The Portico, Winter 2015

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3 - +,'%&,*( '- ) ,- - +,)(- #," - +)&'- -22 - +)&-*, '- -30

%*-)*&) +$ # * & ( ,#*% ,+'%( research breakthrough could improve treatment for ovarian cancer. OVC and OAC measure their value, and U of G faculty receive recognition in Canada and abroad.

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GUELPH’S GREENER FUTURE U of G researchers in plant agriculture and engineering are using Ontario crops to make bioplastics.

—8— PAYING IT FORWARD Co-op employer Mark Bassingthwaite mentors today’s students because of what he learned during his own co-op jobs.

)"# *% )((,+' first-time online fundraising challenge is a runaway success. The Gryphon Hall of Fame inducts athletes and a coach, and U of G staff prepare for Alumni Weekend 2015.

— 16 — IT TAKES A CRITIC Environmental economist Ross McKitrick found controversy when his research landed on the “other� side of the climate change debate.

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on the cover )* #- %'+)-)*&- )+- $ )*( +#*- -$ - '- %$ +$&#!('&, ,"$ ,*(-!,*(+, -

College News

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— 19 — MUSIC FOR THE SPIRIT The experience of choral singing is much bigger than the notes on the page.

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the

Winter 2015 • Volume 47 Issue 1

Editor Mary Dickieson Assistant Vice-President Charles Cunningham Art Direction Peter Enneson Design Inc. Contributors Susan Bubak Lori Bona Hunt Kevin Gonsalves Wendy Jespersen Teresa Pitman Andrew Vowles, B.Sc. ’84 Advertising Inquiries Scott Anderson 519-827-9169 Direct all other correspondence to: Communications and Public Affairs University of Guelph Guelph, Ontario, Canada N1G 2W1 E-mail m.dickieson@exec.uoguelph.ca www.uoguelph.ca/theportico/

You Remember U of G So Do Your Future Customers

The Portico magazine is published three times a year by Communications and Public Affairs at the University of Guelph. Its mission is to enhance the relationship between the University and its alumni and friends and promote pride and commitment within the University community. All material is copyright 2015. Ideas and opinions expressed in the articles do not necessarily reflect the ideas or opinions of the University or the editors. Publications Mail Agreement # 40064673 Printed in Canada — ISSN 1714-8731 To update your alumni record, contact: Alumni Affairs and Development Phone 519-824-4120, Ext. 56550 Fax 519-822-2670 E-mail alumnirecords@uoguelph.ca

Promote your business in The Portico Reach more than 100,000 educated consumers Three issues per year, insert opportunities

2 The Portico

For advertising inquiries: www.uoguelph.ca/adguide/ Scott Anderson Tel: 519-827-9169 Fax: 519-827-9174 Email: theandersondifference@rogers.com

INNOVATION HELPS US FIND THE UPSIDE OF UNCERTAINTY e live in what might be one of the most exciting and important periods in history. Our world is marked by an unprecedented pace of change, with new learning delivering tremendous societal benefits on the one hand, and creating disruption on the other. Consider the progress that has been made in the life sciences and physical sciences, in information and communications technology, and in the arts and humanities. Disciplines that were discrete and separate are being combined in fresh and exciting ways: music and computer technology, health care and robotic engineering, manufacturing and agriculture. Today, knowledge is more accessible and abundant – yielding exciting breakthroughs that are improving our planet. However, the speed and extent of change can also be overwhelming – and sometimes even paralyzing. The shelf life of information is shorter than ever. For a university focused on creating, capturing and sharing knowledge, this has tremendous implications, both for ourselves as a leading university, and for the approaches that we bring to what we research and teach. As a university, we need to innovate at innovation. Look at Canada’s top 20 universities and you’ll find that almost all of them claim “innovation� as a core value. Innovation is no longer a differentiator. Innovative thinking has become the price of entry. Universities and individuals alike need to understand innovation as an ongoing creative process. At a time when many individuals and organizations across our society struggle with healthy adaptation to change, we have an important role. In what we research and what we teach, our approach must be one that anticipates change and creates a perspective and mindset in our students that welcomes change. A key attribute to help us thrive in such dynamic times – as individuals and as a university – is innovation. In the classroom, that means going beyond teaching subject matter alone toward teaching people how to learn and apply their learning in new ways. And in our scholarly endeavours, it means finding new ways to conduct research and apply the results towards meaningful solutions to solve important societal challenges and problems. Just one example is single-serve coffee pods – the kind people use in kitchens and offices across North America. Plastic coffee pods are convenient but they’re wasteful. All of those plastic pods – reportedly enough sold in North America each year to make a chain circling the Earth 10 times – now end up in landfill sites. Here at the University of Guelph, researchers are

using renewable plant-based resources to make components intended for the first-ever fully compostable coffee pods. Consumers will be able to place those components into their green bins, ultimately returning their nutrients safely to the soil instead of adding more waste to landfill. This is about innovation in action involving U of G researchers and cutting-edge basic science, all aimed at developing and testing compostable materials that address societal and sustainability concerns, as well as market demand. Bringing together the social sciences and environmental and engineering sciences – and involving partner organizations and businesses – this research project breaks down barriers between disciplines and welcomes varying perspectives in order to make a difference in the world. At the University of Guelph, we are already leaders in innovation. And we will continue to identify important problems and bring together bright minds to help solve them. Focusing on innovation can help us find the upside of uncertainty. And by thinking and working together, we can uphold U of G values to help shape a better world. Franco Vaccarino, President

Winter 2015 3

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Royal Society Elects Emerging Leaders & &$( & # $ (# '%(%&##"$('% ( & %" ' "&%$('% ( " (' '"#$

Evan Fraser

eography professor Evan Fraser and integrative biology professor Ryan Norris are among the inaugural cohort of a prestigious new college of the Royal Society of Canada. It was created to recognize the “emerging generation of

Ryan Norris

Canadian intellectual leadership.� Nationwide, 91 scholars were elected to the College of New Scholars, Artists and Scientists; they were chosen for making exceptional achievements within 15 years of completing their doctoral degrees. Nom-

inations were made by Canadian universities and the National Research Council. Fraser joined U of G in 2010 as the Canada Research Chair in Global Human Security. He co-wrote the book Empires of Food: Feast, Famine and the Rise and Fall of Civilizations. A sought-after expert and consultant on global food issues, he heads “Feeding Nine Billion,� a project using new media to spark discussion about feeding the Earth’s ballooning human population. Norris, a U of G faculty member since 2006, is an ecologist and University Research Chair who studies the effects of climate change and habitat loss on animal populations in temperate and tropical areas. He has tracked the flight paths of several migratory birds and mapped the route of monarch butterflies between Mexico and Canada. He recently found that habitat loss on U.S. breeding grounds is the main cause of monarch population declines.

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ind turbine developments have no effect on the property values of nearby homes and farms, according to new research conducted by Prof. Richard Vyn, Department of Food, Agricultural and Resource Economics, and Ryan McCullough, a former U of G graduate student and now a policy analyst for Health Canada. Published in a recent issue of the Canadian Journal of Agricultural Economics, the research is believed to be the first peerreviewed study on this topic in Canada. They analyzed more than 7,000 home and farm sales in Melancthon Township and 10 surrounding townships in Dufferin, Grey, Simcoe and Wellington counties. Melancthon, located about 100 kilometres northwest of Toronto, is home to one of Ontario’s

4 The Portico

first and largest wind farms; 133 wind turbines were erected between 2005 and 2008. The study included sales data over an eight-year period – from 2002 to 2010 – to capture property values before, during and after the wind farm’s development. During that period, more than 1,000 homes and farms were resold — some multiple times, which allowed for repeat sales analysis. Using a method common in real estate studies, the researchers created six models

accounting for the impact on property values of proximity to the wind farm development and turbine visibility, as well as a combination of these two factors. In every case, they found wind farms had “no statistically significant effect� on property values. “This may help address the controversy that exists in Ontario regarding the impact of wind turbines on property values,�Vyn said. Across the province, residents have called on the government to delay wind farm development until the impacts are better understood. Vyn notes that the study examined the effect on homes and farms only as a group. “It does not preclude that there may be some impacts on individual properties.�

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< 05:';87:6* U of G discovery shrinks ovarian cancer tumours

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Mary Dickieson, left, and Stacey Morrison

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n a potential breakthrough ovarian cancer, Guelph researchers have discovered how to both shrink tumours and improve drug delivery, allowing for lower doses of chemotherapy and reducing side effects. Their research appeared recently in one of the world’s top biology publications. Biomedical sciences professor Jim

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Petrik worked on the study with Guelph graduate student Samantha Russell and cancer researchers from Harvard Medical School. “The development of new therapies to treat women with advanced ovarian cancer is essential in order to reduce the morbidity and mortality associated with this disease,� he said. In about eight out of 10 cases, ovarian cancer is detected only at an advanced stage, and the odds of survival are poor.Women often succumb because inefficient delivery of chemotherapy drugs allows the cells to build up resistance so they no longer respond to treatment, says Petrik. Ovarian tumours, like many other types of cancer, obtain nutrients and oxygen by inducing growth of new blood vessels, a process termed “angiogenesis.� His recent study looked at a portion of a naturally occurring protein inhibitor molecule called 3TSR. It interacts with another protein found on the surface of endothelial cells, reducing abnormal tumour angiogenesis. “We also made the surprising discovery that 3TSR causes ovarian cancer cells to die through a direct inhibitory effect against the tumour itself,� Petrik said. Giving 3TSR to patients with advanced-stage ovarian cancer would help them in two ways, Petrik said. “With this novel approach, we were able to both shrink the tumour and enhance the ability of the tumour to take up chemotherapy drugs.� He used an animal model of advanced-stage ovarian cancer, but says he and his collaborators are working toward human trials and, ultimately, toward development of targeted cancer therapies.

