The University of Winnipeg is honouring its 2019 retirees at a reception on Wednesday, May 8, 2019 from 2:00 – 4:30 pm in Riddell Hall.
The list of retirees include: Robert Bend, Joseph Cardwell, Shelagh Carter-Loewen, Melodie Doherty, Pat DuGuay, Doug Edge, Monica Fritz, Dr. Colin Goff, Dr. Hatem Howlader, Eugene Kaluzniacky, Dr. Mark Krawetz, Dr. Randy Kroeker, Christina Lau, Elizabeth Lennox, Carol MacKay, Dr. Karen Malcolm, Suzanne Martin, Sheila Page, Dr. Dean Peachey, Laurel Repski, Dr. James Silver, and Blake Taylor.
If we added all their years of service together, it would cover more than a century of dedicated work. That is a remarkable number reflecting commitment and service. The mark these individuals have left on each student they assisted, taught, or listened to resonates through generations of students and colleagues. They will be missed.
Learn about some of our colleagues (in alphabetical order):
Robert Bend, ©UWinnipeg
Robert Bend
Dean, Collegiate
Do you have a favourite spot on campus?
Tony’s
What will you miss the most?
The people.
What is the biggest change that you’ve seen during your time at UWinnipeg?
Campus development.
What makes you happy?
Working with others.
What motivates you? What inspires you?
The energy of the students with whom I interact.
What is your favourite accomplishment?
No favourites, just a number of very pleasant memories.
What are you looking forward to the most post-retirement?
Becoming involved in short-term projects.
Shelagh Carter-Loewen, photo credit Hoeberman Studio New York, NY 10014
Shelagh Carter-Loewen
Full Professor, Theatre and Film
Do you have a favourite spot on campus?
The theatre in The Asper Centre for Theatre and Film. Great energy in that space.
What will you miss the most?
Laughter with students and colleagues.
What is the biggest change that you’ve seen during your time at UWinnipeg?
The growth of social media.
What makes you happy?
Dwelling in possibility.
What motivates you? What inspires you?
Creativity of others.
What is your favourite accomplishment?
That I’ve learned to enjoy the moment.
What are you looking forward to the most post-retirement?
Walking through the next doors of opportunity.
Melodie Doherty, photo credit Leon Valenzuela
Melodie Doherty
Academic advisor, Student Services – Academic Advising
Do you have a favourite spot on campus?
Student Central.
What will you miss the most?
The camaraderie with all those people I encountered while working these 18 years at UWinnipeg – animated and professional student services colleagues, super-helpful and efficient academic departmental staff and always compassionate and caring teaching faculty. We all worked together to facilitate students’ having positive, transformative learning journeys.
What is the biggest change that you’ve seen during your time at UWinnipeg?
An increase in the continuing shift to a business model for decision making within this educational institute, not always with the human-infrastructure’s interests at heart.
What makes you happy?
Seeing students of all ages become more rooted, more engaged, more enthusiastic, or just much more comfortable as they make decisions, explore different subjects areas, address intense life-issues, and surmount obstacles that pop up while at university. Even if they leave university to follow a different path with the conviction this is a better fit for them makes me happy.
To be part of animating students to consider the unconsidered, or envision new possibilities for themselves makes me happy.
What motivates you? What inspires you?
The wisdom, kindness, creativity, resilience, and sense of humour and fun that others live by.
What is your favourite accomplishment?
Having students come back again and again to share their insights and new directions and successes with me, (even after I have left my office).
What are you looking forward to the most post-retirement?
Continuing my study of classical Tibetan, continuing with personal research projects, refreshing and enriching friendships, being helpful to and supportive of others in new, dynamic ways.
Dr. Colin Goff, ©UWinnipeg
Dr. Colin Goff
Associate Professor, Sociology
Do you have a favourite spot on campus?
Riddell Hall Cafeteria.
What will you miss the most?
The students … teaching them,supervising honours students, and talking to them.
