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    Fit Tips: Easy ways to get moving

    With the aim of helping faculty, staff and students "Get Your 150" (minutes of recommended exercise a week) to improve health and wellness, the Gazette and Athletics and Recreation will be offering Fit Tips each week.

    Get active at work, here are a few easy ways to get moving:

    Stationary Jog: Stand up from your chair and jog in place. Continue for one minute and repeat 3X a day.

    Up against the wall: Stand one to two feet from a sturdy wall (not a cubicle divider), lean forward until your palms are flush against the wall, arms straight and parallel to the ground. Next, bend your elbows to bring your body towards the wall, hold for two seconds, then push back to the starting position. Complete 12-15 reps.

    Take a walk-about: Instead of using the phone or sending an email to a colleague put in some face time and take a walk to their desk.

    Stair Master: Want to avoid elevator small talk in favor of elevating the heart rate? Take the stairs! For a real leg burn, take two stairs at a time every other flight.

    'A truly great Canadian'

    • Sir Sandford Fleming Exhibit
      Alvan Bregman, curator, W.D. Jordan Special Collections and Music Library, stands in front of a pair of maps created by Sir Sandford Fleming.
    • Sir Sandford Fleming Exhibit
      Among the displays at the Sir Sandford Fleming exhibit are the medals he received, including for his knighthood and military service.
    • Sir Sandford Fleming Exhibit
      Containing dozens of specimens of wheat, the 'Wheat Book' is one of the more interesting items on display at the Sir Sandford Fleming exhibit.
    • Sir Sandford Fleming Exhibit
      A number of items from Sir Sandford Fleming's time as chancellor of Queen's University (1880-1915) are kept at Queen's University Archives and are now on display.
    • Sir Sandford Fleming Exhibit
      While Sir Sandford Fleming accomplished much during his life one of the things he is best known for is his work in creating standard time.

    Sir Sandford Fleming is best known for his work on standard time, the Canadian Pacific Railroad and surveying large swathes of the growing nation, but he is also indelibly linked to Queen’s University having served as chancellor from 1880 to 1915.

    To mark the 100th anniversary of the death of this ‘Great Canadian’ the university is hosting an exhibit highlighting Fleming’s many accomplishments throughout his life as an engineer, innovator and Queen’s chancellor.

    Curated by Pam Manders and Alvan Bregman, W.D. Jordan Special Collections and Music Library, and Deirdre Bryden, Queen’s University Archives, the exhibition continues through to the end of August. All the items on display on the third floor of the Douglas Library come from collections at Queen’s.

    From books and journals to medals and maps there is a wide array of material, which is fitting considering all that Fleming achieved in his lifetime.

    And while much of his life is well documented the research team was continually excited by the breadth of information and “little jewels” they found.

    “It was just a discovery process that as we went along there was something more that he was noted for, famous for,” says Ms. Manders.

    Creator of the first Canadian stamp, the driving force for connecting the Commonwealth by underwater cable, railway inventor, founder of the Royal Canadian Institute and a founding member of the Royal Society of Canada, the list goes on and on.

    “He is a Great Canadian, a truly Great Canadian,” says Dr. Bregman, adding that Fleming’s reach stretched beyond Canada’s borders. “He’s world famous. His influence is on a world stage with universal time and the cable.”

    Fleming was a very influential figure at Queen’s as well, as Principal George Monro Grant – a long-time friend dating back to their time in Nova Scotia and work together on the CPR survey – brought him to the university as chancellor, a position he held for 35 years until his death.

     “We all started off with a general view of Sir Sandford Fleming and we found that it was really quite interesting to work on,” says Dr. Bregman. “He’s a great figure to be associated with Queen’s and Queen’s is partly great because it is associated with people like Fleming and Grant.”

    “We have a new hero,” Ms. Manders adds.

    For Deirdre Bryden of Queen’s University Archives, the most difficult part of the exercise was selecting what to display from his time as chancellor, as there is so much available.

    One of her favourite pieces is a pin that Fleming designed for Annie Fowler and Eliza Fitzgerald, the first women graduates from Queen’s in 1884.

    “I find that such an amazing thing that this man, who was a great man and did so many big things for Canada, took the time to design a pin and got it made by Tiffany’s, as he happened to be in New York, because he thought it was so important that these two women had graduated from Queen’s,” she says.

    For Queen’s University Archives the exhibit is an opportunity to showcase the historic resources that are available at the university.

