Donation Announcements


The Western Science community - faculty, students, and staff - thank you, our alumni and friends, for your generous donations. The quality of the Western Experience and the depth of Western Impact through world-class training and research is largely a result of your support. 

We are blessed to have community members - individuals, families, and organizations - recognize the value our institution brings to the global landscape and actively invest, once, annually or periodically and over a lifetime.

We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.
-Winston Churchill

Featured Donation

TD Bank Group gift enhances Western’s ability to turn data into solutions

A $1 million investment by TD Bank Group into data analytics teaching and research in Western’s Faculty of Science will position the University as a hot spot for solving some of the world’s most complex problems.

Data analytics — the science of extracting meaning from large volumes of complex information — has diverse applications currently being researched by Western experts, including disaster risk analysis and response planning, health analytics, finance and banking, ecosystem analysis and real-time brain imaging.

The TD Bank Group’s $1 million gift will enable Western to expand its capabilities by:

  • Establishing a new physical space on campus – the TD Analytics Hub — where collaborative research and problem-solving will take place;
  • Creating the TD Professorship in Data Analytics – a position that will shape the Master of Data Analytics and Data Science program to prepare students for industry needs in data research;
  • Creating four annual TD Women in Data Analytics Bursaries, designed to encourage greater gender equity and provide meaningful financial support to women entering this discipline; and
  • Supporting a year-end competition, judged by industry experts, for Master of Data Analytics students to present key learnings from their internships.

Photos from the announcement event can be found here.

Archive

2018

A gift of $240,000 from the Nuclear Waste Management Organization (MWMO) to support a research project in the Department of Chemistry. Dr. J. Clara Wren, an NSERC-UNENE Industrial Research Chair, will lead a group of experienced graduate students and post-doctoral fellows to develop a better understanding of how radiation influences copper corrosion. This gift marks a significant step towards researching and understanding the integrity of storage waste containers which will inform Canada’s plan to store high-level nuclear waste.

A gift of $30,000 from G. Michael (DSc’06) and Joan Bancroft has been generously donated to the Department of Chemistry to establish the G. Michael and Joan Bancroft Graduate Research Award. This award will provide special recognition of an extraordinary Doctoral student based on research excellence and publications mid-way through their degree. Both Michael and Joan are very aware of how critical awards are to a successful career and are passionate about supporting young Western Chemistry graduate students and these awards remain a critical priority for the Faculty of Science.

A gift of $50,000 to support an Ontario Graduate Scholarship in Mathematics as well as to provide support for the Centre for Complex Carbon Systems Annual Symposium has been kindly given by Agnes and Carl Santoni.

A gift of $10,000 from Matt Kennedy has been received to establish the Kennedy Award in Environmental Science. This gift permits undergraduate students in Biology (Environment and Sustainability) to continue their important work.

A gift of $26,000 from Sylvia Osborn will create the Sylvia Osborn Northern Ontario Scholarship in Computer Science. Sylvia was born and raised in Timmins Ontario and was very passionate about her roots, hence the scholarship for students from the North. A faculty member in the Department of Computer Sciences for 40 years, Sylvia passed away in May 2018.

A gift of $100,000 from Dean McDonald (PhD Geology 1990) and his wife, Carol Ellis, to support the creation of the C. Gordon Suffel Facility in the Department of Earth Sciences. This repository and curatorial facility will house the C. Gordon Suffel Ore Suite and the Dana Mineral Collections. Among these collections are rock and mineral specimens of significant value, not only for scientific research but also as resources for industrial partners in the mineral and petroleum sectors, as tools in undergraduate and graduate education, and as exhibits for public outreach.

A new gift of $214,000 from alumnus, Keith Barron to support the Robert Hodder Chair in Economic Geology in the Department of Earth Sciences. Keith graduated from the Department with his PhD in 1997 and is the most significant individual donor to our Faculty. Keith established the Chair in 2008 with a lead gift of $1 Million. Keith continues to be a dedicated advocate and volunteer for the Faculty of Science and Department of Earth Sciences both as a donor and as a member of the Dean’s Advisory Council. Keith is also a committed ambassador for Western through his membership on the International Advisory Board.

