Back Home - Speech to the Sherbrooke RC

Returning home after one year was literally crazy! All the work at home and at the University... Ouaou!
But I am now back up on my feet, and running...
Last March I met with the Sherbrooke RC, where I presented the same speech I had in Brazil, except that it was translated into French. I invited two members of the GCIUS (group of students from UdeS who are involved in humanitarian work. In one of the photographs below I am with Prez Gendron.  In the other, Mr Gendron is sided by Michael and Élise.

Rotary Foundation Seminar and visit to Malawi, Africa

In October, our neighbour district (4650) invited me as keynote speaker at a RF Seminar, at Piçarras (100 km from Florianopolis). I also participated in the discussions and at the luncheon that took place after the seminar, which gathered more than 100 participants from District 4650.

In the photograph, PDG, Alceu Eberhardt, is to my right, while present DG, Ernoe Eger (with his wife), is to my left.


Days after this meeting, I flew to Malawi, Africa, where I spent time with a group of students who were constructing a educational complex in the small and poor community of Golomoti. I have acted as president of the Orientations Committee of the GCIUS (Groupe de coopération internationale en ingénierie de l'Université de Sherbrooke) since its foundation. For those who speak French, I invite you to watch the videos of their project.

Want to see a short collection of photographs from this trip? Click here.

In 2010 I will return to Malawi, but to the community of Mzuzu.

Visit by DG Paulo Branco and Speach at the RC Floripa-Amizade

Still in August, DG, Paulo Branco, visited the RC Florianopolis-Trindade. Here is a photo taken with him.






I continued to visit other RC and give my speech. On Oct 5, I was invited by the all-women RC Florianopolis-Amizade. In the photograph, President Tania Maria Surmann is on my right, while Solange Pasin holds her recently delivered Paul Harris.

About my work here

I haven't written much about my academic work here. Here goes an update:

- I am teaching a graduate class that is having a nice impact. It is new stuff, and concerns interpretation of results. How to read, structure and write the interpretation of results. I proposed this course to my colleagues of the Department at UFSC and was accepted. I initiated the course in June and it should finish by mid-Sept.

- I am supervising one graduate and one undergraduate student. I already co-supervised two undergrad students in their Final Project.

- I have given a speech in Recife, invited by the Federal Univ of Pernambuco, last July.

- I initiated a collaborative effort involving 3 Brazilian institutions (possibly 4) and one (maybe two) Canadian Universities. A progress meeting is being held in Rio de Janeiro, on Friday Aug 14.

- I have participated as reviewer for two Masters thesis (one at UFSC and one at PUC-RJ).

- I was invited as key note speaker in a symposium to be held in the south of Brazil, next Oct. I don’t know yet if I can make it.

Other than that, I have adopted the same open doors attitude that I have adopted in my career, in Canada.I enjoy to keep close contact with young people's projects; even their non academic ones.

Meeting with Rotaract Club - Floripa-Trindade

Wishing to get involved with young people's projects here (that is what I have been doing in the past 7 years, with the GICUS), I attended a meeting of the Rotaract Club - Florianopolis-Trindade, for the first time.

I proposed to them a project to them that has the potential to involve several Rotaracts and - eventually - the entire Rotary. More about it at a later date, depending on how things evolve.

Campo Grande - Cidade Morena RC

I took the opportunity that I was living in Brazil to visit one region I always dreamed of visiting: the Pantanal, "the world’s largest freshwater wetland, a seasonally flooded plain ... almost 10 times the size of the Everglades" (from Nature Conservancy). My family and I went on vacation to this region, where we also visited Bonito, just south of the Pantanal, a fabulous place, loaded with incredible rivers, falls and caverns. Wanna see some pictures? Click here and here.

I asked my counselor back in Floripa, Joao Montardo, to put me in contact with Rotary clubs in Campo Grande, capital of the State of Mato Grosso, so that I could present my conference in the last day of vacation. Mr. Montardo new very well a past Governor there, Olimpio Ribeiro, who put me in contact with Brandao, prez of the Cidade Morena RC (Campo Grande). The speech took place on July 27 and lasted more than 45 minutes, with several question being asked.

In addition to Olimpio, past governors Antonio Elias Morais and Ivo Cezar, were also present (see picture with the three). Maria Ribeiro, a retired researcher from Embrapa (also in the picture), was also present and asked me to review a project she is about to propose to Rotary.


With past DG and Maria Ribeiro


With Prez Brandao

Introduction of new DG

Last June 27th I spent the ceremony introducing the new District Governor, Paulo F. Branco, with Rotaract members from the Kobrasol and Trindade clubs.

I met with Gov. Paulo F. Branco during his visit to the RC Floripa - Trindade, last Aug. 5th (see picture below). I took the opportunity to offer him a flag from the Sherbrooke RC.