LEADERSHIP CHANGE FOR THE PORTICO

Winter 2015 5

in around :2= university OVC Impact $125 Million

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roup study spaces are in big demand during exam week, even in the newly expanded School of Engineering, where these students are taking advantage of a design studio funded by PepsiCo Foods Canada. The classroom space was outfitted as part of a $600,000 corporate donation that included support for research and teaching initiatives in three U of G colleges.The gift has also paved the way for a growing relationship that is giving Guelph undergrads and MBA students the opportunity to learn from senior business lead-

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AGO Hosts Suzy Lake

ICE CREAM EXPERTISE IN DEMAND GLOBALLY

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6 The Portico

h e a rt ga l l e ry o f o n ta r i o is currently hosting a career-spanning exhibit of works by professor emerita Suzy Lake. Running until March 22, “Introducing Suzy Lake� features more than 50 works by the artist in her first-ever retrospective. Now retired from Guelph’s School of Fine Art and Music, Lake was among a pioneering group of artists in the early 1970s to use performance, video and photography to explore the politics of identity, beauty, gender and aging. She has often used herself as a subject for her art and in her teaching.The exhibition includes images of Lake from age six to 66, and shows the artist as her political ideals were forged in Detroit’s civil rights movement of the late 1960s; as she realized her first successes in Montreal’s artist-led cultural boom of the 1970s; and as she continued to hone her artistic vision in Toronto.

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ers at PepsiCo. Company executives are popular visitors at business competitions, at networking and recruitment events, and in classroom settings. At one career event, Anne-Marie Renaud, vice-president operations at PepsiCo Foods Canada, said: “Our regular presence on campus and in classrooms, along with our strong co-op and internship programs, is providing fantastic experience and leadership development opportunities.We hope to build a rich two-way partnership and, above all, ensure Guelph graduates will become the leaders of tomorrow.�

Suzy Lake

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Technology Improves Animal Care

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etter understanding of the human-animal bond and the role of technology in animal health care is the focus of a new faculty position at the Ontario Veterinary College (OVC). A North American first, the five-year chair will be supported by a $1.5-million donation from IDEXX Laboratories, Inc. The multinational corporation produces diagnostic and information technology-based products and services for the veterinary industry. “This is an important and innovative area of scholarship,� said U of G president Franco Vaccarino. “It merges two distinct yet intertwined subjects that are foremost in the minds of animal owners – the bond with their pets and the availability of new and emerging information. “The superb work of the OVC in epidemiology, primary health care and innovative teaching makes it an ideal home for this forward-looking chair.� Peter Mosney, director and country manager for IDEXX Canada, added: “The new chair at OVC is a milestone in our continued efforts to advance the standard of care within the veterinary profession and solve complex medical problems in today’s fast-paced, information-rich environment.�

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The chair holder will create and teach new ways to recognize and reinforce the importance of animals in their owners’ lives. Experiential learning opportunities for student veterinarians will focus on technology to support bond-centred care. The chair will also help develop a world-class research and graduate training program connecting veterinary medicine and epidemiology with emerging technologies, including social media and web-based care. “Our student veterinarians are open to embracing new ways of working and communicating,� said OVC dean Elizabeth Stone, “but they need more experience and expertise in using technology to increase their effectiveness and productivity. This will help them build positive relationships with their clients and within the veterinary practice team.� With huge amounts of new information emerging in the field, the chair holder will develop and apply epidemiology and other methodologies to address key questions for animal healthcare providers. “This is a very exciting new era of veterinary medicine,� said Prof. Cate Dewey, chair of the Department of Population Medicine. “New DVM graduates will be practising veterinarians at a time when they and their clients will be immersed in social media, Internet-sourced information and reams of computerized records.� Pet owners receive information from a variety of sources and expect exceptional veterinary care during their pet’s visit, Dewey said. “As a profession, we know that the human-animal bond is so strong that the majority of owners consider their pets to be members of the family. Therefore, owners are looking for bond-centred health care to reflect this reality.� OVC plans to launch an international search for the IDEXX Chair in Emerging Technologies and Bond-Centred Animal Health Care.

Otis Receives Vietnamese Medal

Winter 2015 7

ENGINEER THRIVES ON PROBLEM-SOLVING, MENTORING

h e W i n d e r m e r e B a s i n in Ontario was originally constructed to capture the sediment from Red Hill Creek before it flowed into Hamilton Harbour and blocked the shipping lanes. Over the years, of course, it gradually filled up. The sediment was soft and contaminated with pollutants.The City of Hamilton took ownership of the basin from the Hamilton Port Authority in 2000. Although the city first considered dredging out the basin, Hamilton eventually determined that it would be more sustainable and less expensive to leave the sediments in the basin and simply dredge the shipping lanes as needed. That meant determining what to do with the Windermere Basin property. The city retained Cole Engineering Group in Markham to tackle the complex issues.That’s where U of G graduate Mark Bassingthwaite, B.Sc.(Eng.) ’02, works as a water resources engineer. His firm completed an environmental assessment and determined that sediment should be capped and the basin should be enhanced into a wetland. “We were able to complete the project on time and on budget,� says Bassingthwaite. “In place of a contaminated and not very attractive basin of water, we have created a diverse wetland habitat for a variety of wildlife.� In fact, the project won awards for its design and effectiveness and was described by CBC reporter Adam Carter as “a staggering achievement� and “a technical marvel.� As a teenager, Bassingthwaite couldn’t decide if he wanted to be a veterinarian or an engineer. He figured that enrolling at the University of Guelph – both his parents are alumni – would make both options available. In the end, the problem-solving aspects of engineering won him over. He chose to enrol in the co-op program and credits that for steering him in the right direction when it came to career options. “I thought co-op would be helpful for getting my foot in the door with a company, gaining some experience and making some money,� says Bassingthwaite. “But the other side, what really helped me, was trying jobs in different industries even before I graduated so that I had some ideas about what I wanted to do.� Engineering, he points out, is the kind of program that prepares you for a variety of possible careers. “The skills are very portable,� he adds. Having that much choice, though, can sometimes be stressful – what if you end up on the wrong road? Bassingthwaite completed co-op terms with the

8 The Portico

provincial government, a municipal government and a consulting company. That was enough, he says, to guide him in the direction of consulting. He adds that the training he received from U of G’s Co-operative Education and Career Services in resumÊ writing and interviewing techniques was especially helpful, both during his co-op terms and after graduation. As soon as he graduated, Bassingthwaite was hired by Cole Sherman Associates in Markham. He worked there for two years as a consultant in water resources, primarily in Ontario on projects that involved drainage for highways that were being widened or expanded.

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His next position took an opposite approach: instead of draining water away, Bassingthwaite’s focus was on keeping the land wet. He was hired by Ducks Unlimited Canada, a non-profit organization that focuses on conserving and restoring waterfowl wetland habitats. “Our projects always included biologists who would look at the site in terms of what the birds and plants

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needed, and my role was to determine what infrastructure needed to be designed and constructed. We might create dams, for example, to control the flow of the water,� he explains. From there, he moved in 2006 to Cole Engineering Group, first as an engineer, then project manager and now service sector leader for water resources. He specializes in waterworks design, modelling and investigations: projects include wetland, watercourse and watershed restoration as well as floodplain mapping, hydrologic analysis, and stormwater management to support land development. Moving into management means that Bassingthwaite now spends about half his time in administrative work, ensuring that projects are on budget and planning for future projects. Most of his sites continue to be in Ontario, but he is involved with one in Newfoundland and has helped with some projects in the company’s office in Trinidad. Bassingthwaite hasn’t forgotten the coop program that helped him get his start. His team has almost 20 staff members and up to four Guelph co-op students working with them. “We usually have three or four students in the summer term and one or two during other times of the year,� he says. “We find that Guelph students are used to working in small teams and groups from their courses, and that fits well with the way we work here. “We also have five or six staff members who were previously co-op students here and have now been hired full-time, along with several other Guelph grads across the company.� Bassingthwaite’s interest in water resources as a career is probably not surprising; he loves the outdoors and enjoys gardening, fishing and waterfowl hunting. He’s married with a one-year-old son who is just learning to walk and keeps both his parents busy. Fortunately, Bassingthwaite likes being busy. It’s one of the things he enjoys about consulting. “I also like that there is lots of flexibility and variety in the work; you are not pigeonholed into one area of work,� he says. % 1 &"& 1

Winter 2015 9

Can a Model T idea into a greener

Story by Andrew Vowles Photos by Dean Palmer 10 The Portico

drive us future?

U of G researchers turn biomaterials into car parts, building materials and consumer products.

h e y ’ r e n o t t u r n i n g out cars here, but Henry Ford would likely have recognized the air of this place. The surround-sound hum of ventilation equipment punctuated by the clanking of machinery; the industrial breath of oil and silicone lubricant; the white glare of overhead lighting: It’s almost more evocative of the factory floor than the academic laboratory, even though we’re standing in a University of Guelph research centre. If he could listen in to conversations among the workers here – all clad in blue lab coats and sporting plastic safety glasses – Ford would certainly grasp the idea driving this research enterprise. Using plant materials to make parts for cars as well as other consumer products? Been there, tried that; let’s do it, Henry might say. In the early 1940s, the maker of the Model T was experimenting with plantbased materials for making parts for his cars. He even developed an automobile containing plant stuffs in its seat covers, dashboard and steering wheel. But then along came low-cost plastics made from cheap, available oil – and the need for plant-based car parts ran straight down a dead-end road. Or so it seemed. Now researchers at U of G’s Bioproducts Discovery and Development Centre (BDDC) are looking again at ways to tweak biomass – industrial hemp, wheat straw, corn, soybean, pulp waste, willow fibre – for use in car parts and other products from flowerpots to recycling bins. “Biomaterials can be used for everything from green building structures and car parts to new biodegradable plastic wrap or packaging, and the crops that produce them are completely renewable,” says plant agriculture professor Amar Mohanty, BDDC director and holder of the Premier’s Research Chair in Bioproducts and Transportation. That’s the idea behind this research centre, established seven years ago at Guelph. Here researchers are looking to turn plant materials, even agricultural residue, into useful products with a decided “green” tinge. Besides using more renewable materials, they aim to help reduce greenhouse gas emissions, lessen dependence on non-renewable, petroleum-based resources, and open new

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markets for Ontario farmers and manufacturers. From blending materials to testing formulations, to working with farmers and industrial partners, they’ve developed a kind of assembly line for bioproducts. “It’s an interesting new field,” says PhD student Ryan Vadori. He started working summers in the BDDC as an undergraduate student in biological engineering; he completed that degree in 2011 and a master’s degree a year later. For his doctorate, Vadori is studying how to replace plastics used in cars and computers with bio-based polymers. “Basically we’re trying to do justice to the environment.” The centre also blends research interests and disciplines from across campus and around the world.Vadori is one of about 30 researchers – students, post-docs and research associates from Canada, France, China, Russia, Nigeria, India, Iran, Germany, Chile and Mexico – who are studying here. Established in 2008, the centre was expanded in 2013 and now occupies about 10,000 square feet at the rear of the Crop

12 The Portico

Science Building. BDDC is run by professor Mohanty and engineering professor Manju Misra. They arrived together from faculty positions at Michigan State University in 2008. The husband-and-wife team has worked together since their graduate student days in polymer science at Utkal University in India.They left for Germany in 1997 and then spent nine years in the United States before coming to Guelph. Here, both are cross-appointed in Plant Agriculture and Guelph’s School of Engineering. Misra studies the use of nanotechenhanced materials to improve biocomposite properties. They have published together in several nanoscience and nanotechnology journals and co-edited textbooks in the field. Here at Guelph, their days are occupied with forging connections with industry and government partners, raising funds – so far, the BDDC has received about $15 million in funding from industry and government – training young researchers and running the centre, with its varied facilities for making and and testing various bioproducts.

