Employee Spotlight: Dr. David Kaminski

Where are you from? What is your background?

I'm a Manitoba boy originally and pursued my university studies at both Winnipeg universities. I came to Alberta after a stint as a scientist with the defence department.

When did you join the uLethbridge team and what do you do here?

I came here a little over three decades ago to join the math department. Since then, it's been mostly math research and teaching, although I did occasionally teach computer science and statistics courses.

When and how did you become the U of L piper at Convocation?

There's a bit of a tale behind that. I spent a year of study leave in Dundee, Scotland, dragging my family along for the adventure. After returning to Lethbridge, my daughters picked up highland dancing as an activity, and so I was hearing pipe music around the house. By chance I met a piper in Lethbridge who started me on the path to piping, and some years into that adventure, Ian MacLachlan, now retired from the geography department, conscripted me into piping the convocation procession up the hill, as an experiment. He thought if you were going to trudge up a hill anyway, why do it in silence? There've been occasional slips and errors, but I think it's worked out reasonably well over the years. It must be well over a decade since that first noisy trial.

What do you love most about convocation?

How can you not love bring-your-bagpipes-to-work day?

What message of congratulations / advice would you like to share with our grads this spring?

This year's graduating class faced unique -- even historical -- challenges in completing their degrees in this COVID-19 crisis. The fact they have endured these past months' hardships and completed their programs under these trying circumstances augurs well for their future prospects. I'm truly impressed by the mettle of our students  and my colleagues in seeing this through. Well done, everyone!