Executive director of the Grand Manan Whale and Seabird Research Station and a champion of marine conservation, the U of G master’s grad died Jan. 3, 2021. She was 61.

After Murison completed a master’s degree in 1986 with then-zoology professor Dr. David Gaskin, she kept up ties with both U of G and her adviser. Many U of G graduate students carried out research at the station, which was founded by Gaskin, a marine biologist, in 1981. He died in 1998.

Murison helped create the Gaskin Memorial Museum at the station in North Head, which receives thousands of visitors each year.

As part of her research to protect habitats and species, she conducted aerial surveys of endangered right whales in the Bay of Fundy that linked deaths of the mammals to shipping lane traffic. Her advocacy helped to move the shipping lanes in 2003; numbers of new whale calves increased over the next decade.

She arrived at Grand Manan while studying right whales for her degree at U of G in the 1980s.

Among her projects on the island, she helped lead efforts to protect and restore historical buildings, including the Swallowtail Lighthouse. She helped her husband, Ken Ingersoll, as a volunteer light keeper.

A long-time volunteer on Grand Manan, Murison taught local students and visitors, consulted with the local fishers’ association on whale entanglement reduction, served as naturalist with a whale tour boat company, and created and installed educational panels along hiking trails.

M.J. Edwards, curator and director of the Grand Manan Museum, told CBC Radio that Murison continued to chair board meetings and help with renovations through her chemotherapy treatment.

“We accomplished more in the last five years at the museum than in the last 50,” said Edwards. “She never let anything get in her way. I don’t think anyone has touched the lives of islanders so many

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1970s

Vandana Shiva, MA ’76, wrote the book Reclaiming the Commons: Biodiversity, Indigenous Knowledge and the Rights of Mother Earth, published this year by Synergetic Press. An Indian scholar and world-renowned environmental activist, she founded the Research Foundation for Science, Technology and Natural Resource Policy, which aims to develop sustainable agriculture, and is a leader in the global ecofeminist movement.

1980s

Mark Lautens, B.Sc. ’81, a professor in the University of Toronto’s department of chemistry, has received a U of G Alumni of Honour Award for outstanding achievements and commitment to excellence. His research in organic chemistry has led to the design of new medicinal molecules.

1990s

Kenneth Mitchell, BLA ’98, will move on from his role as the fierce and temperamental Klingon commander Kol in the TV series Star Trek: Discovery to play a human role in the series. He will also appear in the upcoming miniseries The Old Man, currently filming.

Mitchell announced earlier this year that he has ALS – amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or Lou Gehrig’s disease.

He has worked steadily as an actor for about 20 years, including roles as the father of the namesake superhero in the popular 2019 film Captain Marvel, and in six episodes of the TV series Nancy Drew. Born in Toronto, Mitchell studied landscape architecture and played varsity soccer at U of G.

After studying biophysics at U of G, followed by master’s degrees in chemistry from the University of British Columbia and journalism from Carleton University, Sarah Everts, B.Sc. ’98, went on to a successful 17-year career as a science journalist.

Everts has landed back at Carleton University in Ottawa. In early 2019, she became an associate professor in the School of Journalism and Communication, where she is the CTV Chair in Digital Science Journalism.

One of her goals is to help journalism students identify legitimate science. When COVID-19 arrived, she launched a research project to look at how journalism is consumed across Canada during the pandemic and where Canadians are turning for their information – and misinformation – on the disease.

Harpreet Kochhar, PhD ’99, was appointed as Canada’s associate deputy minister of health during efforts to fight COVID-19. He studied animal biotechnology at U of G and became a professor in the Ontario Veterinary College’s Department of Biomedical Sciences.

Adam Cegielski, B.Sc. ’99, is founding president and CEO of Eyecarrot Innovations Corp. based in Toronto. Following studies in applied biochemistry, he worked as a consultant and executive, mostly for resource-sector companies. Eyecarrot’s Binovi technology helps vision therapy and training providers improve client performance and is used in numerous locations in more than 20 countries. The company partners with leading optometric associations and sports teams, including the Dallas Stars and Sporting KC.

2010s

Dan Seider, BA ’15, created an app that helps people understand how their mood is affected by computer information overload.

Seider launched Misu, a free mood-tracking macOS desktop app, because he wanted to understand how information overload affects our well-being.

The mood tracker takes photos of users while they are on a computer, analyzing their emotions using artificial intelligence technology. All photos are instantly deleted. The software observes micro-changes in facial expressions – subtle squinting, a furrowed brow, the curve of a smile.

Misu can tell users which websites cause them anxiety and which ones make them happy.

“If we’re informed that we’re actually spending a lot of time on some social platform that is not helping our wellness, then we’re empowered to be more mindful and change our behaviour,” Seider says.

Mariam Abeid, B.A.Sc. ’18, a single parent of three children, earned a degree in early childhood education and teaching at the University of Guelph-Humber before completing an MA in child study and education at the University of Toronto.

From a young age, Abeid dreamt of getting a good education, but that dream proved nearly impossible to fulfill in her home country of Kenya, where the education of girls was not a societal priority.

