For the Alumni and Friends of Vancouver Island University
volume 5 | issue 2 | 2012 fall/winter
A LIFETIME OF LEARNING: VIU’s 2012 DISTINGUISHED ALUMNI AWARD WINNER, Don Hubbard
STOPPING HUMAN TRAFFICKING BRAIN POWER VS BRAIN CANCER
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PHOTO: TERENCE FITZGERALD
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volume 5 | issue 2 | 2012 fall/winter
features
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11-13 STOPPING HUMAN TRAFFICKING
VIU alumnae support victims of human trafficking and work to end an issue affecting millions of people worldwide.
14-17 A LIFETIME OF LEARNING
Don Hubbard, the 2012 Distinguished Alumni Award Winner, achieves success by going his own way.
18-20 BRAIN POWER VS BRAIN CANCER
PHOTO: DIRK OF HA PHOTOGRAPHY
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Owen Stechishin, the 2012 Alumni Horizon Award Winner, puts his considerable brain power to work, researching new treatments for brain cancer.
departments 4-5 Messages 6-9 Campus News 10 Donor Profile 21-23 Alumni in View 24-29 Class Notes 30 Home Stretch
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With all of the boxes, tape and cleaning, L AND the idea of moving is painful for R IS UN some. VE U However, VIU’s Advancement & Alumni Relations Office is excited to be back ALUMNI on the Nanaimo campus U M N Icalling A Lafter downtown Nanaimo home the past E s t . for 1936 eight years.
The move to campus will help us connect with current students, faculty, staff and, of course, alumni and also support the effort to build our presence in the VIU community. In our new location alumni will have a home on campus to easily access all the services available to them and current students will be able to see the Alumni Office on a daily basis and know they’ll still be connected to the school once their studies end. We’ll also be able to hear their thoughts on VIU and how the Alumni Association can help them in their studies. Located in building 310 (below the
Malaspina Theatre) the new office is strategically located in a high traffic area with Career Services, Advancement and Communication and Public Relations. Office hours will be 9am to 4pm, Monday to Friday and I encourage all alumni to stop by to see the new location. As my term as the VIU Alumni Association President ends this September, I want to thank the Alumni Association Board and all the students and graduates I’ve been fortunate to meet over my two-year-term for the
support they’ve given me. It’s been an honour to serve as the first president of the VIU Alumni Association and I look forward to sharing many more stories of graduate success as the network of alumni around the world continues to grow. As always, we want to hear from you and can be reached at alumni@viu.ca.
Publisher
Graphic Design
We welcome letters to the editor.
Advancement & Alumni Relations Office Vancouver Island University
Executive Editor
Julie Keenan Director, Alumni Relations
Managing Editor
David Forrester (Phys Ed ’02, Rec & Sport ’02) Manager, Alumni Relations
Editor & Feature Writer Janina Stajic
Proofreader
Adrienne Wanhill (BA in Creative Writing ’01)
Contributors
Janice Porteous Jacqualine Johnson (BSc in Computing Science ’04)
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Nancy Pagé Nancy Pagé Design www.nancypagedesign.com
Cover Photo
Feature Image(s) created by Dirk of HA Photography, www.haphotography.com Journey is published in the spring and fall by VIU’s Advancement & Alumni Relations Office and is distributed free of charge to alumni and friends. All material is copyright © 2012, Vancouver Island University Advancement & Alumni Relations, and may be reprinted with written permission. Opinions expressed in the magazine do not necessarily reflect the views of Vancouver Island University. The Vancouver Island University community acknowledges and thanks the Tla'Amin, Qualicum, Snaw Naw As, Snuneymuxw, Quw'utsun, Halalt, Penelakut, Lyackson, Chemainus, and Lake Cowichan First Nations on whose traditional lands we teach, learn, research, live, and share knowledge.
Nathan Thornton President, VIU Alumni Association
Please address all correspondence to: Editor, Journey Advancement & Alumni Relations 900 Fifth Street Nanaimo, BC V9R 5S5 journey@viu.ca www.viu.ca/alumni
Advertising Inquiries
David Forrester Manager, Alumni Relations Advancement & Alumni Relations 900 Fifth Street Nanaimo, BC V9R 5S5 250.740.6214 david.forrester@viu.ca
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president's message
PHOTO: VIU COMMUNICATIONS
VIU biology professor Tim Goater working in the lab with one of his many students.
Celebrating VIU's Faculty When our alumni reflect back on their time at VIU, many of them say there are two key qualities about their education that made it so valuable: small class sizes and dedicated faculty.
at the same institution. Griffiths was so inspired by her experience at VIU and in particular her biology instructors and her undergraduate research experience, she decided she wanted to give back to the university by starting a scholarship for current students. You can read her full story on page 10. As a new university we’re proud to hear stories like these. We’re also proud of our faculty and the work they do to ensure VIU students are receiving an excellent education. With that in mind VIU’s senate has given approval for the creation of the VIU Alumni Award for Excellence in Teaching. This will allow the university community to recognize our faculty who demonstrate excellence in teaching, learning and fostering research opportunities, all in support of their students. Is there a VIU instructor who stands out in your mind? Someone who’s had a positive impact on your life or on the life of someone you know? Consider nominating them for this award. The nomination forms will be available online in September 2012 at ww.viu.ca/alumni where you’ll also find more information about the award criteria. We’d also like to hear from you directly. If you have a story about a VIU instructor you’d like to share, please send an email to viewpoint@viu.ca. We look forward to hearing from you.
Out of those two qualities, it’s the dedicated faculty alumni refer to most. They remember Global Studies instructors who Ralph Nilson, PhD encouraged them to pursue valuable over- President and Vice-Chancellor Vancouver Island University seas internships; trades instructors who helped them secure work after graduation; or instructors in the education department who inspired them with their innovative approaches to teaching. In this issue we’re profiling VIU alumna Dr. Tanya Griffiths (BSc in Biology ’00 with distinction). Griffiths went on to complete a PhD in Biochemistry at UBC in 2006 and, in May 2012, successfully completed medical school
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campus news
WHAT’S NEW AT VIU? PHOTO: Craig Letourneau (CASUALEYE PHOTOGRAPHY)
Women’s Volleyball Team Takes Gold on Home Court For the first time, VIU hosted the Canadian Colleges Athletic Association National Women’s Volleyball Championships, which took place from March 8-10 in the gym on Nanaimo’s campus. The Mariners thrilled the home crowd, beating Calgary’s Mount Royal Cougars 26-24 in a nailbiting 4th set to win the gold.
New Degree: Global Education Graduate Diploma The Global Education Graduate Diploma is a post-degree program designed for teachers who wish to explore a broad field of study and discover the need for Global Education in schools. Teachers will learn how to weave diverse global perspectives into their practice, examine the rich and interconnected world, as well as the interrelatedness of the natural world. Graduates of the program will be able to foster a sense of citizenship in their students and awaken them to the richness of the world’s diversity. Diploma graduates may enter the Masters of Education in Educational Leadership with 30 graduate credits completed.
VIU’s Charity Golf Classic The 2012 Charity Golf Classic, which took place at Fairwinds Golf Course on June 15, 2012, was a huge success. Thanks to our generous supporters, including many VIU alumni, the tournament raised close to $60,000, all of which goes towards enhancing student learning environments and supporting student learning. Pictured: Rob Dodds (Applied Arts Graphics Dipl. ’90) Daniel Petersen (BA in Music, Jazz Studies ’11), Yuri Ahuja (MBA ’10) were part of an alumni team at the tournament.