What is the biggest change that you’ve seen during your time at UWinnipeg?
The building of Richardson Hall and Buhler Center and the moving over of many facilities to the Rice Centre.
What makes you happy?
Thinking about completing my log house overlooking a lake in BC and living off the grid.
What motivates you? What inspires you?
Academically for students, introducing new courses and (hopefully) inspiring students to follow their dreams.
For academic publishing, writing papers, articles, and books. It amazes me what I can learn from publishing.
What is your favourite accomplishment?
Winning the Clifford Robson teaching award in June, 2018. I was absolutely amazed I won it (and that the students recommended me), because there are so many great teachers at UWinnipeg.
What are you looking forward to the most post-retirement?
Sitting on the front porch of my log house, legs up on the cross rail, watching the sun set across the lake.
Dr. Hatem Howlader, ©UWinnipeg
Dr. Hatem Howlader
Professor, Math
Do you have a favourite spot on campus?
The Marsha Hanen way, former Spence Street Mall. When I needed some fresh air or needed to think through something I used go there to sit. Of course, I avoided the Winnipeg winter months.
What will you miss the most?
The creativity and growth of students and colleagues.
What is the biggest change that you’ve seen during your time at UWinnipeg?
Expansion of the campus from Duckworth Centre, to Richardson College for the Environment, to Buhler Centre, to Axworthy Health and Recplex, to Leatherdale Hall.
What makes you happy?
Seeing students achieve their success. And the success of my own children, both of them went through University of Winnipeg’s wonderful undergraduate programs, Nadia did a B.Sc. double majoring in Mathematics and Statistics, and Daniel a double major in History (Honours) and Economics. With their ground work from here they completed a Ph.D. in Epidemiology and a Master’s in Public Policy, respectively.
What motivates you? What inspires you?
I am entering into a new phase of my life. In the past, my motivations and inspirations used to come from helping students learn something new and witnessing them excel. Now, they come from promising myself some sort of reward each time I complete a task. It could be a visit to see the grandchildren.
What is your favourite accomplishment?
Development and teaching of two new courses: Biological and Health Sciences Statistics I and II. These courses were designed for students trying to get into biomedical fields. In a typical academic year, we offer about ten sections of Biological and Health Sciences Statistics I, each with about 70 – 80 students. These two courses are a great success story for our department, as well as the university considering the phrases “I hate maths,” and “I hate stats,” that we often hear.What are you looking forward to the most post-retirement?
Visiting and spending as much time as possible with our 16 month old identical twin granddaughters in Washington DC.
Mark Krawetz, photo supplied
Mark Krawetz
Instructor III, Geography
Do you have a favourite spot on campus?
The chair next to the chair in the back corner of the University Club pub.
What motivates you? What inspires you?
“There’s a force in the universe that makes things happen. And all you have to do is get in touch with it. Stop thinking, let things happen, and be the ball.” (Ty Webb, Caddyshack)
What are you looking forward to the most post-retirement?
Completing my epic novel about the trials and tribulations of a cryogeomorphologist in a post-apocalyptic world.
Carol MacKay
Student Records
What will you miss the most?
I will miss the people. All the staff and the students. Through most of my career as convocation officer, I had a ton of contact with students coming up to graduation and that was the best part. The last couple years as coordinator of student records was a different, and great, experience dealing with, and getting to know, more faculty and staff.
What is the biggest change that you’ve seen during your time at UWinnipeg?
The biggest change was the technology. I started in registration where we put stickers with course numbers on the bottom of pink registration forms and sent them off to a data entry processor. Now students register themselves online. Degree audits were hand written, and are now replaced by a slick report.
What makes you happy?
What made me the happiest was when that last grad crossed the stage at Convocation.
What is your favourite accomplishment?
Making sure everything went smoothly for 44,458 grads.
What are you looking forward to the most post-retirement?
