THE HIVE MIND
a notional entity consisting of a large number of people who share their knowledge or opinions with one another, regarded as producing collective intelligence
The St. Paul’s community possesses a great deal of useful knowledge and we want to help you share it with each other in a fun, new way. Prior to a recent trip to Calgary, we asked alumni there to recommend fun things to do in or around that great city. Here’s what they had to say:
FROM ALISON JACKSON (MACC ’97)
“Canmore – only an hour away from downtown Calgary, you will find the perfect mix of mountains and amenities to make any weekend a wonderful getaway. Canmore is located just outside the Banff National Park boundary. It has a nice main street for shopping and dining, a great network of trails along the river, a great recreation centre, the former Olympic Nordic ski centre, and much more. The recreation centre, Elevation Place, has a pool with a waterslide for the whole family, a climbing gym, a regular gym, and also houses the town’s library. It is well worth a visit for a weekend, a week or even longer.
Carly’s Angels at Lolita’s Lounge – visit a side of Calgary you never thought you would find. A Saturday night drag show, featuring three of Calgary’s finest queens. Currently in its 17th year, Carly’s Angels entertains a sold-out show each weekend. Best to get tickets a couple months in advance. Check out lolitaslounge.ca/performers/carlys-angels for more information.”
FROM STEVE HILL (BSc ’90)
“One recommendation I have for folks living in or visiting Calgary is the Calgary Comic & Entertainment Expo at Calgary Stampede Park.
It is a world renowned celebration of science fiction, comic books, film, television, fantasy, animation, pop culture, superheroes, and so much more. If you have never been to a comic and sci-fi convention (and everyone should… at least once in their life) then Calgary’s Expo would make an excellent introduction. It is a world class event which draws some of the best talent in the industry and provides a very positive, safe, and family friendly environment. A must see, is the Parade of Wonders (POW) which takes place along Stephen Avenue towards Olympic Plaza and is the official kick off to the start of the Calgary Expo. Prepare to be “stunned” (Star Trek phaser joke).”
Last fall, we launched the Principal’s Advancement Advisory Council to allow for stronger and more direct consultation with alumni on issues of alumni engagement and institutional advancement. We are pleased to announce that the following alumni have joined the council:
ANDREW GRIMSON:
Andrew grew up in Saskatchewan and took a big leap when he applied for Engineering at Waterloo in 1977. He found a second home and family in the St. Paul’s community where he lived until winter term of 1980. He’s still not sure what Dr. Gerard thought when he met this naive kid from the Prairies sporting a John Deere baseball cap.
After Waterloo, with the help of some St. Paul’s friends, Andrew spent the beginning of his career in the plastics industry working for a number of companies. In 1995, he was transferred to Michigan where he continued in plastics with a threeyear detour to start a home renovation business. In 2004, he enrolled in the MBA program at Dartmouth’s Tuck School of Business. He then moved to a career in higher education as a Research and Teaching Fellow, then into administrative positions at Tuck and Harvard Business School where his focus was on developing online education programs and building technology into the classroom.
In 2017, he took on a new challenge as the Executive Director for his local Habitat for Humanity affiliate, using his experience and training to breathe new life into the organization. Andrew and his wife Anne live in Hanover, NH and enjoy lots of travel, house projects, hiking, and numerous other activities while giving back through Habitat and other social service ventures.
IAN VANDERBURGH:
Ian has been the Director of the Centre for Education in Mathematics and Computing (CEMC) at the University of Waterloo since 2005 and a Lecturer in the Faculty of Mathematics at Waterloo since 2000. He teaches mainly first- and second-year calculus and algebra courses and online courses in the CEMC’s Master of Mathematics for Teachers (MMT) program, of which he is also Director.
In 2008, he received a Distinguished Teaching Award from the University, and in 2016, Ian won the Canadian Mathematical Society’s Excellence in Teaching Award. He enjoys sharing his love of math with students and teachers and has led workshops throughout Ontario, as well as in Yellowknife, Halifax, Winnipeg, England, and India.
Ian lived at St. Paul’s as an undergraduate student from Fall ’95 to Spring ’99 and then as Residence Life Program Coordinator from August ’00 to June ’02. Ian spends much of his spare time running (either recreationally or after his two small children) and accompanying choirs.
LISA SANSOM:
Lisa is founder and owner of LVS Consulting, a boutique consulting firm that helps to build positive organizations. She shares positive psychology tools and techniques with her clients through speaking, corporate training, and coaching. Lisa lives with her husband, James Fraser, (yes, they met at St. Paul’s!) and two teen boys in Kingston Ontario.
Lisa has been working in Organizational Development since 2000, working in finance, government, education, and in health care. Her focus is primarily on change management, high performing teams, and leadership development. Additionally, she writes articles and book reviews for a number of magazines and online publications.
