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< Previous08 LINK 2020 PRESIDENT’S AWARDS HONOUR STUDENT LEADERSHIP EVERY YEAR, SAIT PRESIDENT AND CEO DR. DAVID ROSS PRESENTS THESE PRESTIGIOUS AWARDS TO RECOGNIZE STUDENTS AND STUDENT GROUPS WHO ARE MAKING A DIFFERENCE AT SAIT AND IN THEIR COMMUNITIES. 01 PRESIDENT’S STUDENT LEADERSHIP AWARD This award recognizes a student group that has demonstrated innovation and initiative in creating opportunities and advance- ments for SAIT, their fellow students, industry and the community. This year’s award goes to SAIT’s chapter of the Phi Theta Kappa academic honour society, Beta Sigma Tau (BST). BST (back row, left to right: Larry Ekpudu, Olatunji Oloko, Rigel Jose Raju; front row, l to r: Deborah Chadwick, Aidan Wyatt, in- structor and faculty advisor; Brenda Gee, mentorship and volunteer coordinator) has been working tirelessly to help students achieve their full potential through development, scholarships and volun- teer opportunities. In 2018, BST achieved five-star chapter status and in 2019 was recognized with the Highest Student Engagement Award at the Phi Theta Kappa National Conference. BST demon- strates thoughtfulness and innovation through its volunteerism and community efforts. PRESIDENT’S MEDAL Inaugurated in 2016, the President’s Medal cele- brates outstanding student achievement. This year’s recipients demonstrate a wide breadth of attributes including leadership and community-minded proj- ects or activities. Ryan Morstad (left) is passionate about pushing boundaries. Since 2016, Morstad has made his mark at SAIT, taking on many roles including president and co-founder of the Calgary Surf Club (SAIT), and serving as a member of Academic Council, Chair of the Saitsa Board of Directors and, most recently, as Saitsa president. Majoring in financial services in the School of Business, Morstad exemplifies what it means to be a stellar student and community leader. Power Engineering student Yatendra Solanki (right) has the ability to inspire those around him through his leadership and humble approach. Solanki brings his passion for creating an inclusive experience for international students at SAIT by volunteering as president of the South Asian Students’ Society of SAIT, serving on the Saitsa Board of Directors, and as a mentor with the SAIT Peer Mentorship program. Solanki is the epitome of a truly engaged student — both in and outside of the classroom. QUICK START MICHELLE ATKINSON PHOTOSQUICK START 09 A Calgary-area woman is Alberta’s first presumptive case of COVID-19. Chinese officials lock down Hubei province, attempting to stop the spread of a deadly new virus. SAIT establishes its Pandemic Preparedness and Advisory Committee to update and coordinate institutional strategies for responding to the virus. Named SARS-CoV-2 by the World Health Organization, the virus causes the disease known as COVID-19. JANUARY 20FEBRUARY 3MARCH 5 02 MOVING UP THE RANKS SAIT’s School of Hospitality and Tourism has moved up six spots on two major international hospitality school rankings, and is the only school in Canada to place in the Top 50 on both. CEOWORLD Magazine ranks SAIT as the 21st best hospitality and hotel management school in the world, and QS World University Rankings ranks SAIT as the 29th best hospitality and leisure management school in the world. The school is also unique on both lists as one of only a handful offering programs in hospitality, culinary and tourism. 03 ALL SAIT, ALL THE TIME For the first time, SAIT has launched spring intake for 19 programs — all currently offered online, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Nearly 700 students began their studies May 4. Programs range from Business Administration to Film and Video Production, and from Environmental Technology to Architectural Technologies, and all were selected based on demand from industry and students. “This new intake is a move towards making SAIT a year-round school,” says Vice President Academic Brad Donaldson. The 2020 Spring/Summer term ends Aug. 14. 04 “SAFETY FIRST” BRINGS A CONVOCATION FIRST On June 18, SAIT celebrated the resilience, maturity and hard work of the Class of 2020 with a virtual ceremony streamed on YouTube. More than 3,900 graduates were invited to join faculty, staff, immediate family, and friends to watch this memorable event, which included messages and best wishes submitted by more than 160 members of the alumni community. In the days before the ceremony, each of SAIT’s newest graduates received a cap and tassel in the mail. They will also receive a print credential, a digital credential via blockchain technology, and this issue of LINK with a letter welcoming them to the alumni family. Watch the ceremony at sait.ca/convocation. 