Professor Emeritus in Civil Engineering
Encaenia Ceremony C: May 20, 2004

Kersi S. Davar devoted 30 years of his professional life to teaching and research at the University of New Brunswick.

As a professor of civil engineering, Dr. Davar exhibited an exceptional talent. He was meticulous in his preparation and command of his subject.

Dr. Davar always kept abreast of new research and developments in the hydrotechnical field. As a research supervisor, he ensured that his graduate students stayed focused on research objectives and his door was always open to those who needed guidance and advice.

Dr. Davar spearheaded the establishment of the graduate hydrotechnical program which focuses on water resources management, fluid mechanics and river engineering. As a result of his efforts, the UNB program has earned national recognition.

His legacy, however, is his promotion of the importance of river ice engineering and its impact on socioeconomic makeup in northern countries. Dr. Davar's contributions to the field are known and respected internationally.

His research findings have been published in respected journals and in both national and international conference proceedings. He has been awarded three distinguished service awards and has been an active member of five professional associations.

Professor Emerita in English and Dean Emerita of Graduate Studies
Convocation: October 23, 2008

Gwendolyn Davies has earned a national reputation for her stellar scholarship, inspired teaching and deft administrative skills.

For more than 30 years, her groundbreaking interdisciplinary research has brought to life the spunky men and women of eastern Canada who created a significant body of literary work, despite their geographical isolation and material disadvantages.

In her five books, more than 50 articles and book chapters, and some 70 conference papers delivered around the world, Dr. Davies has brought international recognition to Canadian Maritime Literature.

Her scholarship has resulted in her election to the Royal Society of Canada, an excellence in teaching award, a Commemorative Medal for her contribution to Canadian studies, and an honorary degree.

Dr. Davies is also widely known and recognized as a talented and capable administrator. At UNB she served as dean of graduate studies and associate vice-president research, and acting vice president (research). Nationally, she has served with the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council, the Canadian Association of Graduate Studies, and the Northeastern Association of Graduate Schools in the U.S.

Retirement has not slowed the pace of Dr. Davies’ distinguished service. She is now a visiting senior resident at Massey College and Visiting Fellow in the book history and publishing program at the University of Toronto, and this winter she travels to Oxford University as a visiting researcher at St. Hilda’s College.

Professor Emeritus in Mechanical Engineering
Convocation: Oct. 24, 2002

Huw Davies has distinguished himself as a scholar, a teacher and an administrator during his 27-year career at the University of New Brunswick.

He joined the department of mechanical engineering in 1975, following eight years at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology as a researcher and faculty member. At UNB, Dr. Davies continued his research in vibration and acoustics, and in 1975 received the first of an unbroken series of grants from NSERC - the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada.

Dr. Davies has supervised more than two dozen graduate students, published 45 papers in refereed journals, and presented 80 conference papers. He led generations of students through the mysteries of first-year dynamics, and earned a reputation among them as an outstanding and caring teacher.

Chairperson of the mechanical engineering department for ten years, Dr. Davies led by example, always carrying the heaviest part of the load himself.

Outside the university, Dr. Davies is widely recognized for his expertise. He has been invited to chair NSERC's Mechanical Engineering Grant Selection Committee and, on three occasions, its Doctoral Prize Committee.

Dr. Davies' accomplishments are especially impressive when one realizes that they have happened in parallel. To concurrently teach a first-year class of nearly 200 students, chair the department, supervise graduate students, and hold substantial outside commitments with NSERC is evidence of tremendous energy, stamina, and intellectual agility.

Following his official retirement in August 2001, he was appointed honorary research professor in recognition of his ongoing contributions to the university.

Professor Emeritus in Computer Science, 2010
Encaenia Ceremony C, May 20, 2010

John DeDourek has been an outstanding teacher, a respected applied researcher and an exemplary colleague.

During a career at UNB that spanned nearly 40 years, he helped hundreds of students learn computer science subjects. He is known as a mentor and graduate supervisor who took a great interest in his students.

Prof. DeDourek made important contributions to the faculty of computer science and to the field of computing. He was instrumental in the development of a certificate program for professionals developing computer telephony integration applications for the call centre industry. He also collaborated with Salem Masry on Geographic Information Systems and on what would later become the CARIS software.