CREATING BIOCOMPOSITES at the heart of the BDDC is the processing lab. Here researchers blend various polymers and plant materials to create composites for different products and uses In particular, biomass varies from perennial grasses such as miscanthus and switchgrass to soy stalks and oat hulls to corn and wheat stover to coffee chaff (material left over after coffee companies’ roasting processes). For those raw materials, the centre relies on farmers and suppliers here in Ontario, including processors of oat hulls, soybean and other biomass products. Through their connections with industry, BDDC researchers use those materials to formulate recipes and processes for making prototypes of desired products. In one twin-screw compounding machine, researchers mix up and “cook” small batches of those ingredients. Controlling variables such as pressure and temperature, they melt and mould the plastics and biomass together inside the machine to create composite test bars shaped like flattened-out dog bones or dumbbells. Researchers can also do their mixing and cooking in larger pilot-scale machines, bringing the process closer to industrial-scale processes that will be used in a client’s plant. Again under controlled temperature and pressure, the materials are combined in an extruder machine to create long strands of composite fibres like spaghetti.Those strands are cooled in a water bath and are then chopped into pellets. Those pellets then are fed into an injection moulder, where more heating and mixing produces the composite “dog bone” for testing. A hot press flattens trays of pellets into thin films or “lasagna sheets” for different products. “Instead of spaghetti, it makes sheets,” says Nick Hotz, now working on his master of applied science with Mohanty. Hotz is studying how to mix different plastics to combine properties such as strength and flexibility in a single product. He became interested in the BDDC after touring the facility during his undergraduate in environmental engineering. He was drawn by the prospect of finding uses for renewable materials. “I was thinking about non-renewable resources and why products go to landfill and sit for a thousand years. As

an engineer, that’s full of inefficiencies that get under my skin.” In their varied forms – pellets, sheets, strips of thin film – the composites made in the BDDC kitchen may then be moulded into products either on-site or in the client company’s plant. TESTING NEW MATERIALS an adjoining lab occupying the recently constructed second phase of the centre contains pieces of testing equipment arrayed like machines in a workout gym. Those instruments are used to twist, stretch, flex, strike, soften and otherwise challenge the test bars. BDDC researchers can test what happens to composites under varying light conditions or how they perform when exposed to electricity or heat. Computers capture information about the properties of the composites – how strong, how flexible or rigid, how durable, how conductive. Those properties then give the researchers clues about how the material will perform in various products. Elsewhere, a room-sized wind turbine

has blades made with various amounts of bioresin, biofibre and fibreglass; researchers are seeking optimum blends of materials that will keep the blades both light and strong. Before entering the centre’s microscopy suite, visitors must slip blue booties over their shoes to avoid dust contamination of sophisticated instruments. Here researchers use an atomic force microscope to view materials at the molecular level and a scanning electron microscope to scan surfaces and structures. An optical microscope is used to view slides holding melted plastics in order to study their crystal structure. Not only minerals or snowflakes take on crystalline forms. “Any regular arrangement of atoms or molecules makes a crystal,” says Rajendran Muthuraj, a PhD student from southern India. Glance at a polymer’s microstructure on an adjoining computer screen, and you see clear beads with iridescent edges that look more like gemstones than like any bit of plastic you’ve ever seen. Yet another newly outfitted unit within BDDC is the compostability lab. In an

n page 12: BDDC researchers have developed biocomposite flowerpots and storage bins that are already on the market; car parts like the console box are now being tested. Above left: In the BDDC processing lab, Arturo Rodriguez mixes biofibre with plastics. The compounder/ extruder machine produces spaghetti-like strands of composite material that is then pelletized for moulding. Ghodsieh Mashouf turns pellets into large sheets in a hydraulic press. Qiangxian Wu creates strips of thin film using a cast film line. Above right: Nicholas Hotz pours pellets into an injection moulding machine that creates dog bone-shaped test bars. Pellets, bars and films then undergo extensive testing in the characterization lab pictured on pages 10 and 11.

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environmental chamber held at a constant 58 C, material in clear glass flasks is inoculated with microbes.Those bacteria digest polymers in a process that mimics composting. Sensors record amounts of emitted water and gases such as carbon dioxide. Muthuraj explains that researchers are testing how well composites break down during composting. Unlike fossil fuel-based polymers that might take decades or even centuries to break down in a landfill site, products need to be 90 per cent degraded within six months under specific conditions to be classified as compostable, according to the American Standard for Testing Materials. BDDC researchers are looking at making certain products that are entirely compostable, including components of singleserve coffee pods. These pods have found a multibillion-dollar market among consumers seeking convenience and reliability, but their plastic components are taking up more and more space in landfill. According to one estimate, enough of the plastic pods are sold in North America each year to make a chain

14 The Portico

circling the Earth 10 times. Working with one coffee company, BDDC researchers are using coffee chaff to make compostable sealing rings for the pods. Mohanty cautions that the centre has yet to fully test composting rates and efficiency for this particular bioproduct. ECO-FRIENDLY PRODUCTS m a n y o f t h e i r f i n i s h e d p ro d uc t s are displayed in the centre boardroom.Those include bio-bins, the first commercial products from the Bioproducts Discovery and Development Centre to be sold by major retailers. Sized just right for two hands, the bins are made of post-consumer plastic and switchgrass grown on a Huron County farm. Bio-bins have been sold in Canadian Tire and Home Hardware stores since 2011. The BDDC has also developed flowerpots containing a mix of plastics and up to 30 per cent natural fibre. Those are sold in Lowe’s and Kroger outlets in North America. Misra says it’s too early to track buying patterns, but “the consumer now has a

choice to make: continue buying a fossil fuel-based plastic product or pay the same price for an eco-friendly product.” Also on display here are auto part prototypes: glove and console boxes, sun visors, door trim and handles.Vehicle parts make up a huge potential market for the BDDC. Some auto parts, including those used in air conditioning and cooling systems, are close to commercialization. Misra says biocomposites might substitute for hundreds of plastic car parts to reduce weight and improve fuel economy; the average car today contains about 400 pounds of plastic. Adds Mohanty: “At least 100 pounds of that can easily be substituted by bio-based materials, especially in interior parts of the car.” BDDC researchers work with a number of automotive partners, including Volkswagen, Ford, Chrysler and Honda, as well as auto parts suppliers. Guelph belongs to the Hybrid Biocomposites for Automotive Applications group within AUTO21, a national network of centres of excellence involving 200 researchers at about 50 uni-

versities and more than 130 industry and government partners. AUTO21 works with the automotive industry on various projects, including finding ways to use more renewable materials in making car parts. That industry is especially exacting. In a national newspaper column published this fall, Mohanty and Misra wrote: “Auto makers have strict physical property requirements that all materials in modern vehicles – including fossil fuel-based polymers such as grades of polypropylene and nylon – must meet before they can be certified for use in the automobile industry.” Parts makers won’t readily switch processes or materials without being persuaded that they won’t sacrifice properties or performance or end up spending more money. That’s the main hurdle for bioproducts, says Mohanty, along with establishing reliable supply chains. “Biomaterials are still in their infancy mainly because of their higher cost, and in certain cases there is limited supply chain and technology available. That’s why people

are more interested in hybrid products than ever before. Companies are moving towards a better balance of the environment versus cost, and I believe over time some auto parts will be 100-per-cent bio-based.” The ultimate goal at BDDC is to develop parts that are fully biodegradable, especially for single-use, disposable parts. As with those flowerpots and bio-bins, their products are currently about one-third bio-based. Closing that gap, Mohanty says, is the challenge of bio-based materials. “Society is not going to accept things just because they’re green,” adds Steve De Brabandere, associate director of the University’s Catalyst Centre. “No one is willing to spend more for less. And no one is willing to sacrifice on properties or functionality.” He’s currently handling half a dozen patent applications for products from the BDDC – one of the busier units on campus for technology transfer and industry liaison. “They are a productive lab,” he says. That’s a sentiment Henry Ford would recognize.

DDC boasts an array of equipment used to test biocomposite performance under varying conditions. On page 14, Ryan Vadori pulls a test bar from a moulding machine. Qirui Sun, top, prepares to run a permeability test, and behind him, Michael Snowdon measures what happens when a sample is exposed to an electrical current. In the microscopy lab, Zeinab Abboud uses a polarizing microscope to record polymer crystallization at different temperatures, and Yury Yuryev employs an atomic force microscope to study material characteristics at the nanoscale. Above: Profs. Manju Misra and Amar Mohanty pose behind equipment that measures tensile strength. And down the hall in BDDC’s compostability lab, Rajendran Muthuraj, right, and Oscar Valerio run tests to determine how long it takes various biomaterials to decompose.

