Guelph Alumnus Magazine, Winter 1999

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Think about it - insurance is more th an jllst money.

It 's groceries, clothes , re nt or mortgage and everyth ing e lse your loved o nes m ay depen d on you to provi de . It 's also the satisfaction of knowing YOll won 't leave YOllr dehts be hind.

Th at 's why your University of Guelph Al umni Association negotiated this Alumni Insurance Plan. It offers you solid value at rates economical enough lhat you can afford all the co erage you need for you r p eace of m in d.

The Plan is backed by Manuli.fe Financial, one of Canada 's most respected life insurers . The Un iversity of Guelph Alumni Association negotia tes the low rates, and ensures th at the Plan pro ides you w ith a wide ra nge of important features you won 't ea 'ily find elsewhe re.

Don 't miss out on this opportuni ty to take full advantage of your University of GlIelph Alwnni status. Imagine the satisfaction that will come with having superior protection at a down-to-earth ptice. Find out about our valuable and affordable Term Life, Major Accident PrOlection ,md Income coverage designed for Unive rsity of Guelph

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University of Guelph Alumni Association

rwe rwere

46

5

message from the

WINTER / 1999

6

alumni Matters

in and around the University

A

LUMNI I NVOI.VEMEN T

T

UN IVERSITY OF GUELPH has had c,luse to cel ebra Ie in recen t m onths. The Un iversity ma intained its high ra nkin g in the annual Maclean's ma gaz ine eval uati o n of Canadian universi ties, and eight HE

growing through the effor ts of University of Guelph Alumni Associ­ ation pres ident Jim Weeden, and U of G ha s received several gifts from alumni that will provide better comp uter access fo r st ud ents an d resto re two favourite meeting places on ca mpus. T his section also presents news from o ther G uelph gra duates,

m embers o f the U of G fa mily received n ation al and interna tio nal recog­ nitio n, including fo ur Order of Ca nada designa ­ tion s. In additio n, U of G research and teaching programs have received new financial suppo rt from federa l and provin­ cial governm ent in itiat ives that w ill boost U of G programs in biotechnolo­ gy, co mputin g scie nce and engin ee ring.

in th e University is

an upd ate o n U of G

THE CAMPUS CELEBRATES

10

AGRI-FOOD LEADERSH IP After 125 years of prov id ing ed ucatio n , research and se rvice, OAC is sti ll at th e forefro nt of Ca nada's agri-food ind ustry.

by Mary Dickieson

20

FACULTY PROFILE

INSIDE JUDITH THOMPSON A conversation with U of G drama professor Judith T hompso n revea ls ano th er side of one of Ca nada's bes t playwrights.

by Andrew Vowles

eve n ts and programs and an opport unity for alum­ ni to communicate with eac h o th er and with the University.

32

RESEARCH WHAT'S TO BE DONE WITH CANADA'S FISHERIES

research Wotes

17

G uelph scientists delve in to the problems facing Ca nada's fis heries and com m en t on the managemen t issues that are th reate nin g both coasta l and inland reso urces.

by Andrew Vowles WI NTER 1999 3

UNIVERSITY OF GUELPH

Quelph alumnus

Letters

W,NTEn 1999·VOLUME3 1I ssur. I

Editor Mary Dickicson Director Darlene Frampton Art Direction Peter Enneson Design Inc. Contributors Gayle Anderson, BA '92

Barbam Chance, BA '74

Lori Bona Hunt

Andrew Vowles, B.Se. '84

Advertising Inquiries Brinn Downey 519-824-4120, Ext. 6665 E-mail bdowney@exec.admin. uogue/ph.ea Direct all other correspondence to: Guelph AII.I/"I1II/.I5 Communications and Public At"tairs University of Guelph Guelph, Ontario N IG 2Wl Phone 519-824-4120 Fax 519-824-7962 E-mail mdickieso@execllimin. uoguelph.ca www.uoguelpb.ca/ucomm/alumnus/

The Guelph AluI/1Ilu5 magazine is pub­ lished three times a year by Develop­ ment and Public Affairs at the Univer­ sity of Cuelph. Its mission is to cnh,lllce the rel'ltionship between the Universi­ ty and its alumni and friends and pro­ mote pride and commitment within the University cOlllmunity. All material is copyright 1999. Ideas and opinions expressed in the articles do not neces­ sarily reflect the ideas or opinions of the University or the editors.

Printed in Canada by the Beacon Herald Fine Printing Division ISSN 1207-7801 To update your alumni record or change your address, please contact: Development and Public Affairs Phone 519-824-4120, Ext. 6550 fax 51 <)-822-2670 E-mail jeanw@alurnni.uoguelph.ca

UNIVERSITY

9fGlHilPH

4

GUELPH ALUMNUS

Thank you, alumni!

[ served as dean of

the College of Socia l Science, [ developed 8

deep appreciation for the role alumni play in

the life of the University. I attended three meet­

ings of the College of Social Science Alumni

Association before actually becoming dean,

and from the start, I experienced the dedica­

tion of alumni volunteers who maintain an important link to the University.

Alumni give in many meaningful ways; welcoming new students, spea king at career nights, offering co-op placements and employing grad uates are just a few. Alumni donations to the Alma Mater Fund are becoming increas in gly important as gov­ ern men t fu nd i ng de creases . Schola rsh ips provided by alumni giving encourage excel­ lence in undergraduate students, help us attract top-notch graduate students and pro­ vide opportunities for many students who might not otherwise be able to attend the University.

Each year, the AMF gives each college dea n $6,000. [n CSS, we used this money for things not possible in our operating budget - visiting speakers, special equipment, grad­ uate st ud ent conference travel and recruit­ ment brochures. The AMF also supports the Winegal"d Visiting Professorship, and in 1996/97, CSS brought five scholars to cam­ pus for a public lecture series that was attended by hundreds of students and fac­ ulty. A book is being published as an out­ come of th e series.

Alumni support goes weJl beyond mon­ ey. Many alumni care enough about us to ,,,,rite and provide insights to changing soci­ etalneeds and reactions to proposals on CtH­ ricular and organizational changes. It is great to have the alumni from CSS and the Col ­ lege of Family and Consulller Studies now wOl"king together to ensure that our new College of Social and Applied Human Sc i­ ences will have meaning for those associ­ ated with the former coJleges and for future generations of graduates.

Thank you, alumni. Your continuing DURIN G THE FIVE YEt\RS

involvement with yo ur university is appre­ ciated. [ am proud to be ,lssocia ted with yo u and this wonderful institution.

PROF. DAVID KNIGHT

CSS

DEAN

1993 TO 1998

A job well done As GENERAL MANAG ER of the Ontario Sum­ mer Games, which ran Aug. 13 to 16 in Guelph, I want to extend a sincere thank you to the University of Guelph , its faculty, staff and alulllni for helping to make this event such a positive and memorable expe rien ce for the 2,400 young athletes.

More than 1,700 vo lunteers, includ ing many University alumni and employees, gra­ ciously donated their time and talents to make the G<lmes Orga ni zing Co mmittee's (GOC) dream of hosting the best-ever Summer Games <l rea lit y. [ hope the en tire University community sha res my pride over the outstanding col­ lective effort that went into organizing and hostin g these Games. Atl of the University alumni and employees I dealt with made every effort to accol11 l11odate the needs of the GOe, the provincial spo rt organizations and the panicipants themselves.

The University of Guelph is certainly to be cOl11l11ended for a job well don e. Based on the feedback I received during the Games and in the months since, I kI10',v thal those spectators and participants from across the province who were eAvosed to d1e University for the first time left with a highl y favourable impression.

One of th e goa ls of the Games was to leave a legacy in the form of improved ath­ letic facilities, volunteer leadership expertise and community development. For the Uni­ versity, the desil"ed legacy will be of a differ­ ent nature - h,wing some of these talented young athletes return to Guelph to don the Gryp hon uniform, thus ensuring that our tradition of athletic and academic excellence continues on. Nothing would please this alumnus more than to see that happen!

TIM MALI

SA '92, MA '93

UNIVERSITY OF GUELPH

message from the President MORDECHAI ROZANSKI

T

and second nationally in its category in the Madam's ra nk­ seem s an appropriate Lng of u madian wliversities. In the magazine's cross-coun­

time to introduce the new design and editorial direc­ tion of the Guelph Alumnus. I hope you will like it as try survey of high school guidance counsellors and acad­

emic and industry leaders, Guelph ranked second in overall

much as I do. qualit y and repu tat ion . Our success in these ra nk ings

In each issue, we will present regular co lumns such as In and Around the University and Research Notes to reflec ts the excellence and dedication of all members of

the University communi ty - our faculty, staff, students

keep you informed of research developments and cam­ and alumni - and is testimony to our

pus news that matter most to alumni.

very talented academic and st ud ent

Our fea tures will look at the issues that

affairs leadership. Guelph has maintained

are most important to us as Canadians

and will focus on the people who con­

its commitment to quality und er chal­

tribute so much to Guelph's sllccess.

lenging conditions given the current

The AllllTIJli Matters section of the mag­

financial fragility of Ontario universities.

az in e wi ll bring yo u news about yo ur

Our situation has been hel ped by our

successes with several national <1nd

fellow alumni and their activi ties in sup­

port of the Unive rsity and the commu­

provincial applications for resea rch and

nities in which they live.

teachin g supp ort. The first of nin e

In this issue of the Guelph Alumnus,

research initiatives submitted to the

we celebrate the heritage of the Univer­

Canada Fou ndation for Inn ovation has

sity as we help launch the 12Sth anniver­

been funded and will support the study

sa ry of the Ontario Agricultural College.

of new technologies for enhancing agro-

The college has played a leading ecosystems. At the provincia l

level, the Onta rio gove rnment

role in the history of the Uni­ GUELPH HAS versity of Guelph and has made recently announced funding to

many invaluab le contributions U of G under the Ontario

MAINTAINED ITS to agricu ltural research and Research and Developm ent

COMMITMENT education in this province and Challenge Fund that wi II su p­

across the nation. Our feature port a new Food System

TO QUALITY UNDER Biotechnology Centre on cal11­ on the 12Sth annive rsary of the CHALLENGING college looks back at its remark­ pus. The province has also pro­

vided grants to boost enrolment

ab le legacy and for wa rd to its CONDITIONS promin ence as Canada's pre­ in engineering and computing

mier centre in agri-food, enviscience programs and to provide

ronmental and rural ed ucation, research and outreach. research scholarships for up to 46 U of G grad uate stu­

This issue also presents a dramatic profi le o f play­ den ts wo rkin g in science and technology programs.

Althou gh we are pl eased with this suppor t for ou r

wright Judith Thompson, a professor in Guelph's School of Literatures and Performance Studies in English, who excellent and deserving science-related disciplines, we are

displays the kind of creative energy that yo u find cam­ concerned that most of these programs are so narrowly

pus-wide among our talented faculty. A seco nd feature targeted. As a university with excell ent programs in the

demonstrates Guelph's expertise in the aquat ic sciences arts, humanities, social sciences and applied fields, Guelph

and frames sOllle of the strategies that co uld preserve - as well as other Ontario universities - needs a com­

prehensive, multi-yea r effo rt that addresses the entire

Canada's endangered fish eries reSOllfces.

The new yea r is al so an appropriate time to reflect range of programs and disciplines and prepares LIS to meet on the achievements of the past yea r an d look ahead to the expectations of Ontarians in the 21st century.

the opportunities to come.

J look forward to shari ng more news with you in

Last November, for the second yea r in a row, Guelph hiture issues of the Guelph Alul11rlus. My ve ry best wish­

es for success, hea lth and happiness in 1999.

ranked first among Ontario's comprehensive unive rsities HE BEG I NN IN G OF THE YEAR

W I NTER

1999 5

•

UNIVERSITY OF GUELPH

GUELPH HOLDS SECOND PLACE IN MACLEAN'S RANKING or the second year in

F

a row, U of G finished

ONTARIO INVESTS IN NEW BIOTECH CENTRE AT

U OF G

second in the country in its category in the annual

The Ontario government will invest up to

the University to develop the infrastructure

$6 million in a new Food System Biotech­

and expertise necessary to maintain a

Maclean's magazine universities

nology Centre at U of G.

ranking issue.

leadership role in the important agri-food

The funding from the Ministry of Energy, Science and Technology through the

involves four colleges, 11 departments and

Ontario Research and Development Chal­

some 70 researchers and adds to Guelph's

lenge Fund will be used to investigate ani­

reputation as a centre for the highest-qual­

mal genetiCS, plant genetics and transgen­

ity research benefiting all Canadians."

ics, and the basic molecular research

Guelph barely nipped to the fin­ ish line by Simon Fraser Univer­ sit y in the 12-unive rsity"com­

The centre's work will encompass all

underlying these areas. With matching

aspects of the food system, including agri­

funding from industry and the U of G

culture, processing, storage, packaging,

research budget, the total investment in

nutrition, waste management and food

this centre could reach $18 million.

safety. Key initiatives will incorporate

The new biotechnology centre will be Editor Ann Dowsett Johnston says it wa s "very close ," with

sector of the economy," he says. "It

recent advances in molecular genetic tech­

the focal point of molecular biology and

nology into strategies for developing

biotechnology research related to the agri­

improved strains of livestock and for the

food system, says U of G president

production and evaluation of transgenic

Mordechai Rozanski . "The award will allow

plants.

prehensives" category. Guelph led the way provincially, coming first of the five Ontario universities in the sa me category.

G uelph also rece ived a sec­

categories nationwide reputa­

U of G applauds the recent Order of Canada designa· tions received by former president William Winegard, who was recognized for his voluntarism; OAC alumnus

tion al survey, U of G placed

Constantine Campbell,

eighth out of 48 institutions.

BSA '60, who was honoured for his significant contribu­ tions to science and the Canadian agricultural indus­ try; Beverly Mascoll, a former member of U of G's Board of Governors; and Austin Clarke, who recently served as writer-in-residence at Guelph .

Roberta Bondar, B.5c.

(Agr.) '68, Canada's first

ond-place ranking in its catego­ ry in the Maclean's reputational survey of 4,700 corpora te CEOs, admini st ra tors and high school guidance co unsellors. In the all­

x

a5 ~

Do wse tt Johnston says ~ Guelph is well-established as a I premier university. "O ther uni ­

~ o

vers ities are searching for an

z

identity. Guelph has a wo nder-

of-«

KUDOS

ful sense of who it is. This makes Vl it a leader, ahead of the game. It's >­ co 6 a strong resid ential school, and ';:( it knows and builds o n its ""tr; strengths. It bodes incredibly -~ well for the future."

Vl

:::>

6

GUELPH ALUMNUS

female astronaut, has been inducted into the Canadian Medical Hall of Fame for her studies on weightlessness

and physiological change in space and how it applies to life on Earth.

Clay Switzer, BSA '51, former dean of OAC and former deputy minister of the Ontario Ministry of Agricul­ ture and Food, was inducted into the Canadian Agricultur­ al Hall of Fame in November.

Fred Gilbert, M.5c. '66 and PhD '68, recently began a first term as president of Lakehead University in Thunder Bay, Ont. Won-Jai Maeng, M.Sc. '71, is the newly appointed presi­ dent of Kon-Kuk University in Seoul, Korea.

Winegard Named Officer

of the Order of Canada

B

In WINEG ARD, form er U ofG presi­ dent and minister of state for sc ience and technology, was named an officer of the Order of Canada in Jul y. In November, many of his University and co mmunit y frie nds ga th ered for a recognitio n dinner hosted

by Lorie, B.A .Sc. '72 , and Gin ty jocius,

B.Sc.(Agr. ) '70. They were students at U of G during Winega rd's tenure as president and later esta blished th ei r busi.ness, Gin ty jocius & Associates, in the Guelph-Wellington rid­ ing he represented as MP. Winegard first ca me to Guelph in 1967 to pilot the new University of Guelp h

IN FACT...

CENTR E SIX GETS A FAC ELIFT

What Mlldel/n's knows,

A

V.S. editors arc learning.

Major U.S. publications have reccntly dcscribed V of G as being "academi­ cally excellent" and "a real college valuc for American students!'

FTER 25 YEARS, the Uni­ versity Centre's popular dining and seating area is getti.ng a new look. The expansion and renovation of Cen tre Six includes the addi­ tion of 200 scats, an elevated lounge accessible to people

through its format ive years. At the recogni­ tion dinner, curren t U of G president Mo rdecbai Rozanski paid tribu te to Wine­ gard's ro le as "the intellec tual founder and shaper of the modern transformation of Guelph." A distinguished metallurgist who began his academic career at the University of Toronto, Wi negard recruited many of the talented faculty who have spent the last 25 to 30 years building Guelph's reputation as a research institution, said Rozanski.

Winegard's lead ership in the ac ademic community also encompassed the Canadian Bureau of International Education, the Coun­ cil of Ontario Universities and the Ontario Council of University Affairs. He retired from acade mia and U of G in 1975. His legacy on campus includes the Winegard Medal, the highest award made to a graduati ng student, and d1e Winegard Visiting Professorship, which brings world scholars to U of G. Proceeds from the recognition din ner were give n to U of G to support Winegard visiting professors.

Elected to Parliament in 1984, Winegard spent nine years in Ottawa and served in ca b­ inet as Canad a's minister of state for science and technology and then science minister until he retired from Parliament in j 993 . He was named chair of the Premier's Research Excel lence Awards board at the Decem ber 1998 announcement of the provincial progra m, which is designed to attract talented you ng scientists to O ntario.

with disa bilities and a so lari­ um that has enclosed the external dining patio. The facelift is funded entirely through non-exclusive agreements with the Univer­ sity's food service business partners.

The project is expected lo address the need for space to

accommodate en rolment increases and may increase conference business. Centre Six will also be more energy­ and la bor-efficient with the installation of an upgraded air-handling system. In 1999, the Centre Six project will continue with renovations to the food comt area.

WINTER j 999 7

j!

8 ~

;i z

;; oV1 -< m

;0

-

in and around the University

PILOT PROJECT ELIMINATES BARRIERS av ing a learning disability isn't a barrier to obtaining an educa­ tion at the University of Guelph, especially with the laun ch of Learning Opportunities, a pilot program offered through the Uni­ versity's Centre for Students with Disabilities. Beginning in fall 1999, the program will give students with learning disa bilities the addi­ tional resources the y need to meet the challenges involved in obtain­ ing a post-secondary ed ucation.

Lea rning Opportuniti es is a fi ve -yea r project that rece ived $633 ,800 in special fundin g from the Ontario Ministr y of Education and Training. U of G ,vas one of eight institutio ns to benefit from ~ the gran ts) which are designed specifically for programs in post-sec­ ~:I: o ndary institutio ns that support the integration of st ud ents with U learn ing disabiliti es. :z Stud ents enrolled in the Guelph program will receive pre-regis0:: O!. ~ tration cOllnselling, academic advising, speciall y tailored orientation ~ programs, integrated li ving in an on-campus learn ing cluster, sup­ ported learning groups, workplace skills and competenc ies devel­ 5: Oplnent) and ex periential educat io n in the vvorkplace.

H

If)

5

Guelph MPP Brenda Elliott pres ents a che que for $633,800 to president Mordechai Roza nski for a pilot project to help learning­ disabled st udents. Sta nd in g, fr om left, are Carol Herriot of the Cent re for Students wi th Disab ili ties, student Brad Hutchinso n and ce nt re director Bruno Ma ncini.