He worked with his colleagues to attract a great deal of research funding to UNB, and is co-author of four textbooks, which have been widely used around the world.

In addition to serving on Senate and countless university committees, Prof. DeDourek held several administrative positions, including director of graduate studies and assistant dean of computer science.

In 2007, he received a UNB Distinguished Service Award for his outstanding service to the university community.

In January 2009, only six months into his retirement, Prof. DeDourek returned to teaching as an Honorary Research Associate.

Professor Emeritus in Economics
Encaenia Ceremony C, May 30, 2013

Dr. Dickson came to UNB in 1974. Over his 37-year tenure in the department of economics, he established himself as a solid educator and a highly regarded and respected leader.

Dr. Dickson has always taken his role as an educator very seriously. One to never shy away from responsibility, he assumed a full teaching load year after year, while at the same time, producing an impressive number of publications. He had high expectations of his students and in return treated them fairly and with respect. His work on behalf of his students – whether advising or supervising – was seen by his colleagues as crucial to the strength of the program.

Dr. Dickson taught and specialized in industrial organization – an area of economics that investigates the behaviour of commercial businesses. In addition to his teaching and research commitments, he was director of undergraduate studies for 22 years. He is credited with inspiring many undergraduates to go on to graduate work.

His dedication to the well being and future of the economics department is meritorious. He served as department chair for seven years, and many of his colleagues would agree that the department’s collective success is due in no small part to his dedication to fostering an environment of support, advice and encouragement.

Dr. Dickson had a distinguished career at UNB. He was an outstanding scholar, a superb teacher, and a well-respected academic who made significant contributions to his department and to the university.

His record of accomplishment exemplifies the qualities of excellence and exceptional merit that are important criteria for the achievement of professor emeritus status.

Professor Emeritus in Electrical and Computer Engineering
Encaenia Ceremony C: May 29, 2008

Outer space industry sensors, real-time control systems, fibre optics, speech processing, renewable energy systems….Rajamani Doraiswami’s academic and industrial research projects and collaborations are broadly based.

He is a sought after collaborator for many academic reasons — his wealth of experience, his strong theoretical background, the leading-edge research and analytical skills he brings to a problem, and his ability to translate theory into practice and practice into theory.

His popularity can also be attributed to his admirable personal qualities — the ability to work with and inspire others, to foster a collegial environment, and to remain humble in the face of an avalanche of awards and honours.

Dr. Doraiswami is known internationally as an excellent researcher. He has held an NSERC operating grant continually since 1981 and has published more than 60 papers in refereed journals and 90 conference papers.

One of Dr. Doraiswami’s most successful collaborations was in the development of laboratories for the teaching of analysis and design of control and signal processing systems in real-time. They revolutionized many courses and were a boon to his students, who also appreciated his soft-spoken ways, willingness to discuss ideas, inspirational suggestions, high morals and respectful attitude.

Professor Emeritus in Psychology
Convocation: October 14, 1990

James Easterbrook received his early education in the public schools of Dauphin, Man.

Upon finishing high school, he worked for a time as a reporter for the Dauphin Herald and Press. Following service as an air observer in the Royal Canadian Air Force during the Second World War, he attended Queen's University where he earned both a BA and an MA.

He lectured in psychology at Queen's and worked as a defence research scientific officer before continuing his studies at the University of London, where he received a PhD in 1963.

Dr. Easterbrook taught for six years at the University of Alberta before joining UNB's psychology department in 1967. He was head of that department from 1967 to 1973 and was instrumental in establishing both the MA and PhD programs in psychology at the University of New Brunswick.

His numerous and extensive scholarly publications include articles which have had a significant influence on the development of theory in motivation, learning and educational psychology.

Dr. Easterbrook retired from UNB in June of 1988.

Professor Emeritus in Mathematics, 1975

Professor Emerita in Education
Encaenia Ceremony A: May 19, 2004

Thanks to the untiring efforts of education professor Viviane Edwards, the University of New Brunswick's Second Language Education Centre is recognized throughout Canada as a leader in second-language research and development.