A new gift of $1.1 Million USD from I.H.S. Markit in Calgary to support the Petroleum Geology Lab in Earth Sciences. This software will be used for teaching and research purposes related to oil and gas exploration and development. Such gifts expose our students to state-of-the-art tools, provide them hands-on, experiential learning and, in turn, expand their marketability.

A gift of $600,925 from Nuclear Waste Management Organization (NWMO). This gift will support a Collaborative Research and Development (CRD) Grant project in the area of surface science and materials degradation. Dr. James Noel will lead a growing team in the Department of Chemistry to investigate the potential for corrosion of nuclear fuel waste containers.

A gift of Well Completion and Frac data from geoLOGIC valued at $48,766. This data will support student research and thesis development in the Department of Earth Sciences in the Petroleum Geology Laboratory. This is the first gift of data from geoLOGIC.

A cash gift of $20,000 from Bell Canada to support the Smart Healthy Campus research project, focused on student Mental Health and resiliency. The money will be used to support the pilot phase of the project in collaboration with Health Sciences.

A gift of $7,500 from an anonymous donor, to establish an entrance scholarship for the Master of Environment and Suitability (MES) program for 5 years. This is a significant milestone for this program as this is the very first scholarship to the MES program.

A gift of $2.1 Million from Schlumberger. This is a new gift of software to support the geophysics lab in Earth Sciences. This is the first gift from Schlumberger to the geophysics program. This software will complement that already donated by Schlumberger to the Petroleum Geology lab. This new gift will allow for the expanded use of the practical training provided to our students for the oil and gas industry.

A gift of new software from Haliburton in the amount of $572,052 to support the teaching and research in the geophysics lab in Earth Sciences. Haliburton is a new donor to science and we are very appreciative of their support.

2017

September 2017 -In partnership with Dr. Burns Cheadle, Director of Corporate Relations & Student Professional Development and Associate Professor & Chair in Petroleum Geology, Earth Sciences, we wish to announce a transformational gift in kind of $11.8 Million from Schlumberger.  Schlumberger’s gift includes new sets of advanced software licenses for Schlumberger's integrated suite of geoscience visualization and simulation platforms. The software being offered by Schlumberger represents the current state of the art for analysis and 4D (3D + time) visualization of geological and geophysical data acquired during oil and gas exploration and development. This donation will allow the Petroleum Geoscience Laboratory in Earth Sciences to continue to offer state-of-the-art analysis capabilities to students and researchers and further the Faculty of Science campaign priority: Resource Geoscience Western (RGW). Thanks to this donation, Western students will be exposed to the most up-to-date software being used in the oil and gas industry and, as a result, Western geoscience students will be trained with leading-edge industrial software and receive the hands-on skills employers in the oil and gas industry are looking for in new hires.

March 2017 - We wish to announce a gift in kind of $100,000 from Geology alumnus, Dean McDonald. Dean is a member of our Resource Geoscience Western Dean’s Advisory Council and a very loyal and generous donor. This expendable gift will support the C. Gordon Suffel Collection in Earth Sciences.

March 2017 - In partnership with Dr. Michael Bauer, Professor of Computer Science, we wish to announce a gift in kind of $90,221.40 from IBM Canada Limited. After a recent announcement of the IBM Power Systems S822LC for high-performance computing, known simply as “Minsky Servers”, IBM Canada has donated one of these state-of-the-art systems to Western University. This donation will result in a significant expansion of capabilities in high-performance computing at Western. The hardware donated by IBM will promote research in areas of mutual interest to IBM and Western, particularly those where intensive computation is required. We wish to thank Dr. Bauer for his work on this gift.

