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VOLUME 19, No 1, SPRING 2008
S C I E N C E
A L U M N I
M A G A Z I N E
www.ualberta.ca/science
In the
footsteps of pioneers
M E S S A G E
F R O M
T H E
D E A N
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Happy Birthday! By now, most of you will know this is the university’s centenary. In September 1908, the University of Alberta welcomed its first class of 37 students. Back then, the Faculty of Science was known as the Faculty of Arts and Science, and it wasn’t until 1963 that the two faculties split and the Faculty of Science became its own unit. The accomplishments of our alumni over the past 100 years are nothing but outstanding. A few of those stories are highlighted in the following pages, but I’d like to mention a few others. Dr Richard Taylor, also a graduate of science, is the university’s only Nobel Laureate. He shared the 1990 prize in physics for “fundamental discoveries which show the innermost structure of matter,” and was recently inducted into the Canadian Science and Engineering Hall of Fame. Alumna Dr Maria Klawe has served as the dean of science at the University of British Columbia, dean of engineering at Princeton University in New Jersey and is now president of Harvey Mudd College in Claremont, California. Dr Andrew Derocher, an alumnus and now a faculty member, is the chair of the World Conservation Union Polar Bear Specialist Group and an internationally renowned expert on examining the ecology, conservation and management of large Arctic mammals - particularly the polar bear. U of A alumni are indeed making a difference. To all of you have supported the Faculty of Science, let me say thank you. Enriching the learning and teaching environment of the U of A requires support in many forms, and many of you have given graciously, generously and passionately in the past. You have given your time, your talent and your resources. Support from our alumni is critical to our success. Your philanthropy has supported our scholarship programs and validate our request for capital projects, like CCIS, that are required to meet growing demand for access to education. You, more than any other group of people, understand the importance of advanced education. There are more than 207,000 university alumni worldwide. Each year, particular reunion classes are invited back for Reunion Weekend. But in 2008, every graduate of the University of Alberta is invited to come back to campus September 18 21 to celebrate the biggest Homecoming in our history. An exciting weekend of celebrations for alumni, staff and students is being planned in Edmonton. More details on Homecoming events can be found in the following pages. I would personally like to extend an initiation to the Faculty of Science Centenary Wine and Cheese on September 19th. Join us as we celebrate 100 years of science. Gregory Taylor Dean of Science
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Science Contours is published twice a year by the Faculty of Science Office to provide current information on the many activities of the Faculty. The newsletter is distributed to alumni and friends of the Faculty. Dean of Science Gregory Taylor Assistant Dean, External Relations
Claudia Wood External Relations Team Emily Lennstrom, Rachel Marcus, Julie Naylor, Lorna Reh Editor Julie Naylor Graphic Design Studio X Design Contributing writers Michael Brown, Forces of Change Program, Smithsonian Institution, Julie Naylor, Ileiren Poon, Matthew Pyper Cover photography J.A. Allan, right and colleague University of Alberta Archives
Send your comments to: The Editor, Science Contours CW 223 Biological Sciences Building University of Alberta Edmonton, AB, Canada T6G 2E9 Tel: 780.492.4073 Fax: 780.492.4827 Toll-free: 800.358.8314 E-mail: contours.science@ualberta.ca Website: www.science.ualberta.ca Publications Mail Agreement No: 40063605
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S C I E N C E
A L U M N I
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4 Recognizing our Best
A great faculty has, among other things, great researchers, recognized by their peers. A highlight of recent award winners.
features 5 The Making of a Mentor
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How an Alberta Aboriginal Youth Achievement Award recipient continues the long line of mentorship that has helped shape her success.
6 Paper Cut
Alumnus works to change attitudes and actions of paper consumption, one piece at a time.
8 One on one with Chris Somerville
The Energy Biosciences Institute, a $500 million industry/ university research effort that promises big things. We go one on one with its Director, Chris Somerville.
13 Renaissance Man
What do Leonardo da Vinci and David Robertson have in common?
15 EnCana donation advances energy and
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environmental research
A $7.5 million donation represents an investment in human capital and a commitment to advancing Canada’s goal to become a world leader in producing advanced energy while minimizing its impact on the environment.
17 Where’s the Party?
Everything you need to know to celebrate Homecoming 2008 with us.
18 Biodiversity not just for Bugs
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The Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History Curator of Entomology cautions about pressures humans are placing on biodiversity within the earth’s most critical zones: tropical rainforests.
cover story 10 In the Footsteps of Pioneers
The accomplishments of our faculty, staff, students and alumni over the past 100 years are nothing but outstanding.
E.H. Strickland
R. Boyle
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Awards and Accolades
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ongratulations to all the Faculty of Science award winners who routinely receive prestigious international, national, provincial and university awards that recognize their excellence in research and teaching.
International Todd Lowary (Chemistry), Carbohydrate Research Award; Octavian Catuneanu (Earth and Atmospheric Sciences), Outstanding Academic Title CHOICE Award from the American Library Association; Martin Sharp (Earth and Atmospheric Sciences), Leopold Leadership Fellow at Stanford University; Jim Pinfold (Physics), Leverhulme Award from the Leverhulme Trust for work in the UK.
National Maya Evenden (Biological Sciences), Entomological Society of Canada C. Gordon Hewitt Award; Michael Caldwell (Biological Sciences), Pikaia Award from the Paleontology Division of the Geological Association of Canada; John Vederas (Chemistry), Canadian Society for Chemistry Chemical Institute of Canada Medal; Charles Lucy (Chemistry), Canadian Society for Chemistry Maxxam Award; Dennis Hall (Chemistry), Canadian Society for Chemistry Merck Frosst Lecture Award and the NSERC E.W.R. Steacie Memorial Fellowship; Jeremy Richards (Earth and Atmospheric Sciences), Julian Boldy Memorial Award from the Canadian Institute on Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum; Andrew Locock (Earth and Atmospheric Sciences), Young Scientist Medal of the Mineralogical Association of Canada; Jens Herrle (Earth and Atmospheric Sciences), Canada Research Chair, Tier 2, Micropaleontology; Jack Macki (Mathematical and Statistical Sciences), Canadian Applied and Industrial Mathematics Society Distinguished Service Award; Gordon Swaters (Mathematical and Statistical Sciences), Canadian Applied and Industrial Mathematics Society Research Prize; Aksel Hallin (Physics), Canada Research Chair, Tier 1, Astroparticle Physics.