Prof. Edwards was director of the centre from its founding in the mid-1980s until her retirement. Recognized on an international level as an expert in the field of language immersion, she was the first person in Canada to develop a training program for French immersion teachers.

As a university educator, Prof. Edwards sought to educate a generation of professionals who would understand that teaching involves life-long learning. She also instilled in her students an appreciation for the relevance of contemporary learning and acquisition theories in classroom practice.

In 1994, Prof. Edwards was asked by the Canadian International Development Agency to participate in a United Nations-sponsored task force to assist the former Soviet states of Estonia and Latvia in the teaching of national languages to their Russian citizens. She later directed the Estonian Language Project which brought together Estonian and Canadian second-language educators to develop teaching programs and share methodologies. The links have lasted to this day.

Professor Emeritus in German and Russian
Convocation: October 22, 1995

Saad El Khadem retired in 1995 after 27 years with the department of German and Russian in Fredericton.

In 1974, he founded the International Fiction Review, a semi-annual journal, and served as editor for 42 issues. Dr. El Khadem has published extensively in German and Arabic as well as English. His works include books, scholarly articles, book reviews, collections of plays and short stories, micro-novels, and poems.

He has also translated four German books into Arabic, six Arabic books into English and published a textbook for one of the University of New Brunswick's German courses.

A two-time recipient of UNB's Merit Award, Dr. El Khadem served his department as chairperson for 16 years and director of graduate studies for 12 years.

Professor Emeritus in Culture and Language Studies, 2000

Professor Emerita in Nursing and Dean Emerita
Convocation: Oct. 21, 2001

As dean of nursing from 1988 to 1999, Penny Ericson provided outstanding leadership and service to her faculty, the university, and the nursing profession.

Under her leadership, the faculty became a model for the rest of Canada as it responded to the 1989 decision by the Nurses Association of New Brunswick to make the baccalaureate degree the minimum requirement for entry to nursing practice. Prof. Ericson facilitated the development of the faculty's innovative and nationally accredited undergraduate curriculum.

In fact, she fostered the growth of the faculty from a primarily undergraduate school into a multi-site, multi-program professional school responsive to the needs of the community. She oversaw the establishment of a master's degree program in nursing and the introduction of international exchange programs for faculty and students.

As an expert in gerontological nursing, Prof. Ericson has focused much of her research on Alzheimer's care giving. She has also engaged in collaborative research on violence in military communities.

Prof. Ericson is well known and respected across Canada in both professional and academic communities. She has held executive positions in national professional associations and has an impressive record of service provincially, locally and within the university.

As dean, Prof. Ericson led the faculty of nursing through 11 challenging years of transition and promoted a high level of teaching, research and service among faculty members.

Through those years, she continued to teach undergraduate courses and mentor graduate students. Her career at UNB has been clearly characterized by her generosity to students, faculty, the university and the community.

Professor Emeritus in Geodesy and Geomatics Engineering and Dean Emeritus
Convocation: October 22, 2000

As both a faculty member in the department of geodesy and geomatics engineering and as an administrator, Wolfgang Faig has distinguished himself with an appetite for teaching and research on the one hand and service to the university and the community on the other.

Encouraged to work with his esteemed fellow countryman, Gottfried Konecny, who was establishing a department of surveying engineering at the Universityof New Brunswick Fredericton, Dr. Faig arrived here in 1963 as a master's student. He returned to his native Germany to complete his doctoral work, and in 1971 accepted an appointment to the UNBF faculty of engineering. In the ensuing 28 years, Dr. Faig became an integral part of the UNB community.

Never one to shy away from responsibility, he served in several administrative roles while at the same time developing an active research program and assuming a full teaching load. Even after being appointed dean of engineering in 1990 he continued to teach and maintain a research grant from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council, no mean feat in a period of growing competition in the field of geomatics.

Recognized as a worldwide authority in close-range photogrammetry, a critical component of mapping, he has been among those who have solidified UNB's world-class reputation in geodesy and geomatics engineering. Much sought after by graduate students, Dr. Faig supervised 37 graduate students during his career and read and critiqued the theses of some 60 others. During his career, he travelled the globe to share his knowledge and expertise with colleagues and practitioners.