In addition to a BA from Waterloo, Lisa obtained her BED at Brock, an MBA from the Rotman School of Management, and earned her coaching accreditation from Adler International Learning /OISE-UT. She completed her MAPP (Master of Applied Positive Psychology) from the University of Pennsylvania in 2010. She also holds a certificate in Process Management from Excellence Canada and a coaching certificate in the Shift Positive 360 leadership approach.
She lived at St. Paul’s from Fall ‘87 until Spring ‘91 on La Bastille every year, except for one summer term when she was on W5. Lisa can be found on LinkedIn and Facebook and is very happy to connect with her St. Paul’s community.
VICTORIA MORENCY:
After graduating from Waterloo with a BES in 2013, Victoria became a proud public servant in the National Capital Region, working on a variety of issues around environmental protection and the health of Canadians. She recently began a new position as a Policy Analyst with Transport Canada.
Victoria lived at St. Paul’s during most of her time as an undergraduate student in the Faculty of Environment. She believes it was one of the best decisions she could have made because the welcoming and energetic community felt like a home away from home. In her final year at St. Paul’s, Victoria was inspired to become a Residence Don as a way to give back and support new students, as she herself had been supported by her Dons.
Victoria made life-long friends through St. Paul’s and these connections have stayed strong, even as everyone has spread their wings and relocated to different places. She knows that even as her group of friends face different challenges and chase after different goals, they will remain bonded through the St. Paul’s community.
JO-ANNE WILLMENT:
Jo-Anne’s contributions to the St. Paul’s community began in 1973. As a first-year resident, she sang and played multiple instruments in several of the very first editions of BlackForest Coffeehouse. She has served on the Board of Governors, was a St. Paul’s Honorary Fellow and an alumni association executive, and was recently recognized with the 2017 Distinguished Alumni Award.
Her life was altered at age 34 when she suffered a stroke. Jo-Anne used the experience as motivation to pursue an Ed.D. Doctorate in Education, and throughout her academic career was highly regarded for her work to remove barriers for others.
An expert in distance education and workplace learning, Jo-Anne’s academic career included academic positions with Waterloo and Dalhousie, and tenure at the Werklund School at the University of Calgary.
Recently retired, Jo-Anne is an active member of the Knox United Church choir and the Royal Canadian College of Organists, for which she is co-chairing the national Calgary Organ Festival in July 2018.
2017 ALUMNI AWARD WINNERS
St. Paul’s alumni are making their colleagues, their communities, and the world better through their professional work, volunteerism, and philanthropy.
We are proud of the contributions our alumni make to society and believe they deserve to be recognized for their outstanding achievements.
DISTINGUISHED ALUMNI
JO-ANNE WILLMENT (BA ’78)
In recognition of an exemplary career, dedication to others and service to the St. Paul’s community.
See above
IAN GOULDEN (PhD ’79)
In recognition of an exemplary career, dedication to advancement of education, and service to the St. Paul’s community.
Ian (PhD ’79) obtained his BMath degree from Waterloo in 1976, graduating with the inaugural Alumni Gold Medal for highest academic achievement. He remained at Waterloo for his MMath (1977) and PhD (1979), and joined the Department of Combinatorics and Optimization as a faculty member in 1980, becoming a full professor in 1990.
Ian served as Department Chair three times, was Director of the Mathematics Business programs in the late 1990s, and served a five-year term as Dean beginning in 2010. Ian is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada and is well known for his research in algebraic combinatorics. He is also highly regarded as an instructor, and was a winner of the Faculty of Mathematics Award for Distinction in Teaching in 2009.
Ian lived at St. Paul’s beginning in 1972 and developed many life-long friendships in residence. In 2015, he led the effort to raise over $50,000 to establish a student award in memory of his good friend and fellow St. Paul’s alumnus Tom Dabrowski.
YOUNG ALUMNI AWARD
SCOTT STE MARIE (BES ’13)
In recognition of dedication to the cause of mental health.
Scott (BES ’13) lived at St. Paul’s as a first-year student in 2009 and was a residence Don before graduating in 2013. As a student at Waterloo, he suffered some anxiety and depression and learned that he could help himself by helping others.
His focus is twofold: offering tips and strategies to those who need it, and helping to break the stigma around mental health by talking openly and honestly about the issues. Scott shares insights, knowledge, and strategies with an online community of about 70,000 subscribers, primarily through social media posts and YouTube videos.
His YouTube Channel, Depression to Expression, has over 64,000 subscribers and more than four million views. He speaks regularly on the topic of mental health and has recently launched his new professional speaking business called Depression to Expression. Learn more at depressiontoexpression.com.
Scott maintains strong connections with St. Paul’s, keeping in touch with a network of friends and playing in the annual St. Paul’s Masters.
