“I failed to be a hippie,” Paul Schmor stated at his retirement party on July 8, 2008. “Now, I have a goal to fulfill since I went straight from school to work.” After 35 years at TRIUMF as Head of the Accelerator Division, Paul plans to use this time to trek through the Himalaya Mountains. To see him off, about 200 TRIUMF staff gathered in the TRIUMF courtyard to congratulate Paul on his successful career.
Paul Schmor is a rare-isotope beam specialist who joined TRIUMF at a time when its main programs were being formed. During his tenure, Paul worked with developing the laser polarized ion-source beam project, the RF group, the beam dynamics group, the 100-microamp task force, commercialization of cyclotrons, a contraband detection system, and helped plan and implement the ISAC-II beam line and facility.
Colleagues and friends spoke of his achievements, such as MLA Richard Lee of Burnaby-North who has worked with Paul and known him since 1979; he jokingly presented Paul with the BC provincial “Healthy Eating for Seniors” guide. Others present spoke of Paul’s contributions to TRIUMF’s programs and those who could not be present, such as former TRIUMF Director Alan Shotter, saluted Paul’s hard work via a letter. Though Paul is retiring, he still has two more conferences to plan and organize. One friend reminded Paul, “If I may, there is more than physics and work….”
Besides travelling the globe, Paul is joining Advanced Applied Physics Solutions, Inc. (AAPS), a company formed by TRIUMF with an initial investment from the federal government via the Centre of Excellence for Commercialization and Research program that will seek to apply developments in physics to applicable and commercially viable products.
Armed with gifts for his expedition, such as a Tilley hat, a GPS system, and book and map of Nepal, Paul prepares to soon embark on his overseas adventure. When he leaves, he will be missed by many TRIUMF staff who have worked closely with Paul over the years.
Paul, thank you for your dedicated service to TRIUMF, and good luck on your future endeavours!
By Nicole Dublanko
TRIUMF's Communications Assistant