Science: Impact of Giving 2012 - 2017

S C IE N C E: IM PA C T O F G I V IN G 2 012-2 017

Faculty of

SCIENCE University of Alberta

MESSAGE FROM THE DEAN

“I TRULY ENJOY MEETING OUR INCREDIBLE DONORS. EVERY ONE OF THEM HAS AN INTERESTING STORY ABOUT WHAT THEIR EXPERIENCES IN THE FACULTY OF SCIENCE MEAN TO THEM.” —J O N AT H A N S C H A E F F E R

“AS AN INCOMING DEAN, I was confident I could excel in all areas of my position except one. I had no experience interacting with alumni, donors, and our Faculty of Science community at large, and quite frankly, it terrified me. Could I be an effective advocate for the Faculty of Science and all of our stakeholders? Nothing in my career suggested I had what it takes to do this part of my job. It didn’t take long before I did an about face. I truly enjoy meeting our incredible donors. Every one of them has an interesting story about what their experiences in the Faculty of Science mean to them. In many cases, our alumni’s science education led to the most unexpected career paths and incredible opportunities, always rewarding and fulfilling. For others, it might be an interesting connection or memory that has made them a member of our Faculty of Science community. Most of all, I am grateful for their generosity in giving back to the Faculty of Science, and I am committed to accountability and transparency in how we foster Faculty of Science growth. I truly appreciate how one person—be it faculty, staff, student, alumni, or donor—can make a profound difference. Thank you.”

JON AT H A N SCH A EFFER

Read more about the impact of your support on the Faculty of Science during Dean Jonathan Schaeffer’s first term.

1

DONOR

5-YEAR GIVING BREAKDOWN Student Awards $8.4 M

*Annual Research $30.7 M

67%

REPEAT DONORS YEARLY Academic Endowments and Programs $22.4 M

2

Facilities and Capital $.5 M

DID YOU KNOW?

Lift Off Alberta, a crowdfunding project to support the student-led AlbertaSat team building Alberta’s first satellite, led to an increase in first-time donors in 2014 and 2015.

5-YEAR DONOR COUNT 2013

814

2014

255 871

661

794

2015 2016

746

2017

741

496 220

FIRST TIME DONORS

284

*Excludes non-philanthropic research funding.

0

500

1000

1500

2000

1,946 4

IN FIVE YEARS, THE FACULTY OF SCIENCE HAS HAD . . .

FIRST-TIME DONORS

64

PHILANTHROPIC CHAIRS

PLANNED GIVING PLEDGES

LIFETIME MILESTONE DONORS 5–9 Years

1170 425

10–14 Years 15+ Years

$62M

YEARS OF GIVING

244

0

200

400

600

800

1000

1200

AVERAGE 5-YEAR DONOR MAKEUP

TOTAL RAISED VIA PHILANTHROPY

Other Organizations 2%

3

Friends (Non-Alumni) 13%

Foundations 2%

Corporations 5%

7%

STAFF DONORS YEARLY

7,400

STUDENTS IMPACTED YEARLY

Alumni 78%

RESEARC

FROM ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE TO ZOOLOGY, OUR FACULTY MEMBERS AND RESEARCHERS ARE LEADERS IN THEIR RESPECTIVE FIELDS. THEIR RESEARCH IS MADE POSSIBLE WITH THE SUPPORT OF GENEROUS DONORS, GRANTING AGENCIES, AND INDUSTRIAL PARTNERS WHO REMAIN COMMITTED TO HELPING US FIND SOLUTIONS TO OUR SOCIETY’S MOST CHALLENGING PROBLEMS.

