Catherine Dutton grew up just a stone’s throw away from Memorial University’s St. John’s campus.

Though the university was practically in her backyard, when she entered Memorial in 1973, something was missing.

She intended to major in biology, and she enjoyed studying genetics. But that was because it involved working with numbers. What she really missed was doing math.

A friend of hers was dating an engineering student at the time and told Ms. Dutton that engineering involves a lot of math. Inspired by the prospect of equations and calculations, Ms. Dutton switched gears and applied to engineering.

Ms. Dutton was one of only three women in her engineering program. One later left university and another transferred out of the province.

Undeterred, Ms. Dutton forged ahead, and in 1979, she was the only woman in her graduating class.

She went on to earn her master’s degree in ocean engineering from Memorial in 1986 and started teaching at the Marine Institute (MI) in 1989.

She enjoyed teaching and decided to complete a bachelor’s degree in vocational education on the side, which she completed in 1992.

Teaching at MI meant she was a part of a close-knit community. Ms. Dutton resonated with a phrase often repeated by faculty members: “You know the students, not their numbers.”

This went beyond just knowing students’ names. “We also knew something about them,” she said.

When MI joined Memorial in 1992, one of the biggest changes was in class size. Some of Ms. Dutton’s courses went from 30 students in a small classroom setting to 100 students in a large lecture hall.

 

Clara Doane, Catherine Dutton and Sophie McCloy at the 2018 Women on the Water (WOW) conference held at the Maine Maritime Academy. Photo courtesy of Catherine Dutton.

 

There were other changes as well. Starting in 1991, MI began training the Canadian Navy.

Memorial was the first university to recognize naval training to help officers earn the bachelor’s degrees they needed for promotion. During the 1990s, one third of MI’s student population were from the navy.

MI trained students from the Canadian navy for 25 years until the advent of online courses meant naval officers could study from anywhere.

Along with naval training, Ms. Dutton helped usher in MI’s new bachelor of maritime studies and bachelor of technology degrees, and she led these programs when she became head of the School of Maritime Studies in 2000.

She was on the board of the Women in Resource Development Corporation (WRDC) from 2005 to 2013. During that time, the WRDC would hold the final two days of their annual Techsploration program at MI.

Techsploration was designed for young women in Grades 8 and 9 from around the province. Ms. Dutton would welcome the students to MI, tell them a little about her experiences in the field and participate in the activities. It was all a way to encourage young women to get involved in science, technology, engineering and math.

In 2014, the WRDC presented her with a Women in Trades and Technology award on International Women’s Day. And in 2018, she received a Diversity in Industry award from the organization.

Through MI, she took on a leading role in Canada’s Ocean Supercluster, an industry-focused organization addressing some of the biggest challenges in the ocean sector.

And she worked as MI’s ambassador to the world, travelling across the globe to share knowledge and build partnerships. She’s especially proud of the work done in the Philippines.

The Philippines is widely regarded as home to the largest number of seafarers in the world. MI helped the country upgrade its training practices to better meet international standards.

She was in the Philippines on her 55th birthday, and her hosts surprised her with a cake using MI’s colours.

Ms. Dutton retired in 2018. But retirement means different things to different people. For some, when one door closes, others open.

In January of 2021, she started working with Memorial’s Internationalization Office. During one of the most trying times in recent memory, she helped international students navigate their way through the complexities of the COVID-19 pandemic.

And when the conflict in Ukraine reached a breaking point, she helped students find a home at Memorial.

She joined the board of the MUN Pensioners’ Association (MUNPA) in 2020 and accepted the role of treasurer in 2021. In 2024, she became president of the organization.

MUNPA celebrates its 40th anniversary in 2025 and currently has 2,800 members. Meetings and talks are held online so retirees can participate from almost anywhere.

There’s a wealth of knowledge among the members of MUNPA. Ms. Dutton’s goal is to reach out to new retirees and grow the membership, gathering that knowledge and experience to benefit the university’s future.

She now lives about two minutes from where she grew up, still just a stone’s throw from campus. And after more than 50 years of dedication, she remains a vital part of our neighbourhood.