We were overwhelmed with messages about faculty who taught challenging topics with ease; inspired news ways of thinking and creating; and expanded students’ horizons.

In honour of World Teachers’ Day on Oct. 5, here is a small selection of our favourite answers:

“Dr. Joyce Slater was an integral part of my degree. She pushed me to apply for scholarships and bursaries when I really didn’t think I could do it. She was supportive and really believed in me. With her help I was able to apply for a grant to start Food Beyond Borders which was a pilot project to help international students develop cooking skills. Dr. Slater is truly an amazing prof, and really an asset to the HNSC program.”
– Anika Dhalla [BSc/16, BSc(HNS)/19]

“Ivan Eyre and Dr. Marilyn Baker in Fine Arts, (humble and wise; supportive), Dr. Jocelyn Thorpe in Women’s and Gender Studies, (brilliant, energetic; encouraging), and Winston Leathers in Architecture, who let the artist in me come out to play! So grateful for these and other faculty at the U of M, proud to be an alumnus.”
– Pamela Hadder [BA(IS)/14]

“Dr. Scott Ormiston! In my opinion, he is very supportive. He doesn’t want to challenge us, he gives us an assignment and help us in several ways to solve it. Not only doesn’t he want to assess us, also he wants that we really learn something. I believe his way of teaching would help me to remember his course for my lifetime.”
– Behzad Ramtin [BSc(ME)]

“Got to be Dr. Wendy Dahlgren, back in the day, when we called it the ‘phys ed’ department; I had her for my first anatomy class: fantastic, inspiring, always there for her students … saw her 20 years later, still the same; thank you.”
– Chris Bisignano [BSc/86]

Emma LaRocque

“Dr. Emma LaRocque for Native Studies in 1992 (or so). The course, as a one-off ‘filler’ for me at the time, ended up to be a very good, important, and enjoyable class.”
– Jason Thompson [BA/94]

“I graduated in 1991, the School of Art, Fine Arts, double major Graphic Design and Illustration. Through the four years, I was inspired by David McMillian photography, Robert Peters for Graphic Design in my thesis year. Also there was a sculpture professor, I can only remember his first name, Juan. Juan inspired each of us to keep creative journals, which I continue to do today at What my Coffee says to me.”
– Jennifer R. Cook [DipArt/91]

“Donald Trim for engineering math was a ball of energy and remembered everyone. Mary Benbow for geography was a great teacher too.”
– Jared Kozub [BSc(ME)/06]

“Clearly Donald Trim. I can still hear him: ‘JEAN!’”
– Michael Jean [BSc(EE)/10, BCSc(Hons)/06]

“Pretty hard to beat Trim. Impressive since most of his students aren’t even math students. I see I’m not alone. His textbook is also the best I’ve ever seen.”
– Ben Gibson [BSc(ME)/21]

“How could anyone make 1st year Calculus interesting? Trim did.”
– Ken Kratschmar [BSc(ME)/90]

“Donald Trim isn’t only the best professor, but truly is an exceptional human being. One of the greats!”
– Tristen Gitzel [BSc(ME)/06]

“Donald Trim is an exceptional professor and more importantly, person. I’m glad to have had the privilege of his classes in my engineering degree.”
– Steven Simpson [BSc(ME)/19]

“Don McCarthy, philosophy. I miss the cold-calling. He knew if your relative was one of his students, where they sat, and whether they were a good student. If you got over 93%, he took us to the faculty club to celebrate.”
– Darcy Fudge Kamal [MSc/11, BComm(Hons)/03]

“Peter Cooney!!! Won the outstanding prof award in the late 80’s. His support helped me pass financial accounting!!!” Anne Mahon[BHECOL/87]

“Dr. Kathi Kinew is not only a teacher, she is also a mentor to many. She challenged me to be attentive to the uncomfortable feeling one gets when an injustice occurs and to feel empowered enough to do something about it. I am still trying to find my inner voice and strength but that foundation was laid, thanks to Kathi.”
– Agape Karagi [BHSc/18]

