Concordia University Magazine - Winter 2009 by Concordia University

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Concordia President and Vice-Chancellor Judith Woodsworth

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volume 31

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Imagining our future Concordia President and ViceChancellor Judith Woodsworth’s installation address: Imagining Great Change/créer le changement

Cover: Concordia President and ViceChancellor Judith Woodsworth at the November 17 installation ceremony

No boundaries here As it celebrates its 35th anniversary, Concordia’s PhD in Humanities program continues to provide a home for interdisciplinary researchers

by Patrick McDonagh

La traduction : ouverture sur le monde, recherche et innovation

Les programmes de traduction de Concordia combinent théorie et pratique. par Léa Roboam

Credit: IPI

Challenging Chineseness

This publication is printed on 100% recycled paper, including 20% post-consumer waste. Each ton of recycled paper that displaces a ton of virgin paper reduces total energy consumption by 27%, greenhouse gas emissions by 47%, particulate emissions by 28%, wastewater by 33%, solid waste by 54% and wood use by 100%.

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EDITOR’S VOICE

LETTERS

CONCORDIA NEWS

TRAVEL DIARY

HOMECOMING ‘08

ASSOCIATION NEWS

CLASS ACTS

WORDS & MUSIC

END PIECE

Four Concordia artists’ recent FOFA Gallery exhibition, “Rearranging Desires,” shook up traditional impressions of “other” cultures by David King

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SettinganExample

Tribute to the coach t was a spur of the moment decision. When

Paul devoted the better part of his life to Sir

a group of former Stingers hockey players

George Williams, Loyola and Concordia varsity

gathered for an alumni event in Montreal

hockey. It is our great pleasure to honour Paul

15 years ago, we decided to revitalize the Friends

Arsenault’s work, commitment and dedication

of Concordia Men’s Hockey, which had been

to the men’s hockey program while supporting

dormant for a few years. Our goal was and

a deserving student athlete.

remains to support the Stingers men’s hockey hletes. We also

To contribute to the Paul Arsenault Award,

y alumni network

contact Advancement and Alumni Relations

sity hockey alumni

at 1-888-777-3330 or 514-848-2424, ext. 3381,

versity, Loyola College

or visit giving.concordia.ca.

oncordia Men’s ul Arsenault Award tudent athletes who hockey. The award o a worthy student

Alex MacGibbon, BA 85 Concordia Stingers Men’s Hockey 1981-83

second year of the

ul Arsenault was a 1963 to 1990, Paul liams Georgians,

Paul Brophy, CA, BA 89

rdia Stingers men’s

Concordia Stingers Men’s Hockey 1984-89, 1990

ence championships. teruniversity Athletic 1971-72 and 1975-76 cordia’s Sports Hall 9. Paul now runs a ope, P.E.I.

How to make a difference As a volunteer or donor to Concordia, you, too, can make a difference. Every year, thousands of Concordia alumni, parents and friends provide support to Concordia students. Whichever area of Concordia you choose to support, your gift will help ensure our students enjoy the best possible university experience and graduate as leaders in their fields. Contact Advancement and Alumni Relations at 1-888-777-3330 or 514-848-2424, ext. 4856, or visit giving.concordia.ca.

Editor’sVoice

A new chapter

t 34 years old, Concordia University is still a young entity. However, the roots of its parents—Sir George Williams University and Loyola College—date back to the nineteenth century. And that ancestry is undeniably male-centric. Sir George Williams University’s antecedent was the educational program of the Montreal Young Men’s Christian Association, which, in the 1850s, began offering courses exclusively to men. When the YMCA Educational Program transformed into Sir George Williams College in 1926, the institution became co-educational. The College’s first graduating class of seven included one woman, Rita Shane, BA 37. (Shane went on to earn her medical degree in 1942 from McGill University, where she was one of the few women in her class.) In 1896, Loyola College opened its doors, and true to its Jesuit tradition, remained a male-only school. In 1959, Loretta Mahoney, L BSc 62, MBA 74, and Gabrielle Paul, L BSc 62, became the first women to enrol as day students in the College and, three years later, became its first female graduates. (Mahoney and Paul were true pioneers because they both studied engineering— a non-traditional field for women in those days.) Sir George Williams and Loyola merged to form Concordia in 1974. Since then, the university has earned its reputation as a progressive institution that promotes diversity, human rights and social activism. Still, the principals, rectors and presidents of Sir George Williams, Loyola and Concordia have all been men—until now. On November 17, the university marked an historic changing of the guard as Judith Woodsworth was installed as the Concordia’s seventh president and vicechancellor (our cover story). It’s worth noting that Montreal’s two Englishlanguage universities now have women at the helm: Woodsworth and Heather

Monroe-Blum, who became McGill’s first woman principal in 2003. Four days after Woodsworth’s installation, the Simone de Beauvoir Institute, Concordia’s esteemed women’s studies college, marked its 30th anniversary with a conference and dinner. Appropriately, Concordia’s first female leader spoke at the dinner and informed the audience that she had been an Institute fellow in her earlier Concordia days. Woodsworth confirmed the ongoing relevance of the Institute’s work and urged it to continue to produce more leaders who can fill senior posts of Canadian corporations, political parties and universities. As Concordia’s new leader, Woodsworth brings a wealth of knowledge and breadth of experience. She spent 17 years at Concordia, from 1980 to 1997, and most recently served for six years as president of Laurentian University in Sudbury, Ont. She began as Concordia’s president August 1 and has already set in motion a new strategic path for the university.

In November, she wrapped up a multi-level consultation process. This included a series of open discussions that prompted Concordia students, faculty members, staff and alumni to contribute ideas that are aimed at moving the university toward “high academic quality, outstanding student experience and student engagement, and superlative community engagement and social responsibility,” as stated in the draft of Concordia’s strategic directions document. Woodsworth intends to incorporate the feedback into the strategic plan she will present to Concordia’s Board of Governors in spring 2009. The person at the top can make a huge difference. Woodsworth’s leadership skills—already apparent—will help her steer the university through the turbulent economic waters of the coming years. She has already begun to win the confidence of the university community and galvanize Concordia toward achieving its academic, research and institutional goals. Woodsworth’s return to Concordia completes the circle of her academic and administrative career. It also begins an exciting new chapter in Concordia’s storied history.

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Our 2008 graduates, from left to right: Ryan Schwartz, BA (poli. sci. & SCPA); Junella Candice Chammas, BA (human relations); Clélia Chammas, BA (human relations) ; Yuko Yafuso, BA (mod. lang. & ling. & Spanish); Simon Azeroual, BSc (chem. & biochem.)

STAY INVOLVED WITH CONCORDIA THROUGH YOUR ALUMNI ASSOCIATION Through the Concordia University Alumni Association, you can keep in touch with fellow alumni, give back to your University and enjoy exciting programs and activities that include: • Networking and career events • Concordia Mentor Program • Chapter events, golf tournaments, reunions and more Benefits: • Concordia University Mosaik® MasterCard® • Preferred home and auto insurance rates with TD Meloche Monnex • Preferred life, accident, disability, health and dental insurance rates with Manulife Financial • Alumni Travel Program • Free 90-day subscription to the National Post • Access to Concordia’s libraries, legal counsel and other services • With your Alumni ID Card, obtain savings on Via Rail, the Centaur Theatre, Budget Rent-a-Car and more.

alumni.concordia.ca

514-848-2424, ext. 4856, or 1-888-777-3330

Letters Another mayor

enjoyed your article on the mayors of Montreal (“Hail to the Chiefs,” Fall 2008) and would have enjoyed it even more had you included me, a graduate of both Loyola High School and College and mayor of Pointe-Fortune, Que., since November 2005. My council and I chose as the principal objective of our mandate the protection of the environment, primarily through strict application of provincial laws governing septic tank installations. The majority of our citizens bought into the project and the Ottawa River is already cleaner, which is important as it flows into the St. Lawrence River, from which 80 per cent of Quebecers take their drinking water. I think that this is a good example of thinking globally, acting locally.

or social outing that I have attended in the past week where someone has not mentioned the article. It was also good reading for those of us who were interviewed, as we got to know our colleagues better and in a more personal way. Thank you for the privilege of being part of the article.

2008). The story of the 116-year-old ballplayer’s experiences made me have a real good laugh. Brian Robinson, S BA 64 Coquitlam, B.C.

Staying connected

Maria Tutino, BSc 75 Baie-d’Urfé, Que.

Young ballplayer at heart

t 72, I still play ball in an 18-team seniors’ league and truly enjoyed reading the last End Piece, entitled “Reflections on the Game” (Fall

have been receiving Concordia University Magazine for the last two years in my own country, Colombia. You have no idea the connection I still feel with Concordia, Concordians and all Montreal and how the magazine helps me to keep updated. Let me tell you that it’s a great way to keep students and alumni in touch. William García, MA 98 Popayaan, Colombia

Concordia University Magazine welcomes readers’ comments. Letters should include the writer’s full name, civic and email

David Doughty,

addresses, and school(s), degree(s) and

L BSc 72

year(s) of graduation for alumni. Letters

Pointe-Fortune, Que.

may be selected and edited for length, style and appropriateness. No letter will be published without the full name of the

Hot topic

correspondent. Correspondence should

be sent to:

just wanted to tell you that your magazine (Fall 2008) has received a lot of attention in the west island of Montreal. There is not a meeting

The Editor, Concordia University Magazine 1455 De Maisonneuve Blvd. West Montreal, QC, Canada H3G 1M8 Fax: 514-848-4510 email: Howard.Bokser@concordia.ca website: magazine.concordia.ca

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Concordia University Magazine welcomes readers’ comments. Letters should include the writer’s full name, address, school(s), degree(s) and year(s) of graduation for alumni. Letters may be edited for length and clarity. No letter will be published without the full name of the correspondent.

Concordia University Magazine is published four times a year for alumni and friends of Concordia University. Opinions expressed herein do not necessarily reflect the views of the alumni associations or of the University.

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ConcordiaNews

Concordia receives important gifts Chancellor David O’Brien furthers Concordia’s sustainable business education

HOWARD KAY, PBL PHOTOGRAPHY

oncordia’s status as a Canadian leader in sustainability has received a tremendous boost from its chancellor, David O’Brien, L BA 62. At a November 18 gift reception, O’Brien announced a $2-million donation to the John Molson School of Business (JMSB) that will go toward establishing a Centre for Sustainable Enterprise. The Centre will house the David O’Brien Distinguished Professorship in Sustainable Enterprise and the David O’Brien Distinguished Scholars in Sustainability. The Centre will also develop holistic strategies for organizations that include environment protection, social justice and ethical corporate governance. O’Brien told the audience of more than 100 at the Engineering, Computer Science and Visual Arts Complex that he strongly favours Concordia’s multidisciplinary approach and hopes the Centre will “reach across the faculties to become a truly interdisciplinary centre of excellence in academic teaching and research and business practice.” O’Brien said he is pleased to establish the Centre at his alma mater and especially at the JMSB, whose dean, Sanjay Sharma, is one of the world’s leading authorities in organizational sustainability and corporate social responsibility and justice. O’Brien said the Centre’s first priority will be to recruit an internationally recognized scholar to serve as its distinguished professor. Dean Sharma said the Centre is poised to become a leading knowledge hub that conducts relevant research whose results will assist organizations in designing pro-active strategies to generate clean technologies and innovative, sustainable business models. “It will focus on problems as business opportunities, not as a cost of doing business,” Sharma said. Concordia President and Vice-Chancellor Judith Woodsworth said the donation is a ringing endorsement of the university and business school. “The issue of sustainability cuts across the university and the Centre will provide a major research

Pictured (from left to right) at the November 18 announcement of the $2-million gift by David O’Brien to the JMSB are JMSB Dean Sanjay Sharma; Chancellor David O’Brien; President and Vice-Chancellor Judith Woodsworth; Chair of the Board of Governors Peter Kruyt; and VicePresident, Advancement and Alumni Relations, Kathy Assayag.

thrust that will be reflected not only in theory but in business practice,” said Woodsworth. Kathy Assayag, Vice-President of Advancement and Alumni Relations, said the Centre will be housed on the sixth floor of the new home of the JMSB when it is completed next September. She thanked O’Brien for his generous gift and pointed out that his gesture was even more significant during these turbulent economic times. She also thanked both Eric and Andrew Molson, who were in attendance, for the donation from the Molson Foundation, which “has made the new home of the JMSB possible.” Peter Kruyt, BComm 78, chair of Concordia’s Board of Governors, said O’Brien is an excellent “model for all of us.” Kruyt said the chancellor’s level of commitment has “set the bar high” and will inspire other donors to make similar contributions.

Manulife Financial makes large donation to JMSB

n October 23, Manulife Financial announced a donation of $500,000 to the JMSB. The largest gift the insurance giant has ever made to a Quebec university will go toward a Professorship in Financial Planning as well as the construction of a 120-seat amphitheatre in the new JMSB home that will open its doors next September. Concordia President and ViceChancellor Judith Woodsworth

announced the gift at a ceremony before more than 100 university officials and students and Manulife representatives in the Engineering, Computer Science and Visual Arts Complex. Woodsworth pointed out that alumni like Roy Firth, BComm 75, Manulife’s executive vice president, Individual Wealth Management—who represented Manulife at the event—and Manulife President and CEO Dominic D’Alessandro, L BSc 67,

serve as role models for JMSB students because they have built successful careers and also continue to give back to their alma mater. Kathy Assayag, Vice-President of Advancement and Alumni Relations, thanked the Manulife representatives for their contribution. Roy Firth said that “education is a focus of Manulife’s charitable giving strategy.”

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President’sMessage

Imagining our great future At her November 17 installation at Montreal’s Place des Arts, Concordia President and ViceChancellor Judith Woodsworth urged graduating students, in the words of Mahatma Gandhi, to “be the change you wish to see in the world.”

he grey morning skies on November 17 proved no match for the festive atmosphere in Salle WilfridPelletier of Montreal’s elegant Place des Arts. The occasion was the convocation ceremony for the faculties of Engineering and Computer Science and of Fine Arts and the installation of Judith Woodsworth as Concordia’s seventh president and vice-chancellor. (The convocation events for the Faculty of Arts and Science and for the John Molson School of Business took place later the same day.) On the colourfully decorated stage, representatives from the provincial and municipal governments as well as 20

President and Vice-Chancellor Judith Woodsworth (left) congratulates new Engineering and Computer Science graduate Gaya Shanmuganathan on the Place de Arts stage, November 17.

