Donor Impact Report 2020

SCIENCE SH A P E T HE W ORL D

DONOR IMPACT REPORT 2020

ualberta.ca/science

BECAUSE Facilities $3,868

Programs $1,667,117

2020 GIVING

Awards $691,961

Research $9,833,590

OF YOU

589 Unique donors

65

First-time donors to Science

91

Staff donors 1,200

Foundations 4.9% Other Individuals 18%

Other Organizations 5.1%

Alumni 62.3%

10

800 600

New planned giving donors

400 200 0 5–9 years 10–14 years 15–19 years 20+ years

Corporations 9.7%

MILESTONE DONORS

DONOR DEMOGRAPHICS

1,000

DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC, IN-PERSON LABS HAVE HAD TO PROVIDE HANDS-ON SCIENTIFIC LEARNING AND KEEP ALL PARTICIPANTS SAFE— A FEAT MADE POSSIBLE

LAB SAFETY

BY A DONATION FROM GILEAD SCIENCES.

The pandemic has changed our world—but one thing that remains the same is our commitment to training the next generation of scientists. Learn how chemistry labs are being supported by a donation from Gilead Sciences.

LAB COAT? CHECK. SAFETY GLASSES? CHECK. FACE MASK? CHECK.

T

he COVID-19 pandemic has had an undeniable impact on every aspect of our lives, including the way that undergraduate students learn.

Experience in the laboratory and the

opportunity to develop hands-on scientific skills are of critical importance in training the next generation of scientists—and this year, ensuring students’ safety in undergraduate chemistry labs while they built those foundational skills was more important than ever.

The support of Gilead Sciences helped make this possible. Its generous donation of US$100,000 through the Gilead CARES initiative supported lab skills education through the philanthropic hire of an online lab co-ordinator during COVID-19 and physical distancing restrictions. This donation helped support the Department of Chemistry in quickly pivoting to moving undergraduate chemistry labs online—

ensuring students continued to gain core hands-on science skills despite the challenges of the pandemic.

“Gilead is committed to supporting our grantees to quickly adjust in order to continue key programs and services during the pandemic,” said Korab Zuka, vice-president (corporate giving).

“Supporting the university to adapt to online learning is exactly what the Gilead CARES program is meant to do.”

As a valued and long-standing supporter of the Faculty of Science, Gilead is making both remote and on-campus learning possible—while helping to keep our students safe.

“Gilead Alberta has a long-term relationship with the University

A LEGACY OF INSPIRATION

of Alberta, and many of our staff—including myself—have completed at least part of their education at the university,” said Greg Klak, vice-president (operations) of Gilead Alberta.

He made the remark in October 2019 when Gilead announced a $500,000 gift to the University of Alberta to renovate an undergraduate chemistry laboratory used by more than 3,000 undergraduate students each year.

MURRAY WIEGAND For many, the transition from undergraduate to graduate studies can be bumpy. A new level of expectations, responsibility, and scientific challenge awaits—and critical to this process is the mentorship and support of a graduate supervisor.

M

urray Wiegand (PhD ’79) is no stranger to this challenge—or to the difference that the support of a passionate and encouraging supervisor can make. It is the legacy of his own supervisor, Richard (Dick) E. Peter, that inspires Wiegand to support the next generation of graduate students today.

“Graduate school is a whole new form of learning, when you go from getting fairly standardized undergraduate labs meant to teach you skills to having to conceptualize on your own and learning how to do original science,” said Wiegand.

Wiegand came to the University of Alberta’s Department of Biological Sciences to pursue his graduate studies under the supervision of Peter— and he credits Peter’s mentorship for setting him up for success in his own scientific career.

“Dick and his wife Leona, as a team, were so welcoming. He was patient, he was encouraging, but he made you think for yourself,” said Wiegand. “It was the opposite of spoon-feeding you answers, but you never felt like he was abandoning you—he was simply giving you the space to learn the science on your own, and would support you when you needed it.”

Murray and Nancy Wiegand on vacation on Virgin Gorda in the British Virgin Islands.

A CLASS ACT

Murray Wiegand and his wife Nancy kayak in Telefon Bay, Antarctica.

The importance of mentorship— and the example that Peter provided for him in his own studies—inspired Wiegand to support the Dr. Richard E. Peter Memorial Graduate Scholarship, established in Peter’s name in 2007 after his passing. Each year, the scholarship supports a graduate student in the Department of Biological Sciences studying comparative physiology and biochemistry, with preference given to students researching fish.

Supporting students as they transition into graduate studies embodies the spirit of Peter’s support as a mentor, Wiegand explains, and is an opportunity to support the next generation of scientists.