4

In addition to his work as professor in the Departments of Biological Sciences and Computing Science, David Wishart is lead investigator of Canada’s national metabolomics laboratory, the Metabolomics Innovation Centre (TMIC). TMIC has helped discover better methods for diagnosing, detecting, and predicting diseases. “This research is shining a new light on how chemicals affect human, animal, and plant health and leading to some really innovative approaches for diagnosing and predicting disease,” says Wishart. The cutting edge research developed by the Metabolomics Centre and Wishart’s research group has attracted donors who see the value of early diagnostic testing for these life-threatening diseases. Donor support has allowed the team to be nimble and respond to emerging needs.

In addition to individual research funds, our donors have supported the following philanthropic research chairs:

➔ Encana Chair

in Water Resources

➔ CISCO Research Chair

in Healthcare Solutions

➔ Alberta Biodiversity Conservation Chair

➔ Alberta Conservation

Association Chair in Fisheries and Wildlife

➔ Killam Memorial Chair in Physics

➔ M.V. Subbarao

Professorship in Number Theory

➔ C.R. Stelck Chair in Petroleum Geology

DID YOU KNOW?

Thanks to one generous donor, a significant estate commitment has ensured that this research can continue for years to come.

Richard Sutton, professor in the Department of Computing Science, is a pioneer in the world of artificial intelligence. With the support of funding partners such as Google DeepMind, Sutton, together with the Alberta Machine Intelligence Institute (AMII) group, has laid the groundwork to make reinforcement learning a powerful artificial intelligence tool with impact in computing science, neuroscience, and psychology. “My research studies the interaction between the intelligent agent and its environment,” →

➔ Philip J. Currie Professorship in Vertebrate Paleontology

➔ Lemieux Chair in

Carbohydrate Chemistry

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE

PA L E O N T O L O G Y

→ explains Sutton, a Royal Society of Canada Fellow.

“Goals, choices, and sources of information are all defined in terms of this interaction.

In some sense it is the only thing that is real, and from it all our sense of the world is created.”

Above: For more than 35 years, Philip Currie’s name has been virtually synonymous with dinosaurs in Alberta and Canada.

Left: UAlberta researchers continue to push Canada’s excellence in the artificial intelligence field with funding support from federal and provincial governments, corporations, and individuals.

Thanks to a generous endowment established by the River of Death and Dinosaur Museum Society, the Faculty of Science is home to the Philip J. Currie Professorship in Vertebrate Paleontology , so-named after Canada’s leading paleontologist and Faculty of Science professor, Philip J. Currie. “This exciting appointment in vertebrate paleontology is a bold experiment between the university and a committed collective of local stakeholders in the Grande Prairie region of Northern Alberta,” says Professor Michael Caldwell, Chair of the Department of Biological Sciences.

“The goal is to bring the highest level of scholarship and science into the very heart of their community by giving a talented paleontologist access to a unique resource—not only in terms of fossils but also people and infrastructure—in a remote museum but still a part of this great university.”

STUDENT

*DID YOU KNOW?

394 students received undergraduate awards in 2016-17 alone, totaling $835,300.

6

We are grateful for donor support, which helps enable student success in the classroom and beyond.

THE DEMAND FOR EDUCATION FROM THE FACULTY OF SCIENCE MEANS THAT WE ATTRACT THE BEST OF THE BEST. OUR STUDENTS MAKE AN IMPACT IN THEIR COMMUNITIES AND TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE MYRIAD OPPORTUNITIES AVAILABLE TO THEM TO SET THEMSELVES APART FROM THE PACK AND TO CHART THEIR OWN COURSE AS GLOBAL CITIZENS. BY SUPPORTING OUR STUDENTS-BOTH UNDERGRADUATE AND GRADUATE-THROUGH SCHOLARSHIPS, TRAVEL AWARDS, STUDENTSHIPS, AND CONFERENCES, OUR DONORS HAVE IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF THE STUDENT EXPERIENCE. *Excludes Government-supported awards.

*DID YOU KNOW?