PROVINCE BOOSTS GRADUATE RESEARCH

A

NEW $75 - lvIILLlON provin­ cial scholarship program in science and technology will awa rd up to 46 U of G graduate stud ents up to $15,000 star ting this ye ar. An nounced in Sep­ tember, the O ntario Gradu ate Scholarships in Sc ience and Technology will be awarded each

year for 10 years. The ministries of Energy, Science and Technol­ ogy and Education and Training will co-fund two-t hird s of the cost of the program. Uni ve rsi­ ties are expected to fmd an o:ter­ nal match for the final third.

The government will allo­ cate up to $460,000 annually to

U of G, whi ch will seek th e remaining $230,000 from pri­ va te-sector funding.

Graduate studi es dean Alas­ tair Summerlee is enthusiast ic ab out the program, but disap­ pointed at the targe ted natu re of the scholarships. 1-k say' the pre­ liminary list of qua lifyi ng pro-

U OF G GRADS PROMPT GIFT FOOD SC IE NCE TEACHIN G and research at U of G has received financial supp ort from the Maple Lodge Farms Foundation . In honour of the company's founder, Lawrence Ma y, the May family presented $15,000 to U of G president Mordechai Roza nski Nov. 9 at the Roya l Agricultural Wint er Fair in Toronto.

Presenters Wendy Ma y Robson and Kathy May Weinhold said the gift was awarded because of Maple Lodge Farms' positive experiences with so many highly qu alified Guelph graduates.

"Man)' graduates of this university have passed through our facilit y over the yea rs and in many capacities - as veterinarians, inspectors, researchers and food scientists," says Robson. "Our business has been enriched by this conn ection, and it is for

8

GUELPH ALUMNUS

this reaso n that we wish to be part of this talented fa cility and to show our sup po rt of its continuing mission of bein g a wo rld­ class edu cational facility in Canada."

Wendy Robson, left, and Kathy Weinh old prese nt a gift from Maple Lodge Farms to U of G pre siden t Mordechai Rozanski at the Roya l Winter Fair.

grams ignores the social sciences and hum a nit ies and does not ap prec iate the con tributions of fi elds suc h as econo mi cs and political science to the adva nce­ mfl1t of science .w d technology.

He says U of G wi ll press for the gove rn ment to expalld the areas included in the scholarships.

B OF G WELCOMES NEW MEMBERS f OL LO W I N G 1'111'. 1([' Il R F ~ lE N T of several m embers in June, U of G's Board of Govern ors welcomed t'igh t new face~ th is blJ. They are: Christine Alford, BSc. ' 80, vicc­ prcsid<'Ilt Jnd gen eml manager of In tegration S rvices at IBM Ca na­ d.1 Ltd.; Gil Bennett, chai r of the Canadian Ti re Corporation; Doug Derry, a fi na ncial adv ise r and ret ired part ner with Price W,\lel'­ hou se; staff member Kathl een Hyland of th UAC Dean's O ffi cI.'; graduate stu clenL James Rodgers; undergraduate stud en ts Mitch MacDonald and Lana Rabkin; and Prof. Steve Scadding, Zoology.

-

U

OF

G WINS

UOFG QUALIFIES FOR ATOP SUPPORT

FEDERAL

INNOVATION AWARD mE UNIVERSITY OF GUELPH is one of 14 Canadian universities and one of six in Ontario to receive awards totalling $8.1 million from the Canada Foundation for Innovation's (CFI) Institutional Innovation Fund (projects over $350,000).

The CFI has yet to determine the exact amount of the award, but if Guelph were to get the approximate $750,000 request­ ed, with matching grants from industry and the Ontario Research and Develop­ ment Challenge Fund, the total award

1

TRELLIS LAUNCHED

T

HE

SEP~EMI3ER LAU NCH of

an excltmg new system called TRELLIS has positioned the U of G Library as a symbol of partnership and the home for more information than ever before. U of G, Wilfrid Laurier University and the University of Waterloo joined forces to form

could be close to $2 million.

Guelph's project is a holistic look at agriculture, the first of its kind in Canada.

Titled "New Technologies for Assessing and Enhancing Agroecosystems," it will be headed by Prof. Terry Gillespie, chair of the Department of Land Resource Science, and involve 25 faculty from 10 departments.

Eight other U of G research projects were invited to move on to a further stage of review, the third-highest number for an Ontario university.

a triangle of information shar­ ing through TRELLIS, the Tri­ University Group of Libraries' combined computer-based information resource system.

The automated system gives students and faculty at the three campuses access to a wider range of resources, including computer-based

indexes and Web sites and databases around the world.

More than 7.5 million vol­ umes of materials can be found online, and more thal1 400 users can log on to TRELLIS at the same time.

To access TRELLIS 011 the Internet, type www.tug­ libraries.on.ca.

OTHER HONOURS

CONVOCAriON HONOURS TWO The University of Guelph has added two more distin­

guished names to its list of honorary degree recipients.

Renowned biologist Jane Goodall and political scien­ tist Peter Russell, an expert on the Canadian Constitu­ tion and Charter of Rights and Freedoms, were hon­ oured during fall convoca­ tion ceremonies in October.

Goodall received an honorary doctor of science degree, acknowledging more than 40 years of groundbreaking work in the life and sociobiology of chimpan zees and other primates.

An honorary doctor of

laws degree was conferred on Russell for his extensive research on the Constitution and Canadian nationalism.

U OF G's SCHOOL OF Engi- , neering and Department of Computing and Information Science (CIS) are planning for more faculty, equipment and resources following the Uni­ versity's request for funding from a provincial program designed to address a shortage of skilled graduates in engi· neering and computing science.

U of G met this year's enrolment increase in these high-tech programs needed to qualify for one-time fund­ ing under the province's Access to Opportunities Pro­ gram (ATOP). Guelph has also committed to doubling enrolment by the year 2000 to take advantage of long-term ATOP money.

Guelph will qualify for special operating grants from the province to universities that increase their first-year enrolment in these programs by 20 per cent over 1997/98.

The University also hopes to receive ATOP funding to increase its graduate enrol­ ment in these disciplines.

Both CIS and the School of Engineering face a shortage of resources, making the ATOP funding an important funding source that will help these areas without affecting other campus units.

WINTER 1999 9

refront of

at the

ALL THE DEFINING WORDS

written about the Ontario Agricultural College in its 125 years, perhaps the most appropriate is the word "integral."

Throughout its history, OAC has remained integral to the agri-food industry and rural society.

It's a good word, "integral." It describes how and why the college has survived 125 years and suggests a reason it will grow even stronger in the 2pt century.

Without hesitation, OAC dean Rob McLaughlin, B.Sc.(Agr.) '69 and PhD '77, takes up the thought and declares that OAC is "the premier agricultural college in Canada" and stands in the top rank of agricultural facul足 ties around the world. "Our work has had a profound effect on the growth and development of the Canadian agri-food system and the well-being of the people and communities of rural Ontario and beyond;' he says.

10 G UELPH ALUMNUS

OAC celebrates its history, its partnerships and its fu ture

-

W I N TER

1999

11

's 23,000 graduates are also recognized worldwide for their expertise and lead­ ership abilities in agriculture, agribusiness manage­ ment, hortiClilture, landscape architecture, plant and animal biology, food scie nce and rural extension

OAC

Meeting industry needs More than 100 years apart in their leader­ ship of OAC, William Johnston and Rob McLaughlin both recognized that the col­ lege they inherited would have to focus on industry needs to survive. In Johnston's day, that meant bringing greater prosper­ ity to the farm. Because only three per cent of McLaughlin's graduates return to farm­ ing, today's college curriculum has a greater focus on skills in communication and critical thinking, which are demanded by the various industries that now define agriculture.

YEARS OF ACHIEVEMENT 125

Throughout OAC's first 125 years, its educa­ tion, research and extension activities have had an impact on virtually every sec­ tor of Canada's agri· food industry. In the anniversary book 125 Years of Achievement, OAC highlights some of the areas where col1lege faculty, stu­ dents and administra­ tors have played a leadership role. To read more about Guelph's achievements in these areas, con­ tact the. OAC dean's office to obtain a copy of the book.

Pre studies. McLaughlin hopes those graduates will return to help the college celebrate 1999's sig nifi­ cant anniversary. " It's important to celebrate our past achievements and to recognize our present and future strengths," he says.

A specia l OAC 125 planning committee co­ chaired by Clay Switzer, OAC dean from 1972 to 1983, and Don Blackburn, former director of the diploma program, has organized a number of events throughout the coming year to celebrate the anniversary.

"We're looking forward to a wonderful year of events to mark this occasion," says Switzer, BSA '51 and MSA '53. "We want to celebra te the accom­ plishments of the past and the fact tha t OAC has interacted with many partners to get where we are today, and we want to look ahead to the future to see how the college and the University might con­ tinue along this successful path."

Success for OAC means maintaining its position as a vital partner and contributor to the prosperity of the agri-food industry and the people of rural Ontario for whom it was established. That industry and those rural communities are vastly different from the 1874 picture we draw from the college his­ tory, primarily because farmers th em selves - with the help of agricultural education and resea rch­

12 GUElPH ALUMNUS

1900

• Diploma in agriculture • Degree in agriculture • Agri-food short courses • Production bulletins • Extension work • Liberal education • Library resources • Field crop trials • Livestock breeding • Forestry • Insect identification • Experimental Union 1900-1910

• Herbarium & weed garden • Cheese making • Food safety • Land drainage • Water testing • Weather observa­ tions & zoning for crop production • Legume inoculants

have forged change through increased productivi­ ty and efficiency.

When OAC roots were planted in 1874,50 per cent of th e people who lived in this new province made their living from farming. Today, only two per cent of Ontario residents live on farms, but they feed a much larger population base and an important export market.

The Ontario agri-food industry gener­ ates an impressive $63.7 billion in eco­ nomic value each year and stimulates employment for nearly a quarter of the workforce. Canadians enjoy one of the safest and cheapest food supplies in the world, spending less than 13 per cent o f their disposa ble income on food . Most people in the world spend more than 50 per cent.

It's difficult to pinpoint all the con­ tributions OAC faculty, staff an d grad­ uates have made to agriculture because the knowl edge created and the tec h­ nologies perfected here have been so weU assimilated by the industry that they are easily taken for granted . Few people in Ontario have ever heard of Charles Zavitz or know that this early OAC grad­ uate and professor recorded the fir st field-crop yield tests at Guelph before 1890.

Appointed head experimentalist in 1893, he was instrumental in developing a college research pro­ gram that made good the promise that OAC would offer its students training in "scientific agriculture."

Zavitz has been followed by a number of bril­ liant educators and scientists whose contributions to the college and its industry have filled several books. Even Alexander Ross in OAC's official his­ tory, College on th e Hill, can provide only a brief description of the research initiatives that have involved OAC in the growth of the agri-food sec­ tor and the tremendous advan ces agriculture has made in the areas of human and animal nutrition and health, water and soil conservation, rural devel­ opment and, of course, agri-food ed ucation.

To give prominence to these contributions, the college has published an anniversary book that out­ lines 125 of the most significant accomplishments in which OAC faculty, students and administrators played a leadership role. More important, 125 Years ofAchievement celebrates the partnerships that have provided the opportunities for achievement. Through the years, Guelph scientists and educators have worked closely with the agri-food industry, with both the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs and Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, and

with other government departments, interna tional agencies, educational institutions and alumni.

Read any entry in 125 Years ofAchievement and you'll find an interes ting anecdote that chronicles an important element in campus history. Read the whol e book and you'll be awed by the sheer volume of th e work that has been accomplished by so many people working meticulously over so many years to affect so many changes in agri­ culture that have improved the lives of Canadians.

Freeman McEwen, OAC dean from 1983 to 1990, chaired a committee that involved severa l dozen current and retired faculty, as well as alumni, students and U of G staff, in writing the stories.

A quick check of d ates in the book shows a spiral of achievement that has escalated with whirlwind force since the establishment of the University of Guelph in 1964 and head s unabated toward the future. The 125 items docu­ ment scientific discoveries, to be sure, but also the development of the college as an educa tional institution and its ongoing partnership with the provincial government.

Out of the J 25, McEwen has picked his own top five, beginning with the contributions OAC made to the establishment of the University. This campus has the distinction of being the only one in North America where the agricultural college preceded the university that supports it. That fact helps ex plain th e unique character of th e University of Guelph and its prominence in the life sciences.

Some might argue that the process of becoming a university began as ea rly as 1904 when the Mac­ donald Institute opened . This event is secon d on McEwen's list of top accomplishments. The ad di­ tion of women to the campus changed OAC from a boy's school into a co llege. Gu el ph history profes­ sor Terry Crowley says bluntly: "Early student life at OAC is readily divided into two - before women and after women."

The Mac girls were generally older than the J 6and 17-year-old students at OAC; they were more mature and brought both a social life and a new aca­ demic focus to the campus. For the young women of Ontario, it was a long overdue opportunity, and they grasped the educa tion offered at Macdonald Institute in large numbers.

Women were not admitted into the agriculture program until 1918, however, and they didn't reach numerical equality with male students until the

YEARS OF ACHIEVEMENT 125

1910-1920 • Macdonald Institute • Soil science • Poultry lighting & nutrition • OAC 21 barley • Fruit research

1920-1930 • Collecting Canadian art • War Memorial Hall • Graduate education • College Royal • Soybean development • Forage varieties • Meat research • Ginseng • Farm business records

1930-1940 • Professional societies • Controlled atmosphere storage • Muck crops • Salmonella testing • Links with farm groups

1940- 1950 • Holland Marsh Research Station • Standardized cattle conformation • Potato breeding • Reproduction technology • Queen bee rearing • Technology transfer • Conservation farm planning

1990s. And they still have not reached that equali­ ty on the college faculty. Alice Rowsome may have been hired to serve as assistant librarian and instruc­ tor in French and German at the turn of the cen­ tury, but horticulturist Patricia Harney remained

Scientific agricuLture After earning one of its first agriculture degrees in 1888, Charles Zavitz began a 40-year career overseeing the college experimental programs and made the first advancements in plant breeding. Three generations later, Prof. Ken Kasha led the development of a haploid technique of cell division that cut the time needed to breed new varieties in half. Today, plant biotech­ nologist Bryan McKersie is looking even deeper into the functioning of plant cells to manipulate genes that will enhance pro­ ductivity or disease resistance.

the only woman on faculty throughout the 1960s, and women are seriously under-rep resented even today. This is one area where historians find room to criticize agricultural traditions and college poli­ cies that continued the dominance of men for far too many years.

The college itself was dominated by the provin­ cial government during its first 90 years when OAC principals reported directly to the minister of agri­ culture. The 1964 University of Guelph Act main­ tained the school's relationship with th e agric ul­ ture ministry, but gave the col lege a new- found freedom that expanded research and graduate pro­ grams and opened the door to increased funding from th e education ministry. It a lso permitted greater collaboration with the Ontario Veterinary College, which had been moved to Guelph by polit­ ical dictate in 1922.

One of the most vivid examples of the impact of that collaboration was the dramatic increase in ani­ mal-breeding technologies. OVC perfected artificial insemination and held the only licence in Ontario for frozen semen until 1969. OAC faculty and the net­ work of provincial agricultural representatives helped promote the technology and control it through the development of a national livestock and performance inventory. Through these combined efforts, Canada

WINTER 1999 13

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emerged as a global leader in an imal breeding.

OAC's un ique and enduring relati o n ship wi th the provincial agric ulture ministry is another ad di­ tio n to McEwe n's list of top achieveme nts. Certa in­ ly the most significan t even t in th e last decade has

Changing with society When Adelaide Hoodless argued for the establishment of Macdonald Institute in the late 1890S, she saw scientific training for women as a way to improve community health standards. The college has evolved continually through the years - growing into the largest home economics facility in Ontario under dean Margaret McCready and broadening its outlook in the 1970S under dean Janet Wardlaw to include consumer studies and the hospitality industry. Ward­ law set the tone for increased research activity and positioned the college to join forces with the social sciences in 1998.

YEARS OF ACHIEVEMENT

125

195 0 - 19 60 • Horticulture correspondence course • Business education • Watershed research • Farm building program • Computers in agriculture • Corn expansion • Deailing with cold climate • Crop recommendations

1960 - 197 0 • OAC Alumni Foundation • University of Guelph • Arboretum • Ag research stations • International ag research centres

been the launch of a new University relationship with OAC's oldest partner, the Onta rio Minist ry of Agriculture, Food a nd Rural Affairs (OMAFRA).

In 1997, the Unive rsity of Guelph became th e

• Scholarships/ endowments • International apiculture

largest Ontario univers ity geographica lly when it assum ed res ponsibility for ed ucation, resea rch and I.abo ratory services form erl)' managed by th e min­ istry. Guelph agric ultur al expertise covers the provi nce with camp uses in G uelph, Ridgetown, Kemp tville a nd Alfred and a network of research facilities that includes the Hor­ tic ultural Resea rch Institute of Ontario, diagnostic laboratories and 21 research stations.

The partners hip with OM AFRA has kept agricultural educatio n and research at the forefro nt of the University of Guelph. More than 40 per cent of the Uni­ versity's graduate studenl<; are in OAC, and more than 70 per ce nt of its $80-million researc h budget is focused on the ag ri­ food indus try. T hat commitment to research is the earliest and most enduring achievement out of the 125.

"OAC contin ues to lea d the way in research and is one of the most dyn am­ ic co lleges in th e University," says McLaughlin. "B ut we draw on people fro m all over the University communi ­ ty. And now, with th e provincial colleges added back into the mix, we are ail work­ ing as part of the sa me team to enhance the opportunities availab le to yo ung people in agri ­ cu ltural edu cation."

Al umn i have always held an important position on that tea m. Among OAC's top achievem ents is the

The OAC of today owes much to its past THE ONTAR IO AGRICULTURAL COL LEGE might never have ex ist­ ed if not for the failure of a Univers it y of Toronto experiment in agricultural education in the 18505. It certainly wouldn't have been situated in Guelph without the political parlaying of Guelph journalist and cleric William Clarke. And it might not have sur­ vived a traumatic first yea r o f patronage and scandal if it hadn't been for the acc iden tal appo intment ofVVilliam Johnston as prin­ cipal in the fall of 1874 .

And that was just the beginning.

One hundred and twen ty-five years have passed since Clarke successfull y argued that the new province of Ontario needed a land-based rural college where the focus was on providi ng a prac­ tical educatio n in farming . The University of Toronto fai led to attract farmers ' so ns, he sa id, because it allowed the othe r pro­ fessions of m edicine, law and the clergy to oversh adow agricul­ ture. Clarke's persuasive "''fiting in the then Olltario Farmer news­ paper helped place the college on 550 acres of "good clay loam" at th e back door of his Gue lph parish.

14

GVELPI-I

AWMNvs

The journalist's role in establishing the college as the Ontario School of Agricu lture and Experimental Farm is bro ught into context in a new hi sto ry of OAC that will be published in April to help celebrate its 125th an niversary. The College 011 the Hill: A New History of the 011tario Agriwltuml College, 1874- I 999 was written by Guelp h history professor Terr y Crowley and Unive r­ sity professor eme ritus Alexander Ross, who wrote the origi nal College 011 the Hill for OAC's 100th anniversary.

If the first book tdls us how OAC grew into the University of c..;uelph, the second tells us why.

When the fledgling provincial government of the 1870s was glued togeLher by political patro nage, how could th e sc hoo l be any different, asks C rowley. Two principals came and went with­ in its first year when rumours tore at their moral fibre, so the job fell quickly to th e new college rector, William Johnston.

