11.512 Schulich Fall Rev_Layout 1 - The Schulich School of ...

Adam Neville gives the2011 convocation address.Photo by Riley BrandtAt the 2011 convocation,Adam Neville receivedan honorary degreeand inspired a newcohort of engineeringgraduates by giving theconvocation address.Here’s an excerpt:I was here at the birth ofthe University of Calgary.We started with almostnothing. I was to build aFaculty of Engineeringand it was truly an exhilaratingtime: to specify thebuildings, approve thearchitectural design, orderlaboratory equipment,and engage staff at alllevels. It was an opportunityof a lifetime – and itworked! Of course, it wasnothing compared withwhat you have now: thesplendid Schulich Schoolof Engineering, one of thetop engineering schools inCanada. In those halcyondays, I put a request forequipment and approvalwas almost automatic.My colleagues thought thatI signed requests withoutreading them and, on oneoccasion, slipped in anitem “gold-plated Cadillacfor the dean.” I spotted it!It does not matterwhat you pursue as acareer, it can be interestingand can lead you far,provided you have anenquiring mind. So don’tchoose a career becauseyou had a good teacher. Ihad a total of two, I repeattwo, hours of concrete inmy undergraduate course,and I had a peculiarteacher of structuraldesign named ProfessorKing. His method was todraw on the blackboard anidealized structure, thenwrite an equation of, say,equilibrium or compatibility,then pause for a while,write another equation,without saying how thesecond equation followsfrom the first one, andfinally, the answer, say x=7.Well, when I gothome I tried to figure outhow he had proceededto reach his answer. Thismight take me an houror two but, when I hadfinished, I had learned agreat deal.In those farawaydays, a student was notallowed to approach aprofessor and questionhim, let alone criticizehim. There was no evaluationof quality of teaching.However, after the finalexamination, I chancedupon Professor King whenwe stood next to oneanother in a LondonUnderground train.By then, full of courage,I asked why he was socryptic in his teaching ofstructural analysis. Helooked me straight in theeye and said, “Neville, I amnot prepared to addressmyself to the mediocre.”If, today, one of yourprofessors expressedthose sentiments, he orshe would be disciplined.I am not recommendingKing’s approach, butdon’t be mesmerized bygood teaching and on thatbasis alone don’t selectyour specialism.As graduates in engineering,you have a choiceof practising engineeringor of moving into management.Many an engineerhas had a successful careerin banking, in publicservice or in politics.An engineer in thatenvironment improvesthe overall operationand also contributesto the performance ofother people.The engineer, indesign, in construction,and, above all, in planningmust also learn to takedecisions on the basis ofincomplete data. He isnot alone here: the sameapplies to generals andmedical consultants.This reminds me ofa story of a medical deanwho was addressing agraduating class and said,“Ladies and gentlemen,I have a confession tomake. One-half of whatwe taught you is wrong.”This produced laughter.When it died down,the dean said, “Thetrouble is we don’t knowwhich half.”So, think broadly,look sideways; the obviousis not necessarily the bestapproach. Be a bit of arebel, have confidence inyourself but don’t forgetthat your ability to thinkfor yourself is due to yourstudies at the Universityof Calgary, your almamater and now mine too.SCHULICH 43 ENGINEER