University of Alberta Edmonton, Canada 4 April 1997

Mike Sieben keeps three balls in the air: sport, academe and community service

By Michael Robb

When University of Saskatchewan Bears volleyball player finds it all at U of A student Mike Sieben finished his MSc, he knew he wanted to do two things: earn a PhD and continue playing volleyball. Both were important. But he wasn't willing to settle for a school that wasn't solid in both areas.

Sieben, who played for two years for the U of S volleyball squad, headed west down highway 16-and the Bears volleyball team is glad he did. A key player in the team's recent national championship win, Seiben not only ended up scoring big on the court, he ended up producing big in the lab as well. He recently presented research at an optical fibre conference that caught the attention of the fibre optics world. His work involves the improvement of long-distance digital transmissions.

"The quality of the fibre optics work being done here is incredible and there's good corporate sponsorship which allows students to work on top-of-the-line equipment," says Sieben, whose thesis advisors are affiliated with TRLabs, a joint industry and university collaborative enterprise in applied telecommunications research.

"The U of A is one of the superior universities in Canada for combining the two, [sports and academics]," says the soft-spoken, six-foot, seven-inch giant. "Both programs required more than I could give, so I had to make compromises."

Maybe so, but he still ended up being awarded several prestigious scholarships [see list], winning a national championship-and squeezing in community service whenever he could. Sieben says he learned something along the way, something that will likely serve him well in his career: Judge people on their performance and extended performance, rather than on first impressions. The cocky guy sometimes ends up being a genuine, caring person. The person you think can't physically get the job done, ends up being a team leader. "I've learned to give people a chance."

It cuts both ways. Employers are just as likely to give the guy who gives people a chance a job. He's optimistic once he's finished his doctoral work, a job will be at the end of the line. It is, however, the end of the line for his volleyball career at the U of A. "I prepared myself that this would be my last year; eventually you have to move on."

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