Engineering Spotlight
Ray Cunliffe and Family
Problem solving is the zen of three generations of UBC engineers
Reprinted from Ingenuity | Fall/Winter 2009
The photos of six members of the Cunliffe family, representing three generations of engineers, hang on the walls of the UBC Faculty of Applied Science hallways. But according to Ray Cunliffe (CIVL ’49), the family’s predisposition towards engineering and problem solving goes back even further. Ray’s father and grandfather both apprenticed as engineers after emigrating from England to Vancouver in 1907.
Ray and his brother Joe (CIVL ’50) often traveled with their father to job sites and saw a lot of construction machinery in action. Their interest grew because, says Ray, “we were just around it all the time.”
Both of Ray’s sons, Harold (CIVL ’73 and DULE [Commerce] ’82) and David (CIVL ’78) tell similar tales of family holidays punctuated by interesting side trips to sewage-treatment plants, highway-construction sites and bridge-building projects.
“Engineering was always a part of my life,” says David. “I don’t remember making a conscious decision to go into it. It just kind of occurred.”
Both Harold and David agree there was never any question about whether they would go to university— the operative word was when.
“My dad told me that he didn’t care what I did, as long as I got a basic education,” says Harold. “But to him, a basic education meant studying civil engineering.”
David’s son Graham (ELEC ’06) remembers being influenced early by both his father and grandfather.
“They would analyze everything and get to the root of the problem in the most practical sense. Even something silly like dinner not being ready on time would be solved like an engineering problem,” says Graham. And although his family would never refer to it this way, problem solving is, according to Graham,“the zen of the family.”
Graham has carried on the family tradition, despite trying to avoid going into engineering for as long as possible. “I studied business at first but didn’t like it. When I started taking physics classes, I realized I thought that way and understood problems from the physics perspective.”
For Ray’s 60th class reunion in September 2009, the entire family was asked to reflect on their time in UBC Engineering. Memories of friendly and accommodating faculty members taking the time to stop what they were doing to help them out, camaraderie enjoyed with fellow students and friendships they maintained after graduation are mutually shared.
The Cunliffes all agree that teamwork was one of the most important skills they learned. It not only helped them get through the incredible workload in the program, but it has also proven to be invaluable throughout their professional careers.
“Engineering is not the type of education you can achieve independently,” says David. “It wasn’t only encouraged but mandated that you learn to work as a team.”
In his current work as a land developer, David coordinates projects and a broad range of professionals from a variety of backgrounds. “You’ve got to bring everyone together with a common focus if you’re going to succeed,” he says.
Harold, also in land development, credits his engineering degree with teaching him how to problem solve and quickly analyze anything.
“In my later career, I’ve had lots of consulting engineers working for me, and I’ve needed to analyze their designs quickly and correct them if necessary,” he says.
Ray believes that the ability to problem solve is the single most important thing an engineering student will learn.
“That’s what engineers are. We’re problem solvers,” he says.