Because we already know how OAC's sto ry devdops, we ca n see som e iro ny in th e fact that the man who nur tured this pre­ mier agricultural college through its infancy was educated in the

alumni initiative that es tablished the OAC Alumni Foundation in the 1960s to provide financial sup­ port to co ll ege programs and scholarships. The foundation also provided the leadership and incen­ tive to create Guelph Unive rsit y Alumni Research and Development (GUARD Inc.) in 1996. The manda te of the technology manageme nt company is to develop researc h i nven tion s in to marketable prod ucts, lau nch spin-off companies and gene rate reve nu es to support basic and app lied research at U of G. Throughout OAC's history, alumni have form ed a netwo rk of"Aggies" who have volunteered their time to provide a rea l-world view for students, helped to launch th e careers of many new grad u­ ates by providin g work opport uniti es, encouraged research initiatives, co n­ tributed millions of dollars to scholar­ ship programs and voca lized co ncerns abo ut college programs and curriculum.

After receivin g some critica l advice from alumni an d agr i-food employers in the ea rly part o f the 1990s, OAC launched a new B.Sc.(Agr. ) program that wil l gradu ate the fi rst class of st uden ts this anniversary year. The new agricul­ ture curriculum emphasizes communica ti on skills an d teamwork, allows students to choose their own specializations and includes opportunities for on­ the -job experience. Many of those students take a

YEARS OF ACHIEVEMENT 125

• Teaching innovations • Birdsfoot trefoil • Land reclamation • Rural planning • Wind and snow studies • Milk testing • Ruminant nutrition • Ag poli cy development 197°-198o • Arboretum Centre • Ghana-Guelph Project • Integrated pest management • Composting animal wastes

work internship at the end of their third yea r and co m e back to finish the fourth year with a job wa it­ in g for th em, says McLa ughlin , and they o ften have fo ur or fi ve to choose from. "'vVe are very shor t of graduates to fill all of the jobs that are o ut there now

Educating Leaders Guelph's agriculture graduates have played key roles in Canadian agriculture, including federal ministers William Moth­ erwell, Diploma 1881, John Wise, ~DA '56, and Lyle Vanclief, B.Sc.(Agr.) '66. Moth­ erwell was a driving force behind the western grain producers' movement before being named to Cabinet in 1921. In the 1980s, Wise introduced income stabiliza­ tion programs and created farm debt review boards. Today, Vanclief is strug­ gling with low commodity prices and inter­ national trade agreements.

• Crop resistance to herbicides • Limnocorra:l s for aquatic ecosystems • Grain drying and storage • Asparagus • Systemic fungicides • Pesticides research • Agricultural Code of Practice

social sciences. Johnston had no real farm expe­ rience, but he understood people well, says Crowley, and he recognized almost as quickly as his students that th e school would succeed only if it co uld offer farm ers' sons some­ thing more thall what they had already lea rn ed at home.

Johnston's commitment to education and hi s genui ne co n ­ cern for his students still echo through th e corridors of the build­ ing named in his hono ur a nd across ca mpus in the broad range of disciplines that now nuke up th e Un iversity of Guelph . John­ ston was the first of hundreds of " hulllan e and se nsible" people who have given the campus its distinctive character, says Crow­ ley. "The University of Guel ph is still a good place to be. People help each other to a rema rkab le degree, and it is eve n m ore

remarkable that this sense of co-opera tio n has lasted through the most recent government meat slicin g."

Told in the social and political context of its 125 yea rs, th e OAC story builds momentum as the pages turn. The final chap­ ter in Crowley's hi story is th e most imp ressive because it SUIll­ marizes the last 25 years, when developments in agricultural edu­ cation, research and service have occurred 1110st quickly. Growing

in the agri-food sec tor," he sa ys.

If you live anywhere nea r Guelph, yo u'll know that the agri-food sector ill this area is expected to lead the local economy well into the new mi llennium, crea t­

within the interdisciplin ary atmosp here of the

University of Guelph, OAC has both contributed

to and benefited ii'om the Unive rsity's steady growth. Tradition­

al OAC programs have expand ed into new departments and col­

leges, providing greater benefits to agri -food resea rch and teach ­

in g. New partnerships o n ca mpu s and th e academ ic freedom

provided by University sta tus have enabled Guelph to enlarge its

already significant influ ence in th e agri-food sec tor.

Crowley says th e enha nced partnership between U of G and

the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food a nd Rural Affairs has

fulfilled a vision of OAC as the hub of agr icultural ed uca ti o n that

had bee n expressed nea rly a cen tur y before. It's a good place to

end a histor y and begin a future.

In Crowley's fi nal wo rd s: "Agriculture reta ins its eco no mi c

importance in the co untr y's econom)', but ... the sec to r will find

itself [n an increasingly international and com pe titive ellviro nment

where educatio n and research become ever more importa nt. Since the Ontario Agricultural College has demons t rated its ability to respond to changing circumstances during its first 125 years, the past suggests a willingness to m ee t the new challenges that await."

WINTER

1999 15

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ing more jobs and generating more wealth than any other industry. A recent study by the city's Planning and Business Development Department predicts a 50-per-cent increase in employment in agri-food industries in the next decade. Broaden out to the

New frontiers At the tum of the 20th century, Prof. William Graham created the impetus for a Canadi­ an poultry industry through nutrition stud­ ies that also provided a background for work in human nutrition. The tum of the 21st century finds poultry scientist Ann Gib­ bins perfecting the techniques to transfer genetic material into chicken embryos to develop birds with better disease resist­ ance or to improve production characteris­ tics, including the deposition of medically valuable proteins in the eggs.

Ontario industry and the predictors are similar, and again, you'll find U of G at the hub of that growth.

In the past decade, the view from Johnston Hall has expanded to include OMAFRA's provincial headquarters and the U of G Research Park, which is home to a branch of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, the regional headquarters of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency and more than two dozen businesses and agriculture organizations that are key players in Ontario's industry.

In the summer of 1997, Guelph welcomed th e establishment of Ontario Agri-Food Technologies - a consortium of 12 grower asso ciations, five Ontario universities, 11 industries and OMAFRA - which is dedicated to generating wealth for the provincial agri -food sector through the application of biotechnology. The consortium will develop financing and th e research teams needed to take discoveri es and turn them into products in the supermarket.

A new venture beginning this year is the Agri­ Food Quality Cluster that seeks out opportunities for agri-food companies to work together to meet a specific need. The Guelph duster is one of the first to be established in Canada, but it already has 500 members and has predicted that potential projects in Ontario could add $2 billion to $3 billion a year

16

GUELPH ALUMNUS

YEARS OF ACHIEVEMENT 125

• Mosquito monitoring • Canadian Greenhouse Conference • Non-agricultural waste on land • Pest diagnostic service 1980- 1990

• Alumni House • Turfgrass Institute • Centre for the Genetic Improvement of Livestock • Network of Toxicology Centres • Biological control lab • George Morris Centre • Advanced Agricultural Leadership Program • Distance education • Animal behaviour and welfare • Farm animal care • Haploid breeding technologies • Hybrid canolc:!

• Consumer benefits from agricultural research • Soybean rhizobium: 532C 1990S

• Guelph Food Technology Centre • GUARD Inc. • Environmental Farm Plan • U of G/OMAFRA partnership • Wheat in China • Food packaging • Transgenic plants

OAe 125 ANNIVERSARY EVENTS jan. 29 - Official OAC

12S launch and publication of 125 Years of Achievements.

Feb. 16 - Winegard Seminar Series hosts Andy Johnson, Seymour, Wis. March 5 - Winegard Seminar Series hosts Sir Colin Berry, Royal London Hospital, U.K. March 31 - Opening of A.J. Casson Exhibit and selections from the OAC art collection at the Macdonald Stewart Art Centre.

April 30 - Recognition of the 12s-year Guelph/OMAFRA partnership and launch of The College on the Hill: A New History of the Ontario Agricultural College, 1874 - 1999· june 7 & 10 - Spring Convocation for OAC diploma and degree graduates. Each graduate will receive a copy of College on the Hill. june 18 & 20 - Alumni Weekend and opening of the Conservatory and Gardens.

Sept. 14 to 16 - Canada's Outdoor Farm Show will host the country's biggest silent auction as an OAC fundraiser for student support .

Sept. 25 - Heritage Banquet and Ball for alumni, agri-food partners and University community.

Nov. 24 - Agri-Food: Into the New Millennium conference to discuss the major forces shaping the destiny of the global and Canadian agri-food systems and rural societies.

For more information on these events or to order copies of the anniversary books, visit the OAC 125 Web site at www.oac.uoguelph. cajOAC125, or contact the dean's office at 519-824-4120, Ext. 2285; e-mail: oac125@ oac.uoguelph.ca.

in new business to the country's economy.

So me would sugges t th e growth of agri -food partnerships is part of a global trend in economic thinking that says consolidate, cluster and work together for greater reward s, but the important thing is that this ag ri-food sector is clustering in Guelph - around U of G - because this institution began preparing for its future 125 years ago with a com­ mitmen t to lead ership in agri-food research, edu­ cation and service. ga

UNIVERSITY OF GUELPH

rese~

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, SCIENTIFIC DISCOVERY· SCHOLARSHIp· SOCIAL DEVELOPMENTS WHEN 24 HOURS IN A DAY ISN'T ENOUGH TRYIN GTO ACCOMMODATE the demands of family and career is a problem most peopl e fa ce in today's society. Those indi vid­ ual and famil y struggles will be the focus of the University's new

IN FACT...

Family relations experts recommend parents integrate - not juggle - work and family life

Centre for Families , Work and Well-Being.

Headed by Profs. Donna Lero and Kerry Daly, Family Re latio ns and Appli ed Nutri­ tion, the centre will promote responsi ve wo rk env ironments and help families across Cana­ da manage wo rk and family res ponsibilities in healthy ways.

The centre will also be a cat­ alyst for new researcl, in areas as diverse as health promotion, seniors' long-term ca re, nutri­ tion and wellness, rural aging and gender in the workplace. A mandate of the centre is that the results of its research mu st be applied and availabl e to the public to benefit those Canadi­ ans who ne ed help dealing with the accelerated pace of life, non­ traditional fami.ly relationsl, ips, longer working hOLlrs, glob<1l­ ization and downsizing.

The challenge for fam ilies is

lea rning how to integrate work and fa mily life, rath er than jug­ gling the two, says Lero. " Inte­ gration is key so tfut people can be successful in multiple roles rath er than struggling from cri­ sis to crisis."

HOLlsed in the College of Social and Applied j-Iuman Sci­ ences, the centre brings togeth­ er related resea rch areas und er a sing1e roof and will spark new interdisc iplinary opportunities, particularly for graduate st u­ dents. More than 50 fac ulty and staff ha ve indicated a desire to be affiliates of the centre, which wijJ stimulate resea rch and forge partnerships with organiza tions, co rp o rations and co mmunity agenCies.

BODY IS THE ULTIMATE MACHINE ''I'M INTER ESTED in the app li­ cation of mechanical engineer­ in g to the human body. The body is the ultimate machine."

So says Prof. John Runciman, who recentl y brought his blend of academic and industry exper­ tise in biomedical engineering to U of G's School of Engineer­ ing in the College of Phys ica l and Engineering Science.

Runciman arrived at Guelph last summer after spending four years deSIgning orthopedic sys­ tems and instruments for Cana­ dian and Am eri ca n firms. He hopes to establish a state-of-the­ art research lHboratory with Pro fs. Jinl Dickey and Jack Callaghan, Human Bi010gy and Nutr itional Sciences, that will allow him to pursue hi s twin research interests in shoulder and spine mechanics.

The trio has appli ed for fundi ng fro m the Natural Sc i­ ences and Engineering Resea rch

Co uncil to equip a biomechan­

ics lab already loca ted adjacent to U of G's new Health and Per­ forman ce Ce ntre in the recent­ ly renova ted Powell Buildi ng.

"This funding would bring the lab up to date to meet inter­ natio nal stand ards;' says Runci­ man, who p1ans to follow up on pioneering shoulder mechani cs work he was invo lved in whil e completing his PhD at Sco t­ land's Strathclyd e Un ive rsity.

He hop es hi s studies will help orthop edic co mpanies design better impl an ts used to correct such deformities as sco­ liosis or cur va ture of the spine and for treating shoulder insta ­ bi lity, often caused by injuries among athletes.

RESEARCHERS CULTIVATE QUALITY IN HERBAL MEDICINE MORE AND MO RE Canadi,ms are turning to "natu ral" remedies as alternatives to medicine, but few

know they may be harm ful to their health.

Most consumers are not aware that plants contain a com­ plex mi xture of bioch emica ls, says Prof. Pra vecn Saxena, Plant Ag riculture. Herbal remedies have been developed on histori­ cal and anecdotal evidence rather than by scientitlc testin g, he says.

Saxena is trying to change this by systematically identifying, char­

acte rizing and quantifying the

chemical constituents of plants

used in a1ternative medicines.

He and grad uate students Susan Murch and Co lleen Sim­ mons in th e Ontario Ag ri cul­ tural Co llege a1so wa nt to improve the met hods of grow­ in g medicinal plants to protect cons umers and ensure quality.

Problems in the her bal reme­ dies industry include medicinal prepara tions containing misiden­ tified plant species, contamina­ tion by pests and disease, a lack of understanding of plant phys­ iology or efficacy for human con­ sumption , ilnu co nsumer fraud.

"Our research will help set a standard fo r the develop ment of safe va lue-added products,"

Saxena says.

WINTER 1999 17

­

RESEARCH UNCOVERS KEY TO AGING RESEARCHERS may have found modern sc ience's answer to th e mythica l Fo untain of Youth.

U of G professors John Phillips and Arthur Hilliker, Department of Molecular Biol­ ogy and Genetics, and Gabrielle Bouliann e of the University of Toronto and th e Hos pital fo r Sick Children, appear to have identified a critical weakness in the common fruit fl y's defence against aging.

The researchers from the College of Biologica l Science di scovered that a spe cific cell type - th e motor neuron - is the major target for oxidative damage, known for several years to be a key factor affecti ng aging and lifespa n. Th ey were able to boost a fruit fly's defence against the damage by insertin g th e human gene SOD1, which is known to protect against oxida­

tive damage, into the fly's DNA. As a result, the ave ra ge lifespa n of the fli es (us uall y abo ut 80 days) was increased 40 per cent.

PROFESSOR SURVEYS CANADIANS ON POLITICS. ETHICS TI-lESE DAYS, on both sides of the border, what a politician says or does in private can have tremen­ dous impact on his or her public career - but is th at appropriate?

Prof. Maureen Mancuso of the Department of Polirical Sci­ ence in the College of Social and Applied Human Sciences an d a team of four other political sci­ entists conducted a cross-coun­ try survey of 1,400 Canadians as kin g what th ey think of th e behaviour of their elected repre­ sentatives. The res ults were pub­ lished in October in th e book A Question of Ethics: Canadians Speak Out. Mancllso, the lead

author, says the image probl em of politicians is "worse than that

of the most pampered celeb ri ty or the mo st prima donn a pro athlete."

More than half o f su rvey responden ts say they have little or no confidence in Parliament, with the figure being even lower for the Senate. In addition, 34 per

ce nt of Canadians believe the ethical principles of MPs are low­ er than the average Ca nadian's.

But most res ponden ts were surpri sin gly tolera nt wh en it came to protecting politicia ns' private lives. More than half, for example, said politicians should not have to answer perso nal qu es ti ons.

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GUELPH ALUM NUS

NEW WEAPON AGAINST BACTERIA ANTflllOTlCS TYPICALLY ha ve a shelf life because bacte ria devel­ op resista nce over time, but this wou ld not be a concern with a new sys tem fo r smugglin g an tibiotics past bacterial walls.

A molecular-level "Troja n ho rse" is how Prof. Terry Bev­ eridge, Department of Microbi­ ology, and graduate student Kel­ ly MacDonald desc ribe the system they're studying. 1t takes advan tage of a mechanism devel­ op ed by bacteria to attack an d co nsume neighbouring bugs.

Preliminary tests by the Guelph scientists in the College of Biological Science found that enlist ing benign bacteria as cOllriers to d eliver antibiotics proved effective agai nst one type of pathogenic orga nism that can elud e normal drug treat ment and th e bod y's own infection­ fighting defences. They are invest iga tin g use of th e system

HIRE FROM GUELPH Spend les s effort, time an d mo ney fin ding the co-op stud ents to meet your employment needs.

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ings of tetrahydrocanmbinol, the U OF G SCIENTISTS are helping psychoactive ingredient in hemp. to determine the viability of NO ONE KNOWS

hemp as a cash crop for Ontario MORE ABOUT

farmers.

Health Canada recently li ft­ THE WOMAN WHO

CREATED ANNE

ed a 60-year ban on grow in g COLLEGE OF ARTS professor hemp, and about 10,000 acres are expected to be plan ted in Ivlary Rubio and professo r emerita Eliza beth Waterston Canada this year. Hemp is an organic fibre tha t could be used know more abo ut author L.M. in everythi ng fro m fabri c and Montgomery than anyone else medicine to oil and paper. in the world. They we re among Gordon Scheifele of the first academics to seri ously Kemptville CoJl ege and Peter study the world-fa mous author Dragla of Ridgetown College are of Anne ofGreel'! Gables. studying the potential of hemp Montgomery published a total of 22 novel s, which have as an Ontario crop. Scheifele has completed initial testing on nine been translated into abo ut 20 varieties and a series of produc­ languages and continue to sell

well throughout the wo rld. She also wrote 53 years' wor th of personal diaries that the Guelph professors have been edi ting for more than a decade.

From the Sch ool of Li tera­ tures and Performance Studies in English, Rubio and Waterston

IN FACT...

U of G professors wrote the script for a new video shown to visitors at the Green Gables site in P.E.I.

edi ted the recen tly released The Selected Jou rnals of Lucy Maud Montgomery, Volu me IV, as weJl as the three previous volumes.

Th ey are now editing the fi fth and final vo lume of he r journals and have also published a sho rt biography called Wri ting a Life: L.M. Mon tgomery.

Rubio is also writing a longer biography of Montgomery at the request of the author's fam ily.

TRAINING VETS

TO DEAL WITH

CLIENT GRIEF

A NEW INTERACTIVE CD -RO M designed by Ontario Veterinary College professor Cindy Adams will help veterinarians learn to help clients gr iev in g over th e loss of a pet. Titled Death of a Pet, the CD-ROM is expected to be launched in February and is geared toward vets, technicians and students.

Ada ms, who holds joint appo intments in the depart­ ments of Popu lation Medicine and Cli nical Studies and the Veterinary Teaching Hospital, is an expert on the human/an imal bond. She has developed in-ser­ vice training workshops fo r vets on dealing with client grief over the loss of a pet a nd su pport groups for grieving pet owners.

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WINTER 1999 19

Inside Playwright

Judith Thompson

BEHIND THE MASK

JUDITH THOMPSON, A DRAMA PROFESSOR at the University of Guelph since 1992, is one of Canada's finest playwrights. Her complex and sometimes disturbing plays give voice to human failings and accom足 plishments. A two-time winner of the Governor General's Literary Award, she has received wide acclaim for her work.

On the following pages, the Guelph Alumnus profiles an artist whose creativity finds expression through dialogue by offering a faithful rendition of the dialogue between Thompson and Com足 munications and Public Affairs writer Andrew Vowles. Much like the characters she unmasks on stage, Thompson reveals both com足 plicated and unexpected images of herself.