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ROSS MCKITRICK

16 The Portico

“HOCKEY STICKâ€? BY LORI BONA HUNT • PHOTOS BY ROSS DAVIDSON-PILON

U of G

economics professor Ross McKitrick did not set out to be the poster child for “the other side� of the climate change debate. In fact, his initial interest in the subject was casual. A doctoral student at the University of British Columbia in the 1990s, he was studying an empirical tool called computable general equilibrium modelling – a technique that uses actual economic data to estimate how an economy might react to changes in policy, technology or other external factors. “I needed a topic to apply it to,� he explains. “People were just starting to talk about carbon tax and climate policy, and I was interested in environmental policy as a field to teach, so I picked climate change.That is how it got started.� “It� would be a nearly 20-year career devoted to researching the economics of climate change and environmental policy, especially the models and statistical techniques used to make dire predictions. And almost from the start, McKitrick’s research and name have been linked with controversy. He’s known internationally for his skeptical views of many aspects of the climate issue – everything from rising temperatures to the benefits of green energy. He’s challenged high-profile reports and policies, including questioning evidence underlying the argument used by the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) to justify the Kyoto Protocol. McKitrick’s controversial 2005 study found fundamental flaws in the so-called “hockey stick� model of global warming, which was used by IPCC to argue that the 1990s were the warmest decade of the millennium. The analysis he conducted with Canadian mineralogist and analyst Steven McIntyre sent the world of climate change science into a tailspin. Everything McKitrick

has written since has been heavily scrutinized, analyzed and challenged. Then there was the study published last spring that found global warming has been on hiatus for nearly 20 years. McKitrick’s research shows that model projections of a global warming emergency have been greatly exaggerated. His critics continue to disagree – vehemently and loudly – but he has grown to expect that response and even to accept it. Climate change is a contentious issue, he says. “It’s extremely complicated and everything that makes it complex is important.� Early in his career, McKitrick co-wrote Taken by Storm:The Troubled Science, Policy and Politics of Global Warming with Christopher Essex, Western University. The book was runner-up for the 2002-2003 Donner Prize. A U of G faculty member since 1996, McKitrick is also a senior fellow of Canada’s Fraser Institute.The independent public policy organization has released some of his latest research, including a study of Ontario’s Green Energy Act (GEA). In that study, he looked at the cost to taxpayers of wind and solar power ($20 billion and counting, he says) and the resulting skyrocketing energy prices. His report says more conventional pollution control methods would have yielded the same environmental benefits as the GEA, but at a tenth of the cost. But it’s his “hockey stick� research that has reclaimed attention south of the border. The American professor who wrote the original study containing the hockey stick graph continues to pursue defamation lawsuits against critics in the United States. McKitrick, while not part of the legal actions, is getting queries from lawyers, journalists and academics. The Portico sat down with McKitrick to talk about his work and about coping with controversy.

How would you describe your research to someone you just met? I study the economics of environmental policy and the use of econometric methods in climatology, including data quality evaluation and model testing. When evaluating environmental data, the answers that people get depend heavily on subtle differences in the techniques they are using.What looks like an obscure change in the statistical methodology can lead to different conclusions on a topic that is feeding directly into debates about legislation. So you cannot avoid the complexities, even if you think you are just going to work on some policy issue. When did you first realize that your work was going to be controversial? I knew pretty much from the beginning. When I started, there were not many economists writing about climate change, let alone critical pieces related to the Kyoto Protocol. Plus, when you go into someone else’s field, you immediately provoke a reaction. It’s also a field where there is a very large activist community, a huge environmental movement that is heavily invested in a certain narrative. So it didn’t come as a surprise to me that, if I was going to challenge that narrative, there was going to be a lot of controversy. You are an economist, not a scientist. Is that problematic in this field? Physical scientists have areas of expertise that allow them to do a lot of data collection and know what it is that they should be measuring. Where I found an entry point was when I started looking at what they were doing with that data – at the statistical techniques. Half of my publications in the past decade have been in physical science journals. You talk about challenging the “doctrine of certainty� around climate change. What do you mean?

Winter 2015 17

In fields where you have incredibly complicated problems, in most applications no one would think to declare that they’ve got the whole thing figured out.Yet in climate modelling, the messaging is that the models are accurate, that we can make these predictions and we’ve got the theory all figured out. On the policy side, there is a background to this narrative, which is: “the issue of climate change is settled, we know it’s a big hazard and we know that we have to act – and we have to act now.” So this idea, the doctrine of certainty, is used to shut down debate before the debate even starts – to say “why would we even question this?” But on all of these topics that are supposedly settled, when we look underneath the surface, we find that things are not settled and the things that make them unsettled actually matter. It might be a difficult debate, but it’s one that we actually need to have. How do you respond to claims that you are denying climate change? I publish heavily in the field, so I have to read and study it. Far from denying the science, I actually understand it pretty well. The irony is that in our hockey stick work we were arguing against a study that we felt suppressed evidence of climate change. In that case it was historical variability present in the underlying data that was downplayed in the final graph, making modern trends look larger by comparison. I’ve also published studies showing that climate models are diverging significantly from observations, with a tendency to overstate modern warming.You can read my articles about these issues at rossmckitrick.com. That’s not “denying climate change,” it’s a question of evaluating the tools we use to study it. At this point the models and data are not saying the same thing, so you have to choose which to believe. I primarily believe the data. What is the No. 1 thing that people misunderstand about your research? When people are attempting to marginalize you from a debate, they paint you as refusing to take the issue seriously; so that would be the main misunderstanding. Of course I take the issue seriously, which is

18 The Portico

why I devoted so many years to studying it, to working on it. What I don’t always take seriously is the alarmist rhetoric that people use to try to get attention.

work.You’re contributing to the fundamental mission of the college and the University, which is to do research on important topics and engage in current debates.

What else? People often claim or assume that my research is funded by the oil industry, which has never been true. The false claim carries with it an implied attack on your integrity. Any contrary opinions I formed over the years came about because of studying the data. What I say is based on the research I publish and the conclusions that I form based on the research.

What is the most frustrating part of your research? My work overlapped with the rise of the Internet and social media, so suddenly it became really hard to get away from the rhetoric. As long as you have a phone or a laptop, it is going to be in your face. Thirty years ago, if you did or said something controversial, the next day there would be people talking around the water cooler or somewhere, and someone might say something disparaging or nasty about you, but they would be saying it to a small group of people. Now they are going to say it on Twitter and in blogs and spread it everywhere.You have to remind yourself that it’s still the same inconsequential, tossed-off opinion; it just happens to be broadcast widely.

U of G is known as an environmentalist institution. Have you found it difficult to work here, given the positions that you tend to take on climate change? Well, sometimes I feel like the diversity candidate (laughs). But, actually, I have found U of G to be extremely hospitable.Yes, there are a lot of people who see themselves as part of a progressive, green culture, and Guelph as a progressive, green city. At the same time, this is a curiosity-driven institution. If you are expressing views that are based on research that you’ve done carefully and published in legitimate journals, then whether people like your conclusions or not doesn’t really figure into how they react to your

It seems your latest research on the climate change hiatus has been received more favourably. What has changed? In the case of the hockey stick graph, we were criticizing a position that IPCC had really staked its reputation on. But in its last report, IPCC included a clear acknowledgment that the hiatus in global warming is happening, that the models and observations are basically on a different page at this point. So this time I am articulating information that is actually in an IPCC report but just not widely recognized, which is a big difference. You play the Scottish smallpipes and pennywhistle in a band, The Wild Oats. You’ve released a couple of CDs to raise money for charity and now you’re producing independent local artists. How did this evolve? It started as a hobby and just grew. I found it really fun to perform and later to produce music and build up a record label. Celtic music is a very social tradition. A key part is listening to what others around you are doing and playing in a group. It’s relaxing; it’s sociable and a great way to put the work week behind you.

Music for the Spirit

STORY BY SUSAN BUBAK PHOTOS BY MARTIN SCHWALBE

i t h j u s t a wav e of her hands, Marta McCarthy can transform silence into sounds – beautiful sounds that have filled concert halls, churches and other venues across the country and abroad. As a child, music was “highly valued in our home,� says the music professor and award-winning conductor of four U of G choirs. Growing up, she and her three brothers and three sisters all sang and played musical instruments, but she was the only one who pursued music professionally. She loved piano lessons but didn’t always enjoy practising the piano. Still, there were benefits: “I got out of housecleaning on Saturdays because I had to practise the piano, so that was useful,� she says with a laugh. She also took dance lessons, which set the stage for her conducting career. One of her earliest musical memories is of a babysitter who sang a folk song to her and her siblings about birds flying home to their nest. As the children flitted around the room, the babysitter spread her arms like tree branches to welcome them back. McCarthy’s father, Daniel, was a producer for children’s television shows such as Sesame Street, Mr. DressUp and The Friendly Giant. Her mother, MarySue, taught education at York University for 29 years and was initially skeptical of her daughter’s musical pursuits. At the time, post-secondary music programs consisted almost entirely of music courses, with one or two electives. Undeterred, McCarthy earned a bachelor of music degree, a bachelor of education and a PhD, all from the University of Toronto. Studying music provided her with the diverse education her mother wanted her to receive, she adds, because it allowed her to study some of the world’s greatest composers and writers. She also learned how to sing in as many as 15 languages. “It gives you a taste, almost literally, for languages,� says McCarthy. It was in university – she was required to join a choir as part of her studies – that she discovered her own singing voice. “I had never felt comfortable singing in front of anybody,� says McCarthy. “I had zero confidence in my voice.� Since then she has helped many other reluctant vocalists find their voices. Before coming to Guelph, she conducted the University of Waterloo choir and taught choral techniques at both Wilfrid Laurier University and the University of Toronto. At U of G for 20 years now, she teaches and conducts the chamber singers, women’s and men’s choirs and the University’s symphonic/philharmonic choir. Their varying membership includes students, of course, but also faculty, staff, alumni and a few members who simply love to sing in a great choral group. The University of Guelph Chamber Singers, for

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Conductor Marta McCarthy leads the women’s ensemble in rehearsal for the Nov. 29 concert that featured all three U of G choirs performing “A Christmas Truce: Songs of War and Peace, 1914-2014.”

example, won the collegiate category of the 2011 National Radio Competition for Amateur Choirs sponsored by CBC and the Association of Canadian Choral Communities.That win led to an invitation to compete the next year in Germany’s Mosbach International Competition for Chamber Choirs, where they won third place. McCarthy is full of praise for the many choir members she directs and for the University’s well-rounded approach to music

20 The Portico

studies. U of G students take a variety of courses in addition to their core music classes. “As a conductor, I really emphasize that importance, too, because conducting and teaching music is so much about the whole person. The artistic experience is so much bigger than the notes on the page.” Being elected as president of Choral Canada/Canada Choral was an honour for McCarthy but also reflects, she says, the respect garnered by Guelph’s music program and its approach to teaching music. In her role as choir conductor, McCarthy also looks well beyond the obvious: singing, she says, is only one element of choir music. There’s also a theatrical element to conducting, which draws on her background as a dancer and high school drama teacher, as well as early experiences conducting orchestras.

