Summary of Accomplishments for Emeritus Honorees

Encaenia Ceremony A: May 16, 2001

Dorothy MacKeracher,
Professor Emerita in Education
Dorothy MacKeracher stands out among academics, having made the study of teaching and learning not only a career but an important part of her life. Since arriving at UNB in 1990, she almost single-handedly developed the
Master of Adult Education program in the Faculty of Education. Under her
guidance, adult education at UNB was expanded to include certificate, bachelor's, master's and doctoral programs. Dr. MacKeracher was also a pioneer in the delivery of distance education courses at UNB. Thanks to her efforts and expertise in the area, adult education programs are available throughout New Brunswick and beyond.

Students of Dr. MacKeracher recall her true dedication, her facilitative skills, her comfortable classroom. They also remember the encouragement, the patience, the positive feedback. In superb academic style, Dr. MacKeracher's research and publication record far surpassed the minimum expected of a scholar. Her book Making Sense of Adult Learning was a finalist for the Small Book Press Award of 1997.

Dr. MacKeracher served on numerous committees including The Quality of
Teaching Committee and the Advisory Committee for the Community College Instructor Development Program. Outside the university, she is active on boards and committees that reflect her continued concern for lifelong learning. While serving the faculty of education, Dr. MacKeracher was
director of graduate studies for 10 years and later became co-ordinator of the faculty's doctoral program.

Throughout her career, Dorothy MacKeracher was a friend, a mentor, an inspiration and exceled in all areas of her academic life.

Mary Lou Stirling,
Professor Emerita in Education
Mary Lou Stirling has been an exemplary teacher of teachers. During her 27
years in the faculty of education at UNB and before her retirement in 1999,
she was a role model for generations of New Brunswick language arts teachers.

A former elementary school teacher herself, Dr. Stirling steadfastly refused to teach language arts methods in a doctrinaire fashion. Instead, she encouraged her students to find methods of instruction that worked for them in dealing with their own students. In the area of research and publication, Dr. Stirling made valuable contributions in the form of curriculum documents and textbook materials. She continues to work with publishers in the development and implementation of textbook series and literacy programs.

In addition to serving as a professor, Dr. Stirling became Dean of Residences in 1989. She was proactive in the creation of a holistic residence community with strong links between the students in residence and the greater academic community. Having been instrumental in developing several programs which improved the quality of student life at UNB, Dr. Stirling's colleagues credit her for establishing a safe, healthy, supportive and academic environment for students in residence.

Upon her retirement from UNB, Dr. Stirling was invited to serve as acting
director of the Muriel McQueen Fergusson Centre for Family Violence
Research. In this position, she is enhancing the profile of the Centre and serving the community, as always, with grace, integrity and dedication.

Encaenia Ceremony B: May 17, 2001

Neil MacGill,
Residence Fellow Emeritus
Generations of students have been influenced by Neil MacGill. As the devoted don of Neill House from 1961 to 1966 and resident fellow of Bridges
House from 1966 until his retirement last year, the philosophy professor left an indelible mark. A member of the Residence Community Administrative
Team, the resident fellow supports the mission of the residence community -
to contribute to the university experience by providing a supportive living environment conducive to learning, personal growth, respect for diversity and a responsibility for community life. Prof. MacGill adhered to this code and much more.

Through his weekly Bridges House Forums, Prof. MacGill introduced students to the intellectual side of residence life. Due to his encouragement and unrelenting efforts on their behalf, he will, no doubt, long be remembered
by those alumni with both affection and respect.

In addition to teaching philosophy and chairing the philosophy department
for 10 years, Prof. MacGill was a keen administrator. He was a dedicated
member of the Board of Governors for 13 years and served tirelessly on the
UNB Senate for 30 years. He sat on countless committees and boards of
professional bodies during his 39 years at UNB. Prof. MacGill is an accomplished educator and his impressive research record includes over 80
publications and papers.

Throughout his career, he demonstrated great reverence for the traditions
of the university. He approached each of his roles with commitment, sincerity and wit.

Encaenia Ceremony C: May 17, 2001

Uday Gujar,
Profesor Emeritus in Computer Science (deceased)
When Uday Gujar first came to UNB 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.

Petr Vanicek,
Professor Emeritus in Geodesy & Geomatics Engineering
Petr Vanicek is recognized internationally for his technical contributions to geodesy, the branch of applied mathematics dealing with the shape and dimensions of the earth or large areas on its service.

A professor of geodesy and geomatics at UNB from 1971 until his retirement
in 1999, Dr. Vanicek's achievements were numerous. He supervised or co-supervised over 70 graduate students working toward their master's or PhD degrees. He also has an impressive research record, having either directly or indirectly attracted more than $2 million in research funding to the university.

Over the past 25 years, Dr. Vanicek worked closely with universities in the
Middle East, Eastern Europe, Scandinavia and Australia. He has acted as an
external reader of theses and graduate reports prepared by 10 graduate students at other universities. All those who benefited from his tutelage would no doubt testify to his ability to instil clear thinking, originality and a hard-work ethic.

An author or co-author of more than 300 publications, Dr. Vanicek was awarded the J. Tuzo Wilson Medal for outstanding contributions to Canadian
geophysics. The medal, awarded by the Canadian Geophysical Union, is the
highest award an individual can receive in the field of geophysics in Canada. Dr. Vanicek's textbook, Geodesy: The Concepts, has been translated into several languages. It is the standard text for both undergraduate and graduate courses in geodesy worldwide.

Convocation: Oct. 21, 2001

Penny Ericson,
Professor Emerita in Nursing and Dean Emerita
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.

Ernest Forbes,
Professor Emeritus in History
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.

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