    “Exhibits like the Sir Sandford Fleming one, allow those that see it to gain a much better understanding of the breadth, the depth, the variety, and the uniqueness of the holdings that constitute Queen’s University Archives; as well as providing a wonderful glimpse into the university’s storied past,” says Paul Banfield, Queen’s Archivist.

    Room dedicated to former Queen's English professor, war hero

    • [Whalley Room Dedication]
      Shelley King, head of the Department of English at Queen's, speaks during the dedication of the George Whalley Lounge as benefactors Harley Smyth and Carolyn McIntyre Smyth look on.
    • [Whalley Room Dedication]
      Benefactors Harley Smyth and Carolyn McIntyre Smyth unveil a plaque during the dedication of the George Whalley Lounge in Watson Hall.
    • [Whalley Room Dedication]
      Gordon Smith, Vice Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Science, left, and benefactors Carolyn McIntyre Smyth and Harley Smyth pose for a photo with members of George Whalley's family.
    • [Whalley Room Dedication]
      Adorning the walls of the George Whalley Lounge are a number of images, including maps of the battle of the German battleship Bismarck in which Dr. Whalley took part.
    • [Whalley Room Dedication]
      The George Whalley Lounge, Room 440 of Watson Hall, was dedicated on Friday, July 24, the opening day of conference highlighting the life and work of the former Queen's University professor.

    A three-day conference recognizing the life and work of former Queen’s University professor George Whalley opened Friday, and included the dedication of the George Whalley Lounge in Watson Hall.

    Attending the event was a number of faculty, staff and students as well as family members who traveled from as far away as England. Helping dedicate the new room were benefactors Harley Smyth and Carolyn McIntyre Smyth.

    The Centenary Conference in Honour of the Birth of George Whalley is more than an academic conference and will address various facets of his life.

    During his time at Queen's Dr. Whalley served two terms as head of the English Department and wrote multiple books of poetry and literary criticism but he also was a war hero who took part in the sinking of the Bismarck during the Second World War, an inventor of a naval navigation beacon and helped found the Kingston Symphony.

     

    Aboriginal student guided by promise to great-grandmother

    Many years ago, Darian Doblej (Artsci’18) made a life-changing promise to his great-grandmother, an elder in Whitesand First Nation in northern Ontario. He assured her that he would protect his younger sisters, who are now 13 and 15.

    Darian Doblej (Artsci’18) comes to Queen's University from Whitesand First Nation in northern Ontario. (Supplied Photo)

    Mr. Doblej, a political studies major at Queen’s, has taken that promise very seriously. He not only wants to protect them – he wants them to have a great future. He wants to make the world a better place.

    “Among my peers on the reserve, I was the only one who graduated high school,” says Mr. Doblej, who identifies himself as northern Ojibwe turned urban Aboriginal. “While I managed to find support, opportunities were scarce. I want my sisters, and all the children at Whitesand, to have greater access to the support – in education and health care, particularly – that will help them achieve their full potential.”

    Mr. Doblej works on keeping his word to his great-grandmother in many ways. He first came to Queen’s through the Aboriginal Access to Engineering Program, but soon realized he could be of more help to his community by studying policy. In addition to his political studies honours degree, he’s pursuing a Certificate in Business through Queens’ School of Business, and he volunteers at Four Directions Aboriginal Student Centre.

    But perhaps, most important for improving opportunities for Aboriginal youth at this time, is Mr. Doblej’s work on the Premier’s Council for Youth Opportunities. The group, recently on campus to help announce new provincial funding for youth mentorship, is made up of 25 members, including youth (ages 16-25), young professionals and leaders, appointed to advise Premier Kathleen Wynne and her cabinet on issues affecting youth and how to improve programs and services for youth.

    “Ontario’s Youth Action Plan is especially great at addressing the needs of at-risk youth, and I’m really happy to be engaged in the broader process, of working with key actors and decision-makers in the province,” says Mr. Doblej, who is spending the summer working on Whitesand as a community liaison officer. “It’s shown me, too, that problems exist across many different backgrounds. Racialized youth and newcomer youth, to name a few, face similar challenges as Aboriginal youth, in terms of access to opportunities.”

    Looking ahead, Mr. Doblej has many plans. He is thinking about running for chair of the Premier’s Council, or focusing his leadership activities on campus, running for the position of University Rector. Down the road, he wants to complete a Master of Public Administration. His ambitions don’t stop there – he’s also eyeing a Juris Doctor degree, and potentially, later, a PhD in legal studies or policy studies.

