MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT

AFTER A DIFFICULT two years for our entire Memorial community, and indeed the world, there are signs that we are slowly emerging to see a new horizon after the storm.

Fittingly, my report to the community for 2021 is titled On the Horizon. While it has been a challenging time, we still have so much to celebrate, including reaching our highest student enrolment to date at 19,270 students and our incredible sponsored research income of $176 million.

More good news came with a report from KPMG in the fall, showing that Memorial adds about $627 million to Newfoundland and Labrador’s economy each year and supports 9,922 jobs throughout the province. KPMG calculated that alumni in our province have earned $1.37 billion in additional income annually due to their degree(s) from Memorial.

Facts like these also support the direction of Memorial’s new strategic plan, Transforming our Horizons, which will help guide our community as we contribute to a socially resilient, economically prosperous, culturally vibrant, inclusive, healthy and sustainable Newfoundland and Labrador.

The theme of this issue of Luminus is Resilience. This is a testament to the place of Newfoundland and Labrador and its people.

Resilience is also the theme of our Reimagining Leadership conference, which took place on June 16, at which three internationally recognized women speakers shared their incredible stories.

In the pages that follow, we reflect on our past and how far we have come. This year marks the 30th anniversary of the cod moratorium, which forever changed our way of life. Today, we celebrate our strength in new industries as a world leader in ocean sciences, a rising force in the technology sector and a hub of innovation and entrepreneurship.

As we approach Memorial’s 100th year in 2025, I cannot wait to honour this incredible community and see what we will do next.

DR. VIANNE TIMMONS
PRESIDENT AND VICE-CHANCELLOR