Vol. 5, No. 1, February 2013 The legal eagle has landed at Brock Bold New Brock campaign gets even bolder A distinguished alumni trades the boardroom for the Bruce Trail Alumni 2.0: New kiosk brings alumni into the digital age Catching up with a 1 national championship team 20 years later Win an iPad Mini! See details inside. 40065767 Surgite goes digital Get all access today! brocku.ca/surgite Coming this September… Be one of the first in this Exclusive only on the digital exclusive feature! version of Surgite: Class Acts. Class Acts captures news Send your stories submitted by Brock alumni- and pictures to careers, births, marriages, brocku.ca/classacts special events! Did you know that you can now read the digital version of Surgite magazine on your iPad, tablet, desktop and mobile devices? You can also access our magazine archives at the same place. 2 On March 10, 2009 Brock Tableofcontents President Jack Lightstone, along with alumni, partners, Boldly going 4 friends, faculty, staff, and The Bold New Brock campaign sets new fundraising goal students publicly launched the Blazing a trail in business and beyond 6 most ambitious capital Meet distinguished alumni and philanthropist Fred Losani campaign in our history. Going digital 8 The Campaign for a Bold New Alumni digital library provides new way to discover Brock was designed to raise David Petis past graduates $75 million by December 2012 to enhance the student Water world 11 learning experience, share knowledge and open doors, and Alumna helps bring international competitions improve our student learning environment through the and a new economy to Welland physical expansion of our facilities, and to empower Coming home 12 educator-researchers and innovators by attracting and Edward Greenspan returns to Niagara to teach at Brock retaining top-notch faculty members. A place greater than the sum of its parts 16 I am proud to report that as of Nov. 26, 2012, Brock Research at Brock spans multiple disciplines University garnered $85 million in support of its Bold New Kings of the court 18 Brock campaign, exceeding the original goal by $10 Catching up with the 1991-92 national champions million and doing it ahead of schedule. men’s basketball team 20 years later President Lightstone also announced that w e are not Athletics roundup 20 going to stop now. Brock is extending the campaign to December 2015 with a new cumulative goal of $110 Last word 22 million. In President Lightstone’s words, “It is driven by the Former Brock Badgers coach Ken Murray relives the motivation of our partners to assist Brock, and also by the 1991-92 men’s basketball season unmet and growing need that still exists. We must remain committed to sustaining our momentum to positively impact the cultural, social and economic well-being of brocku.ca/surgite Brock, Niagara and Canada.” In addition to investing in the student learning experience, Surgite/sur-gi-tay/Latin for “Push on” improving the student learning environment and The inspiring last words of Maj.-Gen. Sir Isaac Brock empowering educator-researchers, the campaign has an Cover photo: Edward Greenspan Editor: Tiffany Mayer even loftier goal of strengthening Brock’s relationships Design and layout: Diane Coderre with its alumni, benefactors, governments and the Contributing writers: Tiffany Mayer, Kevin Cavanagh, Lori Littleton, community to create invaluable academic assets that will Samantha Craggs, Nancy Di Pasquale, Doug Herod, Doug Junke, Ken Murray benefit Niagara and all Canadians economically, socially Surgite is published twice a year for alumni and friends of Brock and culturally for generations to come. 3 University by Brock Alumni Relations. Surgite welcomes input from alumni for letters to the editor, articles or We are very proud that the vast majority of the 14,000 ideas. Please send correspondence to Surgite Magazine, Brock Alumni campaign gifts have come from alumni, Brock faculty, Relations, Brock University, 500 Glenridge Ave., St. Catharines, ON staff and students. It has been amazing to see the support L2S 3A1. Email: [email protected]. Please provide address updates at brocku.ca/alumni. For advertising inquiries, call 905-688-5550 x4420 of so many help raise the level of philanthropy at Brock. or visit brocku.ca/surgite to download the rate sheet. We have accomplished a great deal as you will see in the Brock Alumni Relations maintains a database of contact information for campaign highlights in the story ‘Boldly Going’ on page 4 each graduate in accordance with all legislative requirements protecting privacy. We do not sell, trade or give away our mailing lists. If you do of this issue. not wish to receive the magazine, or if you prefer to subscribe to our flip book edition of Surgite, please contact us at [email protected]. We still have work to do. You are the foundation of our Stay in touch success today and