Guelph Alumnus Magazine, Summer 2002

SUMMER 2002

THE UNIVERSITY OP GUELPH MAGAZINE

It's 100% of their dependents who are really at risk.

Life insurance is for the living. Your life insurance could be all that stands between your loved ones and a lifetime of need.

You see, it's not really insurance . ._it's groceries, utility payments, clothes, car maintenance, loan payments, rent or mortgage ._. in fact, it's everything that your family depends on you for right now.

FACT: The death rate of Canadians between the ages of 30 and 49 is 5.8 per 1,000. ** If you were one of the 5.8, could your family cope financially without you?

The unthinkable can happen. Don 't let your family's story be a tragic one. For their security and for your own peace of mind, find out more about the valuable and affordable Term Life, Major Accident Protection and Income Protection coverage designed for alumni of the University of Guelph.

OFACT: In Canada, life insurance represents only 2.4% of household estate planning. *** ..

Life insurance is an affordable way to maintain your family's net worth after your death .

Consider all the payments yo u make on a mon thly bas is.

Perh aps you have a mortgage. outsta nding credit card balances, car loans or student loa ns. If you passed away and your family cashed in your assets (home, RRSP's and other investments) to pay all you owe, what would be left? Would it be enough to provide them with a suitable lifestyle? Think about it

Thinking ahead and purchasing insurance could make all the difference for your family's financial security.

For information and a mail-in Application that you can complete in the privacy of your own home, call Manulife Financial (the underwriter) toll-free at: 1 800 668-0195 Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 8:00p.m . ET, or e-mail us at: am_service@manulife.com or visit the University of Guelph website at www.manulife.com/affinityuoguelph

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Recommended by:

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According to the Canadian Ownership Re[X)rt, A Benchmark for the 21st CentUJy (2000) by LI MRA International. Canadians aged 35 to 55 h:we an average of 3.6 times their annual income in life insumncc coverage, while Canadians aged 55 to 64 have only 2.4 times their annual income in coverage. 25% of all Canadian households have no life insurance at al l. while 16.5% of Canadians aged 35 to 55 do not own any lifC insurance coverage.

•• Stat istics Canada, Death 1998- Report 84F02 \1 XP B. ••• Investor Econo mics - The Household Ba lance Sheet Report - 2001 Editi on

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SUMMER 2002

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in and Around the University

alumni Matters

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HE UNIVERS I TY

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oF G researchers foc us their attention on health and quality-oflife issues and, in return , earn recognition and increased research support. Students and alumni win prestigious scholarships and Olympic gold, and the University offers more for independent learners and those who love modern literature.

FACULTY I STUDENTS I FACILITIES

of Guelph Alumni Association makes Canadian h istory by supporting the University's new classroom complex.

Alumni report on gettogethers held throughout North America. Staff at Alumni House gear up to host Alumni Weekend and a lOOth-birthday party in the Bullring.

The University of Guelph launches a $75-million campaign, drawing on its traditional strengths and focusing on a bold vision: to be a leader in our knowledge-based society and the emerging biology-based economy.

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BUILDING FOR THE FUTURE A new science complex will shape future learning and discovery in the life sciences.

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THE INSIDE VIEW With MRI technology, veterinary medicine takes a quantum leap forward in animal care and human health research.

on the Cover 21 Robb ie/Young + Wright Arch itects yea r plan nin g required to design

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The School of Hotel and Food Administration is expanding facilities to train more people for the hospitality industry.

Sketches and drawin gs by are tangible res ults of the multi路

BE OUR GUEST

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U of G's new science complex.

USING TOBACCO TO SAVE LIVES Guelph scientists use plants- including a species of tobacco- to produce life-saving antibodies.

Photography by Daniel Harrison

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LIFE AFTER GRADUATE STUDIES A new doctoral scholarship will help meet Canada's need for researchers and university professors.

Summer 2002

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guelph alumnus Summer 2002 • VOLUME 34 IssuE 2

Awarded Gold Medal for "Best New Idea" by the Canadian Council for the Advancement of-Education

Editor Mary Dickieson Director Charles Cunningham Art Direction Peter Enneson Design Inc. Contributors Stacey Curry Gunn Barbara Chance, BA '74 Lori Bona Hunt Suzanne Soto Advertising Inquiries Brian Downey 519-824-4120, Ext. 6665

E-mail b.downey@exec. uoguelph.ca Direct all other correspondence to: Com munications and Public Affairs

Personal, Professional Investment Advice Every unique investor has his or her own unique dreams for the future. We can help take you from dreaming a dream to living it with specialties in: ·financial planning • estate planning • portfolio management· insured retirement planning How will you achieve your dreams?

Let us show you how. Call today.

The William Vastis Wealth Management Team "We 11wke our clients' goals, our own."

I

RBC . Investments·

RBC Dominion Securities Inc.

William Vastis, B.Comm.,CIM

University of Guelph Guelph, Ontario N1G 2Wl Fax 519-824-7962 E-mai l m.dickieson@exec.uoguelph.ca www.uoguelph.ca/news/alumnus/ The Guelph Alumnus 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 2002. Ideas and opinions expressed in the articles do not necessarily reflect the ideas or opinions of the University or the editors.

Canada Post Agreement# 1500023 Printed in Canada by the Beacon Herald Fine Printing Division. ISSN 1207-7801

- University of Guelph (t\11 C11nadian ~ GuC'Iph

Gr~ pho ns)

Investment Advisor, RBC Dominion Securities Inc. william.vastis@rbcinvestments.com

To update your alumni record, contact: Development and Public Affairs Phone 519-824-4120, Ext. 6550

Christine Zwirz

Fax 519-822-2670 E-mail reco rds@uoguelph.ca

Associate, RBC Dominion Securities Inc. christine.zwirz@rbcinvestments.com (416)842-2414 or 1-800-561-6431

Insurance produm are offered through RBC DS finonml Services lnc..and RBC OS financial Services (Omanol Inc(< <companies>> )The compames and RBC Dominion Se<uritieslnc. are member companies under RBC Investments and are separate corporate entities which are affilroted. When drscussing and selling life insurance products, Investment Ad~sors are acting as Insurance Representatives of either company. investment Advisors are employees of RBC Dominron Securities inc. '"Trademark of Royal Bank of Canada. Used under licefl(e. ©Copyright/001 All rights reserved.

2

GUELPH ALUMNUS

UNIVERSITY 0KGUELPH

UNIVERSITY OF GUELPH

message from the President MORDECHAIROZANSKI

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building the future we imagine: a world with abundant ESPITE THE COMPLEXITY oftoday's world, an clean water and air, nutritious and safe food, a thriving ideal education still boils down to three essential economy, and a vibrant social and cultural environment. elements: a student, a teacher and a place for them to The campaign will revitalize our aging infrastructure interact. The best of all possible educations adds a fourth element: a commitment to research, to discovery, to by supporting a 373,000-square-foot science complex, a 1,500-seat classroom complex, renovations to the transforming knowledge and making it new.

School of Hotel and Food Administration and the crop The University of Guelph has long been committed science facilities, and future projects to attracting the brightest students and involving the social sciences and arts. the finest faculty and creating an enviIt will fund new equipment for our ronment that nurtures excellence in researchers and students, such as an learning and discovery.

MRI scanner at the Ontario Veterinary This approach has made us a globCollege and diagnostic and analytical al resource, an incubator of ideas in a equipment in a new Advanced Techworld that is changing faster and grownology and Training Centre. ing smaller each day. Our six colleges It will support a new academic chair work together to cover the full specin Scottish studies to sustain Guelph's trum of inquiry, from the biological to position as one of the world's foremost the physical, economic, historical, culcentres for the study of Scottish heritage. tural, ethical and social impacts of And it will fund numerous scholarships ideas, research and technology. for students, including the new Lincoln The demand for our expertise is Alexander Chancellor's Scholgrowing. The rapid scientific arships, worth $20,000 each over advances of the 21st century, ON MAY 11, WE LAUNCHED four years, for students who are particularly in biological disciTHE UNIVERSITY'S aboriginal, from a visible minorplines, are rife with implications ity or who have a disability. for our health, our environ$75-MILLION CAMPAIGN. You will read about many of ment, our economy and our OuR THEME IS "THE SciENCE these projects, and the tremensociety and culture - new dous leadership gifts that supfrontiers that Guelph is uniqueOF LIFE AND THE ART port them, in the pages of this ly positioned to help chart.

OF LIVING." WE INVITE YOU issue of the Guelph Alumnus.

Our vision is to be a leader It is with great pleasure that in this evolving knowledgeTO BE PART OF IT. I can report we've already based society through rigorous received 70 per cent of our $75scientific inquiry and a promillion goal, thanks to an early wave of leadership gifts found understanding of the interrelated social, ethical, from alumni, faculty, staff, students and private-sector cultural, historical, political, economic and intellectual partners and friends. I thank those who have already givdynamics of modern life.

To succeed, we need to attract and retain more worlden for their outstanding generosity, and I encourage all members of the extended University of Guelph family to class faculty and the most talented students, and we need consider a gift, no matter what the size, to help us achieve to provide them with the best infrastructure in which to our vision. It's participation that matters most. learn and to discover.

The resources we need to achieve that success will be The Campaign for the University of Guelph is absoluteraised through our biggest fundraising campaign ever. ly essential to help us create a margin of excellence that will enable our researchers, teachers and students to make On May ll, we launched the University's $75-million a difference in our world. It's the way we will write the campaign. Our theme is "The Science of Life and the Art next chapter in the University of Guelph's great history, of Living." We invite you to be part of it.

The success of the capital campaign will be integral to of which we are all so proud.

Summer 2002 3

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BETTER BUTTER IDEAS LEAD TO TOP RESEARCH AWARD

CAFFEINE AND DIABETES

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U OF G HUMAN biologist Terry Graham is part of a three-year triuniversity study on the link between caffeine use and type-2 diabetes.

"We're finding caffeine can have an unhealthy effect on insulin levels for people already at risk;' he says.

Type-2 diabetes accounts for 90 per cent of the diabetes in Canada. It is becoming increasingly common in younger age groups particularly among people in their 40s. Those with the disease can still produce insulin - the body's blood glucose regulator - but Graham says they can't produce enough and often have to take drugs to help manage blood sugar levels.

The two biggest risk factors for diabetes are inactivity and obesity, says Graham.

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4 GU ELPH ALUMNUS

BuTTER YOU CAN SPREAD AT refrigerator temperature. Fats that don't build up in your arteries. U of G food scientist Alejandro Marangoni has a few ideas that could please consumers and lead to healthier food products.

And now, he's earned a top award from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) to help him pursue this new area of food science research.

Marangoni is one of only six scientists in Canada to receive a 2002 E.W.R. Steacie Memorial Fellowship, NSERC's most prestigious award to outstanding young researchers. The fellowships are named for the late Edgar William Richard Steacie, a physical chemist and former president of the National Research Council, who believed that promising young scientists should be given every opportunity to develop their ideas.

Marangoni will spend the next two years collaborating with researchers around the world on modifying the physical properties of fats and oils, focusing on milk fat, palm oil and cocoa butter.

HANG ON TO THE CAROUSEL G's CA RO U SEL journ al has come back to life aft er a three-year publishing hiatus. The 13th issue was published in December, with the 14th planned for this spring.

The student-run Carousel Club published the journal annually from 1986 until 1998, when volunteer support died off. Mark Stephen, BA '00, resurrected the concept in the fall of 2000 when the Central Student Association was debating what to do with the club's old files and publications.

Ca rousel 14 is under the direction of student volunteers

"We're trying to decipher the structure of the liquid state of these fats in order to modify the structure of their solid states via control of processing conditions," he says.

His work has helped establish a new area of study into the micro or nanoscale structure of fats and oils.

A faculty member at Guelph since 1991 and a 1989 PhD graduate of OAC, he says the fellowship "is also an endorsement of the agricultural sciences, a field that is always pushing the envelope."

Rachel Freedman, Sarah Simpson an d Erin Wallace.

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HEALTH RESEARCH FUNDED AT U OF G

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G CONDUCTS more health-related research than any other Canadian university without a medical school;' said president Mordechai Rozanski when congratulating more than 200 researchers across ca mpus who will benefit from fundin g announced in January by th e Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI).

Six Guelph projects will share more than $18 million in CF I fundin g design ed to OF

strength en research infrastructure and help universities attract and retain high -calibre talent.

The projects include research in food safety, ch emistry, biodi ve rsity science, breast cancer, reproductive disorders, and animal and human health.

U of G was among 69 Ca nadi an universities, colleges, hospitals and non-profit agencies that received more than $77 9 millio n in the Janua ry annou ncem ent. In addition to th e CFI fundin g, the Guelph resea rch projects are supported by th e Unive rsity and pri vate-, public- and voluntarysector partn ers.

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PEOPLE IN THE NEWS • CAMPUS HIGHLIGHTS • UNIVERSITY NOTES

Scholarship honours intellectual promise RADUATING international development student Janet McLaughlin will be heading off to England this fall to attend the graduate program of her dreams - all expenses paid. She is the 2002 recipient of a prestigious Commonwealth Scholarship, which is awarded to students with high intellectual promise and supports all the costs of doing a graduate degree abroad in another Commonwealth country. She plans to earn a master's of human rights at Sussex University, which is renowned for its development programs.

McLaughlin arrived at U of Gin 1998 as a President's

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Scholar, an award that recognized not only her academic excellence but also her commitment to social justice and human rights issues, her volunteer work, her contributions to student life and her

leadership in athletics. Not to mention her talents as a musician, which she has put to good use at the numerous benefit concerts she has organized over the years for local charities and social causes.

During the past four years at Guelph, McLaughlin's passionate commitment to the causes and interests she held throughout high school has continued to grow through her international development studies, her student leadership activities and her travels abroad.

After completing a master's degree, she plans to return home to do a PhD and teach.

Designed to enable innovation ESIGN ENGINEERS like U of G professor Warren Stiver are the people who bring innovative ideas to life, taking an invention and turning it into an economical and safe product for people to use. That's the challenge facing Stiver and the School of Engineering, which recently received support from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) to establish a research chair in environ-

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mental design engineering.

NSERC funded 16 engineering design chairs across the country, with five of them focusing on environmental design.

Stiver plans to use the city of Guelph as a living design laboratory by looking at how the community affects the environment and working with the municipality and local industries to develop effective solutions to environmental problems.

THERAPY THAT DOESN'T WORK NEW RESEARCH BY Canadian and American scientists- including U of G biomedical sciences professor Brenda Coomber- reveals that some new cancer therapies have the potential to make the condition worse.

The study focused on antiangiogenic therapy, a relatively new treatment that works to reduce tumours by cutting off their blood supply, and the p53 "tumour-suppressor" gene. Human cancer cells often inactivate this gene, and the cells accumulate mutations. The researchers found that these mutant cells are less reliant on blood supply than "normal" cells are, so therapies that target the blood vessels in tumours are killing off "good" cells while the mutant cells survive.

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Get answers about food safety HATEVER YOU want to know about food safety issues in Canada, you're likely to find it at www.foodsafetynetwork.ca, the official Web site for U of G's Food Safety Network.

Officially launched in March, the network provides the most up-to-date research, commentary, policy evaluation and public information on food safety and safe food handling- all based on scientific research. In addition to the Web site, the network draws on extensive databases and field research and offers a' national toll-free food safety hotline, daily news pages and listservs on evolving issues. It's a resource that serves consumers, the media, food producers and scientists, says creator Doug Powell, a professor in Guelph's Department of Plant Agriculture. Funding to build the Food Safety Network infrastructure was provided by the Donner Foundation and U of G alumnus Ken

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BIASED YOUTH COUNSELLORS

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WHEN IT COMES TO counselling urban youth about their futures, educators and mentors often base their career advice more on addresses than aspirations, research by a U of G geography professor reveals.

Harald Bauder says youth from inner-city ethnic-minority neighbourhoods are routinely encouraged to seek careers in fields that require less training and education. And some of that career advice is coming from community agencies that were created to provide young people with guidance and mentors. Teachers and counsellors are often biased by the general perception that people from inner-city neighbourhoods can't succeed in the education system, says Bauder. They may have not even be aware of how the stereotype is affecting their advice.