Bright and brimming with energy, third-year undergraduate student Chelsea Hong is specializing in immunology in the Department of Biological Sciences. She credits her scholarship from the Schulich Leaders Foundation for making her fearless in the face of the future. “To the Schulich family: thank you so much for all that you have given me. These last three years of my post-secondary education have been the most rewarding of my life.”

319 students received graduate awards in 2016-17 alone, totaling $1.5 M.

CHEL SE A HONG

Snapshot of some of the student awards established in the last five years:

AS AN ALUMNA, VOLUNTEER, AND DONOR, BEING A

➔ Anton Alexander Cseuz Gold

PART OF WHO I AM. AS A FEMALE CHEMIST, I WANT

➔ ASPB Robin Leech Graduate

OPPORTUNITIES THAT CAN BROADEN THEIR EDUCATION

Medal in Mathematics

Scholarship in Biological Sciences

➔ Cam Sproule Graduate

Scholarship in Earth and Atmospheric Sciences

PART OF THE SCIENCE COMMUNITY IS AN IMPORTANT

J AV I E R L U Q U E

TO ENSURE THAT YOUNG WOMEN HAVE ACCESS TO AND ENHANCE THEIR EXPERIENCES. I GIVE BECAUSE I’VE BEEN SUCCESSFUL IN MY CAREER, AND I WANT TO PLANT THE SEED OF GIVING IN THE YOUNG LADIES I SUPPORT. — J E A N C O O L E Y (’ 7 7 P h D)

➔ Clare Patershuk Travel Award in Psychology

➔ Chemistry Alumni

International Graduate Student Support Fund

➔ Computing Science Alumni Undergraduate Education Endowment Fund

➔ Centennial Award for 3rd and 4th Year Geology Students

➔ Jean Cooley Graduate

Scholarship in Analytical Chemistry

➔ Lawrence A. Mysak Award in Science

➔ Supreet Dahpne Sohi

Memorial Scholarhip for Excellence in Science

For PhD candidate Sunil Rajput, receiving a scholarship was an incredible achievement. “It gave me the resources and the confidence to pursue my doctorate. Without those, there would be no way I could do this work.

It has had a profound impact.” Rajput’s analytical chemistry research centres on the development of a biosensor for cancer diagnostics. Working in the Department of Chemistry, he hopes his work will make a difference in the lives of patients and families battling cancer.

Providing the funds to attend a conference in Normandy, France allowed Javier Luque, PhD student in the Department of Biological Sciences, the opportunity to communicate his research to his peers while also learning from and networking with other researchers.

“Attending this meeting was one of the most rewarding and academically enriching opportunities I have had,” he explains. “Donors like you have paved the way for many early career scientists like me. Thank you.”

7

TEACHIN LEARNING 8

The support of our donors nurtures a thriving teaching and learning community, ensuring students receive the best education possible.

THE FACULTY OF SCIENCE IS REDEFINING THE CLASSROOM AND IS A LEADER IN INNOVATIVE TEACHING AND LEARNING PRACTICES. DONOR SUPPORT IS KEY TO IMPROVING THE QUALITY OF OUR

DID YOU KNOW?

TEACHING INNOVATION, WHETHER IT BE BY SUPPORTING FIELD SCHOOLS, DONATING EQUIPMENT, ESTABLISHING A SPEAKER SERIES, OR BY CONTRIBUTING TO THE SCIFIND, WHICH, AS PART OF A LONG-TERM VISION, HAS DIRECTED FUNDS TO SUPPORT BOLD INITIATIVES INCLUDING MASSIVE OPEN ONLINE COURSES (MOOCS).

SCIFund (Science, Creativity, and Innovation Fund) is a single endowment, which aims to gain critical mass in order to make long-term, transformative changes in the Faculty.

A small portion supports key annual initiatives, such as teaching and learning, student spaces, and Alberta’s first satellite. But, when possible, the focus is to grow this fund for the future. Our generous donors contribute to this growth every year.

