The COVID-19 pandemic has caused the cancellation of many McGill traditions. Others have only been altered, thanks to technology.
Such is the case for Principal Suzanne Fortier BSc’72, PhD’76, and Dr. Sydney Duder BSc’42, MSW’70, PhD’87.
Dr. Duder has been part of the McGill community for over 50 years. Now 99, she retired last year as a professor at the School of Social Work.
She’s also a generous McGill supporter. She has made gifts to the Centre for Research on Children and Families, which is affiliated with the School of Social Work, and this spring she completed a gift to establish a Professorship in Program Evaluation at the Max Bell School of Public Policy. Efforts are currently underway to find the best person to fill the position.
Dr. Duder had originally planned the Professorship as a gift in her will, then decided she wanted to see the impact now. She has been a frequent guest at McGill’s annual Afternoon Tea with the Principal, an event that honours donors who leave a bequest or other planned gift to the University. As this year’s event was cancelled due to COVID-19, Duder was instead invited to a Zoom call with Principal Fortier.
Some of the topics they discussed included climate change (Dr. Duder recommends reading Drawdown by Paul Hawken), and music (Fortier misses sitting in on the Schulich School of Music’s masterclasses).
They also discussed their professional interests. Duder devoted much of her career to program evaluation, a method for problem solving. She even developed her own problem-solving model. “I love program evaluation. I think it’ll save the world,” says Duder. “Sometimes I just sit and plan how to solve the world’s problems – like getting rid of prisons, or eliminating the need for foster care. I think it’s far more important to prevent problems than just treat them.”
Principal Fortier recalled her experience as a young researcher in crystallography, studying atomic and molecular structures. “It’s an incredible feeling to be the first person in the world to learn something new. [My discovery] was a tiny thing, but it was so exciting!”
Inevitably, the topic of the pandemic came up. Both remarked on the success of female leaders during the COVID-19 crisis, and Dr. Duder asked how the Principal was coping with the challenge. “People have asked if I get depressed, but no, not at all,” says Fortier. “It’s like a ship in a storm: if you have a great crew, it’s invigorating. There’s a team working day and night to get us through this situation.”
The two women made plans to meet again next spring, when Dr. Duder’s 100th birthday will coincide with McGill’s 200th anniversary celebrations. “I hope it will be in person!” said Fortier. “Because next year is going to be an exciting one for McGill.”
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