“Many different kinds of music involve externalizing or representing that movement in conducting gestures,” she says. “You’re not miming or acting out a piece, but you try to capture in the essence of your movement the essence of the music.” Choral theatre combines her passion for music and drama by incorporating actions and props to help tell a story through song. During a concert about the First World War, one of the singers read aloud a 1916 newspaper article about the death of a soldier. “More and more choirs are exploring that aspect to give audiences a multidimensional experience,” says McCarthy. “For me it’s just as much about the singers experiencing the poetry and the music on many levels. It gives them a creative outlet.” With so many pieces to choose from,

McCarthy is careful to pick those that challenge both her choir and the audience, and she’s not afraid to push musical boundaries. In some cases, her choices have raised questions and eyebrows, such as a piece called “École Polytechnique” that contained recorded gunfire. “It was meant to bring you through the experience of the Montreal Massacre,” she explains, adding that the piece prompted heated debate at the faculty holiday party. “This is what universities are for: to get people caring about the issues behind the music.” In addition to performance and musicianship, she teaches music pedagogy at U of G to better understand how students learn. Self-directed learning is now seen as complementary to, not competing with, collaborative learning. “The earlier concept was that

students were empty vessels that you filled,” she says. “Now it’s very much the opposite. You want students to explore what they already know and share that knowledge with each other through different perspectives.” As schools cut back on their course offerings, music programs are often the first on the chopping block, whereas core courses such as math remain untouched because of their perceived value in the workplace. In her role with Choral Canada, McCarthy promotes nationwide advocacy efforts on this topic. She argues that studying music has its own merit, but adds that she really wants people to study music because it educates and edifies the spirit. Music affects us in different ways, she adds, but we still don’t quite understand how or why. It’s that mysterious quality of music

After the concert, McCarthy congratulated her singers: “You were really ‘listening’ to each other, which is one reason people respond to good choirs. Audiences love to sense that kind of subtle communication.”

that appeals to her as well as its ability to complement different learning styles, whether visual, auditory or kinesthetic. Even her nonmusic students look forward to rehearsals because it gives them the opportunity to use a different part of their brain. Despite her love for all things musical, McCarthy enjoys quiet time at the end of a long work day; she usually gets home at 11 p.m. “There are times in the day when I need silence to be my music.” ■

Winter 2015 21

POETRY TAKES THE PULSE OF A NATION’S CULTURE

he Poet Sonnet L’Abbé says her assignment as an Harper.”Writing a poem based on those suggestions, she “artist-in-motion” was “pretty surreal.” In 2013 she felt, wasn’t going to work. was hired by CBC,Via Rail and Community Foundations She delivered her final poem at the 2017 Starts Now of Canada to travel across conference by speaking “CANADA, WHEN IS YOUR BIRTHDAY?” the country, talk with peoFrench and English at the [ excerpt ] ple about how they’d like to same time – in “franglais,” celebrate the Canadian as she and her siblings called What holds us together sesquicentennial in 2017, it when they were children. is this arc of sky we’re moving in, and then write a poem The poem is called “Kanata, la tranche de continent about what she learned. gangakkut nalliutisuuncalled Canada “CBC and Via Rail had gugavit?” in Inuktitut, or que l’on habite et sème et mine… organized a series of public “Canada, when is your consultations, and I had spobirthday?” in English. Ce n’est pas sang ni langue ken in Vancouver at the first “I was proud and gratequi nous font “Canadian,” one about the changes in ful for the chance to speak Canadian identity that could on the theme of indigeneity,” it’s that we share our air with these forests, be traced in Canadian poetsays L’Abbé. “The response on boit ces glaciers, and ry.They liked what I had to of dozens of people who say and asked me to go to came up to me after the perthrough our stories the other events, and comformance suggests that the breathe each other in. missioned a performance audience was glad of it, too.” poem for their final event in L’Abbé’s own experiSo — que pensez vous — Ottawa,” she explains. ences of Canada are varied: in 2017 can we celebrate L’Abbé had some ideas she was born in Toronto but a longer memory of what this land has seen? about how this might work: lived in Alberta and Manshe considered crowdsourcitoba before her family Behind the maple-leaf-flag saris ing the poem, inviting peosettled in Ontario in the and inukshuks and poutine, ple to tweet her potential Kitchener-Waterloo area, could there be, has there ever been, lines, and conducting media where she attended French an autochthonous (which just means interviews at each stop on schools. She earned her originating here, from this land) the tour to gather more undergrad degree in film at an autochthonous Canadian dream? input. Those plans didn’t York University, then a maswork out; they were probter’s in English at Guelph. ably too ambitious for the two months allotted for her She spent two years teaching English in Korea while travels. But she did tweet and blog about the experience. she wrote her first book, then worked in communicaIn the end, she wrote a performance poem based on tions at the University of Toronto. She crossed the counwhat people said to her and her own experiences of the try to complete her PhD at the University of British trip. “It was not like a scientific sample or a representative Columbia (UBC) and then taught creative writing at cross-section of Canadians,” she points out, but she did UBC’s Okanagan campus for two years. find that the concept of a Canadian identity is different She injected science into her creative writing courses now than in 1967, when the country’s centennial was by collaborating with biologist Susan Murch, a U of G celebrated. alumna and UBC professor. After listening to Murch “Today most people haven’t thought about it much talk about how plants fight predators, maximize food beyond hockey and Tim Hortons doughnuts,” she says, opportunities and partner with other organisms, L’Abbé “although many people did bring up multiculturalism asked her students to create “a work of environmental as something they were proud of.” art” that engaged the questions of plant intelligence. Asked how they’d like to celebrate, most Canadians said “Those of us who teach recognize that our students they “should get free stuff.” People were especially interare, in some ways, more aware of poetry than we were when ested in getting free or cheap travel to see the country and we went to high school,” she says. “Canadian poetry visit family. The other common answer was “Get rid of is very vibrant right now. YouTube has spoken-word

22 The Portico

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poetry videos, and their visibility helps all poets.â€? That’s important, she adds, because “poetry takes the pulse of culture. It’s generally not fictional; people write poetry in first person and are grappling with contemporary issues in a very personal way.â€? She says Canadian poets also have a worldwide reputation for being at the cutting edge of experimentation in their work. L’AbbĂŠ received the RBC Bronwen Wallace Award for Emerging Writers in 2001 and has now published two books of poetry: A Strange Relief and Killarnoe. She has also reviewed fiction and poetry for the Globe and Mail. In November she performed her poetry in one of Canada’s most high-profile speakers’ series, the Walrus Talks.

L’AbbÊ is now back in Ontario and in January will serve as Wilfrid Laurier University’s 2015 Edna Staebler Writer-in-Residence. She’ll use the time to work on some short stories and a book of poetry. She’s also working on a project called Sonnet’s Shakespeare, where she writes over the printed pages of Shakespeare’s sonnets with her own words. And the poem for 2017? To watch the performance, search for Sonnet L’AbbÊ 2017 Starts Now. On the preceding page, read the final lines of the poem, in which she reflects on what it means to be Canadian 150 years (almost) after Confederation. * "* "

Winter 2015 23

BLA GRAD BUILT A DIVERSE CAREER BY TAKING RISKS

h e m a s t e r p la n for Rick Bogaert’s 30-year career in landscape architecture has been revised several times as he’s adapted to changes within the profession and looked for new opportunities to build what he calls a “diversified” portfolio of skills. “I can’t think of another profession where its practitioners are more varied in what they do than in landscape architecture,” he says. Since completing his BLA in 1984, Bogaert has taken on design projects ranging from streetscapes, institutional planning, lakefronts and marinas, housing developments and recreational spaces, as well as environmental restorations and large infrastructure projects such as four-lane highways and lightrail transportation. He’s worked in small design firms, in municipal planning and in large multidisciplinary firms with landscape architects and allied professionals under the same roof. Bogaert’s most recent move happened in March 2014 when he became the first landscape architect hired at AECOM’s branch office in Kitchener, Ont. The firm’s parent company has global reach with integrated design, engineering and construction management services – often for large, complicated infrastructure projects. “I’ve gone from being completely surrounded by landscape architects to being in the minority,” says Bogaert. “AECOM offers a great opportunity for me to integrate my expertise and knowledge with a lot of other allied professionals. I think it’s also good for my profession because my colleagues here are learning more about what landscape architects can contribute to the company’s diverse range of projects.” Being diverse is a key strategy guiding Bogaert’s career plan, and it’s a goal he advises today’s BLA graduates to strive for as well. Like many other Guelph alumni, he’s made a point of returning to the School of Environmental Design and Rural Development to mentor current students in landscape architecture. He was a guest lecturer there for 17 years. During his last visit, he lectured in a third-year professional practice class, talked with master’s students about project management, and judged student design presentations. “It’s always fun to talk with students, and I was impressed with their presentations.” Bogaert enrolled at U of G in 1980, after earning a diploma in landscape design at Fanshawe College. During his time on campus, BLA students teamed up with faculty to participate in a landscape design competition for the carriage house that was being restored as a permanent home for U of G alumni. The collaboration on Alumni House was a precursor

24 The Portico

to the kind of community-based projects undertaken by today’s BLA classes – some of them presented to Bogaert during his 2013 campus visit. He graduated in 1984, and his wife, Robin PorrittBogaert, completed a bachelor of applied science degree in 1986. She was a case manager in health and social services for the City of Windsor before their recent move to Waterloo. In her spare time, Robin enjoys quilting; Rick relaxes by gardening and dabbles in watercolour painting. Both enjoy hiking and kayaking. They have two daughters, Katlyn, B.A.Sc. ’12, and Mallory. After earning her Guelph degree, Katlyn completed a master’s degree in social work at the University of Toronto and is a youth and child mental health clinician in Kitimat, B.C. Mallory earned a diploma in fine art from Fanshawe College in 2012 and is now completing her degree in fine art at OCAD University in Toronto. Rick and Robin also have numerous siblings, in-laws, and nieces and nephews who are Guelph grads. “We have enough positive Guelph memories to last a lifetime,” laughs Rick. Licensed in both Ontario and Michigan, Bogaert began his career in the Toronto area, then worked for the City of Burlington before joining a Detroit firm. He spent almost 15 years in the Detroit area, managing numerous projects at the historical Greenfield Village in Dearborn and at Michigan State University. It was his skill in project management and construction supervision that brought his career back across the Detroit River in 2011 when he began a two-year position as urban and landscape implementation manager on the $1.4-billion Windsor Essex Parkway project.The 11km highway – now officially named the Herb Gray Parkway – will eventually connect Highway 401 to a new international bridge connecting Ontario and Michigan. Working on the project was a sidestep for Bogaert, one that brought him closer to the construction side of a major infrastructure project. He was the liaison between the design team and the constructors charged with building the highway infrastructure, the landscape contractors hired to implement the urban park plan and an environmental team responsible for the preservation of species at risk. Safeguarding animal and plant species involved working with government conservationists, wildlife researchers and First Nations people. It was Bogaert’s closest working relationship with conservation biologists. “I learned a lot about terrestrial and aquatic biology and how to protect and maintain the ecosystem for each of the plant and wildlife species that live in the highway corridor.”