Provincial David Schindler (Biological Sciences), Alberta Order of Excellence; Richard McCreery (Chemistry), Alberta Ingenuity Scholar; Christian Haas (Earth and Atmospheric Sciences), Alberta Ingenuity Scholar.
City Philip Currie (Biological Sciences), Edmonton Journal Media Relations Recognition.
University Ron Koss (Biological Sciences), Excellence in Learning Support Award; David Coltman (Biological Sciences), Faculty of Science Research Award; Mike Deyholos (Biological Sciences), Faculty of Science Award for Excellent Teaching; Christie McDermott (Chemistry), Excellence in Learning Support Award; Robert Campbell (Chemistry), Petro Canada Young Innovator Award; Chuck Lucy (Chemistry), Faculty of Science Innovation in Teaching Award; Robert McDonald (Chemistry), Faculty of Science Service Award; Laura Deakin (Chemistry), Kathleen W. Klawe Prize for Excellence in Teaching of Large Classes; JosĂŠ Amaral (Computing Science), Graduate Students Association Excellence in Graduate Supervision; Paul Lu (Computing Science), Rutherford Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching. 4
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Richard Siemens
The
Making of a
Rheanna Sand
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heanna Sand (’02 BSc) ran home from school in Grade 5 and proudly announced to her mother she was going to be an astrophysicist. It had been a tossup for a few years: space or dinosaurs. Over 15 years later, Sand is neither a palaeontologist nor an astrophysicist, but she is well on her way to becoming a bona fide research scientist. Born and raised in Edmonton as part of a traditional extended Métis family, Sand has strong community connections and a strong sense of cultural and feminist pride bestowed upon on her by a handful of mentors. Her grandmother, Thelma Chalifoux, the first Aboriginal woman ever appointed to the Senate of Canada, taught her about politics and feminism. Her godmother is Tantoo Cardinal, the Alberta actress who has appeared on the big screen in Dances with Wolves, Black Robe, Legends of the Fall, and the television series North of 60. From her Sand learned not to be afraid of who she is, to be proud of it and to celebrate her individuality. And then there is her mother, Debbie Coulter. “My mom is very, very wise,” Sand says thoughtfully. “I learned just about everything else from her.” Considering where Sand is today, that is saying a lot. “I’m in my third year of my PhD work-
ing in Dr. Warren Gallin’s lab at the University of Alberta studying voltage-gated potassium channels,” she explains. “I’m using a snail toxin to investigate how the protein senses voltage. This has been a puzzle since potassium channels were discovered. Also, channel dysfunction can lead to diseased tissues, so understanding what causes the failure will help medical researchers develop treatments.” For her academic accomplishments Sand received an NSERC Postgraduate Scholarship. Most recently, she was recognized by her community with an Alberta Aboriginal Youth Achievement Award for Senior Academic Achievement. Hosted by the Métis Nation of Alberta, the annual event celebrates the achievements of Aboriginal youth from across the province in a range of categories. “To be recognized by both the scientific community and my cultural community is a great honour. At the AAYAA gala event they showed little movie clips on each of the award recipients. I am the first one in my family to be enrolled in a PhD program, and for the first time my family got to see me in my element, in the lab doing what I love. It was also the first time my work colleagues and friends got to see me surrounded by my community. It was definitely a meeting of my two worlds.” Not only her community sings her praises. Her supervisor and mentor, Dr. Warren Gallin, sees huge potential in
Sand as a research scientist. “She has an excellent combination of rigorous intellectual insight and focussed practical skills that one rarely sees in a student at this stage of her career. She evaluates the options that she has for doing her research, makes a practical plan, and then executes it cleanly and intensely.” Sand understands that with recognition comes an expectation to mentor and be a role model for others. According to Gallin, she has been an excellent role model from the beginning. “She is able to mentor students starting out in the lab, giving them solid advice and teaching by leading,” he says. “Rheanna demonstrates best practices, but at the same time she outlines the more common pitfalls, thus helping the student to learn the correct techniques in the context of things that could go wrong and could be avoided.” Sand has won several teaching awards for her work in some of the undergraduate laboratories, including a Graduate Teaching Award. She volunteers her time with the Graduate Students Association and the General Faculties Council at the U of A, and is a board member for the YWCA Edmonton. She has a keen interest in science communication, a love of the guitar, and an undeniable drive to succeed in whatever she takes on. And as she succeeds, she continues the long line of mentorship that has helped shape her success.
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Richard Siemens
Michael Rawson Clark
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Paper Cut
Less is more, at least when it comes to the amount of paper that gets thrown out.