His study was published in the Internation-

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6 GuELPH ALUMNUS

NO ROCKY ROAD TO SUCCESS INE THIRD-YEAR landSCape architecture students won all the prizes in a recent competition sponsored by the Aggregate Producers' Association of Ontario. Winners Tina Fernandes, Mark Zuzinjak, Saya Nakano, Emily Mann, Alison Bond, Mike Salisbury, Kristine White, Barbro Sollen and Jeffrey Schurek developed ideas for the rehabilitation of aggregate extraction sites as part of a course taught by Prof. Cecelia Paine.

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COACHES NAMED ORMER GRYPHON player Tom Arnott has been named head football coach at U of G, while assistant baseball coach Kirk McNabb moves up to the helm in that sport.

Arnott, a B.Sc.(H.K.) graduate of Guelph, played for the Gryphons from 1973 to 1977 and was named Wildman Trophy winner in 1976. He returned

Murray, BSA '50, a former chair of Guelph's Board of Governors who is retired from a career in the Canadian meat-packing industry.

to U of G last June after an 11 year career at York University that saw him receive OUA Coach of the Year honours twice.

McNabb, who's been assistant coach for the past two seasons, is a graduate of Mansfield University in Pennsylvania. He has a baseball background as a player, coach, instructor and director in Guelph and the northeastern United States.

WHO KNOWS WHAT LURKS ...

ber in the Department of Computing and Information Sci ence, Nonnecke says the Internet hosts online groups in virtually every topic under the sun- health and medical topics are particularly popularbut only about 10 per cent of members actively participate by posting messages. He's interested in the differences between people who publicly take part in electronic communities and the "lurkers" who prefer just to look on.

OME 90 PER CENT of the members of online communities are "lurkers;' peo-

STOP SURFING, START LEARNING

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FTER 40 YEARS OF relying on Canada Post to shuttle course materials and assignments back and forth, U of G's Independent Study (IS)/@access has added online versions of popular courses that lead to an Ontario diploma in horticulture. You can now register and select courses online, pay by credit card, download

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pie who rarely participate in discussions, says Prof. Blair Nonnecke. A new faculty mem-

RELIGION AND FAMILY VALUES

Kudos

• It was Olympic gold for Cassie Campbell, BA '97, who led Canada's national women's hockey team to victory at the Salt Lake City games, and a silver Ill women's aerials for skier Veronica Brenner, an undergraduate student in U of G's human kinetics program.

Campbell won hockey silver in the 1998 Olympics and was captain of Guelph's varsity women's hockey team when she was a student.

• U of G presented its John Bell Award for contributions to teaching to Prof. Ron Stoltz, Landscape Architec-

interactive material and start learning immediately at www.landscapehorticulture.net.

Courses are still offered through regular mail service, but IS/@access is reaching out to landscape horticulturists and avid gardeners around the world with Web-based courses targeted to adult part-time learners. U.S. clients currently make up 10 per cent of the program's 3,800 active learners.

INUIT ART TRAVELS TO AUSTRIA ACDONALD STEWART Art Centre director Judith Nasby is curating the first exhibition of Canadian Inuit art to

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ture, during February convocation ceremonies. A professor at Guelph since 1975, he earned national kudos for his teaching in 1999 when he was named a 3M Fellow.

• Anna Strauss, a fourth-year student in history and Eng-

!ish, recently published a children's book she wrote while

be shown in Austria. The exhibition, to be staged at the Institut fUr Kunstgeschichte der Leopold-Franzens-Universitat in Innsbruck, consists of fabric works and drawings from the art centre's internationally recognized Inuit art collection.

U OF G RESEARCH ATTRACTS FEDERAL$ N UMBER 0 F federally funded Canada Research Chairs at U of G jumped to nine this spring when Industry Minister Allan Rock announced that five-year support totalling $1 million will go to botany professor Brian Husband and psychology professor Serge Desmarais.

Husband is studying key

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still in high school. Hush, a book that describes the guiding strength of the motherdaughter bond, was published in January by Key Porter Books in Toronto.

Prof. Anne Croy, Biomedical Sciences, has received a merit award from the Ontario Veterinary Medical Association to honour her distinguished service to the profession. She is internationally recognized for her research in human reproduction and currently sits on a U.S. expert panel discussing environmental toxicants and premature births.

aspects of plant sexual reproduction and the resulting gene exchange, and developing a framework for evaluating its effect on populations. Desmarais, who has published widely on the topic of gender inequity in the workplace, will look at how work experiences and the pay people receive for work affect their sense of pay entitlement.

The Canada Research Chairs program was established in 2000 to help Canadian universities attract and retain top faculty. Federal funding is matched by provincial and public- and private-sector dollars through U of G fundraising initiatives.

Guelph expects to have 35 chairs funded over the next few years.

BIBLICAL RELIGION and family values are often competitors vying for influence on a child's upbringing, says a new book by philosophy professor Jay Newman.

"Many religious people talk about 'family values' and how we have to go back to what the Bible says," says Newman.

"When I go back to the Bible, I find its relation to the family is complicated and often a source of conflict."

He looks at the kinship between the two as institutions in Biblical

Religion and Family Values: A Problem in the Philosophy of Culture.

SPOILED FOOD FOR CHICKENS U OF G RESEARCHERS say some compounds in spoiled food promote growth. They're applying this principle to the poultry industry.

Prof. Trevor Smith, Animal and Poultry Science, is examining the possibilities of using biogenic amines- biologically active compounds that are usually toxic to livestock - to promote growth in poultry. The amines accelerate the development of the digestive and intestinal tract, causing more efficient uptake of other nutrients by the animal.

Summer 2002 7

Ambition, strength, partnership he University of Guelph is seeking $75 million in private-sector support to provide the facilities and attract the people it needs to achieve its 21st-century goals. The campaign theme -"The Science of Life and the Art of Living" -focuses on the University's traditional strengths and its vision to be a leader in our knowledge-based society and the emerging biology-based economy.

Almost $53 million has already been pledged to campaign projects that will improve scholarship programs and learning resources, attract outstanding faculty to the campus and build new facilities to support Guelph's diversified teaching and research activities.

The most ambitious fundraising effort in U of G history, The Campaign for the Univer-

sity of Guelph will generate private-sector funds to help the institution leverage even greater support from provincial and federal government programs designed to build Canada's research infrastructure and establish a pool of world -class talent. The individuals, corporations and organizations that have already invested in the University of Guelph campaign are confident their gifts will not only increase educational opportunities for the next generation of Guelph students, but will also help improve the quality of life for all Canadians.

Milk Gives!

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NTARIO'S

7,000

DAIRY

farm families and the companies that process their milk have pledged almost $3 million to support dairy research at the University of Guelph. It's a giving tradition that's grown from a 125-year relationship between the Ontario Agricultural College and the dairy industry.

Dairying was one of the first cours-

8

GuELPH ALUMNUS

es taught at OAC, and a travelling dairy was one of its first efforts in extension education. Through the years, Ontario dairy farmers and processors have advanced their industry by supporting Guelph research initiatives and graduate programs, most recently completing a 10-year commitment to dairy microbiology and technology. In the late 1980s, the Ontario Milk Marketing Board and the Ontario Dairy

Council took advantage of a Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council partnership program to cosponsor two research chairs.

Now in 2002, the dairy industry has again demonstrated leadership support and a commitment to research through campaign pledges of $1.8 million from the Dairy Farmers of Ontario and $1 million from the Ontario Dairy Council.

define U of G campaign

Campaign Leadership UNIVERSITY PRESIDENT

• Mordechai

Scottish studies chair a Canadian first HE ToRONTO-BASED Scottish Studies Foundation is leading the effort to establish an academic position in U of G's Department of History that will advance the study of Canada's Scottish

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heritage. The foundation has pledged $750,000, and its members are building additional partnerships to help U of G reach the required $2-million endowment.

Established in 1985, the organization has joined forces with U of G to build a Scottish studies progEam unparalleled in North America. The foundation supports graduate scholarships, a scholarly journal, public history events and the Scottish studies office at Guelph. Foundation members have also raised funds to acquire material for the U of G library collection.

Rozansk~

The planned chair in Scottish studies will be a first in Canada, enabling the Guelph program to expand its outreach activities across the country and strengthen its reputation as an internationally acclaimed centre in the field . The scholar who holds the academic chair will be a catalyst for research and collaboration, benefiting students, genealogical researchers and the larger Scottish and Scottish-Canadian communities.

More than two million Canadians have Scottish ancestry, and many of the country's educational, business and financial institutions owe their founding to pioneering Scottish immigrants. The broad interest in Scottish heritage is reflected by the number of individuals and companies that have joined the list of supporters for the chair in Scottish studies. They include: John "Ian" Craig, former vice-president of Nortel; Sun Life Financial; Standard Life Assurance Company; Henry W. Kinnear Foundation; Power Corporation of Canada; Wilson Foundation, established by Lynton "Red" Wilson, OC, chair of CAE Inc.; CAE Inc.; Douglas Reekie; T. lain Ronald; Canada Life; Hon. Alastair Gillespie, Alastair Gillespie & Associates, Ltd.; and Ed Stewart, former Ontario

HONORARY PATRONS

deputy minister of education and past chair of the Scottish Studies Foundation.

• Robert Mclaughlin

Gift triggers provincial scholarship I CHAEL WALSH, BA '69, MA '70 and PhD '92, is taking advan-

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tage of the Ontario Graduate Scholarship (OGS) matching program to launch a new scholarship in the College of Arts that will provide up to $15,000 a year to a graduate student in philosophy or another arts program.

His $100,000 campaign gift will create an endowment fund that will contribute up to $5,000 each year and trigger a twoto-one match from the provincial scholarship program .

Philosophy chair Peter Loptson calls the

• Lincoln Alexander Chancellor, University of Guelph • John Kenneth Galbraith Professor Emeritus, Harvard University CAMPAIGN CABINET • David Kassie, Chair

Chairman & CEO, CIBC World Markets • Tony Arrell, Vice-chair

Chair & CEO, Burgundy Asset Management • Rita Burak President & CEO, The Network Executive Team Management Consultants, Inc. • Simon Cooper President, The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company • Douglas Derry

Corporate Director • Mary-Elizabeth Flynn

CEO, F.N. Financial Corporation • George Jackowski

Chairman, Director & Chief Scientific Officer, SYN•X Pharma Inc. • Ginty Jocius

President, Ginty Jocius & Associates Vice-president (Alumni Affairs and Development), University of Guelph • Robin-Lee Norris Partner, Kearns, McKinnon Barristers & Solicitors • John Sleeman

Chairman, President & CEO, Sleeman Breweries Ltd. • Jeffrey Stacey President, Jeffrey D. Stacey & Associates Ltd.

• Gabriel Tsampalieros

President & CEO, Cara Operations Ltd. • Paul Tsaparis President & CEO, Hewlett-Packard (Canada) Ltd. • Michael Walsh

Retired Executive

Summer 2002 9

and extended media, photography, painting, sculpture and printmaking.

The $540,000 project has received an early campaign gift of $50,000 from the J.P. Bickell Foundation, a longtime U of G supporter, to equip a photography studio and colour darkroom. Cyr says the Creative Arts Labs and first-rate equipment will enhance Guelph's ability to build on its strength as a premier training ground for new Canadian artists.

U of G students support each other OGS match an "astute investment" in humanities teaching and research. And Walsh says it's a great opportunity for donors to expand the value of their gift.

"I believe strongly in the value of university programs in the humanities and am pleased to be able to support the University of Guelph and its philosophy program;' Walsh says.

If there's a year when the Philosophy Department doesn't need the OGS match, the Walsh endowment will support a student in another arts program.

Walsh maintains a close connection with the Department of Philosophy, where he earned his three degrees, and is an active volunteer at Guelph and in education generally in Ontario. A retired business executive, he is a member of the U of G Board of Governors and will begin a three-year term as chair in July.

Studio arts receive a boost HE CONTEMPORARY art field evolves as quickly as all other professional fields and requires first-rate facilities and equipment to support student learning and research, says Prof. Mary Cyr, director of the School of Fine Art and Music. To maintain its leadership position as one of Canada's first-choice destinations for university studies in studio art, the school plans to create a group of Creative Arts Laboratories with upgraded equipment for computer design, video

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EN T RA L Student Association (CSA) communications commissioner Todd Schenk predicted last winter that building a $2million sports dome wouldn't be the only student contribution to the U of G campaign. He was right.

U of G students passed a referendum in March to contribute $3 each per semester to build a financial aid endowment. The fund will continue to grow in perpetuity and will support students who are ineligible for traditional forms of financial aid such as the Ontario Student Assistance Program.

Schenk says the referendum result was easy to predict because U of G students have always demonstrated a willingness to support worthwhile programs. A student referendum in 1998led to the construction of the University's new covered fieldhouse. It includes a four-lane track and two indoor soccer fields with artifi-

C

cial turf. Open to the entire community, it is well-used by varsity athletes, intramural sports teams, staff and alumni.

Football scholarship honours alumnus H E FIRsT football scholarships at U of G were announced last summer by the family of the late George Gray, BSA '51. Their $50,000 campaign gift has established an endowment fund to create two annual awards for Gryphon football players who demonstrate academic ability, leadership and financial need.

Gray played both offence and defence for the Redmen on two dominion championship teams in 1948 and 1950.

T

It was his wife, Beverley, who came up with the idea of establishing a scholarship that would recognize Gray's athletic career and reflect the values and ideals he held dear. His son, Doug, added that the Football Endowment Fund speaks to the profound influence the University and football had on Gray's life, and he believes his father would be delighted by an award that will help hard-working young athletes, much like himself.

Heartfelt gifts honour chancellor REATED AS an 80th-birthday gift, the Lincoln Alexander Chancellor's Scholarships endowment has become a favourite campaign pro-

C

First Line Seeds president Peter Hannam, BSA '62, and his family.

First Line Seeds is also a founding sponsor of Project SOY (Soybean Opportunities for Youth), an annual contest that encourages students to create new uses for soybeans. Hannam says he has "always been impressed by the creativity of students and researchers. I feel fortunate to be in a position to give something back to an institution that has provided me with a lot of support, both as a student and an alumnus."

Campaign Priorities ACADEMIC FACILITIES

$ss

mill io n • Science and Class room Complexes • Biotechn ology an d Biocomputing Centre • OVC Expansion and Renewal • Food Science Phase II Renovations • School of Hotel and Food Adminis· trat ion Restaurant Expansion WORLD-CLASS FACULTY

Good gardening ject for many U of G employees, as well as for off-campus admirers of the University's chancellor. A birthday gala held in Toronto Dec. 13 raised almost $450,000 to launch the scholarsh ip en dowment. Honorary patrons for that event were Donald Oliver, Edward Rogers and Galen Weston.

The endowment will provide two annual scholarships for students of academic excellence who are aboriginal, a member of a visible min ority or who have a d isabili ty.

The fi rst Chancellor's Scholarships will be awarded this fall.

The chancellor's birthday also became the central focus of the U of G campus community campaign launched Jan. 29 with music, banners, hundreds of balloons and birthday cake for 4,000. The campus fundraising effort is led by co-chairs representing retirees, faculty, staff and students: professor emerita Mary Beverley-Burton, Zoology; Prof. Thorn Herrmann, Psychology; Kenda Semple, a custodian in Physical Resources; and undergraduate student Todd Schenk.

To date, the camp us community cam paign has raised $450,000 to support a number of projects across the University.

We've got soy many ·ideas Hannam Soybean Utilization Fund (HSUF) launched last year is already supporting U of G research geared to the development of new uses for soybeans. The fund was donated by HE $1 - MILLION

T

o BERT "Bob" Keith's commitment to horticultural education began in 1928 when he enrolled at the Ontario Agricultural College. In 1944, he began a 40year association with CBC Radio as the "Ontario Gardener" who spoke to gardeners across the province every Sunday morning. His influence and advice still flourish across Ontario's horticultural landscape and at the University of Guelph Arboretum.