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campus news
PHOTO: Kevin Mazutinec
A still image from Meridian, a digital animation created in the MRL by Kevin Mazutinec, VIU Instructor, Department of Art & Design.
Small Lab, Big Results In a small, non-descript classroom in the basement of VIU’s Arts & Humanities building, VIU students are sending messages out to the world, producing award-winning digital media projects including documentaries, instructional videos, CDs, websites, and interactive art exhibits.
New VIU Alumni Benefits VIU Alumni Privilege Card holders are now entitled to two new benefits: membership rates for Nanaimo’s Port Theatre Spotlight Series performances as well as one free yoga class per year at the Nanaimo Yoga Sanctuary. The Alumni Privilege Card can be purchased by VIU alumni for a $10 annual fee. For complete details, including a full list of benefits, please go to www.viu.ca/ alumni/benefits.asp.
It’s all thanks to VIU’s Media Research Lab (MRL), founded 10 years ago by faculty in the Arts and Humanities, to give students the opportunity to get reallife experience in their chosen field. Doug Stetar, an instructor in the department, is currently managing the MRL. “The MRL has become an essential part of the Digital Media degree as it gives students the opportunity to produce projects for a variety of clients and work with industry standard equipment like specialized computer programs, DVD cameras, audio recording equipment, and microphones.” Students work with VIU staff and faculty, community organizations and businesses, managing projects from conception to completion. They work
directly with clients to design the project and then produce, direct, edit, and record to create a final product. Many of them are paid for their work and projects have included redesigning websites, producing radio shows, creating interactive art exhibits and working on films. A number of film projects have garnered regional and national attention. In 2007 a team produced a video of Ishamael Beah, author, activist and former child soldier who spoke at Nanaimo’s Port Theatre. Another team was approached by Nanaimo’s Regional District to create, direct and produce a series of instructional videos on the district’s new Green Bin Program. In 2012 two alumni, Nick Middleton (BA in Digital Media ’10) and Chad SchroterGillespie (BA in Media and Liberal Studies ’09) produced a documentary on citizen journalism called Be the Media: A Local Approach to Establishing an Alternative Voice which won first place in the Global Film festival and in the BC Student Film Festival.
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campus news
\ Art On Campus : How the Iron Man Came to Be
Remember that Iron Man sculpture, the one that’s permanently lounging outside the music building on VIU’s Nanaimo campus?
How many of you walked by it hundreds of times, commented on how cool it was, maybe wished you could lounge beside it instead of heading to class? It’s an iconic part of the campus, but most of us don’t know anything about it. Until now! The statue has been relaxing in its current spot for more than 20 years and was created by VIU student Mike Szucs. He was enrolled in VIU’s BA of Fine Arts program in the early 90s and created the sculpture for a student art show. Szucs is still working as an artist and his sculptures have been on display in various public galleries and spaces including the Nanaimo Art Gallery and Maffeo Sutton Park.
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campus news
PHOTO: TERENCE FITZGERALD
VIUAA Board Members Sept 2012-June 2013 Terry Dolan (Assoc. in Commerce Dipl. '89; Arts & Science Dipl. '07; BA in Business Administration '10) Terence Fitzgerald (Arts ’92) Christine Franic (BSc in Nursing '06; MBA ’10) Kazue Fujiki (PE Dipl. ’90)
Tuning in to CHLY
An inside view of the DJ booth at the CHLY Studio.
Since 2001, CHLY, VIU’s campus radio regular basis and many of our volunteers are VIU students,” says Perry. station, has been heating up the VIU’s nursing students run a show airwaves providing listeners with an called A Sound Constitution where they eclectic mix of alternative programming. interview different community members involved in the health profession. Not The first show to hit the 101.7FM Rocket Science is a popular show where frequency was Elevator Club, a Sunday VIU’s science faculty uses a comical night program featuring – you guessed it – soothing elevator music. The station approach to debunk scientific myths and break down scientific concepts. And now has a diverse range of programs the Digital Media studies department from the internationally syndicated produces a weekly show called Be the Democracy Now with well-known journalist Amy Goodman to Latin Waves Media examining media creation and consumption. a political spoken-word show to a wide The diverse programming is key variety of music programming such as to meeting CHLY’s goal to set itself the Love Cast and a show featuring tunes apart from mainstream stations. “As from the 1920s. a community radio station we cover a According to Dylan Perry (Assoc. in wide range of views, different types of Music Dipl. Jazz ’99), Program Manager, music, even offer programs in different the roots of the station go back to 1998 languages. You won’t find anything else when a group of then Malaspina students like it on the airwaves,” explains Perry. founded the Radio Malaspina Society. If you’re interested in what it takes to In 1999 the university’s students voted to work in community radio, get in touch become part of the society and support it with Perry as CHLY is always looking for partially through their student fees. volunteers. If you just want to listen, tune Today, more than 15 VIU alumni into 101.7FM; go online to www.chly.ca have shows on air, including the where you can stream the shows live and 2009 Distinguished Alumni Award also see a full programming schedule. Winner, Terence Fitzgerald, who has a
Jacqualine Johnson (BSc in Computing Science '04) YJ Lin (BBA in Accounting with distinction '06) Dan Lines (Heavy Duty Mechanics '75; Commercial Transport Mechanics '88) Tim Mawdsley (BA in Finance '02) Ashwani Sinha (MBA '10) Nathan Thornton (BA Transfer ’87-’90) Andrea van Rossum (BA in Business Management '06) Mike Walker (BA in Commerce Transfer '79)
Thursday night program called Riot Act. “There’s also a number of faculty and departments who produce shows on a
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donor profile
A Conversation with VIU’s Donors the Dr. Tanya Griffiths Doctorate Scholarship, an annual $500 award for a biology graduate who’s been accepted into or is currently enrolled in a doctorate program in the health, medical or veterinary sciences. William Cope (BSc in Science with distinction ’10) will be the first recipient. He’s been accepted into medical school at Cornell University, one of the most prestigious schools in the United States, and begins his studies in September 2012. When he completes his four-year degree he’ll have accumulated a substantial amount of student debt and is grateful for any funding to help alleviate that. “When Tim and Caroline [Josefsson], two of my former VIU instructors called, I thought they just wanted to catch up over lunch,” says Cope. “When they told me I’d received this scholarship, I was thrilled.” Cope admires Griffiths for having When Dr.Tanya Griffiths (BSc in Biology the generosity to start a scholarship ’00 with distinction) finished UBC’s MD when she’s barely out of school herself. program in May 2012 she did two things He understands, though, why she’s – celebrated with friends and family, giving back to VIU. "It's a tight-knit and called her former instructor at VIU, community, especially in the biology Tim Goater, to ask how she could give program. Just the fact I was having back to the university. lunch with my instructors speaks to that. It's part of what makes the program so great and I'm pretty sure She’d put herself through VIU it's one reason Tanya was inspired to and never forgot how important it give back to VIU. I hope it's something was to have funding in the form of I'll be in a position to do one day." scholarships and grants. Now that Both Griffiths and Cope agree she’ll be earning a steady income, she receiving a scholarship is important wanted to help relieve the financial in many different ways, not all of pressures facing current students. them financial. “It’s really nice to “At first I felt sheepish because I felt have the recognition of others,” says I wasn’t giving much. All I can afford Griffiths, “to know others understand right now is a $500 annual scholarship,” how hard you’re working to achieve says Griffiths. “Then I remembered your goals and that they believe those what it was like to be a student, when goals are important enough they’re every penny counted. After talking willing to help you reach them.” with Tim, who was very encouraging, I For more information on either of knew this was the right thing to do.” these awards or on starting a scholarship Griffiths, who was VIU’s Alumni please contact Susie Caswell at susie. Horizon Award Winner in 2009 and caswell@viu.ca or 250.740.6216. was awarded a PhD in Biochemistry from UBC in 2006, made a one-time donation of $500 to the Andy Spencer Legacy Scholarship. She also created
Paying it forward After finishing her MD, Tanya Griffiths travelled through Namibia spending time visiting famous sites such as the salt pan of Deadvlei.