“There’s never a shortage of important things to do and work to be done,” said Wiegand. “Whether it’s fundamental science or applied ecology, there’s plenty of work to do in this area. And whether it’s COVID-19 or climate change, it’s science—and these future scientists—that will see us through.”

“AS A 1958 GRADUATE in chemistry in the very first years of the rejuvenated Department of Chemistry, I was able to go on to a major graduate school and a varied career in the chemical and pharmaceutical fields that was well-served by my training.

“My freshman year was financed by a scholarship, and now I have been able to help establish the Class of 1958 Science Entrance Award for incoming first-year students. I believe that science is more important than ever, both as a path to employment and general progress. I would encourage all of my classmates and newer grads to do what they can too, as the University of Alberta faces many challenges to continue to be in the forefront of advances in so many disciplines.”

— Nick Semenuk, ’58 BSc(Hons), championed the Class of 1958 Science Entrance Award

ELEVATING WOMEN IN SCIENCE “AS A PROUD ALUMNUS of the Faculty of Science and equally proud father to three daughters, I wanted to provide support for elevating women in mathematics, statistics, and computing science.

“Giving is a personal decision and giving to a cause you believe in is a very easy yet meaningful way to get involved. My intention for donating is to help break historical barriers and create a healthy, safe, welcoming environment for women in the sciences.”

— Doug Adams, ’85 BSc(Spec), supports Ada’s Team, a student group that champions diversity in computing science

THE SUPPORT OF SUPPORT STAFF “I AM NOT A SCIENTIST and I didn’t graduate from a university, but my fondest memories of my time on campus were dealing with students.

Working as a support staff member at the University of Alberta for 28 years, I saw firsthand the difference scholarships can make.

“When I retired in 1992, I decided to arrange for a scholarship and managed to raise enough money to do so with help from family, friends, and a few faculty members, inputting the rest myself—I’ve been donating ever since.”

— Helen Biltek, staff member in the Department of Physics from 1971 to 1992, created the Helen Biltek Leadership Scholarship

GIVING BACK “THE FACULTY OF SCIENCE has given me more than I could ever repay. I choose to give to convey my gratitude. I hope this gift would enable the Faculty of Science to continue their generosity in helping other students to achieve their goals in life.

“I have benefited immensely from someone’s generosity in the past. I believe it is never too late for us to do what we can now to ensure a better future for us all.”

— Nivas Nallanthighall, ’87 MSc, founded the NebuLogic Technologies Award in Mathematics and Statistical Sciences

INNOVATION + NEXT GENERATION

MATTHEW AND LISA FURRY SHARE HOW SUPPORTING THE NEXT GENERATION OF SCIENTISTS IS A PILLAR OF PSCL'S COMMUNITY SUPPORT.

PROCESS SOLUTIONS CANADA LTD. Edmonton-based Process Solutions Canada Ltd. (PSCL) has been working with the cement industry for almost 40 years, and the company has a tradition of embracing innovation as its business has grown. Installing systems around the world, PSCL has steadily grown to become an important player in the industry on a global scale.

“W

e see education as a key to both our growth and economic growth in Alberta,” said PSCL president Matthew Furry (’88 BSc). “PSCL employs many U of A graduates, both currently and over the history of the company. Our motivation is to provide meaningful opportunities for the next generation of tech professionals to establish and grow their careers in Edmonton.”

To grow that spirit of innovation, in 2018 PSCL established the Process Solutions Canada Limited Bursary in Science, awarded each year to an undergraduate student facing financial need in the Faculty of Science.

“We see the bursary as an opportunity to generate awareness and provide access to the

opportunities that exist in small or medium Edmonton companies like PSCL,” said Furry.

“Our goal is to remove barriers to completing post-secondary education in all sciences.”

For Furry, supporting the next generation of leaders is an important way to foster the spirit of innovation—both as an employer and as a member of the innovation ecosystem in Edmonton and Alberta.

“Education and lifelong learning are pillars of PSCL’s community support,” said Furry. “In our quest for continuous improvement, PSCL believes that supporting students to become technology leaders and agents of change is vital to creating a culture of innovation in the workplace and for our province.”

THANK YOU. Donors like you are creating new scholarships, developing impactful programs of study, and building state-of-the-art educational and research facilities. Through your gift, you are empowering students to realize their aspirations and become informed citizens who participate responsibly in a global society.

Your support is also paving the way for our researchers to undertake the intense inquiry into the sciences that influences how we understand our world while opening new avenues of discovery. Thank you.

To learn more about philanthropy in the Faculty of Science visit uab.ca/give2sci.