When he died in February, he left a bequest to the University that has created the Robert H. "Bob" Keith Arboretum Edu-

R

$10 million

• Endowed Chai rs • Ca nada Resea rch Chairs • Research Centres STUDENT SUPPORT $10 million

• • • •

Scholarships Library Lea rnin g Commons Lea rnin g Technol ogies

Campaign Team • Robert Mclaughlin Vice-President

(Alumni Affairs and Development) • Ru dy Putns Executive Director,

Deve lopment • Grace Correia Manager, Annual

Giving Programs • Ross Butler Director, Planned

Giv ing Programs SENIOR DEVELOPMENT MANAGERS • Bruce Hill, College of Arts • William Rowe, College of Biological

cational Programs endowment. The endowment will fund annual educational lectures, workshops and horticultural courses at the Arboretum, a gesture typical of his lifelong commitment to horticulture. He and his wife, Daisy, ran a family business known as Keith Seeds, he taught horticulture at Humber College in Toronto, and he was an internationally accredited judge of roses. ga

Scie nce and College of Physical and En ginee rin g Science • Tim Mau, College of Social and Applied Human Sciences • Paulette Samson, Ontario Agricul· tura l College • Laura Manning, Ontario Veterinary College Contact: 519-824·4120, Ext. 6934 E·mail: alumni@uoguelph.ca www.uoguelph.ca/campaign

Su mmer 2002

11

Building for the future U of G 's most ambitious architectural project

will shape future learning and discovery in the life sciences

If walls could talk, what a story the buildings on the University of Guelph campus would tell. They would speak of the aspirations embedded in their designs and the achievements borne within them. Each was designed to meet specific needs for teaching, for research, for campus living. And each has evolved in concert with the changing needs of the people who learn, discover, work and live here.

"We shape our buildings and afterwards our buildings shape us;' former British prime minister Winston Churchill once observed.

Guelph's evolution reveals the truth in those words: our history is chronicled in stone, bricks and mortar that represent more than a century of growth and transformation.

In the early days, architectural showpieces like Johnston Hall, Macdonald Institute and the OVC main building announced the colleges' commitment to excellence and confidence in the future. In the 1960s, a modernistic building boom -which gave us such buildings as MacKinnon for the arts, MacNaughton for the physical sciences and McLaughlin for the U of G Library marked the transition to a fully fledged comprehensive university.

Today, as the 21st century begins to

unfold with a host of new opportunities and challenges, a new chapter in Guelph's history is emerging. Our teaching and research are being transformed once again, and this next revolution will be recorded, as in the past, in the buildings that reflect and nurture the University's goals.

One of these buildings- a massive new science complex, planned for the heart of the campus- is shaping up to be the most ambitious single architectural project in the history of the University.

On completion, it will be an estimated 373,000 square feet and will cost approximately $140 million. Embedded in its design is the intent to seamlessly integrate teaching and research activities across disciplines within state-of-the-art facilities, thereby promoting discovery and high-quality learn-

ing experiences for a growing number of students. And features such as a glassenclosed entrance wing, a spectacular interior atrium and rooftop greenhouses will make it a building that's highly functional and inspiring in its form.

A new era of collaboration The complex will open a new era of collaboration between the College of Biological Science (CBS) and the College of Physical and Engineering Science (CPES) that will "change the face of the way we do science;' says Prof. Alastair Summerlee, the University's provost and vice-president (academic).

The goal is to centralize the physical, biological and computational sciences on campus, providing new laboratory space and first-class research space for chemistry, bio-

By Stacey Curry Gunn â&#x20AC;˘ Photography by Daniel Harrison _12 GUELPH ALUMNUS

¡-

chemistry, microbiology, zoology, botany and molecular biology and genetics.

The building, to be located on Gordon Street where the Chemistry and Microbiology Building now stands, will be attached to the MacNaughton Building, which houses the physical sciences, and right next door to the Reynolds Building, home of the Department of Computing and Information Science.

"Locating many of the departments in CBS and CPES in one continuous building will continue our efforts to break down the barriers between traditional departments and provide a stimulating and flexible creative environment for scholarship," says CPES dean Peter Tremaine. "This gathering together of disciplines will fuel collaboration in interdisciplinary research and teaching, which is where some of the most exciting scientific advances are taking place."

Adds Summerlee: "By putting people like biophysicists, molecular scientists and microbiologists into a contiguous space, you have the potential for tremendous synergies. Until you work side by side, you don't get to talk about things that can spark that crazy idea that turns out to be the most significant development."

The new arrangement will mean, for example, closer working relationships between people who specialize in the physical and biological aspects of membranes and the computational models that simulate membrane functions. It will facilitate work between people across disciplines who study disease at a molecular level or those who are focused on various kinds of imaging, from electromagnetic and nuclear magnetic resonance to photography and computer simulation.

The new facilities and equipment will be generic and shared, with almost all research areas to be used collectively rather than having people working in isolated enterprises.

U of G researchers have been sharing resources for some time, says Summerlee, but the new building will bring them together, giving faculty, staff and students greater access to a wider array of equipment.

Differentiation between disciplines is disappearing from many areas of research, says Prof. Alan Wildeman, vice-president (research). "By pursuing an interdisciplinary model, we are developing a critical mass of excellence that will continue to attract more

14

GUELPH ALUMNUS

research funding partners and new faculty members with international reputations."

One of those new hires is Michael Emes, a renowned international scientist who will leave his position as associate dean of research in biological sciences at the University of Manchester to become Guelph's dean of CBS in August.

"This tremendously exciting project has the potential to take Guelph's science forward in an integrated and interdisciplinary manner that positions the University at the cutting edge;' says Emes. "It was a key factor in my deciding to come to Guelph."

A stronger connection for teaching and research For students, the new complex will ensure access to the high-quality programs, teachers and infrastructure that are necessary for success in today's world.

Demand for Guelph's science programs is rising. The University anticipates enrolment in its bachelor of science programs

will increase 10 to 20 per cent between 2003 and 2008 because of the advance of the "double cohort" of Ontario high school students, a general demographic surge in the university-age population and the growing popularity of a Guelph science degree.

Just as the science complex design strengthens connections between scientific disciplines, so, too, does it strengthen the connection between teaching and research.

The plans call for undergraduate teaching laboratories and research labs for each department to be located in close proximity to encourage exchange between the two.

"The new science complex will enable us to share the big picture with our students;' says Summerlee. "And exposing students to more research in more areas will improve their capabilities and their future career opportunities."

Prof. Glen Van Der Kraak, chair of the Department of Zoology, predicts "phenomenal" advantages for students and post-doctoral fellows. Badly out-of-date equipment

and labs will be renewed, undergraduates will gain more lab experience, and graduate students and post-docs will have more opportunities to exchange ideas.

"Graduate students and post-doctoral researchers learn from the people around them, the people who work down the hall, the people they go for coffee with," he says.

"By bringing them together in one building, you increase the opportunities for interaction many, many fold."

Access to student support services is another key design feature. The new complex will have side-by-side dean's offices and amalgamated academic and career counselling services. There will be joint student council offices and other student support services, common computer labs and study spaces throughout.

Fourth-year biology major Jessica Wells, president of the CBS Student Council, says the centralization of services will make it easier for students to access them. The student government is currently located in Biology House at the corner of South Ring Road and Gordon Street. There, students can access a bank of old exams; use a photocopier, scanner and fax machine at cutrate cost; and buy event tickets and CBS merchandise such as mugs and clothing.

"Our location in the new complex will be great publicity for us;' says Wells. "A lot of students will pass right by it, so we'll have a great presence. Also, our office is going to be right next to the CPES Student Council office, so it will be good for working together."

Adequate student space is a growing issue on campus and one that the new complex will help address, she says.

Spaces for "show and tell" sessions will encourage students, faculty and staff to "present research work and engage in discussions about it;' adds Summerlee.

Such an environment would further boost Guelph's ability to integrate theory with real-world skills, which puts the University's graduates in high demand, he says.

"Our graduates already find that the versatile skills and practical attitude they develop here lead to a great diversity of career options. They gain the ability to relate basic research to what it means in life, and when they leave university, they're able to recognize and solve problems."

A partnership makes it possible The science complex will accommodate the faculty, staff and students from the Axelrod and Chemistry/Microbiology buildings, where the m ajority of the lecture rooms, labs, offices and technical shops that support Guelph's natural sciences programs are now located.

Internal and external studies have determined that Axelrod and Chemistry/Microbiology would have required major upgrades to meet the needs of today's researchers and students, including remedies for serious health and safety code deficiencies. In addition, both buildings require maintenance work that would cost millions of dollars and has been deferred due to budgetary constraints. As a result, the Chemistry/Microbio logy Building will be torn down to make way for the new science complex. In time, Axelrod will be renovated for other purposes. The MacNaughton Building will also be partially renovated.

The University was able to move ahead with plans to replace the aging facilities thanks to the Ontario government's SuperBuild fund, which is designed to build and modernize infrastructure at Ontario's postsecondary institutions.

U of G officials learned in early 2000 that SuperBuild would provide $45 million towards a new science complex and a 1,500seat classroom complex that will be used by all disciplines across campus. (Construction of the classroom complex is already under way on the former site of the barns between the Bullring and the Landscape Architecture Building. For more details, see page 32).

Inherent in the construction of new science facilities is the opportunity to replace outdated instruments and add ultra-modern equipment that will advance research and teaching programs, says Summerlee.

Assistance in those areas can be provided by the Ontario Innovation Trust and the Canada Foundation for Innovation, which support the capital cost of research infrastructure. That support is designed as a partnership among government programs, universities and the private sector. U of G is now working to raise the rest of the funds needed for the science complex and classroom cluster through its capital campaign

and other funding programs.

Corporate campaign contributions such as a $1-million gift from the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce will enable the Uni-

ONTARIO SUPERBUILD â&#x20AC;˘ $45 million

Announced Feb. 25, 2000, by Brenda Elliott, minister for intergovernmental affairs and GuelphWellington MPP, left, and Dianne Cunningham, minister of training, colleges and universities.

"This is much more than an announcement about bricks and mortar. SuperBuild investments will help revitalize our colleges and universities so that Ontario students receive the high-quality education they deserve."

versity to complete funding requirements for these projects. David Kassie, chairman and CEO of CIBC World Markets and chair of Guelph's campaign, identified the science complex as one of the University's most pressing needs and a campaign project that will advance its vision to be th e leader in Canada's emerging biology-based economy.

"Guelph's goals are ambitious, but I have never met a more determined and focused community of researchers, scholars, students, alumni and industry partners;' he says.

In the early days of the Science of Life and Art of Living campaign, U of G's science complex has also received a $400,000 gift from Agilent Technologies to furnish an

Summer 2002 15

'' 1 --~~~-

undergraduate teaching lab, $40,000 in equipment from the pharmaceutical company Eli Lilly and $25,000 from the E.W. Bickell Foundation.

An architectural Rubik's cube Creating a new building that will accommodate 2,600 faculty, students and staff is a complicated affair and one that architect Richard Young clearly relishes.

Young is a partner in Robbie/Young + Wright Architects, the Toronto firm hired to handle both the science complex and classroom complex projects. Robbie/Young +Wright specializes in science buildings and designed U of G's Bovey Building.

For almost two years now, the firm's architectural team has been working hand in hand with aU of G committee to transform the University's vision into blueprints.

The first step was a series of broad consultations with the University community, co-ordinated by Angelo Gismondi, who manages the project on behalf of U of G. A steering committee composed of representatives from across campus, along with its many subcommittees, worked with all CBS and CPES departments to determine requirements for the science complex teaching labs, research labs, support rooms, offices, administration and other components.

The vast amount of input on program requirements was then filtered and finetuned to become floor plans and threedimensional design.

"A tremendous amount of research and background work goes into a building like this;' says Young. "A team from our office has probably met with University users every day for a year, going through all the individual requirements for every laboratory. Every receptacle, vacuum outlet, distilled water position and piece of equipment is being carefully analysed and placed in the building. For all its architectural edifice, it's made up of a lot of detail."

The logistical aspects of building the science complex are another aspect of the overall planning puzzle. Construction is scheduled to take place in' phases, beginning in late 2002. It's anticipated that the first occupants will move in in the spring of 2004 and that the complex will be complete in mid-2006.

Young likens the design process to a "clever little Rubik's cube of interconnect-

16

GuELPH ALUMNUS

I

.u-._,:sJJ'

ing pieces, when you take in the phasing, the external context and the requirements of undergraduate versus graduate research versus teaching."

The Rubik's cube is still being turned this way and that to find the perfect fit between wants and needs and the budget for the complex, with the University's Board of Governors scheduled to approve the final plans and budget in May.

An open, accessible building The external context- how the building will look and relate to its surroundingsis influenced by goals set out in the University's master plan, which emphasizes maintaining green space and the architectural character of the campus, and promoting efficient circulation routes for pedestrians.

Those considerations have led to an innovative triangle-shaped building plan that is designed to be "open and accessible;' Young says.

Imagine the L-shaped sides of a 30째/60째

I

t'f tl f

triangle. One wing of the complex would run from the MacNaughton Building along a service road beside the Reynolds and J.D. MacLachlan buildings to a buffer of trees at Gordon Street. Turning the corner at 90째, the building would continue along Gordon flush with the Axelrod Building to the south.

At Reynolds Walk, the building would then angle in a serpentine flow of glass back to MacNaughton (completing the triangle).

The main entrance will be along this glassenclosed wing, which will serve as a connecting walkway.

This triangular shape opens up a major courtyard between the front of the building and Reynolds Walk. It also creates an interior courtyard in the centre of the building.

The interior courtyard, covered by skylights, would be a centre of activity for the entire complex. The plans anticipate an Internet cafe, food and beverage services, an amphitheatre for presentations, an information commons and workspaces for students.

The visual connection as one passes from

l

the exterior courtyard through the main entrance to the interior courtyard will create a sense that the "building is alive and Jiving;' says Young.

The glass front of the main entrance wing will reflect the landscaping of the exterior courtyard. This wing, three storeys high with each floor connected to the MacNaughton Building, is designed to facilitate the flow of people throughout the complex. The first floor has the two deans' suites, computer Jabs, student government offices and student support services, including academic and career counselling. A grand stairway takes people up to the second and third levels, which are mainly teaching Jabs for undergraduates.

The other two wings, housing most of the research Jabs, related offices and some teaching labs, will both be four storeys high.

Their exteriors will have a "quieter" look that incorporates traditional materials and melds with the older buildings on campus.

Early design workshops with the University community revealed "a lot of reaction against the central massive buildings of the campus and a lot of love for buildings like Creelman and Johnston halls;' says Young.

"We're not trying to replicate (the old buildings) but, using a more traditional palette of materials, make it very much a building of our age." The idea, he says, is to have a more traditional look facing the outside world and "an exciting centre with a lot more glass that will make it feel like the dynamic heart of science on campus."

A showcase for advanced technology The research wing will house the Advanced Analysis and Training Centre (AATC) on its first floor. It will be a showcase for advanced technology and a centrepiece of the science complex.

Research VP Wildeman says the centre will "enable scientific advances in critical areas that directly affect our health and wellbeing, such as the prevention of disease in humans and animals, the development of pharmaceuticals and functional foods, and the detection ana identification of environmental pathogens and toxins."

Adds incoming CBS dean Emes: "As we evolve our post-genomics view of biology, the AATC offers exceptional resources in transcriptomics, proteomics, sophisticated

spectroscopy and bio-imaging. These technologies will have a tremendous impact on areas of agriculture, biomedicine and the environment. And Guelph will be in the vanguard of universities able to provide the critical mass and infrastructure needed."

The centre will include six key scientific instrumentation facilities equipped with the most advanced analytical/diagnostic equipment and educational information technologies: the Guelph Molecular Supercentre, advanced imaging/microscopy, mass spectrometry, nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, chromatography and separation, and the HP Canada Ltd. Openview Software Laboratory.

Guelph B.Sc. students will learn the most advanced analytical techniques using a collection of equipment currently unparalleled in the Canadian university system. People already working in industry will also have an opportunity to come to the AATC for accredited training and professional development.