    “The people on my reserve are my motivation and inspiration. Looking at them, and understanding what they’re capable of if they had the right tools is all I need to continue working hard,” says Mr. Doblej, who considers Premier Wynne a great mentor and role model.

    “I want to help them, and part of helping them is creating the best possible opportunities, like access to education, health care, and other basic needs afforded to those who are not defined as ‘at-risk.’ I also want to make sure the cultural life, language and heritage of my community is protected, so they can be proud of who they are, and won’t have to fear how their identity affects them.”

    Kicking and Pushing through summer

    [Kick & Push Festival]
    Dale Tracy, an academic assistant for writing courses offered through the Writing Centre at Queen’s, will be performing in Ambrose, presented by the Single Thread Theatre Company, as part of The Kick & Push Festival. (Supplied photo)

    Student Laila Kharouba (Artsci’17) was planning to head home to Toronto for the summer when she heard about a performance opportunity that made her reconsider her plans.

    Ms. Kharouba, a drama major/film and media minor, learned that local theatre company Blue Canoe was staging A Chorus Line, which tells the story of 17 dancers auditioning for spots in a show on Broadway. She jumped at the opportunity to audition, successfully landing the role of Diana Morales.

    “It has always been a dream role of mine,” says Ms. Kharouba. “To get to play it is sort of unreal.”

    Ms. Kharouba is one of a number of actors, playwrights and other theatre-types – many with ties to Queen’s – who have chosen to stay put in Kingston this summer in order to participate in the city’s newest theatre attraction, The Kick & Push Festival. The festival will see six local theatre companies staging productions over the summer season, both at the Grand Theatre and in other venues around the city. The festival is also offering a series of master classes to nurture local talent.

    “I love the spirit of the festival, and I love how excited the people who are running it are,” says John Lazarus, a playwright and professor in the university’s Department of Drama. Mr. Lazarus is one of seven writers (a number of Queen’s alumni among them) who have contributed short plays to a larger piece called AutoShow (presented by Convergence Theatre), which takes place in and around a number of cars parked in downtown’s Market Square.

    “The first of the seven plays is for the entire audience,” he explains, “and then the audience breaks into groups and each group goes to a different car where they hear a different play.” Mr. Lazarus’s contribution, called Totally Nana’s Ride, tells the story of a love triangle involving three young people. “Actually, it could be a love quadrangle because the car is one of the characters,” he adds.

    For Dale Tracy (PhD’13), participating in the festival has allowed her to stretch herself creatively. Ms. Tracy, an academic assistant for writing courses offered through the Writing Centre, is performing in Ambrose (presented by the Single Thread Theatre Company), a site-specific play that takes audience members behind the scenes at the Grand Theatre in order to tell the tale of the disappearance of theatre tycoon Ambrose Small.

    “I’m an investigator struggling with my failure to solve the case,” says Ms. Tracy, explaining that while she has no formal theatre training, she jumped at the opportunity to develop her skills. “For me as a literary scholar, it has been an interesting way to engage with narrative. I also find that my teaching experience has been helpful because teaching can be very improvisational. Participating in Ambrose has been a different way to engage with people – it’s making me think in new ways.”

    Like Ms. Kharouba and Mr. Lazarus, Ms. Tracy is excited to see the new festival animating the city this summer. “I’m so glad we have these cultural opportunities. It’s been a great thing to be part of.”

    A Chorus Line runs from July 22–25 at the Grand Theatre

    AutoShow runs from July 28 – August 12 at Springer Market Square

    Ambrose runs from August 6–15 at the Grand Theatre

    The Kick and Push Festival also includes the productions Shipwrecked!, Tall Ghosts & Bad Weather, and The Tale of a Town.

    For more information visit The Kick and Push Festival’s website

    Queen's hosts Pita Pit conference

    [Pita Pit]
    Participants in the international conference for restaurant chain Pita Pit take time out for a group photo at Queen’s University. (Queen’s Communications)

    Approxmately 450 Pita Pit franchise owners are on campus this week for a conference marking the restaurant chain's 20th anniversary where Pita Pit was founded, right here in Kingston. The conference is a big event for Queen’s Event Services, which hosts conferences of various sizes throughout the year.

    Campus partners, who also work to keep things running smoothly, include Residence Facilities, Physical Plant Services, Hospitality Services, Residence Technology (ITS), and Athletics and Recreation.