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Amanda Moore visits with women who are part of a rural job creation cooperative in Ghana, which they helped create to prevent the trafficking of themselves and their children.
Stopping Human Trafficking Study abroad internships changed the lives of VIU alumnae, Kirsten Hunter (BA in Global Studies ’06) and Amanda Moore (BA in Tourism Management – Recreation Major ’08), and inspired them to pursue challenging careers in an unusual field: Hunter works in Canada, focused on raising people’s awareness and understanding of human trafficking; Moore in Ghana, where she runs a program helping young women overcome the trauma of being trafficked.
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When Sandor Simon, a 49-year-old Hungarian, arrived in Canada in August 2009 he was filled with hope. Life hadn’t been kind in Hungary and he’d been promised a lucrative job in Canada’s stucco industry. Instead he found himself the victim of Canada’s largest trafficking ring, controlled by the Domotor family, also originally from Hungary, forced to do hard labour without pay, fed one meal a day, and imprisoned in a basement room. Thousands of miles away Afia, a young girl in Ghana, watches her mother talk to a strange man. Money is exchanged and Afia’s mother tells her to go with the man, that everything will be okay, but she’ll have to work hard. Afia goes, confused and scared, to a life as a household slave or work in prostitution. Although worlds apart, Simon and Afia have something in common - they’re just two of the estimated 2.5 million people who, at any given time, are forced to labour in countries around the world as a result of being trafficked. The number is staggering, but
Hunter says trafficking humans is a lucrative business. “There’s a huge demand everywhere for cheap or free labour and goods. As well, a trafficker can sell a person’s services repeatedly,” she explains. “To put it into perspective, Imani Nakpangi, a convicted trafficker in Canada, made $360,000 over the course of two years trafficking one girl in prostitution.” Hunter works for the Office to Combat Trafficking in Persons (OCTIP), part of British Columbia’s Ministry for Justice. As a program and research analyst, she raises public awareness about human trafficking in Canada doing presentations at community organizations and schools and working closely with service providers and the RCMP to help identify individuals who may have been trafficked. An unexpected encounter during an internship at the UN started Hunter on her career path. “I met a woman from India who was speaking to a committee on Contemporary Forms of Slavery. She was developing her English presentation
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and asked for my help.” Hunter was fascinated by the subject and during her final year at VIU secured an internship in Cambodia developing a strategic plan for the Rural Aid Organization (RAO), focused on addressing human trafficking and domestic violence. That experience gave her in-depth knowledge of the trauma trafficking victims face. “A trafficked person has their control stripped away. Their trafficker, through physical and/or mental abuse, controls every aspect of their lives. Because of that, victims find it extremely difficult to take control of situations, which is why
as an option for survival. But it’s a terrible fate.” In Ghana, boys work as modern-day slaves predominantly on cocoa plantations and in the fishing industry where many are drowned or maimed. Girls work as domestic servants, in prostitution, and as porters in the markets. There’s also a growing number of Asian women being trafficked into Ghana to work in prostitution. Today, Moore is the Development & Marketing Director at one of Ghana’s most innovative organizations addressing trafficking: Enslavement Prevention Alliance of West Africa (EPAWA). She’s setting up a program called ‘I
the work everyone was doing to raise awareness of trafficking was paying off.” Not all stories end well though, which is another reason Moore and Hunter are so dedicated. They also believe there’s an aspect to combating trafficking that’s critical for people to understand: as long as demand for the services and goods produced by trafficked people continues, so will human trafficking. “Sometimes it’s clear when services are being provided by trafficked people,” says Hunter, “and people should refuse to access those services.” It’s more difficult to tell if a product has been produced with slave labour which is why
One of the most difficult situations Hunter has dealt with…was letting a victim go back to their trafficker. it’s so hard for them to get help.” One of the most difficult situations Hunter has dealt with while working at OCTIP was letting a victim go back to their trafficker. “They wanted to return and because they were making a conscious decision, I couldn’t say ‘no’. If I had, I would’ve been doing the same thing as their trafficker, taking their control away.” The hope is that showing a person they have control will give them the strength to decide to leave their trafficker permanently. Moore’s journey to her career follows a similar path to Hunter’s. She went to Ghana and fell in love with the country and the people. “I also started to learn how prevalent trafficking was.” After graduation, Moore returned to Ghana and spent three years with Freedom Stones, a company that worked to transition trafficking victims back into normal life. During that time she learned more about Ghana’s trafficking issues. “In some ways it’s an accepted part of the culture. Families are so poor people view selling their child’s services
am Precious’, a holistic approach to supporting young women rescued from or vulnerable to trafficking for sexual exploitation. Through the program women get access to counselling, a safe place to stay and employment and life skills training. They also earn money, and learn new skills, making designer jewelry. Moore’s hope is the program will be replicated around the country and even the continent. It’s not an easy field to work in, and both Hunter and Moore have developed networks of support to help them process the stories they hear about victims like Simon and Afia. Part of what drives them is knowing organizations like theirs are responsible for ensuring some stories, have a happy ending. With the help of police and community service providers, Simon escaped and testified in court against his traffickers. Hunter remembers when she heard that the ringleader was given the harshest sentence yet in Canada for trafficking, nine years in prison. “Although OCTIP wasn’t involved in this case, it felt like
Kirsten Hunter an increasing number of organizations are developing systems to educate consumers. For example, if you buy Fair Trade certified goods such as coffee or chocolate, you can be confident slave labour was not used in producing that product. “It’s only one part of the solution,” says Moore, “but even buying Fair Trade products helps achieve our ultimate goal – preventing people from being trafficked in the first place.”
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a lifetime of learning
PHOTO: DIRK OF HA Photography
When Don Hubbard (Heavy Equipment Operator ’66; ABE ’71; BA in Anthropology), VIU’s 2012 Distinguished Alumni Award winner, dropped out of high school and hitchhiked to a logging camp to work, his mother wasn’t impressed. But, she’d be proud of him today. Thanks to his drive, generous spirit and natural ability to make friends, Hubbard became a leader in one of Vancouver Island’s most successful companies. More than that, Hubbard has created a legacy of exceptional community service and many of his friends believe Vancouver Island wouldn’t be as great as it is, if it weren’t for Don Hubbard.