Imagining great change/ créer le changement rs amis, families and friends of the graduating

Mesdames et messieurs, bienvenue à la collation des grades de l’automne 2008. This is a special day for all of us: for you, members of the graduating class of 2008, for your family and friends who are here to cheer you on, and for me, as I officially take on the role of Concordia University’s new president and vice-chancellor. Convocation also provides an opportunity for the entire community to celebrate Concordia’s success by witnessing your achievements as graduates. Chers diplômés, je suis heureuse et fière de partager votre bonheur. Aujourd’hui, nous prenons, vous et moi, les premiers pas vers de nouveaux défis et d’autres succès. onvocation, it is said, is a day of endings and eginnings. You, graduates, are coming to the end of ne chapter of your lives and beginning another, as ou pursue your studies, enter the workforce or simply ke a welcome break from all of this. Whatever your hoice, we are counting on you to remain part of the oncordia community throughout your lifetime. n my case, I am closing the circle by returning to oncordia, the place where I began my academic areer. At my side is my husband, Lindsay Crysler, nother member of the Concordia family. For us, this both a homecoming and a new beginning. uring my 11-year absence, I worked at two different nstitutions in two other Canadian provinces, taking up range of challenges, taking on significant initiatives nd working with some extraordinary people. bout a year ago, practically to the day, I was asked to onsider Concordia. Before I agreed to be a candidate r the presidency, however, I followed Lindsay’s xcellent advice and came to Montreal— incognito—for quick look. We snuck into town on a Sunday evening, andered around the downtown campus and, the next morning, drove by Loyola on our way to the airport. It as a brief look but enough to see the new buildings nd construction under way downtown. Concordia was oth expanding and transforming the urban landscape n a very palpable way. At the Loyola Campus, too, I was ruck by how much had changed with the addition of he new Richard J. Renaud Science Complex and the enovated Communications/Journalism building.

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Il s’agit non seulement de rester fidèle à notre mission, à nos traditions, mais aussi de créer le changement. Tout en soulignant la contribution précieuse de mes prédécesseurs à la croissance et à la prospérité de l’université, je me tourne vers son avenir, qui sera encore plus brillant.

upswing, and I wanted to be part of it. C’est donc avec beaucoup de joie que j’embarque dans cette nouvelle entreprise, à la fois un nouveau début et un retour aux sources. I am drawn to Concordia because of its openness—openness Concordia President and Vice-Chancellor Judith Woodsworth dons the Robe of to change, to Office and Chain of Office. students of varying backgrounds, to new ideas and to creative faculty. Concordia brings together the goals and aspirations of its two founding institutions, Sir George Williams and Loyola, which offered students a progressive liberal education.

d future is our Grey Nuns project, which combines stewardship of our cultural heritage with an exciting revitalization of a wonderful historic property to house a consolidated Faculty of Fine Arts. We will also build our research capacity, through such initiatives as the two multi-disciplinary Hydro-Québec chairs in Engineering and Computer Science, which will bring innovative solutions to energy conservation and building design. We will develop new programs such as a unique PhD in social and cultural analysis. A spectacular building housing our John Molson School of Business will open its doors in September 2009, on time and on budget. And we are busily preparing to welcome thousands of colleagues from across Canada and around the world to the 2010 Congress of the Social Sciences and Humanities. What a wonderful time to be part of the Concordia community! As we work toward achieving some of these milestones, as we develop further strategic goals focusing on academic quality, the student experience and community engagement, we will

Au-delà de la grande qualité de son enseignement, l’Université Concordia représente des valeurs d’ouverture, d’accessibilité et d’engagement social. La traductrice en moi prend un immense plaisir à constater à quel point cette université sert aussi de carrefour à la compréhension, à la communication et aux échanges de connaissances qui sont à la base même d’une civilisation pluraliste, d’une société d’accueil comme la nôtre. I chose Concordia because I embrace its values, because I feel an affinity with its student population and because I am at home, and energized, in this welcoming community, in one of the most diverse cities, and multilingual cities, in North America. Many of you are the first in your families to earn a university degree, just as I was. Your families have made sacrifices and supported you in many ways—with love, affection, a helping hand or financial assistance when you needed it. I know how proud they are of your achievements, just as my own parents, if they were living, would have been proud and so happy to be here on this occasion. Graduates, please take a moment to join me in saying thank you to your friends and loved ones for their part in your welldeserved success. I’m here because I believe in Concordia and its traditions. But it’s not only about the past. It’s also about the future. It’s about imagining great change.

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Concordia’s Engineering, Computer Science and Visual Arts Integrated Complex on the Sir George Williams Campus stands out on the downtown Montreal skyline.

celebrate and communicate our achievements, both internally and externally, so that the name Concordia will inspire people to say “wow,” to sit up and take notice, right across the country. Ce sera un nouveau départ pour Concordia. En effet, nous sommes en ce moment en plein exercice de planification stratégique. Concordia en sortira renouvelée, ses valeurs et objectifs largement partagés et appuyés de tous. Today’s world is a challenging one. Climate change threatens the very life of our planet. We are currently undergoing an economic crisis that may well be as far-reaching as the Great Depression. And while our own financial situation worsens, we must remember that so much of the world’s population

continues to be subjected to the hardships of war, disease, natural disasters and abject poverty. These are times when as educators we must stay the course. Knowledge matters. En temps de crise économique, de guerres, de maladies et de fléaux qui ne cessent d’affliger les populations les moins munies du monde, il ne faudrait pas sous-estimer l’importance de l’avancement du savoir. Chers diplômés, quelque soit votre domaine d’études, les connaissances que vous avez acquises ici vous seront précieuses.

As I assume my duties as president of Concordia, I promise to be there for you: a nurturing “mother,” serving our students, the institution itself and all those who work tirelessly for its success. What I ask in return, from each of you—graduates, current and future students, families, friends, faculty, staff and supporters— is that you join me in acknowledging our great tradition, in trumpeting our strengths and in imagining a great future. We will leave a legacy of success and take pride, in the months and years ahead, in what we have accomplished, together, for this community, this country and the world around us.

The Emergence of the Chief sculpture (at right) welcomes visitors to the Loyola Campus grounds in front of the Richard J. Renaud Science Complex (at left).

As blues musician B.B. King said: “The beautiful thing about education is that no one can take it away from you.” But in addition to the personal benefit you may derive, the skills, knowledge and experience you have acquired here will enable you to make a difference. Mahatma Gandhi has inspired many of today’s youth through his words: “You must be the change you wish to see in the world.” Each of you can change the world, in your own chosen field, in your own particular way. Ladies and gentlemen, I ask that you take note of the bright faces around you: this morning’s graduation for the faculties of Engineering and Computer Science and Fine Arts, as well as ceremonies this afternoon and evening for the Faculty of Arts and Science and the John Molson School of Business, will prove a pool of talent that will shape the Montreal, the Quebec and the Canada of tomorrow. And because so many of our students will return to their homes in positive influence will be felt around the w

Nous envisageons avec fierté jouer un rôle critique, dans les mois et les années à venir, dans la région montréalaise, au Québec, et dans le monde. Chers collègues des universités québécoises, chers amis, je vous remercie de votre présence. I would like to express my appreciation to the representatives from sister universities, to my devoted friends and family members, and to members of the Concordia community for taking the time to be here today. To Lindsay, who accompanies me on this great adventure; and to [my son] Michael, who has provided extraordinary support and even advice throughout my academic career, from the time he was a very young child—very special thanks. Merci à tous et à toutes d’être ici en si grand nombre afin de partager avec nous la joie de nos étudiantes et étudiants.

Graduates, you are about to join our family worldwide. I want to thank you for enrichin presence and ask you to act as our ambassa may be in the next phase of your lives. Plea special place, which has nurtured you. The alma mater, in fact, means just that: “nour

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Students in Concordia’s PhD in Humanities program merge research topics from varying disciplines to create out-of-the-box solutions

by Patrick McDonagh

n 1991, I was planning my doctoral research into the history of the idea of intellectual disability, tracking how the concept took shape. I hoped to correlate the symbolic uses of “idiot” characters in nineteenth-century writings to medical and social notions. The project spanned literature, history and sociology, thus making an awkward fit for all the doctoral programs I

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contemplated—except for Concordia’s PhD in Humanities. At about the same time, others were drawing similar conclusions. This year, as Concordia’s PhD in Humanities program celebrates its 35th birthday, it has never been stronger or more relevant. Its students and faculty members continue to break new research ground while its alumni work at universities across Canada and around the world, as well as in the public and private sectors. Some notable graduates include Jennifer Fisher, MA 88, PhD

The Topological Media Lab in Concordia’s Engineering, Computer Science and Visual Arts Complex is run by Sha Xin Wei, Concordia associate professor of Computation Arts and Canada Research Chair in Media Arts and Sciences. The interdisciplinary nature of Sha’s work, which mixes science and performance, reflects the nature of Concordia’s PhD in Humanities program.

96, director of York University’s Graduate Program in Art History (MA) and Graduate Program in Art History and Visual Culture (PhD); Robert Letovksy, PhD 00, chair of Business Administration and Accounting at Saint Michael’s College in Colchester, Vt., and adjunct professor at universities in El Salvador and Afghanistan; and Mark Kristmanson, PhD 99, director of National Programming with the National Capital Commission in Ottawa. The idea for the program sprung in the early ‘70s from a team of Sir George Williams University

The cutting edge is coming from people whose diverse backgrounds might include engineering and design, interactive technologies and theatre. They are doing work that is truly new and creative.

professors who foresaw that graduate students could produce interesting scholarly research if they were not confined within departmental boundaries. In 1973, a group led by English professors Neil Compton, David McKeen and David Ketterer, History professors George Rudé and Frederick Krantz, Philosophy Professor Dallas Laskey and Classics Professor Paul Widdows created the PhD in Humanities, an interdisciplinary program for students whose projects were not neatly packaged in academia’s traditional boxes. While the PhD in Humanities program has enjoyed a steady influx of new students, its early enrolment numbers were modest. By the early ’90s, interdisciplinary research in the humanities was increasingly common among the professoriate but there were few programs to accommodate

like-minded graduate students. In 1992—a year after my enrolment in the program—Concordia was able to accept its largest cohort until then: 13 fresh, enthusiastic interdisciplinarians. Applications to the program have since grown. For the 2008-09 academic year, the Humanities Doctoral Committee— made up of 12 professors from across the humanities, social sciences and fine arts—sifted through proposals from close to 40 applicants before accepting 11 students. Many of the newcomers arrive with external scholarships and established careers as artists or professionals. “Much intellectual work requires an approach that crosses disciplines. One of our great strengths is that our students have formal affiliations with different departments,” says Bina Freiwald, director of the PhD in Humanities program and English professor.

“Students find themselves part of a wonderful collectivity where they can have conversations you are not likely to hear in a mono-disciplinary environment,” Freiwald says. The set-up is deceptively simple but offers flexibility seldom encountered in graduate schools. Applicants propose a topic that identifies three distinct research fields and assemble a committee of willing faculty members from those fields to serve as advisors. If the applicants are accepted into the program, they take two core methodology courses, as well as other graduate courses in their specific fields. After their comprehensive exams, they write their dissertations.

Different angles When Mona Tajali, an IranianAmerican international student, was looking for a place to pursue doctoral research on the political participation of women in Muslim societies, Concordia stood out for two reasons: one was Anthropology and Sociology Professor Homa Hoodfar, an internationally renowned scholar on feminism and Islam (and a member of the Humanities Doctoral Committee); the other was the Humanities program

no boun bounda dar ries her he re Students in Concordia’s PhD in Humanities program merge research topics from varying disciplines to create out-of-the-box results

by Patrick McDonagh

itself. “My research considers the major debates surrounding Muslim women in politics. I have to work with religious texts, which have their own distinct demands,” Tajali explains. “My study also involves political science because some Muslim countries are thinking about implementing a quota system for women in government.” In February, Tajali’s fieldwork will take her to Jordan, where a quota system is in place, and to Iran, where such a system is under consideration. “The PhD in Humanities program is fabulous in how it encourages flexibility,” she adds. Heather MacDougall, like Tajali, arrived at Concordia in 2007. MacDougall was also lured by the prospect of having supervisors who could support her multidisciplinary research. She is interested in Irish film policy concerning Irish-language films—research that crosses cinema, linguistics and Irish studies. “The program has been perfect for giving me access to the experts I need,” MacDougall points out. MacDougall also raised a dilemma shared by many interdisciplinary scholars. Once students define their research fields, finding an intellectual peer group can be daunting. “We have more than 60 students in the program, at various stages of completion,” says Bina Freiwald. “That’s a large group, and there are many ways to enhance a sense of community.” Fortunately, the isolation of students was reduced after the Humanities program recently moved its offices to the McConnell Library Building to

share space with and become the core element of Concordia’s new Centre for Interdisciplinary Studies in Society and Culture. Directed by Communication Studies Professor Maurice Charland, the Centre supports interdisciplinary research in the humanities, social sciences and fine arts and regularly unites interdisciplinary scholars. The Centre and Humanities program also work to bring students from various fields through jointly sponsored lectures, events and working groups, such as the annual, student-run conference “R/evolution” and a performance/symposium event held this past spring called “The Un/Contained Body.” What’s more, some professors are taking measures into their own hands. In 2004, Erin Manning joined Concordia as an assistant professor and artist cross-appointed to Studio Arts and the Mel Hoppenheim School of Cinema. Almost immediately, Manning created the “Sense Lab,” an interdisciplinary think-tank that draws artists and academics interested in the senses to monthly meetings and smaller study groups at Montreal’s Société des arts technologiques. About a dozen Humanities students are regular participants, along with more than 250 members from the local region and around the world who partake in online discussions and activities.