“Professor Reg Litz was one of the most impactful professors I had throughout commerce. His approach to teaching helped mold my lens within business to encompass more curiosity and how my impact should be beyond hitting financial targets. It’s about looking at your community and help cultivate integrity in what you do.”
– Reyna Olivares [BComm(Hons)/15]

“I often refer to Reg Litz’s class on moral “muteness” when I encourage students to engage in controversial topics in class. He really brought home that “business” was a poor excuse for amorality.”
– Jason Hamilton [LLB/96, MBA/07]

“Dietmar Straub is a very knowledgeable landscape architect, both professionally and academically. He pushes students to their limits in the least stressful way. He encourages fun in the design process which allows for students to be imaginative and create things out of the ordinary.”
– Anonymous

“John McCallum – a Winnipeg business icon in our very own halls. His classes were amazing.”
– Vanessa Koldingnes [MBA/14]

“Michelle Faubert, Adele Perry, Julie Guard, Karen Kampes. Take classes with them!”
– Alison Calthorpe [BA/19]

“My favourite prof was hands down Bret Nickels for Native Studies. Such a down to earth person! He always knew how to keep his students interested in the material and you could really just talk to him any time.”
– Gillian Anderson [BA/12]

“Peri Venkatesh, Faculty of Nursing. I got 100 per cent on one of his pharmacology pop quizzes and won a prize! He was brilliant, caring, and loved what he did! I even had the joy of seeing him again as he sat on the board at Misericordia and was always there to volunteer towards their programs for residents and staff appreciation.”
– Victoria Marek [BN/07]

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Alumni Answers is our way of building community with alumni and UM friends by sharing memories, ideas, and opinions with one another. Every month, we pose a new question to make us ponder, laugh, or learn together and share the responses in an upcoming UM Today story. Sign up here to get next month’s question sent straight to your inbox.

Are they the reason you chose your career? Did they move you to love a boring subject? Did they have the most quotable lecturers?

Tell us what makes them memorable in the comments below and we’ll share the best answers on World Teachers’ Day (Oct 5).

To get those memories flowing, we asked three alumni to give a shout out to their favourite professors.

NICOLE GAREAU-WILSON [BA/06, BEd/08, MEd/18]

I took Dr. Sarah Elvins’ “History of U.S. Since 1939” from 2005-2006. Not only were the lecture topics incredibly and consistently engaging, but Dr. Elvins had a media-rich pedagogy that was extremely hard to pull off in the pre-YouTube, early Google days. Her teaching style was enjoyably humorous, and she fostered rich class discussions. Dr. Elvins would then supplement lectures with movie clips, songs, etc. and I do appreciate now that she had to gather all of these media elements physically, likely at a cost. Thank you Dr. Elvins for a wonderful History course that I still think about (eg. Malvina Reynolds’ Little Boxes song)!

JEROME KNYSH [BSc(IE)/84, ExEd/87, MBA/90]

Ross Henderson, Business Policy. He knew how to teach if you were willing to learn.

MELISSA GAYLE SMITH [BHECOL/17]

Family Financial Health with Karen Duncan. Best class, hands down best prof! She inspired me to delve deeper in my readings and provided a supportive learning environment that also challenged me to be an independent thinker.

JOIN THE CONVERSATION

Alumni Answers is a community of alumni and UM friends who share memories, ideas, and opinions with one another. Every month, we pose a new question to make us ponder, laugh, or learn together and share the responses in a UM Today story. Sign up here to get next month’s question sent straight to your inbox.

Convocation season brings many emotions: happiness, pride, relief, and excitement for the future – but also a tinge of nostalgia for student days gone by. As our newest grads reminisce about their final year of studies, we’re asking our alumni and UM friends to join in with their own memories.

Tell us: what’s your fondest memory of your graduating year? Share your answers in the comments below, or email alumni_answers@umanitoba.ca

To start our walk down memory lane, we asked some of our grads-to-be to share their favourite moments.

