Alyssa Ottema: Please describe yourself in one sentence.
President Vaccarino: “So, my thought on that is ‘Optimist by nature and believer in the upside of uncertainty.’ […] The optimist part just kind of jumps out at me; I just tend to see the world on positive terms, and part of that is the upside of uncertainty. We live in such uncertain times, but you know, the upside of uncertainty is exploration and discovery.”
AO: What is your favourite thing about Guelph so far?
President Vaccarino: “What a great question, because there were so many things to choose from. I’ll tell you something very practical that jumps out at me, coming from Toronto: I love that you can get from the university to downtown in five minutes. It’s amazing, and the people are amazing. […] That sense of community here just jumps out at you and […] I’ve found the graciousness and the welcoming atmosphere that both my wife and I have experienced has been just fantastic. But getting downtown in five minutes is a big deal, so I love that.”
AO: What is the first thing you do when you have time to yourself?
President Vaccarino: “The part of the question […] that I really focused in on was ‘time to yourself.’ So it’s just me?”
AO: Yes, just you.
President Vaccarino: “My guitar. Done. Easy answer. […] You know, of course, I read, and I like to watch sports, but if I had to pick one…”
AO: Your guitar.
President Vaccarino: “It’s my creativity and mental health break.”
AO: If you could have any superpower, which would you choose, and why?
President Vaccarino: “Well, that was so tough, because you know, you’d want to have it all – you’d want to be the strongest, see the furthest. But, if I had to pick one…I guess what I thought was the ability to override gravitational pull and need for oxygen. […] I guess the why would be because that would allow me to alternate between ground level and thirty thousand feet. […] At thirty thousand feet, things look a lot different. […] There’s a certain liberating thing about being at thirty thousand feet.”
AO: What is one thing you would like to change about the University of Guelph?
President Vaccarino: “Well, I’ve only been here a month, and that’s a really tough question […] I might consider changing the direction that the Cannon is facing. It’s facing the fourth floor here.”
AO: They actually just moved it last year.
President Vaccarino: “I know! […] I don’t know if that was deliberate or whatever, but it is aimed at the fourth floor.”
AO: So, now for the really hard-hitting questions: If you were stranded on a deserted island, what three things would you want to have with you, and why?
President Vaccarino: So, I’m focusing on things, not people. […] I mean if it’s people…I’d take my wife, of course […] but things, I would say definitely my acoustic guitar with ten years worth of supply of strings. That’s all in a package. My glasses, and probably…you know, I don’t think I’d take a tool, because what single tool [is going to help] and, you know, I’d figure that out when I’m on the island. I think I’d need something to make sure that my emotional sustenance is taken care of, so probably a soccer ball. […] It’s simple, it’s versatile…you know, that Tom Hanks movie comes to mind, but I can also kick the ball around.”
AO: If you could have dinner with any five people, living or dead, who would you dine with, and why?
President Vaccarino: “Well, Einstein, obviously. Why? Because he’s Einstein. Michelle Obama – I think she’d have great stories, and it’d be interesting to see her perspective of being in the White House and everything; all of the change and the history making moments that she’s experienced partly directly, but also partly indirectly. […] I’d invite Sophia Loren, because I could practice my Italian with her. I also think she’d get along really well with Einstein. […] Clint Eastwood, only because he seems to get so much done with so little said. He’s kind of very economical in his effectiveness; doesn’t say much but a whole lot. And Stompin’ Tom Connors. Definitely Stompin’ Tom Connors would be there. A Canadian icon and he’s just so cool.
AO: He is cool. My dad loves Stompin’ Tom Connors.
President Vaccarino: How can you not?
AO: What was the hardest part about leaving the University of Toronto?
President Vaccarino: “Well, 30 years. I’ve been there 30 years; I’ve been at every campus at the University of Toronto in one way or another, and that’s a long time. I had great friends and colleagues; 30 years creates just so many connections and bonds, and that, in very general terms, is the most difficult thing. Life is about stages, and you reach a certain stage where, when opportunities present themselves, it makes sense for you, personally. But, at a broader level, those transitions mean moving away from something and into something new, and after 30 years, of course […] the people, friends, and colleagues [are] such a big part of that.”
AO: What is the best gift you have ever been given?
President Vaccarino: “I actually have two that I waffled between; they’re both guitars. So, I have a 1979 Gibson Les Paul Deluxe that was given to me by wife for my fortieth birthday […] But I also have a Fender Strat that was given to me as a going away gift by my U of T colleagues, and it’s signed by the Red Hot Chile Peppers. So, those would be tied, but I have to go with my wife’s, because, you know…”
AO: It’s your wife.
President Vaccarino: “It’s my wife, and it was my fortieth birthday. […] But it was a close call; it was a tough one.”
AO: Name one book that you think everyone should read at some point in their lives.
President Vaccarino: “Blindness. Jose Saramago. Do you know it?”
AO: I’ve heard of it, but I don’t think I’ve read it.
President Vaccarino: “You’ve got to read it. Very powerful book […] How would I describe it? [It’s a] story that shows what a fine balance civilization hangs on in terms of things we take for granted, and assumptions. […] It doesn’t take much for trust and a lot of the positive aspects of human nature to be set aside when there are core threats, so it’s a very powerful book.”
AO: It sounds amazing.
President Vaccarino: “It was one of those books that, months after, it’s kind of like a taste on the tip of your tongue that you’ll always remember, because Saramago does such an amazing job of bringing that fictional scenario to life.”
AO: And, finally and most importantly, if we were to sit down a year from now to celebrate your first year at the university, what would you most hope to have accomplished?
President Vaccarino: “I could talk to you about very specific strategic directions and goals, but at the end of the day, if those things are good, and those things bring good into our university and into the world, people will be energized; people will be excited, they’ll feel proud. […] A year from now, I would say, [I’d like to see that] people are energized, excited, and passionate about where we’re heading, and feeling a sense of common purpose. […] That would feel great, you know, to come together as we look towards the next 50 years.”