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Jim Mitchell remembers exactly when he first met Hubbard. “We were seven. Don was covered in blood because he’d come careening down one of the steepest hills in North Vancouver on his bike, just to see if he could do it.” Hubbard had crashed, but that didn’t stop his adventurous spirit. The two spent much of that year splashing around the creeks in Lynn Valley Canyon searching for fossils. “He just loved dinosaurs. We used to call him Dinosaur Don,” says Mitchell. It was a passion that followed Hubbard throughout his life, inspiring him to start a BA in Anthropology 53 years later. Not the most obvious item for a retirement bucket list, but then Hubbard
inspired by her entrepreneurial spirit and determined to pursue a successful career. He started looking for work elsewhere, finding it in a Nanaimo company called Hub City Paving (now part of Lafarge). Hubbard spent the next 44 years helping the company become one of the most prosperous on the island, taking what was at the time the unusual step of continually going back to school to further his career. “I started on small machines but wanted to move up to heavy equipment. So I took Malaspina’s Heavy Equipment Operator program.” Certificate in hand, Hubbard worked his way up to foreman then wanted a ‘desk job’. That required
He took what was at the time the unusual step of continually going back to school to further his career. has never been one for doing the obvious. During the 1960s many men of Hubbard’s generation quit school to work in logging camps. Unlike most of them, Hubbard didn’t stay in the camps, as he had the foresight to realize the logging industry was in decline. “I saw there was a technological evolution happening in the forestry industry. For example steam engines were being replaced by diesel engines. It was clear to me those technological advances were going to drastically reduce the number of people required to log.” His mother had started a number of businesses on her own and Hubbard was
a high school graduation certificate, so he signed up for Malaspina’s Adult Basic Education program, despite the fact he was working full time and supporting a young family. To reach his goal he took night courses and even did homework on a long-anticipated holiday to Disneyland. “My daughters thought it was pretty funny watching Dad bent over the camper van table, doing Grade 12 homework.” Hubbard then set his sights on a management position and, when the opportunity to do a program at BCIT came up that would allow him to realize his dream, he took it. After completing
Hubbard pursues one of his life's passions– fly-fishing on the Nanaimo River.
PHOTOS: DIRK OF HA Photography
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As part of his community service work, Hubbard regularly meets with politicians such as current BC Premier Christy Clark.
the program he was recognized within the company with a series of key promotions and retired in 2009 as General Manager of Lafarge for Vancouver Island. Even as manager he approached things differently says Jane Stoller (MBA ’09). She’s known Hubbard since 2007 when she was a student in VIU’s MBA program and he hired her to intern at Lafarge. “He wasn’t just a boss; he was a mentor. His expectations were very high, but he helped you meet them. He also had a way of instilling confidence in you – he assumed you’d succeed and because of that you did. More than that though, he was the kind of boss you looked forward to sitting beside at the Christmas party.” By any standard Hubbard has had a stellar career. He saw the company through difficult financial times and mergers and realized major infrastructure projects on Vancouver Island including Nanaimo’s inland island highway and the Nanaimo airport. But Hubbard measures his success differently, not through traditional methods of wealth accumu-
believes in it. “He works on the strength of his convictions,” says friend, MLA Ron Cantelon. “If he feels something needs doing, he’ll see it through no matter what obstacles appear or how long it takes, and that’s a very rare quality.” Gregory experienced firsthand how skilled Hubbard was at getting things done when he got involved with Milner Gardens in the 1990s. “The university had inherited the property but the access driveway was terrible,” she explains. “My husband, Frank, invited Don out to the property for lunch. Don, came out, saw what was needed and immediately organized crews to build a road. I don’t think Don ever got his lunch, but Milner got its road.” Hubbard has put his considerable skills and connections to work supporting a diverse range of organizations from Ducks Unlimited, to Nanaimo’s Haven Society, to the Rotary. He’s been very involved at VIU, getting Milner its road, working as a Foundation Board Member, establishing eight annual
Hubbard measures his success…through the friends he’s made and what he’s given back. lated or positions held, but through the friends he’s made and what he’s given back to the community. His large network of friends says he excels at both. “He’s a true friend, and that’s rare,” says Jane Gregory, who worked with Hubbard on VIU’s Board of Governors. “You can count on him to be there for anything.” Mike Hicks, one of Hubbard’s long time friends, explains, “Other people have a lot of acquaintances; Don has a lot of friends.” Hubbard has an innate ability to communicate easily with everyone. He’s as comfortable talking to BC’s premier to get support for a new hospital as he is making bets with buddies on a fishing trip or chatting to equipment operators on a worksite. He also does community service work, not for recognition, but because he truly
scholarships for Adult Basic Education students and, as manager at Lafarge, creating an internship program for VIU’s MBA students. Encouraged by the late Stan Hagen, a former MLA and one of Hubbard’s own mentors, he accepted a position on Malaspina’s Board of Governors in 2002. He was eventually elected chair and worked behind-the-scenes to implement some of the biggest changes the institution has experienced during the past ten years. Robin Kenyon, was on the Board with Hubbard when they were charged with finding a new president. “Don knew it would be challenging,” says Kenyon, “but he’s never fazed by a challenge, especially if he’s working on something he truly believes in. Even though it required a lot of time and
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effort he didn’t waver. Instead, he did what it took to find the right person.” Hubbard also helped secure university status for the institution, making numerous trips to Victoria to meet with political connections and convince them the status change would benefit VIU’s stakeholders and in particular its students. VIU’s President, Ralph Nilson, says his first impression of Hubbard was that he was a man of integrity. “He’s always willing to invest his time to support the community and he does it in a positive way embracing diversity and change. He’s certainly made an incredible difference at VIU. In fact, every university should be so lucky as to have an alumnus like Don.” Today, Hubbard is making change as chair of Vancouver Island Health Authority (VIHA). He was the driver behind plans for the new hospitals in Comox and Campbell River and is responsible for VIHA being the first health region in BC to test a new approach to health care. The Oceanside Health Centre will be an integrative health care centre, where patients will access a range of services at one location and have an electronic health record that will be updated immediately with any changes.
“It’s a revolutionary approach,” says Hubbard enjoys a summer day on Hubbard, “Patients will have better access VIU's Nanaimo Campus, where he's to health care; practitioners will better studying for a BA in Anthropology. understand what patients need. The result will be healthier people and fewer trips to emergency saving the system money,” explains Hubbard. With the amount of time Hubbard spends making a difference in his community and the lives of his friends and family, it’s hard to believe he has any to spare. But he does and spends it exploring BC’s wilderness, hiking, camping, horseback riding and, his favourite pastime, fishing. In fact, if he isn’t working in the community or hitting the books, you’ll likely find him, fishing rod in hand, out on a lake in his boat, or on one of his annual fishing trips, accompanied, of course, by a group of loyal friends.