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n an effort to cut down on paper waste, Michael Rawson Clark, ’07 BSc, and a team of University of Alberta students won $25,000 in a green challenge for its plan to help cut paper usage on campus. The group was one of four teams to recently win the Go Green Challenge issued by the TD Friends of the Environment Foundation. A total of 87 teams, from nearly 40 schools across Canada, competed. The Paper Cut Program, which focuses on integrating sustainable paper products and developing an overall reduction strategy for campuses everywhere, has also garnered a commitment of up to $25,000 from the U of A. “Our goal is to create awareness about the impacts paper product consumption has on the sustainability of our campus community, the city of Edmonton, and on forest ecosystems,” explains Rawson Clark. “We intend to work with paper purchasers and users in building novel strategies to reduce paper consumption, and encourage a transition to emerging ‘green’ paper products as demand and availability increase.” Now an MSc Candidate in Plant Ecology at the U of A and the Executive Director of the Campus Sustainability Coalition, Rawson Clark wants to educate people on how using less paper and choosing sustainably harvested paper
products, like those that are FSC certified, will reduce our environmental footprint. FSC, or the Forest Stewardship Council, is an international certification and labelling system that guarantees that the forest products you purchase come from responsibly managed forests and verified recycled sources. Under FSC certification, forests are certified against a set of strict environmental and social standards, and fibre from certified forests is tracked all the way to the consumer through the chain of custody certification system. FSC-certified forests protect wildlife habitat and endangered species, ensure clean water by respecting rivers and waterways, are not planted with genetically modified (GM) trees, or converted into plantations. The end result is products in the marketplace carrying the FSC ‘check-tree’ logo. FSC-certified papers contain FSCcertified wood fibre from well-managed forests, postconsumer recycled content, or a combination of FSC-certified wood fibre, recycled content and other controlled forest friendly sources. Canada is the world leader in FSC certification. As of February 2008, Canada had 26 million Ha of FSC-certified forests, over 25% of the world’s FSC-certified forests. The largest FSC-certification, 5.5 million Ha, is in Alberta. The funding will help support two
summer internship positions, an audit of paper use on campus, and a cost analysis for using sustainable paper products. “A key component to the project is a pilot study that will be carried out in the School of Public Health starting September 2008,” adds Rawson Clark. “By the end of the study we would like to have developed guidelines around sustainable paper use and purchasing that can then be carried forward to other departments, and eventually to the entire university community”. Funds will also provide additional assistance that may be required during the implementation of the program and to take it to the next stages: communication and education campaigns. Educating staff and students about paper usage, and small changes that can be made can make a big difference. Rawson Clark’s interests in sustainability are not limited to paper. He is one of the founding members of Green Alberta, an online database of green building products and materials that offer an ethical, health-conscious, environmentally low-impact and cost-effective alternative to current standards in interior and exterior building design. The database is the first of its kind in Alberta and hopes to be the benchmark for verifying green building materials locally and nationally.
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One on one with
Dr. Chris Somerville
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Microbial Biology at the University of California, Berkeley, and a visiting scientist at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Somerville’s research focuses on the characterization of proteins implicated in plant cell-wall synthesis and modification. He has published more than 200 scientific papers in plant and microbial genetics, genomics, biochemistry and biotechnology. As EBI Director, Somerville oversees all open activities at the Institute, including research, communications, education and outreach. He has served on the scientific advisory boards of many corporations, academic institutions and private foundations in Europe and North America, including Alberta Ingenuity’s Science and Engineering Advisory Council. He is a member of the U.S. National Academy of Sciences, the Royal Society of London and the Royal Society of Canada. With EBI recently announcing an initial set of 49 research projects for funding during the first year of its 10-year program, Somerville took
Lawrence Berkeley Nat’l Lab - Roy Kaltschmidt, photographer
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t has been just over a year since global energy firm BP announced an unprecedented $500 million research effort with the University of California, Berkeley, in partnership with Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and the University of Illinois at UrbanaChampaign, to develop new sources of energy and reduce the impact of energy consumption on the environment. The funding created the Energy Biosciences Institute (EBI), an organization focused on performing ground-breaking research aimed at the production of new and cleaner energy, initially focusing on advanced biofuels for road transport. Its scientists also are probing the social, economic and environmental implications of using plants for a sizable portion of the earth’s energy needs. At the helm of EBI is Dr. Chris Somerville, ‘74 BSc, ‘76 MSc, ‘78 PhD, 1997 DSc (Honorary). A professor in the Department of Plant and
time out of his schedule to answer questions from his alma mater. Q Why did you move to the Energy Bioscience Institute? CS I started working on the EBI proposal in the summer of 2005 while I was a professor at Stanford and Director of a department of the Carnegie Institution for Science. I formally moved to Berkeley in December 2007. Most of my lab moved in March 2008 but I still have a group at Stanford that will not move until June, at which time I will close my Stanford lab. Q Are you still maintaining an active research group? CS Yes but it is smaller than at any time during the past 20 years. My group is mostly focused on understanding how cellulose is made and how the biosynthetic process controls the chemical structure of cellulose. Q What is the most common biofuels misconception? CS That “biofuels” is a useful term. There are many types of biofuels but the public discourse frequently does not distinguish among them and the result is often confusion. For instance, in discussions about land use, it makes a lot of difference if one is discussing biodiesel made from soybeans or biodiesel made from waste materials or cellulosic fuels or algal biodiesel. I think this leads to many of the other misconceptions. I think the second biggest mis conception is that “biofuels” are behind the increase in food prices. In fact, biofuels have a very minor overall effect. The big factors are increases in the cost of energy (oil has increased 10 fold in the past 10 years); a huge increase in the amount of commodity speculation; a major drought in Australia; a huge increase in demand for grain from China and India (to feed animals) stimulated by years of 8% GDP growth; and market restrictions imposed by governments who fear effects of increased prices on political stability and
Q How does this particular industry/ academia relationship work? Who owns the IP? CS The university partners own the IP. BP has a non-exclusive license to anything that is invented with BP financial support. This is a standard type of University-Industry collaboration that is just one of many similar relationships at UC Berkeley, U Illinois and every other US research university. The agreement is published on the EBI website. Q Of the 49 projects EBI recently funded, which have caught your eye and why? CS I suppose the short answer is that they all caught my eye. We received 250 proposals from the faculty at UC Berkeley, Lawrence Berkeley lab and University of Illinois. The 49 that we supported each offered the possibility of an insight that we thought would be valuable in understanding the overall opportunity associated with cellulosic fuels. Approximately 17 of the projects are in the area of socioeconomics and environmental science and are not expected to produce any technical advances or patents. However, most of these projects involve people who are able to integrate leading-edge technical insights with socioeconomic and environmental sciences to give us a forward view of how various technical options might unfold. We hope that by making such a large investment in these topics we can make better choices among technical options as they emerge. Among the technical projects we are supporting, there are a huge number of interesting new opportunities to develop new crops specifically for energy production, to discover new biological or chemical routes to converting lignocellulose to fuels and to develop new engineering processes that take advantage of parallel advanced in material sciences and process engineering. We see undeveloped opportunities in all directions.
