10 teams compete at national championships and 30 teams represented Brock at the provincial level. A total of eight coaches were named Coach of the Year across various sports while student-athletes secured seven major awards and 45 all-star honours.

would train weekly in the summer, including video and testing, to develop speed.

“Physically, Niamh is among the most gifted athletes I have ever had the pleasure of working with. However, her work ethic has helped set her apart,” McDowell said.

“When there is something she sets her mind to, whether rugby, hockey or bobsleigh, she gives it her all. She is always the athlete putting in extra work to improve.”

By the time the second camp opened in August 2021, she surpassed the training standards.

Now, Haughey is in the process of transitioning from brakewoman to pilot.

“I want to see if I'm any good in the front seat of a bobsleigh,” she said.

2021–22 Brock Badgers Summary

10

Teams at Nationals

3

All-Canadians

18

Individual and team Gold medals

1

30

National winner

Teams at Provincials

7

Major Awards

17

Individual and team Silver medals

6

Provincial winners

45 All-Stars

13

Individual and team Bronze medals

Athletics

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ALUMNI UPDATES

The Brock grad behind Tim Hortons’ ice cream dreams

W

hen Mark Salm (BBA ’06) was interviewed for his role as Head of Canadian Retail Sales for Tim Hortons, he was asked if he had any big dreams for how the iconic brand could grow the retail market.

As a fan of the speciality ice cream shops near his home in downtown Toronto, Salm’s answer was Timbits ice cream. He got the job, and after a few years of development, Tim Hortons ice cream is now available on grocery store shelves.

“When we see it on the shelves, it brings a lot of pride,” he said.

“You can physically see something after months and months of getting the right packaging and the right partners, it brings a lot of excitement for the team.”

After graduating from Brock’s Goodman School of Business, the Goderich, Ont., native worked for the household category with Rexall and then joined Shoppers Drug Mart as the Senior Category Manager for frozen foods, ethnic, books and magazines in 2010. He worked his way up to become the Category Director of Beverages at Shoppers before joining Tim Hortons’ parent company RBI in 2018.

Working alongside a team of 13, Salm said people often think the department is much larger than it is.

“We’re very nimble and we wouldn’t be able to do that if we didn’t act like a family,” he said. “You can challenge each other, but at the end of the day, you work collectively to row in the same direction.”

Salm said bringing a family atmosphere was one of the many things he learned at Brock.

“My time at Brock taught me that collaboration and networking with your peers is so important. It’s where I made great lifelong connections and got a great education,” he said. “When I think of Brock, I think of it being a humble and hard-working organization. The graduates are energetic and hungry for whatever roles they’re in.”

Salm’s advice to more recent grads is to remember the four H’s.

“Hard work, hunger, honesty and humbleness. These are all attributes that have served me well throughout my career,” he said.

Mark Salm (BBA ’06) is the Head of Canadian Retail Sales for Tim Hortons.

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

Email your good news to alumni@brocku.ca

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Where are they now?

Class of 1970s Jim Crichton (BA ’79) has retired after 47 years in broadcasting. Most recently, he was the CTV Windsor news anchor for more than 20 years.

Class of 1980s The Chatham-Kent Health Alliance announced Deb Crawford (BEd ’83, MEd ’97) has been added to its Board of Directors. Crawford retired as Director of Education for the St. Clair Catholic District School Board in 2021.

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

Oliver Winery and Vineyards in Indiana has hired Robert Warren (BSc ’99, OEVC ’02) as Director of Winemaking.

Class of 2000s Nous Group, a Sydney, Australiaheadquartered management consulting firm, has welcomed Janet Vanderlaan (BBA ’00) as a new principal to its Toronto office.

Class of 1990s

The University of Guelph-Humber has announced Melanie Spence-Ariemma (BEd ’03) as its new Vice-Provost and Chief Academic Officer.

The City of Niagara Falls appointed Kira Dolch (BA ’98) as its director of planning, building and development in January.

Registered Insurance Brokers of Ontario (RIBO) has appointed Melissa Bajwa (BA ’04) to its board.

Class of 2010s Jasmin Ralph (BA ’10) was hired as clerk for Lanark County near Ottawa in February.

Loyalist College announced that Amanda Baskwill (BEd ’10) will serve as its Dean of the School of Health, Human and Justice Studies.