She faced seemingly insurmountable barriers to education even after marrying a Canadian man and settling in this country. When her husband died suddenly about 10 years ago, Abeid was left destitute and was separated from her children by family members. At one point, she lived in a shelter for women.

But she met people who recognized the injustice of her situation, as well as her exceptional way with children, her strong work ethic and her drive for excellence. A lawyer helped her win back her children and her home, and a teacher encouraged her to start post-secondary studies.

2020s

Tony D’Amato Stortz, BA ’20, used funding from his COVID-19-related Canada Emergency Relief Benefit to build raised garden beds for his neighbours in Guelph and Kitchener-Waterloo, Ont., enabling them to grow their own food during the pandemic.

As a Fullerton post-doctoral researcher at California State University, physics grad Philippe Landry, PhD ’17, helped detect an extraordinary cosmic event this past summer. Gravitational wave detectors in the U.S. and Italy received an unusual wave signal from the merger of a black hole with a smaller object. The signal arrived from a previously unknown cosmic system about 800 million light years from Earth. Landry was part of the research team and co-author of a paper in Astrophysical Journal Letters.

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When OVC had its 150th anniversary in 2012, I made a hockey trophy for the students that turned out better than expected, being appraised at $53,300!
Now, to celebrate the 100th student tournament, I’m making a large base for the trophy on which the names of all the 2,000-plus people who played for their classes will be stamped. The finished trophy will be displayed in OVC’s main building.

Hundreds of OVC alumni have helped me to compile team lists going back to 1931, when the tournament started. However, some lists are incomplete or unverified by people who played for that class. I am appealing to anyone who played hockey while in the DVM program to help check their class hockey player list in case I have missed anyone. I am listing anyone who played hockey for their DVM class team, and any DVM student who played varsity hockey between 1931 and today.

For example, I hope the OVC ’42 grad who recently wrote to Portico will check his class list for me.

OVC 1942 hockey player names to check: Gordon Baux, J.A.T. Behan, Bill Brisbane, Bill Cawker, Nelson Chiles, William Harvey Cowan, Robert Griesback, Peter Lingua, Donald MacDonald, William McCabe, Bernard McSherry, James O’Donoghue, Victor Prest, Alexander Rattray, Clement Reeds, Edward Rothmel, Jim Schroder, Danny Smith, John Sproule, David Thompson, Jack Thomson and Ross Walton.

Brad Hanna, Professor in the Department of Biomedical Sciences and a U of G alum, OVC ’89

Please email me directly at bhanna@uoguelph.ca.

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When her beloved husband, John, died in 2002, Katie envisioned a new path forward, one that would see her fulfill her dream of advancing her education. She was 65 when she began attending classes at U of G. She earned a BA at age 71 and a master’s degree in English at 74.

Katie Ellis died peacefully at her home in Guelph on March 30, aged 79. With the COVID-19 pandemic declared just a few weeks earlier and with provincial restrictions limiting the size of gatherings, her family planned a celebration of life for a future date.

But Katie’s grandson Jason Ellis wanted to do something extraordinary to celebrate his grandmother and to honour her tireless spirit, her influence and her love.
This past summer, Ellis and his wife, Marilyne, embarked on an ambitious cycling journey spanning nearly 2,000 kilometres in memory of Katie and to support a cause that was close to her. Their ride would raise funds and awareness for the Canadian Women’s Foundation, an organization focused on gender equality and removing barriers faced by women, particularly those who identify as women, girls, trans, genderqueer, non-binary and 2SLGBTQI+.

The Chute-a-Blondeau couple began their Wheels of Strength trek in May, cycling through eastern Ontario and western Quebec.

In an article in The Review newspaper, Jason spoke about his grandmother’s extraordinary character.

“What defined her was being a powerful woman who really did things very differently – especially 50 years ago when she did things that were not even thought of for women,” he said in the article. “That is why we decided to do something to raise awareness for the Canadian Women’s Foundation.”

His grandmother, he added, had “a massive taste for adventure.” Marilyne said Katie was an inspiration to the women who knew her.

“She worked as a mom, which was almost unheard of back then. She wasn’t a single mom – she had a husband – but she didn’t want to just be a mom, she wanted to be herself, too.”

Katie Ellis’s determination to pursue higher education in her senior years serves as an example for all those in later life, Marilyne added.
The Wheels of Strength cycling challenge ended Sept. 13 on what would have been Katherina’s 80th birthday

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To honour alumni who have passed away, the University of Guelph Alumni Association makes an annual donation to the Alumni Legacy Scholarship.

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One of the first criminologists to become immersed in the study of organized crime, Margaret Beare had her academic beginnings at the University of Guelph.

She graduated with a BA in sociology and English in 1968 and an MA in sociology in 1971 before going on to Cambridge University and Columbia University. She died in August of endometrial cancer, at the age of 72.

Beare authored books and articles on money laundering, international policing policy, gang violence and social justice. Her book Criminal Conspiracies: Organized Crime in Canada was the first scholarly treatment of organized crime in this country.

In her book Money Laundering: The Chasing of Dirty and Dangerous Dollars, Beare delved into the international smuggling and laundering of cash from crime. Her research contributed immensely to understanding organized crime around the world.

