This article is part of a new series shining a spotlight on the personalities and priorities of Dal's senior leadership team. Look for more profiles in the weeks to come, and revisit previous profiles at the Leadership and Vision website.
When Alice Aiken made her way back to AV俱乐部 in 2016, she was returning to familiar turf. While she grew up in Ottawa, the youngest of six children to immigrant parents, she completed a Bachelor of Science in Physiotherapy at Dal in 1994.
鈥淭he Royal Canadian Navy sent me,鈥� she says of her first Dal experience as a student.
She鈥檇 joined the military before starting her first science degree at University of Ottawa in 1984, served from 1984 until 1998,聽 and was posted in Halifax as a ship鈥檚 navigator. That military experience helped inspire her academic research, which focuses on health services and policies for military personnel, Veterans and their families.
From the Forces to academia
After leaving the Forces, Dr. Aiken spent 18 years with the School of Rehabilitation Therapy at Queen鈥檚 University, first managing their physiotherapy clinic and being a clinical teacher full time, while she did her master鈥檚 and PhD degrees part time. She later became a faculty member, and built a pan-Canadian research network focused on military and Veteran health research from the ground up.
Returning to Dal in 2016, in a leadership position this time as Dean of the Faculty of Health, she found constant reminders that the university鈥檚 researchers aren鈥檛 motivated just by their own ambitions or research goals, but by the desire to do good for the entire region.
鈥淚t was really great to come back 22 years later,鈥� says Dr. Aiken. 鈥淚 had been away long enough that I鈥檇 forgotten the collaborative spirit of the East Coast and AV俱乐部. That鈥檚 our greatest strength.鈥�
She now brings that collaborative spirit into her work as vice-president, research & innovation (VPRI), and it鈥檚 been central in the development of the university鈥檚 new research and innovation strategic direction 鈥� fittingly named Impact Together. It鈥檚 designed to ensure Dal continues to grow research and innovation on campus and be a vibrant part of the U15 Group of Canadian research universities.
鈥淓verybody came to the table together,鈥� says Dr. Aiken of the process to develop the strategic direction. 鈥淭hey鈥檙e all excited by the work we鈥檙e doing collectively, and they want to be part of the greater good.鈥�
Empowering others to succeed
Her role as VPRI requires managing many partnerships with stakeholders in the private and public sectors. And it means finding ways to empower students and faculty as researchers, innovators and creators and helping them make an impact on local and global challenges 鈥� a theme that resonates, for example, within the initiative.
鈥淓ssentially my job is to create an environment so that everyone can do their best possible research,鈥� Dr. Aiken says. 鈥淭hat means putting in place supports and information and building a culture that supports people in believing they can find new opportunities and achieve excellence.鈥�
As a leader, Dr. Aiken draws on her military background. 鈥淚n the military you鈥檙e taught to be about team and about mission,鈥� she says. 鈥淚t鈥檚 not about you. That鈥檚 really important in the academy.鈥�
One and a half years into the role as VPRI, Dr. Aiken is enjoying it immensely. 鈥淚 love research. It鈥檚 exciting to see what brilliant ideas people will come up with.鈥� And that focus on the broader community remains. 鈥淲e framed our strategic direction in the UN sustainable development goals for 2030. This way people can see themselves in the larger whole.鈥�
The Dal community can expect to hear more from Dr. Aiken as she works to build on Dal鈥檚 recent successes like the (a $220-million international research collaboration) in fields like health care 鈥� through the Integrated Health Research and Innovation Strategy (IHRIS), a province-wide research and innovation strategy currently under development with the health authorites, government, industry and the public.
On the importance of education鈥�
鈥淢y parents, who immigrated to this country, put a big premium on education to have a good life in Canada. I guess that stayed with me.鈥�
On being an academic鈥�
鈥淎s professors we are so privileged. We get to train the next generation and also come up with ideas and research them for a living.鈥�
On the link between her leadership at Dal and her military background鈥�
鈥淭o lead is to serve.鈥�
On what inspires her...
鈥�We just found two new species in the soil that expand the tree of life! Adding a new branch to the tree of life, how exciting is that?鈥�
On her hobbies鈥�
鈥淭here are three passions I have outside of academia: yoga, reading, and riding my Harley.鈥�
Five Questions 聽
When you were a student, what was your favourite course?
Gross Anatomy at AV俱乐部. I loved it. Dr. Bob Clattenburg was the professor 鈥� he made it fun because he was so passionate about the subject.
If you could only bring one artist鈥檚 music with you to a desert island, who would it be?
Tom Waits or Diana Krall.
What鈥檚 the best advice you鈥檝e ever received?
One of my mentors said to me, 鈥淚magine how much we would all accomplish if nobody needed to take the credit.鈥� Work for the team.
Who is a mentor or leader that鈥檚 inspired you in your life or career?
Dr. Duncan Sinclair, Former Dean of Medicine at Queen鈥檚.
If you could have dinner with one person 鈥� living, deceased or fictional 鈥� who would it be and why?
Freddie Mercury. I love Queen鈥檚 music and I think he was a genius. His old videos in the late 鈥�70s and 鈥�80s show he was bending gender stereotypes ahead of his time.