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He says the parkway project and its environmental considerations proved a good training ground for his current position with AECOM, which provides construction monitoring for the parkway. So Bogaert is still involved in a technical advisory capacity, although much of his attention has moved east on the 401. As senior landscape architect within AECOM’s Buildings + Places business line, he’s working on the landscape component as well as site grading, bus shelter locations, site plan and working drawings for power substations for Waterloo Region’s $532.1-million light-rail transit system. He is also contributing to a proposal for Phase 2 of

the Highway 407 East extension to Highway 35/115 near Peterborough. Bogaert’s new role reinforces his view that landscape architects are expanding the boundaries of their profession and opening up new opportunities for future graduates. “Our work involves the relationship between people, the natural environment and the built structures required by our society. “We need landscape architects who understand both the design and technical side of projects, people who can work directly with the trades and contribute from concept to implementation.� ) )

Winter 2015 25

Gryphon Hall of Fame Welcomes New Inductees

From left: Karen Lee, Dan Tocher and Donna Valaitis.

ince 1984, the Gryphon Sports Hall of Fame has recognized athletes and builders who have made outstanding contributions to the University’s athletics program. To date, 131 athletes, 39 builders and 28 teams have been elected to the Gryphon Hall of Fame, including an elite group recognized in 2014. The induction ceremony held during Homecoming honoured retired athletics staff member Karen Lee along with athletes Jean-Paul Davis, B.Sc. ’99 and M.Sc. ’00; Dan Tocher, BA ’91; and Donna Valaitis, B.Sc. ’79.Team inductees were the 1989-90 men’s basketball team and the 1960s era of men’s wrestling. Lee was a driving force in Gryphon athletics for 31 years, coaching women’s basketball, field hockey and indoor hockey. She co-ordinated instructional programs, and supervised dance, martial arts, sports and Pilates programs. She coached teams that garnered one gold, two silver and nine bronze provincial medals. Her 1979-80 championship team in women’s basketball

26 The Portico

was recognized by the Hall of Fame in 2010. Overall, Lee’s teams produced 10 All-Canadians, numerous Ontario University Athletics (OUA) All-Stars, and six members of the Gryphon Hall of Fame. She finished her coaching career in 2004 as a three-time OUA basketball coach of the year and two-time OUA field hockey coach of the year. Davis was a key member of the 1996-97 Canadian Intercollegiate Athletic Union (CIAU) championship hockey team.Team captain in 1998 and twotime assistant captain, the defenceman was a two-time CIAU All-Canadian, MVP in 1998 and a two-time Ontario first team all-star. He also received U of G’s W.F. Mitchell Sportsman Award and Male Athlete of the Year award. Davis represented Team Canada at the World University Games in 1997 and was team captain in 1998. After graduation, he played two seasons for the Las Vegas Thunder in the International Hockey League. He is now an oral maxillofacial surgeon in Sarnia, Ont. Tocher was a receiver for the

Gryphon football team from 1986 to 1990. He was named a CIAU AllCanadian and was a three-time Ontario first team all-star; he held the record for career receptions (146) when he graduated in 1990. He was also named a member of the 1980s Gryphon Football Team of the Decade. Today, Tocher is a business consultant in Calgary and a former vice-president of Greengate Power Corp. Valaitis was the 800m provincial champion in 1974 and won the Ontario cross-country all-round title in 1976. On the national stage, she was the Canadian 1,500m and 3,000m champion in 1976 and the cross-country Canadian champion in 1976. She was also a member of the Canadian track and field team that competed at the World Cross-Country Championships in 1977. She now works in education as owner of Kumon Math and Reading Centre in York Mills, Ont. The 1989-90 men’s basketball team was one of the Gryphons’ most talented hoop squads.They finished their regular season with an 11-3 record, were crowned Ontario University Athletics Association (OUAA) champions and went on to win a CIAU silver medal. This team was ranked in the top 10 all year and led the country in defensive stats. Head coach Tim Darling was named the OUAA Coach of the Year. From 1962 to 1968, Gryphon wrestlers captured five OQAA (Ontario-Quebec) wrestling titles. Led by coaches Bob Heinrichs and Londo Iacovelli, these male athletes joined the Gryphon Hall of Fame in September. Inductees are selected every two years based on playing ability, sportsmanship, character, and exemplification of the spirit and ideals of the University of Guelph.

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A celebration of philanthropy held at the Macdonald Stewart Art Centre on Nov.

22 gave U of G president Franco Vaccarino his first opportunity to thank the University’s largest donors. The annual President’s Open House recognizes donors who give at the President’s and Lifetime Giving Council levels, as well as members of the University’s McLaughlin Society making planned gifts to U of G. Guests included, from left: Lorraine Stubbs, Catherine Keats, M.Sc. ’79, and Carly O’Brien, senior development manager for the Ontario Veterinary College.

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50 CHALLENGE A RUNAWAY SUCCESS

of G participated in a city-wide initiative on Giving Tuesday, Dec. 2, to recognize the importance of giving to and volunteering with non-profit organizations in Guelph. The Department of Alumni Affairs and Development ran an online campaign to raise $50,000 in 50 hours. Going well beyond its goal, the U of G 50 Challenge raised more than

$197,000 from more than 900 donors, including eight who matched donations to priority projects. Giving Tuesday began in the United States as a global day of giving to follow the sales of Black Friday and Cyber Monday. U of G campus members were invited to donate to the Library Learning Commons by dropping their gift into a large coin designed and built by fine art students Katie Holmes, Natalie Field and Emily Pittman. In the photo, Holmes adds her name to the back of the coin as a donor. “It was incredible to see the outpouring of support,� said Jason Moreton, assistant vice-president, alumni advancement. “It really proves that no matter when you were at U of G, no matter where you live today, you are forever a Gryphon.�

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Winter 2015 27

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MITCHELL CENTRE PROJECT UNDER WAY Gryph travels to San Francisco

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lumni living in and around San Francisco met in October with College of Physical and Engineering Science dean Anthony Vannelli and senior development manager Maryam Latifpoor-Keparoutis. Photographed at Google’s San Francisco office are, from left: Finnegan Southey, B.Sc. ’95; Vanelli; Ming Xu, PhD ’09; Latifpoor-Keparoutis; and Eric Hayashi, B.Sc. ’98. To connect with these grads and others based in California, join their University of Guelph Alumni LinkedIn group.

he Ă°epartment of athletics broke ground Nov. 10 on an extensive expansion and renovation to the W.F. Mitchell Centre. The $60-million project will provide students, faculty and staff with state-of-the-art facilities for recreation, intramurals, fitness and varsity sports. A new structure will house a 24,000-square-foot fitness centre and a 2,200-seat event centre. The building will host varsity basketball and volleyball and will be suitable for large events like convocation. It will also feature a suspended running track, a climbing wall and a combative room for the Gryphon wrestling team and martial arts classes. Renovations to the current building will upgrade the gymnasia and provide a training centre for testing, training and injury management services. The Mitchell Centre opened in 1958 and was named for the late W.F. “Billâ€? Mitchell in 1988; he was the school’s first director of athletics and served for 32 years. The facility is currently home to 30 varsity teams, 14 intramural leagues, 16,000 students, 129 community classes and 3,000 children during summer camp. The $60-million renovation and expansion is supported by students, who committed $40 million through a referendum; the University will raise an additional $20 million.

COMING EVENTS • /:87632;79/;5:,628578649;)45;8.:2:;731-96;:#:982 ;$$$0731-96014,1:3*.0+7 January (; Annual College Career Nights0 &.:+ ;8.:;2+.:/13:;79/;+4926/:5;#4319! 8::569,;84;2.75:;%415;*:524973;+75::5;: *:! 56:9+:;$68.; ;4); ;281/:982;8.62;%:75;45;78 7;)1815:;9:8$45 69,;:#:980; Feb. 6 (; Florida Alumni Excursion0; .: 8415;/:*7582; 62.:5-79 2; .75)'; 458;&.75! 3488:'; 78; ; 70-0; )45; 7; 478; 856*; 84; 4+7 579/:;49; 72*756337; 2379/;)45;319+.;49 %415;4$9';26,.82::69,;79/;2.4**69, ;5:8159 84; 458;&.753488:;78; ;*0-0';+428; 0; Feb. 11 (; Leaders of Tomorrow Mentorship Breakfast Series0;";9:8$45 69,;:#:98 )45;:9,69::569,;731-96;79/;281/:9820; March 4 (; Florida Alumni Reunion0; 469

28 The Portico

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Bonspiel0; March 25 (; Leaders of Tomorrow Mentorship Breakfast Series0;";9:8$45 69, :#:98;)45;:9,69::569,;731-96;79/;281/:9820;; April 17 and 18 (; OVC Alumni Hockey Tournament0; May 15 (; OAC AA and Alumni Foundation Annual Meeting and Order of OAC Dinner0; June 12 (; Alumni Awards of Excellence Gala0;";+:3: 578649;84;5:+4,96 :;/62869! ,162.:/;731-96;$68.;7; 96#:5268%;4); 1:3*. "31-96;"224+678649;7$75/0 June 12, 13 and 14 (; Alumni Weekend0;; June 26 (; HAFA / HTM AA Golf Tournament0

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HAFA / HFTM Grads Celebrate HAFA/HFTM Alumni Association held a networking and recognition event Oct. 29 at the Art Gallery of Ontario. In the photo, Prof. Statia Elliott congratulates Martin Stitt, B.Comm. ’87 and MBA ’10, recipient of the George D. Bedell Alumni Award. The Leadership/Entrepreneurial Alumni Award was presented to Jeff Hyslop, B.Comm. ’04, and the Leader of Tomorrow Award to Sam Prentice, B.Comm. ’12.