The location of the centre on the main floor provides accessibility and the high profile needed to attract industrial research partners and off-campus academic collaborators, says CPES dean Tremaine.

"Collaborative research with industry and other universities is becoming more and more important," he says. "By placing the AATC near a ground-level entrance, with corridor access to the new Electrochemical Technology Centre in the MacNaughton Building, the architects have created the nucleus of a major research institute that will serve the biological and physical sciences."

Other important features of this wing of the building are the botany greenhouses and growth chambers on the fourth level. In addition to this being a practical location for natural lighting, the greenhouses will add an interesting architectural element that visually repeats the greenery in the interior and exterior courtyards.

A building for the future The complex is also designed to meet future needs in the ever-changing world of science.

In the research wings, the offices are arranged against the outside wall, so they will all have windows. Across the hall from the offices are the research support rooms and labs. All service requirements (mechanical systems, ventilation, fume hoods, etc.) run

along one side of the labs on each floor, which keeps costs down and allows the remaining area to be subdivided into whatever arrangement is needed and to be rearranged according to changing needs, says Young.

"We're trying to make the building as people-supportive and as function-supportive as

CANADIAN IMPERIAL BANK oF CoMMERCE â&#x20AC;˘ $1 million David Kassie, Chairman and CEO, CIBC World Markets Volunteer chair, U of G Campaign

"Guelph's goals are ambitious, but I have never met a more determined and focused community of researchers, scholars, students, alumni and industry partners."

possible. Wherever we have the opportunity, we're looking for ways and means to simplify the building to provide the opportunity for long-term change. In science, that's a must these days. Science is developing in different directions and fracturing and coalescing, so the building has to be able to respond to that."

And so the planning and fine-tuning continue, with groundbreaking for the first phase of the complex slated for this summer.

"Building infrastructure for teaching and research plays a big role in determining how successful the teaching and research will be;' says Wildeman. "This complex will provide the environment that should enable new ideas to flourish." ga

Summer 2002 17

The inside view What does your dog's broken hip have to do with your aunt's arthritis?

And how will OVC's new MRI scanner benefit them both?

Veterinary medicine will take a quantum Leap forward over the next few years as the Ontario Veterinary College adds a $3-million MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) unit to its Small Animal Clinic. This will be the first MRI unit at a veterinary college in Canada, and its impact will be dramatic, perhaps changing the teaching, research and practice of veterinary medicine in this country.

Prof. Howard Dobson, chief radiologist at OVC's Veterinary Teaching Hospital (VTH), says the new device will improve diagnostic services by giving clinicians the best possible detail of soft tissues inside an animal's body.

What might be less obvious is that, for much of the time, the MRI will be used in research aimed not just at making animals better, but also at helping us understand more about human health and medical problems.

"We're proposing to use the MRI for research that is health-related," says Prof. john Leatherland, chair of the Department of Biomedical Sciences and project leader on a successful funding proposal made last year to the Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI). The college plans to laun ch a new Institute for Animal-Human Links in Health Science Research that will strengthen the bridge between veterinary medicine and human health.

Among Canada's four veterinary colleges,

Guelph has the most extensive research connections in human health, says Leatherland.

"We have links with five Ontario medical schools in research, and about half the people in my department are doing research related to human health." The institute will involve some 40 researchers at OVC, as well as scholars from other Guelph departments and collaborators in Quebec.

The CFI award announced in january will cover 40 per cent of the $2 7-million cost to establish the institute, which will include two research laboratory complexes and a surgical-diagnostic research lab linked to the MRI. OVC hopes to receive a matching grant from the Ontario Innovation Trust, and the remaining 20 per cent will be fund ed through private donations.

Because the MRI unit will be used extensively for comparative research, it benefits from CFI funding to the new institute, but ave requires private-sector support to

complete the project and provide MRI diagnostic services to patients in the VTH Small Animal Clinic.

Through fundraising efforts that Dobson calls "the veterinary equivalent of a local hospital campaign;' the college has received a $250,000 gift from Wendy and Lyle Hallman of Kitchener, Ont., for the MRI unit and a second $250,000 gift from Novartis Animal Health that will fund other renovations to the Small Animal Clinic.

The Hallmans have been involved with OVC since 1992 through the Pet Trust Fund, and Wendy has been a Pet Trust board member for the past three years. The fund provides crucial support for OVC research projects aimed at improving the health care of companion animals. In 1997, the Pet Trust board identified the need for an MRI as its highest-priority capital project.

The Ha llmans say they have been following the need at OVC and know how

By Andrew Vowles â&#x20AC;˘ Photography by Dean Palmer I The Scenario 18

GUELPH ALUMNUS

essential it is that the VTH have proper equipment to be able to diagnose and treat companion animals. "Pets add an important dimension to our lives, says Wendy.

"We're pleased that we can make this donation for the MRI equipment."

Diagnosing pet problems VTH director John Tait says the MRI will fill a long-standing gap in diagnostic services offered by OVC, mostly for companion animals but also for foals, calves, goats, pigs and birds. "We will be able to refine diagnostics on cases where they have lesions or problems that are very hard to detect without an MRJ:' Currently, one or two animals are sent each week from Guelph to an MRI at the Lawson Research Institute affiliated with the University of Western Ontario in London.

Most of those cases involve neurological disease, but with an MRI unit on site, OVC practitioners will be able to investigate oth-

vVENDY AND LYLE BALLMAN Hallman Construction Ltd., Kitchener Pet Trust Board of Directors â&#x20AC;˘ $250,000

"We're pleased that we can make this donation to the MRI and proud that our gift will be a little prod for other people to make a donation, whatever the amount. Everybody's heart has room for an animal."

20 GuELPH ALUMNUS

er afflictions such as cancer, joint disease and cardiovascular disease.

That's the clinical side. The device will also allow the college to expand its research into animal models, filling the current gap between studies on people and investigations using smaller animals such as mice.

"We want to make the MRI unit a facility to meet the needs of the researcher and the hospital;' says Leatherland, referring to potential collaborations between researchers studying athletic injuries, for instance, and vet scientists using horse models to study skeletal and joint problems. "That type of work involves imaging in association with other procedures."

He points specifically to research in the Department of Clinical Studies on bone and joint diseases and on various forms of cancer in animals.

Prof. Steven Kruth, chair of Clinical Studies, says the instrument will be useful in diagnosing cancer in cats and dogs- and in learning about this disease in humans- particularly in gauging disease spread, a key question that is difficult to answer with Xrays or ultrasound alone.

"The prevalence of cancer in cats and dogs in North America is about the same as for humans," says Kruth . "Researchers all over the world have done research using rodent models. Those models don't necessarily translate well into humans for various reasons. The next step is large-animal models, including cats and dogs, of spontaneously occurring diseases."

This will take the results of research and clinical work with animals back to the human bedside. For example, OVC is currently working out gene therapy protocols for treating melanoma in dogs. Solving those problems in dogs provides information useful for treating the condition in people, says Kruth, who collaborates with cancer researchers at McMaster University and at Sunnybrook Women's Health Centre in Toronto.

Evaluating Auntie's arthritis Prof. Mark Hurtig, Clinical Studies, runs a comparative orthopedics research lab at OVC that collaborates with other institutions and industry through the Canadian Arthritis Network (CAN), a national centre of excellence.

Hurtig and his colleagues study human musculoskeletal disease using animal models in

such afflictions as stress fractures, orthopedic infections, osteoporosis and cartilage injury.

The MRI will allow that group to evaluate new therapeutic treatments for arthritis.

Hurtig says the new equipment fits with his work in early non-invasive detection of joint injuries and for assessing new drugs and therapies. "If you thought you had a new drug that might prevent arthritis, you'd look for animals developing it and see whether the drug preserved the joint function and mechanics and maintained the tissue of the cartilage," he says. The MRI will determine if that occurs.

Leatherland says the MRI can also be used to identify fractures and treat osteoporosis, complementing work OVC has done with a company on a device for early assessment of bone injury using ultrasound.

"I think this is going to make a huge difference in understanding some of the processes of arthritic disease and cartilage disease generally and how they relate to animals with load-bearing joints- humans being one example, horses being anotherand in developing ways of managing the disease and developing therapies."

Increasing access With MRI equipment on site, OVC will be looking for new opportunities in collaborative research with other academics, medical schools, government and the private sector, perhaps in areas such as testing prostheses.

Guelph will also be able to share its MRI with other veterinary colleges in Canada through electronic links that will permit long-distance consults and image transfers.

In addition to improving educational opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students, the unit will make OVC more attractive to post-doctoral researchers and faculty, particularly radiologists. Dobson is currently the only radiologist on staff at OVC, but the availability of MRI equipment is expected to increase the demand for such expertise and could eventually lead to new graduate and professional training programs at the college.

Providing better animal health care, teaching future veterinarians and strengthening the links between medical research and veterinary science are key reasons why Dobson and his OVC colleagues are eagerly awaiting the MRI installation. ga

Be our guest Hotel school's reputation grows as students get a taste of hospitality management

"Indulge" was the theme of a meal served to patrons of the School of Hotel and Food Administration's restaurant on a recent Wednesday evening. Fourth-year student Jenn Estall, front-house manager for the

evening, says she and her teammates, Andrew Exel and Darcy MacDonell, left nothingor as little as possible - to chance.

Their dinner guests were able to relax and indulge themselves in the intim ate ambi-

ence the students created. But the pace behind the kitchen door was anything but relaxed as the student chefs worked to create their offering of Ontario squab and Queb ec foie gras, topped off with a molten

By Andrew Vowles â&#x20AC;˘ Photography by Martin Schwalbe Summer 2002 21

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MoRsELS

FROM THE KITCHEN Giving students

the opportunity to manage a restaurant for a day has meant a few memorable moments for students, faculty and diners alike. Prof. Jeff Stewart shares a few morsels from past repasts: • There was the time before the "nojewelry" policy when a student preparing meat pies for lunch realized she'd lost an earring. Unable to find it, she assumed it had fallen into a meat pie. Unfortunately, the pies were already in the oven. The food production manager pulled them out and began picking them apart. Bringing in a metal detector was a resourceful touch, although one that proved earringless.

• Another group of students put an entree into the oven and went about other tasks, then came back five minutes later and couldn't understand why everything had turned to charcoal. The answer: they'd forgotten to convert the cooking temperatures from Fahrenheit to Celsius.

• One of the restaurant's busiest days ever- about 125 customers served at lunch- occurred during the shift of a member of the Gryphon football squad. Marketing proved to be his specialty. He had a meal delivered to the team during their workout on the field that day.

• Stewart recalls that his own theme day as an undergrad in the kitchen was Fried Green Tomatoes, shortly after release of the movie of the same name. He remembers visiting the Guelph market to buy bushel baskets full of green tomatoes and even calling the movie producer for promotional materials. "Most people had never tried fried green tomatoes.

They're quite tasty actually. I was amazed at how many we sold."

22 GUELPH ALUMNUS

chocolate cake and vanilla bean ice cream.

A few days earlier, Estall took time out from printing menus to reflect on a few key features of the School of Hotel and Food Administration that drew her four years ago into the bachelor of commerce program. For starters, there's the on-campus restaurant itself, the only teaching lab of its kind at a Canadian university intended to give students an advance taste of what's involved in managing an upscale restaurant. Every student in the hospitality program takes a turn running some aspect of the restaurant operations during a mandatory third-year course called "Foodservice Operations Management:' Then there's the chance for industry experience and travel. During a recent co-op placement arranged through the school, Estall spent 16 months at the Banff Springs Hotel, where she put in 14-hour days managing two of the resort's 13 eateries, as well as helping to run three major conferences in a single month.

On her menu for next fall is a studyabroad semester in France. "It gives us an opportunity to learn more about the globalization of the hospitality industry and how different cultures express their hospitality;' says Estall, adding that a not-incidental benefit of the trip will be the "winery knowledge" that she and her classmates will imbibe in Cannes.

Those kinds of opportunities were what made U of G her number-one choice when she was completing high school in Oakville.

Viewed from the other direction, they're the same critical attributes that have earned the school recognition in hospitality and tourism industry circles in Canada and abroad.

Referring to the ranks of students who have graduated from the school since it was established as Canada's first degree program in hospitality and food in 1969, director John Walsh says: "More than 25 years' worth of alumni work in every major hospitality and tourism business in Canada."

First stop, Canada and North America.

Next stop, the world. Walsh says the single largest challenge now faced by the school - and by the industry it serves - is increasing internationalization. "We're now attracting employers looking to hire Canadians to work in other countries." He points to several recent initiatives that are helping to raise U of G's global profile.

One is a program that brings executives

from Hilton International to Guelph each year looking for the University's top students. The Hilton elevator program is a fast-track executive training program the chain introduced to North America four years ago to help find and train prospective managers for its hotels.

Hilton interviews in fotir regions worldwide. In North America, Guelph was one of only four universities chosen, along with the University of Michigan, Florida International University and the University of Denver. In 1999, three students from U of G were hired among the seven North Americans selected for the program: Khaled Al- Idrissi, Melanie Houle and Jennifer Smith. Three more fed into the program in 2000: Chris McCarthy, now in Ecuador; Kevin Gerrard, a food and beverage manager in Toronto; and Darcy Van Wyck, who won Hilton's top elevator student award last year. Eight Guelph students are in the running for management training positions this year.

Hilton vice-president Edwin Zephirin says his company values the quality of Guelph's hospitality students. "U of G students tend to be more realistic than some others we've interviewed;' he says. "I think practical is the best word- people with a good mix of intellectual maturity, friendliness and openness:' Zephirin is in charge of human resources operations in North America for the London-based chain of hotels. "The company needs people capable of fast-tracking through the company," he says. "That's the way you grow your business. The elevator program is unique, rigorous, taxing. We give them the right opportunity to allow them to experience different locations and learn what real life is about."

In truth, one of the reasons Guelph students impress Hilton is because real-life experiences start right here on campus. Following their restaurant experience, for example, Estall and her team have to deal with the real-life evaluation of their dinner service. There were a few minor snags.

"We burnt a first batch of sweet potato chips, but we were able to salvage enough and make extra;' she says. At dessert, the ice cream had begun to melt before it was served. And there turned out to be just barely enough soup to go around. "We had to stretch it for sure to fill the last bowl."

Their guests gave them 91 out of 100 in their surveys. Particular favourites were an

oyster amuse served on fresh seaweed, as well as frozen grapes presented in an ice bowl the students had been perfecting for two months.

Walsh says the restaurant- known more clinically as the Food Service Laboratory- is a critical teaching facility for students in hospitality and food administration, as well as for other areas on campus, notably applied nutrition. By fall2003, school administrators hope to complete a planned $2.3-million expansion that will double the size of the teaching kitchen (including new state-of-the-art equipment such as a blast chiller freezer and combination convection oven and steamer) and add a twostorey dining atrium. This project has been identified as a fundraising priority of the College of Social and Applied Human Sciences during the University's capital campaign.

The expansion is designed to cater to anticipated enrolment increases as more students plan on careers in the growing hospitality industry, he says. "All the demographics say that, in the hospitality and tourism industry, managerial employment is going to go up." Equally pressing, she school will also need to ensure ample space in the facility to accommodate more students as the expected double cohort hits Ontario universities with the elimination of Grade 13.

The restaurant facility currently accommodates about 200 students a year, far less than the enrolment expected over the next few years. Prof. Jeff Stewart, who teaches both "Foodservice Operations Management" and the fourth-year course "Restaurant Operations," says the expansion will allow the school to accommodate 350 to 400 students each year.

A 1995 B.Comm. graduate of Guelph, Stewart is now seeing the program from the other side of the steam table. Before and after graduation, he worked in restaurants in North America and Europe, then taught in Russia through Canadian Executive Services Overseas before returning to Guelph.

For another example of the increasingly international flavour of Guelph's program, look to Stewart's guest teaching partner for the winter semester. Brian Millar, a lecturer in hospitality management in the School of Tourism and Hospitality at Australia's LaTrobe University, spent the semester at U of G as part of a faculty exchange program that has seen Prof. Tanya MacLaurin spending a year in Australia. Students

and faculty travel back and forth to various countries under similar partnerships between Guelph and universities abroad.