05 COMING TOGETHER TO SUPPORT STUDENTS When the call to support SAIT stu- dents in emergency situations went out in March, SAIT’s family and friends came together in a big way with contributions for the I.G. Lewis Student Emergency Fund. “Right away we determined that students would be in dire situations because of COVID-19, and we knew we needed to meet their needs imme- diately,” says Donna Lambert, SAIT Student Awards Manager. Since March more than $145,000 from the Student Emergency Fund has helped more than 100 students in need. Since March more than $145,000 from the Student Emergency Fund has helped more than 100 students in need. In addition, $95,000 of support from the Emergency Entrance Bursary allowed 38 students to continue their studies in SAIT’s new May term. As well as financial support during COVID-19, the SAIT community has also connected students with resources from across campus includ- ing academic coaching and personal and career counselling.10 LINK All SAIT Study Abroad programs are cancelled until further notice. SAIT suspends all classes at all campuses until March 18, giving faculty and staff just three days to transition programs and services to online and alternate delivery. The World Health Organization (WHO) declares COVID-19 a global pandemic. SAIT cancels gatherings of more than 50 people until further notice, increases cleaning, and steps up disinfection of high-touch areas such as door handles. MARCH 11MARCH 13MARCH 13SATURDAY, MARCH 14, 8 PM THE VOICES OF OUR FELLOW ALUMNI impacted by the Spanish Flu pandemic of 1918–1920 are for- ever silent. We can only imagine how it felt for staff and students at the fledgling Provincial Institute of Technology and Art (as SAIT was known from 1916 until 1960) to have their buildings seized by the Calgary Department of Health. For a month, those buildings served as a tem- porary hospital for flu patients — but we have no record of alumni who worked, died or recovered there; who used their practical skills to keep IN THE TIME OF “I call this historic pandemic Calgary’s three-headed monster: we have the COVID virus; we have COVID — the health and wellness challenge; and we have COVID’s impact on the economy, which is also suffering because of the drop in oil prices. This is the biggest call that we as a CEMA team have ever had.” TOM SAMPSON (EMTP ‘85) // CHIEF, CALGARY EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY Alberta’s essential services functioning; and whose resilience brought hope to a province still reeling from the First World War. In this issue — during this historic pandemic — LINK hopes to capture and preserve at least some first-hand SAIT stories for future generations. When we look back at how drastically COVID-19 has changed our world — and how quickly it all happened — this LINK will reflect some of the uncer- tainty, the expertise, the resilience and the strength of SAIT alumni navigating unprecedented challenges. SAIT IN THE TIME OF COVID 11 Key SAIT services remain operational: Residence, the Reg Erhardt Library (for computer access only), the International Centre and Office of the Registrar. All dining and retail locations are closed. The City of Calgary declares a state of emergency. The Alberta government and Alberta Health Services officially suspend in-person classes; SAIT faculty and staff are encouraged to begin working from home where possible. Alberta declares a state of emergency for only the third time in its history (previous emergency states were enacted during the 2016 Fort McMurray wildfire and the 2013 southern Alberta floods). MARCH 14MARCH 15, 7 PMMARCH 17 While SAIT instructors and students were preparing to transition to online delivery, I was doing the same — in Dubai, where I was teaching SAIT-developed curriculum at the United Arab Emirates’ Higher Colleges of Technology. After returning to Calgary, I continued teaching my students remotely, kicking off classes at 6 am, which is 4 pm in Dubai. Though on opposite sides of the world, we were closely connected with the help of technology. One unexpected benefit: quieter students participated more online — perhaps because they had time to think and respond in writing.” MONICA ROVERS // LOGISTICS MANAGEMENT INSTRUCTOR, SCHOOL OF BUSINESS “When the Government of Alberta moved to online learning for K-12 schools, we wanted to help Julie’s project of filling the gap from suspended school lunch programs. For eight weeks — from mid-March to mid-May — Paul Rogalski (PCK ‘86) offered us his kitchen at Rouge, closed during the pandemic. I’m also working to help our hospitality community access information that will help their businesses survive as the province gradually re-opens. Food brings us together