UNews - analyst

Collaboration yields plumbing solution

trevor.kenney — Tue, 30 Nov 2010 21:41:13 +0000

A cooperative effort has helped to thwart a non-compatibility issue and for that, ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge students, staff and faculty can be thankful this winter.

When the Central Plant's hot water heating system began to see a number of its valves fail, their rubber linings chewed away to the point where they no longer held water, TJ Hanson and his Utilities staff suspected something more sinister than wear and tear was at the heart of the problem.

"The last few years we've had a number of incidents where valves throughout the system just weren't holding," says Hanson, the director of Facility Operations and Maintencance. "We would close a valve but water would continue through the line and it made it very difficult to isolate a boiler for service."

A total of three gas fired boilers work in unison to supply closed loop hot water heating to the U of L. With valves continuing to fail and another winter heating season looming, Hanson and the Utilities crew knew something had to be done.

"When we opened the valves up and looked at them they were all deteriorating or completely chewed up," says Hanson. "We had a chemical analysis done of the water in the system and we spoke with the valve supplier, but they assured us their valves were fine."

So, the crew decided to seek out its own expert – and found him in-house.

"Terry Sutton came up with the idea that we should contact someone in our chemistry department," says Hanson.

The chemistry someone in question was Dr. René Boeré, and it didn't take long for Boeré to determine what was wrong with the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ's failing valves. By examining the 20 or so constituents in the boiler water, their concentration and subsequently checking their compatibility with the rubber material (known as EPDM) of the valves, Boeré found a problem.

"The list from the analyst contained a range of substances, which I compared to a chemical compatibility index," says Boeré. "EPDM is supposed to have good compatibility with the majority of the ingredients in the boiler water. Of those species present that might attack this rubber, I looked at how much was identified as being in the water. Of these, the substance morpholine was one of the highest in concentration and most deleterious to EPDM."

Morpholine is an antiquated agent that has been used in steam and hot water systems because it distributes evenly between hot water and steam, and provides corrosion protection. Chemicals of its type have not been used in the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ's systems for well over 25 years. However, it has remained present as a legacy chemical and in ever-declining concentration.

"That was, more or less, our smoking gun," says Hanson, who now had a summer project on his hands.

The only solution was to shut down the entire system, clean it out and start from scratch.

"We drained and refilled the entire system twice, and circulated the water each time to flush it out," says Hanson. "Then we began the process of replacing valves on campus, a total of 220, ranging in size from four to 14 inches."

The system is now free of Morpholine and with the heating season on the doorstep, the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ is prepared, all thanks to the cooperative work of two very distinct ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ units.

"We have to think all the time about the kinds of materials we use to handle a wide range of chemicals, thus we get used to the idea of checking material compatibility," says Boeré. "It was a pleasure to be able to use these skills to help out TJ and his staff as they work to keep us warm throughout the winter. I think it's easy for us in the offices and classrooms to take their work for granted."

For a look at the full issue of the November Legend in a flipbook format, follow this link.

The science of plumbing

trevor.kenney — Thu, 18 Nov 2010 20:05:54 +0000

A cooperative effort has helped to thwart a non-compatibility issue and for that, ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge students, staff and faculty can be thankful this winter.

So, the crew decided to seek out its own expert – and found him in-house.

"Terry Sutton came up with the idea that we should contact someone in our chemistry department," says Hanson.

"That was, more or less, our smoking gun," says Hanson, who now had a summer project on his hands.

The only solution was to shut down the entire system, clean it out and start from scratch.

For a look at the full issue of the November Legend in a flipbook format, follow this link.

ConocoPhillips Canada sees benefits of support

trevor.kenney — Tue, 16 Nov 2010 17:16:40 +0000

Recently, representatives from ConocoPhillips Canada visited the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge to meet some of the students who have benefitted from the company's longstanding commitment to education.

Representatives from ConocoPhillips Canada recently met with students who benefitted from the company's support. Pictured here are (left to right) Chris Keeler, Tim Bryant (CPC), Beth Watson, Sydney McNally, Jean Wu and Barbara Simic (CPC).

As a strong supporter of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ for more than 15 years, the company offers placements for co-op students and regularly hires U of L graduates. One of ConocoPhillips Canada's contributions has given students the opportunity to take part in world-wide, national and regional work placements.