PHOTOGRAPHY BY D EAN PALMER 20 GU EL PH A LU MNUS

"NO!" The scene is the rehearsal space in Lower Massey Hall at the University of Guelph.

Monday, mid-morning. Outside the warped-glass windows, the first wet snow of the year drops like pebbles. Drama professor Judith Thompson is leading some 20 students in her Acting I class through their warm-ups. The students stand in a circle and take turns aiming a mock blow as they shout the word "No!" "More," she says to the less assertive. To others, whose "No!" sounds shredded, over the top, she holds up a hand: "More control." Thompson gestures to her diaphragm: "It has to come from here." always in sma ller houses, I take chances, they're not commercial. They play all over th e world, but ah"a)/s in sma ller places. 1 would just have to pursue life as a screen­ writer to make a living .... Thi s job gives me the great privilege of doing my research, which is the plays that I write and the edi­ torial work that I some times do and screen­ plays that are worthy and good projects.

GA writer: Audi ences and reviewers have described your plays as dark, disturbing, full atre Schoo l in 1979. Alth oug h she worked briefl y as a profess ional actor, of angry people, full of p rofanit y ... she became more interested in writing, Thompson : At the risk of soundin g and at th e age of 25, a workshop of her grandiose,l seem to give voice to people who SCENE: U OF G LI BRARY ARCHIVES first scrip t, The Crack walker, was pro­ have no voice or very little in the culture, Guelph Alumnus writer: (readil1g from draft duced by Theatre Passe MuraiHe. Her whom people don't li sten to. Liol1 in the of "Epilepsy and Snakes: Fear as the Genesis work, which includes both radio and Streets, th e handicapped wo m a n living in of Theatre," a talk given by Thompson to the tel evisio n writing, has enjoyed great the basement all on her own, the yo ung girl, Iso bel. The secretary stuc k in this abu sive Epilepsy Association of Metro Toronto ill internationa l success. relationship with the actor. The middle-class 1997. The script for the ta lk is included among Other plays includ e: The Crack­ housewife dumped by her husband because boxes of correspo nde11ce, numerous drafts of walker, White Biting Dog, Pink, Tornado plays, various newspaper and magazine arti­ - radio, / Am Yours, Lion ill the Streets, be doesn't like her sweatsuits and on and on. cles, and reviews ahout the playwright and White Sand, Perfect Pie and Stop Talking I give voice to them because, I don't know, because I care abo ut them, because I like to her work that Thompson recently donated to Like That- radio. She is th e recipient the U of G Library archives.) of the Floyd S. Chalmers Canadian Play represent them. I'm a lawyer. Some of them 1 have known real fear only a few times Award for Lion in the Streets in 199 1 and use profanity because th ey have really good in my relatively sheltered life. But 1 / Am Yours in 1987, and the Governor reason to be angry a nd most of th em are General's Literary Award for Drama for believe these moments of fear are powerless. And unfo rtun ately, profanity has directly connected to the so urce of cre­ a little charge. It's a little source of baby pow­ The Other Side of the Dark in 1989 and ativi ty withi n me.

Whi te Biti11g Dog in 1984. er. It upsets me, I don't use it myself, I'm very se nsitive to it.

SCE NE: THOMPSON'S OFFICE, MASSEY H ALL

On one wal l hang pictures of actors engaged in a drama, mingled with children's sc hool drawings. The desktop is practically bare. A black p urse occupies one chai r. A scarf has landed on th e back of another. This is where the playw rig ht hangs her hat during her classes and meets with studen ts. She wri tes at home in Toronto's Annex neighbourhood, where she li ves with her husband, Gregor Campbell, a sessio nal English inst ruc tor at Guelph, and their five children: Ariane, 13; Eli, 10; Grace, 8; Felicity, 4; and Sophia, J.

SCENE: J UST ABOUT ANYWHER E YOU CAN

I seem to

give voice to people who have no voice

S CENE: LUNCHTIME,

U OF G UNIVERSITY CLUB GA writer: (reading from introduction to

Thompson: I'm so grateful to have this job Tho mpson's play Sled, wh ich was first pro ­

beca use it allows me to do the wor k that 's duced hy Toronto's Tarragon Theatre in 1997)

important and the plays that will be my lega­ cy and tha t are what 1 feel I have to con­ Judith Thompson was born in 1954 in Montreal. She graduated from Queen's tribute to Canadian culture. If I didn't have thi s job, I'd ha ve to keep compromising University in 1976, then graduated from because my plays don't make mon ey. They're the act ing program of the National The­ REA D A PLAY

22 GU ELPH ALUMNUS

SCENE: ARCHIVES

GA writer: (reading essay by Thompson com­ missio ned by Toronto literary Journal Brick

in /995)

If I were not a writer. 1 think 1 would wear a riding hat. With a stee l lining.

Because I would be baving many more epi leptic seizures than 1 do presentl y.

Because any of the non-writer real jobs I have had caused me sleepless nights, self-disgust, swoll en eyes , cystic acne and hearin g di sorde rs, all of which increased electrical activity in my brain, which, I believe, increases the frequen­ cy of seizu res.

SCENE: UNI VER SITY CLUB

to know yourself in an intell ectual context.

They reach that pl ace and find their genius.

My philosophy is that ever y stu dent has genius, and it's my job to uncover it ... My relationshi p is so intense with st udents. The classes are very psychoana lyt ic. It see ms to tra nsfor m their life .

SCENE: LO WER MA SSEY

Buxton: Even if we haven 't encountered a Thompson: (discussing the critical and pub­ similar situat ion in real life, she has us draw lic reaction to her first play, The Crackwalk­ on somethi ng similar. For ollr exa m, I'm er): It was slaughte red at first, as all my plays have been. Very bad reviews at first, and then doing a monologue. My character has been somehow they catch fi re and there's one grea t abu sed. I haven't been abused myself, but I have to draw on a si tuation where I had sim­ review and the others start to see something.

GA writer: Why the bad reviews?

Thompson: I think people might say th at they're shock ing, but I don't think so, not with the movies we see and whatnot. They're not shocking compared with Quentin Taran­ tino. But they're no t like anyt hing else; they don't know where to put them. And when they don't know where to put them, they're dismayed, I think, and hostile, and they feel challenged. I just write as I see. I'm not tr y­ ing to shock or challenge anyone. I hope they do challenge - me too, all of us. I often feel li ke the little boy in The Emperor's New Clothes: Look, this is what I see.

SCENE: LOWER MASSEY HALL

Two Acting I students perform a sce ne on

th e stage . Their fellow stud ents sit on th e

Aoo r, watching. Thompson sits forward on

a pla sti c chair, forearms propped on her

knees, hand s clasped before her. Her eyes,

her bod y, are intent on the action.

Later ...

Amberley Buxton: (fi rst-year student il1 Act­

il1g I, who is pursuing a psychology major and

a drama minor)

It's a really in tense class. In one of our first

classes, we were to share something that had

itar feel ings, draw on some ex peri ence. Like changed our perspective on li fe or how we

thought every day. Later during improvisa­

being teased at schoo l. Even so mething as tion or scene work , she had us draw on the

small as tha t, if yo u find a way to get back to th at ... emotional context fro m those stories to add

to our acting experiences. It's really intense in

that way. A lot of people share a lot of personal

SCENE: UNIVERSITY CLUll things, and we use each other's experiences.

Thompso n: I llsed to be terrified. In high school, I'd spend half my time in the nurse's room because the idea of having a se izu re SCENE : UNIVER SIT Y CLUll

Thompson: Ea ch se meste r, students go

in front of yo ur peers at that age was just petrifying. I did finall y have a seizure, but through an intensive transition. In order to

luckil y no one was around at the time. So I find yo ur creative centre or trigger, yo u need

think all of that puts me in touch with a lot in life I might not have been in touch with, being fairl y privileged, not rich, but eno ugh to be middle class. A lot of my work is about class, abo ut the class differentiation in Cana­ da. I've somehow felt more allied to a less adva ntaged class .... My gra ndfather once sat as prime minister of Australia. My grand­ fa ther on the other side was a member of the Royal Society, an entomologist, but his mother died in childbirth and he was brought up as a cousin on the farm outside of London. And my Australian grandfath er was one of 1 I siblings in a shack by the side of the railroad. Hi s father had di ed . He walked barefoot to school, so I th ink because it's just two ge nerations away, I feel it in my bones and my blood.

GA writer: How did you get to writing?

Thompson: Through ac ting. I've been involved in thea tre since I was II years old . I was Helen Keller for a university show my mother directed. She had an [vIA in th eatre and she taught it at Queen's. I was in TILe Cru­ cible when I was 12 in Kingston and Jean Brodie and on and on and on. I would just lis­ ten to aU these wonderful lines and words, and it all kind of enrered me. And acting is where I reaU y found my niche as a person. The the­ atre became my home. Then I we nt to theatre schoo l as an actress, but I started to create mask characters through improvisation. That's where I really took off in a big way and where I found myse lf ve ry, very excited.

GA writer: VVhat we re yo u excited abo ut?

Thompson : I was doin g the writing. And I felt frankly that I did it much better than most of the texts I was working with. Not Shakespeare, but .. . and it's not a matter of better, it's ... th at's where I belonged . So I would go home and write down the char­ acters that r crea ted that day in class and make th em talk to each odler, and that's how The Craekwalker happened.

I spent a summer in Toronto looking for acting work and I go t a few jobs. But every day for a co uple of hours, I would write at a typewri ter, and I found these voices com­ ing. At the end of it, I sa id to someone: You know, I think this isn't bad, I think this might eve n be a play. At the Na tional Theatre School, they said to me: You're pretty handy with these monologues, but don't ever think you could write a play. (Pause.) I enjoy telling th at tale on them.

­

WINTER

1999 23

SCENE: LOWER MASSEY

SCENE: UNIVERSITY CLUB

Buxton: It was my fint time doin g mask work.

She had us sit with the masks on and just sta re at ou rselves in the mirror. We did it for an hour, staring at the mask, feelin g the mask. It was a phenomenal eil.'Verience, the Wily you're able to transform yo urself. It was almost as if you weren't look ing at you. That helped yo u to walk differently. You were able to shed yo ur own movements and personality.

Thompson: I' ve always been a mimic in a cheap way. I could always mimic we ll. I would raLk to someone on a bus and I could do them exactly. That's kind of dangerous because it can be prett y shallow. But it showed me <l way into the person throu gh voice. And once J could do that, like a pup­ pet, somethin g would click and I cou ld ge t in in a deeper way.

J need to get so thoroughly into the char­ acte rs and their state of mind and especial­ ly tapping repressed el11orion, which gets yo u in touch with your id or unconscious li fe . If

SCEN E: UNIVf.RS ITY CLU B

Thompson: I think thil t seizures can trans­ late into creativity, are part of me as a cre ­ <ltive artist. Peop le in the medical busin ess are very skeptical of <ll1ything like this. But I fee l it's because I have fewer inhibitors in my bra in .... You have these inhibitors, and that's what medi cation helps. But if you're epi leptic, your inhibitors Men't working as well to put o ut the electrical fir e, so it spreads. I think the door to my un conscious is kind of flapping around, so J think that helps creatively.

SCENE : MA SSEY HALL

I take little

sections of myself and grow them in a petri dish of the play

Student (steppingforwm'd): NO I Thompson (quietly): Good.

SCENE: ARCHIVES

GA writer: ( reading fi'om "Epilepsy and Sna kes") : I have no doubt that my experience with epi lepsy has con tributed to my creative wo rk, partly because it hE' Jped me to understand what it is to be marginalized, to be isolated, to be feJ rful , and to be out of control, and eve n to be mortal.

SCENE: U NIVERS IT Y CLU B

Thompson; Unchecked id can mean scrawl­ ing on the walls, crazy thin gs, muttering in stree t corne rs, beca use th ey're all id, no su perego. But I had the luck to be born into a theatrical famiJ.y, my mother havin g the theatrical experience, so I was exposed to it.

Lots of books. I was taken to ,1 lor of plays.

Having ep il epsy, my first seizure when I was nin e, J was able to link with that. If I hadn't had those advantages, who knows, the se izur es m igh t have ju st made me a depressed person, an angr y person. And you 're touched with mortality, yo u alwa ys live und er siege, a slight fear of ha ving a se izure. It's much less so now with me.

24

GUELPH ALUM NUS

one character is about rage, I have to tap into my own rage , and that's why the mono­ logues, so things can just flow and then I can retrieve thin gs from the past and remember things. So it's not working from here (ges­ tures to midriff), it's wo rking fro l11 here (ges­ tures to head).

Mo nologues for me are always the key to findin g out who th e character is, because if you can't make them rant for fi ve minutes, you don't know th em. Tha t's what I tell my playwriting students. I want to see r-wo pages of this character's mout h. In other words, to speak for five minutes, we have to have so mething to say. We have to have something we feel passionately about, something we're angry about, and if we don't have somethin g to say for fi ve minutes, who are we?

SCEN E: UN IVERSTTY CLUB

GA writer: "Vh ere do you see what eventu­ ally becomes a play such as Sled?

1110mpson: I was at a lodge and saw a moose, that's one thin g. And that made me think about winter and how the co untry is always with us as Ca nadians. Even in the urban cen­ tres, we ca rr y it wi th us. Th ere's always this

see ming division between the country, the wilderness and civilized centres, but it's the same. Th e wildness of the moose and the hunt and the bear is in our neighbourhoods.

I guess it's like Lion in the Streets, it must be a thing with me. And also the exquisite beau­ ty, and that's how most o f the world thinks o f Canada, as the wild ern ess . It's not quite how we think of ourselves, but it is partly. So that made me want to do so mething abo ut the Nor th, violence in the North.

As far as th e old man's stories , that was my neighbour and he told me all those sto­ ries, they were all true, except m<lyb e one or so, and I thought, "They're amazing." They teilus what our neighbourhoods Me really about and Toro nto, what the city is, how it's const ru cted . Toronto is our stories, and in th ese neighbourhoods you have an urbane e ntertainer li vin g nex t to an 80-year-old Italia n man, and th at's the beauty ofToron­ to, <llld it's the way th e world is chan ging.

Th e stric t class divis io ns and culture divi­ sions, th ey're no longer as de fin ed as they we re, es pec ially in th ese neighbo urhoods, the grea t pioneerin g experimen t.

GA writer: Do yo ur chi ld ren see your work' Thompson : No. None of my children can see my plays. Ariane saw f Am Yours in New York when she was about nin e. I do cl eal with the dar k and what's tru e, and my chil­ dren aren't ready for that. I'm probab ly more protecti ve th an m os t mothers. Walk them to school till they're 13, that ki nd of thin g.

GA writer: Yo u we re intervi ewed in the Globe alld Mail recently in a story abo ut m otherh ood dnd th e mu se . How do yo u handle th e demand s of motherh ood and writin g?

Thompson: If I'm in the situation where I have 15 or so hours of child care a week, I'm OK because when I'm with them, I wa nt to be with them, and when ]'m doin g my wo rk, th at's what I clo. But if I do something like a worko ut, thell a black cloud descends. The guilt and the bla ck cl oud th at descend as I take off on my bike, it's hu ge. Then once the workout's finished, I know it was d good thin g to do, although it 's also cut into my work time. J do feel guilty about the nilture of my work, too, in that my kids can't see it.

Am I drawing o n a part o f me that's not good as a moth er? The oth er part of me is th at I make up bedtime stories and bake coo kies and all th,lt stuff. ]'m probably a

rather operatic mother. I cry at movies, laugh too hard __ .

SCENE: ARCI-I[VES

1 1

GA writer: (reading fiom "Epilepsy and Snakes") Alth ough being a dramati c writer has given me a reputation in my cou ntr y and a strong identity, the actof writin g or creating character leaves me SOJlle­ times feeling that I have no id entity at all. Every once in a while, when I am not writing or tending to my four children, I feel I ,1m falling again down th e terri­ ble hole, with nothing to hold on to.

And I believe this falling, this "identit y pain," is a res ult of me using th e ve ry essence of Ill yself to create character in a dramatic wo rk. r wo nder so metim es if J illl1 betraying my soul, in a way, by using its essence. However, J have found some comfo rt in the words ofWilliall1 Blake: "Essence is not Identity, but from Essence proceeds Identity, and from one Essence may proceed many Identities, as from one Affection Jlla y proceed many thoughts .... If the Essence was th e sa me as the Identit y, there could be but one Identity, which is fal se. Heaven wo uld up o n this plan be but a clo ck; but one and the sa me Essence is th ere­ fore Essence and not Identity."

assertion was an act of unconscio us rev­ olution, th e grand mal seizure that almost killed me. And th e next one was The Crackwalker, my first play. And this is how I raged against the machine and took space in the world . And now, not surprisin gly, I am seizure-free.

SCENE: LO WER MASSEY After anoth er pair of acto rs rUllS through their scene, Thompson directs them to begi n again. She interrupts frequently to question the students about actions, feelings, moti­ vations. At one point, 8S the st ud ents pause to consider her words, Thompson turns to the rest of the class, erect in her cha ir.

SCENE: AR C H1V ES

GA writer: (reading from "Epilepsy al1d Snakes") My self asserted itself as a kind of qui­ et Lucille Ball, c1ulllsy and absent-mind­ ed. At least this gave me an identity and was a small aCI of s'lbo tage. The next

SCIi :-JE: J UST AllOUT ANYWHERE YOU CA N READ A PLAY

GA writer: (readmg ji-olll the script of'vVbite Biting Dog, first produced at the Tarragon Th eatre in 1984) Beciluse of the ex treme and deliberate lllu sica lit y of this play, any allempts to go aga inst the tex tual rhythms, such as th e breaking up of an unbroken sen­ tence, the t,lking of a pause where none is written in , are DISASTROUS. The effect is like beil1g in a small plane and suddenly turning off the ignition. It all falls down. This play III list SPIN, not just turn around.

SCfN e: LOWER MASSEY

Her students listen as Thompson stands to complete a so liloq uy abo ut cap turing the rhythm of the language on the stage . The wide sleeves of her ank le-lengt h dress slide down her forea rm s as she ges tures.

Th om pson: Listen to the music of the scene. Each playwright writes their own symphony.

SCENE: UNIVER SIT Y CLUB

Thompson: I always put myself in a play and never. In other words, I take little sections of myself and grow them in a petri dish of th e pla y. So if I've found a moment where I'm a bit lazy, ]'11 grow it and milke the chara cte r very lazy o r impatient or whatever. So I take these m oments, because we all have all of them, grow th em and create this Franken­ stein's monste r, a characte r right out of parts, body parts and psychological parts, often of myself, and then obse rve things in other peo­ ple, but I have to find it in myself to make it wo rk.

And if so mebody doesn't get the music, they don't feel it and go with the rhythm s, it throws the whole thing off. I hear the plays, I hea r them, I write with my ear. They cha nge ,1 lo t, but it's according to rh yt hm .

I'll be sitting in rehea rsal listenin g and if it does n't so und ri ght, I change it so that it's rhyt hmic.

Thompson: Isolate the mom ent. The great

thing about the stage is th at it isolates th e

mo ments that just race by us_

SCENE: UNIVERSITY CLUB

Th ompso n: I've just written my next play,

which is not ca lled Pe/feet Pie, but that's its

working title because it came from a mon o­

logu e called Perfect Pie. But now it's a full

two- haul' play in which the second wom3n

comes back and tben I have them as yo un g

girls, too. It goes back ~nd forth , and it's very

exciting. I wo rksbo pped it in the spring and

in December at tb e Tarragon and it will go

o n in o ne year. At the sa me time, l'm wr it­

ing a feature film for Rho mbus based on the

play Pe /feet Pie.