2016

November 2016 – A new gift of software for the Petroleum Geology Laboratory in the Department of Earth Sciences from geoLOGIC Systems in Calgary in the amount of $593,580. This donation continues to bring state-of-the-art software tools into our Petroleum Geology lab at Western Earth Sciences. Gifts of this nature are transformational to our student experience, equipping them with industry-valued skill sets and resulting in a high rate of recruitment of our graduates.

November 2016 – A new gift of software for the Petroleum Geology Laboratory in the Department of Earth Sciences from geoLOGIC Systems in Calgary in the amount of $593,580. This donation continues to bring state-of-the-art software tools into our Petroleum Geology lab at Western Earth Sciences. Gifts of this nature are transformational to our student experience, equipping them with industry-valued skill sets and resulting in a high rate of recruitment of our graduates.

November 2016 – A gift of $204,000 from Nuclear Waste Management Organization (NWMO). The Donor’s expendable gift will be used to support the recruitment and retention of faculty in the area of nuclear waste management in the Department of Chemistry.

November 2016 – An expendable gift of $25,000 from Dean McDonald, PhD 1990 Geology, to support the Dr. G. Gordon Suffel Collection in Earth Sciences. The C. Gordon Suffel Collection is an active collection of geological minerals of regional, national, and international importance. This Collection consists of ~35,000 specimens, including complete suites from world class mineral deposits. The Collection is of worldwide origin and because of their intrinsic economic importance, many of the specimens are now unique because the outcrops from which they were taken have been lost to science. The collections will be used for research and teaching purposes.

November 2016 – An expendable gift of $25,000 from Eugene Olynyk of Calgary, to support the Regional Geology Field School in Earth Sciences. Eugene is a member of the Dean’s Advisory Council for Geoscience Western and is a key volunteer for our faculty.

September 2016 – Mrs. Mary Alice Davis donated $50,000 to support the establishment of two scholarships in the Department of Biology to honor her late husband, Glen W. Davis. BA Political Science 1964, MA Political Science, 1966. The Glen W. Davis Ecology Scholarship and the Glen W. Davis Biodiversity and Conservation Scholarship will support upper year students and are a tribute to Glen's passion for environmental conservation and wildlife ecology.

August 2016 – The J.P. Bickell Foundation has contributed $20,000 to support the J.P. Bickell Foundation Mining Scholarships Program in the Department of Earth Sciences. Awarded to full-time undergraduate students in second, third or fourth-year (minimum 70% average) enrolled in the geological and geophysical fields, including earth sciences, environmental geosciences, geological sciences, and civil engineering with a geoenvironmental specialization.

June 2016 – The Estate of Professor C. Gordon Winder generously contributed $15,000 through his estate upon his passing. This expendable gift will support the established SCUGOG Lecture. Professor Winder created this special public lecture series with an initial donation of $120,000 endowed gift in 1998 to feature and make accessible world-renowned Canadian scientist in Earth Sciences to our community.

April 2016 - I.H.S. Markit in Calgary provided an outstanding in-kind donation of software and well log data, valued at $1,059,976 CAN, for use in the Department of Earth Sciences Petroleum Geology Laboratory. This software will be used for teaching and research purposes related to oil and gas exploration and development. Such gifts expose our students to state of the art tools, provide them hands on, experiential learning and, in turn, expand their marketability, even during challenging times in the industry. 

April 2016 - Divestco’s contribution of software and well log data, valued at $2,090,000 CAN, for use in the Department of Earth Sciences Petroleum Geology Laboratory, will be used for teaching and research purposes related to oil and gas exploration and development. Such gifts expose our students to state of the art tools, provide them hands-on, experiential learning and, in turn, expand their marketability, even during challenging times in the industry.

April 2016 – The Estate of Dr. Gérard Hébert. A donation of $80,000 was made by Dr. Gérard Hébert during his lifetime as well as through a bequest from the Estate of Dr. Gérard Hébert. This endowed gift will create the Dr. Gérard Hébert Physics and Astronomy Summer Research Internship Fund. The fund will provide support for an undergraduate student in Physics and Astronomy. 