Karilynn Kluke (MA ’15) has been named Director of Recreation and Culture for the City of Elliott Lake.

Class of 2020s Quebec City native Noah Rousseau (BSM ’20) has been hired as Manager of Officiating with the Western Hockey League, where he now oversees the day-to-day administration of the league’s on- and off-ice officials.

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Baby Badger goes coast to coast with family

BY MARYANNE ST. DENIS

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t only six months old, Audrey Ramona Humes had already dipped her toes in both the Atlantic and Pacific oceans — and stopped at many of the Canadian landmarks found in between.

When her parents — Brock graduate Eric Humes (BSc ’06, BSc ’08, MSc ’13) and his fiancée April Wilson — learned they were expecting, they were in the middle of planning an epic cross-country road trip.

Rather than cancel their plans, the pair spent the pregnancy preparing to take Audrey on the adventure of a lifetime.

They revamped the customized Sprinter van they had been working on and mapped out stops along the way to introduce their newborn to loved ones spread across Canada.

Two months after Audrey’s arrival in April 2021, the family, including dog Harlie, hit the road. Over the next four months, they journeyed from coast to coast, parking in friends’ driveways and Walmart parking lots to sleep, and camping in provincial parks along the way.

“I had never really driven any further than St. Catharines to Brockville, where I’m originally from, let alone done a cross-Canada tour,” says Humes. “It was an incredible first experience and we’d love to do it again.”

Humes and Wilson both love spending time outdoors and hope to inspire a similar passion in Audrey as she grows up.

Travelling with a baby on board didn’t come without its challenges, but Humes says he cherished the time spent with his family during those pivotal days.

“Everyone thought we were crazy to be living in a van with a newborn. They thought we wouldn’t make it,” he says. “But we did it and we came back stronger than ever.”

Humes, who focused on Chemistry and Biotechnology during his time at Brock, was fortunate his job in software sales allowed him to work remotely while on the road.

“Being able to watch Audrey’s expressions and hear her laugh throughout the day and to be able to finish a meeting and then play with her, it made every day great,” he says. “Even on the rainy days, you still felt like you were winning the lottery.”

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Births

Brock alumnus Eric Humes, his financée April Wilson and their daughter Audrey Ramona Humes spent four months travelling across Canada together.

Learn more about the Humes family’s cross-Canada adventure on Instagram.

Remembering an academic and children’s mental health champion

BY AMANDA BISHOP

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The Nancy Johnston Bursary has helped support Psychology students since it was established in 1996.

ancy Johnston’s five-decade career encompassed both academic work and private practice. An associate professor who retired from Brock’s Department of Psychology in 1996, she was also a champion of children’s mental health and well-being and was one of the first child psychologists to practise in Niagara.

Johnston passed away in January at the age of 94.

She leaves behind a legacy of mentorship, advocacy and positive change in Niagara and at Brock, where she was integral to the creation of the Child Studies program that has since grown into the Department of Child and Youth Studies, today housing undergraduate, master’s and doctoral programs.

She also consulted widely and helped create the Niagara Child Development Centre, the forerunner of today’s Pathstone Mental Health.

Bill Helmeczi (BA ’86), Director of Strategic Initiatives, Standards, and Practices at Pathstone Mental Health, describes Johnston’s role as instrumental.

“Nancy was the first Clinical Director and Chief Psychologist at the Child Development Centre, having been part of a grassroots effort to start the program and address an emerging need even when there was no government funding,” says Helmeczi. “Nancy was a supervisor, a promoter and a supporter of so many people. She was so diligent and committed to the mental health of children — so many people owe her a debt of gratitude.”

Johnston’s daughter Jessica Thomson (BA ’80, BEd ’81) says her mother was always happy and passionate about doing work she loved.

“I don’t remember her ever feeling stressed out about it — it was a joyful job for her,” says Thomson. “If she went on holiday, she always brought her satchel full of papers to the beach.”

She adds that Johnston brought a bit of home to work, too.

Sunny, her grey toy poodle, was a frequent visitor to campus and could often be found lying at Johnston’s feet or following at her heels.

“Above all else, she was a mentor,” says Thomson, a retired elementary school teacher who herself studied and worked under Johnston while at Brock. “She truly listened to people and tried to help them on their journey.”

Passages

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