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W I N T E R 2 0 0 8 /0 9 Concordia President and Vice-Chancellor Judith Woodsworth u n i v e r s i t y m a g a z i n e PRESIDENTIAL ADDRESS > INTERDISCIPLINARY PHD > ARTISTIC DESIRES > GOOD TRANSLATIONS u n i v e r s i t y m a g a z i n e winntteerr 220008/09 volume 31 number 4 m a g a z i n e . c o n c o r d i a . c a Imagining our future Concordia President and Vice- Chancellor Judith Woodsworth’s installation address: Imagining Great Change/créer le changement Cover:Concordia President and Vice- Chancellor Judith Woodsworth at No boundaries here the November 17 installation ceremony As it celebrates its 35th Credit: IPI anniversary, Concordia’s 8 PhD in Humanities program continues to provide a home for interdisciplinary researchers by Patrick McDonagh 12 La traduction : ouverture sur le monde, recherche et innovation Les programmes de traduction de Concordia combinent théorie et pratique. Challenging par Léa Roboam Chineseness 18 Four Concordia artists’ recent FOFA Gallery exhibition, “Rearranging 16 Desires,” shook up traditional impressions of “other” cultures by David King 3 EDITOR’S VOICE This publication is printed on 100% 5 LETTERS recycled paper, including 20% post-consumer waste. Each ton of 7 CONCORDIA NEWS recycled paper that displaces a ton of virgin paper reduces total energy 21 TRAVEL DIARY consumption by 27%, greenhouse gas emissions by 47%, particulate 22 HOMECOMING ‘08 emissions by 28%, wastewater by 33%, solid waste by 54% and wood 26 ASSOCIATION NEWS use by 100%. 30 CLASS ACTS 38 WORDS & MUSIC 40 END PIECE HOME and AUTO INSURANCE for members of the Concordia University Alumni Association “This is my SOLUTION.” Enjoy savings through PREFERRED GROUP RATES: MelocheMonnex.com/concordia 1 866 352 6187 The TD Insurance Meloche Monnex home and auto insurance program is underwritten by SECURITY NATIONAL INSURANCE COMPANYand distributed by Meloche Monnex Insurance Financial Services Inc.in Québec and by Meloche Monnex Financial Services Inc.in the rest of Canada. Due to provincial legislation,our auto insurance program is not offered in British Columbia,Manitoba or Saskatchewan.TD Insurance is a trademark of The Toronto-Dominion Bank used under license.Meloche Monnex®, and Goodbye Deductible™ are trademarks of Meloche Monnex Inc. SettinganExample Tribute to the coach I t was a spur of the moment decision. When Paul devoted the better part of his life to Sir a group of former Stingers hockey players George Williams, Loyola and Concordia varsity gathered for an alumni event in Montreal hockey. It is our great pleasure to honour Paul 15 years ago, we decided to revitalize the Friends Arsenault’s work, commitment and dedication of Concordia Men’s Hockey, which had been to the men’s hockey program while supporting dormant for a few years. Our goal was and a deserving student athlete. remains to support the Stingers men’s hockey hletes. We also To contribute to the Paul Arsenault Award, y alumni network contact Advancement and Alumni Relations sity hockey alumni at 1-888-777-3330 or 514-848-2424, ext. 3381, versity, Loyola College or visitgiving.concordia.ca. oncordia Men’s ul Arsenault Award tudent athletes who hockey. The award Alex MacGibbon, BA 85 o a worthy student Concordia Stingers Men’s Hockey 1981-83 second year of the ul Arsenault was a 1963 to 1990, Paul liams Georgians, Paul Brophy, CA, BA 89 rdia Stingers men’s Concordia Stingers Men’s Hockey 1984-89, 1990 ence championships. teruniversity Athletic 1971-72 and 1975-76 cordia’s Sports Hall 9. Paul now runs a ope, P.E.I. How to make a diff erence As a volunteer or donor to Concordia, you, too, can make a difference. Every year, thousands of Concordia alumni, parents and friends provide support to Concordia students. Whichever area of Concordia you choose to support, your gift will help ensure our students enjoy the best possible university experience and graduate as leaders in their fi elds. Contact Advancement and Alumni Relations at 1-888-777-3330 or 514-848-2424, ext. 4856, or visit giving.concordia.ca. Editor’sVoice A new chapter A t 34 years old, Concordia In November, she wrapped up a University is still a young multi-level consultation process. This entity. However, the roots of its included a series of open discussions parents—Sir George Williams University that prompted Concordia students, and Loyola College—date back to the faculty members, staff and alumni nineteenth century. And that ancestry is to contribute ideas that are aimed at undeniably male-centric. Monroe-Blum, who became McGill’s moving the university