    Hosting such large events is important for Queen’s and Kingston – not only are they showcased, but the university’s role in the community is highlighted.

    Strengthening the research culture

    [Research Mentors Yolande Chan]
    Yolande Chan, Associate Vice-Principal (Research), the Queen’s Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) leader, says she has seen increased engagement for faculty through the Research Mentors program. (University Communications)

    The Vice-Principal (Research) portfolio is aiming to increase research engagement, collaboration and funding for faculty conducting their research in the social sciences, humanities and the creative arts through a research mentorship pilot initiative.

    While the newly created Research Mentors program definitely has a mentoring aspect, it actually provides much more. The 16 Research Mentors act as leaders in peer review processes for grant applications to improve funding success. They also help to identify potential nominees for awards and research celebrations, like the recent PechaKucha Research Showcase.

    The Research Mentors are mid-career to senior faculty in the social sciences, humanities and the creative arts with a high level of experience and knowledge of the grant application processes. The role is voluntary, and each Research Mentor has the freedom to approach the position differently – but they are all encouraged to start peer review processes in their cognate groups, and to develop awards committees.

    “The early results have been positive,” says Yolande Chan, Associate Vice-Principal (Research), the Queen’s Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) leader, and an E. Marie Shantz Professor of Management Information Systems in the Queen’s School of Business. “Some mentors are very much on fire and they themselves have been renewed as a result of being part of this program and are now acting in catalytic ways, assisting others.”

    The effects of the Research Mentors can also be seen in the turnout for events such as a recent information session on SSHRC Insight Grant applications where many more people registered than in the recent past. “We are already seeing greater SSHRC engagement,” she says. “The program is designed to strengthen the research culture by creating excitement and a buzz. The Research Mentors are actively promoting, giving visibility to, and celebrating their colleagues’ success.”

    Further information can be found at the Research Mentors webpage. Questions about the program may be directed to Dr. Yolande Chan, Associate Vice-Principal (Research).

    People of Queen's: Finding a new home

    [Edward Nkole]
    Edward Nkole first arrived at Queen’s University from Zambia in 2006 and found support at the Queen’s University International Centre (QUIC). He currently works in the Financial Services department. (University Communications)

    The first thing that Edward Nkole does when he arrives is ask that we move somewhere more comfortable. Together we head to the Queen’s University International Centre (QUIC), where he says hello to the staff and pours himself a mug of tea before we start chatting. Though he now works in the Department of Financial Services at Queen’s, Mr. Nkole first came to Queen’s from Zambia in 2006 to do his undergraduate degree in economics and global development studies. He says QUIC helped him adjust to life in Canada.

    [Queen's in the World]
    Queen's in the World

    “I have a lot of wonderful memories of this place,” he says. “When I came to Queen’s, this is where I was welcomed. I encountered some culture shock when I came to Canada, and it was here that I could find people who could really hear what I said.”

    Before coming to Queen’s, Mr. Nkole worked in Zambia as an accountant but had a strong desire to see more of the world. Both of his older brothers had studied engineering in England, and so he had his mind set on an international education. After what Mr. Nkole refers to as “divine encounters” that led him to making Canadian friends, he started to look at Ontario schools.

    “Queen’s was very responsive and I had an instinctive good feeling about it,” he says. Once he came to Kingston, he got involved with the Queen’s community, volunteering at QUIC, and working as a residence don, as well as with Campus Security and the Education Library on West Campus (“I was working way too many jobs!”). Once his degree was complete, he moved back to Zambia and got married, but soon found himself thinking again about Canada.

    When he and his wife decided to move to Kingston, Mr. Nkole took a job with the Department of Alumni Relations as an administrative assistant. His experience in accounting saw the job evolve into a more financial and merchandising role and he soon migrated to Financial Services, where he now works as a financial analyst. 

    “I look at account trends, see the numbers and explain what’s going on behind the scenes,” he says. “Financial Services tracks what money is going where, why, how we arrived at those numbers and what they mean. All of the projects on campus, from research initiatives to the construction of a new residence, need financing — we make sure they stay on track.”

    With nearly 10 years at Queen’s under his belt, Mr. Nkole is humble about his accomplishments and thankful for the people who helped him along the way.  

    “I’ve been fortunate to find jobs that provided a learning environment here at Queen’s,” he says. “I wanted a challenge, and to expand my knowledge and my experience, I’m glad to have had supervisors who were so interested in my development.”