As dean of engineering for nine years, he provided leadership to a faculty that is both diverse and demanding. Dr. Faig was also honoured several times by his peers in the engineering community.

Professor Emeritus in History
Convocation: Oct. 21, 2001

Ernest Forbes is widely recognized as this country's leading interpreter of 20th-century Maritime provinces history.

Over the past 30 years, his numerous books, articles, essays and lectures have challenged existing historical stereotypes about the Maritime provinces and introduced Canadians to the special strengths and weaknesses of the regional identity.

His prize-winning book on the Maritime Rights Movement is considered a model study of regionalism within the Canadian community, and no account of Canadian politics is complete without reference to his continuing work on the constitutional relationship between the central government and the provinces.

Moreover, his investigations in the social history of the region have introduced audiences to the history of progressive reform, early feminism and much else in the forgotten history of the Maritimes.

As the leader of a network of regional scholars at several universities, Dr. Forbes was instrumental in producing the first modern general history of the Atlantic provinces, published in 1993 under the title The Atlantic Provinces in Confederation.

Since the time of his appointment at the University of New Brunswick in 1974, several generations of students have appreciated his close and caring attention to their progress.

Dr. Forbes has supervised more than 30 dissertations and has had a major influence on the training of graduate students, especially in the areas of Maritime provinces and New Brunswick history.

No one who has worked with "Ernie" Forbes can fail to appreciate the dedication, discipline and commitment he has brought to researching, teaching and writing the history of his home region.

Professor Emeritus in History

Dr. David Frank came to UNB in 1980 and, over the course of a 35‐year career, achieved recognition as a leading scholar in Canadian history. Dr. Frank delivered undergraduate courses at all levels and supervised 33 graduate dissertations. He was an outstanding and supportive teacher whose effectiveness was recognized within the university and beyond.

Dr. Frank is widely known for his award-winning biography of labour leader J.B. McLachlan, which is considered a classic work of Canadian social history. One of his major books, Provincial Solidarities, covers a full century of working-class history in New Brunswick and was published in both English and French editions. He has co-authored or edited ten other books and published more than 100 journal articles, book chapters and reference essays. He has also played a leading role in the promotion of Atlantic regional history.

For more than 12 years, he was editor of Acadiensis, the flagship journal in the field; as editor of Acadiensis Press, he supervised the publication of more than 20 books. His commitment to public history in this province helped create a major Community-University Research Alliance involving two universities and twelve partner organizations and institutions.

Dr. Frank has served the people of our university, province, region and country with distinction. For his exemplary professional conduct, academic record and service, and his generosity towards students and colleagues, Dr. Frank is highly deserving of the rank of professor emeritus.

Professor Emerita in Computer Science
Encaenia Ceremony D, May 17, 2012

Jane Fritz has made outstanding and lasting contributions to the Faculty of Computer Science and to the university.

She joined the Faculty of Computer Science in 1980 and over her 30 year career at UNB, Dr. Fritz taught 17 different courses, supervised more than 200 senior students, 23 master’s students and one PhD candidate. She also served a term as dean. Her research interests have focused on values-added approaches to e-learning, as well as systems analysis and decision support systems.

However, it is perhaps her service to the wider university community that truly sets Dr. Fritz apart from others. Throughout her career, Dr. Fritz has worn many hats, including member of the UNB Fredericton Senate, Board of Governors, and many other university committees, residence don and director of Shad Valley.

From 2004 to 2007, Dr. Fritz was the Associate Vice-President Academic (Learning Environment) at UNB Fredericton. In this role, she established the Centre for Enhanced Teaching and Learning and was instrumental in establishing the International Relations Office. With her passion for doing what is right, she provided leadership for accessibility initiatives on campus and was instrumental in the creation of the Human Rights Office and the Declaration of Rights and Responsibilities.

From 2007 to her retirement in 2010, Dr. Fritz took on a number of senior administrative roles including Acting Vice-President Academic, acting Executive Director of the College of Extended Learning, and Acting Associate Vice-President for Integrated Technology Services.

