Contrary to its title, Peter Kaiser's “Last Lecture” won't be his last.
Kaiser was participating in Laurentian University's new “Last Lecture” series. The institution anticipates it will be an annual lecture in which a retiring professor will reflect on what they would say if it were their last lecture ever.
In the deep mining engineering professor's talk, “30 Years Later – A Journey of Discovery,” Kaiser condensed what he's learned in his last three decades in Sudbury into a 30-minute slot, and a rather complex formula.
“I'm a fortunate pathfinder,” Kaiser started off. He described it as “a bit of fortune driven by curiosity with a lot of motivation and collaboration following great leaders, which bring many rewards while having fun.”
In 1987, the Kaiser arrived in Sudbury after a stint at the University of Alberta. His first degree was from the Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich, Switzerland.
“An associate who'd lived in Sudbury for a time described it this way to me, 'when I brought my wife to Sudbury, she cried, and when we left, she cried,'” said Kaiser. When he arrived, Kaiser and his wife too fell for Northern Ontario, forming a strong network of colleagues and friends.
They were the basis for much of his professional and personal success, said Kaiser, who emphasized the importance of working as a team throughout the lecture.
“In science, you want to be Einstein, in engineering you want to build the biggest project,” said Kaiser, “and you can't build a mine as an individual.”
In his time in Sudbury, Kaiser made his mark as the president and CEO of MIRARCO-Mining Innovation, Laurentian's non-profit applied research organization; as the founding director, president and CEO of the Centre for Excellence and Mining Innovation (CEMI); and the director of the Rio Tinto Centre for Underground Mine Construction.
As he looks back on these roles, Kaiser said he thinks it will be different for the new generation of engineers.
“Today it's much harder to be in the driver's seat, but I would say: don't wait for the job you want, look for it,” said Kaiser. “Those who are motivated find them.”
Now that Kaiser has retired, his schedule is no less busy. He will continue teaching on occasion, as well as traveling and spending time with his family.
“I'm going to find a bit of a better mix of, what is it called, work-life balance,” Kaiser concluded his lecture.
