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Simon - 50th Anniversary Magazine of Simon Fraser University

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32 simon FALL 2015 (CHU) PAUL JOSEPH; (DOSANJH) TONIA COWAN FIGHTING CRIME ONLINE An advocate for using informa- tion technology in police work, Jim Chu has authored articles and books, and shared his expertise at conferences around the world. R R THELMA FINLAYSON Thelma Finlayson took SFU's mission to engage the world so seriously, she provided academic guid- ance to students a full 40 years after her retirement. Finlayson, now a member of the Order of Canada, joined the University in 1967 as the first female faculty member of the Department of Biological Sciences, and became a founding member of SFU's Centre for Pest Management. After her retirement in 1979, she con- tinued on as a special advisor to students, counselling more than 8,000 of them over her tenure—a feat she accomplished well into her 90s. In 2012, the University honoured her tireless work with the Thelma Finlayson Student Engagement Centre on the Burnaby campus. W B.C.'s Okanagan may be known for its wineries, but filmmaker Sandy Wilson can take some credit for putting it on the map with her 1985 film "My American Cousin." The SFU film alumna and winner of an Outstand- ing Alumni Award won a Genie for her Penticton- based comedic portrayal of the differences between Canadians and Americans. JIM CHU In his 36 years fighting crime in Vancouver, seven of those as Vancouver's chief of police, Jim Chu reduced homicide and violent crime rates and made the city a safer place. But what he's most remembered for is engaging the Vancouver Police Department (VPD) with marginalized communities, particularly those on Vancouver's East Side. Chu grew up in East Vancouver, the oldest son of four children. He joined the force just a year after finishing high school, while continuing his studies at SFU, where he earned a bachelor of business administration in 1986, followed by a master's in business administration from UBC. An innovator in his field, Chu developed the VPD's first website in 1996, as well as an online guide for prospective applicants. Later in his career, Chu was a key contributor to the national Police Information Portal System, which facili- tates information sharing among law enforce- ment agencies across Canada. The first chief of police of Asian decent in Canada, Chu has been praised for his excep- tional leadership. He's been an influential figure in policing, both nationally and internationally. In 2007, he received the Governor General's Officer of the Order of Merit for the Police Forces and in 2010 was awarded the SFU Outstanding Alumni Award for Public Service. While he retired from police work in early 2015, Chu has taken his legacy of "quiet, calm competence," as described by his peers, to the Aquilini Investment Group, where he now oversees agricultural, energy and development partnerships with B.C. First Nations.

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