She began her career as a senior research officer in the Office of the Solicitor General, a position she held for more than 10 years, after which she became an internationally recognized academic. Born in Markham, Ont., and raised on a farm near Agincourt, Ont., she travelled the world for her research.

A leading authority on organized criminal activity, Beare taught at York University/ Osgoode Hall Law School for more than 20 years, providing mentorship and guidance to many graduate students who were drawn to Osgoode because of her presence.

Throughout her career, Beare was noted for her rigorous approach to researching criminal networks and her ability to examine issues from many angles and to spur debate – skills and knowledge that she passed on to her students.

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OVC Class of 1966 grads Ross Fitzpatrick, Ted Clark and Don Wilson are the masterminds behind a new vintage veterinary exhibit opening at Calgary’s Heritage Park Historical Village. Through their non-profit, they have launched a fundraising campaign for the exhibit honouring the 300 Canadian veterinarians who served in the First World War and marking the 100th anniversary of the war’s end. More information is online at vintageveterinaryexhibit.ca.

1970s

Pamela Stagg, BA ’74, was among botanical artists across Canada honoured during the Art of the Plant exhibition at the Canadian Museum of Nature in Ottawa. Stagg delivered the keynote address at the exhibition’s opening.

Wayne Spencer, B.Sc. ’75. Retired since September 2003 after a career with the Government of the Northwest Territories Fish and Wildlife Service and the Canadian Wildlife Service. Spent 13 years above the Arctic Circle in the communities of Cambridge Bay and Pond Inlet, as well as Inuvik and Yellowknife. Linda and I have been together for 48 years come November 2019. Our children, Dana and Kristofor, have presented us with five grandchildren ages 13 to 18, including four gifted wrestlers.

1980s

Marian Thorpe, B.Sc. (Agr.) ’82, M.Sc. ’87, released Empire’s Exile, the third book in her historical fantasy trilogy, Empire’s Legacy.

Paul Sharpe, M.Sc. ’80, is lead author and editor of a new textbook, Horse Pasture Management, co-authored by 10 other specialists across Canada. Sharpe taught at U of G’s former Kemptville campus. He met his wife, Helen MacGregor, M.Sc. ’80, while both were graduate students in animal science at U of G.

Frank Y. Wong, BA ’81, joined Florida State University’s College of Nursing, where he will work in the Center for Indigenous Nursing Research for Health Equity. Wong is widely known for his studies on sexual health and substance abuse among Asian American and Pacific Islanders.

Lynn Smurthwaite-Murphy, BA ’87, has become president and CEO of StarTech.com, an IT technology tools company. She was director of the Halton Children’s Aid Society and has served on the advisory boards of some top IT companies in North America.

Jeffrey Hauswirth, BA ’82, was named vice-chairman of FPL, a global professional services firm. He was with Spencer Stuart for 25 years.

Scott Reid, DVM ’87, serves on several human hospital boards, providing input on issues from ethics and governance to strategic planning. “It has been a great learning experience and you feel that you are contributing to your community.”

Christine Langevin, B.Comm. ’88, recently obtained her chartered director designation from the DeGroote School of Business and the Directors College. She has served as the principal of a boutique accounting firm for more than 20 years.

Melanie Prosser, B.Sc. (Agr.) ’89, joined Hensall Co-op as marketing and communications manager.

1990s

Matt Johnston, B.Comm. ’96, co-founded Collective Arts Brewing, which combines craft beer with promoting emerging artists and musicians. Located in Hamilton, Ont., the brewery has won numerous awards and has a gallery showcasing artists who have designed their beer cans and labels.

Heather Laverne, B.Comm. ’98, was named vice-president, customer engagement, loyalty and partnerships, for Europe, Middle East and Africa for Hilton Hotels.

Naeema Bhyat, B.Sc. ’98, developed and hosts a podcast about creativity and innovation, Cross-polliNation, that recently received a 2019 Canadian Podcast Award for Outstanding Business Series. www.crosspollination.co

2000s

Krista DuChene, B.A.Sc. ’00, aka Canada’s Marathon Mom and member of the 2016 Olympic team, will run in the Boston Marathon in April. Last year she placed third overall and first in the master’s division. DuChene, a dietitian, met her husband, Jonathan, B.Comm. ’01, at U of G; she studied human nutrition and was an ice hockey star, and he played volleyball. They live in Brantford, Ont.

Jennifer McCartney, BA ’03. Her latest book, The Joy of Leaving Your Sh*t All Over the Place, is a New York Times bestseller. Her forthcoming book, called So You Want to Move to Canada, Eh?, is a handbook about Canada for Americans.

Arun Dhanota, MA ’05, is pursuing a PhD at Queen’s University while working as professor with the Police Foundations Program at Humber College.

Beth MacDonald, B.Comm. ’07, currently living in Portugal with her husband while running sales for the HempFest Cannabis Expo across Canada.

Lian Zhao, PhD ’07, is a principal at CEPro Energy Group, a registered engineering consulting company in Western Canada.

Susanna Joy, MBA ’18, uses her hospitality and tourism degree to “improve life” in Myanmar by building tourism education capacity.

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