    Roadwork construction update: July 20-24

    A summary of roadwork activities for the week of July 20.

    • The majority of excavation and pipe work has been completed on Arch Street. Arch Street is now open to traffic at the intersection at Stuart Street and therefore has returned to one-way traffic.
    • Excavation and pipe work is currently taking place in the intersection of George and Stuart Streets. As a result, George Street is no longer accessible from Stuart Street; George Street can be accessed from Okill and King Street West and is open to two-way traffic.
    • Road building work has begun on Arch Street, with crews beginning work on curbs and sidewalks shortly.
    • Crews will be completing paving on George and Okill Streets on Monday, July 20 and Tuesday, July 21 (weather dependent). During this time, on-street parking will not be allowed on George and Okill Streets; any vehicles parked on these streets at the commencement of paving operations will be towed.
    • Private parking lots accessible from George and Okill Streets will have access maintained, but may encounter slight delays for entry or exit due to the movement of paving equipment.

    Chair a first for School of Nursing

    [Elizabeth VanDenKerkhof]
    Elizabeth VanDenKerkhof is the first Sally Smith Chair in Nursing, which was created as part of a $10-million donation to Queen’s by A. Britton Smith and named after his wife Edith “Sally” (Carruthers) Smith. (University Communications)

    Elizabeth VanDenKerkhof is excited about being appointed the Sally Smith Chair in Nursing, but she also knows that there are expectations that come with the position.

    She is the first to hold the chair after all.

    Fortunately, Dr. VanDenKerkhof points out, she isn’t alone in this new journey.

    “It’s exciting but it’s a little bit daunting because I want to be successful and I will because this is a very supportive environment and I have some great colleagues with whom I have worked with over the years, whether it’s research or supervising students,” she says.

    The Sally Smith Chair in Nursing was created as part of a $10-million donation to Queen’s by A. Britton Smith, a continuing supporter of the university. The chair is named after his wife Edith “Sally” (Carruthers) Smith, who died in June 2012 after a courageous battle with cancer. The funding also helped create the Smith Chair in Surgical Research and the Britton Smith Chair in Surgery, as well as to support the revitalization of Richardson Stadium. It represents the largest donation to the School of Nursing in its 74-year history.

    Dr. VanDenKerkhof says the establishment of the chair, to which she was appointed in early June, is a big step for the School of Nursing and will also help boost the university’s reputation in the field.

    “It’s a huge honour for me and I am very lucky but I also feel that this is such a gift for the School of Nursing because it’s the first chair ever here,” she says. “There are other chairs in nursing across Canada but there aren’t a lot of them. So I think for this school to have a chair is significant and really speaks to a number of things, including the support from the Kingston community.”

    As chair, Dr. VanDenKerkhof will be able to move her focus from her teaching responsibilities to her research and taking a closer look at how nursing is evolving.

    Currently, she says, when most people think of nursing, they tend to focus on the acute care sector, taking care of patients in hospitals.

    However, as she notes, nursing, and the health-care sector as a whole, is increasingly reaching further outside the hospital walls, especially as the population ages.

    The Sally Smith Chair will allow her to spend more time looking at the current situation and where nursing, as it expands its scope of practice, is headed in the future.

    “What I think we need to start looking at, and what we are starting to look at, is questions like: ‘What’s my quality of life? How much pain do I have? Am I willing to live with this pain? Is there something that can be done about that?’ It’s not just about surviving an illness,” she says. “And as the population ages, we don’t have the resources to care for everyone in hospital nor is it where most people want to be, especially in their last days, weeks or months of life. Nursing can and does play a major role in shaping what health care may look like in the future.”

    With being able to spend more time outside of the classroom, Dr. VanDenKerkhof says one of her goals is to create stronger connections with the practice setting and help foster further links between researchers in nursing and in health care in general.

    “We already have many collaborations in the School of Nursing but there remain opportunities to link faculty both within nursing and across disciplines. In this way projects can evolve into sustainable programs of research. My goal is to facilitate this process to improve our synergy as researchers,” she says. “I don’t have to necessarily be involved in every study and I don’t have time or the need to be, but I’ve been a faculty member at Queen’s since 2000 at the Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine and I joined the School of Nursing in 2004. I started my career in nursing at KGH in 1981, so I know many of the players and I have a good sense of what people do. My hope is to connect people, provide support when needed and make studies happen.”

    The chair should also afford her time to advance her research into the prevention of acute and chronic pain, and use of technology to improve care.

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