PROFESSIONAL MASTERS PROGRAMS In response to the changing economy and growing demand for professional development and skill acquisition, the Faculty of Science has tailored several graduate programs to meet the demands of the modern job force. The master of science degree in urban and regional planning prepares students to support community resilience in the face of economic, social, and environmental challenges. Donors such as Brookfield Residential have been key in driving the success of some of these professional masters programs, by establishing scholarships and a Distinguished Lecture series in the Urban and Regional Planning Program. These types of donor commitments allow us to create more robust programming and offer essential experiences to our students.

GENERAL LAB EXPERIENCE The Faculty of Science provides the single best lab experience of any Canadian university in its first-year courses in terms of the number of contact hours and number of labs performed. This experience gives our undergraduate students a competitive edge in future ventures compared to other Canadian university graduates.

Our corporate donors such as Geologic, Fisher Scientific, Gilead and ConocoPhillips - to name only a few - are essential in offering state-of-the-art lab experiences, through their in-kind and cash donations of equipment, software, and spaces.

P O LY M E R A N D M AT E R I A L S C H E M I S T R Y L A B

$7.3 M 390 SCIFUND CASH AND COMMITMENTS TO-DATE

SCIFUND DONORS

9

TEACHIN LEARNING HA SSE L AKE

10

ONGOING RENOVATIONS OF OUR INTERDISCIPLINARY FACILITIES WILL FURTHER PROPEL OUR FACULTY FORWARD TO SUPPORT AGGRESSIVE GOALS OF GROWTH TO ENHANCE STUDENT EXPERIENCE AND RESEARCH DISCOVERY OPPORTUNITIES. ESTABLISHED SCIENTISTS INTERACT WITH A NEW GENERATION OF WORLDCLASS RESEARCHERS AND OUTSTANDING STUDENTS, SHARING SOPHISTICATED TOOLS AND STATE-OF-THE-ART FACILITIES, WITH UNTOLD BENEFITS FOR OUR RESEARCHERS, OUR COMMUNITY, AND ABOVE ALL, OUR STUDENTS.

MASSIVE OPEN ONLINE COURSES (MOOCS)

FIELD SCHOOLS Field schools take students from classroom theory to real-world discovery with unparalleled hands-on learning opportunities and access to the world’s leading experts in their field. The Faculty of Science offers unique field school experiences, such as the Bamfield Marine Sciences Centre, Southern African Field School, and Geology and Geophysics Field Schools across Canada and in Costa Rica. Our Geosciences Field School endowment is an excellent example of the ways in which donor support helps us sustain and maintain these lifechanging field school experiences.

We are providing world-class research and teaching to inquiring minds around the world to anyone with an internet connection. With subjects as diverse as changes in the Arctic to software product management and paleontology, our MOOCs have been taken by hundreds of thousands of students around the globe. Not only do these courses support a global vision for lifelong learning, they are also providing flexibility for our own students who can take them for credit from the comfort of their living room, allowing students to tailor their undergraduate experience. Annual earnings from the donor-supported SciFund have supported the Faculty of Science in creating these MOOCs.

Undergraduate students in freshwater ecology are learning techniques to monitor biodiversity and ecosystem functioning of lakes and streams.

11

THANK YOU FOR INVESTING IN OUR SUCCESS.

To hear our stories of students’ gratitude for donor support, visit uab.ca/SciImpact

For more information about donor impact and giving, please contact Michelle Fuko, Assistant Dean (Development).

Phone: 780.492.9983 Email: give2science@ualberta.ca

FACULTY OF SCIENCE 6-189 CCIS University of Alberta Edmonton, Alberta Canada T6G 2E1

S C I E N C E . U A L B E R TA . C A

I TRULY APPRECIATE HOW ONE PERSON—BE IT FACULTY, STAFF, STUDENT, ALUMNI, OR DONOR— CAN MAKE A PROFOUND DIFFERENCE. THANK YOU.” —J O N AT H A N S C H A E F F E R