Q In the future will proposals from nonpartner public institutions be accepted? From Canadian institutions? CS No. We believe that in order to solve some of the problems that we are focused on, we need to have the EBI investigators colocated so that we foster interdisciplinary interactions. Q Where do you see Canada fitting in to the energy biosciences and the development of biofuels? CS We are currently conducting analyses of land use and biomass potential of all land in the world in order to understand the potential of various regions. We are particularly interested in finding land that does not compete
Lawrence Berkeley Nat’l Lab - Roy Kaltschmidt, photographer
the decline of the US dollar. There is an effect of corn ethanol on the cost of meat and egg producers in North America, but an increase in grain prices in the North American market is very positive for the broader agricultural community, who have suffered a generation of low prices that have had deleterious effects on the farming community. Interestingly, US corn exports are at an all time high so the higher prices have not reduced demand.
for food production. In that respect, it seems possible that the extensive forests in Canada might be the most promising opportunity for Canada. However, if expanded use of Canadian forests is accompanied by increased net CO2 emissions from the soil after harvesting of such forests, it might not be a desirable direction. This and related issues need to be understood as part of a longterm strategy. The effects of global change on the forests also need to be understood. The devastation caused by the blister beetle in BC and elsewhere raises the possibility that the Canadian forests may be ecologically unstable and any proposed change in land use needs to take that into account. Q Where do you see energy biosciences in 20 years? CS Several regions of the world have the potential to produce large
amounts of cellulosic biomass on land that is not needed for food production and is not ecologically sensitive. I believe that a cellulosic fuels industry will develop in these regions and that the technology will also be used in every major urban area in the world to recover energy from waste biomass that accumulates in cities. I think it possible that in 20 years we will obtain about one quarter of our transportation fuels from cellulosic materials and that corn ethanol (and biodiesel from virgin oils) will become a thing of the past. The cellulosic fuels will probably be more like petrol and diesel than ethanol. Thus, large changes in infrastructure will not be required. I think that the core scientific and engineering problems to enable the industry will be largely solved within 20 years but, of course, there will be a continuing stream of improvements, as there are in most other aspects of S&T. Hopefully, we will also see many improvements in other energy technologies, particularly in energy efficiency. I think that energy efficiency is actually the biggest single opportunity at present. We have about 400 scientists at Berkeley working in that field, and hundreds more working in other types of renewable energy. Thus, cellulosic fuels are just part of our overall cleantech portfolio at Berkeley. Q Do you still have ties to the U of A? Alberta? CS My colleague and spouse Shauna Somerville, who is also a professor at Berkeley, completed her undergraduate degree at U of A. We both have families in Edmonton and Calgary and several of our nieces are currently enrolled at U of A. Also, I served on the Alberta Ingenuity fund advisory board during its first five years. Recently, the EBI has been in discussion with representatives of various research organizations in Alberta about some possible joint research concerning the tar sands. Q You received all of your education at the University of Alberta, who were your mentors while you were here? CS I am particularly indebted to Jim Timourian (mathematics), Peter Antonelli (mathematics), Ken Morgan and Mary Fujiwara (genetics) and my PhD thesis advisor Asad Ahmed (genetics).
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In the
Footsteps Pioneers of
A highlight of those who have made outstanding contributions to the Faculty of Science.
“I believe that there is a rather serious error in the paper ...” And there was. The paper had assigned a positive value to a term that should have been negative. It turned out to have been simply a mistake made when the paper was being reworked for publication, but Einstein responded to the correspondence with great interest because Wyman had included with his letter, “a rigorous solution of the field equations” underlying the paper. Not only had Wyman understood the work and spotted the error, he had solved the equations — something Einstein and Straus hadn’t accomplished. Who was Max Wyman, this person who could correct Einstein’s work and capture his attention? In 1945 he was a 29-year-old assistant professor of mathematics at the University of Alberta. He would later become chair of the math department, dean of the Faculty of Science, and the University’s president — the first native Albertan and first U of A alumnus to hold that office. When he was appointed the University’s seventh president in 1969, he had a wellestablished reputation as a mathematician, a teacher and an administrator.
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University of Alberta Archives
Preserved among the papers of the late Max Wyman, ‘37 BSc, ‘82 LLD (Honorary), in the University of Alberta’s archives is a draft of a letter dated 20 December 1945. Written in Wyman’s own hand, it begins: “Dear Professor Einstein ...” In the letter, Wyman informs Einstein that he had Max Wyman been asked to review the latter’s paper on “The Influence of the Expansion of Space in the Gravitational Fields Surrounding Individual Stars,” written with E.G. Straus. And then come these remarkable words:
When Dr. John Allan became a professor in the early ‘20s, the job required calloused hands, sturdy legs and no small measure of grit-at least in his chosen discipline. In our age of computer simulations and analyses, it’s easy to forget that geologists once worked mostly with hammers, diamond saws and chisels, hiking into remote areas of the wilderness to get at the stuff of their trade. Geology was so dangerous in those days that Allan almost lost his life surveying the bank of the North Saskatchewan River in the summer of 1925. His boat struck a rock and capsized 32 kilometres out of Rocky Mountain House, tossing $500 worth of equipment overboard-a small fortune at the time. Yet it was precisely “Hardrock” Allan’s adventurous spirit that pointed us towards the most lucrative of Alberta’s natural resources. He conducted the original survey of the Drumheller Coal Field in 1922, and published the first map of Alberta’s coal fields, today updated regularly by the Energy Utilities Board. In 1925, he published the first geological map of Alberta, a milestone in the history of the province. The prosperity Alberta enjoys today owes much to Allan’s studies of coal, oil and natural gas. Henry Marshall Tory, the university’s founding president, hired Allan to start a geology department at the University of Alberta in 1912. The young professor was made head of the department the following year, and held that position until his retirement in 1949. During his 37 years in the department he amassed a huge collection of fossil and mineral specimens, as well as a number of native artefacts, creating one of the best geological John Allan (right) museums in the country.
