posted on July 30: McMaster bids warm farewell to Harvey Weingarten

[img_inline align=”right” src=”http://padnws01.mcmaster.ca/images/Harveyfarewell.jpg” caption=”Harvey Weingarten, President George”]His farewell was bittersweet.

Harvey, I know that you keep telling me that no one is
irreplaceable, but I doubt that you will be replaced.

Those remarks, by associate vice-president academic Fred Hall,
summed up the feelings of many people who attended a
farewell reception for University provost and vice-president
academic Harvey Weingarten earlier this month.

Weingarten becomes href=”http://www.fp.ucalgary.ca/unicomm/news/newpres.htm”>president of the University of Calgary on Sept. 1. (See Daily
News story on href=”http://dailynews.mcmaster.ca/story.cfm?id=925″>his appointment.)

People come along in times of need. McMaster needed Harvey
Weingarten in 1996 and he helped lead us through difficult times
to some truly outstanding achievements, remarked President
Peter George. Now the University of Calgary is in need — and
Harvey will rise to the occasion, I have no doubts.”

George called the day a bittersweet one for McMaster. “This is a
day of mixed emotions. On the one hand there's a sense of
pride, so proud of one of our own, one of McMaster's best, being
recognized as just that and recruited elsewhere because of his
enormous capabilities, while at the same time there's a bit of an
empty and perhaps even an envious feeling, that another
university will reap in the future the benefits of Harvey's wisdom,
his intellectual spirit and his passion for university life,”
remarked President George.

Weingarten joined McMaster's department of psychology in
1979. He has taught both undergraduate and graduate students
in a number of areas of psychology including behavioural
neuroscience and the controls of eating and its disorders. His
research has earned him international renown and numerous
grants.

He served as chair of the department for three years before
being named dean of science in 1995. A year later, he took up
the post of provost and vice-president academic, where he was
responsible for all academic programs and the 1,100 full-time
and sessional teaching staff within the University's 49 academic
departments and six Faculties.

During his term in office, he led the institution through a period of
significant academic and administrative change and institutional
renewal. He was instrumental in the development of several key University documents such as href=”http://www.mcmaster.ca/pres/dir3.htm”>Directions (I, II,
and III), a planning document developed by senior
administrators which set out the academic priorities and
purpose of the institution and defined the University's mission,
vision and goals.

During his five years in office, Weingarten set McMaster on a
course for continued excellence in research and scholarship,
established principles and priorities for resource allocation,
supported new programs and initiatives for institutional renewal,
helped to create a more student-focused university and
developed an