Interdisciplines Concordia has also hired faculty members who are at ease with interdisciplinary research, ing Manning and w Canada Research holders: Sha Xin n Media Arts and ces, and Sandeep wati in Inter-X Arts tice and Theory. (As gwati explains, “My k is intercultural, r-media and ractive—so we

went with Inter-X.”) Not surprisingly, these faculty members attract students who are also interested in vaulting intellectual boundaries. “The cutting edge is coming from people whose diverse backgrounds might include engineering and design, interactive technologies and theatre,” says Freiwald. “They are doing work that is truly new and creative.” To cite an example, Sha’s Topological Media Lab boasts members that include artists, musicians and circuit and software designers. The lab typically buzzes with humanity and technology. Sha is jointly appointed to the departments of Computer Science and Design and Computation Arts and teaches the Humanities methodology course. “The [Topological Media Lab] explores what it means to dwell in a place as it becomes interactive. So we set up philosophical and phenomenological experiments rather than technical ones,” Sha says, pointing to a bank of speakers, projectors, sensors and other equipment that can transform an empty space into an interactive environment in which the responses of subjects can be explored. “Occasionally, these experiments may have an aesthetic component but our concern is with their experiential quality,” he adds. The boundary between art and experiment can be porous, though. Humanities student Patrick Harrop, in conjunction with Sha, his dissertation supervisor, and an international team of artists and architects, recently created e-Sea, a 3.7-metre-high interactive, multi-media wall made of paper and tiny high-tech gadgetry that generates signals in response to stimuli. It was built on Shanghai’s Pudong Square as part of that city’s 2008 e-Arts Festival. e-Sea is related to Harrop’s investigations into the possibilities of adapting architectural spaces with autopoietic (or autonomous and self-contained) systems. “e-Sea is based on the idea of

At left are images from Joanne Hui’s PhD dissertation, which will lead to a graphic novel. “The graphic novel becomes a stage of cohesive formal writing and drawing where I can work with different characters and emotions. It’s an exciting process,” Hui says.

MARION ELISSAL

bioluminescence. If you wave your hand through sea water, you get a get bioluminescent shimmer. We wanted to recreate that effect,” explains Harrop, who is also a tenured professor in the School of Architecture at the University of Manitoba in Winnipeg. The Humanities program has also lured doctoral students who blend academic research with creative projects to produce both a dissertation and an art piece. The combination—much like other interdisciplinary endeavours— often leads to surprisingly unique perspectives. For example, when Cynthia Hammond, MFA 96, PhD 03, graduated from the Humanities program, her project was the first to incorporate an artistic practice with academic research. Her dissertation, Wings, Gender and Architecture: Remembering Bath, was a feminist study of eighteenth-century architecture in the English city of Bath. As a result, Hammond won the 2002 GovernorGeneral’s Gold Medal as Concordia’s outstanding graduate student and the City of Montreal Prize for Best Doctoral Thesis, beating entries from Montreal’s three other universities. “The program gives a strong sense that you can really shape your academic experience,” says, Hammond, who joined Concordia in 2006 as an assistant professor in Art History.

Director Bina Freiwald (centre) and students (from left to right) Cindy Poremba, Joanne Hui, Heather MacDougall and Mona Tajali in the PhD in Humanities office in the J.W. McConnell Building. Freiwald says the program benefits from the growing number of Concordia faculty members who bring interdisciplinarity into their scholarly research.

Hammond concludes that as an alumna, she empathizes with students’ trials and tribulations. “The program can be challenging because you have to be a real self-starter and find your own community. But I’m excited for them as well—they have incredibly original projects.”

Now the norm While interdisciplinarity has become de rigeurr in academic circles, Concordia’s art-and-research option remains a rarity that appeals to students like Cindy Poremba, who arrived in 2006 and is studying the nascent field of the interactive computer-game documentary. “Some stories might be told better as a video game than as a film,” Poremba insists. “But what cues would you need to integrate so that a player could recognize a game as a documentary? And how do issues involved with digital technology influence this process?” Poremba is researching these questions while developing the foundations of an interactive video documentary and producing a dissertation. Similarly, Joanne Hui, MFA 02, a visual artist and performer, is

exploring art history, literary criticism and studio arts for her research into representations of Chinese-Canadian history. “I’m especially interested in alternative histories, those of resistance or cultural production,” says Hui, who visited China last summer and produced a “Shanghai Daily”: a collection of newspaper clippings, “slice-of-life” drawings and handdrawn reproductions of all the paper she received, from tea-bag envelopes to tickets for Olympic events. The collage presages the graphic novel that will complement her dissertation. Bina Freiwald sums up the program with a telling anecdote from its recent September orientation session: “Our new students sat around the table introducing themselves in turn, and every single one started by saying, totally unprompted, ‘I’m so glad to be here.’ There is just an incredible circulation of energy.” Patrick McDonagh, PhD 98, is a Montrealbased writer and a part-time faculty member in Concordia’s Department of English. His book, Idiocy: A Cultural History, has just been published by Liverpool University Press. concordia university magazine winter 2008/09 | 15

Karen Tam

CHALLENGING CHINESENESS In the recent FOFA Gallery show, “Rearranging Desires,” Concordia artists challenged cultural precepts

n October, Concordia’s Faculty of Fine Arts (FOFA) Gallery held a provocative, multi-media exhibition called “Rearranging Desires: Curating the ‘Other’ Within.” The exhibition was mounted by Alice Ming Wai Jim, MFA 96, an assistant professor of Contemporary Art History in the Faculty of Fine Arts. Jim says she was inspired by the call of postcolonial theorist Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak to “rearrange desires” as a form of activist pedagogy in the humanities. The exhibition was part of the larger “Rearranging Desires” project organized by Jim that included a symposium, a catalogue of critical essays and offsite events. Additional texts and interviews with the exhibiting artists—conducted 16 | winter 2008/09

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by graduate students in Jim’s seminar on curatorial practice—appear on the rearrangingdesires.concordia.ca website. The project was among the many events held in 2008 in Montreal to mark the 70th anniversary of the departure of Canadian surgeon Norman Bethune from Montreal to China. Jim explains that “Rearranging Desires” was meant to challenge our perceptions and misconceptions about other cultures, including expectations about China and Chinese society, Asian Canadian traditions and culturally specific work. For the exhibition, Jim grouped the art of four Concordia alumni-artists operating in various media. Their work challenged preconceived ideas of “Chineseness”

by David King

through intellectual and artistic inquiry injected with a serious dose of humour. “When we hear of a culturally specific exhibition about China and Chinese culture, for example, we have certain expectations of what the artists should be making or showing,” Jim says. “Often, these expectations are about exotic, foreign lands and the ‘other,’ which affect how artistic works are understood and appreciated by members of the Chinese diaspora. This year marks the 150th anniversary of Chinese immigration to Canada. The project took this opportunity to think about connections between Canada and China and to ask what it means for artists to be producing and presenting culturally specific works in a postcolonial context.”

GUY L’HEUREUX

2 3 Ayesha Hameed

GUY L’HEUREUX

5 Mary Sui Yee Wong

4 Chih-Chien Wang

1 Installation artist Karen Tam, BFA 00, created a wall mount of detailed, gold paper and vinyl fabric cutouts that provided commentary, based on media reports about the Beijing Summer Olympic Games, Tibetan conflicts and the SARS virus outbreak (the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome virus started in China in November 2002).

2 3 MFA student Ayesha Hameed examined issues affecting migration, questionable detention practices and

Quebec’s reasonable accommodation hearings. She placed herself in two video and performance-based installations in which she played the dual role of inquisitor and respondent. 4

5 Mary Sui Yee Wong, BFA 91, MFA 03, produced two projects—a paper doll sculpture and a faux fashion line, “Yellow Apparel”—that challenged Asian stereotypes. Wong is a former faculty member in Concordia’s Department of Studio Arts.

For several months, Chih-Chien

Wang, MFA 06, interviewed his

neighbours of Chinese origin in their Montreal homes. While chatting with them, he mixed small bricks of gelatine that congealed during the conversations.

For information on “Rearranging Desires,” including critical reading and artist interviews, visit rearrangingdesires. concordia.ca. For information about the FOFA gallery, visit fofagallery.concordia.ca. concordia university magazine winter 2008/09 | 17

LINDA RUTENBERG

À Concordia, les étudiants en traduction apprennent à relever les défis complexes qui les attendent sur le marché du travail.

par Léa Roboam

vous prépare pour le monde. » Chantal Gagnon (MA 2002) reprend volontiers l’ancien slogan de l’Université Concordia pour décrire l’enseignement de la traduction au département d’Études françaises. Directrice du programme coopératif en traduction, elle ajoute : « Notre formation est ancrée dans la réalité afin que nos diplômés répondent toujours aux besoins du marché du travail. » À la fin des années 1980, Concordia offrait une majeure et un BA spécialisé en traduction que Judith Woodsworth, actuelle rectrice de l’Université, avait alors professionnalisé (critères d’admission et stages de formation). En outre, le diplôme de 2e cycle en traduction était modifié pour satisfaire aux exigences de la profession. De nos jours, le département d’Études françaises tire parti de sa multidisciplinarité pour inclure dans ses programmes de traduction

«On

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des cours de langue, de transfert linguistique, d’outils informatiques pour langagiers, de traductologie et de littérature, qui concilient culture générale, formation pratique et recherche. En 2010, si tout va bien, un nouveau doctorat en Études françaises regroupera trois disciplines : langue, littérature et traduction. Les étudiants devront en choisir deux sur trois. « C’est un projet très enthousiasmant, se réjouit Jean-Marc Gouanvic, professeur au Département, parce qu’il s’agit du seul doctorat officiellement multidisciplinaire combinant ces domaines. » Fidèle à sa tradition d’innovation, le Département avait déjà implanté en 1992 le programme coopératif en traduction. « Dès le départ, de très bons cégépiens s’y sont inscrits, se souvient M. Gouanvic. Grâce à ce programme, nous avons réalisé de grands progrès qui ont dynamisé tout le Département. » Ce succès ne s’est

Chantal Gagnon, MA 2002, directrice du programme coopératif en traduction. Selon elle, Concordia adapte son programme coop aux besoins des employeurs.

jamais démenti : « Ce programme est notre plus grand joyau, déclare avec fierté Philippe Caignon, directeur du département d’Études françaises. C’est un baccalauréat exigeant et complet où l’on fait beaucoup de traduction, mais pas aux dépens de la culture générale, qui est absolument indispensable dans le métier », affirme-t-il.

Nos stagiaires : les ambassadeurs de Concordia Le programme coopératif en traduction place 40 à 50 étudiants par an en milieu professionnel. Pour obtenir le baccalauréat spécialisé, option coop, il faut effectuer trois stages rémunérés de 12 à 15 semaines. « Les meilleurs étudiants du Département deviennent ainsi les ambassadeurs de l’Université dans l’industrie langagière. Ils ne doivent

d’être à l’affût des dernières technologies d’aide à la traduction. Pour cette raison, le Département a créé un atelier sur l’utilisation de ces outils, qui tient compte des exigences du marché du travail afi n de préparer les étudiants à ce qui les attend. Le Département tente d’établir un équilibre entre les besoins des étudiants et ceux du marché du travail. « Nous répondons aux attentes des employeurs, précise Chantal Gagnon. Nous avons augmenté la teneur en informatique de nos cours et nous amenons nos étudiants à traduire rapidement, mais nous conservons notre rôle de formateur : avant d’apprendre à traduire rapidement, les étudiants doivent apprendre à bien traduire. » À cet effet, le Département assure un milieu d’apprentissage idéal. Sébastien Stavrinidis souligne le « bon équilibre étudiants-enseignants » dans des classes de taille raisonnable : « Les conditions de travail en classe sont optimales, précise-t-il. Les professeurs ont du temps à nous u us accorder. »

explique le professeur Gouanvic. De nos jours, peu de secteurs sont centrés sur une seule discipline. » La recherche en traductologie a une vingtaine d’années et ne s’est pas imposée d’emblée. Aujourd’hui encore, elle a de la difficulté à se faire subventionner, regrette M. Gouanvic. La maîtrise est ouverte aux étudiants ayant obtenu un diplôme de 1er ou de 2e cycle en traduction à Concordia, mais aussi aux étudiants des autres universités canadiennes, américaines et européennes, sélectionnés sur dossier et sur examen. Tous travaillent et rédigent leur mémoire en français ou en anglais, mais le thème de leur recherche peut porter, entre autres, sur des sujets russes, slovaques ou japonais. « De nombreuses langues sont possibles, explique Jean-Marc Gouanvic. La supervision et le jury de soutenance sont alors constitués d’un professeur du département d’Études françaises de Concordia et d’un professeur spécialisé dans le sujet. »

À l’avant-garde de la recherche Depuis 1999, l’Université Concordia forme aussi des chercheurs en traduction dans le cadre de la maîtrise en traductologie. Domaine de prédilection de Jean-Marc Gouanvic depuis 12 ans, cette discipline étudie la dimension sociale et culturelle de la traduction. En effet, traduire, c’est non seulement s’interroger sur la langue et la société cibles, mais c’est aussi s’interroger sur la langue et la société sources. À ce titre, « la traductologie est une très bonne formation en sciences humaines, parce qu’elle est multidisciplinaire et correspond à l’état d’esprit de notre époque,

Spécialiste de la localisation, Deborah Folaron enseigne la traduction au Département. Elle explique que la localisation est une nouvelle discipline qui traite des technologies et systèmes de communication en émergence.

concordia university magazine winter 2008/09 | 19

LINDA RUTENBERG

certainement pas devenir des commis de bureau ni se faire exploiter », insiste M. Caignon. Les stages sont d’ailleurs évalués par la directrice du programme coopératif, les employeurs et les professeurs. Diplômé depuis août dernier, Sébastien Stavridinis a apprécié le programme, notamment les visites de stage qui, selon lui, « sont précieuses parce qu’elles maintiennent le lien avec l’Université et rassurent, au besoin, le stagiaire qui éprouve des difficultés ». Chantal Gagnon se félicite d’ailleurs que ses collègues contribuent à ces visites : « Tout le monde prend la réussite de ce programme à cœur. Il s’agit d’un succès d’équipe, qui entraîne une belle synergie. » Après leur stage, les étudiants ont une idée précise du métier de traducteur et ils rendent dee meilleurs travaux en classe. « Comme stagiaire, je traduis des textes toute la journée. De retour en cours, je fais nécessairement preuve d’une assurance accrue dans mes traductions », observe Helena Zemanek, qui entame sa dernière année de spécialisation, option coop. Outre le programme coopératif, les étudiants en traduction peuvent vivre les réalités du monde du travail grâce au stage à distance, ou « téléstage », de 13 semaines. Tous les ans, entre 10 et 15 étudiants sont jumelés avec un traducteur du Bureau de la traduction au gouvernement fédéral, le plus important employeur de traducteurs au pays. Chaque semaine, les stagiaires doivent traduire entre 700 et 10 000 mots, révisés à la loupe par un professionnel. Tous les textes traduits sont destinés à de vrais clients. Comme toutes les universités qui offrent des programmes de traduction, Concordia collabore de près avec l’industrie langagière ainsi qu’avec l’Ordre des traducteurs, terminologues et interprètes agréés du Québec (OTTIAQ). Les employeurs ont en effet des attentes précises et déplorent parfois le manque de connaissances informatiques des étudiants. Ils insistent notamment sur la nécessité

Nouveaux programmes et étudiants étrangers

Pour s’adapter aux nouvelles réalités du métier de traducteur, Concordia a créé, il y a cinq ans, un certificat anglais-français en langue et techniques de localisation. La discipline est très jeune et les chercheurs universitaires s’y intéressent depuis quelques années seulement. Née dans le milieu de l’entreprise, la localisation est au centre de la communication interculturelle. « Depuis 2000, grâce aux nouvelles technologies et à la mondialisation de l’économie, on assiste à une recrudescence des activités de commerce international, ce qui entraîne une hausse de la demande en traduction », observe Deborah Folaron, professeure au Département et spécialiste de la localisation. Selon sa définition, cette nouvelle discipline fait appel à la traduction et aux nouvelles technologies, dans un contexte de mondialisation. En localisation, les procédés de traduction peuvent être analysés selon les théories traductologiques traditionnelles, mais comportent nécessairement une composante technologique. En outre, ces procédés sont généralement adaptés à la culture locale, d’où le nom de la discipline, « localisation ».