across a table, and now it’s bringing us together to support our community.” PATRICIA KOYICH (HRA ‘98, SHOWN HERE) JOINED FOOD BLOGGER JULIE VAN ROSENDAAL’S PROJECT TO CREATE AND DISTRIBUTE BOX LUNCHES, WORKING ALONGSIDE FELLOW SAIT CULINARY INSTRUCTORS, ANDREW HEWSON AND SIMON DUNN. We share a hangar with a flying school at an international airport. I realized this was serious when I came to work and there was a sign on the door cancelling all training flights and ground schools. Then I realized the airport was completely quiet — no one was flying their small planes for training or pleasure. SOS completely shut down for two weeks. We are now open again but customers can only leave equipment at the front doors for repairs. The aviation industry will be hit hard. If this was all over tomorrow, I would guess two years before things resemble normal again.” MIGUEL GALLEGOS (AXT ’16) // PRODUCTION MANAGER, SOS AVIONICS ALYSSA ATHANASOPOULOS PHOTO 12 LINK “MY FAVOURITE PART OF TEACHING RIGHT NOW IS SEEING MY 13 STUDENTS OVERCOMING SO MANY OBSTACLES WHILE PRODUCING SOME OF THE FINEST WORK I HAVE EVER WITNESSED IN THE AREA OF WATER LAW. THEY REMAIN CALM AND RESOLUTE — I KNOW THEY ARE STRUGGLING BUT THEY HAVE RISEN TO THE CHALLENGES OF COMPLETING THEIR PROGRAM WITH EXCELLENCE. FROM MY COMPUTER AT HOME, I CELEBRATE THEIR SUCCESS.” JUDY STEWART // INSTRUCTOR, MACPHAIL SCHOOL OF ENERGY SAIT implements an essential services operations model with restricted access to campus and safe work protocols in accordance with Alberta Health Services requirements. The majority of classes resume online, but some hands-on labs and apprentice programs are cancelled or suspended until safe alternatives can be identified. Alberta records its first COVID-19 death. MARCH 19MARCH 19MARCH 20 I’m a sponsored student from Namibia and have been living in Residence for two years. After finishing my exams, it was difficult to travel because international flights were suspended. My sponsor is working day and night to find flights to get me home, and I was lucky that SAIT Residence has allowed me to stay another month. SAIT’s Inter- national Centre checks up with me every week, and my family has helped me through this time — they’re always checking in. I also have caring friends I’ve made through class. One brought me a bike so I could cycle around to keep busy and distracted from the situation. When we started online classes, it was a lifestyle we were not used to and everyone was just panicking. But you need to adapt to change and in the end we’ve all gotten used to it. I sometimes wake up, look through the window and ask myself, ‘When is life ever going to be normal again?’” SAKARIA VICTOR INDONGO // INSTRUMENTATION ENGINEERING TECHNOLOGY DIPLOMA STUDENT “Because of COVID-19, I’m on temporary layoff from my job as a national marketing specialist. It was a shock, but I feel compassion for business owners. Millions of layoffs occurred across Canada at the same time so, in an odd way, I didn’t feel so alone. Still, I felt like everything was crumbling around me. I lost my job, my wedding got postponed, I couldn’t see my loved ones in person, and overall anxiety was (and still is) at an all-time high. But I think the universe has nudged me to slow down, relax, take a long, deep breath. Looking for work right now is tough — many job postings are from before COVID really hit. Once the economy opens up more, I hope my social media skills are something companies will seek even more. During my time at SAIT, I learned hard work and perseverance always pay off. I choose to appreciate the storm because even the prettiest clouds are made of rain. My rainbow will come.” [MARCH 19, 9:38 AM] Done first class. All went very well. Good participa- tion from students. Only 3 students miss the first class. Going to the second class in few minutes (yes!) [MARCH 20, 8:53 AM] Microsoft Teams worked far better than anticipat- ed! Only 1 student out of both classes wasn’t online. This just might work out... — Email reports to the Dean of the School of Information and Com- munications Technologies, Raynie Wood, from two school instructors CATHY MCDONALD (RTBN ’09)SAIT IN THE TIME OF COVID 13 “I am struggling to finish my two online classes now that I have four courses online with my kids here at home with me. I was planning on finishing everything by April 24, but I may have to extend the online courses to May 15. This means I will not convocate until the fall.” — Respondent to a SAIT survey conducted in late March to understand students’ experiences during the transition from in-class to online delivery Final day for students to clean out their lockers before all buildings (except residences) are locked on March 30, after which only personnel