Class Notes

Catch up on classmates, housemates, faculty, and friends.

We Want Your Class Notes

Marking career and personal achievements, special milestones and the birth of future Queen's alumni - Class Notes helps you stay in touch with former classmates, housemates, and faculty.

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  • 1970s

    Catherine West

    – Arts’73

    Catherine was awarded an Honorary Fellowship by the Royal Conservatory of Music (RCM) on Nov. 1, 2026. This honour is the highest distinction the RCM can award. It recognizes her leadership in early childhood curriculum development and music teacher education. Based in Toronto for many years, Catherine was a music education leader in the Toronto District School Board and the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education. She works at the RCM directing Orff (Music) Teacher Education and providing program assistance for Smart Start, the RCM’s internationally recognized early childhood music program. Catherine co-developed this unique program, which is based on both musical and cognitive educational goals for young children. She has had a long and active career as an author, arts consultant, teacher, course instructor, workshop clinician, and program leader – work that has taken her across Canada and around the world. She is married to Ian Burgham (Arts’72) and is semi-retired, now living in the Kingston area. They have three lovely daughters and six grandchildren.

  • Katharine Rocklein, Class Note

    2000s

    Katharine Rocklein

    – BNSc’01

    Katharine is pleased to share that she was inducted into the American Academy of Nursing. She is the Chief Science Officer and Chief Advisor to U.S. Congressional Armed Services for the Froede-Larkin Initiative and served as tenured health sciences faculty with over $11 million in affiliated federal funding. She pioneered evidence-based legislation for military neurotrauma, driving historic, billion-dollar shifts in defence funding for blast overpressure research and traumatic brain injury protocols in recent years. She serves as principal architect of transformative armed-services mandates and strategy: generating funding lines, advancing precision drug therapies and force-wide cognitive surveillance, suicide prevention, family systems, and neurorehabilitation protocols. A frontline leader who previously served the New York City Fire Department during 9/11 and as CNO of the Ryan F. Larkin NYP COVID Hospital in 2020, she continues to focus on operational personnel and fellow emergency clinicians via survivability theory construction, plus cross-border research and advocacy redefining clinical standards and care for combat casualties. 

     

  • 1950s

    Edward Thompson

    – Arts’59

    Ed lives in Kingston along with his wife, Joy, of 66 years. His family lives within 30 minutes of the city and consists of two boys, five grandchildren and two great grandchildren. He enjoyed a very successful career as a teacher, secondary school principal and superintendent of schools, retiring after 34 years in 1993. Music has been his hobby, and he’s been playing the saxophone and clarinet in dance and jazz bands all his life, both in Kingston and in Florida. During his time at Queen’s, he and others formed a dance band called The Collegians and played for many dances on the campus and in Kingston as well. He continues to play with the Nostalgic Sound Big Band and the Dixie 6+1, and they are often asked to play for the Queen’s Swing Dance Club. He says these gigs are especially enjoyable, as they bring back many fond memories of playing in Grant Hall and the gymnasium for football dances and special events during his time at Queen’s.

  • Bill Graham, Class Note

    1970s

    Bill Graham

    – Sc’70 (mechanical engineering)

    Bill received an Honorary Doctor of Laws degree from York University in Toronto on Friday, Oct. 16, 2026, during the ceremony for the Schulich School of Business. He received the degree for his outstanding career as a global business leader, his extraordinary service to Schulich and York University, and his enduring commitment to developing future leaders.

  • JudithThompson, Class Note

    1970s

    Judith Thompson

    – Artsci’76, LLD’16

    After 40 years of writing award-winning plays, which have been produced nationally and internationally, and translated into many languages, Judith is proud to announce that she’s had her first novel published at the age of 71 in April, 2026, by Cormorant Press. The novel is titled, In Crow's Field, and is mostly set in Kingston, Ont. 

    Judith married Gregor Campbell in 1983, and they have five growing children and two beautiful grandchildren. She is grateful for her time in Queen's drama, as it provided her not only skillful guidance but immersion in dramatic writing.

  • Alexus White and Eric Cheng, Class Note

    2010s

    Alexus White and Eric Cheng

    – CIL’19, Artsci’19 and Artsci’19

    Alexus and Eric met on their first day at Queen’s in September 2015. More than 10 years later, they were married in July of 2026. They celebrated with family, friends, and many fellow alumni at the Quinta de Sant’Ana vineyard in Portugal. Now living in Montreal, Eric also recently completed his PhD in molecular biology at McGill University, and the couple is excited to begin their next chapter together.