Proximate causes and technical faults are rarely the sole explanations for system failures. In many cases, a flawed organizational culture is at the heart of the problem.
Our health care system can learn from NASA’s 2003 disaster
Leadership
Adversity is a key part of a purpose-filled life
I received a medical degree from McGill University many years ago. I chose McGill for my medical education because its Faculty of Medicine excels in teaching, research and clinical training.
A Month of Inspiration
The Canada Aviation and Space Museum has designated January as The Month of Inspiration. Here are a few of my thoughts about what motivated me to chose my career path, people who inspired me along the way, and how I find strength in trying times.
Preparing for the Next Global Crisis
We are now six months into the Covid-19 pandemic. The SARS-CoV-2 virus is unfortunately still prevalent and continues to inflict social and economic turmoil throughout our world. Rarely has an unseen threat created such havoc. The swiftness, scale and severity of the outbreak took us all by surprise. Initial responses of some jurisdictions were reactive, […]
Strategies to preserve relationships and productivity in times of stress
Home isolation measures are a means to control the number of COVID-19 cases. But living continuously in close quarters with family members can be challenging. Here are a few strategies that I learned as an astronaut about successfully living and working as a crew in space. They may be helpful to you.
Insights on Role Modelling
My wife and I were in Houston last month on business. We took the opportunity to visit with our son Elliot and daughter-in-law Yvette who live there. Elliot is a music performer (drums) and teacher. Yvette is a project officer. During our visit with them, Elliot recalled that I often spoke to him when he […]
Remembering Apollo 11
In my opinion, the Apollo 11 moon landing was the highlight of the 20th century. It took everything that humanity had – a culmination of a decade of technology development – to pull together this capability to get us off the planet.
Let’s regain our place as a nation of explorers
I noticed a tweet this morning from my space colleague Natalie Panek stating that the federal government’s Standing Committee on Finance had launched its pre-budget consultations and deliberations in advance of the 2019 federal budget. Natalie encouraged us to make our voices heard by sharing our priorities with the Committee. I was eager to help. […]
Looking back on four years as Chancellor
My four-year term as Chancellor of the University of Calgary is coming to an end. It has been an enjoyable ride. Many people think of the chancellor solely as the official who attends formal university events and participates in convocation. The chancellors of Alberta’s three largest universities have responsibilities that go beyond simply presiding over […]
Honouring a trailblazer
The University of Calgary understands that campus culture must underpin our actions. Campus culture, according to our institution’s Eyes High strategy 2017-22, means overcoming structural, social and cultural barriers to create a safe, inclusive, healthy and respectful environment — one that values diversity and the dignity of every person. We’re still learning about inclusion and […]