University of Alberta Archives
John “Hardrock” Allan
Dear Professor Einstein
Edgar H. Strickland earned a diploma from Wye Agricultural College, an MSc from Harvard, and a DSc from the University of Alberta. After completing his masters at Harvard he came to Canada to get field experience for proposed research on sleeping sickness in Africa. He became a field officer with the Dominion Government Entomological Laboratory in Lethbridge. He joined the University of Alberta in 1922 as professor and head of the Department of Entomology, of which he was the sole member for 24 years. Strickland’s 60 entomological papers range through history, ecology, life cycles, taxonomy and adverse effects of DDT, with pest control a major concern of his career. The Strickland Entomological Museum was named Edgar H. Strickland in his honor, and features approximately one million specimens, preserved dry on pins; in vials, in alcohol, or in Canada balsam, on microscope slides. A charter member and honorary life member of the Entomological Society of Alberta, Strickland was the Society’s first president. He was also an honorary member of the Entomological Society of Canada, a 1952 Fellow of the Entomological Society of America, and a member of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. The recipient of a World War I service medal, Strickland was a private and non commissioned officer with the 196th Battalion and was also involved with the 1st Battalion of the Canadian Machine Gun Corps in 1918. Strickland’s additional military activities included colonel commanding officer with the University of Alberta Contingent of the Canadian Officers’ Training Corps, (COTC) which trained university undergraduates for officer commissions in the Canadian Army reserves. In peacetime, the University of Alberta Contingent offered students military training and a vehicle for fulfilling the University’s physical education requirements. He also served as lieutenant commander and commanding officer at the Basic Training Centre at Wetaskiwin Unit 133.
University of Alberta Archives
Officer and an Entomologist
Computational Beginnings
The LGP-30, the U of A’s first computer, delivered in October 1957
That May the Department of Physics established a link with the electronic computer run by their colleagues at the University of Toronto. Built out of World War II vacuum tubes, the FERUT (Ferranti Computer at the University of Toronto) required a large room, a crew of eight engineers and six hours of maintenance daily to run — and sometimes it ran for as long as half an hour before breaking down. Using fivehole punched teletype tape, it had the capacity of a modern pocket calculator — without the convenience or reliability. Later in 1957 the U of A became the third campus in Canada (after the Universities of Toronto and B.C.) to enter the computer age when the Committee on Electronic Equipment invested the hefty sum of $40,000 on an LGP-30 made by the Royal McBee University of Alberta Archives
At the convocation on 4 June 1968, Diane Reader Jones, who now owns two national businesses based on laser video disk technology, strode across the stage of the Jubilee Auditorium and received the first BSc degree in honors computing science ever awarded by the U of A. Although that degree was a landmark for the department formed four years earlier, the history of computing at the University goes back much further. Computers were ushered in and the era of mathematical tables and handcranked calculators ended in 1957.
Corporation of Port Chester, New York. (Equipment was upgraded to an IBM 1620 computer in 1961.) As demand for computing services on campus grew, the need for a separate, degree-granting department which could offer teaching and research in the computing field as well as provide support to Computing Centre users on campus became apparent. On 1 April 1964, the Department of Computing Science was created— that name chosen instead of the more common “computer science” to emphasize that computing, rather than the devices themselves, would be the focus of the new department. Meanwhile, those devices continued to become more sophisticated. The original IBM computers had been rented at a cost of just over $3,000 per month when the prohibitive cost of purchasing even a used device — some $240,000 — prevented the University from buying one. The rented IBM 1620 was replaced in 1964 and in 1967 a more modern IBM 360/67 was acquired and used until the mid-’70s.
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University of Alberta Archives
Inventor of Sonar
Raymond Lemieux
Leader of the Carbohydrate Revolution Raymond Lemieux enjoyed a brilliant career in carbohydrate science research. Though his favourite subject in school was chemistry, the budding scientist had aspirations of playing in the NHL. After less than a season with the Edmonton Junior Hockey League, he gave up his dream in 1936. He entered the University of Alberta in 1939 and led his class in the freshman chemistry courses. After graduating with a degree in honours chemistry in 1943, he began graduate studies at McGill University, where he obtained his PhD in organic chemistry in 1946. In 1953, he and a post-doctoral fellow, George Huber, announced the first synthesis of sucrose molecules, or table sugar, and oligosaccharides, the sugar that coats red blood cells — a challenge considered the “Mount Everest” of carbohydrate chemistry. He was now considered the modern pioneer of carbohydrate chemistry and “the father of the carbohydrate revolution.” While Lemieux’s life work was basic research, there have been extremely significant applications of this work that are largely responsible for the nucleus of high-technology industry in Alberta. He was President and Research Director of Raylo Chemicals, which developed ways to produce substances such as semi-synthetic antibiotics, rubber-related compounds, and heavy water. Chembiomed was formed to exploit Lemieux’s carbohydrate chemistry research for the medical-care industry; particularly in blood banking. Lemieux was widely acknowledged for his accomplishments and captured many prestigious awards for chemistry in the world, and his contributions to Canadian science were recognized in 1991 with the first-ever Canada Gold Medal for Science and Engineering, Canada’s highest scientific honour.
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Deans of the Faculty of Science
Deans of the Faculty of Arts and Science
2003–
Gregory Taylor
1957–1963
Douglas Elstow Smith
1992–2002
Richard E. Peter
1952–1957
Walter Hugh Johns
1982–1991
W. John McDonald
1945–1952
John MacDonald
1977–1982
Kenneth B. Newbound
1938–1945
George Malcolm Smith
1965–1977
Donald Murray Ross
1936–1938
William Hardy Alexander
1963–1965
Max Wymann
1914–1936
William Alexander Robb Kerr
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Robert Boyle was approached by University of Alberta president Henry Marshall Tory to head up the U of A Physics Department starting in 1912, a position he held until 1929. Boyle also held the position of Dean of the Faculty of Applied Science (now the Faculty of Engineering) from 1919-21. He also served as a member of the Senate (1920-29). His most notable achievement, however, stems from his work in the development of sonar (sound navigation and ranging) technology. When the First World War broke out in 1914, Germany attacked Allied shipping with submarines, with devastating results. In 1916, Boyle was called to apply his research in acoustics to the problem of creating a practical means of detecting submarines underwater. In late 1917, while working with the British Royal Navy’s Board of Invention and Research, Boyle and a small team of British researchers studied the earlier work of French physicist Paul Langevin in acoustic underwater detection, and produced an ultrasonic quartz transducer that could be fitted to the hull of a warship, the first practical use of sonar in warfare. The following year, the transducers were ordered into production, though they did not see much use in the war. Sonar has since become an important method of underwater detection in both military and civilian use. Boyle received little credit for his work at the time. He did not patent the transducer he and the British research team developed, published no research papers due to the covert nature of the project, and did not continue his work in sonar with the Royal Navy at war’s end, preferring to return to his post at the University of Alberta.
