Late Dr. Leslie was a founding member of SHEN. He also served on its Board of Directors as its Secretary from inception to September 30, 2005.
Dr. James David Leslie received a B.A.Sc. in Engineering Physics from the University of Toronto, Toronto,Ontario, Canada. He then spent a year as a Lecturer in Physics at the newly founded University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada. He obtained an M.Sc. and Ph.D. in Physics from the University of Illinois in the U.S.A. before returning to the University of Waterloo, where he is currently a Full Professor of Physics. He started the University of Waterloo Correspondence Program and served as its Director for 12 years,which has led to a life-long interest in Distance Education in addition to doing research in solid state physics. He is also interested in the transfer of technology from university to industry and founded a company that is engaged in this activity.
Dr. Leslie was influenced greatly by his experiences growing up in an ethnically-mixed neighbourhood in Toronto and the moral influences of his Scottish-Irish parents as well as lessons at the Sunday school of the local United Church. He has made the "Golden Rule" , "To do onto others as you would have them do onto you", one of his main guiding principles. He has also always acted to recognize the worth and dignity of people of all origins in the world. He views SHEN as an opportunity to provide Distance Education via the Internet on moral principles.