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Dans ses cours, Mme Folaron donne aux étudiants l’occasion de travailler sur des projets concrets, « grandeur nature », comme la traduction du site du YMCA Tours Ecuador. « Nous avons localisé le site Web qui existait en espagnol, en traduisant et en adaptant le contenu en anglais et en français », précise-t-elle. Comme la localisation embrasse plusieurs disciplines – géopolitique, communication, relations humaines,

d’arrivée, tout en tenant compte de la complexité du milieu technologique et des spécifications techniques. Les étudiants dont la langue maternelle n’est ni le français ni l’anglais ne sont pas désavantagés, car dans la pratique de la localisation, la parfaite maîtrise de la langue n’est pas une condition essentielle. Le localisateur peut entre utres développer son expertise en ogiciels de traduction, en gestion e projet, en programmation ou en évision (des traductions humaines et machines). La localisation dément désormais cliché du traducteur solitaire. Au ontraire, le localisateur fait partie une équipe et doit savoir gérer les ssources et les relations humaines afin d’atteindre l’objectif ultime : l’excellence de la communication. Dans un contexte de bilinguisme et de mondialisation, les perspectives d’emploi des diplômés sont très bonnes. En effet, le marché du travail canadien requiert environ 500 traducteurs par an alors que les universités ou écoles de traduction n’en forment que 300. C’est loin de suffire, en particulier avec le départ à la retraite des baby-boomers. Il n’est donc pas rare que les étudiants terminent

« La traductologie est une très bonne formation en sciences humaines, parce qu’elle est multidisciplinaire et correspond à l’état d’esprit de notre époque. » gestion – les étudiants acquièrent des compétences transférables à d’autres domaines. Pour mener à bien son projet, le localisateur doit apprendre non seulement à collaborer en réseau et à travailler en groupe, mais aussi à gérer une équipe et à choisir les personnes capables d’adapter les contenus dans la langue et la culture

leurs études avec un emploi en poche. « Au printemps, des entreprises de traduction me demandent de leur envoyer les candidatures de nos diplômés coop, mais il n’en reste plus parce que ces étudiants ont tous trouvé du travail », constate Chantal Gagnon. Un bel exemple de réussite! Léa Roboam est journaliste à Montréal.

TravelDiary With Love From Russia BY S U ZA N N E L EWO RT H Y

Suzanne Leworthy and her husband, Jim Leworthy, S BComm 66, joined the Concordia Alumni Travel Program trip to Russia, Cruise the Passage of Peter the Great, from August 31 to September 12. This was the couple’s second Alumni Travel Program trip. The first was to Antarctica in February 2008.

ur delightful introduction to Russia was on a cruise aboard the recently renovated M/S Repin, which took us along the picturesque waterways from Moscow to St. Petersburg. Our first destination in Moscow was the Kremlin, which lies on 76 acres that feature a parkland, cathedrals, government buildings and the incredible Armoury Museum that houses six original Fabergé eggs, as well as royal vestments, crowns and jewels. We marvelled at Moscow’s ornately decorated Metro stations, with their chandeliers, frescoes and sculptures, cleanliness (despite the conspicuous absence of waste bins) and efficiency. Traffic in the streets above remained in a constant gridlock because seven million people use them daily. Outside Moscow, we toured Star City, the training centre for Russian cosmonauts. The openness of the new Russia was very much apparent, since photography was permitted almost everywhere.

The cruise officially got underway on September 4, when we left Moscow and sailed through the infamous Moscow Canal. Over the next five days, we navigated through 19 locks while stopping to visit some colourful, fascinating towns: Uglich, with its Palace of the Princes, where Ivan the Terrible’s youngest son was murdered; Yaroslavl, the oldest city on the Volga; Goritsky, where we visited local homes, talked with residents about their everyday lives and were served bread and vodka; and magical Kizhi Island, with its two wooden churches (for summer and winter). When not touring, travellers were a entertaining shi activities, includ lessons, folk dan tasting (proud to that yours truly w tasting competit evening musical performances, p historical lectur souvenir shoppi On Septembe 11, after sailing through Europe two largest lakes—Ladoga and Onega—and the Volga-Baltic Canal, we arrive Petersburg, whi on the beautiful The city was orig built on 23 islan rightfully called the Venice of the North. The bridges crossing the Neva are all raised at 1:30 a.m. to allow cargo ships to pass, thereby splitting the city in two

during the night. Visiting the Hermitage Museum, the exquisite green-and-white painted Winter Palace of the tsars, was a dream come true. It contains more than three million objets d’art (not all displayed at once) in its vast rooms—one week would not be enough to take it all in. That evening, we also attended the ballet Giselle in its historic old theatre. We discovered that St. Petersburg has traffic issues, too. We arrived late for the ballet after our bus idled at one intersection for 20 minutes! Our whirlwind, two-day St. Petersburg itinerary included the imposing island

the burial place of Peter the Great and Catherine the Great and the recently discovered remains of Nicolas II, the last tsar, and his immediate family. We felt the cool mist from the extensive fountains at the Peterhof and were dazzled by the Amber Room at Catherine’s Palace. Historically fascinating and politically eye opening, I would recommend this trip to all travellers. Visit alumni.concordia.ca/ travel for news about upcoming Alumni Travel Program trips, including Australia and New Zealand, Legends of the Nile and Italy’s Magnificent Lake District.

Concordia’s Homecoming ‘08 celebration from September 19 to 28 once again drew thousands of alumni and friends to the university to join in the festivities, socialize with former classmates and friends and reconnect with their alma mater. For full details and more photos, visit Homecoming.concordia.ca

RYAN BLAU/PBL PHOTOGRAPHY

badminton and skiing (pictured below with her former teammate, Gwen Lord, S BSc 56); and David Dies, S BSc 64, S BA 67, Sir George Williams men’s hockey star. Builders: Thomas Lane, L BComm 58, and Carl Ohlson, L BSc 59, Loyola College student leaders who successfully lobbied the Loyola administration to reinstate the College’s football program in 1958. Teams: The 1973-74 Loyola Tommies women’s hockey team,

Quebec University Athletic Association champions; and the 1973-74 Sir George Williams Georgians men’s basketball team, Quebec University Athletic

Association champions.

Shuffle 19 To kick off Homecoming, an enthusiastic group of almost 700 Concordians participated in the 19th annual Shuffle—the 6.5-km walk from the Sir George Williams to the Loyola Campus. At the launch of Shuffle in the atrium of the Engineering, Computer Science and Visual Arts Integrated Complex (EV Building), President and Vice-Chancellor Judith Woodsworth told Shufflers that the event is a testament to Concordia’s openness, commitment to excellence and engagement with the community. This year’s Shuffle raised more than 22 | winter 2008/09

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$50,000 toward student scholarships and bursaries, bringing the accumulated total to nearly $850,000 in its 19-year history. Pictured (above) are Shuffle Committee Chair Murray Sang and Natasha Hall, BA 93, of Montreal radio station Q92, who performed MC duties.

Sports Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony & Banquet Concordia inducted four outstanding athletes and builders and two championship teams into its Sports Hall of Fame before 100 guests at Montreal’s Molson Brewery. The 2008 inductees are: Athletes: Frances Williams, S BSc 56, Sir George Williams three-sport standout in women’s basketball,

RYAN BLAU/PBL PHOTOGRAPHY

SEPTEMBER 19

Family Fair Day More than 1,600 participants, many from the surrounding Montreal neighbourhoods, crowded the Loyola Campus at the second annual Family Fair Day. Parents and children of all ages enjoyed activities such as arts and crafts and face painting. Outdoor acts included a one-man circus show, acrobats and a magician. Inside the large tent, Otis Grant, BA 93, former WBO middleweight boxing champion, and Sylvain Girard, BSc 99, former Montreal Alouettes receiver, greeted participants and signed autographs. SEPTEMBER 20

Homecoming Football Game: Laval vs. Concordia The Homecoming Football Game drew more than 4,000 rowdy fans to cheer on the Concordia Stingers, although they fell 36-13 against the top-ranked Laval Rouge et Or. Pictured above are 2008 Sports Hall of Fame inductees Carl Ohlson, L BSc 59 (left), who performed the ceremonial kick-off, and Thomas Lane, L BComm 58 (right), with Stingers slotback Cory Watson.

SEPTEMBER 21 SEPTEMBER 22

Society of Automotive Engineers Reunion Fine Arts Grant Writing Workshop: Funding Your Research/Creation

RYAN BLAU/PBL PHOTOGRAPHY

More than 40 alumni, students, faculty and staff involved in the Concordia chapter of the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) gathered on the Loyola Campus to visit the future SAE facilities site. Pictured at right (from left to right) with a Baja vehicle are students Jody Arsenault and Lauren Bouldâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;part of the team that built the vehicleâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;and, from the Faculty of Engineering and Computer Science, Terry Fancott, associate dean of Special Projects, and Dean Robin Drew.

In the EV Building, Lyse Larose, research facilitator for the Faculty of Fine Arts, and Barbara Layne, professor in the Department of Studio Arts, advised more than 30 students and alumni on strategies for writing successful grant applications to secure funding for artistic projects. On January 24, the participants are invited back to have their draft grant proposals reviewed and critiqued at the Faculty Showcase.

(Doctors Without Borders) and served as its international president when he accepted the Nobel Peace Prize in 1999 on the organization’s behalf.

SEPTEMBER 27

President’s Reunion Brunch RYAN BLAU/PBL PHOTOGRAPHY

More than 150 graduates from the years 1963, 1968, 1973 and 1978 reunited in the atrium of the EV Building to celebrate the President’s Reunion Brunch. They heard speakers James Hayes, L BComm 63, Robert Barnes, S BA 68, Michael Reynolds, L BComm 73, and Hans Widmer, BEng 78, talk fondly about their university days. Judith Woodsworth took everyone on a trip down memory lane and Kathy Assayag stressed the importance of staying in touch and being involved with Concordia. Pictured below is Carole Charnutzky, S BA 63.

Young Alumni Financial Seminar & Networking Cocktail Reception

SEPTEMBER 25

Brian P. Weber, BComm 85, a portfolio manager with Wellington West Capital, explained “Healthier Investing” to about 40 Concordia alumni and guests at the Young Alumni Seminar and Networking Reception in the EV Building’s York Amphitheatre. Weber outlined four essential steps for young investors: Write a will, remember the power of compound interest, control debt and know the basics of investing.

Abitibi-Consolidated Lecture on “Global Health and Humanitarianism” with Dr. James Orbinski At the Abitibi-Consolidated Lecture, Dr. James Orbinski asserted that providing basic health care “is simply a matter of human dignity and is based on the concept of equity.” As more than 550 people crowded into the Hall Building Auditorium, Dr. Orbinski also praised Concordia for its long-standing tradition of social justice, citing the Simone de Beauvoir Institute and the Montreal Institute for Genocide and Human Rights Studies as examples. Dr. Orbinski, pictured below with President and Vice-Chancellor Judith Woodsworth, worked for many years with Médecins sans frontières

SEPTEMBER 23

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DARREN CURTIS

It looked like a version of speed dating when about 60 students met in the EV Building for the Concordia Mentor Program Speed-Networking Cocktail. The participants had one hour—divided into six, 10-minute sessions—to meet and ask questions to any of the 16 volunteer mentors about the job market and their professional interests. The session was sponsored by Manulife Financial. Pictured above, mentor Deidre Potash, BFA 82 (left), discusses strategies with Sandra Cayo (centre) and other students.

DANIEL F. HABER

Mentor Program Speed-Networking & Cocktail Reception

After brunch, guests were invited on a tour of the Sir George Williams or Loyola campuses or the Faculty of Engineering and Computer Science. A buoyant group of 70 alumni and faculty members celebrated the 40th anniversary of the Faculty of Engineering and Computer Science at a special reception later that afternoon.

SEPTEMBER 28

Silver & Gold Reunion Brunch About 100 people commemorated their 50- and 25-year class reunions in the EV Building at the Silver & Gold Reunion Brunch. Members of the Classes of 1983, 1958 and pre-1958 heard emotional reminiscences about their school days from Errol Meredith Clement, S BComm 58, Bruce Mallen, S BComm 58, S BA 64, LLD 04, and Paul Goldstein, S BA 58. Don De Groot, BEng 83 (pictured

president, Nancy Xie and Kim-Tien Huynh, BComm 01, met for a Shanghai-style dinner and Homecoming get-together.

Toronto Chapter: Theatre Night, Scorched Forty alumni and friends, including (pictured below, left to right) Wendy Furtenbacher, BFA 97, Cristina Coraggio, BA 91, Cheryl Morris and Chapter President Ian Garmaise, BA 84, gathered at the Tarragon Theatre to see the emotionally charged play Scorched. above with his wife, Virginia HampongDe Groot, BEng 83), also addressed the group. “People make a university and we, as the Class of 1983, are fortunate to be members of this university,” he said. Mary Chronopoulos, BComm 99, EMBA 06, treasurer for the Concordia University Alumni Association, served as master of ceremonies. Judith Woodsworth hailed pre-1953 graduates, including the reunion’s most senior alumnus, Ernest Newton, L attendee 40, as “pioneers of this institution.” Kathy Assayag said the reunion was not only a celebration of those who were marking their class anniversaries but also of Concordia’s achievements over the years.