SCEN E: UNlV ERSITY CLUIl

Thompson: My pIal'S are Illusically written.

U NIVER S lTY CLUB

T hompson: I've been pretty directed to this

ii-om an carly age, altho ugh if I had done any­

thing else, it probab ly wou ld have been some

form of social work. I would have been smok­

ing three packs of cigarettes a day and work­

ing il1 an office somewhere up in Scarborough.

SCENE:

SC EN E: Af<CHIVES GA write r: (reading from Brick interview of Thompson by Eleanor Wachtel, ]99] ) In th e th ea tre, I think what one mllst

do is co nfront the truth, confront the

emot ional truth of our li ves, which is

mired in the swamp of minuriae,

everyday minutiae. Maybe it has to be

tl.1'11 way, because we couldn't confront

it every day. But I think the th eatre

IllllSt. I'm not interested ill th eatre that

doesn't. ga

W1NTER

1999 25

-

Never mind fish wars pitting countries against one another - here in Canada, scientists and policy makers can't agree on who should control the preservation and management of our own fishery resources.

BY ANDREW VOWLES

Ca

, as ollapsed cod stocks to the east.

On the West Coast, «fish wars" _

r.'lTDT"

Pacific salmon enmesh

Canada and the United States.

At various points in between, fisheries sci­ entists and managers grapple with every­ thing from overfishing of freshwater stocks to invasion by exotic molluscs.

What is to be done about Canadian fish­ eries? And what role is b eing p layed by fisheries and aquatic scientists at the Uni­ versity of Guelph?

-

dock, pollock, red fish and flatfish, made up just under half of Canada's total landings on the Atlantic coast (720,000 tonnes of fish and shellfish were caught in 1994, repre­ senting a total landed value of $1.1 billion).

Two year~ later, that proportion had dropped to 21 per cent, with shellfish and open ocean fish specie~, notably Atlantic Begin in the Atlantic. "The crisis on the East Coast has become a disaster." So says Guelph zo ology professor John Roff, enu­ merating the litany of woes that have sur­ faced from Ca nada's marine fishery in the past decad e. Although some fish and shell­ fi sh are holding their own, stocks of oth er

species have experi enced declines.

"Even when stocks do rebound, rarely do we fully und erstand why," he says.

"There's a complex of problems to be dis­ entangled involving overflshing, long- and short-term climate change, and changes in ocean current systems and productivity."

And, of course, the once-thriving north­ ern cod that first drew Europeans with their nets to the Grand Banks 500 years ago have coUapsed to the point that Ottawa had to shut down that fishery in 1992. Over fishing and the failure of federal fisheries managers to heed the warnings of scientists have been blamed for the coUapse. Even with the lllora­ toriulll in place, it may take two decades or

«W E

NEED TO TRY TO SEPARATE OU T

THE FISHERIES MANAGEMENT DECISIONS FROM THE POLITICAL DECISIONS ASSOCIATED WITH THE FISH E RY. more for cod stocks to rebound," says Roff, co-editor with colleague Prof. Moira Fergu­ son of the respected Canadian Journal of Fish­ eries and Aquatic Sciences. "A wise course of action for a fisherman in Newfoundland would be to seU his lice nce and do something else;' he says. (Last fall, the federal govern­ ment announced its final retirement program, under which it has been buying up fishers' licences in Atlantic Ca nada and Quebec.)

In 1992 - the year Ottawa imposed its moratorium on the northern cod fishery­ landings of groundfish, including cod, had-

»

salmon, making up the difference. [n 1995, the total groLlndfish catch reached its low­ est level in two decades.

Unlike the Ea st Coast fi shery, which relies most ly on ocea n-living fish, the Pacif­ ic fishery is dominated b)' migratory species.

Some 300,000 tonnes of fish and shellfish were harvested along the west coast in 1994, worth a landed value of $550 million. (Arc­ tic marine fisheries and their management differ from thos e on the coasts; although cOl11mercial and recreational fisheri es are small here, food fisheries are important to

U OF G AQUATIC SCIENCES EXPERTISE CATCHES WORLD ATTENTION Landlocked in the middle of the courltry, U ofG nevertheless boasts an enviable record and range of expertise in aquatic sciences­ marine and freshwater - dating back to the late 1960s. That's when Prof Keith Ronald, thell chair of the Department ofZoology (and later dean of the College ofBiological Science), began a marine biol­ ogy program at the University. Today, Guelph has the largest group of ichthyologists - scientists who study fish - in North America, investigating a wide variety ojIre.~h­ water alld marine fisheries and aquatics topics.

U of G's Axelrod Institute of Ichthyology houses one of the world's largest collections of museum­ quality fish fossils, donated to the University by U.S. ichthyologist and author Herbert Axelrod in J 989. The institute, which provides s pace for fisheries research and visiting scientists, brings together 12 core U of G researchers in fisheries and aquatic sciences whose interests and expertise span environmental contaminants and parasitic dis­ eases; evolutionary genetics of marine and freshwater fishes;

28

GUELPH ALUMNUS

fish pathology and diseases, including farmed fish diseases; fish hormones and reproductive physiology, including the effects of environmental contaminants; early life history and behaviour of fi shes; and biology of tuna.

Partnered with the A;-.:.e!rod Institute of Ichthyology in U of G's Aquatic Sciences Facility, the r'[agen Aqualab is an aquatic research and teaching facililY for studying aquatic organisms. Environmentally controlled rooms in the Aqualab allow faculty and students to simulate habitats as diverse as the Arctic Ocean and tropical rainforest pools. The facility is named for its principal benefactor, Rolf Hagen, founding pres­ ident of Canada's largest pet store 5llpplier.

U of G faculty edit four internationally recognized journals in ichthyology, fisheries and aquatic science. Awarded to U of G by the National Research Council in 1997, the Canadian Journal of Fisheries al1dAquatic Sciellces is co-edited by zoology professors

northerners, including shrimp, Atlantic salmon and arctic char.) Accountin g fOI' almost half of that total were Pacific salmon, which ret urn from the ocean to spawn in home streams and rivers up and down the coast of Alaska, British Columbia and Wash­ ington . There are actually five main spec ies of sa lmon that run down the B.C. coast ­ sockeye (t he most va luable commercial species), chinook, coho, chum and pink­ from spring to December.

"It's a very complex jurisdictional and multi-u ser problem," says Roff. Bes ides degradation of freshwater spawnin g habi­ tats and ocean climate effects of El Nill0, the West Coast fishery is a cauldron of ten ­ sions between various groups: perennial fish wars between Ca nada and the United States, disputes that pit sport fishers against native fishing rights. Recognizing the problems of low ocean productivity, habitat damage, overfishing and indiscriminate fishing prac­ tices that take weak and strong stocks alike, Ottawa is developing a new policy to guide Canada's Pacific salmon fisheries, focusing on conservation, sustainable use and improved decision-making.

That potent mix of overfishing and hab i­ tat degrada tion is also a problem for Cana­ da's freshwater fisheries. A report tabled last fall by the federal standing committee on

fisheries and oceans called for more federal funding for research and fisheries programs in central and arctic regions of Canada.

Accord ing to that report, the Grea t Lakes commercial fishery is one of the largest freshwater fisheri es in the world, worth an average landed value of more than $40 mil­ lion a year and an eco nomic impact of at least $250 million . Some 90 per cent of that catch is exported. The neck lace of lakes threading its way to the St. Lawrence River also supports the largest fres hwater sports fishery in the world; 800,000 Ontarians fish on the Great Lakes eve ry year, contributing $850 million to the economy.

In Manitoba, managers are concerned about the long-term susta inability of fresh­ wa ter fish stocks, particularly declines in Lake Winnipeg and the no rthern part of the province caused by overfishing, environ ­ mental degradation, loss of prime spawning habitat and predators. The province has seen stocks rise and fall, particularly of pickerel, Manitoba's highest-priced fish. In an attempt to manage the fishery in a sustained fashion , the province recently introduced a qu ota entitlement system for anglers. Joe O'Con­ nor, director of the fisheries branch of Man­ itoba's Department of Na tural Resources, says his department is wrestling with the environmental threats on fish habitat posed

Moira Ferguson and John Roff. Fish Physiology and Biochemistry, the top-ranked journal in its field, is edited by Prof. John Leather­ land, chair of the Department of Biomedical Sciences in the Ontario Veterinary College. University professor emeritus Eugene Balon has served as editor-in-chief of Environmental Biology ofFishes since he founded the publication in 1976. Zoology professor David Noakes edits Guelph Ichthyology Reviews, whose articles synthesize and review all aspects of fish science. Both of the latter are published in the Axelrod Institute of Ichthyology.

Based on data from geographic information sys­ tems, zoology professor John Roff has mapped types of habitat associated with various species of fish and other organisms around Canada's coasts and throughout tl1CGreat Lakes, the first time such a marine classification system has been developed in this country. His report was commissioned by World Wildlife Fund Canada for its Endangered Spaces Campaign and contributes to RoWs work as chair of the scienrillc committee of Globec (Glob­ al Ocean Ecosystem Dynamics), a two- yea r-old international research program intended to better understand ocean ecosystems.

by farming and hydroelectric development.

In Ontario, fisheries are "genera lly in pretty good shape:' says Evan Thomas, fish­ eries section manager of the fish and wildlife branch of the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources (OM NR). Ontario supports almost half of all recreational fishing in Canada, with more than two million adult anglers and more than $2 billion a year spent on recreational fishing in the province.

Onta ri o is also home to Canada's larges t commercial freshwater fishery, worth abo ut $40 million a Yfar in land ed value.

Thomas says over fishing is still the num­ ber o ne problem. Others include habitat loss, the potential effects of climate change and contin ued invasion by exotic species.

Among the management opt ions his min­ istry is exploring are more effective fisheries regulation, more rapid inventory and assess­ ment techniques, fish culture for rehabili­ tating populations and controlling nutrient inputs into lakes and rivers.

"We are clearly looking for federal sup­ port for the sea lamprey control program," he says, referring to recommendations in the recent federal fisheries committee report, as well as changes to the federal Fish­ eries Act to hand the province more author­ ity over fish habitat protection.

Concerns continue in Ontario over

Under the Canadian contribution to the project - furided by the Department of Fisheries and Oceans and the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Co uncil - about 80 federal government and university researchers are trying to learn more abo ut how bio­ logical and physical processes in the oceans affect fish stocks.

Zoologychai..r Prof. Paul Hebert has led a Guelph initiative to devel­ op multimedia learning resources d1at teach student~ from e1ementaIy grades to university about Canada's aquat­ ic environments. His department has developed a series of CD-ROMs that provide information on all the major animal groups in the Great Lakes.

Already available are educational CD-ROMs on Canada's aquatic environments (also available on d1e World Wide Web), Great Lakes biodiversity and birds of the Great Lakes. The latter is the first disc in a series called the Great Lakes Faunal Atlas, which will eventually cover mammals, amphibians, reptiles, fish and crustaceans.

The Alma Aquaculture Research Station, established in 1989 and funded through a 20-year development grant by the Ontario

WI NTER 1999 29

-

way in freshwater fishe ri es is a lon g-te rm project fund ed by the O MNR and the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) to re-establish native species in their origi­ nal habitats a round Lake Ontario. iVlari e Clement, a graduate student of zoology pro­ fe sso r David Noakes, is studying At lantic sa lmo n, which was wiped out of th e lake various invas ive species that have turned up in the Great Lakes - notably sea lampreys, zebra mussels and quagga mussels - many of which arrive in ballast water of ocea n­ going vessels. (Many have also found their way into Manitoba, says O' Co nnor, who points to th e effects o f sm elt on whitefish, the main commercial species in Lake Win­ nipeg.) Among o ther meas ures, th e federal fish eries committee report called for guar­ anteed funding for sea lamprey control and for scienti fic research.

"I think more money will co me," says Prof. Bill Beamish, Zoology, a commission­ er on the Great Lakes Fisheries Commission, the 40-year-old governing body that co-ordi­ nates resea rch programs between Canada and the United States and advises both gov­ ernments. It was a revie w led by Beamish more than a decade ago on the sta te of Canada's freshwater fisheri es that provided the scientific underpinni ngs for a landmark report published in 1988 that spelled ou t a

"C ONSIDERING WE

BEST FISHERY SCIENCES COMMUNITY IN THE WORLD, WE OUGHT TO BE DOING BETTER." national strategy for freshwater fisheri es.

Beamish, who has studied sea lampreys for several decad es at Guelph and also inves­ tigates fish habitat loss, says money is need ­ ed to help researchers investigate biological controls as an alternative to chemical lam­ pricides. The recen t repo rt also notes the ne ed to address the effects of other non­ native exotic species on n ative fish stocks and water quality, a nd calls on Ottawa to stem the funding decline in freshwater sci­ ence over the last two decades.

One example of th e kind of work under

Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, brings together researchers for interdisciplinary studies of protein requirements of arctic char, improving fish semen and egg management pro­ cedures, and understanding horm one activity in fish. The station acts as a quarantine unit for new fish varieties entering On tario, and serves as a base for parts of certificate courses and a master's program in aqua culture.

Zoology professors Moira Ferguson and Roy Danz­ mann use molecular genetics techniques to identi­ fy DNA markers used to pinpoint the location of genes associated with growth, spawning times. rates of development. maturity and tempera ture tolerance in rainbow trout. Isolating and identify­ ing genetic markers fo r desirable traits will help fish farmers and breeders cross-breed more effectively; conservationists will be better able to mana ge and preserve genetic variability among wild fish stocks.

Zoology professor David Noakes has stuclied varieties of arctic char native to Iceland to find ones suited to being rai sed on fish

30

GUELPH ALUMNUS

HAVE THE

and its tribu ta ry streams near the beginning o f this century by overflshing and habitat destruction and alteration. Last fall, Clement placed eggs into a site in the Credit River; she has been monito ring oxygen availab il ­ ity durin g their incu ba tion to gau ge sedi­ mentation rates in the ri ver. This sp ring and summer, she w ili study how newborn fi sh interact with other species in th e rive r.

C leme nt says her docto ral research pro ­ ject is but one piece of a larger project aimed at re- establishin g the herita ge species. Oth­ er researchers hop e to learn whe ther th e

farms in Canada. He and fellow Guelph zoologists Eugene Bal.on (co- founder of the Coelaca n th Conservat ion Coun cil) and Jim Bogart also identified and characterized the coelacanth, which had been thought extinct until a specimen was landed off Africa in the la te 1930s. Noakes confirmed th e id entity o f ano ther of these "living fossils" discovered in 1997; it appears to belong to a second pop ula tion living in the Indian Ocean about 10,000 kilometres away from tha t first find.

Zoology chair Paul Hebert was the fir st scientist to identify the prese nce in the G reat Lakes of zebra mussels, a prolific invader that has wreaked havoc in many ways, from clogging water-intake pipes to consuming plankto n, thus allowing light to reac h bottom-dwelling organisms that may displace native species. The first researcher to report on the biology and impact of the zebra mu ssel on th e Grea t Lakes was Guelph zoology professor Gerald Mackie, whose studies showed that the organism's faster growth rate and higher fecundity and population density will probably enable it to displace many native bivalves and disrupt entire lake ecosys tems.

fi sh population s, says policy m<:kers need

LEADING RESEARCH The University of Guelph has one orthe largest and most active groups of aquatic biologists in the world.

• More than 50 faculty and 100

graduate students, research

assocrates and postdoctoral

fellows.

• Over 1,000 published scientific articles, books, monographs, films and videos in the past decade.

• Interdisciplinary programs

involving more than a dozen

academic departments.

• The largest group ofichthyolo­ gists (scientists who study fish) in North America.

• Collaborative research with

government, environrriental

organizations and academic

institutions worldwide.

• Expertise covering the entire aquatic food chain, from plank­ ton to whales.

• Leading developments in com­ puter-based educational mate- , rials in aquatic sciences.

• A new $6-mil'lion Aquatic

S.ciences Facility.

• Research support from national and international agencies, business and industry.

adults will be able to return from the open lake to their stream spawning grounds, "If th ey come back, will the eggs survive? " she says, "If we're able to show the eggs can sur­ vive, that will be very encouraging for Atlant ic salmon restoration."

What is to be done to ensure the survival not just of Atl antic salmon in Lake Ontario but also of the co untry's freshwater and m ar ine fisheries? "We need to try to sepa­ rate o ut the fisheries management decisions from the political decisions associated with the fishery;' says zoology professor Glen Van Der Kraak, director of U of G's Axelrod Institute of Ichthyology. Van Der Kraak, who studies the effects of toxic contaminants on

to rely on th e advice of fisheries sc ientists making conservative harvest ing estimates.

"So often scientists make decisions and then are overrun by the politics," he says. (Never mind fish wars pitting co untri es against one another - here in Ca nada, scientists and policy makers wres tle over the question of who should be respo nsible for what aspects of the country's fisheries, as witnessed in a war of words played out in the Canadian Journal ofFisheries and Aquatic Sciences over the pa st 18 month s between biologists at seve ral Canadian univers ities and the DFO over the relation ship between fishery sc i­ ence and fisher y poli cy.)

Roff says there's nothing unique about Canada's fish problems. "It's not really a Canadian problem, it's a worldwide prob­ lem. The only fisheries worldwide that are not over fished appear to be some not yet fully exploited in the Indian Ocean."

After nearly four decades of growth, the worldwide marine ca tch leve lled off in the 1990s to some 90 million tons a year. The m ain problem s: coastal pollution, habitat destruction and, particula rly, overfishing.

Noakes, editor of the journal Guelph Ichthyology Reviews, contrasts the few hun­ dred people who might have made th eir livelihood aboard small wood en boats on the Grand Banks several centuries ago with the massive factory trawlers that now scour today's coast. "People are much too efficient in terms of catching fish," he says . Noakes concurs with fello w Guelph researchers that conservation of fish stocks has to reach the top of fishery mana ge rs' agendas. \"'hat does set Canada apart is the breadth and depth of expertise in fisheries and aquat­ ic sciences in this country - rath er a para­ dox when you consider that Canada's record in fisheries preservation is apparently no bet­ ter than that of many other nations.

"Considering we have the best fishery sci­ ences commun ity in the world, we ought to be doing better," says Roff. "Within th e last decade, th e federal government withdrawal o f support from the Department of Fish­ eries and Oceans and university researchers has been massive. At the very time when the resources were gett ing into severe problems and when the federal government ought to have been funding research, they've been substantially withdrawing resources." ga

DON'T WAIT UNTIL SPRING! The opportunity to double the impact of your gift to the University of Guelph ends on March 31. 1999.

Until that date, all gifts designated to endowed stu dent financial aid at Guelph will be matched by the Ontario Student Opportunity Trust Fund (OSOTF). That means that every dollar you commit will contribute two dollars to financial aid for Guelph students.

If you would like to support our students th roug h OSOTF, you still ha ve a w ind ow of oppor ni­ ty to have your d o l1a rs dou bled.

But only until March 31. 1999.

If you have already made a ple d g e to OSOTf th rough U of G's ACCESS Fund, thank you [or your g e nerous support.

Please comp lete your payme nts

by March 31, 1999. to e nsure that your gi ft is m atched.

For more information , contact Rudy Putns in Guelph's office of Development and Public Affairs at: 519-824 -4120, Ext. 6384.

Fax: 519-822-2670.

