What is your first U of A memory?
Coming to Edmonton for the first time in 2001, I flew in and booked into a downtown hotel. First thing I did, after I dropped off my suitcase, was get into a taxi to go to the U of A campus. I remember seeing the campus from across the river valley and then finally getting to the Chemical and Materials Engineering Building right off the river valley and thinking… this is beautiful.
What’s something your coworkers don’t know about you?
My current coworkers probably don’t know that I love curling. I love playing the sport, but also watching it too. I like the tactical gameplay, but also the finesse in the execution of each and every shot. I admire the athletes that do it on a semi-professional basis.
What’s your favourite distraction?
Probably games of any sort — from videogames to board games. I like to keep my mind challenged and trying to solve the next problem. I do like the group aspect of games as well, as it keeps the challenges dynamic and adds complexity and randomness.
If you were enrolling in one course, program or degree right now, what would it be?
I’d probably pick something like architecture. It would perhaps tap into the creative side of me?
What’s a weird pet peeve you have?
Don’t know if it’s weird, but people that merge onto a freeway at slow speeds.
You can invite anyone — alive or dead, real or fictional — to dinner. Who would it be?
Probably former U.S. president Barack Obama. Just very curious about being in that position and the responsibility and challenges that he faced. While I am not at all into politics, I do admire leaders and the leadership qualities they have, and the experience they bring to any situation.
If you could see any live performance tomorrow, what would it be?
I’ve not been to many live performances, but of the ones I’ve been to, I love the intimate ones. Totally unreasonable, but if was just a small room with a piano and say Elton John or Taylor Swift for that matter. Just watching them create would be incredible.
What advice would you give your 18-year-old self?
Of course, when I was 18 I had no idea that I’d be doing what I am doing today. I would tell myself that the reward is not at the end of the journey, but the journey itself. Enjoy every part of it.
What’s one thing you can’t live without?
That’s hard. I feel like with my nature, I would probably adapt and figure out how to live without something. But if it can be a person, then it’s definitely my wife. We’ve gotten to the point where we just complement each other so well that I don’t think I could live without her.
What three words describe your U of A experience?
“Make it your own.” I guess that’s four words. But U of A is such a diverse organization and community, we can all discover how to get what we need here.”
About David
In Technology Transfer Services, David works with industry to create translational research, commercialization partnerships and licensing opportunities developed by U of A researchers, postdocs and other innovators. David has over 15 years of experience managing small and medium-sized enterprises, including two U of A spinoff companies.