for critical student support services, main- tenance and mechanical operations are permitted on campus. SAIT announces the postponement of spring Convocation ceremonies, but planning con- tinues to re-envision the event and celebrate the accomplishments of graduating students. LINK postpones its spring issue and begins gathering stories about the SAIT com- munity during the pandemic. MARCH 27APRIL 7APRIL 17 “ My plan was to spend 2020 in Angola, assisting in training workshops for library staff. My visa application was in the mail when the shutdown began, and there is currently no timeline for when I’ll be able to go. Angola has only registered a few COVID-19 cases, and what they find somewhat galling is how readily the world has ground to a halt to address the pandemic, yet childhood malnutrition kills more children per year than anything else and malaria is a massive killer. Angolans find it upsetting that the Western world is only invested in fighting this pandemic because it affects them directly.” MICHAEL HOSKIN (LIT ’00) “ Most of the Interfaith Centre’s student support is based on personal visits, so the virtual world makes it awkward for many to engage with us online — sometimes it’s unsafe for students at home to openly share their struggles. But what’s inspiring is that some are meeting together online with greater intentionality, especially as they wrap their faith around these uncertain times. And some are embracing the opportunity to grow, diving deeper into self-analysis and spiritual edification, or simply learning the guitar or how to cook. This generation of students gives me hope. They genuinely care about their own future, the future of other citizens of Earth and even Earth herself. They are creative and innovative and even COVID-19 won’t stop them from making their mark in this world.” ART KUNG (EMT ’90) KUNG IS A CHAPLAIN WITH SAIT’S INTERFAITH CENTRE “Our station offers an escape from the 24/7 news cycle, so we talked on-air about the experiences everyone was going through, keeping it positive and informative while acknowledging the weirdness. I’ll remember the ever- changing rules on appropriate safety measures, best guesses on what the numbers infected were going to be, and what counted as a COVID death. And the slogans! ‘We are in this together.’ ‘Flatten the curve.’ ‘Quarantine 15.’” RICHARD WERRY (CTSR ’85) PROGRAM DIRECTOR, KLCE CLASSY 97 IN IDAHO FALLS, IDAHO “Having to lay off two-thirds of our staff — that was a really tough day. We went from just over 60 people to 21. That surprises a lot of people; they don’t realize how many people work at a dealership. The layoffs have shifted every role. I’ve worked in this dealership a long time and I’ve worked almost every job; right now, I’m handling four different roles. You just do what you need to do to keep the dealership moving in this new reality.” TERRY COULTER (DET ’84, APM ’15) // GENERAL MANAGER, VALENTINE VOLVO14 LINK HANDS ON \ PROCESS CONTROL CABINET SPARTAN CENTRE FOR INSTRUMENTATION EXCELLENCE BY VOLUNTEERING TO HELP RETROFIT THIS EQUIPMENT, EIGHT FIRST-YEAR INSTRUMENTATION ENGINEERING TECHNOLOGY STUDENTS EXPERIENCED REAL-WORLD CONTROL ROOM TECHNOLOGY ON AN INDUSTRIAL SCALE. HARDERLEE PHOTOGRAPHYHANDS ON 15 Working in SAIT’s one-of-a-kind Distributed Control System (DCS) lab, the students used the same industrial computers and cabinets that drive real-life processing plants. Industrial automation is universal in how it measures, computes and controls refined products such as petrochemicals, renewables, pulp and paper, and treated waste water. “The students followed the steps involved in refining or treating a raw product, processing it, then measuring its volume as it is transferred to a client,” says Mark Tarrant, Lead DSC instructor — Instrumentation. “In times like the COVID-19 shutdown, the need for such skills becomes clear — this type of equipment is often used to process the natural gas that generates electricity and heat, and the diesel used to transport food and other essential goods.” TECH ON CAMPUS GREY VS YELLOW The grey devices (left) regulate everyday operations such as flow rates and pressure; the yellow side is the safety system used to shut down a plant in an emergency. Ethernet or fibre optic cables plugged into these outlets will connect the cabinet with the plant control room — sometimes hundreds of miles away. 1s + 0s In Information Technology (IT), binary numbers represent whether an electrical current in a computer microchip is off (0) or on (1). Instrumentation uses Operational Technology (OT), where changing a zero to a one can activate industrial equipment like a motor or a pump. The cabinet is set up to mea- sure the incoming volume of water pulled up from this tank. In