E-mail: alumni@uoguelph.ca.

WINTER

1999 31

-

UNIVERSITY OF GUELPH

n

ALUMNI PROF IL E LET'S LOOK AT

THE OPPORTUNITIES!

W

HEN I-IE BECA ME

president o f the Uni­

versity of Gu elph Alumni Assoc iation

(UGM ) in June, Jim Weeden brought new enthusiasm and ideas fo r encouraging alum­ ni to stay in vo lved with their alma mat e r.

And he wants to start with students.

Weeden re ca ll s his own ex perience at U of G, where h e fo und a sense of co mmu­ nity by living in residence and ge tting involved in college activiti es. But w hen he graduated with an en g in ee ring degr ee in 197 1, he left to begin a caree r and says he didn't think mu ch about th e Universit y until he needed it again in the 1980s to pursue a graduate degree in agricultural enginee ring.

H e spent his early caree r working as an agricultur al extensi o n e ngineer for th e Ontario Dep a rtment o f Ag riculture and is stiU with its successo r, the Ontario Ministry of Ag riculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA). We ed e n completed th e mas­ ter's degree in 1986 when he was head o f the agricultural engineering program and exten­ sion services a t Centralia Co ll ege of Ag ri­ cultural Tec hnology.

In 1987, he m oved to the ministry's plant indu s try branch as program m a na ger and later held the sam e position in th e resources manage m e nt branch. Sin ce th e n, h e has worked for OMAFRA in Wo odstock a nd no w Stratfo rd. He is technical adviser fo r Ontario's Enviro nmental Farm Plannin g Pro gram, is respo nsible for o the r environ­ m ental programs and co nsults with the Min­ istry o f th e Environment on local ag ricul­

""w

tural pollutio n problems.

Weed en go t involved with the Unive rsi­

:§ ty's a]u111ni programs by servin g on the first g: z board of the En gin eering Alumni Associa­ ~ tion wh en it was established in 1990. From ~ 1991 to 1994, he sat on the University Sen­ ~ ate and its Research Bo ard, and for th e pas t ~ four years) hels been on the UGAA executive.

32

GUELPH A LU MNUS

Fro m the president's chair, Weeden looks

programs. Thro ugh their effo rts, he says, the

at the bro ad picture o f UG AA se rvice and

a lulllni associati o n is rea c hing out to all

recogni zes that the assoc ia ti o n owes a de bt

U of G alumni. Graduates who have main­ tained a close relati o nship with the Uni ver­

o f gratitud e to hundreds of alumni vo lun­ tee rs who ha ve helped to build the organi­ za ti on over th e yea rs, and to Unive rsit y staff in Development and Public Affairs ( D&PA) who support UGAA initiati ves and alumni

sity thro ugh their college or academic dis­ cipline, those who feel an affiliation because o f their participation in a thl etics, residence life o r extracurricular activiti es, and even

HIGHLIGHTS· GRAD NEWS· OBITUARIES • CALENDER

those who have not kept in touch are part of the constituency served by UGAA. Weed en says the alumni association needs to strengthen its relationship with all alumni, and he believes the effor t must start on campus with students. He'd like to pro­ mote the idea of alumni involvement as ear­ ly as a student's second year. "We need to give stud ents some reason to be con nected and an efficient vehicle for maintaining that connection," he says.

For many students and new graduates, the social functions supported by UGAA and the opportunities for professional networ king will be important, says Weeden, but greater rewards are there for those who join the effort to enhance the University's acade mic goals.

In today's economic and political envi ­ ronme nt, individual financial support and the advocacy of post-secon dary education are important roles for alumni, he says. "How many people ac tivel y get involved with the debate on whether universities are job-train­ ing centres or centres of education? Yet some of our alumni are extremely adept in such roles." Weeden would like to cultivate past and current stud ent ac tivists as supporters of public education after they graduate.

As Weeden leads UGAA into a new year, he says he will work with other UGAA vol­ unteers and D&PA staff to find new ways for the association to interact with students and alumni. One id ea is to expand UGAA's Inter­ net presence by adding a Web message board that will encourage alumni to discuss career and campus issues online and a reply form that will allow them to quickly update address­ es, employment status and other information.

Weeden says it's important to stay focused on UGAA's key prioriti es, but he welcomes any and all new ideas on how to accomplish them. All it takes to share your ideas with the UGAA executi ve is a stamp or a push of the send button when you're clicked on alumni@uoguelph.ca.

HK/HB SPIRIT RISES

NCOURAGED BY THE SPIRIT

E

shown by fellow alumni at last summer's reunion, the executive of the Human Kinetics/ Human Biology Alumni Association is moving ahead with more opportunities for alumni to stay in touch. The association plans to launch a Web site that will be accessed through the U of G site.

A wine-and-cheese reception already planned for June 19, 1999, wiil try to build on the success of the 1998 event, which attracted alumni from as far away as Chicago and as far apart as the 19605 and 1990s. Guests had a chance to tour U of G's new Health and Performance Centre and performance testing labs. The program was co-ordinated wiLh

Prof. Jack Barclay, chair of the Depart­ ment of Human Biology and Nutritional Sciences, and Prof. Susan Pfeiffer. Mem­ bers of the Human Kinetics/Human Biology Alumni Association executive arc Janet Leonhard, '82, president; Carolyn Moore, '83, vice-president; Alison Locker, '97, secretary; Mark Mulholland, '79, lreasurer; and t-'iary Ann Crape, '76.

These officers are also spea rheading a new initiative to benefit students - an undergraduate award that will provide $250 and lifetime mem bership in the association. To commcnt on these and other initiatives, contact Leonard by e-mail at Janel_Leonhard@in.wrbsb. edu.on.ca or Moore at cturvey@agec. uoguelph.ca.

A REFLECTION OF PRIDE

M

embers of the OAC Class of '52 join Arbo­

retum staff on the front patio of the Arboretu m Centre beside a new reflecting pool that was built last summer as a class project. Pictured, from left, are Murray Parker, Ann Smith, George Smith, Jack Sargent, Catherine Gibb, "0

Robin Shaw-Rummington,

:r:

Marilyn Swaby, BA '69,

0 -< 0

Bev Healy, B.5e.(Agr.) '72,

co -<

s:

}>

Norm Watson, Una Venerus,

;0

:::!

Ron Costen, Henry Kock,

z

B.Se. (Agr.) '77, and Ric

:r:

Jordan, BA '75.

r

V>

n

~

co m

WINT ER

1999 33

-

alumni ·Matters Multimedia

lab buzzes

Alumnus of many interests

T

HE DONALD FORSTER RoOiv!

I

has become one of the

busiest spots in th e Uni­

versity of Guelph Libl'ary since the

addition of 70 state-of-the-art computer workstations that were s upport ed by alumni do nations to the Alma Mater Fund (AM F).

U of G pres ident Mordechai Roza nski officia ll y o pened th e Alma Mater Fund Multimedia Lab D ec. 2 an d celebrated th e eve nt with members of th e AMF Adv isory Counc iL 1997,

[n

1996 a nd

the AMF contributed

$240,000 to th e project, w hich increased the number of student

Ken Murray, centre, with his wife, Marilyn Robinson Murray, and U of G president Mordechai Rozanski.

NTERES TING P EOPLE always h ave eclec t ic interests, and U of G alumnus and hono rary degree recipient Ken Murray, BSA '50 and HDLA '96, is a good exa mple, H e is known by most people on cam­ pus for his distinguished career in the Canadian meat packing indus­ try and his volunteer service to U of G, He was a memb er and chair of Board of Governors from 1973 to 1978 and chair of the Region­ al Corporate Committee during U of G's last capital campaign a nd is currently chair of the Heritage Fund Enhancement Committee, Murray is also a strong supporter of community soc ial services, In August, he addressed th e World Co ngress of Social Ps)'c hiatry held in British Columbia - th e only non-psychiatrist o n the pro­ gram, He spoke abo ut his role in establishing an Alzheimer's research projec t a t the University ofWaterioo, which was recently n amed in his ho nour the Ken Murray Alzheimer Research and Education Pro­ gra m, At the g,c, conference, he al so participated in a panel dis ­ cussion that outlined services offered by Guelph's Homewood Health Cent re. Murray bas been actively involved in the governance of the centre since 1977 a nd has been a major playe r in the development of a charitable found atio n bearing the Homewood nam e,

workstations o n campus by 50 per ce nt. Students use the m ult ime­

WHEN THE PUCK DROPPED

~

dia lab to conduc t research on the

~ :r:

Internet, access scholarly publica­

More than 30 teams, including two women's teams, were entered in the

VI

tion s on CD-RO M and use

u

z ~

COll1­

Dec. 6 University of Guelph Alumni Hockey

puter software mod u les tbat

Tournament. Organizers for the 1998 event were, from left, Brian Finniss, B5c. '88,

<!

~ strengthen the teaching provided

lD

o

in co urse lect ures, labs and tcxt­

b ii: books,

34

GU ELPH ALUMNU S

Brad Stephenson, BA '86, Terry Carr, B,Comm . '87, Todd Bryant, BA '86, and undergraduate student Brian Melnick.

1999 Coming Events Jan. 29 -

Aggie Good­ Times Banquet, call the OAC

RESTORING A JEWEL IN THE CROWN

D

he helped dig out the base ment of Massey H al l to build a stu dent lo unge - but his recent gift ha s

now growi ng up around it. His $256,000 lead e r­

working since the ea rly 1990s to sa ve the glass and

ship gift to the Co nservatory and Garde ns Project

cypress stru ctu re from d emo lition.

was inspired by hi s m emo ries of bei ng a stu de nt at OAC.

A committee of alumni, facult y, sta ff, stu dents an d fri en d s of the University has moved the pro­

ONALD RUTHERFORD, BSA '5\, stands in fron t

of the 1931 conservatory greenhouse that will be restored to match the splen dour of the ga rden s

been a tremendous boost to those w ho have been

"On behalf of fellow alumni, I hope this gift will

ject along to th e point w h ere most of the s ur­

commemorate the experie nces and education we acquired while at Guelph," says Ruth erford. "When

rounding ga rden complex is now complete. It fea ­ tures six gardens named in honour of th e ir chie f

fully restored to its previ ous glory, the conservato­

supporters: Autumn Garden - OAC '5 1, Spring Ga rden - OAC '53, Su mmer Garden - OAC '55,

ry greenhouse will be an ideal greeting and welcome spot for visitors and newco mers to the University, as well as old friend s renewing their acquaintance."

Winter Gard e n -

OAC '65, Water Gard e n ­

Rutherford's professional caree r spans the agri­

OAC '49 and th e Woo dland Garden n amed in hon our of the late Do ug Rob inson, BSA '53 .

foo d industr y, beginning as an agri cu ltural rep­ rese ntative with the provincial mini st ry. I-Ie was

Alumni ha ve been in strumental in raisin g funds for the $ l-million project. Students and fa c­

later vice-president of the Fertilizer Institute of

ult y have provided mudl of the h'1l1ds-on Idbour,

On tario, executive secreta ry of the Canadian Seed

and friends in the nursery and landscape materi­

Trade Association, director of information w ith

als suppl y industries have given $250,000 ill dona­

the Ca nadian Livestock Feed Board and Canadi­

tion s a nd gifts-in-kind of pl an ts and landsca pin g

an sa les manager for Sylvite of Can ad a. Retired since 1986, he now owns his own sma ll investment

materials. Ruth erford 's ge nero us gift h as pushed th e co nse rvato ry fund-ra ising effort in to the fin 81

com pany and ma nages to golf throughout th e yea r.

The conserva tory isn't the first ca mpu s project

stretch. Th e ga rden complex and restored g reen­

to attract Rutherford 's attention -

as a student,

110use are sc hedul ed to officially open during Alumni Weekend in June 1999 .

Student Federation at Ext. 8321 for ticket injemnrltion.

Feb. 13 - Norm McCo llulll D iploma Hockey Tourna­ m ent, call Jack Bakker at 519-837-0132 to register a team.

Feb. 21 - Ottawa Chapter annual curling bonspiel, Richmond C urling Club in Ri chmond , Ont. For informa­ tiol1, call Alan Bentley, BSA '61, at 6 13-829-6598, or John, DVi\t[ '54, mId Margaret McGowml, B.H.Sc. '54, at 6 13-828-7038.

March 3 - Florida alumni reunion a t Maple Leaf Estates, Port C harl o tte, Fla., call Ext". 6533 /0 register.

March 13 and 14 .ollcge Royal 75th o pen hou se.

March 19 and 20 - OAC Alumni Association curling bonspiel, G uelph C urling Club, register at Ext. 6657.

May 5 - Chicago All Ca na­ dian Universities Night hostecl

by U of G at the University Club of Chicago, 76 East Mon­ roe Sr., call Exl. 6533 for details.

May 5 - OAC Alumni Foundation annual mee ting, 7:30 p.m ., Arboretum Cent re.

May 12 - Alumni-in­ Action annual meeting and luncheo n, 11:30 3.m., Arboretum Centre, ((1/1 Ext. 6657fo r tickets.

June 18 to 20 - Alumni 'Veeke nd, call Ext. 6657 to plall a reun io n.

-0

:r:

For more infon-nation on any eVC1l1listed ailove, call the U of G extension listed at 519-824-4120 or send e-mail 1'0 alunzni@lIoguelph.ca.

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WINTER 1999 35

­

alumni Matters

MEMORIES OF COLLEGE ROYAL

Grant MacEwan, ADA '23 and BSA '26, is one of the few OAC alumni who c~n still remember the first College Royal held Jan. 14, 1925. MacEwan bad just entered the degree program in animal husbandry and may have been a participant in the live­ stock showmanship classes. Lat­ er in life, he was widely known across Western Canada as 3 live­ stock judge and an advocate of agricultural fairs and exhibitions.

MacEwan is bes t known, however, for his 23-year C3reer as a university professor i.n Man­ itoba and Saskatchewan and Ilis political career, which included 12 years as alderman and may­ or of C3 1gary, four years as an Alberta MLA and eight as lieu­ tenant -governor of the province.

He s till lives in Calgary, where he celebrated his 96th

Grant MacEwan

John Kenneth Galbraith

birthday in August.

The year after Ma cEwan graduated, John Kenneth Gal­ braith, ADA '29 and BSA '31,

HOMECOMING

enrolled at OAC and devoted some of his energy to organiz­ ing College Royal. Show records indicate it was Galbraith who first proposed the college event be publicized so that people from th e farm community could attend. He also suggest­ ed that OAC invite students from American agricultural col­ leges.l n th e early 1930s, Col­ lege Royal took its fir s t steps towards becoming the com­ munity open house it is today.

Galbraith later moved to the United States, where he enjoyed a distinguished caree r as a pro­ fessor of economics at Harvard Universi ty. Known for his humanit~rian approach to eco­ nomi c and political thinking, he was awarded the Order of Canada in 1997. H e celebr3ted his 90th birthday in October.

'98

T REALLY WAS a homecoming reunion when

and Arnott, who is head coach of the York

former Gryphon teammates Ralph Shapiro,

University Yeomen, came from the visitors'

I

S.5c.(H.K.) '74, and Tom Amott, S.5c.(H.K.) '80,

dreSSing room to hold the ball. Shapiro is

met on the field at Alumni Stadium Oct. 3.

the controller at Huntsman Chemical Inc.

Shapiro had the honour of kicking off the University's 1998 United Way campaign,

in Guelph and a longtime United Way vol­ unteer who chaired this year's Guelph and Wellington fund-raising drive. The Univer­ sity campaign is the largest in the county, with U of G staff and faculty contributing over $200,000 in 1998.

Prior to the game, a number of recent

""

alumni -

all U of G scholarship and award

winners -

met for a reunion luncheon. The

UJ

3

1948 and 1949 dominion championship

i5f. z

football teams were also honoured guests

:'o5

at the 2 p.m. game that saw the Gryphons

>­

'"a

Ralph Shapiro

f­

a I

a.

36

G UEL PH ALUMNUS

defeat York.

LEADING THE 25TH ANNIVERSARY FOR 1974 GRADS The 25th-anniversary reunion giv­ i ng program for th e Class of 1974 is under way with Bill Laidlaw, BA '74, as cbair. A public affairs pro­ fessional, he has been director of government relations for the Canadian operations of Glaxo vVelJcome Inc. for more th a n 10 years. He also acts as a senior con­ sultant to support the govern­ ment relations function in other regions of Canada.

Laidlaw began his career in teaching, after earning a history degree from Guelph and ed ucation degrees (rom Queen's University and the University of Toronto. He also hold s the certified human reso urces professional designation a nd worked in that field for sev­ eral years before concen trating on government relations at Glaxo Welkome. He lives in Burlington, Ont., and is an active community volunteer, having se rved on th e boards of severa l professional organizations, the Queensway General Hospital and the Metro­ politan Toronto Lung Association.

He is currently completing a one­ year term as chair of the Ontario Chamber of Commerce.

Anniversa ry preparations will culminate with a class gathering a nd reunion gift at Alumni Weeke nd in June 1999.

ALUMNI MAKE THE CONNECTION Students who moved into Maids and Mills halls in Sep­ tember can take full advan­ tage of the University's high­ speed computer network thanks to the OAC C lass of '71 , whose 25 th-reunion pro­ ject provided wiring upgrades in the 84- a nd 77-year-old residence buildin gs .

19305

GRAD NEWS

Marathon survivors inspire us all to appreciate everyday life

W

HEN ROBINSON SIIlL.JNGS Jane, B.Se.(Agr.) '85, Heather, B.A.Se. '83, Peter, B.Se.(Agr.) '86, Scott and Marnie ,,,rigwood, BA '84, get together, they talk about marathons and the hope and determination it takes to reach the fini sh line.

Hea th er walked a marathon in San Diego, Calif., in June to raise money for leukemia research, then joined Peter for a Toronto marathon in October that benefi ted the Leukemia Research Fund of Canada. They were inspired by Jane's per­ sonal marathon of survival that foUowed her 1992 diagnosis of leukemia. Chemotherapy, radiation, remission, relapse and finally a bone marrow transplant [TOm her brother Scott took more than three years out of her life, but gave her the deter­ mination to keep fighting.

Many families can understand the marathon of hop e maintained by the Robinsons during Jane's struggle and th e commitment they have to help others who are stricken with the disease. Jane is finally well enough to work again as a writer and marketing consultant and to join her fami ­ ly in voluntee r work. She helped recruit for the Toronto marathon fund -raise r and continues to be involved with the Leu kemia Research Fund's "Tea m in Training." She also says that her expe­ rience has taught her to appreciate more the plea­

sures of everyday life and the love of famil y.

Jan e's parents are th e late Doug Rob inson , BSA '53, and Marilyn (Inglis) Robin son Murray, B.H .Sc. '55.

• Grant Misener, ADA '32, BSA '3 5 and DVM '38, received the prestigious George F. Hixso n Fel­ lowship Award from the Kiwanis International Foundation in May. The retired Illinois veteri­ narian was h ono ured for his sub­ stantial contribution to the Kiwanis wo rldwide service pro­ ject aimed at eliminatin g iodine defi ciency disord ers, the leading cause of preventable mental retardation in children. Over the years, Mise ner has shown a simi­ lar commitment to his al ma mater an d its stud ents through his close association with OVC and his support of sc ho larship programs.

19405

• Russell McDonald,DVM '45, was named an honorary life direc­ tor of the Royal Agricultural Win­ ter Fair Association in March.