I have now been retired for several months and seem to be on the go all the time. I have been working hard at keeping active physically which is much easier when you have time. I have been able to curl more and look forward to golfing more.
Dr. Karen Malcolm, photo supplied
Dr. Karen Malcolm
Professor, English
What will you miss the most?
Watching my student’s getting excited about what they are learning.
Laughing with my colleagues.
What is the biggest change that you’ve seen during your time at UWinnipeg?
More physical space with the new university buildings during Axworthy’s tenure as President.
What makes you happy?
Learning, being outside, skiing, biking, sharing what I love with others and listening to what is important to them.
What motivates you? What inspires you?
Kindness, mutual respect, wisdom, intelligence, effort, a sense of fun, wonder, and excitement in learning – both in my own research and in the classroom.
What is your favourite accomplishment?
My students being empowered and excited about their daily lives through their learning about language, communication, and themselves.
What are you looking forward to the most post-retirement?
Freedom from other peoples’ schedules and deadlines.
Suzanne Martin
Academic Advisor, Education
Do you have a favourite spot on campus?
My favorite spot on campus is the courtyard between Centennial Hall and Graham Hall. It’s a great place to take a break and get some fresh air. The grounds at UW are so well maintained, and it’s a treat to look at the lovely flower beds during the summer months.
What will you miss the most?
I’ll miss interacting with the many friends I’ve made at the University over the years. I feel blessed to have worked with so many great people. I’ve learned a lot from my colleagues, and being around people who truly care about the welfare of students has been inspiring and uplifting.
What is the biggest change that you’ve seen during your time at UWinnipeg?
When I started at the University in 1987, there was one faculty, and a handful of central buildings. The University has grown so much over the years with new buildings, and many new and exciting programs.
What makes you happy?
I like spending time with good friends, reading, and enjoying the beauty of animals and nature.
What motivates you? What inspires you?
Spending so much time in a university setting has inspired a deep love of learning for me. I’m currently enrolled in a program to become a Registered Holistic Nutritionist, and I love learning about science, art, and graphic design. I’ve been inspired by the many great teachers I’ve met at UWinnipeg over the years. I hope to keep learning for the rest of my life!
What are you looking forward to the most post-retirement?
I’m looking forward to having more time to pursue my interests, and just to relax and enjoy my family and friends.
Laurel Repski at Convocation dinner 2011
Laurel Repski
Vice President Human Resources
Dr. Jim Silver supplied photo
Jim Silver
Professor, Urban and Inner-city Studies
Do you have a favourite spot on campus?
Merchants Corner
What will you miss the most?
The North End students who are attending at Merchants Corner.
What is the biggest change that you’ve seen during your time at UWinnipeg?
The dramatic increase in pressures to secure SSHRC grants.
What makes you happy?
Lots of things.
Blake Taylor,
Full Professor, Theatre and Film
Do you have a favourite spot on campus?
I am fond of all the studio spaces in the Asper Centre for Theatre and Film because I have memories of the students and classes I taught in them. 0T10 is special because it is where the Screen Acting Class is taught and that has always been a favourite as well as the main studio where I directed the first production.
What will you miss the most?
The creativity and growth of students and colleagues.
What is the biggest change that you’ve seen during your time at UWinnipeg?
I was a student here before I went to grad school and then became an actor. Theatre had three courses then. When I started teaching here we still rehearsed in hallways and of course Convo was our theatre.
What makes you happy?
I love to see my former students work as actors and on occasion I have the opportunity to work with them. Of course my wife and son are great, and travel together is one of the joy we share.
What motivates you? What inspires you?
As well as students, acting is very inspiring. I have worked with so many wonderful actors and directors – and it is always exciting to work with creative artists.
What is your favourite accomplishment?
Encouraging students to grow, and trust their hearts and their creative impulses.
What are you looking forward to the most post-retirement?
I’d like to do more acting, listening to music, spend time in nature at the lake, travel, and spend time with family and friends.