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BRAIN POWER V S The fact Stechishin has achieved so much in so little time doesn’t surprise who knew what he wanted to do well before graduating high school: Stechishin’s former VIU instructors. research brain cancer. As a 16-year-old he kept up to date on the latest Many feel he’s an “exemplary individual” and one of the most academically gifted medical advances in brain cancer treatments and made plans to pursue students VIU’s biology department a PhD and an MD (Doctor of Medicine). Ten years later he’d completed has had the pleasure of teaching – his grade point average was 9.95 out of a that PhD, during which he pursued cutting edge research into brain possible ten. Instructor Dr. Rosemarie cancer treatments, and started his MD (before finishing his doctorate). Ganassin remembers clearly when she first realized how gifted Stechishin was. Along the way he picked up numerous awards, scholarships and “Owen is quiet and reserved until accolades, including VIU’s 2012 Alumni Horizon Award* you get to know him, so it wasn’t immediately apparent we had a star student in our midst. Then he wrote a *The Horizon Award is given to a graduate for outstanding achievement within 10 years of obtaining a credential from VIU. test and it was exactly the same as the Owen Stechishin (BSc in Biology ’06) is one of those rare indivi-duals
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V S BRAIN CANCER answer key, only better,” she laughs. He made a lasting impression on VIU’s biology faculty and today, when there’s another exceptional student in class, they say ‘there’s another Owen’. He also impressed Dr. Erik Krogh, a chemistry instructor at VIU. Stechishin worked with Krogh in VIU’s Applied Environmental Research Lab during the summers of his last two years of university. “I was impressed by his intelligence and meticulous research methods,” says Krogh. “But, I also appreciated his generous spirit. He had so much gray matter to spare and he was willing to share his
knowledge with others, supporting his peers in their own research and getting involved in other projects.” Stechishin was one of the first VIU students to win a coveted Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) graduate scholarship. He used it to partially fund his PhD studies, started right after his BSc, at one of the most prestigious research labs in the world, the University of Calgary’s Hotchkiss Brain Institute (HBI) under the direction of Dr. Samuel Weiss. At the time, Dr. Weiss had started a cutting-edge research project using stem-like cells found in brain tumors
to test new cancer treatments. “It was a great opportunity to get in on the ground floor of a hot area of science,” says Stechishin. He spent the next four years researching treatments for one of the most aggressive forms of malignant brain cancer, glioblastoma, which is uniformly fatal in patients, usually within a year of diagnosis. “There have been great strides in treating other types of cancer, such as leukemia,” explains Stechishin, “but one reason I’m interested in brain cancer is I don’t believe we’ve come as far as we can in our treatments for the disease.” There are a number of
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Bioluminescent cells show the progression of tumor growth in a mouse over a period of 18 days.
reasons for that: glioblastoma is very aggressive, so there isn’t a lot of time to treat patients before they deteriorate. Brain tumors are also difficult to treat because the brain has a natural barrier stopping it from absorbing many anticancer drugs given as pills or intravenous injections. The tumors quickly become resistant to Temozolomide, one of the few chemotherapy drugs able to penetrate the brain, so brain tumor patients don’t have many treatment options. Finally, because glioblastoma isn’t as common as other cancers, there hasn’t been as much focus in this area, even though the disease is so deadly and glioblastoma patients make up a disproportionately high percentage of the total annual cancer deaths. To research new treatments, Stechishin first cultured stem-like
the brain. The research will be published next year and the hope is it may one day lead to improved chemo-therapy protocols for glioblastoma patients. Stechishin has now moved in to a period of transition, finishing research papers with his PhD colleagues at the University of Calgary and the second year of his MD at the University of Alberta. In September 2012 he begins two years of clerkship as part of his MD, where he’ll work directly with patients, followed by another five years of study to obtain his specialty training from the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada. It’s a process that will take seven years, but, true to his nature, Stechishin already knows what he wants to do when he’s finished. “I’d like to be a neuropathologist,
cells from more than 60 different glioblastoma patients. Using those cells he modeled the cancers in the lab and examined the tumor’s biology, carefully identifying and isolating the genes which were most likely to be causing the tumor and making it resistant to drug treatment. He then created tumors in the brains of immunocompromised mice so he could start to investigate what type of drug treatment would effectively target the isolated genes. “Most of the drugs I tested have been used to treat other cancers but not glioblastoma. That’s because it wasn’t known that the genes these drugs target were important in brain tumors until the first part of this research was complete. Once that was understood, I was able to test cancer drugs that previous studies had shown could target the genes I’d isolated.” Initial results were very promising as he was able to improve animal survival rates and kill off some of the tumor cells in
a specialist who examines the surgical biopsies that come from the operating room and performs autopsies to diagnose neurological diseases. I also want to have a research lab, so I can continue to do meaningful research into cancer. My hope is to secure a position as a clinician scientist at a university hospital that would allow me to do both.” Krogh believes such a position would suit Stechishin’s abilities perfectly. “People are often encouraged to specialize, especially in the sciences, as though that’s the best way to succeed. But Owen has never done that, studying both chemistry and biology at VIU then taking the unusual step of pursuing a PhD and MD. It’s very important that people with Owen’s breadth and depth of knowledge don’t allow themselves to get pigeon-holed. That way their knowledge, skills and research can be used in many different ways to benefit society as a whole.”
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Graduates are making a difference here, there and everywhere.
alumni in view
As a private chef on Indigo, a 115-metre yacht, Silverthorn journeyed down the west coast, through the Panama Canal, and around to Florida.
COOKING ON THE HIGH SEAS Whether he’s making a five-course dinner on a sailing yacht, a gourmet breakfast at anchor in the Caribbean or a picnic for an on-shore excursion in Thailand, alumnus Paul Silverthorn (Culinary Arts ’00) knows he’s in the right place. He’s a personal chef, hired by clients such as Avril Lavigne and Simon Cowell, to create delicious dishes when they’re living on their yachts. The main ingredient in his unusual career is constant change as every year he works with a variety of high-profile clients and travels all over the world. Silverthorn thrives on the adventure, even though the high-pressure world of the chef is compounded by his unique working environment.
PHOTO: POWELL RIVER PEAK
realized how good food could be when he attended his grandparents’ 50th wedding anniversary. There was a buffet, and he was astounded by the variety of food and how good it tasted. Always precocious, he decided to find out where all the food was coming from and discovered an enormous kitchen and a man in a tall, white hat. When he learned the man was a chef, had made the delicious food and been paid to do it, Silverthorn knew he’d found his calling. Soon, he was preparing “Planning meals is tricky when you can’t most of his family’s meals. After graduating from VIU’s Culinary just walk into the local grocery store,” Arts program in Powell River he dabbled says Silverthorn. “It once took me four in a series of chef-related jobs, working hours to pick up some tomatoes.” When in restaurants and running a catering he gets the supplies new challenges business. His adventurous spirit wanted emerge. “On board nothing stays put. more and in 2003, he decided to take the Even a ship at anchor can roll so advice of a multi-millionaire he met while everything always has to be secured.” hitch-hiking through BC, who suggested Silverthorn is living a dream that Silverthorn check out the yacht business. began when he was seven. “My mom inspired me to become a chef, not because That suggestion changed the course of she loved cooking, but because she didn’t. Silverthorn’s life: ten days later he secured his first gig as head chef on a yacht. She made great Chinese food but that Since then he’s crossed the Atlantic three was it.” According to Silverthorn he first
times, been through the Suez Canal and the Northwest Passage, sailed to Cuba, Greenland and Thailand and is now planning meals for a cruise to Croatia on the MY Penny Mae, a yacht featured in the film Fool’s Gold starring Matthew McConaughey and Kate Hudson. Although the nomadic lifestyle suits Silverthorn’s penchant for adventure he does harbour dreams of one day owning a restaurant in Barcelona. There, he’ll settle for a few months of the year, before heading out once again to cook up a storm on the high seas. Check out our website, www.viu.ca/alumni, for one of Silverthorn’s favourite recipes.
