On December 3, David Saint-Jacques will launch with two crewmates from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on a Russian Soyuz rocket to the International Space Station. David will spend six months aboard the Station as part of the ‘C3’ expedition, Canada’s third long-duration mission. Preparation for an ISS expedition is a significant undertaking requiring the […]
Organizational Behaviour
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 […]
Failure: a critical element on the path to success
Several years ago, when I was a novice astronaut, I was asked to participate in a training simulation. The training session lasted about eight hours and involved mission managers, flight controllers and crew. As a participating crewmember, I was stationed in a high-fidelity simulator of the International Space Station in a building at the NASA […]
Why I nominated David Naylor
Last month we held the convocation ceremonies for the 2017 University of Calgary autumn graduates. During the morning ceremony, we also conferred an honorary degree on David Naylor, a respected scientist, scholar and health-care leader. I noted that university Senator Jocelyn Lockyer, a professor in our Department of Community Health Sciences, spearheaded the nomination for […]
Retiring UCalgary Senator Gord Aker kept wheel of progress accelerating
Gord Aker has been a stalwart University of Calgary volunteer. For six years he held a variety of leadership positions within Senate, and mentored several students and new senators. Most significantly, he helped craft a new strategic plan for Senate that will guide our actions until 2019. Gord is retiring as a senator and participated […]
Nominating Dr. Bill Pulleyblank for an honorary degree was a ‘no brainer’ for former colleagues and professor
Last Thursday we held the convocation for the 2017 University of Calgary graduates in Kinesiology and Science. During this ceremony, we also conferred an honorary degree on William Pulleyblank, an alumnus with stellar accomplishments in theoretical computer science. I noted that Professor Robert Woodrow helped prepare the nomination package for Dr. Pulleyblank. Robert first met […]
Our guide to the news in the midst of all the noise: Dr. Peter Mansbridge
Dawn Johnston is an Associate Dean at the University of Calgary. She provides leadership in teaching, learning and student engagement for the Faculty of Arts. Dawn and I are kindred spirits in that we both advocate for interdisciplinary programs at our university, such as the Arts and Science Honours Academy. Dawn also oversees research and […]
Powerful words about a powerful and great man: the Honourable Dr. Murray Sinclair
On Monday afternoon we held the convocation ceremony for the 2017 University of Calgary graduates in Medicine, Law, Nursing and Veterinary Medicine. In addition to celebrating our new graduates, we also awarded Jo-Ann Munn Gafuik (a longtime and stalwart staff member of our university) with the Order of the University of Calgary and Senator Murray […]