Well respected by her colleagues and her students, Dr. Fritz has received the UNB President’s Medal, for outstanding contributions over her career, and the Allan P. Stuart Memorial Award for Excellence in Teaching.

Professor Emeritus in English, 1985

Associate Vice-President (Administration) Emeritus
Encaenia Ceremony C: May 23, 1996

Eric Garland was the first administrator in the 210-year history of the University of New Brunswick to receive the distinction associate vice-president (administration) emeritus.

His citation, which follows, was prepared and delivered by James O'Sullivan, then UNB's vice-president (finance and administration). It is a testament to Dr. Garland's contributions to the university. Prof. Garland died Feb. 22, 1997.

Eric Garland has had many careers, all of them here at the University of New Brunswick. Over the course of more than 40 years, he has been an outstanding student, a student government leader, captain of the basketball team, manager of the rugby team, professor of engineering, president of every professional association and learned society he was eligible to join, and a member of both the University Senate and the Board of Governors. He has contributed in a major way to many community groups and outside organizations, including Theatre New Brunswick, the Pine Grove Nursing Home and the Chalmers Hospital Board, to name just a few. As former President Jim Downey has said: "Anyone who has lived in Fredericton during the past quarter century has been in some way a beneficiary of Eric Garland's commitment to community."

But Eric has had a dark side, too. He was for many years an ADMINISTRATOR! Most members of the university community, students and faculty alike, would consider the term administrator to be a black mark indeed.

The truth is that administrators serve to create the physical and organizational environment in which the core work of the university learning, research and community service can proceed productively. Outstanding administrators like Eric apply dedication, imagination and energy to their work, and make a real difference every day.

Beginning as assistant to the dean and acting dean of engineering, Eric became director of planning in 1970 and was appointed assistant vice-president (administration) in 1974. In recognition of his growing contributions, he was named associate vice-president in 1986.

Eric directed day-to-day operations on the Fredericton campus for more than two decades. His management responsibilities extended to the entire physical plant, security and traffic, audio-visual and graphic services, telephone and mail services, campus safety, the bookstore, the Student Union Building and the Aitken Centre, which he helped to design and guided for two decades in its role of serving not only the university but also as the home base for professional hockey, concerts, conventions and trade shows for the entire Fredericton community.

He has a special genius for seeing complex projects through to a successful conclusion. He played a leadership role in the development of the Hugh John Flemming Forestry Complex, which brings together in one space federal and provincial government research and administrative personnel, the Maritime Forest Ranger School and the university's own Tweeddale Centre in Industrial Forest Research.

Eric helped to plan and manage numerous other construction projects for both the Fredericton and Saint John campuses of the university: most recently the splendid Wu Conference Centre here in Fredericton. When Eric first came to UNB, there were only eight buildings, none of them in Saint John. By the time he retired, the university had expanded to include more than 70 different facilities and Eric's personal touch is on many of them.

Eric worked with five different presidents, and each came quickly to recognize his special talents. The first, Colin Mackay, has called Eric a "classic example" of the kind of people you need to build and run a university: a person who "knows what UNB is, can and should be."

John Anderson, who appointed Eric to the position of assistant vice-president in the 1970s, has called him an absolute tower of strength. "He was able to keep an astonishing number of balls in the air. He was a great expediter, a personification of the adage, 'If you want something done, ask the busiest person around.'"

President, Robin Armstrong, has seen Eric as "part hospitality director, part motivational leader, part building contractor, part miracle worker."

Reflecting on his many careers, Eric himself has said: "The university came first. I always enjoyed coming to work."

UNB is a much richer place for Eric's many contributions, and all of us thank him for the inspiration and leadership he demonstrated day after day in keeping our eye on the ball. In many ways, he was always the captain of the team.

Professor Emerita in Nursing
Encaenia Ceremony A, May 18, 2011

Grace Getty has been a great, and gentle, influence on UNB’s faculty of nursing.

She is recognized as a leader in the faculty, the university and the community as an advocate for aboriginal people in New Brunswick; and nationally and internationally for her work with HIV/AIDS. She has had a distinguished career as a teacher, a researcher, and an administrator, and was one of the founders of the Faculty of Nursing Community Health Clinic.