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alumni in view
Leading by Example As Principal for Aboriginal Education for the Nanaimo-Ladysmith school district, Laura Tait (Assoc. in Arts & Science Dipl. ’88; BEd ’98; Teacher Leadership Dipl. ’10; MA in Educational Leadership ’10) is working to support Aboriginal students to succeed in the public education system. It’s a large responsibility as Aboriginal graduation rates hover around the 50 percent mark. Tait isn’t a person to focus on problems. Instead, she’s intent on finding creative solutions.
Fortunately Tait has experience thinking outside the box. A lifelong learner, she discovered early that education was the key to creating opportunities. So far, she’s achieved two BAs – one in Psychology (UVic), the other in Education – a Teacher Leadership Dipl. and an MA in Educational Leadership. She plans to pursue a PhD and is continually
learning about her Aboriginal roots and culture. An avid traveler, Tait has explored far-flung countries such as Australia and taught in Taiwan for four years, where she entertained the idea of becoming a snake charmer. Her ‘live life to the fullest’ approach, says Tait, comes from watching her mother overcome serious obstacles to create a better life. “We’re part of the Tsimshian First Nation from Prince Rupert. My mom experienced a lot of trauma from being in residential school. She was a single parent and struggled to make ends meet. One day she realized we only had rice and eggs to eat and she said, ‘I can’t do this anymore’.” The next thing Tait knew they’d moved to Vancouver and her mother was going to UBC. After graduation, her mother secured a job in VIU’s advising department. Her mother’s experience taught Tait how important education was. It also instilled a moral compass in her, and from an early age she wanted to
advocate for other Aboriginal learners. In her current position, she’s focused on improving Aboriginal graduation rates, introducing programs to support Aboriginal learners, developing outreach programs to encourage students to stay in school, and hiring more Aboriginal teachers and Education Assistants. Tait has also thought seriously about how to promote deeper change for Aboriginal students, change that goes beyond boosting high school graduation rates. “Aboriginal people have been in crisis for too long because of the legacy of colonialism and the trauma of the residential schools. This crisis affects everyone, and I believe resolving it should be a shared responsibility, not just one for Aboriginal leaders and communities.” Tait is also working to shift education’s focus from the ‘factory-model’ where every child is treated the same, to a system that considers individual strengths, interests and, of course, culture. “With creative approaches like these, we can build a community where Aboriginal students are comfortable living in two worlds - strong in their culture and identity and successful in the euro-centric society and education systems where they live and study. They’ll begin to realize they have a million choices and shouldn’t place limits on their hopes and dreams.” As with all good educators, Tait is clearly leading the way by example, still deeply connected to her Aboriginal roots and community in Prince Rupert and embracing as many opportunities as she can to expand her horizons.
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alumni campus in news view
PHOTOS: NORTH ISLAND WIDLIFE RECOVERY ASSOCIATION
ALL IN A DAY'S WORK Cornering cougars, tranquilizing bears and investigating crimes are just some of the activities that are all in a day’s work for Gord Gudbranson (Forest Resources Technology Dipl. ’89; Resource Management Officer Technology DipI. ’91). He’s a Conservation Officer, employed by BC’s Ministry of Environment to enforce environmental laws and mediate humanwildlife conflicts.
Gudbranson’s been a Conservation Officer for 20 years. In October 2011, he was recognized with the service’s highest honour — the Conservation Officer of the Year Award — for his commitment to his profession and unwavering support of colleagues. Gudbranson was thrilled to be recognized for his work, as protecting the environment is something he’s been passionate about since he was a child. “I grew up in Ucluelet, a small
fishing village, surrounded by old growth forests, and lots of wildlife. My father and I spent a lot of time in the surrounding wilderness, camping, hunting and fishing.” Since he joined the service he’s found himself in many interesting situations. One of the more memorable incidents happened in the Comox Valley when a neighbor found a home in upheaval, blood all over the kitchen floor, and notified the RCMP. They did a quick investigation and called the Conservation Officer Service. A deer had been spooked and jumped through a basement window, cutting itself before becoming trapped. It finally escaped with help from Gudbranson and his colleague. Other wildlife encounters include tranquilizing bears and, during one unnerving situation, tracking a wayward cougar wandering down a residential street. With the help of a team of cougar hounds, it became cornered in a backyard. “I reached in to euthanize it
with the gun, and the cougar swatted at me.” Gudbranson wasn’t physically hurt, but admits he always finds it difficult to euthanize wildlife. That’s one reason he enjoys the outreach part of his role, where he meets with the public to educate them on how to deter predators from becoming a nuisance and being put down. “It can be as simple as putting garbage inside a secure building. If the animal can’t access food, it moves on.” Gudbranson has also been involved in numerous cases where he’s had to stop people breaking environmental laws. Some burn toxic materials, others fish or hunt out of season and, in one unusual case, he helped convict a man who was trafficking deer meat. “It’s illegal to sell wild meat for profit. Also, you can only hunt during certain times of the year and never at night. This individual broke all those rules.” Gudbranson and his colleagues went on a number of night patrols in an attempt to capture the culprit, but eventually a special investigation unit was called in. They made several buys of the illegal meat and arrested the suspect. Gudbranson presented evidence at the trial and the suspect was found guilty receiving a three-month jail sentence and a five-year firearms prohibition. While a number of reality programs, including Wild Justice, are based on the work of Conservation Officers, Gudbranson isn’t interested in a starring role. He’s focused on the work that got him involved in this career in the first place, preserving and protecting BC’s environment.
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Let us know about your new job, promotion, wedding, family addition, travels, or further academic achievements at alumni@viu.ca.
NOW Is the Time From the 1950’s onward the Buddhist philosophy has grown in our Western world. This philosophy underlies one of the oldest spiritual practices on earth, the faith of compassion and peaceful means. The reason for its existence is to enable all people to Realize a Personal Way to end suffering. It is complex, yet simple and profound. It offers important principles to the higher Worlds of wisdom and the meaning of enlightenment.
Within the pages of this offering you will find the tools and actual proof needed for widening the doors of your Spiritual Health. At the very least you will be One with the Wheel of Knowledge of the Buddha-way enabling You to have an informed opinion. Enjoy, Learn, Realize, as You Discover Your Buddha Nature! “I have to thank you for my peace of mind and sense of well being. The Buddha-way is one of realization, energy and boundless joy” Terry Chapman
Sean McCue (Assoc. in Commerce Dipl. ’95) is a director on VIU’s Foundation Board and sales manager at the Nanaimo News Bulletin. In April 2012, he won the “Best Ad Design” award at the BC and Yukon Community Newspapers Association’s Ma Murray Awards. He was recognized for the Report to Community he created for the Nanaimo and District Hospital Foundation.