McDonald, formerly general man­ ager of Western Ontario Breeders Ine. and executive director of the Canadian Association of Animal Breeders, served as a director of the Royal Winter Fair for 20 years, representing the Ca nadian artifi­ cial insemination industry. He lives in Woodstock, Ont. • Ian Taylor, DVM' 43, was recentl y honoured by th e Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals of Illinois. Taylor ran a small-animal veterinary clinic in the Chicago area for many years and says he gained ll1uch experi­ ence during his first three years in Illinois as clinic veterinarian for the anti -cru elty society.

195 05 • Charles "Chuck" Broadwell, BSA '54, was elec ted a Mel Osborne Fellow by the Kiwanis Club of Forest City in London, Ont., in recognition of a dedicat­ ed and distinguished career in Kiwanis.

19605

• Constantine Campbell, BSA '60 and MSA '6 1, was named to the

WINTER

1999 37

-

Order of Canada in January. He received the award in recogni ­ tion of his many contributions to science and the Canadian agricultural industry. After grad ­ uating from OAC, he went on to do his PhD at the University of Saskatchewan, then joined Agri­ culture and Agri-food Canada as a research scientist at the Swift Current research station. Camp­ bell and his family now live in Ottawa, where he is scientist em eritus with Agriculture and Agri-food Canada.

• John Casselman, BSA '64, is a research sc ientist with th e Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources. He Jives in Bath, Ont., with his wife, Lois.

• Jane Fuller, R.RSc. '65, and her husband, George, who both taught at the Macdonald Insti­ tute from 1966 to 1969, have moved from Winnip eg to Utopia, Ont., following George's retirement from the University of Manitoba.

• Fred Gilbert, M.Sc. '66 and P hD '68, is in his first term as presid ent of Lakehead Univer ­ sity in Thunder Ba y, Ont. H e taught at U of G in the Depa rt­ m ent of Zoology from 1972 to 1981 and has enjoyed a dive rse academic career that has also included teaching at the Uni­ versity of Maine and posi tions as director of wildlife biology at Washington State University and founding dean of the Fac­ ulty of Natural Reso urces and E nvironmenta l Studies at the

University of Northern British Columbia. He moved to Lake­ head from a position as vice­ pro vo st at Colorado State Uni­ versity. A respected wildlife biologist, he ha s conducted ex ten sive resea rch in s Ll ch area s as the beha viour and physiolo­ gy of wildlife species and th e effects of environmental change on wildlife populations.

• Terry Goodyear, B.Sc. '67, of Mont Tremblant, Quebec, is an early retiree from Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada i.n Ottawa. He is now working on va lu e-added products from industrial wastes, particularly

• Allan Knight, BSA '66, of Corunna, Ont., has retired

cellulose sludge from pulp a nd pa per mills.

• Gary Hearn, BA '68, was

Canadian goods and se rvices to Portugal.

named an Ontario provincial judge in October. For the last 25 years, he has been a lawyer with the firm Kearns McKin­ non in Guelph, where he lives w ith his wife, Irene, and three teenage children.

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38

GUELPH ALUMNU S

from Dow Chemical after 30 years. On retirement, he was a laboratory director for indus­ trial chemicals. He is now working w ith his son in a fami­ ly-owned and -operated busi­ ness, Knight Funeral Home.

• Keith McFarlane, B.Sc.(Agr.) '68, works for the Department of Foreign Affairs and Interna­ tional Trade and began a four­ year assignment last summer as head of the commercial divi­ sion of the Canadian Embassy in Lisbon, Portugal. The di vision promotes the sa le of

• Ian Newbould, MA '68 , has travelled far from his Ontario roots through an academ ic and administrative career that has taken him to Europ e, Asia and Western Canada. A noted his­ torian, he moved into adm inis­ tration at th e University of

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and development in the Indian tea industry and d eveloping tea cultivars and agrotechnology for tea. Singh is married with two so ns, aged 27 and 23.

197 05

Lethbridge in 1981 and spent 10 years there as director of research, d ea n of a rts and sci­ ence and vice-presiden t (acade­ mic) before crossing the coun­ try to become president of Mount Allison University in New Brunswick. He is now in his second term as president of Mount AUison.

• Indra Deo Singh, M.Sc '68, is a tea sc ienti st, international consultant and joint director of the Tea Research Association at the Nagrakata substation in India. His respon sibilities include co-ordinating research

• Don Ambler, B.Se. '71, retired in March as manager of water programs with Environ­ ment Ca nada in Dartmouth, N.S., after 25 years of public service. He ha s now registered the company Aquas hed Co n­ sulting to continue in the water resources field, when he's not gardening, beekeeping, do ing aerobics or vo lunteerin g in the community and chu rch, E-mail contact is welcome a t don.ambl er@ns, sympatico,ca,

• Jim Bond, B,Se. '75, is manag­ ing a new processing facility at the Chalk River Nuclea r Labora­ to ry in Chalk River, Ont. • Terri (Monks) Bulman, B.Sc.(Agr.) '78 and M,Se. '81, and her hu sband, Vincent,

M.Se. '8 1, live in Australia with th eir th ree children: Catherine, 7; Peter, 4; and baby Chri sto ­ pher. Terri is senior principal environmental auditor \,vith Coffey Geosc iences Pty Ltd. Vin­ cent, afte r many years as a geolo­ gist travelling around Australia and abroad, has taken the year off to study and look after the children, Their e-ma il address is tbulman@bigpond.co m.

• Marie David, BA '78, of Hanover, Ont., has been in the n ewspaper business for 20 years, She started in the mail­ room, moved to advertising sales, then became advert ising manager. She is n ow gene ral manager o f three So utham weekly newspapers and pub­ lish er o f the Hanover Post, • Janice Harrower and her hus­ band, Jerome Billett, both DVM '76, operate a joint veteri­ nary practice in Prescott, Ont. Billett says practising together has allowed them some flexibili­

ty in their family life and given their four children a good too k at the rigours of veterinary medicine. Says Billett: "Not one of our kid s has the slightest interest in being a veterinarian, and isn't that just fine?" Their o ldest son, Jesse, attends Har­ va rd University and is a mem­ ber of its prestigious a cappella choir, Lucas is studying mechanical engineering at the University of Waterloo, Casey is planning a ca reer in computer engineering and Lindsay is a high school athle te.

• Clair Heinbuch, B,Se. '74, is a sales manager with Baye r Corp. in Kan sas, H e and hi s wife, Caroline (Koscik), BASc '75, return ed to the Kansas City area after spending four years in Denver. They h ave three chil­ dren: Lisa, 20; Sco tt , 18; and Ryan, [5.

• Beverly Lee, B.A.Se. '72, is an ele m entary school principal in Unionville, Ont, She lives with

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WINTER

1999 39

her husband, Grant Egan, in Collingwood, and is looking forward to retirement in sever­ al years. "Life on Georgian Bay is wonderful;' she says. Lee would love to hear from fellow grads by e-mail at leeb@Yrbe.edu.on.ca or by phone at 705 -444 -092l.

• Won-Jai Maeng, M.Sc. '71, took office Sept. 1 as president of Kon-Kuk University in Seoul, Korea, where his academic career began. He completed an undergraduate degree at Kon Kuk in 1965, then studied at Mailing Agricultural College in Denmark and at U of G before doing doctoral work at the Uni­ versity of California, Davis.

Maeng has held research and teaching position s at the Uni­ versity of illinois, at Chung-Ang University and at Kon-Kuk, where he has been a professor of animal science since 1984. His appointment as president fol­ lows years of administrative experience as a department head, dean and chair of various research committees and pro­ fessional organizations. An expert in ruminant nutrition, Maeng wa s instrumental in developing the livestock feed industry in Korea. He has also been active in working with alumni groups and in writing for the Kon-Kuk Tribune.

• Bill MarshaU, ADA '75, of Proton Station, Ont., moved from Clarksburg in June to work in Dundalk for the Grey County Roads Department on its road management crew.

• Bernie Matte, B.Sc.(Agr.) '70, of Moncton, N.B., retired in March after 28 years with Fisheries and Oceans Canada and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency. He plans to travel to Belize and Honduras with his wife, Diane, and will be available anywhere in the Caribbean for seafood HACCP consulting work.

• Margaret McClain, BA '70, lives in Arkansas, where she is highJy involved i.n the issue of

40

GUELPH ALUMNUS

missing children and interna­ tional abductions. McClain, who believes her own six-year-old daughter was taken out of the United States more than a year ago by her second husband, is reaching out to parents with similar experiences through an organization that is lobbying the U.S. government for tougher international abduction laws.

She invites interested fr iends and alumni to contact her through her Web site at www.insolwwb.net/-dmcclain.

• Robert (Chuck) Miller, BA '77, is the park superintendent of Killarney, French River and Maskinonje provincial parks in Ontario. He moved to Killarney from Quetico Provincial Park last May. • Gordon Nicol, BA '72 and M.Sc.(Agr.) '74, teaches math and science in a bilingual pri­ vate school in Guatemala. A B.Ed. graduate of Laurentian, he first taught in Guatemala in the late 1970s, then spent 12 years in northern A.lberta as a teacher and principal. He returned to Guatemala in 1989.

A widower with three teenage children, Nicol would like to hear from U of G friends and acquaintances, especially any­ one who is, was or will be in Ce ntral America. He says he could also use middle- school­ level science projects. Send e­ mail to gnicoll @guate.net or write to P.O. Box 661447, Miami Springs, Florida 33266-1447.

• Chris Schulte, B.Sc. '71 and M.Sc. '73, lives in Nassau, Bahamas, with his wife, Andrya. After graduation, he stayed in the Department of Physics as a resea rch associate with Prof. lain Campbell, then joined Ontario Hydro in the early 1980s. He moved to the Bahamas in 1995. He can be reached bye-mail at schulte@bahamas.net.bs.

• Sandra (Pickford) Webster, BA '75, has retired from U of G's Co mmunications and Pub­ lic Affairs and is living in Parry

Sound, Ont. , where she is doing volunteer work and communications consulting for the municipality. Guelph friends ca n contact her by e-mail atswebster@zeuter.com.

19805

computer design in 1990. Her personal site can be Found at www.jezebel.com.

• Laurie Gough, BA '87, has become a world traveller who writes about her experiences for the benefit of others. Her most recent book, Island of the

• Sharon (Courneya) Angus, BA '8 I, of Surrey, B.C., com­ pleted a BSW at the University of British Columbia in 1988 and has been working for the B.C. government for 13 years - first in probation and now in the family justice division.

She and her husband, Ron, have three children, Jaso n, Carly and Colin.

• Karen Beazley, BLA '86, is an assistant professor and acade­ mic program co-ordinator at the School for Reso urce and Environmental Studies at Dal­ housie University in Halifax.

She is currently doing research for a book on endangered species in.itiatives and is orga­ nizing a Nova Scotia wildlands workshop with the Wildlands Project for 1999. Her e-mail address is kbeazley@is.dal.ca.

• Caroline (Van Deudekom) and Marc Brooks, both ADA '87, recently moved from Strathroy to Owen Sound , Ont., where they run a 50-acre organic farm with their two sons.

• Virginia Burt, BLA '85, start­ ed her own landscape architec­ ture firm, Visionscapes, in Hamilton, Ont., in ] 996. She specializes in the design of ther­ apeutic healing gardens, spirit gardens, sacred spaces and la byrin ths, and recen tly designed the first healing garden in Canada specificalJy for peo­ ple living with HIV and AIDS. • Joanne (Branson) Carver, BA '80, earned a B.Ed from Brock Unive rsity in 1981 and recently started working as a proba­ tion/parole officer. She Jives in Ajax, Ont., and has two daugh ­ ters: Julie,4; and Sarah, 8.

• Heather Champ, BA '86, is a Web-site designer in New York City. She began her work in

Human Heart: A \t\fornan's Trav­ el Odyssey, is now in its second printing in Canada and will be released next year in the United States and overseas. She has also published Travellers' Tales: A Woman's World, which won the U.S.-based Lowell Thomas Gold Award for best travel book of the year. When not travelling or writing, she teaches English and ESL in Guelph.

• Susan (Coles) Goulden, B.A.Sc. '84, and her husband, Ian, are th rilled wi th their recent adoption of Jennifer Lee Yu, who was born in June near Leping, Jiangxi, People's Repub­ lic of China. The Gouldens, who Jive in vVaterloo, Ont., thank classm ate Andrea (Kovits) Henderso n for her support throughout the adop­ tion process. Susan is currently on leave from her position with McCormick Canada.

• Judy (Bodendistel) Gregg, BA '82, moved to Melbourne, Aus­ tralia, in 1997 with her husband and two children: Ca rly, 6; and Adam, 3. "We are enjoying the friendly people and the great weather here;' she says. "We are especially enjoying winter in a place where it never gets below zero Celsius!"

• Nigel GumJey, DVM '85, has been a partner in the Alta Vista Animal Hospital in Ottawa

since 1990, was president of the Ontario Veterinary Medical Association i.n 1997 and recently se rved on th e Canadian Vet­ eril w()' Medical Association's national issues co mmittee. He lives in Osgoode with his wife, rvlaurecn, and children, Laura and Matthew.

• Muneer Hirji, B.Comm '82, lives in Toronto and is vicepresident of marke ting at SAP Canada. He has three childrcl1: Nadia, 8; Alyssa, 6; and Sarah, I. • Brenda irwin, B.Se. '88 , is studying at Hong Kong Uni­ vers ity of Science and Technol­ ogy to complete the final sem ester of an MBA program through the University of British Columbi a. She taugh t science for the North York Board of Edu ca tion for five years before enrolling in the MBA program.

• Jagwant Kanwar, PhD '80, is a senior scientist in the department of vegetable crops at Punjab Agricultural University in India. He is also director of the regional vegetable research sta­ tion at Usman (TaranTarn) Amritsar. His and his wife, Sanyogita, have a son, Mohit, and a daughter, Dipika, who are both studying engineering.

Friends can write to Kanwar at Punjab Agricultural Un ivers ity, Ludhiana, 141 004, India.

• Larissa Larsen, B.Se. '89 and MLA '92, received a PhD in urban and regional planning from the Unive rsit y of Illinois at Urbana Champaign in May. She has accep ted a positio n at Thompson Dyke and Assoc i­ ales, a landsca pe a rchitecture and urban planning firm in Chi cago. H er hu sband , Ernie Poortinga, DVM '89, is in his third yea r of an MD prog ra m at Rush University Chicago.

H e's lookin g forward to joining his wife in the ranks of the emp loyed! They would both enj oy hearing from fellow alumni and can be reached at epoo r tin ga@rushu.rush.edu.

• Garry Millage, AMPHI '86, left a position as vice-president of national operations for Scott's Restaurants, KFC Divi­ sion, to open his own consulting company. Future Food Equipment Ine. specializes in providing new and used restau rant equipment and red ucing restaurant construction costs.

He also operates a restaurant called Nikkos in Woodbridge, Ont., and is planning to open a second location.

• Tosh Noseworthy, B.Se. '83, is a cardiovascular IC U nurse in sunny Tuscon, Arizona. After grad uation, she lived in Paris, France, for a yea r, s tudied nursing in O ttawa, then lived in Sau­ di Arabia for two yea rs. She still loves to travel and would like to hea r from fellow alumni. She can be reached at 520-299-8344.

• Cecilia (Wleugel) Parkes, B.Comm ' 85, is a grap hic designer in Toronto a nd says she still uses ber m a rketing background to help her busi­ nes s succeed. She specia lizes in logo design lNith hand -drawn illustrations.

• Jim Parr, B.Sc.(Agr.) '81 and M .Se. '89, died of cancer in Ju ne 1998, but he's being rem emb ered by hi s university fri end s thro ugh the estab lish m ent of a mem o rial fund for his wife, Denise, and children, Shannon and Eric. Anyone who would like more informa tion can ca ll Brian Tapscott at 519-767-3 566.

• Che r yl (Dunlop) Reid, B.Se.(Agr.) '89 , sta rted a new job in September as ing redie nt sales manage r for R.A. Chisho lm o f Toronto. She will continu e to work from her remote offke in Fergus. Rei d and her husband, Jeff, B.Se. (Agr.) '89, have two children: lVlega n, 4; and Eliza beth , 2.

• Chee Sie, BA '83, is a zone manage r for the Malaysian Assurance Alliance Berhad in Sarawak, Malaysia. He and his wife, Jesterine, have a two-yearold daughter, Letitia.

• Heidi Stephenson, BA '88, was awarded her professional acco untant's designation of certified genera l accountant in March 1998. She ha s been employed for the last 10 years with Dan Ball Chartered Acco un tant in Parry Sound, O nt., where she lives with her hu sband, Brad, two dogs and a h orse.

• Dawn Stetsko, B.Se. '81, lives in Langh orne, Pa., with h er hus­ band, Paul, and children, Mark and Keith, and is a research scientist with Bristol-Myers Squibb. Previously, she worked at McMaster Unive rsity in Hami lton, Ont., for 17 yea rs.

• Teresa Tummillo-Goy, BA '86, has a law practice in Wa ter100, Ont., foc Li sing primaril y on family law, civil litiga tion and real estate. She and her hu sband, John Goy, live in Guelph and have three sons: John, 4; Tony, 3; a nd Shayne, 2.

• Peter Van der Borch, DVM '88, retired in the fa ll of 1997 after several years of practising physiotherapy and ve terinary medicine and surgery. He Jives in Pictou, N.S. • MartyWilLiams, BA '85, is co-ordinator of student activi­ ties at University College, Uni­ versity of Toronto, where he advises student organizations.

1 Ie is also chair of the U of T Staff Association, a member of the steering committee of the staff's unionization drive and a staff member with the student newspaper The Varsity. He can be reached bye -mail at marty. wi lli am s@utoronto.ca.

19905

• Claire Allison, BA '94, graduated from the elementary teac her ed ucation progra m at the Unive rsity of British Columbi a in 1996 and now teaches in Va ncou ver.

• JohnAvon, B.SdH.K,) '94, earned an M .Se. in industrial operations from Lawrence Technological University in Southfleld, Mich., in 1997 and

is now ISO 9000 manager at Carpe nter Ca nada Ltd. in Wood br idge, On t. H e lives in Miss issa uga. Classma tes are invited to contact him at avon l@istar.ca.

• Michelle (Pilon) Bacon, BA '90, moved to England to study and work after graduating from Guelph. She recently left a posi­ tion with the British Ministry of Agriculture and Food in York to become an at-home mom. She now lives in London with her husband, Tim, and one-year-old daughter, Juliette. She sends love to Sue, Heather and Sheila and can be reached bye-mail at michelle.bacon@dial.pipex.com.

• Jeff Barlow, B.Comm '90, is the training and quality manager for two five-star lux ury bou­ tique h o tels in Prague - Hotel Palace Pra ha and the Ho tel Savoy. Prev io usly, he was execu tive housekeeper at th e five -sta r Renaissance Pragu e Hotel.

• Margaret Burnes-Souria, BA '94, is a tea m leader with [01'1 ­ don Magazin e in London, Ont. She married David So uria in July 1997 and is pursuing a n ]VlBA at th e University of Western Ontario.

• Janin e Byers, B.A.Se. '95, is a public health dietitian at the Kingston, Frontenac and I.ennox & Addington Health Unit in Kin gston, O nt. She is getting married to Ca rl Stewart on May 29, j 999.

• Lisa Cherry, B.Se. '9 1, is a science journalist and executive director of Artists Against Racism, an international organiza tion. She is based in Toronto.

• Bonnie (Byma), BASe. '96, a nd Gil Clelland , BA '95, were married in December 1996 an d are livin g in Chatham, On t.