SHEA HUNT, [BSc(CompE/19]

“Between planning the Western Engineering Senior Design Competition, receiving my Iron Ring, making lasting relationships with peers and professors, and signing a contract for a job I’d only previously dreamed about, I have a lot of fond memories in my final year to be thankful for. However, if I had to choose one, it’d be the final night of Engineering Week. EngWeek exists to celebrate engineering and its traditions while having some fun in the process, including each team putting up an “art installation.” My team decided to make musical stairs in the EITC Atrium, and we started working on the setup weeks in advance. Hearing it work for the first time at around four in the morning of the final day had to be one of the greatest accomplishments in my final year.”

RILEY PROULX, [BComm(Hons.)/19]

“My favourite memory during my final year is emceeing the 3rd Annual Future of Indigenous Business Banquet at the Winnipeg Art Gallery. I gained a lot of valuable experience throughout the whole planning process, and working with some of my closest friends to plan the evening and see it become such a success is something I will always remember. I cannot wait to attend next year as a young professional.”

OYINDAMOLA ALAKA [BA(Adv.)/19]
“I think my fondest memory of my graduating year has to be when I handed in my honors thesis. Finishing my thesis was such a struggle that I dropped other duties and courses to focus on it. On the day I was meant to send it in, my final work wasn’t saving and my computer kept crashing for about 3 hours. Nothing was saving and I had to recompile my chapters and redo my references multiple times before the universe finally decided (3 computers later) that I had suffered enough for procrastinating. The day I sent it in was the day my undergraduate career was officially sealed, it was finally all over and I could official watch Netflix and use social media guilt free.”

TIMOTHY ROTH [BMus/19]
“My favourite memory was rehearsing and premiering my friend Nolan Hildebrand’s composition “HEATDEATH”. The piece was written by Nolan last summer as part of his Undergraduate Research Award, was in seven movements featuring percussion, violin, tuba and guitar. As the work addressed environmental concerns, we decided to premiere it in the Buller Greenhouse on campus! It was a lot of fun to put together and the employees at the greenhouse were amazingly supportive.”

JOIN THE CONVERSATION

Alumni Answers is a community of alumni and UM friends who share memories, ideas, and opinions with one another. Every month, we pose a new question to make us ponder, laugh, or learn together and share the responses in a UM Today story. Sign up here to get next month’s question sent straight to your inbox.

If you’re looking for your next great read, consider adding these favourites to your list:

THE HIDDEN LIFE OF TREES: WHAT THEY FEEL, HOW THEY COMMUNICATE—DISCOVERIES FROM A SECRET WORLD by Peter Wohlleben
Recommended by: @shalynfalloon on Instagram

“The Hidden Life of Trees is a feel-good, easy to read book that is based on science and observation. It reminds us that we need to be more mindful of our relationships with the members of the plant kingdom.”

THE RISE AND FALL OF THE THIRD REICH by William L. Shirer
Recommended by: Toivo Kulpa [BSc(ME)/65]

“I read Shirer’s book during my 4th year in engineering at U of M. As an Estonian who was a victim of the Third Reich and the Soviet Union I found the details in this book very significant and continued to read about the two world wars and all other conflicts in Europe from the Romans to the present. Being an engineer, I also analyzed much of this history from event sequence, national resources and logistics aspects. This made me realize how incorrect, incomplete and biased ‘popular’ history is.”

SHŌGUN by James Clavell
Recommended by: Susan Rocan [CertEd/82]

“Shōgun impressed me so much, when I read it in my late teens, that I wrote a paper on it for my university English course. I wanted to learn about the book’s premise – the first Englishman in Japan. I researched books on feudal Japan, looking for real people on which Clavell based his characters. His writing made me feel as though I was right beside those characters, experiencing life in that time period. He inspired me to do the extensive research I needed when it came time to write my own historical fiction, Withershins and Spirit Quest.”