Renaissance Man I By the grace of God and pure luck, I survived civil wars, revolutions, and disease, and returned as a resourceful adult, ready and able to cope with any challenge.” With PhD in hand, Robertson made his way back to Alberta, teaching and conducting research at the University of Alberta and the University of Calgary. He then began exploring for uranium during the boom of the early seventies, and over the years found himself in the oil business as an independent consultant. He officially retired in 2006, although he had to give away his equipment so he couldn’t work. When he’s not throwing pots on the wheel or brandishing a paintbrush, Robertson serves on the Vernon volunteer firefighter department. Admittedly, he joined because he was attracted to one of the lady firefighters, but seventeen years later he’s made lifelong friends and cherishes the opportunity. “One gets drawn into it with time: by the useful training, by the quality of the people you are working with, and by the adrenaline rush of a serious callout. Lifelong friendships develop. Little boys look at you with worshipful eyes and ask you for your autograph, or people thank you for saving their life.” He is a strong believer in giving back. “I see a need for something, and I try to galvanize, organize, enthuse, and motivate people to help make it happen. It’s not too difficult to get support for a worthy endeavor - people just need a bit of leadership.” Richard Siemens
f Leonardo da Vinci was the quintessential Renaissance man in the 15th century, David Robertson may just be the modern day version. Like the men of the Renaissance who sought to develop skills in all areas of knowledge, the arts, social accomplishments and physical growth, Robertson has explored them all. A geologist by trade, the words painter, world traveler, motorcycle enthusiast, craftsmen, volunteer firefighter, and philanthropist, could also be used to describe him. Under the mentorship of Dr. Cumming and Dr. Folinsbee, Robertson earned a BSc in Geophysics (’64) and an MSc (’66). His thesis paper, which explored the geochronology of the world’s most ancient rocks found on our northern shield, was published in the Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences and is still referenced for its Award recipient identification of the Lauren Stieglitz oldest continental crust in the world long before anyone else. Upon graduation, Robertson set off to do “scientific research on the frontiers of knowledge”. He applied to Oxford, Stanfield, Leeds and others, and settled on Leeds because he knew and respected his future supervisor, Dr. M.H. Dodson. “I also knew he had the financing to send me throughout the entire continent of Africa to do the project of my choosing,” adds Robertson. “So I set off on an adventurous odyssey down the east side of Africa by myself in a land rover.
David Robertson
With that in mind, he joined a firefighter friend who had been going to Jamaica for years to help out a local school. They buy school supplies, used computers and toys in Canada to give to away, and feed and provide shoes for 70 children. Closer to home, Robertson has established an award for third and fourth year students specializing in geology or geophysics. Worth $10,000 over two years, the recipient is selected based on “passion and talent in their field of study, demonstrated leadership, participation in extracurricular activities, and academic achievement.” He worked hard to pay his way though University, and realizes some students are forced out in their final years because of financial constraints. “It’s a waste of good potential,” he explains “and a little hand up can change a life so much for the better for us all. I loved my time at the U of A, have been successful because of it, and want to share my success with other promising students who have the potential to make our society better. Perhaps, this article might induce others to give out some awards.” Third year geophysics student Lauren Stieglitz, the most recent recipient of the award, certainly appreciates the help. “The financial assistance means I won’t have to work next year and can focus on my studies,” she explains. “I’m looking at going away for graduate school, maybe Stanford, and this will be a huge help. Rather than worrying about finances for the next two years I will be able to experience university more fully, get some experience doing research in a lab, explore future job possibilities, and really get a well-rounded education.” While Robertson has not met Stieglitz, he might find her a kindred spirit. A fencer, squash player, budding photographer, and academic, she is has the makings of a Renaissance woman.
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Students like Maureen Stonehouse will benefit from the EnCana Scholars Awards.