Bo nni e works at a day-care centre; G il teaches art and phys ical education. They ca n be reac hed bye-ma il at gclel­ lan @cia ccess.co m.

• Kate Corn ell, BA '95, of Markham, Ont., earned he r master's in dance history from York University in May and

WINTER

1999 41

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co-authored a book titled

• Mary Jill (McClure)

Culliton, B.A.Se. '90, earned

her B.Ed. from Brock University

and her M. Ed. from the Univer­

sity of Western Ontario and

teaches Grade 1 in Mitchell,

Ont. She and her husband,

Tim, live in Stratford.

Ascroft, B.Se. '93, Karen Lein­ gartner, B.Se. '94, and Barb (Moore) Johnson, B.Se. '94.

Best man was Jeff Bond, B.Se. '93 and M.Se. '96. The Deckers live in Edmonton, where Steve is doing a PhD in chemistry at the University of Alberta an d Wendy is working in a research laboratory at a biopharmaceu­ tical company.

• Kathleen (McNutt) Daniels,

B.A.Se. '9 1, is a teacher and was

married on New Year's Eve

1994 to Gord Daniels. They live

in North Bay, Ont. , and have a

daughter, Lauren, born in Feb­

ruary 1997. They are expecting

their second child in February.

• Donna Gross, BA '97, is pur­ su ing a master of divinity at Emmanuel College at the Uni­ versity of Toronto and hopes to become an ordained minister by 2002. She lives in Guelph and can be reached bye-mail at donna@juliet.albedo.net.

• Simon Deakin, BA '95, stud­

ied in Florence, Italy, for a year,

then earned a master of fine art

from the Slade School of Fine

Art at the University of London,

England. He lives in London.

• Christie Dunbar, BLA '97,

spent a year after graduation

working for Niagara College in

St. Catharines, Ont., on the

vision and design of a new

campus to be built in Niagara­

on-the- Lake. Last April, she

joined the landscape architec­

ture firm of Pollack Design

Associates in Ann Arbor, Mich.

• Trina Edmonds, BA '94, and

Joel Hinderle became the

proud parents of a little girl,

Jordan Ashley, in january 1998

and moved to a new home in

Oakville, Ont., in September.

Edmond s works in Mississauga

as a desktop publisher with a

publishing/printing company.

• Robert Gruber, BA '92, is a child-care supervisor for the YMCA-YWCA of Guelph and manages the Jean Little Y Child- Care Centre. He recentl y developed the anti -bias pro­ gramming policy for the Guelph Y and sits on both the Jean Little Public School Coun­ cil and the Guelp h AIDS Wall, Committee. He can be reached bye-mail at rgrub er@ne t com.ca.

• Susan Harder, B.Se. '91, grad ­ uated from th e University of Toronto Medical School in June and has started a residency at Santa Clara Valley Medical Cen­ tre in San jose, Calif. She will follow that up with an anesthe­ sia residency at Stanford Univer­ sity Hospital in 1999.

Toronto Dance Theatre 1968­ 1998, Stages in a Journey.

• Wendy Garinther, B.Sc. '93, and Steve Decker, B.Se. '94, were married in May. Joining them in the wedding celebra­ tions were Cheri (Coulter)

42

GUELPH ALUMNUS

• Marko Harjupanula, B.A.Sc '93, travelled in Australia for two months after grad uating from Guelph, then returned to his home town of South Por­ cupine, Ont., where he worked in a gold mine for four years.

He entered police college in September and started as an opp cons table in Cochran e in December.

• Nancy Holman, MA '94, moved to Vancouver soon after graduation and initially worked as a project co-ordinator for an ophthalmologist. In 1996, she began working full time for the B.C. Liberal Cauc us. "I would

enjoy hearin g from and catch­ ing up with the friends I made while studying at U of G and working at the Brass Taps," she says. Her e-mail address is nan ­ cy.holman@lass.gov.be.ca.

• Ruth Johnson, BA '91, is an investment banking associate with the mergers and acquisi­ tions group of J.P. Morgan in Lond on, England, responsible for financial reporting and administration. She has been in England with her partner, Alex Campbell, since graduation.

• Stephen Johnson, BA '94, of London, Ont., was a lab techni­ cian at Lenscrafters for three yea rs and is now a full-time studen t at Fanshawe College, studying air conditioning and refrigeration. He was married in Jun e to Jennifer Fox, B.Sc. '95, a chemist at 3M. Their wedding party included Dee Popat, B.Se. (Eng) '94, and Patrick Wulhes, B.Sc. '95.

• Sarah (Davis) Kelly, B.A.Se. '90, married Robert Kelly in July and teaches primary grades at an inner-city school in Toronto.

• Cassidy Klowak, B.Comm '97, lives in Allis­ ton, Onl. , and is a personal banking account manager with ClBC in Tottenham.

• Stephanie Lopes, B.Sc. '96, completed her M.Sc. in repro ­ ductive biology at the Universi­ ty of Toronto and worked as patient-care director for the College of Family Physicians for almost a year. In September, she enrolled in medical school at the University of Toronto.

She is happy to announce that she is engaged to be married next summ er. Lopes can be reach ed at slopes@idirect.com.

• Natalie (Parker) MacKenzie, B.Sc. '96, earned her B.Ed from the University of Western Ontario in 1997. She married ASLt. Andy MacKenzie June 27 in Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., and now lives in Halifa x.

• Susan MacKinnon, DVM '91, is a veterinaria n with HUl's

Science Diet. She lives in Guelph with her husband, Brandon Wiley, and gave birth to their first child, Adrianna Nicole, june 26 at home.

• Waheed Mian, BA '9 1, of Cambridge, Ont., is a store director with PetSmart Canada.

He helped the company launch its new retail concept in Cana da.

• Alex Mitchell, BA '91, was appointed clerk/deputy treasur­ er of the Ontario township of Mildmay-Carrick in 1998 and will be the clerk/administrator of the new municipality of Mildmay-Carrick -Tees'Water­ Culross in 1999. He was married in january 1997 and lives \vith his wife and daughter in Mild ­ may. In his spare time, Mitchell is a professional scout for the Toronto Maple Leafs, covering southwestern Ontario.

• Sherry Morland, B.A.Sc '93, of Kitchener, Ont., ea rned her B.Ed. from Brock University in J 995 and is a part-time specia l educa tion teacher and an occa­ sional teacher with the Water­ loo County Board of Ed uca­ tion. She married Ivan LeBlanc in 1997.

• Gary Page, B.Se. '91, wo rks for the Nottawasaga Valley Con­ servation Authority, where he is able to combine his knowledge of wildlife biology with his artistic skills as resident graphic designer and outdoor centre interpreter. He Jives with his wife, Di, and their son, judah, in Creemore,Ont. • Elaine Pammenter, BA '96, is an inventory clerk with the Royal Collection at Windsor Castle in England. She holds a museum management and curatorship grad uate certificate diploma from Sir Sandford Fleming College and did her internship at the Royal Albert Memorial Museum in Exeter, England.

• Brent Raymond, B.Se.(Env.) '96, of Brantford, Ont., has been working with Outward Bound since graduation. He leads wilderness trips in North­

ern Ontario, Horida, Australia and Sabah (Malaysian Borneo).

Most recently, he designed and implemented a new introduc­ tory mountaineering course for Outward Bound Sabah on the summit plateau of Mt. Kina­

balu. "Those of you who know me as 'plate licker' from U of G, get in touch!" he says. "Where are you, Star? I miss you." He can be reached by e-mail at globar@wchat.on.ca or by phone at 519-756-1697.

Alumni Patrick Abbott, BSA '40, July 7, 1998 Albert Allen, BSA '33, Jan. 16,1994 Agris Ansmits, BA '70 and MA '73, February 1998 Barbara (Quartermain) Babcock, DHE '53, June 17, 1998 Wray Bond, BSA '34, Sept. 25, 1998 Kenneth Bone, DVM '38, Dec. 29, 1998 Evelyn (Stevenson) Buhr, DHE '39, May 25,1998 Philip Burke, BSA '43, June 21, 1998 Grant Carman, BSA '49, Oct. 22,1998 Frederick Chambers, BSA '41, June 1998 Wilmot Conley, ADA'47, April 7, 1998 Lloyd Crewson, BSA '49, Aug. 26,1998 Jacqueline Dimock, DHE '47, Aug. 20, 1998 John Dingwall, DVM '52, April 18, 1998 Lloyd Dorsey, BSA '38, June 9, 1998 George Duncan, BSA '37, Sept. 19, 1998 David Dyson, BSA '53, Aug. 31, 1998 Norma (Shannon) Edwards, DHE '39, November 1997 Vincent "Bud" Ellis, DVM '41, July 15, 1998 John "Jack" George, BSA '48, Sept. 24, 1998 Donald Haight, BSA '33, January 1997 William Hamlyn, BSA '33, Dec. I, 1997 Gordon Harkness, BSA '49, November 1997 Charles Hollister, DVM '38, June 1996 Donald Hope, BSA '54, June 28, 1998 Lawrence Jefferson, BSA '38, Sept. 3, 1998 James Kelso, DVM '56, July 27, 1998 Dorima Lalonde, BSA '34, Oct. 8, 1998 Mildred (Cox) Large, DHE '33, June 20, 1998 Roger Larson, B.Comm. '86, Feb. 19, 1998 Robert Lawson, BSA '49, June 6, 1998

• Doug Ramsey, BA '91 and PhD '98, received U of G's high­ est graduate student award ­ the Forster Medal- at June convocation for his academic and community involvement while enrolled in Guelph's new

David Leach, B.Sc.(Agr.) '74, July 18, 1998 Ian Leask, DVM '74, Sept. 5, 1998 Sheryl Lee, B.Sc. '95, June 8, 1998 Ruby Janet MacAuley, DHE '30, Aug. 19, 1998 Parker MacKenzie, DVM '38, September 1994 Jeanice MacLaren, DHE '28, March 1, 1997 Campbell MacMaster, DVM'42, Oct. 8, 1998 Rex McCallum, DVM '43, July 7,1998 Jean (Dunn) McMahon, DHE '31, Nov. 4,1998 Margaret Oones) McTaggart, DHE '35, Aug. 8,1998 Patrick McTaggart-Cowan, HDSc '81, Oct. 2,1997 Malcolm McWhinnie, ADA '39, July 16, 1998 Mary (Townsend) Mitchell, B.H.Sc. '60, Sept. 28,1998 Marjory Monaghan, DHE '29, December 1997 Charles Monk, BSA '44, Aug. 7, 1998 Heather Neilsen, B.H.Sc. '59, Oct. 30, 1998 Jerry Niwa, DVM '62, Aug. 5, 1998 Henry "Harry" O'Reilly, BSA '42, October 1997 James Parr, B.Sc.(Agr.) '81, June 19, 1998 Charles Rammage, DVM '45, Oct. 17, 1996 Howard Rapson, H.D.Sc. '90, March 1997 Clement Reeds, DVM '42, Oct. 16, 1998 William Robinson, BSA '38, Aug. 23, 1998 Donald Sager, ADA '73, Oct. 14,1997 Austin Schaefer, DVM '37, in 1997 Sandra (Mackenzie) Schmidt, DHE '59, Aug. 16, 1997 Margaret (Harvey) Seaborn, DHE '28, July 22,1998

graduate program in geography.

He spent the summer as a visit­ ing research scholar at the Nova Scotia Agricultural College in Truro before assuming his cur­ rent position as assistant profes­ sor at Mount Allison University.

Larry Seguin, DVM '47, June 12, 1998 Leah Shedden, DHE '31, December, 1998 Edward Shuh, BSA '40, July 2, 1998 Ted Shutsa, B.Sc.(Agr.) '66, Sept. 18, 1998 Jim Sinclair, DVM '49, Oct. 4, 1998 Margaret (Brown) Sinclair, DHE '20, September 1998 Eldon Smith, BSA '42, Sept. 9, 1998 Derek Somers, DVM '96, Sept. 25, 1998 Cheryl Lynn Sopha, BA '95, Sept. 20, 1998 Leona (Bartlett) Stewart, DHE '35, June 27, 1998 Alex Thomson, B.Sc.(Agr.) '69, October 1996 William Whittick, DVM '55, Aug. 15, 1998 Joseph Wilson, BSA '23, Sept. 11, 1998 Lloyd Woolsey, DVM'41, June 24, 1998 Winifred Yeates, DHE '28, June 1,1998

Faculty John Carpenter, BSA '43 and MSA '48, Microbiology, Dec. 10, 1998 David Gaskin, Zoology, Sept. 14, 1998 Gordon Macleod, BSA '50, Animal and Poultry Science, Nov. 26, 1998 Roman Retman, Languages and Literatures, Sept. 28, 1998 Caesar Sen off, Chemistry and Biochemistry, Aug. 14, 1998 Percy Smith, Drama, Dec. 10, 1998

Friends Robert Clark, Aug. 21, 1998 Ethel Hammond, August 1998 Thomas Hillers, Sept. 28, 1998 Marguerite Holbrook, Aug. 26, 1998 Catherine Kelly, Sept. 27, 1998 James A. McKenzie, May 13, 1998 Kenneth McIssac, Oct. 23, 1998 William Mutlock, September 1998 Roena Patterson, Sept. 16, 1998 Donald Priddle, Aug. 25, 1998

WINTER

1999 43

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• Karl Reimer, B.Se. '94, com­ pleted a one-year intensive M.Sc. in minin g engineering at Queen's University and is now a project eng ineer a t Enp ar Technologies Ine. in Guelph.

He can be contacted at reimer@bserv.com.

• Nancy Nauta Rowland. BA '90, and her husband, Dan, cel­ ebrated their first wedding anniversary in March 1998 with the birth of their first child, Connor, who beat their March 8 ann iversary by two days. Nan­ cy teaches junior-grade stu­ dents and junior special ed uca­ tion for the Peel District School Board. The Rowlands live in Caledon, Ont. • Fraser Stables, MFA '98, was heralded by Toronto Globe 6­ Mail critic Betty Jordan as "a formidable new talent" follow­ in g the openi ng of his debut gallery exh ibition in July. The Scottish arti st's work includes

sculpture, video and mixed media that explore notions of flu x by interru pting the move­ ment of forms in space.

• Erin (Smith) Scott, B.Se.(H.K.) '92, and Brad Scott, B.Sc.(Agr.) '91, of Lucan, O nt., were married in 1993 and had their first child, Lucas, in August. Erin works for Shop­ pers Home Health Ca re in London; Brad is with New Life Mills in Dunfield.

• Abby Simons, B.Sc. '95, and Martin Piche, B.Sc.(Agr.) '95, were married in Mont-Trem­ blant, Quebec, in 1997. She is a customer service represe ntative with Kantech Systems; he is superintendent of Club de golf vallee des forts. They say they'd love to hear from anyone head­ ing to Montreal and can be reach ed at 450-348-3860.

• Sylvia Tesori, B.Sc. '95, has been doing wildlife rehabilita­ tion for the OSPCA Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre in Mid­ land, Ont., since 1996.

• Chuck Thibeault, B.Comm .

'94, is general manager of the Putting Edge Corpora tion, which has two glow-in- th e­ dark mini- golf courses in Ontario, one in Bramp ton and one in Richmond Hill. He can be reached in Richmond Hill at chu ckt@to tal.n et.

• Julia White, BA '91, lives in Guelph and is a small-business accountant at Taves & Co. She recently finished courses toward s a CGA designation and would like to hea r from other alumni who lived in Lambton Hall in 1987/88. Send e-mail to julia.white@sy mpatico.ca.

• Karen Thirlwall, BA '93, is a si nger/songw riter and guitarist who began her stage career and released her first album, The Voice Inside Me, while studying languages at U of G. She has lived and performed in \'\1.1i stler, B.C., for three years and recently relea sed a second album called Wide-Eyed. She remembers many special fr iends m ade at Guelph and welcomes e-ma il messages to karenthirlwall@hotmail.com.

• Christie (Johnson) and Steve Tyler, both B.Co mm. '91, live in Cambridge, Ont., where Christie is a personal banking representative for the Royal Bank. Steve works with their third-year design professor, Nelson Hofer, in Mississauga as a design consultan t. Steve's pro­ jects include the Windsor Casi­ no and U of G's Creelman Hall.

They have two child ren: Jason, 5; and Marcus, 1.

• An dre-Denis Wright. M.Sc. '93 and PhD '98, is doing post­ docto ral work in Perth, West­ ern Au strali a. He wants his Guelph friend s and Halifax family to know he was thinking of them at Christmas when it was 40 C in Australia.

• Dave Yellen, B.Comm. '90, was recently promoted at the Gordon Food Service to new-accounts sales specialist for Metro Toron­ to. "Having been in Ottawa for the past few years, I'm hoping to reacquaint myself with old friend s from U of G in the Metro area," he says. He lives in Scarbor­ ough and can be reached at 416­ 615-2745 or davidy@sprint.ca.

• Halina Zaleski, PhD '92, is a ten ured professor in the departm ent of animal sc iences at the Un iversity of Hawaii in Hono lulu. She is a swine spe­ cialist involved in extension programs for an area th at cov­ ers all of Hawai i and the PacifIC basin. She can be reached by e-mail at halina@hawaii.edu.

GRAD NEWS UPDATE FORM Name

Degre e & Year _ _ _ _____ _

Address

City

Prov./State

Postal Code _ _ _ __ _ __

Home Phone _ _______ _

Fax

E·mail

Bu siness Phone _ _________ Fax

E-mail

Occupation _________ _ _____________________________ _ _ ___________ _ _________ Grad News Update _________ _ __ _ _ _ __ _ __ _ _ _ __ _ __ _ _ __ _ __ _ __

Send address ch anges and Grad News to: Alumni Records, University of Guelph, Guelph ON NIG 2Wl, Phone: 519-824-4 120, Ext. 6550, Fax: 519-822 -2670, E-mail: jeanw@alumni.lIoguelph.ca

44

GUELPH ALUMNU S

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UN I V F. RSIT yO,· (; u r·. L PII

the Way We Were

r ({() M

I

F THERE ARE LIVESTOCK IN THE HOCKEY ARENA and th ey're not wearing skates, it's College Royal. If there are students sawing logs, throwing pies, baking cookies and square dancing, it's College Royal. When the entire University of Guelph is displayed - from arts to zoolo­ gy - March 13 and 14, 1999, you'll know it's definitely College Royan Since its inception in 1925 as an agricultural and live­ stock show run by the Ontario Agricultural College, College Royal has grown to be a celebrated U of G tra­ dition involving all the colleges.

The event is famou s in the University community and beyond for its open-house showcase of displays and activities. The largest student-run open house in Cana­ da, College Royal attracts more than 20,000 visitors to campus over one weekend.

46

GUELPH ALUMNUS

Til FAR C III V E S

College Royal is an event of tradition that reaches into tomorrow. Agriculture and livestock shows are still highlighted events, but College Royal activities have grown to include dog and cat shows, a photography con­ test, a chemistry magic show and demonstrations on human health and fitness. The open hou se gives people an opportunity to see what happens in the University's leading-edge research laboratories, to observe veterinary medicine in practice, to tour a sculpture studio or to watch a theatrical performance.

To celebrate the 75th anniversary of College Royal, 1998 president Joe TrakaJo lnvites alumni to "get involved again" by joining one of the planning comm ittees or by participating in a favourite event. Call him for more information at 824-4120, Ext. 8366 , or send e-mail to jtrakalo@uoguelph.ca.

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