Dr. Josephine Tsang, PhD’06, knows firsthand the importance of a supportive community.
When she was 13 years old, she left Hong Kong to live with a host family in Alberta. The move to Canada was considered a good opportunity for Tsang to get a better education but her parents were unable to relocate with her.
Moving to another country without family was not an easy transition for a teenager whose first language was not English. Tsang has always been grateful to the people in the small town of Provost who came together to help her adjust to life in Canada.
“It’s very memorable – that feeling of being part of a community, receiving help, and knowing that you can count on somebody,” says Tsang, a chemist who now lives in Calgary. “Fast forward years later, my upbringing reminds me I need to help when I can. I’ll borrow Michelle Obama’s quote that I live by. I’m paraphrasing but it is when you have worked hard, done well, and walked through the doorway of opportunity, you do not slam the door shut behind you. You reach back and give other folks the same chance.”
Today, Tsang is paying it forward by helping others.
She is the executive director of the Chemical Institute of Canada (CIC), a member-based not-for-profit association that champions the advancement of chemical sciences in Canada. She is focused on help supporting the chemical sciences community excel in sharing and celebrating their discoveries, while ensuring the current and future generations of leaders are ready to foster a more resilient, inclusive future for everyone in Canada.
Outside of work, Tsang launched ChangentYYC, a program for kids between the ages of 10 and 12 that aims to educate youth to take action on social issues such as sustainability, food, water, social well-being, equity, and civic engagement. She wanted to empower youth to think of ways to give back to the community and create future civic leaders.
“You don’t have to be an 18-year-old or 50-year-old adult to make a difference. Everything they do can make a difference,” says Tsang.
She also advises organizations such as Public Health Agency of Canada, Vivo for Healthier Generations’ Capital Campaign, Mount Royal University’s Measuring What Matters, Centre for Suicide Prevention’s Respite Care Committee, and Calgary on Purpose.
She is still involved with Queen’s, serving numerous roles, including being a member of the Department of Chemistry’s Innovation Council and the Dean’s Advisory Council for the Faculty of Arts and Science.
After years of helping her community, Tsang is now set to receive the Johnson Award on April 13, the highest honour bestowed by the Queen’s Calgary Alumni Branch.
She is thrilled to receive the award because some of the previous recipients – Kim Sturgess, Sc’77, Roger Smith Sc’72, MSc’78, Michael O'Connor, Sc’68, PhD’76, DSc’92, and Bruce McFarlane, Artsci ’78 – are fellow alumni who have been mentors throughout her career.
“I am ecstatic and proud to receive the award,” Tsang says. “Going to Queen’s was a life-changing experience. My first job was with Michael (O’Connor) and his environmental consulting firm. All those knowledgeable and passionate alum – I’ve gotten a lot of help from them.”
Join us! Registration for the Johnson Award reception on April 13 in Calgary is now open.
