Friends of FOS
At TMU’s Faculty of Science, meaningful academic experiences and ground-breaking research are enabled through a collaborative effort involving numerous community champions.
Meet the donors and alumni advancing equity and sustainability in STEM
Deborah Wilcock, president of Jet Ice Limited; Peter Bowie, director of Magna International; Rodney Yip, Computer Science BSc ‘82
Key among the Faculty of Science’s community champions is Deborah Wilcock, president of Ontario-based Jet Ice Limited. Founded in 1979, Jet Ice provides a complete range of products and services for the ice-making industry, including ice paints, in-ice graphics and water treatment systems. Keen to share its expertise to help improve the quality of artificial ice surfaces, the company donated $3 million to the faculty in 2022 to establish the Jet Ice Research Chair in Sustainable Materials Chemistry.
Inaugural chairholder Stefania Impellizzeri, a material chemist and professor in the Department of Chemistry and Biology, is researching different processes to produce and maintain high-quality ice surfaces in ways that require less energy. Her investigations will ultimately contribute to the development of evidence-based and sustainable best practices for arena operations. Impellizzeri is also developing new, greener and enhanced materials for ice paints.
“We want to help advance innovation in the ice-making industry, and by partnering with the faculty, we can determine the scientific principles behind the most effective and environmentally friendly approaches,” Wilcock says.
The gift builds on Jet Ice’s long tradition of supporting TMU in a variety of ways, including establishing hockey scholarships and health and wellness programming for TMU athletes, and making a donation to establish the Jet Ice Lounge, a feature event space overlooking Mattamy Home Ice at the Mattamy Athletic Centre.
“We want to help advance innovation in the ice-making industry, and by partnering with the faculty, we can determine the scientific principles behind the most effective and environmentally friendly approaches.”
For Peter Bowie, giving to the faculty is about enhancing access to opportunities for part of the population that is typically underrepresented in the fields of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM): women. Research by the UNESCO Institute for Statistics has found that women comprise less than 30% of the world’s researchers.
A seasoned business executive—he is a former top executive at Deloitte and a current independent director of Magna International—Bowie understands that gender balance in STEM is critical to advancing progress and innovation. He is also influenced by his restaurant entrepreneur grandmother, and by the experiences of his daughter navigating a biomedical engineering undergraduate program.
To help level the playing field in the sciences, Bowie donated $25,000 to establish the Peter and Judith Bowie Advancing Women in STEM Program. This annual scholarship goes to two female-identifying students entering their first year of a science master's or PhD program. Applicants must be pursuing research projects through the Institute for Biomedical Engineering, Science and Technology (iBEST) (external link, opens in new window) , a partnership between TMU and St. Michael’s Hospital, Unity Health Toronto that brings together the university’s science and engineering strengths with St. Michael’s biomedical research and clinical expertise to translate research concepts into testable health-care solutions.
“First of all, it’s a moral and ethical issue—we shouldn’t have bias and discrimination based on gender in the sciences,” says Bowie, who is also an advisory council member for TMU’s DMZ tech startup incubator. “Moreover, when you’re trying to do things in the world, you need the best talent you can get, and diverse perspectives at the table.”
“When you’re trying to do things in the world, you need the best talent you can get, and diverse perspectives at the table.”
Bowie’s sentiments are echoed by TMU computer science alumnus Rodney Yip, whose extensive contributions of time, talent and treasure to the faculty and the university as a whole have included making STEM education more accessible to female students. Having enjoyed a successful 33-year business career at IBM, Yip has felt compelled to give back to his alma mater, in part by sponsoring the Women in Computer Science (external link, opens in new window) student group.
“I’m a great supporter of women in science,” Yip says. “Despite the persistent gender disparities and wage gaps, they should know that they can still rise to the top.”
Over the last several years, Yip has also volunteered for diverse initiatives in or connected to the faculty, including serving as a member of the Faculty of Science Dean’s Advisory Council; serving as a strategic advisor to the Computational Public Safety Lab in the Department of Computer Science; and sharing his expertise with startup founders who are part of the Science Discovery Zone incubator.
Most recently, Yip established a $46,000 endowment that provides scholarships to third- and fourth-year undergraduate students who are in good academic standing and demonstrate financial need.
“For students who are committed to learning and developing themselves in the sciences, this is a way to encourage them to stay in the field.”
“For students who are committed to learning and developing themselves in the sciences, this is a way to encourage them to stay in the field.”
A conversation between scientists