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n 1920, University of Alberta President Henry Marshall Tory convinced a young Karl Clark, a rising chemical engineering star, to leave the friendly confines of his Ottawa home to come west to help to unlock the mystery of how to separate oil from sand. Nine years later the gamble paid off, as Clark discovered not only the process by which bitumen is separated from oilsands, but also the platform that drives Canada’s current economy. Almost 80 years later, Encana Corporation, an oilsands giant, is betting that the U of A can figure out a way to best marry oilsands production and the environment by making one of the largest corporate donations to date in the university’s Campaign 2008, a $7.5 million gift to the University of Alberta that is earmarked for the advancement of research on energy and the environment. This exceptional donation will endow a chair in water resource sciences, a chair in environmental engineering, and scholarships for exceptional students studying any area related to energy and the environment. It recognizes that supplying energy to future generations will require building a critical mass of research on energy and the environment. “Our world is continually demanding more energy and Alberta is in a unique position to help,” said Randy Eresman, EnCana’s president and CEO. “At the same time, developing our natural gas and oil resources in an environmentally sound manner is essential. That’s why we need the collaboration of great institutions like the University of Alberta to find new and better ways to efficiently develop our resources in a sustainable way.” “This donation will fund three important endeavors to help attract and support the best and brightest professors and students who will be advancing knowledge at the intellectual crossroads of energy and environment,” he said. “It is hoped that EnCana’s funding today will help the University of Alberta dare to discover and dare to deliver on Canada’s goal of becoming a world leader in environmentally sustainable energy development.” U of A President Indira Samarasekera spoke of the increased quality of life that energy advancement has brought the world, but said all that has been gained will quickly erode if we don’t start looking to the future. “We believe that we have critical role to play in providing scientific discoveries and technical innovations that lead to more efficient and cleaner energy production, and in training the future generations of engineers, scientists, business leaders, policy
makers, and technologists who will put these discoveries and innovations into practice,” said Samarasekera. Of the $7.5-million total donation, $6 million establishes the research chairs at $3 million each, and $1.5 million endows the EnCana Scholars Awards. The EnCana Chair in Water Resources will serve as the catalyst for comprehensively documenting, analyzing and protecting groundwater systems in Alberta. The University of Alberta is a leader in developing new ways to assess the impact of industry on water quality. “The conservation and effective management of Alberta’s water resources is one of the most pressing challenges facing our province at a time of rapid population and industrial growth and major changes in land-use and climate across the province,” commented Dr. Martin Sharp, chair of the department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences. “These changes are having significant impacts on the abundance and quality of our surface and groundwater reserves, as well as on the demand for these resources.” The Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences has a long history of working with Alberta’s energy industry in the area of exploration and development. Many EAS alumni work in the industry and faculty members are becoming increasingly involved in research in areas that are of importance to industry, such as geological carbon sequestration and the hydrological management of tailings facilities. The EnCana Chair will open up another potential area of interaction that will build on this strength, allowing us to increase our engagement with the industry and people of Alberta around an area of substantial public interest. The EnCana Scholars Awards were created in the spirit of the university’s 100-year history. Each year 10 top students in their third and fourth years will each receive awards of approximately $6,500 on the basis of outstanding academic merit in disciplines related to energy and the environment. For Maureen Stonehouse, fourth year Science student in the Geology honors program, the gift represents a huge opportunity for students. “A university education extends beyond the lecture halls,” she explained. We grow as people through our involvement in student groups, participation in intramural sports, and by being active citizens of the university community. Additional funding enables students to experience the full education they deserve.”
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Centenary Wine and Cheese: 100 years of Science Dean Gregory Taylor invites all science alumni and their guests to join him in toasting wonderful memories and great Science accomplishments through the years. The Dean will be on hand to chat about exciting developments in the faculty. Optional tours will follow the reception. Date: Time: Location: Cost: Info:
Friday, September 19, 2008 5:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. Faculty Club, 11435 Saskatchewan Drive Free Rachel Marcus at (780) 492-6226 or rachel.marcus@ualberta.ca
Homecoming 2008 Volunteer Opportunities If you are interested in helping with Homecoming 2008 events, we may have a role for you! During Homecoming 2008, the Office of Alumni Affairs is looking for alumni and current students to volunteer as:
Class/Group Reunion Organizer: The Office of Alumni Affairs is recruiting reunion organizers for Homecoming 2008. Invite your classmates, teammates or club members to come back to campus and join the University community as we celebrate the U of A’s centenary. The Office of Alumni Affairs will provide support in contacting your group.
Campus tour guides: The Office of Alumni Affairs requires volunteers Friday and Saturday to take alumni on a variety of tours around campus (e.g., History of Campus, New Buildings tour, faculty-specific tours). Clerical support: The Office of Alumni Affairs requires volunteers to assist with preparations for Homecoming 2008 events. Duties may include preparing registration packages, photocopying, light typing, phoning or other clerical support as required.
Welcome Tent: The Office of Alumni Affairs requires volunteers to assist with an on-campus welcome tent, Thursday to Saturday. Help is needed to greet alumni, answer questions about Homecoming events and provide directions to points on campus. If you would like to volunteer in one of these capacities, please contact Colleen Elliott in the Office of Alumni Affairs. You may also call her at (780) 492-0866 or, toll-free, at 1-800-661-2593.
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Centenary Homecoming Gala The marquee event of Homecoming 2008, the Gala promises to be spectacular. Alumni and community members will come together to salute our alma mater, celebrate with family and friends, and make merry. Hear from our dynamic President, Indira Samarasekera, enjoy a concert by the legendary Ian Tyson, and then put on your dancing shoes for the Dave Babcock Jump Orchestra. Be part of the celebration! Photographers will be on hand to turn memories into mementos. Date: Saturday, September 20, 2008 Time: Reception: 5:30 p.m.; Dinner 6:30 p.m. Location: Shaw Conference Centre, Halls A-C; 9797 Jasper Avenue Cost: $100/person (by August 1); $125/person (after August 1) Info: Office of Alumni Affairs at (780) 492-3224, 1-800-661-2593 (toll-free) or alumni@ualberta.ca Dress: Formal (black-tie optional)
We’re celebrating the University’s 100th birthday with the biggest reunion ever — Homecoming 2008. Mark your calendar and plan to attend the party of the century!
For more information or to get involved, go to www.ualbertca/alumni or call 1-800-661-2593
EVENTS OPEN TO ALL ALUMNI Thursday, September 18 • Alumni Recognition Awards
Friday, September 19 • • • • •
Tuck Shop Welcome Tent Faculty Receptions Bears & Pandas Reunion Campus Tours Golden Bears football and pre-game party
Saturday, September 20 • • • • •
Tuck Shop Welcome Tent Faculty Open Houses & Tours Campus Tours Lectures Centenary Homecoming Gala featuring Ian Tyson, Tommy Banks & live band
Sunday, September 21 • President’s Breakfast (open to graduates from 1958 or prior)
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Biodiversity not just for Nature’s bounty is everyone’s business, according to Terry Erwin (‘69 PhD), one of the most influential entomological conservation biologists and systematic taxonomists today. The curator of entomology at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History in Washington, D.C., spent much of his career working in the Amazon rainforest.
