Mapping out a prosperous future path for Kingston and Queen’s was the focus of the Principal’s Community Breakfast held Tuesday, Nov. 10 at the Delta Kingston Waterfront Hotel.

With a focus on entrepreneurship and innovation for the event, Principal Daniel Woolf brought together members of the Kingston and Queen’s communities as well as a panel of special guests, each with their own connection to the university: Shai Dubey, Director, Queen’s full-time MBA and Distinguished Faculty Fellow, Smith School of Business; Natasha Baziuk, co-founder of Gryllies, the winning company from this year’s Queen’s Innovation Connector Summer Initiative (QICSI); and Venicio Rebelo, former owner of two of Kingston’s largest hotels and conference centres.

Innovation initiatives at Queen’s take a number of forms, ranging from organized initiatives between faculties such as the Queen’s Innovation Connector (QIC), through to courses or components of courses as well as weekend workshops and competitions (e.g., Queen’s Startup Summit, Queen’s Entrepreneurship Competition, Enactus). At the same time, Queen’s Innovation Connector Summer Initiative provides an important opportunity for students to develop a foundation for entrepreneurship and innovation, and an opportunity to put these concepts into practice, while PARTEQ supports innovation through supporting commercialization and transfer of Intellectual Property at Queen’s.

Each speaker offered a different perspective regarding business and the Kingston economy that drew the attention of the more than 100 people attending the event.

Ms. Baziuk (Sc’15) spoke about the challenges faced by Gryllies and the support it has received.

While the start-up was created in a low-risk environment, receiving support from Queen’s, Innovation Park and the City of Kingston through KEDCO, she says there remains room for growth. She pointed to a number of business incubators and accelerators that are based in major centres that draw young entrepreneurs away from smaller communities like Kingston.

But she also saw an opportunity for Kingston due to its location and the resources available.

“What I think Kingston could potentially do is, we’re in such a strategic location in terms of being close to Montreal, Ottawa and Toronto, that Kingston itself would be a great location to start the next incubator-accelerator program with the university connection as well as an already-established innovation sector,” she says. “I think it will not only keep talent in the Kingston area but also attract talent elsewhere into our community.”

Mr. Dubey, as the founder of Quicklaw, a leading provider of legal online database services to the legal profession, also spoke about the entrepreneurial experience. Through his work at the Smith School of Business he also sees the strength of the Queen’s learning experience, using Ms. Baziuk as an example.

“Why are we different? Because we are teaching our people like Natasha to think, to be critical thinkers, to be able to take ideas and then put them into practice,” he says.

He also sees much potential for the Kingston economy.

“The opportunity is here, we just need to plug into that opportunity as we go. And we do,” he says. “We have world-class institutions, we have great assets here but how do we take advantage of them?”

 Infrastructure is a key in attracting and keeping people in Kingston says Mr. Rebelo, a Queen’s graduate as well. He says he has seen the community grow in a number of ways and pointed to recent improvements that have provided a boost to the city and Queen’s.

“What has been really beneficial for the city is the development of the infrastructure of the city itself – the reconstruction of Princess Street, the development of the downtown, the rebuilding of Market Square, putting a skating rink there, the development of the Rogers K-Rock Centre, the Invista Centre, the K&P Trail – all those things are so critical to bring visitors to our town,” he says.

The positive impressions of the community will remain with the visitors, who will then help spread the word about Kingston and Queen’s and bring them back as well, he adds.

In kicking off the breakfast, Principal Daniel Woolf provided an update on Queen’s to the many community leaders in attendance.

Principal Woolf highlighted recent accomplishments such as the $50-million donation to the university from Stephen J.R. Smith and the awarding of the Nobel Prize in Physics to Professor Emeritus Arthur McDonald (Physics, Engineering Physics and Astronomy).

He also highlighted that the key areas of the Strategic Framework, including internationalization, continue to guide the university forward and help bring the Kington and Queen’s communities together.

“I and other members of the administration regularly travel abroad to raise Queen’s and Kingston’s profile internationally, to recruit students and faculty members and to sign partnerships that will allow student exchanges and research partnerships,” Principal Woolf says. “And from Queen’s perspective one major area of interest is providing a welcoming environment and community for international faculty and students. We are eager to work with the city and community partners to strengthen our capacity to welcome newcomers and help them integrate fully into the community.”

