October 2007 Issue
The Summit series
A Profound and Critical Role
Dr. Gary Faulkner, P.Eng., says a collective memory is essential as the Board of Examiners works through applications for APEGGA membership. And he should know — with 18 years of service to the board, Dr. Falkner represents a large chunk of that memory.
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DRESSED FOR SUCCESS |
BY FRANCINE MAXWELL
The PEGG
Serendipity and happenstance, along with a healthy dose of professional pride, have helped guide and mould the career of Gary Faulkner, P.Eng. And very successfully. This educator and longtime member of the APEGGA Board of Examiners has more than 75 technical papers to his credit and a host of awards, after all.
His latest major honour? The 2007 L.C. Charlesworth Professional Service Summit Award. It is, in fact, the second APEGGA Summit Award for Dr. Faulkner, a University of Alberta engineering professor. In 2001 he received the Excellence in Education Summit Award.
Back in high school, Dr. Faulkner knew he wanted to be an engineer. It was a career he thought suited his interest in how and why things work. The choice had serendipitous consequences.
“I had thought about law, but engineering seemed to match what I wanted. It seemed like the thing to do. I never intended to become an educator. While doing my master’s degree I had the opportunity to teach. I originally intended to only do it for one term but found it very stimulating and enjoyed it, so I then pursued a PhD,” says Dr. Faulkner.
Not only does he like teaching, but it seems he’s very good at it. Dr. Faulkner has been awarded the University of Alberta’s Undergraduate Teaching Award in the Department of Mechanical Engineering — five times. He’s also received the Rutherford Award for excellence in undergraduate teaching.
How the Board Beckoned
How he came to be on the Board of Examiners wasn’t exactly a plan either — even
though he’s been serving on it now for more than 18 years, 12 of them as
chair. The volunteer job started out as help for another board member who’d
fallen ill, needed a hand with the workload, and didn’t want to give up
his spot.
“Eighteen years later, I’m still here,” says Dr. Faulkner. In the years since Dr. Faulkner began his board stint, much has changed. Board meetings are held in several venues around the province with members from other cities participating by videoconference. The Internet allows members to access their huge agendas online.
But for all the advances, Dr. Faulkner says the core of the board’s
work hasn’t changed at all.
“The board has doubled in size, and the number of files we deal with has
grown enormously. We have to be more effective and efficient. Each member has
more to do outside of each meeting.
“But if a file needs to be discussed, we still discuss it. There is no
less attention paid to each and every file than before. Volumes of applications
have gone up but applicants are the same mix they always were.”
“If a (Board of Examiners) file needs to be discussed,
we still discuss it. There is no less attention paid to each and every file than
before. Volumes of applications have gone up but applicants are the same mix
they always were.
-Dr. Gary Faulkner, P.Eng.
More Work Than Ever
The APEGGA Annual Report states that the number of applications approved
by the Board of Examiners in 2006 was 5,378. That’s an increase of 1,344
from the year previous.
As of Aug. 31 of this year, the board had approved 4,304 applications, or an increase of 14.9 per cent over the same period the year before.
The numbers have forced more work onto the Board of Examiners than ever. But Dr. Faulkner says the long service of its members makes all the difference.
“We need to have a good collective memory to do this job effectively. If we had a new board every year, the length of time an application would take to approve would be very long. Still, we all come into a meeting with open minds and we work towards the right answer.”
Dr. Faulkner credits much of the Board of Examiners’ success to the hard work and diligence of the APEGGA Registration Department, along with the willingness of his colleagues to have their opinions changed.
And opinions do sometimes differ, and sometimes strongly. But at the end
of the day, no board member goes home feeling the job didn’t get done to the best
of everyone’s abilities, says Dr. Faulkner.
“I’ve been amazed from the day I started that you can vehemently
disagree with another member of the board, but after that it’s forgotten.
No one takes disagreements personally. I think the work we do is very important
as our decisions have a large impact on the lives of the applicants. I’m
extremely proud of the work the board does and as a result I find it very satisfying.”
The APEGGA Mission Statement, in part, reads that members “serve the public interest by regulating the practices of engineering and geoscience in Alberta, (and) by providing leadership for our professions . . .” That’s something Dr. Faulkner takes to heart with every file he reviews.
“We have a profound effect on many people. It takes a long time to understand what being an engineer means: that you are in a position of trust, that you have a responsibility to the rest of society when you do your job. It’s a trust you never want to lose.”
The L.C. Charlesworth Professional Service Award is presented to members of APEGGA who have served their profession diligently for many years, and made substantial contributions to the operation of the Association and the advancement of its professional status.