Although Australia has almost 50 tourism and hospitality programs available at 39 universities, Millar says there's still lots to learn through such exchange programs.

"Guelph has been in the tourism and hospitality field a lot longer than we have. Their program is extremely well-developed."

In other ventures designed to internationalize its educational programs, the School of Hotel and Food Administration offers several options, including an MBA in hospitality and tourism- one year in residence or two years by distance education -where more than half the students are from abroad. The school also offers five online degree-credit courses that lead to a certificate in hospitality studies, on-campus programs for industry executives and customized off-campus training programs.

This extensive training menu relies on close links with industry partners on the school's policy advisory board, which includes Simon Cooper, president of the RitzCarlton Hotel Company and current chair of U of G's Board of Governors. Cooper's support includes a personal gift of $100,000 to the University campaign that has been designated to the school's priority project.

Corporate gifts to the renovation project include $250,000 from Cara Operations and $200,000 from Fairmont Hotels and Resorts.

Other industry links include an executivein-residence program offered in fall and winter. The most recent guest was Lyle Hall, national director ofKPMG Canada's Hospitality, Leisure and Tourism practice based in Toronto. "I was impressed with how keen and inquisitive the students were and with the broad experience base of the faculty;' he said.

"I expected people who primarily had a hospitality background, and there were certainly those, but there was also a broad range of other sectors such as human resources, organizational behaviour and management .."

The school also maintains an active coop program, with students filling some 40 industry positions each year. "Your learning opportunities are magnified 100 times if you're accepted for a co-op placement;' Estall says. Not to mention the chance at a full-time job at graduation. She hopes to return to Banff after she graduates in 2003 as a first

step towards a corporate career in hospitality.

Walsh, who has been director of the school since 1997, also maintains a global view in looking for new faculty members and is in preliminary di~cussions about offering a new PhD program.

An award-winning educator, he received Hotelier magazine's Pinnacle Award for Educator of the Year in 2001. And in April, he became the second Guelph faculty member to receive a Gold Award in the "educator" category from the Ontario Hostelry Institute;

SrMON CooPER Chair, U of G Board of Governors President, Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company â&#x20AC;˘ $100,000

This gift will support Guelph's School of Hotel and Food Administration as it prepares students to take leadership positions in the tourism and hospitality industry.

The success of Guelph graduates working in the industry around the world demonstrates that the school's programs are relevant and valued.

the first was Prof. John Patterson in 1998.

"It reflects a lot of years of successful operation by the school for a director to be recognized," says Walsh. " It's a recognition by the industry of our innovation, most particularly in distance programming and management development programs. It validates in many ways that our curriculum is relevant to the industry." ga

Summer 2002 23

Thinking differently about tobacco Plant research uses tobacco species to produce life-saving antibodies

Tobacco is getting an image makeover at the University of

Guelph. Prof. Chris Hall and his research group are determining how to use the plant to improve and save human lives. The irony is not lost on the environmental biologist.

"Improving health isn't the first thing that comes to mind when you think about tobacco," he says. "Most people think of tobacco as a drug of abuse that causes cancer, emphysema and other negative health effects. So it would be nice to take the plant and have it do good in society."

The"societal good" that might result from Hall's research could include detecting deadly bacteria in food and water, such as the type of E. coli that contaminated the water supply and led to the deaths of seven people in Walkerton two years ago. It may also mean identifying and removing environmental contaminants, treating cancer and even allowing a person to take a home test to determine if he or she is having a stroke or just suffering from a migraine headache.

Hall is introduci11g genes to produce anti-

bodies in low-nicotine sterile tobacco plants, which some scientists call"protein plants" because they're different from traditional tobacco plants. Antibodies are large, complex proteins that cells of the vertebrate immune system produce to fight invaders such as bacteria and viruses. For decades, scientists have harnessed the mammalian immune system to produce antibodies that, once extracted from the animal, can be used as pharmaceuticals, for detecting and monitoring bacteria in food products or the environment, or for

use as therapies to treat human diseases such as cancer. For example, as cancer therapies, antibodies work by recognizing and linking themselves to the cancer cells in the body, activating the body's own defence mechanisms to attack these cells. Now Hall, following methods developed by scientists before him, is cultivating methods to produce large quantities of antibodies in plants, a process known as molecular farming. He is genetically engineering the plants to produce antibodiesor"plantibodies" as they are called.

By Lori Bona Hunt â&#x20AC;˘ Illustration by Paul Watson 24

GuELPH ALUMNUS

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Using plants to benefit animal and human health may sound like science fietion to some, but Hall says it's really a process of combining the basic and applied sciences.

"Plants have the biochemical machinery to produce antibodies or any other type of protein. They can be used instead of animals to produce large quantities of antibodies. We have to be careful, go slowly, follow guidelines and protocols and do it right. But I think that when people realize the value of this (technology), the response will be positive:' Already, it is widely acknowledged that plantibodies and their practical applications have the potential to change the way science looks at antibody production. They may also help make Canada a leader in what might be the next revolution in the pharmaceutical industry. Needless to say, the magnitude of the work Hall is overseeing in U of G's greenhouses and laboratories has not gone unnoticed.

Last December, George Jackowski, chairman, director and chief scientific officer of SYNâ&#x20AC;˘X Pharma Inc., a leading proteomics and discovery company, donated $1 million in stock to U of G. The money will support research in the life sciences, starting with Hall's studies on using protein plants to mass-produce plantibodies. It was one of the first major gifts to the University's capital campaign. Jackowski is the founder of numerous biotech companies, the inventor of various detection tests and an academic at the University of Toronto. He says he became interested in Guelph for two initial reasons: his daughter enrolled in the biochemistry program and he met Gord Surgeoner.

Surgeoner, a faculty member in the Department of Plant Agriculture, is president of Ontario Agri- Food Technologies, a consortium of Ontario universities, grower associations, industries and the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA). The group's focus is on developing, promoting and adopting biotechnology in an ethical and environmentally conscious manner for dntario's agri-food sector.

"Gord really opened my eyes to the possibilities at Guelph;' says Jackowski."He got me all worked up about what the University can do internationally. Now I hope to help thrust Guelph into the limelight as a university with a very strong life sciences program."

Jackowski's donation established the Surgeoner Chair in Life Sciences. Hall is the first

26 GuELPH ALUMNUS

PLANTIBODY TECHNOLOGY MAY HELP MAKE CANADA A LEADER IN WHAT MIGHT BE THE NEXT GENERATION IN THE PHARMACEUTICAL

tists are developing technology for applications in the fields of environmental, agricultural, food, life, biotechnological and medical sciences.

One of those researchers is doctoral student Claudia Sheedy, wh.o calls being part of Hall's group an"adventure:' She became interested in plantibodies as a master's student after reading an article in a science magazine.

"I was just so fascinated by the idea. I decided it was exactly what I wanted to do for my PhD. It is so motivating to work in an area where the possibilities are limitless, where everything remains to be done. We are still in the infancy of this technology, and I feel I am part of something that has a lot of future ahead."

In fact, Hall says the work that he, Sheedy and others are doing is"one of the many waves of the future in terms of antibody research."

INDUSTRY. But why tobacco?

holder of the chair, which will support research at the professorial, post-doctoral and graduate levels, create new technologies and facilitate education and training. Surgeoner, modest about his"namesake," says the chair is a tribute to the University's past research successes and its future potential.

"George Jackowski sees the opportunity we have here at Guelph to produce antibody therapies in systems other than what has traditionally been used," he says."He is very involved in science that creates products to benefit humankind."

For Jackowski, part of the draw was the wide scope and appeal of plantibodies."The beauty of the project is that it involves people from the farming community all the way to national researchers in Ottawa."

Indeed, OMAFRA has invested $1.7 million in plantibodies research at Guelph, and collaborators include resea rchers such as Jim Brandle of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada and Roger MacKenzie of the National Research Council, as well as numerous other researchers from other government agencies and Ontario universities.

Many of these collaborators laid the groundwork for the plantibodies research that Hall is now overseeing. U of G scien-

Those waves first began to surface when scientists started to realize that antibody production needed to be expanded from vertebrate animals and moved into plants. For starters, animal-based antibodies are expensive, costing a minimum of $1,000 per gram.

Hall hopes using protein plants will lower the cost by 10 to 50 times in the next decade.

Animal production of ant ibodies is also time-consuming, requiring constant monitoring of animals in properly controlled and regulated care facilities, and the antibodies cannot be produced in large amounts. " Plants are the only system that will allow us to create antibodies in quantities large enough for the volumes that we anticipate will be necessary to detect water- and food-borne pathogens;' he says.

In addition, plantibodies have the edge over animal-produced antibodies when it comes to human health."No contaminating viruses or organisms occur in plants that could be transmitted to people."

Once plants were shown to be effective, the next step was considering options to make large-scale production possible, says Surgeoner.

"When you look at the new lists of drugs being developed, our existing capacity for producing antibodies for therapies and diagnostic production is being quickly usurped by the demand. We have to find a way to

produce them faster, at a lower capital cost, and make them more readily available." It was also important not to compromise the ethical considerations related to the widescale use of animals, he says.

According to Hall,"tobacco was the obvious plant of choice. It's the white mouse of the plant world; its genetics are well understood."

That's part of the irony, he adds."The reason we know a lot about tobacco is that it was bred for smoking purposes, and a lot of genetic research was conducted in an effort to make it a better plant for smoking."

The plant is also simple to work with and easy to genetically modify. In addition, it's a regulated crop grown in Ontario and there's a good system in place for harvesting it."We already have the infrastructure and technology in place;' Hall says.

Tobacco is not a food crop, so there are no worries about public consumption of a genetically modified food, he adds. And there are no related species in Canada to which tobacco could outcross (the process of genes moving from a genetically engineered plant to a wild relative).

"The plant is also very large, growing up to six feet in height with leaves that can reach a foot or more in diameter," he says."The amount of antibody produced by the plant is directly proportional to its biomass. Compare that with the amount of antibody that can be produced by a mammalian animal such as a mouse or even a horse. In terms of sheer quantity, there is no comparison."

Eventually, researchers hope to extract 10 to 15 kilograms of antibodies per 100 acres of protein plants.

That could spell greater prosperity for Ontario's tobacco industry, which is already a multi-million-dollar-a-year business.

There are more than 28,000 hectares of tobacco grown in Ontario, and farmers can produce three to four crops a year.

"Farmers can still grow tobacco, and instead of being turned into cigarettes, it can be used to create high-value antibody therapies and diagnostic tests," Jackowski says."It really is a win-win situation."

How do they do it?

Just how do you go about modifying a tobacco plant to produce a plantibody? First,

the gene responsible for producing the antibody in an animal is"introduced" into the plant through plant tissue culture techniques. This involves taking a section of a plant leaf and literally" dipping" it into a solution of bacteria into which the animal antibody gene has been introduced.

The bacteria infect the edges of the leaf section and, in the process, integrate the antibody gene into the plant. The infected plant tissues are then placed on a growth medium that allows only the plant cells carrying the antibody gene to survive and regenerate. In a few weeks, transgenic plantlets are visible at the edges of the tissue. These plantlets are then removed and placed in sterile boxes with another medium that allows them to form roots. They are later transferred to pots and allowed to grow.

Currently, Hall is concentrating on producing a fragment of an antibody in tobacco. This involves taking genetic material from the portion of the antibody that binds to a bacterium or cancer cell to build an"artificial" gene.

"We produce only the part of the antibody that binds to the pathogen or cancer cells we're interested in detecting or killing;' he says.

The antibody is later purified from the protein plant by grinding green biomass into a liquid-like solution and running it through a system of separation columns. Researchers in Hall's lab add specific protein tags to the antibody that protrude from the ends of the molecules. The antibodies are retrieved through affinity chromatography, a process that recognizes the protein tag and pulls it out along with the antibody. As one researcher describes it:"It's like using a hook that identifies what it wants and then grabs it."

Sheedy calls being in the laboratory the"bench work aspect of the adventure. It's much more tedious than I could imagine."

Her background is in agriculture and plant sciences, so she's had to acquire knowledge in molecular biology of both plants and mammals.

What can plantibodies do?

interested in . The potential application of this research is enormous."

Indeed, uses for plantibodies are as varied as the proteins the plants can be engineered to produce. Plantibodies can be made to specifically identify food pathogens such as listeria and sal~onella, detect pesticides in foods or even identify contaminated soil before crops are planted . They can also be engineered to help fight specific forms of human cancer, because antibodies can be joined to chemotherapeutic agents and delivered directly to cancer cells.

Plantibodies may also be used in diagnostic kits that would allow people to conduct health tests at home.

"Imagine you're 55 and suffering from a severe headache," says Surgeoner."Is it a migraine or the start of a stroke? We could develop a rapid diagnostic test, much like a pregnancy test, that could identify the proteins the body releases at the beginning

GEORGE JACKOWSKI (RIGHT)

Chairman, director and chief scientific officer of SYNâ&#x20AC;˘X Pharma Inc.

â&#x20AC;˘ $2 million

"I hope to help thrust Guelph into the limelight as a university with a very strong life sciences program."

BILL BODENHAMER (LEFT)

President and CEO of Toxin Alert

â&#x20AC;˘ $1 million "No other university in the world has such a facility."

For Sheedy, plantibody research is fascinating because of the flexibility of the whole system. Plantibodies can be expressed in whole plants or only certain tissues, making the system adaptable to"anything you're

Summer 2002 27

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stages of a stroke."

Similar tests could detect early onset of Alzheimer's disease and arthritis."With some diseases, we often don't know a person has it until it's too late," he says. "But these diseases may be releasing proteins from the brain in their early stages, and if we could detect the disease sooner, the sooner we could begin to manage and control it.

Plantibodies could be used for easy, rapid detection of the diseases."

Scientists have already developed a unique chemical test that can identify bacteria pathogens in food stored in plastic wrap.

Created by Toxin Alert, the plastic wrap can detect even minute quantities of hazardous material. When bacteria or viruses are identified, the wrap chemically changes colour or a symbol is activated, indicating contamination. The indicators are actually antibodies attached to the plastic wrap, with about 144 antibody-based tests per square foot of wrap.

"To make this biowrap on a large scale, you need kilogram quantities of antibodies;' says Jackowski."The easiest and most economical way to get those antibodies is to have them produced in a plant species that can be grown as a crop over hundreds and hundreds of acres."

Toxin Alert's president and CEO, Bill Bodenhamer, who also sits on the board of

SciENTISTs HAVE ALREADY DEVELOPED A UNIQUE CHEMICAL TEST THAT CAN IDENTIFY BACTERIA PATHOGENS IN FOOD STORED IN PLASTIC WRAP. directors of SYN·X Pharma Inc., set up a laboratory in the Guelph Food Technology Centre. He brought Hall and other U of G researchers on board to look at using tobacco to produce plantibodies for use in the plastic wrap detection systems. Through

these corporate connections, Bodenhamer and Jackowski have invested an additional $2 million m plantibody research at Guelph."No other university in the world has such a facility;' Bodenhamer says.

To Hall, these varied uses for his research are what makes it worthwhile."Scientists, by nature, are cynical;' he says."I think that at times we get hung up on the 'pure' science and sometimes forget that applied science is important, too. I'd like to look at what I'm doing as applied science. I take all the great things the purists have done and find ways for people to use it."

His vision goes even beyond the food, human and animal health uses. Antibodyproducing plants also have the potential to remove and sequester pesticides and other harmful contaminants."! look at the environmental uses as the next frontier;' he says.

Ironically, Hall is reminded of the many ways plantibodies can improve human lives when he sees anti-smoking advertisements on TV. Current ads point out the negative health effects of the potent drug and end with the saying:"Tobacco ... we can live without it."

He hopes that one day the word"tobacco" conjures up images other than human disease as more researchers focus on using the plant to save and improve human lives.'Td like to think of tobacco as something we can't live without." ga

AGRIBUSINESS INVESTS IN BIOTECH CENTRE AT There's little debate over the fact that Canada's economic cornerstone in this century will be based on biology. And huge steps forward in biotechnology, genomics and biocomputing have drawn attention to U of G's track record in agrifood research: • No other university in Canada has Guelph's record of innovation m research and education in emerging biological technologies.