The Distinguished Service Awards for 2015 were presented to seven members of the Queen’s community this past weekend at the University Council’s annual dinner. Awarded each year to staff, faculty, alumni and friends to recognize exceptional contributions to the university, the DSAs were presented by Chancellor Jim Leech and Principal Daniel Woolf to George Anderson, David Bonham, Stanley Corbett, Paul and Vicki Hand, Arunima Khanna, and Gordon Smith.

The award recognizes exemplary service to Queen’s over an extended period of time.

The following is an edited version of the citations for each award winner.

Distinguished Service Awards:

George Anderson

George Anderson’s connection to Queen’s reaches all the way back to the 1960s, when he completed his BA in Political Studies and received the Tricolour Award. During his career in the civil service, Mr. Anderson would serve as Assistant Deputy Minister in the departments of Energy, Finance, and Foreign Affairs. He would later serve as Deputy Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs in the Privy Council, Deputy Minister of Natural Resources, and Senior Expert with the Mediation Support Unit of the United Nations. Mr. Anderson’s greatest contribution to Queen’s came when he brought his experience to the Board of Trustees in 1997. His tenure on the board lasted 16 years, until 2013, at which time he was appointed Trustee Emeritus.

David Bonham

David Bonham served as both a professor and an administrator at Queen's University’s and took to each with equal grace and skill. Cross-appointed to the Faculty of Law and the School of Business, Mr. Bonham left an indelible mark on both students and colleagues during the 30 years of his tenure. He also served as Vice-Principal (Finance) from 1971-77 and then Vice-Principal (Resources) from 1984-88. Mr. Bonham has also always given generously of his time and energy to charitable and volunteer organizations including as Chair of the Anna and Edward C. Churchill Foundation, Vice-Chair of Hospice Kingston, sat on the Board of Directors of University Hospitals, Kingston Foundation, and the Board of Hotel Dieu Hospital. After his retirement from the university, Professor Bonham became a founding member of the Retirees’ Association of Queen’s and was chair of its Pension Committee.

Stan Corbett

Stan Corbett had a relationship with Queen’s that stretched across five decades, and in May of this year, he passed away. Dr. Corbett first came to Queen’s to earn a BA in Mathematics in the 1960s and returned to complete him MA and then PhD in Philosophy. Dr. Corbett then taught philosophy at Acadia University, but in the 1990s returned to Queen’s to study law. After graduating, he was hired to teach in the Faculty of Law. Universally beloved by his students, he won the Law Students’ Society’s teaching award three times. An accomplished author, Dr. Corbett also wrote numerous reviews, articles, and books before taking his most important role at Queen’s: Associate Dean (Academic) in the Faculty of Law. Under his guidance, the law school rebuilt its educational offerings, expanded to blended and online learning, and added courses to provide students with essential law skills.

Paul and Vicki Hand

Paul and Vicki Hand have each in their own way made contributions to the university. Paul has served as a member of the School of Business’ Campaign Cabinet and on the Advisory Board Committee. Vicki was the president of the Alumni Association’s New York branch. Together they’ve supported the construction of Goodes Hall, the Dean’s Innovation Fund, as well as contributing to scholarships and awards. Perhaps their greatest contribution to the university has been the leadership role they’ve taken in the Fields and Stadium Campaign Cabinet. Under their leadership, Queen’s has seen the construction of three new fields, and it is in large part thanks to the effort and dedication of these two that the Richardson Revitalization Project was such a success.

Arunima Khanna

Arunima Khanna is a psychologist and Cross-Cultural Advisor in Health, Counseling, and Disability Services. Since coming to Queen’s to complete her PhD, Dr. Khanna has been a tireless advocate for international and racialized students and she goes above and beyond the call of duty to ensure their inclusion and success.  Her job sees her advising administrators, faculty, staff, and student groups on issues pertaining to the needs of international students. Dr. Khanna provides frequent support to the Queen’s International Centre and the School of Graduate Studies as they navigate the challenges of integrating and working with people of different cultures. Dr. Khanna also works to supervise graduate students on placement at HCDS.

Gordon Smith

Gordon Smith has served as Director of the Queen’s School of Music, Associate Dean, and now Vice-Dean in the Faculty of Arts and Science. During that time he has worked to develop joint programs with St. Lawrence College, establishing the Indigenous Studies Minor, working to create a Canada Research Chair in Indigenous Arts and has been an active member of the Aboriginal Council of Queen’s. One of Dr. Smith’s greatest services to Queen’s came from when he chaired the Operations and Planning Committee for the Isabel Bader Centre for the Performing Arts. In this position he balanced the needs, interests, and opinions of many different parties. Because he cared deeply about the Isabel, he spent hundreds of hours reviewing plans to make sure that everything was just right.