tomorrow. Do we have your correct name and address? If not, please call 905-688-5550 x4420 or email us at [email protected] Visit us online: brocku.ca/alumni twitter.com/brockalumni David Petis facebook.com/brockalumni Vice-President, University Advancement bit.ly/brockalumni-linkedin David Petis, Vice-President of Advancement, Brock President Jack Lightstone, Wendy Ward, researcher, and student Tyler Plyley celebrate the Bold New Brock campaign surpassing its original goal last fall. Photo courtesy of Niagara This Week. This of Niagara Photo courtesy 4 BoldlyGoing The Matheson Learning Commons was one of the many new additions Brock’s International Centre opened in June 2010, thanks to the Bold to the Brock campus made possible by the Bold New Brock campaign. New Brock campaign. By Tiffany Mayer campaign has also led to more than 25 newly named spaces and programs, including the When Canada Research Chair Wendy Ward Marilyn I. Walker School of Fine and Performing came to Brock in 2011, she couldn’t wait for the Arts, the Cairns Family Health and Bioscience new Cairns Family Health and Bioscience Complex and the Goodman School of Business. Research Complex to be built. It also doubled Brock’s endowment fund from Each morning, Ward would drive by the $28.6 million in 2008 to $59 million today. construction site and imagine what her future “We are extremely grateful to the advocates, lab in the complex would look like. donors and supporters who believe in Brock, and Last May, Ward — whose research looks at how novel food whose generosity and vision is enabling the University to be components make bones healthier and stronger, and works an increasingly important tool for the betterment of Niagara to reduce risks of developing osteoporosis or experiencing and beyond,” Brock President Jack Lightstone says. “All of fragility fractures — finally got see how the images in her this was done with faculty, staff, alunmi and students being mind’s eye compared to reality. our foundation from which to build.” “Those who know me best know that it takes something But Lightstone says the University’s continued growth has really special to leave me speechless,” Ward says. “When I resulted in “unmet needs”, and for that reason the Bold New stood in the lab on level four of the Cairns Complex for the Brock campaign has been extended to 2015 with a new goal first time, I was just that — speechless — and honestly, I was of $110 million. overwhelmed with emotion.” Money raised will support the development of new Ward was “struck by the true beauty of the lab” with its teaching and learning opportunities, providing more open spaces and brightness. But, aesthetics aside, she options to faculty and students. Five new research immediately saw the potential within the complex’s walls institutes that span multiple disciplines are also being and the greatness that could be achieved there, including created to develop economic opportunity and transition in fostering future leaders in health-related fields. Niagara. It’s a dream, though, that wouldn’t have come true if not Continued support is also required for the new Walker for the Bold New Brock campaign that the University School, for which construction will begin this year, as well as launched in March 2009. Its goal was to raise enough funds the Cairns Complex and the Goodman School of Business, to build facilities, including the Cairns Complex and the which needs a new building. Matheson Learning Commons, that would bring out the “We must remain committed to sustaining our best in faculty and students alike. momentum to positively impact the cultural, social and So far $85 million has been raised ($10 million more than economic well-being of Brock, Niagara and Canada,” the original goal), thanks to 14,000 donors in an era when Lightstone says. the Canadian economy has been soft. Besides supporting For more information or to donate to the campaign, visit 185 new student awards and 13 new athletic awards, the brocku.ca/bold-new-brock. The Bold New Brock campaign 5 g surpasses its initial goal and keeps going An artist’s rendering of the new home of the Marilyn I. Walker School Dawn of a new era: Sunrise at the Cairns Family Health and of Fine and Performing Arts in downtown St. Catharines. Bioscience Research Complex. Blazingatrail in business and beyond By Lori Littleton Since its founding in 1976 by Losani’s father and brother, Losani Homes has grown into a developer, Fred Losani has a bit of an aversion to boards commercial design-build contractor and property and community groups. manager. The company primarily builds in Niagara, When the owner and CEO of Losani Homes in Stoney Hamilton, Halton, Brant County and Creek decided he needed more than just work to feel Kitchener-Waterloo, with plans to expand into the GTA satisfied and successful, he tried to find an outlet on in the next 20 months.