No other Canadian university has Guelph's network of public and private research partners.

• U of G is at the hub of a rapidly growing cluster of collaborative agribusiness education, research and resources in the Guelph area.

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• The University has an enviable track record of recruiting and training scientific and business leaders in agriculture.

With these advantages in mind, U of G has identified the establishment of an Agricultural Plant Biotechnology and Biocomputing Centre as a research priority.

It will bring together experts in biocomputing, bioengineering and plant agriculture to incubate research in biotechnology, accelerate technology transfer and safeguard the public interest. Plans include building a physical link between the existing Crop Science and Richards buildings, adding a five-storey wing to Crop Science, upgrading equipment and doubling the University's transgenic

U

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greenhouse space, the only such space in eastern Canada.

Through its capital campaign, the University is seeking more than $6 million in private-sector investment to leverage federal and provincial funding on this $26-million project.

In addition to the investments made

by George Jackowski of SYN•X Pharma Inc. and Bill Bodenhamer of Toxin Alert, the proposed biotechnology and biocomputing centre has received almost $1 million in pledges from several OAC class projects, the R. Samuel McLaughlin Foundation and Agrico Canada Ltd. Their gifts- and those to come- will support future Guelph initiatives in agricultural biotechnology.

After the thesis

U of G graduate students talk candidly about money, personal sacrifice and the hope offuture rewards.

Lots of people say the four years they spent in university were some of the best years of their lives. But what about 10 years of university studies? Or more?

For Guelph's 1,750 graduate students,

adding master's and doctoral degrees to their baccalaureate parchment may well stretch the university experience over a full decade. Many will put their personal lives on hold or sandwich marriage and family responsibilities

between research and marking undergraduate papers. They'll have bigger student loans and perennial problems with time management. And there's always the question of whether there is indeed life after the thesis.

By Andrew Vowles and Mary Dickieson â&#x20AC;˘ Photography by Martin Schwalbe Summer 2002 29

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In the following stories, three U of G graduate students share their experiences and shed light on some of the issues that define the grad student experience. Finances, workload and campus relationships top the list. But in the end, these concerns are overshadowed by a sense of excitement and commitment. "I talk about financial pressures and time constraints;' says Rob Falconer, a PhD student in history, "but there's nothing in this world I'd rather be doing."

Learning from the past

A

FTER FINISHING his master's degree in his native Alberta in 1999, Rob Falconer accepted a scholarship offer to complete a doctorate in 16-century cultural history at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland. A great opportunity for someone interested in Scottish history, but one that proved too costly to be realistic.

Falconer says his scholarship income, worth a total of about $15,000 a year, wouldn't support a $2,200-a-month apartment and other living expenses. It turned out that "even the university's best scholarships didn't allow students from abroad to do studies there unless they were from a significantly affluent background."

Now enrolled in graduate studies in Guelph's Department of History, he's find-

ing life more manageable. He's received an Ontario Graduate Scholarship and University of Guelph scholarships and works as a teaching assistant and as co-ordinator of the Scottish studies office. He even has a larger apartment than in Scotland and pays only $550 a month.

Now in his lOth year of university, Falconer is studying regional and national identity in 16-century Scotland by looking at everything from family structure to the arts. "After this kind of time and commitment, it's a passion, it sticks with you," he says, while confessing to perennial problems with time management. "Your job never ends; it's literally 24/7." Even if he's had a productive day, he says he still finds himself

thinking about something more he could be doing. Success lies in being able to accommodate all the unexpected things that come up in a day, he says. "That's what it is about being a grad student, making sure you allot enough time that you feel comfortable with everything that's on your plate."

Like most of Guelph's 1,750 grad students, he draws support from his peers, as well as his research supervisor, Prof. Elizabeth Ewan, and other faculty members.

Until he was sidelined by an injury last summer, Falconer played soccer three times a week. Now, he tries to find an hour or so every day to play his guitar and write. "I'm still pretending to be a rock star;' he says.

If he were to become a university professor- at Guelph or elsewhere- it would close a circle for him that began during his undergraduate days. It was at the University of Alberta that he caught something of the passion conveyed by the professor in his first Scottish history class. All these years later, he's still enamoured by his chosen subject. "I talk about the time constraints of graduate studies, but really it's your time to dictate- what to study and where to conduct research." In that vein, Falconer visited Scotland again last summer for a short research trip and is now planning a longer visit to the archives in Edinburgh.

CAMPAIGN GIFT CREATES LARGEST GRADUATE AWARD U of G wants to attract more graduate students like Falconer, Edgin ton and Ram. While completing their graduate work, good students develop into independent thinkers and researchers, says dean of graduate studies Isobel Heathcote. It's also a first step toward a career as a university professor, she says. And Canada needs both researchers and university professors.

Universities are facing a huge increase in the number of students who will be applying for admission between now and 2010, including the double cohort in Ontario. Add to that the fact that up to 60 per cent of current university professors are due to retire in the same period, and the need is obvious.

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Enhancing our ability to train and attract top faculty is a critical issue for universities, says Heathcote. She applauds the efforts of Guelph alumnus Bill Brock and his wife, Anne, to provide a new doctoral scholarship at U of G. "One of Canada's largest and most prestigious awards for graduate studies, the Brock Scholarship will help us attract the best and brightest students, so that we can continue to generate outstanding talent for the world," says Heathcote.

Funded by a $1-million endowment fund, the scholarship will offer up to $120,000 over four years to extraordinary candidates for graduate studies at the doctorallevel.

Bill Brock is a 1958 graduate of the

Ontario Agricultural College and an active University volunteer. He served as chair of Board of Governors from 1991 to 1995 and still chairs the board of the Heritage Trust.

He has also served the University in numerous other volunteer roles, including as a member of Senate, director of the OAC Alumni Association, chair of the OAC Advisory Committee and deputy chair of the University's last capital campaign.

During a recent interview, he said he and Anne created this scholarship "to help the University be recognized worldwide as a leading research-focused university and to attract brilliant scholars, not only to carry out their graduate studies and research, but also to encourage them to become part of tomorrow's faculty."

group of experts on toxicity testing in amphibians. "That's been an amazing experience," she says, adding that she's also writing the first of a series of papers for the journal Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry that will likely form her graduate thesis.

Despite the heavy workload, "I don't take work home," says Edgin ton, who plays intramural water polo and says her weekends are reserved for hiking and biking with her boyfriend, being creative in the kitchen and spending time with her family, who live only minutes away from her apartment in Waterloo.

Keeping life in balance F FINDING THE MONEY to get into graduate studies is one hurdle, more challenges await the successful candidate.

Andrea Edginton, B.Sc. '98, a PhD student in environmental toxicology, says one of the difficulties is adjusting to the graduate studies regimen and learning how to be your own research boss.

Ideally, that means that master's and doctoral students work with faculty supervisors not merely as adjuncts but as research and teaching colleagues in their own right. "The adviser-student relationship is probably the most important part that will make or break your grad study experience;' says Edgin ton, whose unique perspective stems from several terms on the executive of the Graduate Students' Association. She's thankful for the good relationship she has with her own supervisors -environmental biology professor Gerry Stephenson and biomedical sciences professor Herman Boermans - but she knows "there are people who certainly have issues with their adviser;' including faculty who give students little room for their own research.

"That's the whole point of being here developing your sense of science or research:' Having worked earlier in integrated pest management in fruit production, Edgin ton is now studying how forestry herbicides and other environmental factors affect development in frogs used as bio-indicators. Her project is part of a larger collaborative effort involving academia and industry from New Hampshire to the Canadian Forestry Service in Sault Ste. Marie in field and lab work.

She also takes on the occasional research contract from Environment Canada and is now writing a chapter based on her recent visit to Vancouver as part of a working

I

Building a better future HAT OPPORTUNITIES would you give up to pursue a graduate degree at Guelph? How about an assignment that might have landed you more or less in the middle of current events around Afghanistan -and as a representative of royalty, no less?

Shortly after the Sept. 11 suicide bombings in New York and Washington, political science graduate student Sunil Ram received a call to ask whether he'd hop on a jet bound for the Middle East to help gauge the extent of Saudi involvement among Al-Qaeda forces.

His caller represented the Saudi royal family, for which Ram has served as a military adviser for more than a decade. That work stems from a small company he started in Regina during the late 1980s along with several military electronics and communication specialists.

Ram served 20 years in the Canadian Armed Forces before retiring to private enterprise. He is also an adjunct professor at the American Military University near Washington and a sought-after expert commentator on peacekeeping and military issues.

The notion that he would turn down his Middle East contacts prompted some incredulity, but Ram stood his ground. "I had already made the commitment. I told the Saudis I wasn't going to be available for any real work for a couple of years."

A youthful-looking 40-year-old who favours military fatigues on campus, he sidelined his teaching position in Washington to add grad school to his resume. He has three undergraduate degrees from the University of Regina, is currently in the final semester of a Guelph master's degree in political science,

W

and plans to complete a doctorate in UN peacekeeping and the altered security environment since Sept. 11. "For me, the level of motivation is extremely high. I understand the value of the degree:' Ram chose Guelph partly for its proximity to Toronto, as well as the opportunity to work with faculty in the Department of Political Science, where Prof. Richard Phidd is his supervisor. Ram and his wife, Aditi, have a 15-month-old son, and she works as an international model. ga

BILL AND ANNE BROCK (WITH MORDECHAI ROZANSKI) Brock Scholarship Endowment

â&#x20AC;˘ $1 million "The University of Guelph has built an outstanding reputation, and we hope this scholarship will help build on this excellent base."

Summer 2002 31

-

UNIVERSITY OF GUELPH

DONOR PROFILE UGAA MAKES HISTORY WITH CAMPAIGN GIFT

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UNIVERSITY

OF

GuELPH

Alumni Association is one of the top contributors to the U of G campaign. A $500,000 donation announced this month will support construction of the Universi ty's new classroom complex.

The gift is one of the largest in Canadian history for an alumni association.

"In making such a significant contribution, we are sending a clear signal to alumni and the entire University of Guelph community that we endorse the goals of the University;' says UGAA president Jim Weeden .

"The volunteer board, including representatives from each college, voted unanimously in favour of the 10-year pledge in December 2001. With facilities of this calibre, we're supporting world-class teaching and learning and meeting the challenges of educating the next generation of Guelph grads."

Scheduled for completion in September

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GuELPH ALUMNUS

2003, the classroom complex will meet the University's growing capacity needs with a one-of-a-kind first -tier teaching and learning facility. It will accommodate students from all colleges and disciplines on campus and will provide leading-edge lecture theatres and classrooms equipped with computer-based multimedia equipment for the delivery of technology-assisted courses. The complex will sit in the centre of campus, on the former site of the beef barn .

A donation to the classroom complex not only benefits students, but also increases the profile of the UGAA .

"Although the UGAA has become more readily recognized by alumni, we would like to start building that relationship early in each student's university career," says Weeden.

In recognition of this outstanding gift, the UGAA logo will be prominently dis played in the building's main hallway, which will feature a limestone wall built from the stone foundation of the original barn. Several options for placement of the logo are being explored, including inlaid with tile in the hallway floor, he says. In addition, three

display cases set in the stone wall will be reserved for the exclusive use of the association. They will be used to promote student and alumni events and to display memorabilia. T his recognition will give the UGAA a highly visible presence in one of the busiest student areas of the campus.

The UGAA's substantial commitment to the University campaign is made possible through revenue generated by its affinity programs. T he association has negotiated preferred group rates for its members with a number of companies offering a variety of products and services. See the UGAA Web site at www.alumni.uoguelph .ca for more information. Revenue generated from these programs is used to support student and alumni programs.

"The UGAA's five-year pledge is reflective of the ongoing relationship alumni have with the campus and the rich history of alumni involvement." says Prof. Rob McLaughlin, vice-president (alumni affairs and development) . "We will continue to work together, building on Guelph's traditions of making the world a better place to live."

atters HIGHLIGHTS • GRAD NEWS • OBITUARIES • CALENDAR CAMPUS GOES TO VANCOUVER

ALL ROADS LEAD TO GUELPH!

A

LUMNI FROM EVERY Uof GcolJege attended a gathering in Vancouver last August. Hosted by OVC dea n Alan Meek and Laura Manning, director of OVC devel opment, the group of 60 received an update on campus activities and alumni events. The senior class represe nted was Mac '40; the youngest was CPES 2000. Alumni in the Vancouver area who would like to attend future events are encouraged to contact Alumni Affairs to find out more about the southern Ontario alumni reunion being planned for June. E-mail jbrett@uoguelph.ca or visit the online alumni community.

FLORIDA TRADITION CONTINUES

A

TRADITIO N SINCE THE 1960 S, the annual Florida reunion in Port Charlotte drew 80 alumni in March. The lunch provided an opportunity for alumni to meet old friends and make new acquaintances with other snowbirds and residents of Florida. For the third year running, OAC '51 was awarded the Baker Trophy for having the most class members at the event. Susan Rankin, director of alumni affairs, and OAC dean C raig Pearson brought greetings on behalf of the University. The committee for the 2003 event will be led by Margaret Stephens, B.H.Sc. '56, the first chair from Macdonald Institute.

T

HE CATCHPHRASE FOR Alumni Weekend 2002 hopes to inspire all alumni to visit campus June 21 to 23.

Take in some of the weekend's m ai n events, hold a class reunion or simply tour around your old stomping grounds.

Alumni Weekend kicks off Friday night with a welcome barbecue for all alumni at the Bullring. The President's Lunch on Saturday is a chance to see inside the new Gryphon Dome and hear about what's new on campus. The silver and golden anniversary classes celebrate Saturday night, and the weekend closes with a farewell breakfast in Creelman Hall Sunday morning.

College alumni associations and the University of Guelph Alumni Association will hold an annual meeting and reception, and meeting rooms across

campus will be filled as more than 30 classes and groups- from 1933 Aggies to 2001 vets - get together for reunions.

The following classes and groups will hold reunions: Mac '52, Mac '52D, Mac '57, Mac '57D, Mac '67, FACS '72, HAFA '77, FACS '77, HAFA '92, OAC '33, OAC '37, OAC '38, OAC '42 and OAC '40A, OAC '47, OAC '49, OAC '52, OAC '52A, OAC '57, OAC '67, OAC '67 A, OAC '70, OAC '72, OAC '77, OVC '47, OVC '52, OVC '57, OVC '01, Bio Sci '82 and French House.

Members of these groups will receive registration packages in May; others will be mailed on request. For more information, visit the alumni Web site at www.uoguelph.ca/alumni, send e-mail to alumni@uoguelph.ca, drop by Alumni House or call519-824-4120, Ext. 6544.

LOOKING FOR AN INTERNATIONAL POSITION?

U

G's CENTRE FOR Internatio nal Programs regularly receives information about positions overseas or with international organizations in Ca nada. If you would like to be informed of these opportunities, send e-mail to Jan Walker at jwalker@uoguelph.ca and ask her to place you on the centre's international positions listserv.

OF

ALUMNI CONNECT ONLINE

M

ORE THAN 500 MEMBERS ofthe Un iversity of Guelph family have signed up to use the new U of G online community. They're connecting with old friends, using the bulletin board discussion groups, getting career and travel advice, and

serving as mentors for current and former students. To register for this free service, visit the site at www.olcnetwork.net/uoguelph and click on "new members register here."

Enter your first and last name as it appears on your alumni record and either your student number or birthdate.

Summer 2002 33

•

!'

alumni Matters REUNION DES ANCIENTS DE LA MAISON FRAN~ISE

If you're interested in joining the Historical Plaque Project, call Siobhan Harrop at 519-824-4120, Ext. 6142, or send e-mail to sharrop@alumni.uoguelph.ca.

For more information about William Johnston, see College on the Hill: A History of

OIGNEZ-VOUS a La premiere reunion des ancients de La maison fran<;:aise durant Ia fin de semaine des ancients. Pour plus d' information sur les activites, visite1. notre site: www.alumni.uoguelph.ca/lmf.