GEOGRAPHIC CHAPTERS SEPTEMBER 24

Shanghai Chapter: Networking Alumni Dinner Alumni living in Shanghai, including (pictured at top right, left to right) Winston Kan, BComm 81, Chapter

Tri-State Chapter: 16th Annual Canadian Universities Alumni Reception Twenty-five Concordians joined other Canadian alumni living in the New York City metropolitan area for the 16th Annual All Canadian Alumni event at the Roosevelt Hotel.

SEPTEMBER 25

Boston Chapter: Montreal Deli Night About 25 alumni, including (pictured above right, left to right) Regina Bastille, BA 79, Chapter VP Stephan De Pénasse, and Michael Bastille, BComm 79, gathered for an intimate and enjoyable evening at the Westin Boston Waterfront Hotel during which they reconnected with Concordia classmates and friends and ate Montreal comfort food: smoked meat from Lester’s and poutine with St. Hubert BBQ sauce. concordia university magazine winter 2008/09 | 25

AssociationNews

On October 23, the department of Applied Human Sciences celebrated its 10th anniversary and honoured its former chair, Randy Swedburg 4 , at the Richard J. Renaud Science Complex. Swedburg reflected on his 30 years of teaching in the department and heard accolades from former Concordia colleagues and his daughter, Kirsten Ericksen. He also received a copy of the Randy Swedburg Medal, which is awarded annually to the outstanding graduating student in Leisure Sciences or Therapeutic Recreation. While Swedburg retired in May, he remains director of Concordia’s Centre for Human Relations and Community Studies.

Loyola Alumni Association

UNIVERSITY OF THE STREETS CAFÉ LOYOLA ALUMNI ASSOCIATION

TWO RECENTLY RETIRED

n September 8, alumni and friends of Loyola College enjoyed a beautiful and pleasurable day at the Kahnawake Golf Club outside of Montreal. The occasion was the Annual Alumni Golf Tournament presented by the Loyola Alumni Association. The 63 participants raised $9,640 (net) for student scholarships and bursaries. Pictured at the event are (left to right) Lillian Vineberg, BFA 83, Margot

FACULTY MEMBERS FETED

n October 18, more than 100 colleagues, former students and friends of Enn Raudsepp gathered at Montreal’s Place d’Armes Hôtel & Suites to celebrate the “ENNd of an Era”: the name of the presentation shown during the rousing send-off for Raudsepp, the former director of Concordia’s renowned Department of Journalism. Raudsepp had been with the department from 1978 until he retired last summer. President and Vice-Chancellor Judith Woodsworth and former colleagues Lindsay Crysler, Bob McDevitt and Mike Gasher, the current Journalism program director, all offered warm tributes. Pictured (from left) are Gasher, Raudsepp and Crysler. 3

McGillivray, Mary McGovern

and Marianne Donaldson.

BEST OF INDIA FOR CONCORDIA’S BEST AND BRIGHTEST

n September 9, Montreal’s Darling Foundry, which was recently converted into an exhibition space, was transformed into an Indianthemed pleasure palace for the Best of the Best Extravaganza. The fundraising event provides fellowships—worth $15,000 and renewable for up to three years—to John Molson School of Business (JMSB) PhD students enrolled in full-time studies. More than 120 alumni, professors and corporate friends of Concordia’s business faculty took part in the event and successfully raised $100,000. Pictured (from left) are Best of the Best co-chairs Roshi Chadha and the Honourable Baljit Chadha, P.C. 1

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RYAN BLAU/PBL PHOTOGRAPHY

2 Best of the Best Extravaganza

s science being censored? More than 45 Concordia and McGill University alumni and friends gathered October 27 to exchange views on that and related questions at the Centre St. Ambroise in Montreal. Environmental consultant Sara Finley and Nigel Roulet, a McGill University professor of Geography and former director of the McGill School of Environment, led the lively discussion. Participants talked about ways to ensure that scientific knowledge is disseminated to a wider audience and the influence of funding sources on the choice of research inquiries. This public conversation was organized in collaboration with the University of the Streets Café, the McGill Alumni Association and the Concordia University Alumni Association (CUAA).

described the honoured companies as partners whose support is “necessary to ensure the high academic quality of our programs and the best academic standards.”

GEOGRAPHIC CHAPTERS Vancouver arcy Rezac, MBA 78, best-selling author of Work the Pond! (Prentice Hall, 2005), shared key networking techniques September 8 with more than 35 alumni and friends in Vancouver at the trendy Steamworks Brewing Co. Rezac discussed the importance of skills such as how to enter a room, navigate crowds and gain—and maintain— valuable contacts. Pictured in the back row (from left) are Sophie Noel, BA 04, president of the Vancouver Chapter; Robert Miele, L BComm 71, L BA 72; Darcy Rezac; and Victoria Turner, BComm 94; and, in the front row, Johanne Chevalier, BA 83; Minori Ide, BA 98, MA 02; and Varun Choubey, BEng 08. 5

RYAN BLAU/PBL PHOTOGRAPHY

D 3 ENNd of an Era

4 Randy Swedburg

JMSB AWARDS OF DISTINCTION he heads of Quebec’s largest financial institutions are seldom in one room at the same time. But that’s exactly who the JMSB was able to attract when it celebrated its 20th Awards of Distinction November 24. The awards ceremony at the Centre Mont-Royal in downtown Montreal drew 220 people, including the heads of the National Bank Financial Group, Desjardins Group, Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec and Industrial Alliance Insurance and Financial Services. Respectively, these companies represent the four pillars of Quebec’s financial services sector: banking, wealth management, institutional investment, and insurance. These institutions were honoured because of their achievements and contributions to business and society in Quebec and Canada. Master of Ceremonies Marianna Simeone, BA 86, a well-known Montreal journalist, recognized the presence

of Corinne Sévigny, the widow of the late Honourable Pierre Sévigny, who championed the Awards of Distinction more than 20 years ago. Concordia President and ViceChancellor Judith Woodsworth said the honourees were chosen “because they have shown leadership, innovation and drive. This is why they are successful and have remained competitive over time.” Woodsworth added that “the individuals who lead these companies have risen to the top because they have actively sought out opportunities to improve themselves through hard work and higher education.” Kathy Assayag, Vice-President, Advancement and Alumni Relations,

5 Vancouver Chapter

Dr. Roberta Bondar to receive Loyola Medal

r. Roberta Bondar, Canada’s first woman astronaut and the first neurologist to travel in space, has been selected to receive the 2008 Loyola Medal. In addition to her

work in the field of science, Dr. Bondar is an accomplished photographer and passionate spokesperson for environmental education. She is an Officer of the Order of Canada, has been awarded honorary doctorates from 24 North American universities and was named by UNESCO as the Honorary Patron for Canada for the International Year of the Planet (2008). Dr. Bondar has been chancellor of Trent University in Peterborough, Ont., since 2003. The Loyola Medal was conceived in 1961 by the Loyola Alumni Association and the administration of Loyola College as a permanent tribute to individuals for their outstanding leadership and contributions to Canadian society and internationally. In addition to convocation awards and honorary degrees, the Loyola Medal is one of the highest honours awarded by Concordia University. Dr. Bondar joins an impressive list of Loyola Medal recipients, including Senator Roméo Dallaire in 2006, the late Oscar Peterson in 1997 and the late Governor General Georges P. Vanier, L BA 06, in 1963. Dr. Bondar has accepted an invitation to receive this honour at the official Loyola Medal presentation in spring 2009.

concordia university magazine winter 2008/09 | 27

AssociationNews Washington, D.C. he striking Canadian Embassy was the perfect setting for the launch of the CUAA’s Washington D.C. Chapter on October 28. Nicole Saltiel, Concordia’s director of Operations, Advancement and Alumni Relations, travelled from Montreal to welcome the 35 alumni from the United States capital region, including Maryland and Virginia. Saltiel reported on Concordia’s ongoing dynamism, the appointment of new President and Vice-Chancellor

Judith Woodsworth, recent fundrasing successes and the flurry of alumni association activities. Pictured are Chapter executives (from left) Renato Sogueco, BA 94, Lisa Morgan, BA 89, Zoran Kahric, BEng 97, James Byrnes, BA 97, and Thérèse Morin, MBA 86, Chapter president. 6

California Joanne Mollot, BA 79 (pictured second

from left) 7 , president of the CUAA’s California Chapter, lead an enthusiastic group of alumni and friends on a hike around the scenic Stanford University campus in Palo Alto, Calif., on October 18. Following their walk, the group enjoyed a lunch at the university’s museum café.

Calgary he offer was hard to resist: great beer, Alberta beef, insight from a seasoned brewer and the company of fellow Concordia alumni. Nearly

T 6 Washington, D.C. Chapter

40 alumni and friends gathered at Calgary’s Rose and Crown Pub October 29 for a prime rib dinner and beer tasting. Peter McAuslan, S BA 72, president of Montreal’s McAuslan Brewing, shared his expertise on matching food with different McAuslan brews and provided samples for tasting. He is pictured (right) with William Lebherz, BA 92. 8 On September 12, 23 Concordia alumni from Calgary and Edmonton joined forces with 120 alumni from other Canadian universities for a tailgate party before the Calgary Stampeders vs. Montreal Alouettes football game. Even though it was cold and damp outside and the Als lost 41 to 30, alumni enjoyed themselves in the warmth of Calgary’s Banff Trail Community Centre.

Edmonton fter visiting Calgary, Peter McAuslan, S BA 72, president of Montreal’s McAuslan Brewing, headed north and joined 27 alumni and friends October 30 at Edmonton’s Elephant & Castle Pub and Restaurant. As always, McAuslan made sure that the participants enjoyed their dinner and beer while learning about mixing fine food and ale.

Toronto he annual Toronto Chapter pub night always proves to be a great way for metropolitan Toronto-area alumni to network and reconnect. This year’s pub night was held September 10 at the Bedford Academy and attracted 30 alumni and friends, many new to Toronto. Pictured are (left to right) Sanaz Arabzadeh Esfarjani, MASc 08, and Gillian and Frank O’Rourke, S BSc 57. 9

T 7 California Chapter

8 Edmonton Chapter 28 | winter 2008/09

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9 Toronto Chapter

Notices NOTICE

Open House January 24, 2009 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.

Are you a Concordia graduate living in London, United Kingdom, India, Dubai or Mexico City? We are interested in learning about what type of events and activities you would like to attend. Please complete our short, online survey at alumni.concordia.ca/chapters/geo. Help us widen our network by encouraging fellow alumni to do the same. For more information, contact Lina Uberti, Alumni Officer, Geographic Chapters, at lina.uberti@concordia.ca.

Sir George Williaams Campus

Loyolaa Campus

14000 De Maisonneuve Blvd. We W st Montreeal, Quebec Guyy Concoorddia metro

7141 Sherbrooke k St. We W st Montrreal, Quebec V ndôôme metro Ve r then #105 bus we w st

Save the Date! Faculty Showcase January 24, 2009 During Concordia University Open House Discover how the exciting research conducted in our academic faculties influences our lives today. For details, visit alumni.concordia.ca

Concordia Sports Hall of Fame Call for Nominations The deadline for nominations to be considered for the 2009 induction ceremony is January 31, 2009. Nominations should be accompanied by as much supporting documentation as possible, because it is the documentation—not the number of times a name is put forward or endorsed—that is considered at the time of selection. Nominations do not expire if they are not considered the year during which they are put forward. Visit athletics.concordia.ca/nomination.html for a nomination form, or call (514) 848-2424, ext. 3852, for more information.

GO STINGERS!

Alumni Recognition Awards Call for Nominations

Deadline Extended!

Send your submission by December 19, 2008 All graduates, faculty, staff, students and friends of Concordia University and its two founding institutions, Sir George Williams University and Loyola College, are invited to nominate candidates for the Concordia University Alumni Association (CUAA) Recognition Awards, the highest honour the Association bestows. The CUAA encourages you to submit nominations for individuals who deserve to be recognized for their outstanding achievements, exceptional service to the advancement of Concordia University or continued service to their community. Award recipients will be honoured at a special event in spring 2009. The awards are as follows: Humberto Santos Award of Merit This prestigious honour is awarded to an alumnus/a who has made a lifetime contribution of exceptional leadership and service to the university and community. Alumnus/a of the Year Award Awarded to an alumnus/a who has demonstrated professional excellence and community leadership. Benoît Pelland Distinguished Service Award Awarded to an alumnus/a who has demonstrated a long-term commitment of outstanding service to the Alumni Association and the university. Honorary Life Membership Awarded to a non-graduate who has made a long-term commitment of outstanding service to the Alumni Association and/or the university. Outstanding Student Award Awarded to a Concordia student who has demonstrated outstanding leadership and contributions to student life. Alumni Award for Excellence in Teaching Awarded to a member of Concordia’s teaching staff with superior knowledge, teaching ability and availability to students. MBA Alumnus/a of the Year Award Awarded by the John Molson School of Business Alumni Chapter to an MBA alumnus/a who has outstanding professional achievements and shown dedication to both the community at large and the university. Outstanding Faculty/Staff Award Awarded to a Concordia University faculty or staff member who has made an exceptional contribution to the Alumni Association or to the university community. Visit alumni.concordia.ca/events/awards// to complete a nomination form, or contact Jennifer Cottin at jennifer.cottin@concordia.ca or at 514-848-2424, ext. 3882.

concordia university magazine winter 2008/09 | 29

ClassActs Some graduates in this listing have received more than one degree from Concordia, Sir George Williams and/or Loyola. These individuals are listed under their earliest graduation year. Class Acts reflect the original submission’s style as closely as possible.

Robert H. Smith,

S BSc, has been named chairman, president and 1

CEO of Hibex Inc., an industrial product distributor in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.

Don Taddeo, L BA, recently became ViceRector, Advancement and Alumni Relations, at the Université de Montréal. Don had been president and CEO of the McGill University Health Centre Foundation

in Montreal. He previously held a number of positions at Concordia, including as a professor of Communication Studies and dean of the Faculty of Engineering and Computer Science.

