Page 7 - Eureka! Spring 2008

Alumni news Business intelligence board product. Alumni news

he world of business intelligence
Thas changed since Don Campbell,
“I’m comfortable not always know-
BCS/87, entered the high-tech world
ing where I’m going. I couldn’t cham-
more than 20 years ago—and Camp-
bell continues to push the envelope in
have that belief,” says Campbell. “It’s
how business information is collected, pion innovative culture if I didn’t
okay to fail—in research, the success
integrated, analyzed and presented. rate should be low, otherwise you’re
As chief technology officer for not pushing the envelope. The chal-
Cognos, recently acquired as an IBM lenge is knowing when to let go.”
company, Campbell is the internal Imparting that innovative spirit to
champion for research and innova- the next generation is one of the high-
tion, overseeing the company’s tech- lights of Campbell’s job. Whether he’s
nology adoption strategy. speaking at Carleton’s Sprott School
Moshi Kotierk’s social research has taken him out of “The competitive nature of business of Business, at conferences around the
fungal genetics and into wildlife management.
means there is always the drive for In addition to leading the creation of several world, or in the cubicles and board-
rooms of Cognos’ Ottawa office, Camp-
faster, more efficient decision making,”
Bear necessities says Campbell. “Think back 20 years award-winning products, Don Campbell is himself bell is happy to provide guidance and
an award winner. He was named to the Top Forty
ago, before the internet. Individuals
mentoring. “I take pride in supporting
weren’t as empowered with informa- Under 40 by the Ottawa Business Journal in 2003 and sponsoring young minds. They
and in 2005 he received the International Business
n April, the Canadian government are prized by Inuit for their nutrition- himself as a bridge between scientific tion—you were reliant on a central Award for best product development or engineer- have all the potential in the world.”
Iwas advised by the Committee on al and cultural value, and as a source and traditional knowledge. Being IT department for data. Now, we have ing executive. As for his own potential, Campbell
the Status of Endangered Wildlife in of income from hides and sport hunt- a speaker of Inuktitut and a natu- information self service that opens a is excited by the research opportuni-
Canada (COSEWIC) that polar bears ing expeditions, emotions run deep. ral-born teacher, Kotierk navigates world of possibilities for users.” analysis, location intelligence, mash- ties that IBM and its vast network of
are at risk, particularly from Arctic “Some people think the idea of between two cultures, filling in gaps Moving forward, says Campbell, ups and wireless information delivery groups and businesses will provide.
ice melt as a result of climate change. managing wildlife isn’t natural or in understanding and strengthening the role of the individual will become for performance management. “Being the head techie with that
While the polar bear population ap- appropriate; some believe you can’t relationships as he goes. even more important in the decision In his 21-year career with Cognos, kind of global reach has to keep me
pears to be increasing in some areas, manage something from God; others Raised in Igloolik, Nunavut, until making of an enterprise. Take the Campbell has worked in research, excited!”.
in others it is declining—resulting want conservation of polar bears so he was 12, Kotierk’s parents moved popularity of social networking web- software development and manage-
in their classification as a species of him and his siblings to Ottawa for sites, for instance: tapping into vast ment. The foundation for his current
special concern. The report calls for their education. After completing amounts of personal knowledge can role was laid when Campbell tired of ! Fast fact...
careful management of the polar bear high school and two biology degrees supplement and enhance data that looking at numeric data in tables and
harvest in coming years; the federal at Carleton, Kotierk returned to his businesses use. spreadsheets, and suggested a better with top student talent travelling from
government must provide a manage- home town. “The challenge is to arm people way to consume information. Given a the university to cognos, the company
ment plan by 2014. “In the short time I’ve had to reflect with valuable and accurate informa- small team with which to develop a invests in education at carleton. cognos
At the same time, the Nunavut Wild- on my choices, I’m glad that a mas- tion using the technology and social visual representation of information, sponsors the annual Innovation lecture
life Management Board was holding ter’s degree was my main goal. The means available,” says Campbell, who Campbell watched his idea grow into series, the NsERc/cognos Industrial
consultations on proposals from the work I did contributed to the greater is leading the charge on new tech- Cognos Visualizer, an award-winning Research chair, and two prestige
scholarships.
Government of Nunavut’s department knowledge in fungal genetics as well nology in search, unstructured data three-dimensional, interactive dash-
of environment to reduce polar bear as my own knowledge,” says Kotierk.
hunting on Baffin Bay. A contentious “While my job now is quite a jump
issue, the government cites overhar- from genetics, I’m making a positive One can make a difference
vesting in Nunavut and Greenland contribution.”
while Baffin Bay people give evidence “You often hear that decisions are To celebrate the Kiwanis Club With Marwah’s gift matched by “What better way than to support the
of increasing populations. that the hunt can continue in the long made without input from the people of Ottawa’s 90th anniversary, its the Medical Foundation and $10,000 students doing research in the medical
Before these stories hit the head- term, ” says Kotierk, who began his being affected, but now I’m the person president Bill Gosewitz challenged from the club’s members, the Kiwanis area, and in perpetuity?”
lines, Moshi Kotierk, BScHons/01, research in Davis Strait where a polar asking for the input. People appreci- the membership to raise $90,000 Club donated $50,000 to Carleton to “Our motto is one can make a dif-
MSc/04, was already on the scene. bear capture project was underway, ate being asked for their opinions and this year through the Winterlude establish the Kiwanis Club of Ottawa ference, and our Bed Race commit-
Kotierk, a fungal geneticist by and will head next to Foxe Basin. to share their knowledge, and I hope Bed Race. In return, Gosewitz would Medical Foundation and Dr. Kanta tee and Kanta Marwah have stepped
training, is a social science researcher “The way that people in the south this work will lead to benefits for these shave his head. Marwah Scholarship in Medical Phys- forward to help make a difference,”
in the wildlife management division are wary of genetically modified food communities.” When it looked like Gosewitz would ics. Matching funds from the univer- says Gosewitz, who heads the largest
of Nunavut’s department of environ- is the way that people in the north get to keep his curly locks, Kanta Mar- sity mean that endowment fund will Kiwanis Club in Canada. Each year
ment. As part of a project examining are wary of their food being drugged ! wah, a trustee with the Kiwanis Club provide an annual scholarship of up the Ottawa club gives thousands
the legal, policy, administrative and and immobilized by researchers. The Fast fact... of Ottawa Medical Foundation and a to $10,000 a year for a doctoral stu- of hours to community service and
ethical framework within which sport suitability of research practices also distinguished research professor and dent researching medical physics. raises thousands of dollars for the
hunting is practised, his job is to needs to be managed.” the carleton University Art Gallery professor emerita at Carleton, stepped “The mandate for the Medical Foun- community.
gauge public opinion on wildlife and In the cross-cultural environment presents Nanuit: The Polar Bear in Inuit Art forward with a gift of $20,000—and a dation is the advancement of medical For more on the medical physics
management issues. Since polar bears of the vast territory, Kotierk sees from May 5 to August 24, 2008. plan for how to spend it. treatment and research,” says Marwah. program, see EUREKA! Spring 2007.

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