Plein de photos, partagez vos souvenirs preferes, des blagues et plus!

J

the Ontario Agricultural College, 1874-1974, available in the U of G Library and bookstore.

DID YOU LIVE IN MAIDS HALL IN 1972/73 OR 1973/74?

WHO'S THE JOHNSTON IN JOHNSTON HALL?

OIN US FOR A MAIDS HALL reunion July 27, 2002! Almost 30 years ago, we lived, laughed and lacked sleep together in Maids Hall. Let's reconnect, reminisce and make some new memories.

For more information, contact Heidi Wilker at 905-457-2092 or hdwilker@sympatico.ca.

J

A

LTHOUGH SOME HISTORIANS credit William Johnston as being the true founder of the Ontario School of Agriculture, it might be more accurate to call him its accidental saviour. Hired in August 1874 as rector, Johnston was thrust almost immediately into the position of acting principal of a school that was floundering on the heels of government patronage and inept leadership. He led the School of Agriculture for only five years, but turned it from a public laughingstock into an institution with a strong and even respectable image. Johnston's vision that the "union of the scientific and the practical of the skill of intellect and the skill of the hand (could) be accomplished" lives on today in the descendant University of Guelph.

How appropriate that the most recognizable building on campus is named for one of the University's strongest historical leaders.

William Johnston

BULLRING TO HOST tooTH-ANNIVERSARY PUB

Johnston's contributions will be acknowledged anew during the Alumni Weekend unveiling of a historical plaque to be installed on the building that bears his name. It's part of an alumni initiative to review the almost 80 named buildings on campus and provide plaques to recognize the University leaders they honour. Plaques were installed on Creelman and Mills halls last summer, and there's a Jist of potential projects waiting for sponsorship.

F

ROM CATT LE CALLS TO last call, the Bullring has been a fixture on campus for a century. Alumni from every year have great stories to share. Meet at the Bullring june 22 at 9 p.m. for a true "oldies" night with music from the '70s, '80s and early '90s.

Get full details in the Alumni Weekend registration package. And if you have Bullring photos or stories for display, contact Alumni House at 519-824-4120, Ext. 6544, or alumni@uoguelph.ca.

EDMONTON ALUMNI EVENT HOSTS GRADS FROM ALL COLLEGES ROF. ALUN JOSEPH, dean of the College of Social and Applied Human Sciences, hosted a reception for U of G alumni in Edmonton Feb. 22. About 80 people attended, representing almost every college alumni association and graduation year from 1936 to 2001. Joseph gave an updatew on campus activities. He was accompanied by alumni programs manager Laurie Malleau, hotel and food administration professors Joe Barth and Stephen Lynch, and Prof. John Walsh, director of the School of Hotel and Food Administration and associate dean of the Faculty of Management.

P

Pauline and Murray Hawkins, BSA '53, left, with U of G preofessor Joe Barth.

34 GuELPH ALUMNus

alumni Matters Coming Events

Y' ALL

COME BACK NOW, YA HEAR?

june 11 to 1 4 - Spring convocation june 21 to 23- Alumni Weekend june 2 2 - Southern Ontario alumni reunion, Jericho Beach, Vancouver, noon to 4 p.m. july 1 3 - OAC '82 reunion at U of G Whippletree, contact Anne-Marie McWilliam at 519-762-2022 or csammcw@execulink.com. july 2 0 - OAC '59A reunion at Alumni House, contact Fred Black at 519-843-6709.

Sept. 6- OACAA annual golf tournament; contact Carla Bradshaw at cbradsha@oac.uoguelph.ca.

Sept. 13 to 15- OAC '54A reunion in Woodstock; contact George Quinn at 519-283-6450 or jangeo@sympatico.ca or John McClellan at 519-836-2660.

Sept. 14 -Arboretum Auxiliary plant sale, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., free admission.

Sept. 21- Homecoming.

Sept. 21- OAC '62 reunion at U of G; contact John Pawley at 519-823-5967 or cpawley@golden.net.

Sept. 22 - Wall-Custance Memorial Forest annual dedication service, 2:30 p.m.

For information about these or other alumni activities, contact Alumni House at 519824-4120, Ext. 6544, or alumni@uoguelph.ca.

Mac-FACS Centenary Awards 100

to be recognized

in 2003 fC?r the woth anniversary of the college.

Nominate someone who has made a difference.

S

AN ANTONIO, T EXAS, was th e site of the most recent alumni gathering outside of Guelph . Grads from Brownsville to Dallas made the trip to enjoy a Texas barbecue, line dancing and th e sights of San Antonio.

The gro up reminisced about Guelph fr om th e Bullring to residence life and heard the latest U of G news from Alumni Affairs representatives Sam Kosakowski and Jennifer Brett. They also gave a presentatio n on th e Un ivers it y's new online community.

"For alumni living outside of Guelph, it's a great way for us to ke ep in tou ch with each other;' said Ted Freeman , BSA

Choose one or more categories: • A graduate who has made an outstanding contribution to his/her profession or to society in general, exemplifying the principles of the college; • A graduate who exemplifies the spirit of voluntarism through civic/com munity mindedness; • A person who has made significant contributions to the evolution of Macdonald Institute into the College of Family and Consumer Studies, School of Hotel and Food Admin istratio n, and College of Social and

'56, who organized the Texas reunion.

Several Texas alumni reported that they've alread y posted "Keepi ng In Touch" entries and are using the job posting and business card section of the site at www.olcnetwork.net/uoguelph. Pictures of the Texas event are posted in the bulletin board section.

A planning sess ion for future reunions was held and several ideas came forward, including introd uci ng new activities such as a dude ranch weekend . Organizers woul d like your input. Just visit the online community Texas bulletin board or send e-mail to Brett at jbrett@uoguelph.ca.

Applied Human Sciences; • A person who has been a positive influence on the personal or professional development of individuals on campus.

Eligibility: Groups or individuals and posthumous awards will be considered. Deadline: Dec.1, 2002.

For details, contact Prof. Jane Londerville, Consumer Studies, by e-mail at jlonder@uoguelph .ca, or phone at 519-824·4120, Ext. 3091.

Summer 2002 35

HIRE AGUELPH CO-OP STUDENT Physical Sciences • • • • • • •

Applied Math & Statistics Biochemistry Biophysics Chemical Physics Chemistry Computing & Information Science Physics

Commerce • Management Economics in Industry & Finance • Hotel & Food Administration • Housing & Real Estate Management • Agricultural Business • Marketing Management

B.Sc. (Technology) • Pharmaceutical Chemistry • Physics and Technology

Biological Sciences • • • •

Biomedical Toxicology E nvironmental Toxicology Food Science Microbiology

Engineering Sciences • Biological • Engineering Systems & Computing • E nvironmental • Water Resources

Social Sciences • • • • •

Child Studies Economics Family & Social Relations Getontology Psychology

Environmental Sciences MA Economics

GRAD NEWS

U of G launched distinguished science career

Imagine that we could test and manufacture new drugs for cancer and AIDS a thousand times faster. That's the first step towards achieving it, says Mark Lautens, B.Sc.'81, who believes the organic chemists he's training today will take his science to new levels within the next generation.

Lautens heads a research group at the University of Toronto that includes 14 grad-

uate students, six post -doctoral fellows and four undergraduates. Their focus is on the synthesis ofbioactive compounds.

"We try to find better ways to make pharmaceuticals," he says. "Part of our goal is to make known techniques useful in new ways. Another part is making new kinds of chemical structures that weren't possible before, which we hope will have some sort of therapeutic utility."

A professor at U ofT since 1987, Lautens says his interest in organic chemistry developed at U of G, where he was first exposed to the benefits of blending research experience with undergraduate education.

He credits Prof. Gordon Lange, Chemistry and Biochemistry, for stimulating a future career direction.

"I took three undergraduate classes with Prof. Lange and worked with him trying to synthesize anti-cancer compounds.''

Since then, Lautens has made his own contributions to the field of organic chemistry.

He is one of the newest inductees into the Royal Society of Canada, the country's highest academic accolade. The honour follows many other awards, including the Royal Society's Rutherford Memorial Medal, an E.W.R. Steacie Fellowship from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council, and visiting professorships at several institutions around the globe.

Enriching his life outside the lab are his wife, Julia, and their two children .

important advancement in groundwater remediation in the past two decades.

• Bill Morrison, ADA '68 and B.Sc.(P.E.) '72, is vice-president, research and development, of Leading Edge Medical Devices Inc. in Grimsby, Ont. A medical educator and specialist in biomechanics, he has been working on the development of bracing techniques for more than 30 years. He has held research and development positions at several universities, including Victoria University in Australia, the University of Ottawa, Penn State

1960 • Bob Gillham, BSA '63 and H.D.Sc. '99, was named an Officer of the Order of Canada in January 2002. He is a professor of earth science at the University of Waterloo and is known for his inventions. and research on groundwater clean-up technologies. He holds or co-holds several international patents related to this technology, which is recognized internationally as a strong candidate for the most

and SUNY Cortland. Now semiretired, he is marketing a new knee orthotic for Leading Edge, which specializes in a kinetic knee motion support system that benefits osteo~rthritis patients, knee injuries and post-surgery recoveries. He can be reached at bill.morrison3@sympatico.ca or through the company Web site at leadingedgemedical.net.

• George Sweetnam, B.Sc. '66, of Lindsay, Ont., is president of the Canadian Dental Association (CDA). He received his dental degree from the University of Toronto in 1971 and has maintained a private practice in Lindsay since graduation. He is a member of the Peterborough and District Dental Society, is past president of the Ontario Dental Association and has served on numerous CDA committees, including terms as chair of both the ethics committee and the steering committee on dental benefits issues. Outside of his professional work, Sweetnam has served as a senior official with Swim Canada. His family is wellknown for their involvement in swimming. His wife, Marion, B.H.Sc. '65, is a former Canadian Swim Coach of the Year, and their three children competed nationally and internationally for many years. Both Nancy, B.Comm. '99, and Steven, B.H.Sc.(H.K.) '94, swam with the Gryphon varsity team while attending U of G.

1970 • Linda (Byham) Arseneau, B.Sc. (Agr) '79, is pursuing an honours BA in English at d1e University of Ottawa and li ves in Rockland, Ont., with her husband, Anthony, and their four children: Nicole, David, Amanda and Andrea. Linda looks forward to hearing from former classmates at arseneau@a ttcanada.ca.

• Don Baxter, BA '72, was recently appointed director of the Burlington Economic Devel-

Summer 2002 37

opment Corporation. After Guelph, he earned a master's degree in urban and regional planning at Queen's University.

He was formerly executive director of the Metro Toronto Economic Development Division and is a founding partner of Economic Growth Solutions, a management consulting firm involved in economic development, tourism and marketing.

Baxter lives in Toronto with his wife, Gloria, B.A.Sc. '73, and their daughter, Mallory.

• Brian Evans, B.Sc.(Agr.) '74 and DVM '78, was a 2001 recipient of a public service award recognizing the commitment

and achievement of federal government employees. Evans, who is head of the Canadian Food

Inspection Agency's animal products directorate, led an evaluation team to Brazil in 2001 to assess that country's compliance with Canada's policy on bovine spongiform encephalopathy. The investigation led him to recommend lifting a Canada-imposed ban on Brazilian beef imports. He was also instrumental in implementing risk management policies and emergency measures to protect Canada from the potential impact of an outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease in the United Kingdom and Europe.

• Edward Makowski, B.Sc. '76 and M.Sc. '78, is a senior manager with 24 years of experience in the crop-protection industry and has been named the first executive director of the Institute of Forest Biotechnology. The North Carolina Biotechnology Center created the non-profit institute in 2000 to promote societal, ecological and economic benefits from appropriate uses of biotechnology in forestry.

Makowski lives in Regina, Sask., with his wife, Roberta.

• Jean-Denis Methot, B.Sc.(Agr.)

'79, recently moved to Guelph with his wife, Marie, and their children: Jean-Franc,:ois, 14; Mathieu, 11; Marc-Andre, 8; and Eric, 4. Methot is now general manager of Agriculture and AgriFood Canada's farm debt mediation services, as well as farm consultation services for the Ontario region. Friends can reach him at jean -denis.methot@ sympatico.ca.

• Sabine (Vahlenkamp) Schleese, B.Sc. '77, is managing director and CEO of Schleese Saddlery Service Ltd. and has been named one of ProfitGuide's top 100 women business owners. Schleese runs the company with her husband, Jochen, a master saddle maker who trained in Germany and England. They live in Newmarket, Ont., with their children, Leslie, Samantha and Danielle.

Schleese can be reached at info@schleese.com.

• Carin Wittnich, DVM '76, was recently awarded the Order of Ontario for her work in promoting awareness and education of heart disease. A faculty member in the University ofToron-

STAY IN TOUCH U of G Alumni Association Jim Weeden, president ................................ e-mail: alumni@uoguelph.ca .................................................. www.ugalumni.uoguelph.ca Alumni Programs Susan Rankin, director ..................................... srankin@uoguelph.ca Carla Bradshaw, OAC alumni officer ..................... cbradsha@oac.uoguelph.ca Sam Kosakowski, CBS/CPES alumni officer .................. skosakow@uoguelph.ca Laurie Malleau, CSAHS alumni officer .......... . ............ .lmalleau@uoguelph.ca Andrea Pavia, OVC alumni officer .......................... apavia@ovc.uoguelph.ca June Pearson, COA alumni officer ............................ jpearson@uoguelph.ca Vikki Tremblay, alumni programs office ..................vikkit@alumni.uoguelph.ca Alumni Records ........................................... records@uoguelph.ca International Programs Jan Walker, job posting service ................. . .... .... ..... jwalker@uoguelph.ca Guelph Alumnus Mary Dickieson, editor ............................. m.dickieson@exec.uoguelph.ca For telephone contact, call 519-824-4120.

38

GuELPH ALUMNUS

to's Department of Surgery, she was cited for increasing positive surgical outcomes of cardiac repair in children. She is a Northrop Frye Scholar, recognized for her innovative ability to link research and teaching.

Other awards include U ofT's George Armstrong-Peters Award and Lister Prize. In addition, the university's Department of Physiology recently named a teaching assistant award in her honour. Apart from her professional work, Wittnich volunteers for various charities, including the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Ontario, and is a founding director of the Oceanographic Environmental Research Society. She lives in Barrie, Ont., with her husband, Michael Belanger.

1980 (Stowe) Alba, • Laurie B.Sc.(H.K. ) '80, is teaching at Colegio F.D. Roosevelt, the American School of Lima, Peru.

She reports that after a short stint in Lima during the end of the "terrorism" years, she returned to a more peaceful Peru in 1997. She and her husband, Cesar, have two daughters, Kelsea and Cody, and can be reached at dytech@terra.com.pe.

• Janet Amare, B.Sc. '82, is a professional coach, career counsellor and president of an educational centre called Soul Purpose Inc. in Camp bellville, Ont. In addition to her Guelph degree in marine biology, she has studied human behaviour and natural healing techniques, worked in human resources and organization development, and is skilled in training, consulting and public speaking.

Amare recently published a book called Saul Purpose: A Practical Guide far Creating a Life You Lave, which aims to help people find and develop careers that provide both joy

and financial success. Publication details can be found at www.inktreemarketing.com.

• Richard D'Abreu, BA '89, is a self-employed graphic artist who worked in Japan for a few years and now lives in Cambridge, Ont. • Francesca Dobbyn, BA '89, is co-ordinator of one of Ontario's most publicized events- the annual Wiarton Willie Festival. She's pictured here with a Willie mascot on prediction morning 02/02/02.

It was snowing and blowing in

Wiarton, so the real groundhog didn't see his shadow, and that's the reason for this year's early spring, says Dobbyn, who's been co-ordinating the festival for three years. Her efforts were recognized recently when Bruce

and Grey counties presented her with their top award for tourism activities. A single parent with a 16-year-old son and a 12-year-old daughter, Dobbyn has taken on a new challenge to help Wiarton Willie support the Bruce Peninsula OPP's annual Cops for Cancer Campaign. If $020202.00 is pledged by June 2, she'll lose her long locks in the Bruce Peninsula's first headshave event for cancer. To contact Dobbyn or find out more about the Wiarton Willie Festival, visit the Web site at www.wiarton-willie.org.