MEDICINE UNBUNDLED: A JOURNEY THROUGH THE MINEFIELDS OF INDIGENOUS HEALTH CARE by Gary Geddes
Recommended by: @spiritoftreaty1 on Instagram

“Medicine Unbundled is a bone-shaking, nerve-touching dissection into the roots of modern day healthcare industries. Geddes lays fact after fact with citations, a design that inspired me to read further.”

PETER AND WENDY (a.k.a. Peter Pan) by J.M. Barrie
Recommended by: Frances Koncan [BA/10]

“I’m a Taurus, so much like Peter himself, I am terrified of change and transitions. I am not graceful in growing up, moving on, or letting go. So when those difficult moments arise, I always revisit this story, and go home to my own cozy Neverland to rest so I can return to the real world and do proper adult things, like pay taxes and collect plastic bags inside of other plastic bags.”

NEVER CRY WOLF by Farley Mowat
Recommended by: Jennifer Doering [BSc(Hons)/14, MSc/17]

“Never Cry Wolf started my dream of becoming a biologist. In the book, the main character goes out to the field to study wolves. Growing up, I thought that scientists only worked in the lab and Farley’s book showed me that you can take science outside and study things in their natural habitats. Not only that, but you don’t have to be a professional or have university degrees to study something. By taking detailed notes and caring about your research, you can accomplish great things regardless of social, academic, and cultural standing. For a grade 9 student, these lessons helped shape who I am today.”

ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT by Erich Maria Remarque
Recommended by: Matthew Renaud [BA(Hons)/10, MA/11]

“This was the first overtly “grown-up” book that I ever read. I was 12 or 13 at the time and remember being significantly influenced by its overtly anti-war message. That message would help shape my worldview during those formative years, and I began to think critically about the institutions and policies that govern our daily lives. I also credit All Quiet on the Western Front with helping me fall in love with history, an academic discipline I would pursue years later during my time as a U of M student.”

THE HANDMAID’S TALE by Margaret Atwood
Recommended by: Suzanne Therrien-Richards [BSc/80, MID/18]

“When I read this book, it is a reminder that being passive politically can result in devastating consequences for some. When a political party is leaning towards misogyny, racism, repudiation of rights, suddenly The Handmaid’s Tale becomes a distinct and frightening possibility.”

LATE NIGHTS ON AIR by Elizabeth Hay
Recommended by: @heatheroh on Instagram

“Everything about this book is endearingly Canadian, but especially the romanticizing of our wilderness and radio’s unique ability to unite communities (and people) who are otherwise isolated. It inspired me to take up canoeing again, and seriously consider exploring more of Canada’s North.”

PRIDE AND PREJUDICE by Jane Austen
Recommended by: Wendy Bumsted [BEd/79, MA/86]

“When I was 13, my family moved from a tiny village to a town. One of the features of town was the public library. I had always been a good reader, but reading material was limited. Once we moved, going to the library became a regular Saturday afternoon event. I cannot remember why I picked up the nondescript brown covered book with no dust jacket or plot synopsis, but I did and was enthralled. The book was Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice. It is a book I still re-read. I am not sure why I have such a clear memory of that time, but it underscores my belief in the importance of public libraries and their role in creating life-long readers.”

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Alumni Answers is our way of building community with alumni and UM friends by sharing memories, ideas, and opinions with one another. Every month, we pose a new question to make us ponder, laugh, or learn together and share the responses in an upcoming UM Today story. Sign up here to get next month’s question sent straight to your inbox.

To help with everyone’s summer reading list, we’re asking our alumni and UM friends about the books that have a made a lasting impression on them.

Yes, dear reader, we want to hear from you. Tell us: what book has influenced your life, and why? Share your answers in the comments below, or email alumni_answers@umanitoba.ca

To get the conversation started, we asked five book-loving alumni to share their picks:

 
FRANCES KONCAN [BA/10] // Theatremaker, Artistic Director of Vault Projects

Book: Peter and Wendy (a.k.a. Peter Pan) by J.M. Barrie

“I’m a Taurus, so much like Peter himself, I am terrified of change and transitions. I am not graceful in growing up, moving on, or letting go. So when those difficult moments arise, I always revisit this story, and go home to my own cozy Neverland to rest so I can return to the real world and do proper adult things, like pay taxes and collect plastic bags inside of other plastic bags.”