HENRY LANDRY, LSC, BGT
In 1222 c.e. [common era ], a fisherman’s son was born. His name was Zennichi-maro. Like many first sons of his day, at the age of 12 he was sent off to learn and be the spiritual guide for the family. After attaining status as a Priest he spent many years studying the suffering and plague that was ravishing Japan in his time. He studied all the various Buddhist doctrine and theology realizing that Shakyamuni of India, Tien Tai of China and Dengyo Daishi [767-822 c.e.] of his own country were correct in their predictions that a time would arrive when the Buddha-way would be open to all Beings regardless of their lifestyle, culture or country. The time was and is our current “Latter Day of the Law.”
1990s BUDDHA NATURE NOW
While scholars differ on his birth date, it is suggested the historical Buddha of India, Shakyamuni, was an “awakened” One, almost 3,000 years ago. His time on earth is known as the Former Day of the Law. In the Middle ages the Great Scholar, Teacher and Chinese Priest, Tien Tai Chi’I [538 - 597 c.e.] of China, brought together all the various Buddha’s Sutra or wisdom teachings and brought them into a encyclopaedic and academic whole. Going beyond the theory and doctrine, he declared the Buddha’s highest teachings were to be found in the Scripture of the Lotus Blossom of the Fine Dharma. This greatly affected the Mahayana Tradition. He then went on to explain how the universe works, in the concept of NOW, Ichinen Sanzen. This time is known as the “Middle Day of the Law.”
Photograph by Aaron Bichard
1960s Henry Landry (Culinary Arts ’69) works as a Buddhist Monk in the Cowichan Valley at the Nichiren Buddha Society. He’s helping the society develop a peace centre and retreat garden to assist youth at risk and their families. He’s also the author of Buddha Nature Now, a lay person’s guide to the Buddhist philosophy, and teaches weekly meditation classes at VIU’s Cowichan Campus.
1970s Karl Hourigan (Assoc. of Music Dip. ’76) worked for 14 years with Roland Canada Music, selling, demonstrating and promoting their digital musical instruments. He then taught at a private arts and technology college in Burnaby before moving to Kelowna in 2002 to take the position of the first Campus Director at the Centre for Arts and Technology Okanagan. Hourigan is now working freelance in marketing communications and is writing, recording and performing his own songs. www.electricbard.com
For the past 14 years, David Wong (Culinary Arts ’98) has worked in Vancouver and Edmonton as a chef, most recently as Executive Chef at the Fairmont Pacific Rim in downtown Vancouver. He’s now living in Nanaimo and spent the summer renovating the Jar Restaurant which he purchased in June 2012. He plans to open in September 2012 and will be serving hand-crafted cuisine made with local ingredients.
2000s Scott Bastian (Recreation & Sport Mgt. Dipl. ’07; BA in Tourism Management ’09) lives in London, England and last summer worked as a sponsor ticket manager for the 2012 London Olympic Games where he coordinated large numbers of Olympic and Paralympic tickets for major Olympic Games sponsor companies. He plans to work in community development and has travelled extensively, most recently spending time visiting Morocco, Egypt, Jordan, and Cyprus.
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Erik Peterson & Kirsten Moss Josh Broadhead (Culinary Arts ’04) is the co-manager and head chef of the Surf Pub on Gabriola Island, BC. He and his fiancée Sarah Welsby are getting married in Tofino on September 29, 2012. PHOTO: GABRIOLA SOUNDER
As well as being the Senior Accountant at Unitrend Plastics Mfg Ltd. in Delta, BC, Kelly Finlay (Dipl. in Business Administration ’09) is completing her accounting designation through the Certified General Accountants Association of BC. She has a fouryear-old daughter named Mia. Luke George (BA ’05) worked seasonally for the National Parks Agency and, for the past four years, was an elected leader for his community, the Tseshaht First Nations. He now works full time at North Island College as an Aboriginal Education Advisor.
Erin (Thexton) Kapela (BA Liberal Studies ’03, Dipl. in Visual Arts ’03) lives in Duncan and is the office manager and a healing practitioner at Time To Heal Treatment & Workshop Facility, a company that addresses extreme healing challenges, injuries, illnesses, and disorders with a focus on long-term stability and health through a variety of treatments including acupressure and counselling. In April 2012 she married Jaroslaw Kapela. www.spiritarian.com/page/timetoheal Erik Peterson (BA in Business and Phys. Ed ’08) is married to Kirsten Moss (MA in Educational Leadership) and they are living in Tashkent, Uzbekistan where they’re working at the Tashkent International School. Moss is teaching Grade 5 and Peterson instructing PE classes and also working with the school’s marketing team as a photographer.
Since 2007 Carrie Johns (BA ’05) has held the position of Secretary, Registrar and Convocation at VIU. She married Jason Parsley (BA ’06) in June 2008 and they welcomed their first child, Dylan, in November 2011.
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PHOTO: ophelia photography
Sabrina & Cody Wonnacott
With two of her peers Melina Simonian (BSc in Nursing ’03; MBA ’09; MScIB ’09) created a corporation in February 2011, called S4 Food Services, which serves sandwiches, smoothies, salads and soups. They opened their first location at the Departure Bay Ferry Terminal in Nanaimo in July 2011. She’s also currently employed as the Manager of Clinical and Nursing Services for the Inter Tribal Health Authority, a First Nations organization that serves 34 First Nations communities on Vancouver Island and the mainland. Shirley Theriault (BA in Psychology and Anthropology ’05) is currently pursuing a Dipl. in Social Services at VIU and will graduate in 2013. She’s just completed a practicum at the Ladysmith Resources Centre Association and after graduation plans to seek employment in the field of elder abuse prevention, awareness and resiliency.
On March 10, 2012, Sabrina (Wait) Wonnacott (Applied Business Tech Dipl. ’09) married Cody Wonnacott (Two Year Electrician Program ’08). She’s currently working at VIU’s Advancement & Alumni Relations Office as a Donor Stewardship Coordinator; Cody is an electrician in Nanaimo and works for Raylec Power Ltd.
2010s Teresa Allan (Tourism Studies Dipl. ’10; BA in Tourism Management ’11) lives in Calgary and works as a Junior Planner for ConventionALL Management, an event and association management firm that organizes large conferences and tradeshows, as well as corporate social events. One of the largest events she’ll be working on is the 2015 World Buddhist Women’s Convention, which will bring more than 2,000 delegates to Calgary from Japan, Brazil and across Canada.
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Lynn Brown (Teacher Leadership Graduate Dipl. ’10; MA in Education in Educational Leadership ’10) won the BC Physical Education Teacher’s Excellence Award from PHE Canada. The award honours teachers (one from each province) for their ability to motivate children and youth to participate in physical activity. Brown has been a teacher for more than 30 years and currently works in the NanaimoLadysmith School District. She’s also a Regional Trainer for Action Schools! BC, which provides professional development, curriculum-linked resources and support, for teachers in physical education. Kyla Hanington (BA in History and First Nations Studies ’12) is a Justice Interviewer with the Nanaimo Justice Access Center. She also works as a writer and a speaker for a variety of events. In her free time, she spends time with her two children.
Last year Haley Kuntz (BEd ’12) taught Grades 7-9 in Old Crow, the furthest northern community in the Yukon. It has a population of 280 and is accessible only by plane. All of her students belonged to Vuntut Gwitch'in, First Nation group in Old Crow, whose culture is centered around the Porcupine Caribou herd which does the longest land migration on earth through Old Crow on their way to their calving grounds in Northern Alaska. She loves the winters and mountain-biking and cross-country skiing with her husky-cross dog.
