Passport to the past: Travel award takes learning overseas and back in time

When University of Calgary professor emeritus Dr. John Humphrey established a travel award in his name, he and his wife Dr. Laura McLeod envisioned the impact.

How it would enhance the educational experience of students interested in the history, culture and archaeology of the ancient Mediterranean.

How it would reduce the gap between textbook photographs and the genuine article.

"When you're sitting here in Calgary reading about Corinthian columns, you can go and see one at a bank downtown, but it's not like seeing them in their original context,” says McLeod, BSc'75, MD'78. "You can watch videos, but it isn’t the same. It’s not like seeing an olive tree that's been growing for a thousand years."

Whole-heartedly vouching for that approach is Alexandra Laviolette, the 2022 recipient of the John W. Humphrey Travel Award in Greek and Roman Studies.

Getting a hands-on history lesson

Scheduled to graduate this year with a BSc (archaeology, minor in anthropology) and BA (honours, Greek and Roman Studies), Laviolette used funding from the scholarship to study abroad.

She spent a year at Durham University in England, where she volunteered at its acclaimed Oriental Museum and had hands-on access to artifacts. One day she had the thrill of cradling an Egyptian canopic jar, a funerary vessel used in the mummification process.

“It was between 5,000 and 6,000 years old,” says Laviolette. “The average person doesn’t get to do that. You can do a lot of learning in the classroom, which is super fundamental, obviously, but this puts it into perspective. 

“It’s remarkable, honestly.”

It’s precisely those kinds of details that captivate Humphrey and McLeod, making the annual event for the award recipient a highlight for the donors. At the presentation, they get to meet the student and hear about their time abroad.

"Oh, it’s huge — a special day for us,” says Humphrey, PhD. "We walk in having never seen them before in our life. They're always more than a bit nervous. But there's usually a spark … that they got really excited about something they probably never thought of."

Adds McLeod: “It's a travel scholarship, so you want to know what happened for them. If we didn't see what they did with it, you might lose your motivation to keep giving. But these presentations totally make it worth it."

McLeod and Humphrey, who was a professor with the Faculty of Arts from 1973 to 2014, have seen their award, with a value of $5,000, given out five times.

Experience as student, professor inspiration for paying it forward 

Humphrey says he was inspired by the Wigham Family Undergraduate Scholarship, a similar travel award established by Darol and Evelyn Wigham nearly 30 years ago. While head of the Department of Classics and Religion, Humphrey had the privilege of handing out that prestigious award. “That's really what prompted me,” Humphrey says. “I was so impressed by the Wighams and their commitment."

No one can question Humphrey’s dedication, either. 

As a student, his 1970 excavation experience in Turkey changed the course of his research, career and life. For the next 25 years, he excavated in Turkey and Greece.

As an academic pacesetter and archeological field guide, he organized and led more than 40 overseas tours for UCalgary Continuing Education. “It was a real success,” says Humphrey, adding that he created the award to facilitate academic opportunities abroad. “This is one way to try to keep students motivated in the field of Classics. Travel is the kind of educational experience that makes them a better candidate, a more desirable hire, in their pursuit of a career.”

The impact is undeniable, according to Dr. Marica Cassis, PhD, associate professor and former department head in the Department of Classics and Religion and the Department of History.

“The award has allowed students to experience things that they would never have been able to because of the cost," says Cassis. 

"Whether these students go on in archaeology or classics, they have all said that this money allowed them to have life-altering experiences. Such experiences are formative for students as they navigate the world.”

From excavation site to the bone lab

Sam Walker, after receiving the 2024 award, travelled to Greece for the Nikopolis field school — experiential learning that counted as school credit. For two weeks, her team excavated during the day and attended seminars in the evening. During the third and final week, she studied in the “bone lab,” cataloguing skeletal remains. On weekends, she visited historic locations in the area.

“The award was very helpful,” says Walker, who is working towards her BA in Greek and Roman Studies. 

“To not have such a large financial burden made attending the program a much more viable option. If it had not been for the award, I'm doubtful whether I would have been able to go to Greece.”

Laviolette, thanks to the support of Humphrey and McLeod, also made the most of her opportunity. While at Durham University, she decided that she wanted to pursue the scientific study of ancient Egypt.

“It changed my career trajectory,” she says. “I know it sounds dramatic, but it’s true — they really changed the course of my life.”