JAKE MACDONALD [BA/71] // Author, playwright of RMTC’s The Cottage

Book: Heart’s Desire, by Edward Hoagland

“I’d be shocked to discover one of Hoagland’s books in Chapters or McNally Robinson, because no one reads him. But he’s a great prose stylist, maybe the greatest of them all. My literary friend Charles Wilkins and I once drove to Vermont to meet Hoagland, and discovered that he had such a bad stutter he could barely speak. We taped him anyway, for two days, and when we got home the tape was blank. So here’s Hoagland, speaking for himself on the subject of circus cats: “the lions entered snarling…whirling in a sand-coloured blur. They were long-striding and masculine-looking, like the hounds of hell, magnificent as they loped, roaring like pianos being rolled on a hollow floor.”

SUSAN ROCAN [CertEd/82] // Past-president, Manitoba Writer’s Guild

Book: Shōgun by James Clavell

Shōgun impressed me so much, when I read it in my late teens, that I wrote a paper on it for my university English course. I wanted to learn about the book’s premise – the first Englishman in Japan. I researched books on feudal Japan, looking for real people on which Clavell based his characters. His writing made me feel as though I was right beside those characters, experiencing life in that time period. He inspired me to do the extensive research I needed when it came time to write my own historical fiction, Withershins and Spirit Quest.

MATTHEW RENAUD [BA(Hons)/10, MA/11] // Liaison librarian, EK Williams Law Library

Book: All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque

“This was the first overtly “grown-up” book that I ever read. I was 12 or 13 at the time and remember being significantly influenced by its overtly anti-war message. That message would help shape my worldview during those formative years, and I began to think critically about the institutions and policies that govern our daily lives. I also credit All Quiet on the Western Front with helping me fall in love with history, an academic discipline I would pursue years later during my time as a U of M student.”

WENDY BUMSTED [BEd/79, MA/86] // Owner, Whodunit Mystery Bookstore

Book: Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

“When I was 13, my family moved from a tiny village to a town.  One of the features of town was the public library.  I had always been a good reader, but reading material was limited.  Once we moved, going to the library became a regular Saturday afternoon event.  I cannot remember why I picked up the nondescript brown covered book with no dust jacket or plot synopsis, but I did and was enthralled.  The book was Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice.  It is a book I still re-read.  I am not sure why I have such a clear memory of that time, but it underscores my belief in the importance of public libraries and their tole in creating life-long readers.”

JOIN THE CONVERSATION

Alumni Answers is a community of alumni and UM friends who share memories, ideas, and opinions with one another. Every month, we pose a new question to make us ponder, laugh, or learn together and share the responses in a UM Today story. Sign up here to get next month’s question sent straight to your inbox.

With the 91^st Academy Awards held on Feb. 24, we want to hear about the movies that have won a special place in your heart. Did they teach you an important life lesson, inspire your career, or challenge you to see the world differently?

Tell us: which movies have impacted your life and why?

Let us know in the comments below or email alumni_answers@umanitoba.ca by March 4, 2019.

We’ll post our favourite answers on March 6, so visit the alumni network page to see if your story was included! 

Alumni Answers is our way of building community with our alumni by sharing memories, ideas, and opinions with one another. Every month, we’ll pose a new question to make us ponder, laugh, or learn together. Want to get next month’s question sent straight to your inbox? Email alumni_answers@umanitoba.ca with “Sign me up!” in the subject line.

There’s many names for it, but we all do it: work. This month, as the U of M’s largest career fair rolls through campus, our students will be thinking a lot about the jobs they want to take on post-graduation.

To inspire their future endeavours, we want to share with them just how great the working world can be. So tell us: what do you love most about your career?