Consulting provides project leadership to corporations and non-profit organizations in the San Francisco Bay area. Mary is a 30-year veteran of the financial services industry. She most recently was executive VP of Private Client Services for Wells Fargo and Company in San Francisco. She has also served on several non-profit boards and led strategic planning processes for the National Multiple Sclerosis Society (Northern California Chapter),

Mary P. Carryer, BSc

(math.), joined Cliff Consulting, Inc., in Oakland, Calif., in August. Cliff

1 > Diane Collet, BFA 76, MA 03, Aino Lutter, BFA 78, Helga Schleeh, BFA 78,

October 9 to November 16 at the maison de la culture de Côte-des-neiges in Montreal.

Beverley Wight, BFA 81, Claudine Ascher, BFA 83, MA 06, Yvonne Callaway

3) Nipponnerie # 3

Smith, BA 84, MA 91, EMBA 92, Myrna Brooks Bercovitch, BFA 87, and Alicia Surveyer, BFA 07, participated in a group exhibition, called “Flights of Fancy: the imaginary

4 > Susan Pepler, BFA 84, held an exhibition of new paintings, called “Fall for Flowers,”

Canadian stamp collection,” held September 21, 28 and October 5 at the galerie de la ville

at the Club Sportif MAA in Montreal from October 8 to 26. The exhibition featured florals and

in Dollard-des-Ormeaux, Que. The show featured an in-gallery project and exhibition.

a new series of Susan’s poolscapes. susanpepler.com 4) Poolscape #1

1) Endowment for the Arts by Diane Collet 5 > Susan Fowler, BFA 90, held a solo exhibition of works in various media, called 2 > Karen E. (Wilkinson) Major, S BSc 72, was part of a photography exhibition,

“Writings, Rectangles and Squares 2008,” from October 15 to November 16 at the galerie

called “Collaborations,” from September 5 to 30 at the Royal Botanical Gardens in Burlington/

de la ville in Dollard-des-Ormeaux, Que. The exhibition juxtaposed her most recent abstract

Hamilton, Ont. Karen’s images included landscapes of Arizona and Washington State and an

calligraphic “writings” on canvas with representational two- and three-dimensional works

abstract shot taken in Toronto. She lives in Waterdown, Ont. 2) Reflections

from the ’90s. Susan has exhibited her work and taught art in the Montreal area since the early ’80s. She teaches at the Visual Arts Centre in Westmount, Que., and is represented by

3 > Raymonde Jodoin, BFA 83, held an exhibit, called “Bal et nipponneries,” from

30 | winter 2008/09

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the galerie sandra goldie. galeriegoldie.com. 5) Writings, # 37

the Hawaii Nature Center and the Girl Scouts of Hawaii.

Harold Usher, S BEng,

is a third-term city councillor in London, Ont. Harold serves on the city’s Community and Protective Services Committee, chairs the London Transit Commission, sits on several boards and is president of the London City Hall Toastmasters. He was recently selected for a

2008 Citizenship Award by the Professional Engineers Ontario and Ontario Society of Professional Engineers for his community work. He also worked for Bell Canada in various engineering and management positions from his graduation until 1996. He is the owner and president of

Adventures in . . . SEMINARS & SPEECHES, a human resources development company. Harold is the primary author of the book, PROSTATE! PROSTATE! PROSTATE! A Problem of Men, which is available at trafford.ca/06-0700 and based on his experience as a prostate cancer survivor. husher@rogers.com

Marcel F. Raymond,

S BA (Fr. lit. & poli. sci.), has combined careers

in professional bodybuilding, publishing and home renovation for four decades in Montreal. He had a successful bodybuilding and modeling career in the early ‘60s and ‘70s under the pseudonym Martin Reid. His biography is Martin Reid: The Life and Times (MFR Publishing, 2000). After he graduated from Sir George Williams, Marcel studied law for two years and, in 1978, founded MFR Publishing and Domicile J.L. Inc., a

6 10

6 > Susan Shulman, BFA (studio arts) 96, held an exhibit, called “Lovescapes: Love, Hope,

and Masculine,” from September 6 to October 12 at la maison de la culture Mercier in Montreal.

Faith,” from October 14 to November 9 at Infinithéâtre Bain St-Michel in Montreal. Susan’s work

Scott is a Montreal-based multimedia artist and film director. The exhibition was a photo and

represents her inner struggles, growth and search for truth. www.susanshulman.com 6) Fish Hair

video installation that dealt with the sacred and ancient archetypal dualism of the masculine and feminine in the seven stages of life. macleod9.com/labyrinthina/projects.htm 8) Baby Sophia

7 > Keer Tanchak, BFA 00, is a Chicago-based artist who earned an MFA from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago in 2003. She has won several awards for her art, including the

9 > Jane Tingley, MFA (studio art) 06, held an installation, called “Plant (ipod) Installation / Plante

Studio Arts award for best graduating student at Concordia. Keer has exhibited in Canada and

(ipod),” from September 2 to 26 at Concordia’s Faculty of Fine Arts Gallery. The installation featured

the United States as well as in Europe and Asia. In November, her paintings were included in

plants, prosthetics, sensors and sound speakers. 9) “Plant(ipod) Installation” (photo: Guy L’Heureux)

a survey of Canadian painting titled Carte Blanche Vol.2 – Paintingss (Magenta Publishing for the Arts). The Elmhurst Art Museum in Illinois will feature Keer’s work in an exhibition titled

10 > Laura St. Pierre, MFA (studio art) 06, held an exhibition, called “Model Dome,”

“Pleasure Paintings” from January 24 to March 22, 2009. keertanchak.com 7) austrian drama

from September 2 to 26 at Concordia’s FOFA Gallery. Laura’s photographs, drawings and installations used waste materials to illustrate the contradictions of Western consumerism

8 > G. Scott MacLeod, BFA 03, held an exhibit of his work, called “The Sacred Feminine

and excess. 10) “Model Dome” (photo: Guy L’Heureux)

concordia university magazine winter 2008/09 | 31

ClassActs on, by offering free mailings.” durapro1987@ca.inter.net

Lesley MacMillan,

BFA (theatre & cinema), writes: “After a year of consulting for the National Theatre School of Canada in Montreal and being the director of production at the Shaw Festival in Niagara-on-theLake, Ont., I recently relocated to Calgary, Alta. I am now the producer at Theatre Calgary.”

Neville-Warren Cloutier, BSc, EMBA 91, is president

of Iso Software Systems Inc. (www.isosoftwaresystems.ca) in Montreal. In September, IsoSoftware won the Gold award in the Small Business category (sales of up to $5 million) of the National Bank Financial Group’s 15th SME (small- and medium-sized enterprises) Awards for the Montreal region. Selection is based on a company’s finances, strategy, growth, corporate philosophy and work environment. Neville-Warren (second from left) is pictured receiving the award September 9 at the Hotel Intercontinental in Montreal. He was VP of the Day Students’ Association at Concordia in 1977-78.

renovation company. He has published 15 collections of his own poetry, essays and short novels. He is also a painter whose works are found in collections in Canada, the United States and Mexico. Marcel is retired and a human rights activist. He is a member of the union des écrivaines et des écrivains québécois and a very active member of the Quebec Gay Archives. “I enjoy planting flowers in my garden, making short trips around the world and being an unleashed poet who talks and writes for the un-voiced.”

Angelo (Arcangelo) Zenga, BA (history),

lives in Mississauga, Ont., and recently published a novel in French called Que la nuit t’apporte une pensée de moi (éditions melonic, editionmelonic.com). “I moved to Mississauga in 1998 with my wife, Louise, and daughter, Amanda, but miss Montreal.”

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Gavin T. L. Brown, BEd

(TESL), lives in Auckland. “I moved to New Zealand in 1983 and took up ESL teaching at the high school and university levels. I slowly completed an MEd at Massey University and, in 1997, I entered fulltime academic research in educational assessment (thanks in part to Concordia Professor Jack Upshur’s course on

testing). In 2003, I completed a PhD on teachers’ conceptions of assessment at the University of Auckland and I am now a senior lecturer of research methodology in the Faculty of Education at the university. In January 2009, I will become associate professor in Curriculum & Instruction at the Hong Kong Institute of Education. I have published two books, 30 academic papers and more than 60 technical reports, and co-authored two test systems used in New Zealand schools. I am married with four adult children and still active in my local church.” gt.brown@auckland.ac.nz

Steven Goldmann, BFA,

is an award-winning, music-video and feature-film director (Broken Bridges, 2006). Steven’s most recent film, Trailer Park of Terrorr (2008),

Robert McCann, BSc,

became chairman of the Board of Directors of the Highland Hospital in Rochester, N.Y., in August. He has been Highland Hospital’s chief of medicine for eight years. Robert earned his medical degree at the State University of New York Upstate Medical Center in Syracuse and completed his residency in internal medicine at Rochester General Hospital. Robert is also a professor of medicine at the School of Medicine and Dentistry at the University of Rochester. He has received many honours, including the American College of Physicians Laureate Award in 2005. Robert lives in Pittsford, N.Y. Philippe Rachiele, BComm,

is owner of Timbres Durapro in Montreal. “After 21 years in the stamp/mailing business, I can now afford to help charitable organizations, clubs, associations, non-profit organizations, schools and so

concordia university magazine

Brent Holland, BFA (theatre), BFA (music) 08, writes:

“I have been composing music professionally for more than 20 years—how did that happen?!—and have created music for all of the major broadcasters in North America. My credits also include feature films and international broadcasters in Europe and Asia. I recently uprooted from Montreal, got married to an incredibly brilliant and beautiful Persian who has a PhD in mining, and now find myself living in—are you ready?—Sudbury, Ont. (Hey, I heard that!) Actually, it’s a wee bit of heaven here. I go down to Ramsey Lake with my laptop and compose away [as pictured above]. They even have internet access. The Imax/ Science North Centre makes Montreal’s science centre seem tiny. The winters have so little snow they just push it to the side—no kidding! I am also host of a radio show, Night Fright, dealing with paranormal and conspiracy stories. It can be heard at cklu.ca.”

based on the Imperium comic book of the same name, had its Canadian premiere at the Fantasia Film Festival in Montreal on July 13. Steven lives in Los Angeles, Calif. Gary Regenstreif, BA

(journalism), who is with Reuters News, transferred earlier this year to New York City from Paris, France. Gary is now global editor, Domestic News Services, setting strategy and priorities for local-language services. Reuters provides news service in 19 languages worldwide. In 2008, Reuters merged with Thomson Corp. to form Thomson Reuters.

25TH REUNION

Janet Mrenica, BA

(urban studies), BComm (acct.) 92, recently became director of operations of Governance Directorate for the Treasury Board Secretariat, Government of Canada, in Ottawa. “My team and I are responsible for oversight and to advise 19 Canadian crown corporations. The activity sectors vary and, as such, I can use my various interests in environmental issues, service issues and organizational development. I continue to be based in Ottawa, where I attempt to practice work-life balance with time allocated to the community sector. I am an advocate for the local, organic food movement and am actively involved with Feast of Fields, the premier local organic food event in Ottawa.” feastoffields.ca

Yale University School of Music for a master’s of musical arts (3rd cycle) degree, and then to Bristol, R.I., where I was a minister of music/choirmaster and organist until July 2007. I now live on beautiful Lac des Deux Montagnes in Pointe-Calumet, Que. I have been married to Ronald H. Bedig since 2005, and we live peacefully with our beagle, Spencer. I am now entering a new phase of my life and am in training with the Black Watch Royal Highland Regiment of Canada in Montreal. Super exciting! I will enrol in summer 2009 to officers’ school in Kingston, Ont., specializing in communications and information operations. I still play harpsichord and the bagpipes and go sailing as often as time permits. Cheers to all my Concordia friends!” Ollivier Dyens, BFA (cinema),

was appointed as Concordia’s vice-provost, Teaching and Learning, in August. Ollivier oversees curriculum development and program appraisal and is responsible for the promotion of teaching and learning. He is a Concordia associate professor and served as chair of the département d’Études françaises from 2005 to 2008. He is also an award-winning writer (La Condition inhumaine, essai sur l’effroi technologique, Flammarion, 2008) and founder and webmaster of the cyberculture website Continent X (www.continentx.uqam.ca). Ollivier’s digital artwork has been exhibited in North and South America and Europe.

Alexander S. Bauhart,

BFA, GrDip (adv. music performance) 92, writes: “I’m back in Canada after 16 years of exile in the United States. In 1995, I earned a master’s of music degree from the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston, Mass. I went on to

20TH REUNION

Jean-René Ello, BA (film

studies & journ.), was named senior manager of Radio Promotions for CTV in Ottawa. “You know you’re becoming old when ‘senior’ is added to your

title! I’ve been living in Ottawa for the past 10 years. CTV is the official Olympics broadcaster and I’m looking forward to working on the 2010 Winter Olympics radio promotions and events.” jr.ello@ctv.ca

painting and drawing again, as well as creating traditional jewellery. I’m currently selling and showcasing my work online. I am working towards opening my own studio/storefront in this beautiful area where I now live.” mohawk@okwari.ca

Mark Moidel, BFA (film

animation), lives in New York City and works part-time at the United Nations. He is the band leader of the Cud Chewing Cows (CudChewingCows.com), whose music fuses jazz, blues, rock and folk. Mark’s documentary film, Planetary Defense, was nominated for a 2008 Sir Arthur C. Clarke award, which recognizes the best in United Kingdom space research and exploration. Planetary Defense reviews current efforts to save the Earth from catastrophic impacts by asteroids and comets. The film had its world premiere June 30 on United Nations Television. SpaceViz.com

(comm. studies), moved to Canada in 1987 after living in Iran and Lebanon. After graduating from Concordia, Sabine wrote and directed three, short 16-mm films before moving to Los Angeles

Christina Strigas,

BA (Eng.), lives in Montreal with her husband and two children. She is the owner/operator of Garderie Educative Bilingue Face à Face in Laval, Que. Christina recently co-written her first novel, Althia’s Awakening (Wheatmark, 2008). “I am working on the second volume that will continue to explore the extraordinary life of Zaharoula Sarakinis, my co-author.”