The ConocoPhillips Canada Cooperative Education Award has benefitted over 40 students to date. Recipients have worked in such diverse locations as Hong Kong, South Africa, Malaysia and Alberta, and for organizations that include businesses, non-governmental organizations and not-for-profits, to name a few.

Chris Keeler, a fourth-year finance major, was more than happy meet some of the individuals responsible for helping to fund his co-op placement in Kuala Lampur.

"My work term provided the opportunity to apply skills I learned in the classroom on real projects," says Keeler, who worked as an analyst with a boutique investment bank.

Keeler had the opportunity to work on mergers and acquisitions, as well as financing deals, developing and practicing skills he knows he will use throughout his career.

"I picked up a great deal of technical knowledge along the way and enjoyed the experience of working and living in a different culture."

Sydney McNally echoes Keeler, maintaining that her own experience in Cape Town, South Africa, prepared her for the job market.

"I worked at a small specialist economic development consultancy that focuses on creating sustainable change in developing communities," explains McNally.

"Acting as the project manager for two fair trade workshop and information sessions, I have a better understanding of project management and fair trade."

Equally grateful for the experience is Beth Watson, who spent three and a half months in Cape Town, South Africa, interning at a non-governmental organization (NGO). Her daily tasks ranged from data entry to interviewing micro-loan clients and provided an incredible overview of the organization.

"Throughout all of this I learned a lot about micro finance, development, South Africa, and myself. The experience was truly invaluable and I am so grateful to ConocoPhillips for helping make it possible," says Watson.

Profiting from a U of L friendship

trevor.kenney — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 17:53:13 +0000

Sometimes the best-laid plans never see the light of day. Sometimes, they just need a little more time on the shelf.

Russ MacKay (BMgt '90) and Anil Tahiliani (BMgt '90), graduates of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge's Bachelor of Management program, are now senior partners at McLean & Partners, one of Canada's most respected, high net worth private-client wealth management firms. But it was back in 1990 where a friendship and future working relationship was cemented while writing a business plan to open a convenience store in the yet-to-be-built Students Union Building at the U of L.

"The project-based group work in the Bachelor of Management program is what cemented the relationship, both personal and professional, between Anil and myself, and this is what brought us back together 10 years after grad," says MacKay, noting the plan they developed was never enacted. "Now look at us: we work 10 feet apart from one another."

The route the two took after graduating from the U of L was divergent at first but with their degrees intact, it provided each with a wealth of opportunity.

MacKay initially pursued a career in media, working his way to sales manager at two Lethbridge radios station while Tahiliani moved on to the Alberta Treasury Finance Department.

After four years in media, MacKay moved to Calgary, launching a new career with the investment firm Burns Fry. His career in the high net worth investment industry continued to the point where he became a founding partner of McLean & Partners Wealth Management.

Tahiliani took a decidedly different path. One year into his career with the provincial government, he took a brief eight-month leave of absence to complete an MBA, returning to the Alberta Treasury Investment Management Department.

When Tahiliani left in 1994, he was recognized as the youngest manager in their history. From there, he moved on to an analyst position with Bissett and Associates, before moving to Phoenix in 1997 as CFO for a nutritional health-care provider. After completing both a CFA (Chartered Financial Analyst) and CIM (Canadian Investment Manager) designation, Tahiliani moved on to build his own company, a two-year old start-up ISP, which became a highly successful business before it was purchased by NetZero.

In 2000, Tahiliani returned to Canada and reunited with his former study partner, this time creating a business plan with real dollars at stake. Starting with $275 million in assets, he, MacKay and the firm put the plan to the test. It passed, as over the next eight years, McLean & Partners would grow into one of Calgary's most recognized investment practices, with over $1 billion in assets. It all started at the U of L.

"I liked the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge for the ability to make lifelong friends, such as Russ," Tahiliani says. "The liberal arts environment gave me a much more rounded education not typically found in the finance world. I now feel I have a more complete view of the world, and this greatly helps me working for a firm that specializes in global investing."

GET THE FACTS

• Both MacKay and Tahiliani met their future wives on the U of L campus. MacKay married Karen McCune (BEd '87), while Tahiliani married Terry Bourassa (BEd '89)

• While in the media business, MacKay worked as sales manager at Monarch Broadcasting and Shaw Communications

• Tahiliani was brought into McLean & Partners in 2000 when the firm created a research department, and he was recruited as the Head of Research

UNews - analyst

Collaboration yields plumbing solution

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