Do you create cool things, or make a difference in peoples lives? Do you get to meet fascinating people or travel to exciting places? Perhaps it brings personal satisfaction by feeding your mind and soul. Or maybe it just feels like you’re having fun all day.

Let us know in the comments below or email alumni_answers@umanitoba.ca by Feb. 1, 2019.

We’ll post our favourite answers  on Feb. 6, so visit the alumni network page to see if your story was included!

Alumni Answers is our way of building community with our alumni by sharing memories, ideas, and opinions with one another. Every month, we’ll pose a new question to make us ponder, laugh, or learn together.  Want to get next month’s question sent straight to your inbox? Email alumni_answers@umanitoba.ca with “Sign me up!” in the subject line.

If reading these inspires you to learn something new this year, check out the Alumni network page for a host of learning opportunities (many of them free!) available for alumni. 

GET MOTIVATED

No one has the power to keep you from your goals and achieving your dreams, unless you allow them. That Superpower belongs to you. Follow your heart and don’t believe half the stuff your mind says.
~ M. Davidson [BPE/96]

One is never too old to start new things.
~ J. Glowacki [BA/01]

You need to take charge of your future, and if the opportunity does not present itself, create it.
~ A. Gotfrid [BSc/17]

2019 will be better than 2018!!
~ S. Godse [BComm (Hons)/93]

Cherish and make the most of every single moment while being a student at university!
~ F. Alame Ddine [BEnvSci/18] 

FUN FACTS & LIFE HACKS

Rats giggle when you tickle them ^^
~ I. Rydén

Never postpone installing a remote car starter.
~ T. Karthigesu [MSc/94]

Never let academic pressure control your personal life. It’s important to have a work-life balance.
~ V. Liyanage-Zachariah [PhD/18]

Slow down.
~ D. Bruce [BPE/80, MPE/89]

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

I have limitations and I have to learn to accept them.
~ D. Regier [ExEd/08, 09]

This past year, through what I witnessed regarding the many experiences of friends and family, I learned of the fragility of physical and mental health, and the important role that caregivers and other individuals have to help individuals move through their challenges.
~ C. Adams, [BA (Hons)/83, MA/86] 

Refocusing on mission works all the time. I also learned that mental health is quickly growing among the younger generation and we need to step up efforts to identify it much sooner.
~ AJ Mendoza [BSc/88, BMRPT/92] 

Obtaining my Nursing Degree from U of M back in 1996 took me places I never would have imagined. I treasure the experiences and people I have worked with and met all over the world.
~ M. Redden [BPE/92, BN/96]

 WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU!

Alumni Answers is our way of building community with our alumni by sharing memories, ideas, and opinions with one another. Every month, we pose a new question with an opportunity to learn, laugh, and ponder together.

This month, we’re asking: What do you love most about your career? To send in your answer, comment below or email alumni_answers@umanitoba.ca

Did a scholarship pave your way through university? Were you sent to camp as a child thanks to a charity? Do you volunteer your time snuggling preemies at your local hospital? Tell us: how has philanthropy impacted your life?

Let us know in the comments below or email alumni_answers@umanitoba.ca by Nov. 19, 2018.                  

We’ll post our favourite answers on Nov. 21, so visit the alumni network page to see if your story was included! 

Alumni Answers is our way of building community with our alumni by sharing memories, ideas, and opinions with one another. Every month, we’ll pose a new question to make us ponder, laugh, or learn together.  Want to get next month’s question sent straight to your inbox? Email alumni_answers@umanitoba.ca with “Sign me up!” in the subject line.

We want to know about the people whose guidance you’re most thankful for. Let us know: who has been a good mentor to you? Why? 

Tell us in the comments below or email alumni_answers@umanitoba.ca by Oct. 26, 2018.

Alumni Answers is our way of building community with our alumni by sharing memories, ideas, and opinions with one another. Every month, we’ll pose a new question to make us ponder, laugh, or learn together.  Want to get next month’s question sent straight to your inbox? Email alumni_answers@umanitoba.ca with “Sign me up!” in the subject line.