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Winter 2015 29

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4-H ADVOCATE A WOMAN WITH POWER eing a 4-h member has given Jennifer Christie, B.Sc.(Agr.) ’06, an approach to life that she describes as “let’s jump in and give it a try.� She says the 4-H motto of “learn to do by doing� has become ingrained in her: “Even if you’re not perfect, it’s better to make the attempt, to do something rather than waiting around or hoping someone else will do it.� Her can-do attitude has served her well since graduating with a Guelph degree in agricultural business. Christie has worked at John Deere for the past eight years and in December 2013 was named one of Canada’s Top 100 Most Powerful Women by the Women’s Executive Network.“I still almost can’t believe I won that,� Christie says.“It was such an honour to be part of that group.� She says it reinforced for her the idea that 80 per cent of success is showing up. “I am very involved and passionate about my industry, not unlike many other young women, but we often discount our contributions when they are actually something we should celebrate.� Christie points out that she was the only woman on the list working in agriculture. It’s not unusual for her to find herself the only “aggie� in whatever group she’s part of, but she sees that as an opportunity. “I take every chance I can to talk about the importance of agriculture,� she says. Growing up on a dairy farm in Bruce County, Christie coveted the Ontario Agricultural College (OAC) jackets she saw on older friends and knew in high school that she wanted to attend the University of Guelph. She also had a keen interest in marketing. While studying at U of G, she spent a semester in California that broadened

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30 The Portico

her understanding of the dairy industry and added to her marketing expertise. During her final year, she interviewed with John Deere and started with the equipment manufacturer a week after graduation. “Early on at John Deere I expressed interest in working on advertising and promotions,� she says. “Because John Deere in Canada is a subsidiary of the U.S. company, the marketing program is limited, but the company was will-

ing to create a role for me to work on Canadian-specific advertising.� Today Christie is a territory manager for 23 dealerships in southern Ontario. “It’s a big area, but I like that I can get home to visit my family fairly frequently,� she says. While farm equipment sales management has not been a traditional field for women, Christie says, John Deere is supportive of women and nearly half of the territory managers are female.“I think

6; 4 the more important factor is that I have the farming background,� she says.“You earn the dealers’ respect when you can talk the same language they do and demonstrate that you understand the realities of farmers’ lives.� Christie’s commitment to agriculture also shows in her participation on the Canadian 4-H Council board of directors. “4-H just celebrated its 100th anniversary in Canada, so I was very involved in the planning for those events.We are now looking at the future of 4-H and working on what we can do to reinvigorate the organization, create new programs and bring 4-H to new audiences.� Christie also helped to launch the Cana-

1950 Russell McKay, BSA’50, became a Chevalier of the LÊgion d’honneur in November. He was one of 16 veterans of the Second World War who were honoured by France at the Canadian War Museum in Ottawa. All received the French

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government’s highest honour for their part in D-Day operations. McKay left high school to join the Royal Canadian Air Force, beginning as an air gunner. He trained as a bomber pilot and flew out of northern England with 420 Squadron. He

flew 38 missions over Europe during two tours of duty. After the war, he returned home to Nepean, Ont., and spent his career in banking and real estate. ■Duncan Sinclair, DVM ’58 and M.Sc. ’60, of Kingston, Ont., has been selected for induction into the Canadian Medical Hall of Fame.The ceremony will take place April 23 in Winnipeg. Sinclair is an internationally recognized leader in health-care reform. The first non-MD to become a dean of medicine in Canada, he led the creation of North America’s first alternative funding program for academic medicine, viewed as a gold standard in Canada for academic physician compensation. As chair of the 1996 to 2000 Health Services Restructuring Commission of Ontario, he helped redefine the health system in Ontario. He was also founding chair and acting CEO of Canada Health Infoway/Inforoute SantÊ du Canada, an organization designed

Last spring, Christie completed an MBA at Western University’s Ivey School of Business; one of her colleagues in the program nominated her for the Women’s Executive Network award. Christie says both her career success and volunteer opportunities are related to her network, “and that started at U of G with both my classmates and alumni. Many of the alumni make a point of coming to events, so I was able to make connections even before I graduated. I can’t stress enough how important it is to network and get to know people. That’s the foundation.� % <-*'* (<$!- (

1967 classmates reach their peak

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Winter 2015 31

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dian Agri-Business Education Foundation. “Our goal is to promote careers in agri-business and the kind of education that prepares young people for those careers,� she explains. The organization has created six scholarships for young people entering agriculture and works to increase awareness of job opportunities in the industry. Christie says many young people think agriculture means working on a farm. “I was the same: I didn’t know about all the agriculture-related careers that involve processing, engineering and technology. This is a rapidly growing field: there are currently three jobs waiting for every OAC graduate.�

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to help develop a national capacity for health information management.

1960 Barbara Nattress, B.H.Sc. ’69, published her second novel, Hannah’s Search. The book is available through Trafford Publishing, Chapters or Amazon.com. â–

1970 ■Andre Bordeleau, BA ’79 and MA ’85, was the 1984 Ontario champion in rifle shooting on a moving target, a member of the Canadian national team and a competitor at the 1984 and 1988 Olympic trials. He recently published a book entitled Flags of the Night Sky, which explores the many depictions of stars and other celestial bodies in flags from around the world. He has one son, David. ■Kim Bresee, BLA ’72, recently retired as director of planning and building for the city of Sarnia, Ont. He and his

32 The Portico

wife, Teresa, have moved to Stratford, Ont., to be closer to their family and grandchild. ■Robert Hannah, B.Sc.(Agr.) ’71, is semi-retired but recently received a lifetime achievement award from ACTRA for his work as a stunt performer. ■Henry Kortekaas, BLA ’75, received the 2014 Region of Durham Art of Transition Creative Arts Award in the visual art category. ■David Nattress, B.Sc.(Agr.) ’70, recently moved to Newmarket, Ont., to focus on real estate in York Region. ■Barry Ring, B.Sc.(Agr.) ’75, is a member of the U of G alumni social bridge group in Ottawa and says they are looking for new members. Anyone who is interested can contact him by sending an email to alumni@uoguelph.ca. ■Kenneth Tomlinson, R.Dip. ’77, recently received a 25-year service award for his contributions as fire marshal for the BinbrookVolunteer Fire Department.

1980 John Berges, B.Sc. ’87 and M.Sc. ’89, was recently promoted to full professor in the Department of Biological Sciences at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. He is also an affiliate in the university’s School of Freshwater Sciences. Like U of G, he says, he is celebrating his 50th birthday this year. â– Jeffrey Evans, BA ’80, is the process analytics business manager for Siemens in Canada in Sarnia, Ont. His wife, Cecily Chiles, B.Sc. ’90, is an environmental toxicologist with Lehder Environmental. Their son, Owen, attends McMaster University, and daughter, Andris, is completing Grade 12 at Northern Collegiate in Sarnia. The Evans family spends time each summer aboard their boat, 4EVANSache, in their home port of Goderich, Ont., or touring the islands of the North Channel and Georgian Bay. â–

■A. Kuppuswamy Kumaraguru, PhD ’83, is vice-chancellor of a state university in India. He writes that he is proud of being a U of G alumnus and credits his career success to “the seed of intellectually innovative education sown with zeal and the zealous approach of the professors at U of G.� His mentors were zoology professors Bill Beamish and the late John Calico George. ■Jo-Anne Wolach, B.Comm. ’81, of Calgary, writes with pride that her daughter, Ronena, is now studying at U of G. Ronena is following in the footsteps of her mother; grandfather James J. Christensen, ADA ’50; and great-grandfather James E. Christensen, BSA ’21. ■Susan Wood-Bohm, B.Sc.(Agr.) ’81, and her husband, Mike Bohm, are farming at Hawthorne Ridge Heritage Farm in Peterborough County . They have six children, including two Guelph grads: Larissa Wood, BA ’11, and Colleen Wood, BA ’13.

VETERINARIAN LOVES BIG-CITY PRACTICE

with animals,� he says. During his training at the Ontario Veterinary College (OVC), he did a locum in large animals in Sturgeon Falls. “The support structure there is definitely different from what I experience working in Toronto. Here we have overnight clinics, so I don’t have to be on call at night.� He adds that there are pros and cons to veterinary work in both rural and urban settings. “In rural areas, there are fewer specialists, so as a primary care vet you get to do more things. But even here, some people will

Frank Cain, BA ’94, is an assistant facilities manager and promotes business development for U of G’s Department of Athletics, so he’s had a hand in upgrading and maintaining virtually all of the University’s sports and recreation facilities. He recently received the Ontario Recreation Facility Association (ORFA) Award of Merit recognizing his contributions to the professional development of individuals â–

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within the recreation facilities industry. He is a member of ORFA’s grounds technical advisory committee and is developing a grounds management and operations course for senior managers. Cain’s volunteerism extends to the Guelph community, where he lives with his wife, Kelly, and daughters, Emma and Abby. He is president of Guelph minor basketball and sits on the Guelph Youth Sports Advisory Council. ■Cory Harris, B.Sc.(Eng.)