Sabine El Gemayel, BA

Star Horn, BFA (painting

and drawing), lives in Perth, Ont. “After Concordia, I left my hometown of Kahnawake, Que., for travels and adventure in Australia, New Zealand and Roratonga. Then I settled in Vancouver, B.C., for about 15 years. Although I attended the University of British Columbia for Human Kinetics, I spent many of those years self employed as a graphic artist. Recently, I’ve returned to my eastern roots and am

Anna KatsafourosCampbell, BA

(poli. sci.), is the Senior Director of Operations at C3 Communications in Montreal. “We were chosen to manage the logistics for the Inconvenient Truth training seminar that was led by former United States Vice President Al Gore in Montreal in April. We also assisted in the coordination of a comedy fundraising evening at Place des Arts for the Climate Project [theclimateproject.org].” Anna is pictured above (centre) on April 5 at Place des Arts with George Stroumboulopoulos (left), host of CBC TV’s The Hour, and comedian Angelo Tsarouchas.

concordia university magazine winter 2008/09 | 33

entrepreneur’s competition hosted by Queen’s University. He has worked with a number of Montreal-based, high tech startups in venture capital financing and business development. “I have taken my experience and contacts, coupled with my passion, to help entrepreneurs in their venture building and turned it into a full-time focus.” David is married with two children. You can find him on LinkedIn and Facebook. Murray Rahn, BComm (int’l.

Stephanie Griveau, BA (leisure sciences), writes: “I was born in France and grew up in New

York City. I attended Concordia and then went to work in London, U.K. My travel bug prodded me to Paris, France, two years later, as I missed my family, the rich culture and the fabulous food. I had been living the single life and enjoying my family when my sister (who lives in Barcelona, Spain) asked me to play host to her boyfriend’s mother and brother, Marco Antonio Portillo Perez, who were visiting Paris from Mexico. We spent an awesome weekend together. When they returned home, Marco told me he was head over heels in love with me. I soon visited him in Mexico City. I fell in love with him and his gallantry, and with the Mexican people. In December 2007, I packed up and left all that I knew to start a new, blissful life in Mexico City. I now work in events planning. I am looking to meet people and make new friends!” Stephanie and Marco are pictured above in September 2007 at the Cruz Azul Staduim in Mexico City. stephygri@yahoo.co.uk

in 1994. Since then, she has edited a number of feature films, including the awardwinning Palestinian movie The Olive Harvest (2003). Sabine has just finished her first feature as writer and director, Niloofar (2008), a Persian-language story about a 13-year old Iraqi girl’s search for freedom after she is forced into marriage. Adam Koniuszewski, BComm

(finance), GrDip (acct.) 95, is a Chartered Accountant and Certified Financial Analyst. Adam has been appointed Chief Operating Officer of Green Cross International, the environmental advocacy NGO based in Geneva, Switzerland. adam.koniuszewski@gci.ch

Ajay Pangarkar, BComm

(int’l. bus. & fin.), lives in Montreal. He is president of CentralKnowledge

34 | winter 2008/09

(centralknowledge.com), a comprehensive and measurable, strategic learning solutions provider, and a partner at LearningSourceonline. com, its e-learning and assessment division. Ajay and his partner, Teresa Kirkwood, have published two books, Building Business Acumen for Trainers: Skills to Empower the Learning Function (John Wiley & Sons, 2006) and The Trainer’s Portable Mentorr (John Wiley & Sons, 2008). They plan to release their third book in February 2009. Michel Prince, BEng,

recently became a senior project manager in Urban Infrastructure for Genivar International in Trinidad and Tobago. Michel is a civil engineer who earned an MBA in the management of cities and metropolises from

concordia university magazine

the Université de Québec à Montréal in 2006. He is a specialist in ecological and conventional stormwater management and has overseen low-impact, environmental and sustainable development projects in Quebec, Cuba, Haiti and China. Michel also contributed to the book Algues A bleues : des solutions pratiques (Éditions Bertrand Dumont, 2008), which offers advice on reducing blue-green algae in lakes and rivers.

David Nault, BComm

(mktg.) 96, is president and CEO of Callio Technologies, a computer electronics company, and president of 180 Degree Management Inc., a business consulting company, in Montreal. In his graduating year at Concordia, David won the gold medal for Entrepreneur Excellence in the annual

bus.), is a corporate account manager for THUS Plc in London and lives in Stafford, United Kingdom. “I miss Concordia University and, indeed, the City of Montreal a great deal, and hope to visit again over the coming years. Since graduating, I’ve completed an MSc in International Business from the University of Groningen in the Netherlands. I’ve now spent close to 10 years in the U.K., currently working in the communications industry. Aside from work, I play recreational ice hockey with the Telford Spartans, travel and enjoy the European lifestyle. If anyone whom I’ve shared a drink with at Concordia finds themselves in the U.K. Midlands, please let me know. Cheers!” murray.rahn@yahoo.co.uk

Helen Ho, BComm (mktg.), and David Chan, BComm (MIS), 98,

are proud parents of a new son, Sean Yung Wang Chan, born July 17 at Matilda International Hospital in Hong Kong. Paul Shoebridge, BA (comm.

studies), writes: “I graduated from Concordia many moons ago and went on to be an art director at Adbusters magazine in Vancouver, B.C. For the past few years, I’ve been working on a book, I Live Here [Pantheon, 2008], with co-authors Michael Simons, Mia Kirshner and J.B Mackinnon, that documents

Kudos Sid Marty, S BA 67, a poet and

literary non-fiction writer, received a Grant MacEwan Literary Arts Award, worth $50,000, during a gala celebration on Alberta Arts Day September 6 at the Southern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium in Calgary. Sid is a resident of Lundbreck, Alta., and has published five non-fiction books and three poetry collections. Sid’s book, Men for the Mountains (McClelland & Stewart, 1978), was twice named as one of the 50 most influential books in the Canadian environmental movement by the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Association. sidmarty.com René Balcer, BA (comm. studies)

78, received an honorary doctorate on November 17 during Convocation ceremonies held at Montreal’s Place des Arts. René began his career as a cameraman, journalist and documentary filmmaker. In 1990, he joined the staff of the American television series Law & Orderr during its first season. In 1996, he became its executive producer and head writer. In 1997, the show won its first Emmy Award for Best Drama Series. In 2001, René became executive producer for Law & Order: Criminal Intent, which he had helped to develop. In 2007, he returned to Law & Orderr as its executive producer. René has won many industry awards and, in 2004, the Concordia University Alumni Association honoured him as its Alumnus of the Year.

jury, at the 2008 Montreal World Film Festival. The movie tells the story of an Inuit hunter who gives up on life after he is diagnosed with tuberculosis, until a compassionate nurse brings a young Inuit boy into his hospital ward. Marianna Simeone, BA (Italian)

86, is a long-time broadcaster and journalist and a commentator (currently on leave) for CBC Television News’ Montreal at Six. In June, Marianna received the 2007 Sam Ross Editorial Award in the category of Television News – Central Canada, for her segment Student Strike that aired in November 2007. Marianna’s comments can be read on “My Take/Your Take” at cbc.ca/newsatsixmontreal. She also recently received the Cavaliere Ordine al Merito della Repubblica Italiana in recognition of her contributions to the Italian Republic. Barry Julien, BA (comm. studies)

94, won an Emmy award September 21 as a member of the writing team for The Colbert Report, broadcast on Comedy Central and CTV. Barry won the Emmy in the category of Writing for a Variety, Music or Comedy Program. He joined The Colbert Report as a writer in 2007. Barry had previously been a stand-up comedian and written for CBC TV’s This Hour Has 22 Minutes, YTV’s Mystery Hunters and Fox TV’s Talkshow with Mike Fersten.

Benoît Pilon, BFA 87, directed Ce

Keren Epstein, BFA (photography)

qu’il faut pour vivre (The Necessities of Life), which has been selected as Canada’s entry in the Best Foreign Language Film category of the upcoming Academy Awards. The movie was chosen from among 16 Canadian films submitted to a selection committee at Telefilm Canada. Ce qu’il faut pour vivre won the most popular film and the most popular Canadian film awards, as well as the Grand prix spécial du

08, was one of 13 regional winners of the BMO 1st Art! Invitational Student Art Competition, the only national graduating artist competition in Canada. The competition, which received 162 entries, celebrates the creativity of art students from Canadian post-secondary institutions. Keren was chosen as the winner from Quebec and the results of the competition were announced on August 14. Pictured here is her winning photo, Untitled, from the “Ema” series.

the lives and experiences of refugees and the displaced through journals, stories, images and graphic novellas.” thegoggles.org, i-live-here.com

10TH REUNION

Kristine Murray, BA

(anthro.), MSc (social and cultural anthro.) 06, lives in Vaudreuil-Dorion, Que. Kristine recently published Creating An Identity: Choosing Self-

Employment in Montreal (VDM Verlag), based on her Concordia master’s degree thesis. “The book explores why two web designers reject the notion of working for a corporation and choose self-employment. I am now coordinator for a nonprofit organization formed by companies in the VaudreuilSoulanges region near Montreal. Our mission is to work with businesses and exchange ideas on how to attract, develop and retain qualified workers.”

concordia university magazine winter 2008/09 | 35

InMemoriam Clifford Swindell Malone,

children, Marianne, George, Peter,

L BA 47, died October 8 in

Robert, Sean and Jane.

Toronto. Born in Quebec City, Cliff graduated from Loyola

Stanley Gordon Durrant,

College after having served

S BComm 54, died October 10 in

from 1943 to 1945 as a pilot

Fonthill, Ont. Stanley is survived

officer in the Royal Canadian

by his wife, Betty (Maude), and

Air Force. In the ’40s and ’50s,

his daughters, Barbara and

Cliff was a star hockey player

Pamela. He was 86.

with the Montreal Junior

Xania Keane, BA (comm. studies & journ.), writes:

“I joined a band, Trike, less than a year ago. We play quirky songs. I moved to Vancouver, B.C., with my bandmate, Stephen Taylor [pictured above, next to Xania]. We ran into some unexpected luck and won a competition on Shaw TV Vancouver for an instructional song—written by Stephen and a former Trike member, about a hip-thrusting dance move. Now, we’re on tour in Europe—where we have played more than 50 shows. I’m having a brain-expanding time. We recorded a music video in Holland, a one-minute rap song about George Stroumboulopoulos, the man who I’ve been watching on Much Music and CBC for as long as I can remember (and may have developed a bit of a crush on). You can watch it on our site, trikeaband.com. I hope you feel inclined to write me your thoughts (or send them to me telepathically, if you’re too shy.)” feedback@trikeaband.com

Royals and the Montreal Senior

John F. Kannon, L BSc 54,

Royals, and had a brief stint

died August 3 in Media, Pa.

with the Montreal Canadiens

John was born in New London,

in 1951-52. He earned a law

Conn. He earned a Bachelor’s in

degree from McGill University

Mechanical Engineering degree

in 1956. He joined the Montreal

from McGill University in 1955,

Stock Exchange in 1956 as a

worked at Canadair and earned

vice president, moved to the

a Master’s in Aeronautical

Canadian Chemical Co. Ltd.

Engineering degree from the

in 1960 and became CEO of

Massachusetts Institute of

Chemcell in 1966. In 1972, Cliff

Technology in 1959. He then

was named Chief Operating

began a 40-year career as an

Officer of Canron Ltd. and was

aeronautical engineer for Boeing

its CEO from 1977 to 1985. He

Co. in Delaware County, Pa.

also sat on many corporate

John had a lifelong interest in

boards. Cliff loved golfing and

aircrafts, especially those flown

spending time at his home in

in the Second World War. He is

Sarasota, Fla. He is survived by

survived by his wife, Patricia, and

his son, Kevin. Cliff was 83.

his children, John P., Kevin and Kathleen. John was 75.

A. Timothy Kelly, L BComm 52, died August 1 in Montreal. A

Andre Jude Fitzpatrick,

graduate of Loyola High School,

L BComm 64, died August 10 in

Tim was one of Loyola College’s

Montreal. He is survived by his

first commerce graduates.

wife, Anne (McCracken), and his

He later became a chartered

children, Kate and Conor.

accountant. Tim’s four brothers well: the late Emmett, attendee

Kenneth Robert Cavanagh, L BA (Eng.) 67,

55, Michael, L BSc 58, L BComm

died October 19 in Montreal.

61, Kevin, L BSc 63, and Brian, L

Ken was a partner at

BSc 70. Tim was predeceased by

NATIONAL Public Relations in

his first wife Jane (La Prairie),

Montreal. He is survived by his

and is survived by his second

wife, Suzan, and his children,

wife, Catherine (Danaher), and his

Sarah and Michael. He was 61.

are Loyola “eight-year men” as

Susan Borch, BComm

(MIS), lives in North Vancouver, B.C. “I’ve been working for HSBC Bank Canada in the technology services department since 2000, two months after my graduation from Concordia. I love my career in IT but I have been considering 36 | winter 2008/09

concordia university magazine

pursuing a second career in interior designing/decorating and establishing my own business one day. Only time will tell!”

Achille Ubalijoro, MBA,

lives in Montreal. “I have just launched Kabera Consulting Inc., a consulting firm that

Richard Monette, L BA 67, LLD

married in England in 1949,

Everald, Curt, Carol Ann, Leslie

Ben Weider, LLD 94, died

03, died September 10 in London,

emigrated to Canada in 1951 and

Ann and Shawn. He was 79.

October 17 in Montreal. A Montreal

Ont. Richard was the artistic

lived in Dorval, Que., for more

director of the Stratford Festival

than 50 years before moving to

Richard Bennett Boara,

renowned pioneer in the world of

in Stratford, Ont., from 1994 to

Halifax in 2006. Susie earned

BComm 86, died January 18

bodybuilding and a Napoleonic

2007, the longest-serving artistic

a teacher’s certificate in 1957

in Toronto, Ont. Richard was a

scholar, businessperson and

director in the festival’s history.

from MacDonald College in

Montreal native who relocated

philanthropist. He recently

By the time Richard graduated

Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue, Que.

in 1994 to Mississauga, Ont. He

donated a major collection

from Loyola College, he had

She taught at several schools on

held several senior positions for

of Napoleonic artifacts to the

already acted at the Stratford

Montreal’s west island and ran a

Livingston International, where

Montreal Museum of Fine Arts.