March 2016 - Mrs. Carol Slack has donated $30,000 to the Department of Earth Sciences in honour of her late husband, J. Malcolm Slack BA ’63, MBA ’70. This endowed gift will be used to establish the J. Malcolm Slack Earth Sciences Award in support of a Masters or Doctoral student studying Earth Sciences, with preference given to a student who is specializing in research in the field of agrominerals. A true visionary, J. Malcolm Slack was a renowned mining engineer and executive. He was passionate about researching alternatives to conventional fertilizers and his findings, dating back 25 years, are still being utilized today in both mining and organic agriculture.

March 2016 - MacDonald, Dettwiler and Associates Ltd. contributed $500,000 to establish the NSERC/MDA Industrial Research Chair in Planetary Geology.

February 2016 - The Kyle Brandon Traves Foundation contributed an endowed gift of $50,000 to establish the Kyle Brandon Traves Memorial Scholarship in Science in memory of Kyle Traves BSc '13.  Kyle’s family share the following about their beloved son: “Kyle was dedicated and passionate; dedicated to his education and passionate about music and sports including football, hockey and rugby.  Kyle enjoyed exceptional success in his short music career.  "Branded Travesty'" original mixes were sold through record labels on various sites and climbed to high levels.  Kyle was a friend to many; he touched their lives in countless ways.  His friends often speak of his strong character, goodwill, unforgettable personality and a smile that was so contagious.  His positive energy and genuine ability to enjoy the simple things produced extraordinary memories out of ordinary events.  Although Kyle left us too soon, he had a tremendous impact”. 

2015

October 2015 – The J.P. Bickell Foundation has made a generous gift to the Department of Earth Science of $130,000. The $100,000 donation will be used to create the J.P. Bickell Field School Fund and $30,000 will support the annual J.P. Bickell Scholarship in Mining. The foundation has historically been a generous donor to the field school program and also continues to support scholarships in the Department annually. Western Earth Sciences boasts the best field school program in Canada and with this generous donation, will be able to carry on that tradition.

October 2015 – geologic has made an in-kind contribution of software and well log data, valued at $593,580, for use in the Department of Earth Sciences Petroleum Geology Laboratory. This software will be used for teaching and research purposes related to oil and gas exploration and development. These gifts expose our students to state of the art tools, providing them hands-on, experiential learning and in turn, make them extremely marketable and attractive to industry. 

October 2015 – Synaptive Medical contributed $500,000 to establish the NSERC/Synaptive Medical Inc. Industrial Research Chair in Magnetic Resonance Systems Development which will be held by Dr. Blaine Chronik of Physics and Astronomy. This Chair will develop highly customized MRI systems that have been optimized for specific applications like stroke. Health-care providers currently use multi-use, full-body scanners to diagnose any number of ailments, but one of Chronik’s objectives is to lead the first Canadian team able to design, prototype and produce custom MRI platforms.

October 2015 - Mary Catherine and James Fallona have made a generous gift of $25,000 to support the existing Fallona Family Interdisciplinary Showcase and Symposium. This gift was made in honour of Mary Catherine’s 50th anniversary of her MSc degree.

September 2015 – The Estate of Pricilla Suffel has made a generous gift of $100,049 through her estate to the existing Gordon Suffel Fellowship for Graduate Studies in Applied Economic Geology in honour of her late husband.

July 2015 - Dr. Irene Uchida donated $67,861.

July 2015 - University Network of Excellence donated $180,000.

June 2015 – Dean McDonald has contributed an expendable gift of $100,000 to support the Robert Hodder Chair in Economic Geology. Dean is a graduate of the Department of Earth Sciences PhD ‘90 Geology, Vice-President of Hecla Mining Company and a member of the Dean's Resource Geoscience Advisory Council.