Ralph Dickhout, Chemical Engineering’s Manager of Analytical Services and Laboratory Safety, retires after providing behind-the-scenes support for the research conducted in the department for almost thirty years.
Not only did he ensure that the department had top-notch laboratory instrumentation and equipment, Ralph also helped hundreds of graduate students and post-doctoral researchers learn about and use it. He taught and reminded many people – fresh graduates and experienced faculty members alike – about the importance of good safety habits that protect everyone. In the process, he encouraged the development of methodical, effective and safety-conscious researchers who will share their knowledge with others throughout their careers.
Ralph’s collaboration with and support of our faculty, students and visiting scholars has directly supported a wide range of innovative research. He’s helped researchers produce high-quality, publishable data in areas from biochemical engineering to material testing, by providing analytical chemistry consulting, troubleshooting and method development services and, throughout it all, sharing his experience with those he worked with.
“Helping students meet their research goals was always rewarding. Often, something I took for granted was a revelation for them,” Ralph says. “It was nice to know that they would use what I taught them in their future careers.”
“That job had my name on it.”
When he began working for the department in 1992, Ralph was already well acquainted with the Waterloo campus. He had graduated from University of Waterloo’s Applied Chemistry program with an honours BSc in 1978. Afterwards, he set up and ran the Organic Geochemistry Lab for James Barker, a professor in the Faculty of Earth and Environmental Sciences, before moving on to a job as consulting chemist for Golder Associates’ Waterloo office in 1990.
When Golder closed its Waterloo location in 1992, Ralph was faced with the prospect of a daily highway 401 commute between Waterloo and Mississauga. He picked up the KW Record newspaper, looking for employment closer to home, and the first job he saw in the want ads (remember those?) was for the manager of the Chemical Engineering Department’s Analytical Services lab.
“That job had my name on it, and it remained there for a long time,” says Ralph. “I stayed because the ever-changing technical challenges and projects meant that the job never got boring.”
Analog to digital
Indeed, the details of his job evolved considerably over the years, as the world made a gradual transition from analog to digital.
“In 1992, we had no internet and everything was much less computerized,” he says. “Almost everything was manual. We took instrument readings by hand and plugged a lot of numbers into stand-alone computer programs. We used strip-chart recorders with ink pens that, to our frustration, always dried up in the middle of a run.
We didn’t have voicemail either. The department had three secretaries who took messages and then called to let you know you missed a call. Once, one of them told me that my daycare had called and my child was missing. Click. I panicked… until I remembered that he had a dental appointment, so his mom had probably picked him up.”
Ralph, who is known for his ability to recall a story for every occasion and tell it dramatically, will be greatly missed. We will take solace in knowing that he’ll be spending his newfound free time doing more of the things he likes, including camping, travelling, gardening, and home maintenance and renovations. Not surprisingly, because he enjoyed it so much, he’ll also find time to do some chemistry consulting on the side.
Ralph Dickhout, enjoying views of Paris, France, while visiting Centre Pompidou in 2013.