’97, was married Oct. 5, 2013, to Katie Jane Stewart in Muskoka, Ont. ■Ahmad Mahdavi, PhD ’90, is retired from the University of Tehran but continues his work on pesticide/chemical pollution reduction and regulations for developing countries. He has also begun a neem tree cultivation program to propagate the species throughout the Persian Gulf region. He was previously a professor at the University of Mazandaran, Iran, and while in

Winter 2015 33

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choose to have their primary vet handle the procedure rather than going to a specialist.� There’s one thing he finds people everywhere have in common: “They want the best for their animals. Rich or poor, city or country, people really do care about their dogs and cats.� O’Toole has high praise for his OVC education.“My professors taught us not to rely on memorizing stuff, but to research, figure out and test our diagnoses, and then develop a treatment plan. That’s the foundation for good veterinary care.� Although

he graduated before it was built, he also sees OVC’s Primary Heath Care Centre (PHC) as a great addition for veterinary students. “Client communication is not the focus in many veterinary schools, but I see OVC really trying to address that,� he says. The Bloor West Village Animal Hospital offers some alternative medicine options such as acupuncture for arthritis in small animals. O’Toole likes being able to offer innovative therapies and treatments and says veterinary medicine also offers the opportunity for life-long learning. “There are always new technologies and new techniques to learn about, and new ways to approach a case or particular health issue,� he says. But it’s still the animals who give him the greatest satisfaction. “I think what I like best about being a veterinarian is seeing the capacity animals have for loving humans,� says O’Toole. “No matter how crappy your day has been, you come in the office and the dog wags his tail and licks you, or the cat rubs his face against you.� .* & #. %* #

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e t e r i n a r i a n Chris O’Toole, DVM ’04, says working in a small animal practice in downtown Toronto provides constant reminders that the veterinarian’s relationship with the pet owner is vital. “You need to understand as a vet that you are working with people. You diagnose and treat the animals, but the pet owner is the most important member of the health care team. The owners make the decisions.� Although the Bloor West Village Animal Hospital is located in the middle of a large city, O’Toole says the community he’s part of has a very small-town feel. And with several people on staff, the veterinary practice is a true team environment. O’Toole’s wife, Julie, is a naturopath who is currently at home caring for their three small children and the family dog, Oscar Growing up in North Bay, Ont., O’Toole was always interested in animals. Becoming a veterinarian also satisfied his interest in medicine and solving problems. “It seemed like a practical way to be able to work

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34 The Portico

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Martha Archibald, BA ’02, moved to the United Kingdom in 2010 for graduate studies in human rights. She now works for a human rights organization in London, Ont., that supports and advocates for persons with learning and developmental disabilities. ■Marc, B.Sc. ’08, and Kristen (Beaver) Gardiner, BA ’09, had a baby girl, Evelyn Paige, on July 28, 2014. ■Melannie Gayle, a.k.a. mel g. campbell, BA ’06, is a Toronto-based writer, poet and curator of feminist and disability art. She studied English and theatre at U of G and also holds a diploma in American sign language and deaf studies from George Brown College. She has exhibited and performed at events such as Crip Your World: An Intergalactic Queer/POC Sick and Disabled Extravaganza as part of the Mayworks Fes-

2010 Lovejeet Bhatti, B.A.Sc. ’14, is working as a liaison offi-

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Hockey Day in Gryphonville

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cer at the University of GuelphHumber and is completing a post-graduate certificate in corrections and forensic practice at Humber College.

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Tiziana La Melia, MFA ’13, is an artist and writer living in Vancouver. She won the annual RBC Canadian Painting Competition in October. The $25,000 prize celebrates promising new Canadian visual artists. Her winning piece was an oilâ–

on-board titled Hanging on to the Part. La Melia prevailed over 14 other finalists chosen from more than 600 Canadian entries. One-third of the finalists were U of G alumni, including Ashleigh Bartlett, MFA ’11; Jennifer Carvalho, MFA ’13;Wallis Cheung, BA ’08; and James Gardner, BA ’08. ■Kathryn Lefrancois, BBRM ’14, majored in equine management at U of G. Her undergrad research paper called “Digital Flexor Tendons: A Comprehensive Review� won first place in Canada and third in North America in the Alltech Young Scientist Competition. Her research was supervised by Prof. Peter Physick-Sheard in the Department of Population Medicine. ■Brittany Manley, B.Comm. ’10, is back at U of G taking a

Winter 2015 35

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2000 â–

tival of Working Class Culture, and was named artist-in-residence for 2014-15 by Tangled Art + Disability in Toronto.The charitable organization develops and showcases the work of artists with disabilities. ■Jamie Lafontaine, B.Sc. ’00, works in Health Canada’s environmental health division. He received the Deputy Minister’s Award of Excellence in 2014 for his experience in environmental public health and collaborative skills. Lafontaine was seconded to the World Health Organization in 2011 to co-ordinate international networks for improving water supply and quality in small communities. Since returning to the First Nations and Inuit Health Branch in 2012, he has worked closely with Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development to engage First Nations and provincial/territorial counterparts in developing regulations under the Safe Drinking Water for First Nations Act. ■William Murray, MBA ’00, lives in Halifax, where he completed a PhD in management at St. Mary’s University in October and is now an assistant professor at Mount Saint Vincent University. ■Anthony Vander Schaaf, MA ’05 and PhD ’10, is teaching at Zhejiang Yuexiu University of Foreign Languages in Shaoxing, Zhejiang, China. His son has just entered Conestoga College. ■Lonta Williams, ADA ’03, earned her diploma in horticulture but also took animal science and health-related courses at U of G. She says she enjoyed writing about U of G research as part of the SPARK program (Students Promoting Awareness of Research Knowledge).

# = = #

Canada in the 1990s helped to launch an ecotoxicology study involving Guelph and U.S. universities; the study looked at the use and significance of pesticides in the environment, including pesticide-related health effects on humans. ■Peter Reinecke, BA ’99, leads an Ottawa firm, Bautechnik, that specializes in high-performance, ultra-sustainable building systems. He says his firm is the only active rammed earth builder in Eastern Ontario and the only local firm offering crosslaminated timber construction. To learn more about his building systems, visit www.bautechnik.ca. ■Jerrin Victor, M.Sc. ’95, is managing director of tissue culture operations at Magnolia Gardens and Nurseries in Magnolia, TX. He worked previously for International Paper, Arborgen and Booshoot.

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36 The Portico

master’s degree in tourism management. She recently completed field research in Nunavut and Greenland, where she looked at Arctic expedition cruising.

Vanessa Tignanelli, BA ’12, received a Gold Level Duke of Edinburgh Award in September. It was presented by the Countess of Wessex, Sophie RhysJones, during a ceremony at

■

Nipissing University. Originally from North Bay, Tignanelli lives in Guelph, where she is a freelance documentary photographer and office manager for the Ontarion student newspaper.

She received the award for helping with Habitat for Humanity in Mississippi and Alabama after Hurricane Katrina. She also trained a puppy for the Autism Dog Service.

PAS S AGES Joshua Rexford Ayisi, B.Sc. ’74, July 24, 2012 Stephanie Betts, B.Sc. ’12, Nov. 16, 2014 Keith Brooks, R.Dip. ’73, April 10, 2012 Anne Brouwer, B.Sc. ’81, Aug. 29, 2014 Murray Brown, BSA ’51, Sept. 26, 2014 Elaine (Derouin) Cairns, B.Sc. ’77, March 10, 2014 Beverley (Lynde) Calverley, DVM ’52, Aug. 26, 2014 Ronald Colasanti, R.Dip. ’55, Nov. 6, 2014 Bruce Cudmore, BLA ’72, Dec. 6, 2014 Allen Davis, DVM ’50, Sept. 24, 2014 John Day, BLA ’71, Oct. 2, 2014 Lloyd Deeks, BSA ’50, Oct. 22, 2011 Olive Dickason, H.D.Lett. ’97, March 12, 2011 Elizabeth (Dean) Doe, DHE ’38, March 12, 2014 John Ennals, DVM ’65, March 31, 2014 Heidi Enns, R.Dip. ’95, Jan. 6, 2011 Hugh Falconer, BSA ’51, Aug. 17, 2014 George Fisher, DVM ’43, Aug. 25, 2014 Lawrence Foster, BLA ’69, July 11, 2014 Irina Gorodskoy, MLA ’06, Aug. 1, 2014 Anne (Walton) Grape, BA ’74, Nov. 23, 2014 William Grierson, BSA ’38, Aug. 26, 2011

John E. Hall, ADA ’68, March 15, 2014 Donald Hart, BSA ’53, Aug. 18, 2014 John Harvey, BSA ’48, Sept. 7, 2014 Lloyd Holland, ADA ’57, July 1, 2012 Richard Jarvis, DVM ’55, Dec. 20, 2010 John Johnston, DVM ’59, Oct. 17, 2014 John Kernahan, B.Sc.(Eng.) ’75, Aug. 20, 2013 Douglas Kincaid, BSA ’54, Jan. 14, 2014 Elizabeth (Huggins) Lantz, DHE ’55, Dec. 31, 2013 Marcel Levesque, M.Sc. ’86, April 28, 2014 Adrienne Lotton, B.Sc.(Agr.) ’04, Aug. 27, 2014 Lori (Braithwaite) MacDonald, B.A.Sc. ’94, Nov. 22, 2013 Murray MacGregor, BSA ’51, Oct.15, 2014 Brian MacNaughton, DVM ’80, Oct. 8, 2014 Munveer Mahil, BBA ’07, June 20, 2013 Clifford McIsaac, DVM ’55, July 25, 2006 Ruth (Brown) McGill, DHE ’52, Nov. 21, 2014 Peter McKellar, BSA ’61, Oct. 27, 2014 Alan McLean, ADA ’48, Sept. 26, 2013 Wilson McNab, BSA ’41, July 1, 2014 Neil Merritt, ADA ’51, Sept. 14, 2014 Janet (Lee) Monk, B.Sc. ’89, Dec. 1, 2014 David Moote, BSA ’51, Oct. 5, 2014 Clarence Moxley, BSA ’44, Sept. 18, 2014

John R. Murray, ADA ’50, Dec. 12, 2013 Calvin Nigh, BA ’91, Oct. 29, 2014 Ormand Raymond, DVM ’47, May 30, 2014 Karen Reading, B.A.Sc. ’96, Nov. 22, 2014 Pensa Roleas, MA ’87, Sept. 27, 2012 Thomas Sewall, DVM ’51, Oct. 15, 2014 Willard Shantz, DVM ’69, June 9, 2014 Darren Smith, MA ’08, Dec. 19, 2012 Donald Stainton, B.Sc.(Agr.) ’65, Nov. 15, 2014 Marion (Buscher) Stock, DHE ’51, March 29, 2013 James Stockton, BSA ’59, April 11, 2012 Margaret (Daniels) Story, DHE ’36, Jan. 27, 2014 Bruce Truscott, DVM ’62, Oct. 26, 2014 William Tymchuk, BSA ’51, Aug. 26, 2014 Susan Uffen, B.Sc. ’72, Oct. 15, 2014 William Vivian, DVM ’55, Sept. 1, 2014 Rolfe Wachsmuth, ODH ’64, Aug. 9, 2014 Bruce Watson, DVM ’55, Nov. 11, 2013 David Watson, BSA ’51, Sept. 13, 2014 Walter Weir, DVM ’61, Sept. 22, 2014 John Whyte, ADA ’56, Sept. 9, 2012 To honour alumni who have passed away, the University of Guelph Alumni Association makes an annual donation to the Alumni Legacy Scholarship.

Read the Portico Online at : www.uoguelph.ca/theportico.

Winter 2015 37

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