toward “high Sir George Williams University’s fi rst woman principal in 2003. academic quality, outstanding student antecedent was the educational program Four days after Woodsworth’s experience and student engagement, of the Montreal Young Men’s Christian installation, the Simone de Beauvoir and superlative community engagement Association, which, in the 1850s, began Institute, Concordia’s esteemed and social responsibility,” as stated offering courses exclusively to men. women’s studies college, marked its in the draft of Concordia’s strategic When the YMCA Educational Program 30th anniversary with a conference and directionsdocument.Woodsworth transformed into Sir George Williams dinner. Appropriately, Concordia’s intends to incorporate the feedback College in 1926, the institution became fi rst female leader spoke at the dinner into the strategic plan she will present co-educational. The College’s fi rst and informed the audience that she had to Concordia’s Board of Governors in graduating class of seven included one been an Institute fellow in her earlier spring 2009. woman, Rita Shane, BA 37. (Shane went Concordia days. Woodsworth confi rmed The person at the top can make a huge on to earn her medical degree in 1942 the ongoing relevance of the Institute’s difference. Woodsworth’s leadership from McGill University, where she was work and urged it to continue to produce skills—already apparent—will help one of the few women in her class.) more leaders who can fi ll senior posts of her steer the university through the In 1896, Loyola College opened its Canadian corporations, political parties turbulent economic waters of the doors, and true to its Jesuit tradition, and universities. coming years. She has already begun remained a male-only school. In 1959, As Concordia’s new leader, Woodsworth to win the confi dence of the university Loretta Mahoney, L BSc 62, MBA 74, brings a wealth of knowledge and breadth community and galvanize Concordia and Gabrielle Paul, L BSc 62, became of experience. She spent 17 years at toward achieving its academic, research the fi rst women to enrol as day students Concordia, from 1980 to 1997, and most and institutional goals. in the College and, three years later, recently served for six years as president Woodsworth’s return to Concordia became its fi rst female graduates. of Laurentian University in Sudbury, completes the circle of her academic (Mahoney and Paul were true pioneers Ont. She began as Concordia’s president and administrative career. It also begins because they both studied engineering— August 1 and has already set in motion a an exciting new chapter in Concordia’s a non-traditional fi eld for women in new strategic path for the university. storied history. those days.) Sir George Williams and Loyola merged to form Concordia in 1974. Since then, the university has earned its reputation as a progressive institution that promotes diversity, human rights and social activism. Still, the principals, rectors and presidents of Sir George Williams, Loyola and Concordia have all been men—until now. On November 17, the university marked an historic changing of the guard as Judith Woodsworth was installed as the Concordia’s seventh president and vice- chancellor (our cover story). It’s worth noting that Montreal’s two English- language universities now have women at the helm: Woodsworth and Heather ccoonnccoorrddiiaa uunniivveerrssiittyy mmaaggaazziinnee wwiinntteerr 22000088//0099 || 33 Our 2008 graduates, from left to right: Ryan Schwartz, BA (poli. sci. & SCPA); Junella Candice Chammas, BA (human relations); Clélia Chammas, BA (human relations) ; Yuko Yafuso, BA (mod. lang. & ling. & Spanish); Simon Azeroual, BSc (chem. & biochem.) STAY INVOLVED WITH CONCORDIA THROUGH YOUR ALUMNI ASSOCIATION Through the Concordia University Alumni Association, you can keep in touch with fellow alumni, give back to your University and enjoy exciting programs and activities that include: • Networking and career events • Concordia Mentor Program • Chapter events, golf tournaments, reunions and more Benefi ts: • Concordia University Mosaik®MasterCard® • Preferred home and auto insurance rates with TD Meloche Monnex • Preferred life, accident, disability, health and dental insurance rates with Manulife Financial • Alumni Travel Program • Free 90-day subscription to theNational Post • Access to Concordia’s libraries, legal counsel and other services • With your Alumni ID Card, obtain savings on Via Rail, the Centaur Theatre, Budget Rent-a-Car and more. alumni.concordia.ca 514-848-2424, ext. 4856, or 1-888-777-3330 , , Letters Another mayor or social outing that I have attended in 2008). The story of the 116-year-old I enjoyed your article on the mayors of the past week where someone has not ballplayer’s experiences made me Montreal (“Hail to the Chiefs,” Fall mentioned the article. have a real good laugh. 