Prof. Getty is an advocate for marginalized people and her research has created meaningful change in health policy and practice.

Her teaching at the undergraduate and graduate levels is grounded in community health practices. She is known for creating innovative learning opportunities for students. One such example is her groundbreaking work in AIDS prevention. Prof. Getty worked with students to create an innovative safer sex peer education program, entitled Sex Without AIDS Today, which was delivered across the university for many years.

She served as director of the graduate studies in nursing and was instrumental in developing UNB’s master of nursing program.

Well respected by her colleagues and her students, Prof. Getty has received two UNB Merit Awards, the Allan P. Stuart Memorial Award for Excellence in Teaching, and the Award of Excellence in Research from the Canadian Association of Nurses in AIDS Care.

Professor Emeritus in English, 1989

Professor Emerita in Nursing and Dean Emerita
Encaenia Ceremony A, May 18, 2011

Cheryl Gibson is known for her fair and professional treatment of students and other members of the academic community, her forward-thinking and her true grit.

Dr. Gibson first came to UNB in 1979, and is recognized for her many years of teaching, leadership and administration in the faculty of nursing. She was one of the first to pursue a master’s degree and then a doctoral degree.

UNB’s collaborative bachelor of nursing program with Humber College in Toronto was achieved during Dr. Gibson’s time as dean. To this day, the two institutions work together to deliver a degree-granting curriculum crossing provincial lines.

Dr. Gibson was also central to steering the faculty’s transition from apprenticeship models of training across New Brunswick to an integrated model including both the Bathurst and Moncton campuses.

She was instrumental in obtaining monies to cover the substantial costs of clinical instruction as well as increasing the number of seats in our BN program.

As co-author of Reflections II, Dr. Gibson was able to give a historical account of the faculty of nursing from 1983 to 2008 from a first-hand perspective.

Her unique ability to support, encourage and mentor many of our teachers into their present research careers has enabled the faculty to be recognized across Canada as a strong force in teaching and research.

Governor Emeritus, 2001

Professor Emeritus in History, 1988

Professor Emeritus in Chemistry
Convocation: October 22, 1995

Chemist Friedrich Grein has been described as "one of those rare individuals who exemplifies the complete professor."

During his 33-year tenure with the faculty of science, he excelled at research and earned international distinction as a scholar.

Dr. Grein has over 125 refereed papers to his credit and has held NSERC research grants continuously since 1968. His skill as a teacher at both the undergraduate and graduate levels has been recognized by the University of New Brunswick with an Allan P. Stuart Award for Excellence in Teaching.

A former department chairperson, Dr. Grein served on innumerable committees at the departmental, university, and national levels. In 1981 he was elected a Fellow of the Chemical Institute of Canada for his contributions to chemistry.

Profesor Emeritus in Computer Science
Encaenia Ceremony C: May 17, 2001

When Uday Gujar first came to the University of New Brunswick as a young programmer analyst in 1969, he developed major computer graphics and plotting software packages in UNB's Computing Centre.

After progressing through the Computing Centre ranks, Prof. Gujar moved from the world of computer application and development to the world of academia. In 1974, he was named assistant professor in the new School of Computer Science, later becoming associate professor and finally professor in 1981.

Prof. Gujar made significant contributions to the development of computer science at UNB, helping it evolve from a fledgling program in engineering to a mature faculty standing on its own.

Throughout the 1990s, Prof. Gujar played several administrative roles within the new faculty. In addition to serving as assistant dean of undergraduate studies, director of graduate studies and acting dean, he was a driving force behind the establishment of the UNB Information Technology Initiative.

Prof. Gujar has a research legacy which distinguishes him among his peers. Not only does he have an impressive publication record, his citation record is one of the highest to date in computer science at UNB. An active supporter of UNB students, Prof. Gujar, along with his family, established an annual award for the computer science graduate with the highest overall academic record.

Following his retirement in 1999, Uday Gujar continued to act as an ambassador for UNB, both with alumni and potential international students, a true sign of his commitment to the university.

Librarian Emerita, 1983