Festival and in CBC TV dramas.

small, private school for special

he worked for more than 32

In 1975, Ben received the Order

Richard played more than 40

needs students from her home.

years. In 2006, he was appointed

of Canada in recognition of his

roles at Stratford and, in 1988,

She is survived by her husband,

senior VP, U.S. and Canadian

contributions to sport and in

directed his first Stratford play,

Gunars, and her children, Daina,

Brokerage Operations. Richard

2005, became an Officer of

The Taming of the Shrew. He was

David and Martin. Susie was 78.

was also a past president of the

the Order. In 2000, he received

Toronto Board of Directors of

France’s Légion d’honneur.

appointed the company’s artistic

native, Ben was an internationally

director-designate in 1992 and

Branka Ivana Linden-Shek,

the Canadian Society of Customs

Ben is survived by his wife,

was officially named to the post

S BA (phil.) 72, died June 15 in

Brokers. He participated in

Huguette Derouin, and his

in 1994. During his tenure, the

Montreal. She is survived by

the Mississauga and Toronto

sons, Louis, Eric and Mark.

festival (renamed the Stratford

her husband, Milorad, and her

marathons and regularly

He was 85.

Shakespeare Festival in 2007)

daughter, Adriana Linden, BA

competed in the Guelph Lake

added a fourth theatre and

(phil.) 86. She was 86.

triathlon and other biking and

Geoffrey Ballard, LLD 01,

returned to financial profitability.

running events. He is survived

died August 2 in Vancouver, B.C.

by his parents, Robert and

Geoffrey was the founder of the

Canada in 1998 and the Queen’s

Dr. Jonathan Andrew Block, S BSc 74, died on

Joan Boara, his wife, Anne

B.C.-based, fuel-cell firm Ballard

Golden Jubilee medal in 2002. He

September 7 in London, Ont.

MacLennan, PhD 01, and his

Power Systems Inc. and, in 1993,

was 64.

Jonathan was an optometrist.

daughters, Shaughna, Caeleigh

was involved in the introduction

He is survived by his mother,

and Kim. Richard was 51.

of the world’s first hydrogen-fuel-

Richard received the Order of

Alan Pesner, S BA 71, died on

Marylin, and his brother, Jeffrey

October 13 in Montreal. He is

Irwin. He was 55.

survived by his wife, Ellen, and

cell-powered, zero-emission transit

Michel Brault, BA (actuarial

bus. In 1999, Time magazine hailed

math.) 86, died October 14, 2007,

him as one of its “Heroes for the

his children, Jonathan, Stephanie

Richard Litvack, GrDip (comm.

in Laval, Que. Mario had been

Planet.” Geoffrey was born and

and Gillian.

studies) 77, died October 20 in

a principal consultant at AON

raised in Niagara Falls, Ont. He

Montreal. Richard is survived by

Consulting in Montreal and held

studied geological engineering at

his wife, Donna Miro, BFA 75, and

financial planning seminars for

Queen’s University in Kingston,

his children, Chaya and Matt.

retirees. In 2006, he earned

Ont., and earned a doctorate in

a certificat en planification

Earth and Planetary Sciences from

Zuze “Susie” (Liepins) Aleksis, S BA 72, died August 15 in Halifax, N.S. Susie, as she was known to her Canadian friends,

Sylvester Robley, BA (soc.) 77,

financière from the Université

Washington University in St. Louis,

was of Latvian heritage and born

Cert (ed.) 79, died September 23

de Québec à Montréal and

Mo. Geoffrey was awarded several

in Graz, Austria. She and her

in Beloeil, Que. Sylvester moved

in 2007, he completed his

honorary degrees and received

family were forced to flee Latvia

to Canada from his native Trinidad

Professional Development

the Order of Canada in 1999 and

during the Second World War

and Tobago in 1967. He taught

requirements for the Society

the Order of British Columbia in

and she then met her husband,

school for 25 years in the Montreal

of Actuaries. Mario is survived

2004. He is survived by his wife,

Gunars Aleksis, in a displaced

area. Sylvester is survived by his

by his wife, Isabelle, and his

Shelagh, and his sons, Curtis, Mark

persons camp in Germany. They

children, Gemma, Anthony Paul,

daughter, Sarajade. He was 43.

and Edward. He was 76.

provides project and programmanagement expertise, mostly in the information technology arena.” achille.ubalijoro@

my own organization, I Am One Communications (iamone.ca), which aims to help those who want to improve their quality of life and communicate more effectively. I also work with special needs children for the English Montreal School Board. I am pleased with the

time I spent at Concordia and proud of my accomplishments.”

Burgundy Employment Centre in Montreal. I am also developing a social integration program that I will present to the Government of Quebec in 2010.”

kaberaconsulting.com

Martha Assima, BA

(human rels.), lives in Saint-Geneviève, Que. “I run

Marthassima@hotmail.com

Julie Goudreault, BA

(human rels.), lives in Dorval, Que. “I’m a vocational counsellor and teach lifeskills workshops at the Little

julie_g05@hotmail.com

concordia university magazine winter 2008/09 | 37

Words&Music Award winners, hackers and goalies

ascendant. Following his award-winning debut novel, De Niro’s Game (2006), Hage’s latest work, Cockroach (House of Anansi, $29.95), won the Paragraphe Hugh MacLennan Prize for fiction given in November by the Quebec Writers’ Federation. The book was also nominated for the Governor-General’s Literary Award, Scotiabank

killed it. Award-winning author Sid Marty, S BA 67, vividly recounts these events in The Black Grizzly of Whiskey Creek (McClelland and Stewart, $34.99). He simultaneously explores human interactions with grizzly bears and mankind’s increasingly antagonistic relationship with nature and wildlife. Marty is the author

and now lives in Laval, Que.

at Concordia. Protagonist Alex Fratarcangeli is a 30-something graduate student struggling with his lacklustre life and master’s degree thesis, which links Darwin’s theory of evolution and the history of human narrative. The Origin of Species was also nominated for the Scotiabank Giller Prize. Ricci’s trilogy Lives of the Saints, In a Glass House and Where She Has Gone, was adapted for a television miniseries (Lives of the Saints, 2004) starring Sophia Loren. He lives in Toronto.

Giller Prize and the Royal Writers’ Trust of Canada Award. In Cockroach, set in a Montreal immigrant neighbourhood, Hage’s unstable narrator veers disturbingly between reality and fantasy, often imagining himself as a cockroach who invades the lives of those around him. Hage is a Montreal-based writer who moved to Canada in 1992 from his native Lebanon.

of several books of poetry and non-fiction and lives in Lundbreck, Alta.

depict how these outsiders ultimately integrated into the francophone community. Griffin lives in Vaudreuil, Que.

(Doubleday Canada, $34.95), by Nino Ricci, MA (Eng.) 87, received one of the Canadian literary world’s most prestigious honours, the $25,000 Governor General’s Fiction Award, on November 18. The Origin of the Species is a semiautobiographical novel set in mid ’80s Montreal—and

The literary stock of Rawi Hage, BFA 98, is in the

38 | winter 2008/09

In 1980, a grizzly bear terrorized residents of Banff, Alta., with a series of violent attacks—one leading to a man’s death—before park wardens finally captured and

concordia university magazine

Fragile boys, fragile men

(Borealis, $19.95), by Harold Griffin, L BA (comm. arts) 72, is a collection of a short stories mainly about descendants of Irish immigrants who settled in the Quebec City area. The immigrants’ experiences were not always pleasant but Griffin’s tales

Nicholas Gaitan, L (Eng.)

BA 71, guides readers in their pursuit of happiness in Ask Me If I’m Happy: It’s a Question of Your Happiness

(Happy Box Edition, $27.95). Gaitan identifies six aspects that influence well-being and examines the lives of five, well-known 20th century figures, including Albert Einstein and the Dalai Lama, for insights into what made them happy. Gaitan earned a PhD in Medieval Literature from the University of Ottawa in 1981

In Your Sad Eyes and Unforgettable Mouth (Viking

Canada, $32), by Edeet Ravel, MA (Eng.) 85, the central character, Maya, is an art historian and child of a Holocaust survivor who takes a personal journey to confront her past and feelings toward intimacy. Ravel’s highly praised Tel Aviv Trilogy (Ten Thousand Lovers, Look for Me and A Wall of Light), revealed the Israeli-Palestinian conflict through the eyes of

individuals on both sides of the chasm. She was born in Israel and earned an MA and PhD from McGill University. Edeet lives in Guelph, Ont. Stephen Henighan, MA

86, has published several fiction and non-fiction books, including a short story compilation, A Grave In the Airr (2007). In his

new collection of essays, A Report on the Afterlife of Culture (Biblioasis, $24.95),

Henighan examines how distinct cultural and literary traditions from around the world face extinction as they are squeezed into a commercialized uniformity by globalized modernity. Henighan teaches SpanishAmerican literature at the University of Guelph in Ontario.

through a selection of short stories, from her days as a precocious 10 year old until she finds contentment late in life. Stone has published two collections of stories and has written more than 20 stories for literary journals. She lives in Peterborough, Ont. Le destin de Ballanika

(Dominique et compagnie, $14.95), by Elaine Arsenault,

BA 93, is the second of five planned volumes in the series, L’or des gitans. This story follows Lily, a young gypsy who escapes from pirates and hopes to find her friends but faces a number of mysterious challenges. The saga’s first book, La prophétie d’Ophélia, was released earlier this year. Arsenault is a past president of the Concordia University Alumni Association and a manager at Concordia’s Career and Placement Services.

All Things Considered,

(Hidden Brook Press, $19.95), by Patricia A. Stone, MA (creative writing) 90, follows the life of fictional Margaret Lovell

A mask usually is intended to hide the wearer’s identity. A mask worn by a hockey goalie provides protection but often reveals something

about the man or woman wearing it. In Saving Face: The Art and History of the Goalie Mask k (Wiley, $38.95), Jim Hynes, BA (jour.) 95,

and Gary Smith present a vivid series of goalie mask photos taken from the Hockey Hall of Fame collection. The book also provides the history of goalie masks and insight into mask

artists and makers. Hynes is the assistant editor of the McGill Reporterr newspaper at McGill University. In 2000, Yahoo!, eBay, Amazon and other internet titans were brought down for several hours by an unknown hacker. The FBI and RCMP eventually caught the culprit: 15-year-old Montrealer Michael Calce, a.k.a. Mafiaboy. Calce served an eight-month sentence for the crimes but now advises companies on internet security. In Mafiaboy: How I cracked the internet and why it’s still broken (Viking

Canada, $34), Calce spins

his cautionary tale with the help of Montreal-based journalist Craig Silverman, BA (jour.) 99. Silverman authored the award-winning Regret the Error: How Media Mistakes Pollute the Press and Imperil Free Speech (2007). He is also founder and editor of the award-winning regrettheerror.com, which reports on media accuracy.

For her McGill master’s degree thesis, Lalai Manjikian, BA (comm. studies) 03, conducted research at two Armenian community centres in Montreal to discover what motivates immigrants to create such centres. Manjikian reveals her findings in Collective Memory and Home in the Diaspora (VDM Verlag,

$67), which provides insight into how Armenian Canadians deal with their multiple cultural identities and collective memories. Manjikian is a PhD candidate in Communication Studies at McGill University.

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Olympic dreams I never got a chance to ask BA 95 the question. When Phelps won his s I climbed each record eighth gold medal, I gruelling step of the knew I had witnessed Olympic Great Wall of China, it history. After his final race, became apparent that my hike some 500 journalists packed was a metaphor of my long a news conference to ask him journey to the Beijing Summer about what had now been Olympic Games. dubbed his “Phelpsian Feat.” My Olympic dream took That’s when I took a chance. shape when I was 12 years old I headed to the front of the and a young synchronized room and asked, “So, what swimmer. I trained 35 hours goes through your mind on per week but I knew it would the podium, Michael?” take much more than that to Phelps became emotional. make it to the Olympics. He explained that after his Years later, after completing eighth medal, he and his my journalism degree at mother cried. They thought Concordia and spending a of the time his middle-school decade reporting for CBC CBC Radio’s Lauren McCallum reporting from the “Water Cube” at English teacher said he’d the Beijing Summer Olympic Games. Radio news in Montreal, I never accomplish anything. realized my Olympic dream was It summed up what he had still within reach. I was lucky enough to an architectural marvel, a huge cube overcome to reach his historic goal. be assigned to cover the World Aquatic covered in what looks like bubble wrap By prompting this heartfelt response, Championships in Montreal three years that lights up in several colours at night. I felt as though I had earned my own ago and the Commonwealth Games and My job was to follow swimming, diving Olympic gold. the World Aquatic Championships in and synchronized swimming, broadcast When the swimming competitions Australia over the following two years. live to morning shows across Canada wrapped up, my attention turned The moment I had been waiting for and file pre-recorded reports for the to diving. With the Chinese team came last winter when my Torontoafternoon shows. dominating the sport, Canadian medal based producer called to tell me that I My 14-hour days began by dragging hopes were slim. But Quebecers had been chosen to cover aquatics for my equipment through the crowds to Alexandre Despatie and Émilie CBC Radio at the Beijing Olympics. the Water Cube and setting up a mobile Heymans pulled through to win silver Our radio crew arrived in the Chinese office in the stands between the diving medals for Canada in the 3-metre capital a few days before the opening tank and main swimming pool. Below springboard and 10-metre platform ceremonies. I witnessed swelling me, on the pool deck, were the world’s events, respectively. crowds in the streets that were waiting greatest aquatic athletes, including “It doesn’t get better than this,” for the Olympic Torch to pass by, American swimmer Michael Phelps. I thought. And I was right. The Beijing saw the Canadian flag being raised There was much speculation as to how Games will go down as one of the in the athletes’ village and watched Phelps would perform, but few could best Olympics in history. Organizers United States President George Bush’s have imagined how dramatic his story couldn’t have picked a better slogan, motorcade make its way to the National would become. “One World, One Dream.” I’d add to Stadium, otherwise known as the I was lucky enough to be stationed that, “Lauren’s Dream.” Bird’s Nest. next to NBC News in the interview zone Lauren McCallum, BA (broadcast But I was most impressed by the and got to speak to Phelps every day. I journ.) 95, is a reporter with CBC Radio venue that would become my office always wondered what went through his in Montreal. She’s also president of the for 15 days—the National Aquatics mind on the podium after each medal. Concordia University Alumni Association’s Center, a.k.a. the Water Cube. It’s But, with little time after every race, Journal Chapter. BY LAUREN MCCALLUM,

40 | winter 2008/09

concordia university magazine

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