2008) and would have enjoyed it even It was also good reading for those more had you included me, a graduate of us who were interviewed, as we got Brian Robinson, S BA 64 of both Loyola High School and College to know our colleagues better and in a Coquitlam, B.C. and mayor of Pointe-Fortune, Que., more personal way. Thank you for the since November 2005. privilege of being part of the article. My council and I chose as the Staying connected I principal objective of our mandate Maria Tutino, BSc 75 have been receiving Concordia the protection of the environment, Baie-d’Urfé, Que. University Magazinefor the last two primarily through strict application years in my own country, Colombia. of provincial laws governing septic Young ballplayer at heart You have no idea the connection I still A tank installations. The majority of our t 72, I still play ball in an 18-team feel with Concordia, Concordians and citizens bought into the project and seniors’ league and truly enjoyed all Montreal and how the magazine the Ottawa River is already cleaner, reading the last End Piece, entitled helps me to keep updated. Let me which is important as it flows into the “Refl ections on the Game” (Fall tell you that it’s a great way to keep St. Lawrence River, students and alumni in touch. from which 80 per cent of Quebecers William García, MA 98 take their drinking Popayaan, Colombia water. I think that this is a good example of thinking globally, acting Concordia University Magazinewelcomes locally. readers’ comments. Letters should include the writer’s full name, civic and email David Doughty, addresses, and school(s), degree(s) and L BSc 72 year(s) of graduation for alumni. Letters Pointe-Fortune, Que. may be selected and edited for length, style and appropriateness. No letter will be published without the full name of the Hot topic correspondent. Correspondence should I just wanted to be sent to: tell you that your magazine (Fall The Editor, 2008) has received Concordia University Magazine a lot of attention in 1455 De Maisonneuve Blvd. West the west island of Montreal, QC, Canada H3G 1M8 Montreal. There Fax: 514-848-4510 is not a meeting email: [email protected] website:magazine.concordia.ca Concordia University Magazine is Printed in Canada. Editorial Board university magazine published four times a year for alumni P90446 Howard Bokser, editor and chair. Concordia University Magazine and friends of Concordia University. Members: Sami Antaki, John Aylen, welcomes readers’ comments. Opinions expressed herein do not Please address editorial Susan Elias, Linda Kay, Geoffrey King, Letters should include the writer’s necessarily refl ect the views of the correspondence to: Lucy Niro, Nicole Saltiel, Sandra-Lynn full name, address, school(s), alumni associations or of the University. The Editor, Howard Bokser Spina, Donna Varrica, Xurxo Vidal. degree(s) and year(s) of graduation For advertising information, call for alumni. Letters may be edited for ISSN 0706-1005 514-848-2424, ext. 3819. Graphic Design: length and clarity. No letter will be Concordia Marketing Communications published without the full name of the Dépôt légal: Bibliothèque nationale Canada Post Corporation publication Art Direction: Christopher Alleyne correspondent. du Québec. ©2008. mail agreement # 40065749 P90446 ccoonccoorddiaa uuniveerssittyy maaggaazinee wintteer 2000088//0099 || 55 ConcordiaNews Concordia receives important gifts Chancellor David O’Brien furthers Concordia’s sustainable business education C oncordia’s status as a Canadian leader in sustainability has received a tremendous boost from its chancellor, David O’Brien, L BA 62. At a November 18 gift reception, O’Brien announceda $2-million donation to the John Molson School of Business (JMSB) that will go toward establishing a Centre for Sustainable Enterprise. The Centre will house the David O’Brien Distinguished Professorship in Sustainable Enterprise and the HY DaTvhide O C’eBnrtireen wDiilsl tailnsgou disehveedlo Spc hhoollaisrtsi cin s tSruastetagiineasb fiolrity. HOTOGRAP P organizations that include environment protection, social L B P justice and ethical corporate governance. O’Brien told the , AY K audience of more than 100 at the Engineering, Computer WARD Science and Visual Arts Complex that he strongly favours HO Concordia’s