industry, similar equipment is used to measure pressure, level, temperature, current and voltage in oil, gas and even electricity generation. Adding electricity makes this tuning fork hum. When water reaches the fork, it changes the hum or frequency, alerting the operator to shut the inflow off since there is a high level in the tank. 2 MILLION A $2 million donation from Spartan Controls created this Centre in 2012. Go behind the scenes of LINK’s photo shoot in the Spartan Centre for Instrumentation Excellence at sait.ca/LINK.16 LINK AS SAIT’S FIRST MAKER IN RESIDENCE, COUNTRY SINGER-SONGWRITER PAUL BRANDT HELPED STUDENTS IN BOTH THE SCHOOL OF MANUFACTURING AND AUTOMATION AND THE SCHOOL OF TRANSPORTATION EXPRESS THEIR TECHNICAL EXPERTISE IN CREATIVE WAYS — AN IMPORTANT SKILL IN THE DIGITAL WORLD. TEXT BY ERIC ROSENBAUM IT WASN’T A TYPICAL DAY AT SAIT — at least, not for about 30 Mechani- cal Engineering Technology students. They weren’t expecting to be greeted by a Juno Award-winning country singer during their Product Devel- opment class, but there he was: big black cowboy hat, jean jacket and all — Paul Brandt. Brandt was there to launch a project involving his vintage 1973 Airstream trailer. His challenge to students: help redesign and restore this silver rocket on wheels. “I call it the Albertabound trailer,” Brandt says. “My family lives on a ranch with a house that’s more than 100 years old. I asked the students to take that slice of our province’s history and in- corporate it into the trailer.” The name comes from Brandt’s hit, Alberta Bound. “That song resonates with people — even people who don’t know where or what Alberta is,” says Brandt, who envisions using the trailer as a storytelling and community gathering space. “The sense of ‘a better place’ that people intrinsically strive for is what I hope to uncover in this restoration.” At first, students peppered Brandt with logistical questions: What’s your budget? What’s the timeline? What materials should we use? But the musician took them down a more creative road. “Paul wanted us to take it to the next level,” remembers Muneer Allawi, a student who graduated in June. “He told us, ‘Don’t just design a trailer. Think about the prairie and the sky and Alberta’s history.’” “He told us not to worry about limita- tions, and our instructors agreed,” adds Emerson Estorninos (MET ’20). “They told us to ‘blue sky’ lots of ideas even if they sounded weird, because that can spark better ideas. It really changed our whole approach and we didn’t hold back.” Mechanical Engineering instruc- tor Greg Ball describes the project as “a big lesson in creativity for this class and, most importantly, in how to translate big ideas into real-world technical process that can be built and used in industry.” The class generated plenty of radical ideas such as a fold-out concert stage and a compartment for Brandt’s favourite mo- torcycle — even adding a second storey. One group used 3D printing to make a scale model; another created a virtual reality trailer and invited Brandt to put on VR goggles to step inside their creation. “VR is being used more and more to present concepts to clients,” says Daniel Swinamer (MET ’20), who spearheaded that approach. “I decided to try it in class because I know it’s the sort of thing being used in industry.” Brandt and Robin Bunker, an instructor in SAIT’s Recreational Vehicle Service Technician Apprenticeship program, have reviewed the students’ big ideas. Now that the musician has selected his favourites, RV apprentices will bring their creativity to working on the Airstream’s makeover. “As a Calgarian, it makes me proud to see the trailer come alive with the help of these students,” Brandt says. MANUFACTURING CREATIVITY “PAUL WANTED US TO TAKE IT TO THE NEXT LEVEL. HE TOLD US, ‘DON’T JUST DESIGN A TRAILER. THINK ABOUT THE PRAIRIE AND THE SKY AND ALBERTA’S HISTORY.’” MUNEER ALLAWI // MECHANICAL ENGINEERING TECHNOLOGY ‘20 INNOVATION JONATHAN TAYLOR SWEET PHOTOMANUFACTURING CREATIVITY 17 See an online gallery of photos from this project at sait.ca/LINK. | Muneer Allawi illustration and text 7 Rooms are divided by walls with sliding doors to provide privacy while saving space. 5 A spacious bathroom integrates rustic and modern design with vintage-look accessories and glass doors. 6 Cozy and relaxing, the bedroom has a ceiling decorated with stars inspired by Alberta’s sky at night. 3 These bunk beds fold into a couch to maximize space and comfort. 4 Shaped like the Province of Alberta, the wood and resin table lowers to form an extra bed. 2 LED lights hidden in the hallway ceiling mimic a stretch of the Bow River. 1 Made of aluminum, the trailer’s body is lightweight and rust resistant. RICH CASTILLO PHOTO Next >