Lynn Brown
Brittany McNish (Backpack Electrofishing ’06; BSc in Fisheries & Aquaculture ’10) spent her first year after graduation working in the Broughton Archipelago as a fish farmer. She now works for Mainstream Canada at their Tofino location as a Fish Health Technician, and is currently spending seven months working with the company in Chile as part of a knowledge share program.
Brittany McNish
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Minha Park (Post-Degree Dipl. in Business Studies ’11) works at Herald Language College which specializes in preparing international students to pass English proficiency tests so they can enter post-secondary institutions in Englishspeaking nations. He’s responsible for connecting with student service agencies around the world to promote awareness of Herald Language College and Vancouver Island University. Ian Smith (Recreation and Sport Tourism Dipl. ’10) completed a BA Recreation, Sport and Tourism at the University of Alberta in June 2011. He’s now a civic event planner and youth coordinator for the City of Edmonton. He volunteers his time to a number of community organizations and also sits on the Board of the Children and Youth Committee for Alberta Recreation and Parks Association.
calendar of events
Paul Smith (BSc in Nursing ’10) is a Registered Nurse in the ICU department at the Fort St. John hospital. He recently won the Health and Wellness Advocate of the Year Award at the annual Northern BC Healthier You Award Ceremony. The award recognizes a company, individual, or organization that’s had a positive impact in the region, through advocacy for health and wellness. Smith was recognized for a fitness and weight loss challenge he organized that included more than 50 health care professionals. He created a positive work environment where health care professionals worked together to support each other in losing weight and achieving fitness challenges and also modelled a healthy lifestyle to the public. Brad Tribbeck (BBA ’11) works at Royal Roads University as a Marketing Specialist.
meet. mingle. stay in touch. VIU Athletics Golf Fundraiser September 20, 2012 1:30pm shotgun start Fairwinds Golf Club Nanoose Bay mariners.viu.ca Proceeds go to support VIU’s student athletes
SAVE THE DATE! MBA 10th Anniversary Celebration Saturday, October 20, 2012 For more information contact Tiffany McLaughlin Tiffany.mclaughlin@viu.ca Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead November 1-10, 2012 Malaspina Theatre VIU’s Nanaimo Campus
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In May 2012 VIU’s Post Baccalaureate Degree Program Coordinator and Art Education Professor, Heather Pastro, met with three Education alumni, Ashley Richardson (Phys. Ed. Dipl.’04; BA Major in History, Minor in Phys. Ed. ’07; BEd ’08), Jessica Robb (BA in Geography and Phys. Ed. ’10; BEd ’10), and Mindy Elgie (BA ’06; BEd ’07). They all
Festival of Trees Opening Reception: November 23, 2012 Community Days: November 24 & 25, 2012 Gala Dinner & Dance: November 30, 2012 Vancouver Island Convention Centre Nanaimo, British Columbia www.viu.ca/festival Proceeds go to support VIU students.
VIU Institute for Coastal Research Fall Symposium Friday, November 23, 2012, 9am-5pm Exploring human and ecological wellbeing in BC coastal ecosystems and communities. Royal Arbutus Room VIU’s Nanaimo Campus
teach in Cairo’s British Columbia Canadian International School and this past year students from the school participated in an art exchange with students from School District 68 (Nanaimo), who were also being taught by VIU alumni: Kyla Royle (BEd ’07) and Jennifer Moxam (BEd ’12). The students in both countries created artists cards which included information about themselves as well as a drawing which they mailed to each other.
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home
stretch
different faces. different voices.
with ordinary life – with how to live a good life, which involves reflection and critical thinking. At the Café we take an idea and question it from different perspectives. We’re all capable of this. We hold the Café in a restaurant rather than in an academic setting, so everyone feels welcome. And most of our speakers aren’t trained philosophers. The Café is simply a place for people to come and have an intelligent conversation on thought-provoking subjects. © The New Yorker Collection 1995. Robery Mankoff from cartoonbank.com All Rights Reserved.
Philosophers’ Café The first Philosophers’ Café was held in Paris in the early 1990s when French philosopher Marc Sautet, wanting to return to philosophy’s roots, started gathering people together in a neighbourhood café to debate ideas and issues. The idea took hold and today there are hundreds of Philosophers’ Cafés worldwide. Here, Janice Porteous, an instructor in VIU’s Philosophy & Religious Studies department who runs Nanaimo’s Café, and alumna Jacqualine Johnson (BSc in Computing Science ’04) a Café participant, discuss the role the Philosophers’ Café has in today’s society.
Why run a Philosophers’ Café? Porteous: So much in life forces us to be practical and goal-driven and because of that we sometimes drift from our higher values and spiritual aspirations. I think we all want to maintain meaningful connections to the world, but they’re hard to sustain; the discussions at the
Café remind us the world is infinitely interesting, that there are people excited about this world, and that there are many sources of connectedness and deep meaning. The Café is also a social phenomenon – it’s not just you alone trying to find meaning, it’s a group working together to find meaning and that type of community is very uplifting.
Johnson: Because the Café is at a diner-style restaurant, it feels like it’s open to everyone, not just academics. That’s what makes it so interesting. You order a meal, a drink, and then discuss fascinating topics with people from all walks of life. Everyone who comes feels their perspectives are welcome.
How do you choose speakers and topics? Porteous: I look for provocative topics offered by people who have spent time working in that subject area – whether Johnson: Philosophy teaches you to think they’re a philosopher, biologist, urban planner, art historian, sociologist – the critically, reason and debate – important particular specialization doesn’t matter. skills in whatever career you choose and Sometimes we focus on social issues, but in your personal life. Today there aren’t not always. One of our most popular many venues where thinking critically discussions was on the ‘Paradoxes of is encouraged. Often the opposite is encouraged: to not question information Physics’. The Café is meant to be an open and friendly exploration, that’s given to us through the media so the people in the discussion are or society. The Café is one of the few just as important as the speaker. places where it’s acceptable to think, debate and hone critical thinking skills. When and where is it? Porteous: Mrs Riches Café in What if people feel they don’t downtown Nanaimo. It’s usually understand philosophy? on Mondays at 6pm. For more Porteous: That’s the beauty of the information, or if you’d like to speak, Café. Philosophy can be very technical email janice.porteous@viu.ca. and academic, but it’s also connected
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Rediscover Your School Spirit VIU’s Alumni Association – establishing a strong, vibrant network of graduates.
Get Connected • Join our Facebook , LinkedIn & Twitter communities. • Register with the alumni office (www.viu.ca/alumni) and get the free alumni magazine Journey and bi-monthly enewsletters.
Get Discounts • Purchase an Alumni Privilege card for $10 annually and get benefits and discounts from: Nanaimo’s Port Theatre, Nanaimo Yoga Sanctuary, VIU Library, VIU Gym, VIU Theatre, VIU Discovery Room, VIU Bookstore, Milner Gardens and Fairwinds Golf Course.
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• Become an Alumni Association board member. • Mentor current students. • Serve as an ambassador for the institution. • Fundraise in support of current and future students.
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Get Involved
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A LU M N I Est. 1936
VIU Alumni Relations Phone: 250.740.6215 E-mail: alumni@viu.ca www.viu.ca/alumni
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