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n a recent visit to the University of Alberta as part of the E.H. Strickland Memorial Lecture Series, Erwin cautioned the public about pressures humans are placing on biodiversity within the earth’s most critical zones: tropical rainforests. “The resilience of ecosystems is being pushed by our misuse of technological resources,” Erwin said. “Humans must change the way they view their relationship with nature from one of ownership to one of operating with nature. It’s the only way to provide hope for future generations”. To contrast the negative aspects of human damage to delicate ecosystems, 18
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Erwin pointed to a unique collaborative project between scientists and industrial companies in Ecuador, which has enabled the collection of more than 15 million beetles that represents thousands of species. He also recognized global efforts at connecting humans with organisms around the world through innovative programs, like the Encyclopedia of Life (EOL), a free online project undertaken by North American scientists geared to contributing to lifelong learning about the world’s 1.8 million species. When EOL went live in February, 2008 it had over 11 million hits and had to be temporarily rerouted to demonstration sites for two days. Erwin is known by his closest peers
Chip Clark, Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History
Terry Erwin and his team collect insects
for his expertise with the Carabidae Neotropical ground beetles, especially those that never touch the ground. The tropical canopy-inhabiting genus Agra has become his personal burden, providing hundred of difficult species to describe, including such classics as Agra vation, Agra cadabra, and Agra katewinslettae - names that give a hint at his sense of humor. His 1982 paper, Tropical Forests: Their Richness In Coleóptera And Other Arthropod Species, is one of the most cited papers in systematic entomology, biodiversity studies, conservation biology and the public press. His paper documented the vast amount of previously undiscovered life forms in tropical forests, estimating there may be more than 30 million species of beetles and other insects throughout the world, trumping previous estimates of 1.5-10 million. Now the curator of entomology at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History, Erwin has taken his passion for biodiversity conservation into environmental management, educational and public information areas. He has undertaken a major study of the impact of the oil industry on the forest health in the Ecuadorian Amazon, and is a dedicated mentor for the next generation of scientists. Erwin and his colleague, Scott Miller, are currently developing the Encyclopedia of Life Project at the Smithsonian Institution.
Stay in touch… Wherever you are, whatever you are doing, we want to hear from you. We would like to feature your news and accomplishments in future issues of Contours.
Mail, fax or email us your news!
contours@ulberta.ca • fax (780) 492-4827
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’39 BSc, ’40 MSc, ’44 PhD Maurice Pechet , of Cambridge, MA, was honoured in February when a conference room in the Joseph B. Martin Conference Center at Harvard Medical School (named after another U of A grad, Joseph Martin, ’62 MD, ’98 DSc (Honorary) was dedicated to Maurice and renamed The Pechet Family Conference Room. ’61 MD, ’67 MSc Nis Schmidt , notes that he and William “Bud” Phillips, ’60 BA, both of Vancouver, BC, have been singing and are very involved now with the Vancouver Welsh Men’s Choir. The friends, who met at a camp at Gull Lake, AB, when they were 10 years old, were in the UA Mixed Chorus together in the late ’50s. ’62 PhD (Geology) Zell E. Peterman, retired from the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) in 2007 after 44 years of government service. The last 17 years of his career has been focused on evaluation of Yucca Mountain in Nevada, as a potential nuclear waste repository, and he is continuing these studies for the USGS as a scientist emeritus. He also does consultation in geochemistry and geochronology through his company, ZEP Consulting, LLC. This summer he was awarded a certificate of recognition by the International Association of Geochemistry (IAGC) for “outstanding scientific accomplishments over the last 45 years covering a broad spectrum of scientific pursuits”.
’62 BSc James W. Thorsell, of Wilmer, BC, received the prestigious James B. Harkin Conservation Medal from the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society in November for his outstanding contribution to conserving wilderness and national parks around the world. James, who received a U of A Distinguished Alumni Award in 2007, is a leading international authority on conservation, playing a pivotal role in the preservation of numerous natural areas around the world. ’65 MSc Satish K.Srivastava, PhD, of Rowland Heights, CA, was awarded the American Association of Stratigraphic Palynologists Medal for Scientific Excellence in 2006 at the Geological Society of America meeting in Philadelphia. ’68 MSc Malcolm McPhee, professor emeritus of the Department of Surgery and Urological Oncology at U of Alberta, retired from his academic urological career at the U of A in 1995. He had been director of the Department of Surgery at the Cross Cancer Institute (CCI) and conducted groundbreaking research into laser therapy for cancer. ’80 BSc Robert J. Paul, was recently named Chief Geophysicist for Continental Energy Corporation. Robert has 28 years of experience in oil and gas exploration, the last 17 in Indonesia. He will be based in Continental’s Jakarta office where he will be the lead geophysicist and part of a technical team dedicated to identifying, evaluating and acquiring new oil and gas properties.
’87 MSc Lori Walton, president of Firestone Ventures Ltd. In Edmonton, has been named Yukon Chamber of Mines prospector of the year. Before joining Firestone, Lori was senior mineral development advisor for the Yukon government. ’89 BSc Derek Hennecke, of Tampa, Florida, has been named to the board of directors of Oragenics, Inc., a biotechnology development company. Derek, an expert in drug development with years of experience in the international biotechnology industry, is founder and CEO of Xcelience, a formulation and clinical manufacturing contract research company in Tampa. ’95 BSc Gulam Jamal, of Carlsbad, CA, knows how to smooth the process of moving to the U.S. from Canada for work. After he got his computing science degree from the U of A, he was offered a temporary job in the U.S. and travelled there under the Trade NAFTA (TN) status. TN status was created in 1994 to let Canadians work temporarily in the U.S. in specified technical occupations, and an average of 70,000 Canadians cross the border with TN status each year. Gulam has created the TN Visa Expert Kit, a kit for sale to others planning such a move. ’04 MSc Sheilla Jones, has combined her skills in journalism and physics to write a compelling tale of the stormy development of quantum physics. Her book, “The Quantum Ten: A Story of Passion, Tragedy, Ambition and Science” is being released in May, 2008 in Canada by Thomas Allen Publishers and in the US by Oxford University Press.
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Faculty of Science Office CW223 Biological Sciences Building University of Alberta Edmonton, Alberta Canada T6G 2E9
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