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[img_inline align="right" src="http://padnws01.mcmaster.ca/images/Harveyfarewell.jpg" caption="Harvey Weingarten, President George"]His farewell was bittersweet. <p><br />
Harvey, I know that you keep telling me that no one is <br />
irreplaceable, but I doubt that you will be replaced.<p><br />
Those remarks, by associate vice-president academic Fred Hall, <br />
summed up the feelings of many people who attended a <br />
farewell reception for University provost and vice-president <br />
academic Harvey Weingarten earlier this month.<p><br />
Weingarten becomes <a <br />
href="http://www.fp.ucalgary.ca/unicomm/news/newpres.htm">president of the University of Calgary</a> on Sept. 1. (See <i>Daily <br />
News</i> story on <a <br />
href="http://dailynews.mcmaster.ca/story.cfm?id=925">his appointment</a>.)<p><br />
People come along in times of need. McMaster needed Harvey <br />
Weingarten in 1996 and he helped lead us through difficult times <br />
to some truly outstanding achievements, remarked President <br />
Peter George. Now the University of Calgary is in need -- and <br />
Harvey will rise to the occasion, I have no doubts."<p><br />
George called the day a bittersweet one for McMaster. "This is a <br />
day of mixed emotions. On the one hand there&#039;s a sense of <br />
pride, so proud of one of our own, one of McMaster&#039;s best, being <br />
recognized as just that and recruited elsewhere because of his <br />
enormous capabilities, while at the same time there&#039;s a bit of an <br />
empty and perhaps even an envious feeling, that another <br />
university will reap in the future the benefits of Harvey&#039;s wisdom, <br />
his intellectual spirit and his passion for university life," <br />
remarked President George.<p> <br />
Weingarten joined McMaster&#039;s department of psychology in <br />
1979. He has taught both undergraduate and graduate students <br />
in a number of areas of psychology including behavioural <br />
neuroscience and the controls of eating and its disorders. His <br />
research has earned him international renown and numerous <br />
grants.<p><br />
He served as chair of the department for three years before <br />
being named dean of science in 1995. A year later, he took up <br />
the post of provost and vice-president academic, where he was <br />
responsible for all academic programs and the 1,100 full-time <br />
and sessional teaching staff within the University&#039;s 49 academic <br />
departments and six Faculties.<p><br />
During his term in office, he led the institution through a period of <br />
significant academic and administrative change and institutional <br />
renewal. He was instrumental in the development of several key University documents such as <a <br />
href="http://www.mcmaster.ca/pres/dir3.htm">Directions (I, II, <br />
and III)</a>,  a planning document developed by senior <br />
administrators which set out the academic priorities and <br />
purpose of the institution and defined the University&#039;s mission, <br />
vision and goals.<p><br />
During his five years in office, Weingarten set McMaster on a <br />
course for continued excellence in research and scholarship, <br />
established principles and priorities for resource allocation, <br />
supported new programs and initiatives for institutional renewal, <br />
helped to create a more student-focused university and <br />
developed an <a href=" <br />
http://www.mcmaster.ca/newsevents/acadplan.htm">Academic <br />
Plan</a> for McMaster for the years 2000-2005.<p><br />
His annual and popular <a <br />
href="http://www.mcmaster.ca/ua/opr/stac01/stac01.html">State <br />
of the Academy</a> address <br />
provided both micro and macro views of the McMaster <br />
academy and its relationship with the world and events occurring <br />
outside the ivory tower.<p><br />
"He&#039;s a change agent, so to speak and of all the people I have <br />
met in my career, he is one of the very best for getting things <br />
done," commented President George on Weingarten&#039;s ability to dare <br />
people to both create and accept change. <p><br />
Fred Hall praised Weingarten for his willingness to always look <br />
for the best solution for the institution, his affable nature and <br />
challenging, visionary ideas. <p><br />
"When Harvey was appointed, fear went through the arts and <br />
social sciences. It was assumed this tough, former chair of <br />
psychology and former dean of science couldn&#039;t possibly know <br />
anything about the humanities. In fact, all he cared about were <br />
eating disorders...it was evident that Harvey had done his <br />
homework and knew more about some aspects of the Faculty <br />
than a few of the chairs. His questions were probing ones and <br />
demonstrated that he would challenge old assumptions and ask <br />
for evidence of specific claims, especially through proof of <br />
outcomes," said Hall.<p> <br />
McMaster&#039;s loss is shared by others in the province, added Hall.<p> <br />
"...a vice-president of another Ontario university told me that all <br />
Ontario v-ps are sad to see him leave Ontario and join the ranks <br />
of the presidents. He pointed out that Harvey&#039;s contributions to <br />
the provincial scene were valued by all of his colleagues at other <br />
universities."<p><br />
Acting provost Peter Sutherland complimented Weingarten for <br />
his team-building skills, qualities that were put to good use in <br />
Weingarten&#039;s work with the Faculty deans and qualities that will <br />
be missed.  Sutherland talked about the bi-weekly group <br />
breakfast meetings hosted by Weingarten that provided the <br />
deans with an environment in which to vent, test-drive policy <br />
ideas and take a look at the big picture.<p><br />
"The deans lost any <br />
opportunity or motivation to conspire amongst themselves and <br />
against the provost...The meetings were often uproarious and <br />
irreverent, never dull and almost always energizing...The net <br />
effect was that all of us (deans) were looking forward to working <br />
with Harvey for years to come."<p><br />
Weingarten said he was touched by the farewell.  He used the <br />
occasion to recognize and  thank those with whom he has worked with over the years. <p><br />
He thanked his boss, Peter George, for giving him the "room to <br />
do my job and to play out some of my own aspirations and <br />
goals. He gave me the room to make my own mistakes and was <br />
always there to support me unconditionally when I needed it."<p><br />
His colleagues in psychology, the Faculty deans and numerous <br />
departments and staff in Gilmour Hall (whom he described as <br />
the backbone of the University) were also thanked for their <br />
support.<p> <br />
Weingarten singled out Fred Hall, Linda Grocott and Anne-Marie <br />
Kniehl (and provided anecdotal stories about them), for their <br />
contributions to McMaster and his office.<p><br />
Capping the ceremony was the presentation by President <br />
George of a beautiful watercolour painting by Stephanie Lisak <br />
(Department of Political Science) titled <i>Magnolias at <br />
McMaster</i>.<p><br />
George also presented Weingarten with a singing fish, Travis <br />
the Trout. The gift of a singing fish is well on its way to becoming <br />
a tradition at McMaster.<p> <br />
Russell Joffe (former dean, health sciences) and Gerhard <br />
Gerber (former v-p research and international affairs) were <br />
presented with a singing bass called Billy at their farewells. <p><br />
Remarking on the oddity of such a gift, the President said, "I <br />
remember thinking at the time (when Weingarten presented <br />
Joffe with the singing fish)&#039;Okay, so I don&#039;t really get the <br />
connection, but this is a psychologist and a psychiatrist and <br />
they&#039;re laughing hysterically so there must be some deeper level <br />
meaning which simply is too deep for a mere economist.&#039;<br />
"(And then I discovered at the farewell for Gerber), there was no <br />
psychiatrist/psychological factor at play, but rather, it&#039;s just really hilarious for a grown man to receive a singing fish.  Harvey, he&#039;s no Billy, but I hope Travis the Trout brings you as much joy and <br />
laughter as Billy brought to your colleagues."<p><br />
George also thanked Weingarten&#039;s wife, Barbara Markman, a <br />
member of the Department of Clinical Epidemiology & <br />
Biostatistics (Program in Evidence-Based Care), for her <br />
contributions to McMaster and wished <br />
Weingarten and his family, including daughters Sarah and <br />
Laura, well.<p> <br />
Photo: President George presents Harvey Weingarten, provost and vice-president <br />
academic, with a singing fish.<p><br />
<i>Photo by Kelly Curwin</i>

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