multidisciplinary approach and hopes the Pictured (from left to right) at the November 18 announcement of the Centre will “reach across the faculties to become a truly $2-million gift by David O’Brien to the JMSB are JMSB Dean Sanjay Sharma; Chancellor David O’Brien; President and Vice-Chancellor Judith interdisciplinary centre of excellence in academic teaching Woodsworth; Chair of the Board of Governors Peter Kruyt; and Vice- and research and business practice.” President, Advancement and Alumni Relations, Kathy Assayag. O’Brien said he is pleased to establish the Centre at his alma mater and especially at the JMSB, whose dean, Sanjay Sharma, thrust that will be refl ected not only in theory but in business is one of the world’s leading authorities in organizational practice,” said Woodsworth. sustainability and corporate social responsibility and justice. Kathy Assayag, Vice-President of Advancement and Alumni O’Brien said the Centre’s fi rst priority will be to recruit Relations, said the Centre will be housed on the sixth fl oor an internationally recognized scholar to serve as its of the new home of the JMSB when it is completed next distinguished professor. September. She thanked O’Brien for his generous gift and Dean Sharma said the Centre is poised to become a leading pointed out that his gesture was even more signifi cant during knowledge hub that conducts relevant research whose results these turbulent economic times. She also thanked both Eric and will assist organizations in designing pro-active strategies Andrew Molson, who were in attendance, for the donation from to generate clean technologies and innovative, sustainable the Molson Foundation, which “has made the new home of the business models. “It will focus on problems as business JMSB possible.” opportunities, not as a cost of doing business,” Sharma said. Peter Kruyt, BComm 78, chair of Concordia’s Board of Concordia President and Vice-Chancellor Judith Woodsworth Governors, said O’Brien is an excellent “model for all said the donation is a ringing endorsement of the university of us.” Kruyt said the chancellor’s level of commitment and business school. “The issue of sustainability cuts across has “set the bar high” and will inspire other donors to the university and the Centre will provide a major research make similar contributions. Manulife Financial makes large donation to JMSB O n October 23, Manulife Financial announced the gift at a ceremony before serve as role models for JMSB students announced a donation of more than 100 university offi cials and because they have built successful careers $500,000 to the JMSB. The largest students and Manulife representatives and also continue to give back to their gift the insurance giant has ever made in the Engineering, Computer Science alma mater. to a Quebec university will go toward a and Visual Arts Complex. Woodsworth Kathy Assayag, Vice-President of Professorship in Financial Planning as pointed out that alumni like Roy Firth, Advancement and Alumni Relations, well as the construction of a 120-seat BComm 75, Manulife’s executive thanked the Manulife representatives amphitheatre in the new JMSB home vice president, Individual Wealth for their contribution. Roy Firth said that will open its doors next September. Management—who represented Manulife that “education is a focus of Manulife’s Concordia President and Vice- at the event—and Manulife President and charitable giving strategy.” Chancellor Judith Woodsworth CEO Dominic D’Alessandro, L BSc 67, concordia university magazine winter 2008/09 | 7 President’sMessage Imagining our great future At her November 17 installation at Montreal’s Place des Arts, President and Vice-Chancellor Judith Woodsworth (left) congratulates new Engineering and Computer Science Concordia President and Vice- graduate Gaya Shanmuganathan on the Place de Arts stage, November 17. Chancellor Judith Woodsworth urged graduating students, in the words of Mahatma Gandhi, to “be the change you wish to see in the world.” T he grey morning skies on November 17 proved no match for the festive atmosphere in Salle Wilfrid- Pelletier of Montreal’s elegant Place des Arts. The occasion was the convocation ceremony for the faculties of Engineering and Computer Science and of Fine Arts and the installation of Judith Woodsworth as Concordia’s seventh president and vice-chancellor. (The convocation events for the Faculty of Arts and Science and for the John Molson School of Business took place later the same day.) On the colourfully decorated stage, representatives from theprovincialandmunicipalgovernmentsaswellas20