Bequest from alumnus professor establishes scholarship for occupational and public health grad students

In class and during labs, Dr. Chun-Yip Hon cherishes the “a-ha” moments with his students. Their faces light up when they understand the principles, practices and procedures he teaches that will help his students — future professionals in occupational and public health — keep workers and the public safe. 

Hon is a 1996 graduate of TMU in environmental health, so he knows what it’s like to sit on the other side of the lab bench. Now, as graduate program director and an associate professor in the School of Occupational and Public Health, he wants to encourage and support learners further, and has made a bequest intention in his will to endow scholarships for the school’s graduate students. 

“I’m hoping the scholarship will be meaningful to recipients and help offset some of the tuition costs or any other costs associated with going to school, and hopefully it will factor into their decision-making process — that they should come to TMU because we have an excellent master of science in the occupational and public health program with scholarships available,” said Hon. 

Hon’s degree at TMU was his second undergraduate degree. He chose to go back to school because of this university’s track record of teaching hands-on, real-world skills that help alumni land jobs after graduation. In the process, he discovered a new interest and career path. 

“Though my degree was mainly focused on environmental health, there were also courses in occupational health, and I gravitated towards that,” said Hon. “Occupational health intrigued me because it enables you to work in both the private and public sectors, and in a variety of workplaces, whether that be manufacturing or health care or academia or in industry. That was really enticing to me.” 

He found the problem-solving aspect of occupational and public health fascinating, whether it’s uncovering the origin of food-borne illnesses, or discovering the contributing factors to a workplace incident — such as exposure to hazardous chemicals — in hopes of preventing it from happening again.

“The courses were really interesting since they combined elements of law, math, science and toxicology,” said Hon. “That really piqued my curiosity and served as a springboard for me to do my master’s in occupational health. And I haven’t looked back since.” 

Hon went on to the University of British Columbia to earn a PhD in occupational and environmental hygiene and, in 2012, he returned to teach at TMU.

Hon’s decision to establish a scholarship was partly inspired by his colleague, Adjunct Professor Craig Fairclough, who established the Craig Fairclough Black Students Award in Occupational Health & Safety. 

“Craig also went to TMU, and then we ended up doing our master’s degrees together at McGill University. When he started a scholarship for undergraduate students at TMU, that got me thinking about my own legacy and how I can help a program that has meant so much to me. It served as a foundation, springboarding me to a career in health and safety,” said Hon. 

Throughout his professional life, Hon has enjoyed the balance of field work with training workers and teaching students. 

“I’ve taught at TMU for over 12 years now. It’s a pleasure for me to give back to the school and to the university that has provided a very rewarding career,” said Hon. “I’ve met excellent colleagues and have been able to share my knowledge with students. Anything that I can do to keep the occupational and public health program sustainable and moving forward, I’ll try my best.”