• Tom Droppo, B.Sc.(Agr.) '81 and M.Sc. '82, received Manitoba Agriculture and Food's annual award for job dedication in 2000/2001. He began his 20year extension career with the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs in 1982 and has been with Manitoba Agriculture and Food since 1985. He lives in Winnipeg and has two daughters, Megan and Samantha. He can be reached at tdroppo@ilos.net.

• Amber Jackson, BA '87, is a registered nurse who earned a 1992 nursing degree from Ryer-

son University with a minor in health promotion. She moved to Nunavut last year when her husband took a job with Nunavut Power. They live in Cambridge Bay with their children: Braden, 5; and Caylie, 3.

• Kashmiri La! Raheja, PhD '88, is a professor and head of the Department of Animal Breeding at CCS Haryana Agricultural University in Hisar, India. He is also officiating dean of the College of Animal Sciences. Previously, he was a senior scientist at the Indian Veterinary Research Institute in Izatnagar.

• Irene Moore, DVM '86 and B.Sc.(Agr.)'82, teaches in the veterinary technology program at Ridgetown College and was recently presented with the Veterinarian Appreciation Award of the Ontario Association of Veterinary Technicians. The annual award recognizes a veterinarian who has demonstrated outstanding support and has contributed to the increased awareness of the veterinary technician's role in the animal health community.

• Jan Sargeant, DVM '86, M.Sc.

'92 and PhD '96, has been appointed a professor of epidemiology and recipient of the W.S. and E.C. Jones Departmental Chair of Clinical Epidemiolog¥ at the Kansas State University College of Veterinary Medicine.

• Karin Schneider, B.Sc. '81 and M.Sc. '90, is a research pathology technician at Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada's Vineland Station. She lives in Beamsville, Ont., with her husband, Steven Beier!, and can be reached at schneiderk@em. agr. ca.

• Eduardo Valdes, M.Sc. '82 and PhD '94, has moved to Orlando, Fla., to work as an animal nutritionist at Disney Animal Kingdom. For the last 11 years, he held a similar position at the Toronto Zoo. He and his wife, Rosa Maria, have four children: Edwardo, Isabel, Natalia and An maria.

• Patricia Williams, PhD '89, is the author of two books, both published in 2001. Doing Without Adam and Eve: Sociobiology and Original Sin is about the meaning of evolution for the Christian doctrines of the Fall

GRAD NEWS UPDATE FORM Name

Degree & Year _ _ _ _ _ _ __

Address

City

Prov./State _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __

Postal Code _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __

Home Phone ________

Fax

E-mail

Business Phone _ _ _ _ _ __

Fax

E-mail

Occupation Grad News U p d a t e - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Send address changes and Grad News to: Alumni Records, University of Guelph, Guelph ON N1G 2W1 Phone: 519-824-4120, Ext. 6550, Fax: 519-822-2670, E-mail: records@uoguelph.ca

Summer 2002 39

and the Atonement. The second book, Where Christianity Went Wrong, When, and What You Can Do About It, is an introduction to the historical jesus and what he says to us today. These books and another that she edited 10 1995, Evolution and Human Values, are previewed on her Web site at www.theologyauthor.com. Williams lives in Covesville, Virginia, and can be contacted at theologyauthor@ aol.com.

1990 • David Beck, B.Sc. '92, and Tanya (Cork) Beck, B.Sc. (HK) '93, became first-time parents when their son, Brendyn, was born in November 2001. They live in Port Hope, Ont., and can be reached at DavidBeck525@ msn.com.

• Beatrix Beisner, B.Sc. '92, received her PhD in ecology from the University of British

Columbia in 2000 and has held a post-doctoral position at the University of Wisconsin-Madison since then. She says she's excited to be returning to U ofG this july as a professor of aquatic ecology in the Department of Zoology. Her current e-mail is bebeisner@facstaff. wisc.edu.

• Karen (nee Kapusniak) Chin, B.Comm. '92, and her husband, Robert, welcomed a second daughter, Kyra Simone Chin, Oct. 27,2001, a sister to Olivia.

They recently moved back to Toronto after five years in Vancouver and would love to hear from fellow Guelphites at krchin@comnet.ca.

• Patrick Elliott, B.Sc. '95, married janet Wheeler Aug. 11,2001.

He teaches biology and chemistry and coaches hockey at Orchard Park Secondary School in Stoney Creek, Ont., and recently completed a master's of education at

Brock University. Contact him at pelliott@hwdsb.on.ca.

• Chad Fairbairn, BA '93, is a senior client support specialist with Cold Springs Farm 10 Thamesford, Ont. He says it's ironic that he's working in the agri-food industry after becoming famous for avoiding science classes at all costs while at Guelph. Cold Springs Farm raises turkeys and hogs, supplies feed from its feed mill and manages manure waste by turning it into premium fertilizer and compost products used in crop production. Fairbairn lives in London with his wife, julie, and children, Amanda and Kyle. His e-mail address is chadf@coldsp.com, and he says he'd like to hear from his old history buddies or anyone else who can't believe he's now working with 10 to 20 Aggies!

• Ian Gollert, BA '93, and janet Cu nningham, B.Comm. '94,

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40

GuELPH ALUMNUS

were married in 1997 and now live with their dog, Riley, in Niagara Falls, Ont. They work in St. Catharines, where he is a financial adviser with Palomar ;r

.,,1 ' ' Financial Group and she is a purchasing supervisor with Henry Schein Arcona, a medical and dental supplies distributor. They invite all former U of G friends to e-mail them at ijgollert@sympatico.ca.

• Bill Hawkins, ADA ' 94, has accepted the position of vicepresident, external relations,

with the Electricity Distributors Association. He was previously director of issues management and head of special projects for former Ontario premier Mike Harris. Prior to that, Hawkins was a media specialist for then Health Minister Elizabeth Witmer. He also holds a BA from McMaster University.

• David Ivory, B.Sc.(Agr.) '92, recently accepted a Texas Community Forestry Award presented to the city of Brownsville, where he is assistant director of public works and city forester.

Part of his responsibility is the management of city forest resources, including the recent purchase of a seedling nursery to keep up with the demand for tree planting in the city. Brownsville was commended for planning and partnerships that are enabling it to build a forestry program that rivals those of larger

communities. For details, log on to http://txforestservice.tamu.edu /urban_ forestry/ index.html.

• Mary Meuser, B.Comm. (Agr.) '96, has rejoined Kahntact Marketing Inc. as an account executive. She began her professional career at the Guelph firm right after graduation, but has worked since then at the marketing firm AdFarm in Calgary and CHM Communications in Montreal.

• Brenda Nur, B.Sc. '96, is an au diometric technician at the Hospital for Sick Ch ildren in Toronto. She can be reached at brenda_ nur@yahoo.ca.

• Karen Reynolds-Drew, B.Sc. '9 1, and Chris Drew, B.Sc. '92, welcomed their son, Elliot, into the world in March 2001. The couple met in Lamb ton Hall in 1986 and have been married for eight years. She has worked for Kraft Canada for five years, most recen tly in reg ulatory

OAC engineering grads reunite

Guelph engineering grads from 1948 to 1966 we re invited to cam· pus last summer for a first-time re union of engineers who rece ived th ei r degrees th rou gh the former OAC affi li ation with t he Unive rsity of Toronto. About 6o alumni an d t heir spouses enjoyed a golf to urn amen t, a wa lki ng t our of ca mpus and dining togeth er. Engineering professor John Ogilvie helped organize the event on behalf of the OAC engineering alum ni.

compliance. He went on to complete a technical diploma in geographic information systems in Nova Scotia and now works for the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources in Peterborough.

The fami ly lives in Baltimore, and they would love to hear from any"4B" mates and other friends at drew@eagle.ca.

• Robert Rinfret, DVM '98, married Shannon McDonald

Comprehensive, Professional Investment Planning & Advice Call today for information regarding: • Retirement and Estate Planning • International Investments • Portfolio Strategies • Tax Advantaged Investment Strategies • Charitable Gift Strategies

Wayne Koning s.sc. (Agr.) '66 Vice President, Investment Advisor

(416) 359-4671 or 1-800-736-1714 E-mail: wayne.koning@nbpcd.com www. waynekoning.com

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Sept. 22,2001, in Mount Pleasant, Ont. He is practising mixed-animal medicine in Norwich and can be contacted by e-mail at rrinfret@hotmail.com.

• Deborah Lynn (Matthews) Rumble, BA '95, is a volunteer with the International Association of Administrative Profes-

sionals Web Page Design and Graphic Art. Contact her at rumbledebra@yahoo.com.

• Robert Royal, BA '91, lives in Milton, Ont., and works in sales for Carrier Canada. His fourthyear history thesis was included in the Dictionary of Canadian Biographies published by the

3, 1996, and are living in Bolton, Ont. • Matthew Whiting, B.Sc. (Agr.) '95 and M.Sc. '98, and Cory (nee Heron), B.Sc. (Agr.) '97 and M.Sc. '99, are enjoying life in Prosser, Wash., where he recently completed doctoral studies at Washington State University. He has now accepted a faculty position there in the Department of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture and will specialize in stone fruit horticulture and whole-plant physiology. He and Cory also announce the birth of their daughter, Madeleine Margaret, on Dec. 6, 2001. They can be reached at mdwhiting@wsu. edu.

2000 2000 • Darryl James, ADH '01, is the 2001 winner of the Canadian Golf Superintendents Association/Taro Future Superintendent Award. He was co-ordinator of the U of G turf club last year and is the new assistant superintendent at Oliver's Nest Golf Club in Lindsay, Ont. • Greg McDonald, ADA '00, lives in Teeswater, Ont., and is a farm labourer for Thacker Farms, an organic farm operation in Formosa.

• Dawson Winegard, B.Sc. (H.K.)'02, shared convocation with his grandparents, Sandra and William "Bill" Winegard, who officiated at two dozen convocation ceremonies during

University of Toronto Press.

Contact him at rob_bob@ aztecnet.com.

• Rachelle Therrien-Green, BA '95, and Kevin Green, B.Comm.(Agr.) '95, celebrated the birth of their first child, Dylan Alexander, April 22, 2001. They were married Aug.

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his tenure as president of the University of Guelph from 1967 to 1975.

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who died Sept. 12,2001. The Brenda Conn Memorial Fund has been established at U of G. To make donations, call Alumni Affairs and Development at 519-824-4120, Ext. 6540.

Laura Ellis, B.Sc. '93, died Feb. 18, 2002, when the Toronto police cruiser she was riding in crashed en route to answer an emergency call. A five-year veteran of the Toronto police force , she had recently returned to work following the birth of her one-year-old daughter, Paige. She was buried Feb. 22 following a full police service and received numerous commendations from fellow officers at the Scarborough police division.

Pauline McGibbon, U of G chancellor from 1977 to 1983, died Dec. 14 at the age of 91. A former lieutenant-governor of Ontario, Mrs. McGibbon was known for her ability to put people at ease and for the grace she lent to events during her U of G service. She also developed a reputation at Guelph for dramatic entrances and exits. She rode to her 1977 installation in a horse-drawn carriage and, in 1979, made a spectacular departure from convocation by helicopter. Her public service included several positions in education and the arts, and she was a director of George Weston Ltd. and IBM Canada.

She was appointed a Companion of the Order of Canada in 1980 and named to the Order of Ontario in 1988.

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Brenda Conn, B.A.Sc. '87, died Sept. 7, 2001. After receiving her degree at Guelph, she completed an internship in clinical dietetics at Kitchener-Waterloo Hospital and was a member of the College of Dietitians of Ontario. She worked at the K-W Hospital, University Hospital in London and most recently the Sunbeam Residential Development Centre in Kitchener. She married her high school sweetheart, Bob Chesney,~ 1989 and was actively involved in their farm business and in the com munity life of Innerkip. Survived by her husband and two children, Alexandra, 10, and Luke, 7, she is resting with Robbie,

Ian Johnstone, DVM '66, M.Sc. '72 and PhD '78, died Feb. 25, 2002. A professor in Guelph's Department of Biomedical Sciences since 1978, he taught in both clinical and paraclinical areas of the veterinary program. His research interests focused on comparative studies on the hemostatic mechanism in domestic animals, and the detection and characterization of inherited and acquired abn ormalities in different animal species. He is survived by his wife, Carol Ann, and his son, Darryl. A tree will be planted in his m emory Sept. 22 in the Wall -Custance Memorial Forest at the Arboretum.

Jeffrey Airey, DVM '51, Aug. 6, 2001 Robert Anderson, DVM '50, Feb. 5, 2002 Lorraine Andrew, D HE '42, date unknown Herbert Armstrong, BSA '49, Jan. 20, 2002 John Armstrong, BSA '60, Dec. 23, 2001 Frank Bayus, B.Sc.(Eng) '68, May 5, 2001 Peter Bell, DVM '75, Feb. 6, 2002 Mark Bradley, B.Sc.(Agr.) '81, May 25, 2001 Wesley Brownlee, BSA '45, Jan. 6, 2002 Florence Bush, DHE '38, Dec. 20, 2001 John Child, BSA '41, Nov. 18, 2001 Henry Courtenay, BSA '57, Feb. 2, 2000 Marjorie Cullen, DHE '33, Oct. 26, 2001 Erna "Moshie" Dahms, ODH '97, March 16,2002

Donald Dann, ADA '85, jan. 15, 2002 Basil Dawley, BSA '41, Oct. 3, 2001 Stephen Dryden, BA '73, Feb. 18, 2002 Sidney Dunning, ADA '37 , date unknown Laura Ellis, B.Sc. '93, Feb. 18, 2002 Melvin Ferguson, ODH '82, June 8, 2001 Marian Fulford, DHE '36, in 2001 Don Groff, M.Sc. '68, Oct. 27, 2001 Ethel Hafermehl, DHE '56, Nov. 16,2001 Kathleen Hagey, DHE '37, Dec. 2, 2001 Doris Halliday, DHE '49, Jan. 29,2002 Douglas Hindson, ADA '58, October 2001 Archie Irvine, BSA '37, Dec. 8, 2001 Heatheranne Jessop, B.H.Sc. '61, Jan. 8, 2002 Thomas Jones, M.Sc. '66, june 2001 Robert Keith, BSA '32, Feb. 28, 2002 Irene Kock, B.Sc. '83, Dec. 31, 2001 Raymond Kraemer, BA '71, Dec. 30,2001 John Leslie, DVM '39, Dec. 2, 2001 Margaret Lipsit, DHE '30, Nov. 23,2001 Jack Long, BSA '44, Dec. 2, 2001 Edmund Marlowe, B.Sc. '87, Jan. 18,2002 Morley McCartney, BSA '40, Oct. 25, 2000 Marjorie Mcintyre, BA '71, July 7, 2001 Ruth Moyle, DHE '31, Jan. 14, 2002 Isabelle Ortis, BA '84, Feb. 27,2000 Shirley Perry, B.H.Sc. '56, Feb. 15, 2002 Katherine Picken, DHE '41, Nov. 20, 2001 Mary Roe, DHE '48, Oct. 29,2001 Frederick Sandalack, ODH '67, July 8, 1999 Richard Schofield, DVM '38, june 5, 2001 John Scott, ADA '82, Dec. 20, 200 l Paul Shadbolt, OVC GD '82, Nov. 29, 2001 Helen Smallman, DHE '38, Dec. 16,2001 Edward Smith, BSA '36, Nov. 29, 2001 Arnold Stearman, BSA '49, Nov. 5, 2001 Daniel Steele, BSA '48, March 2, 2002 Albert Stevenson, BSA '35, Oct. 25, 2001 Suzanne Stilling, BA '69, March 5, 2002 Wilfred Van De Ven, BA '75, Feb. 19, 2002 Albert VanDerMeulen, DVM '58, Sept.

29,2001 Shannon Van Wagner, B.Sc.(Agr.) '86, June 9, 2001 Anthony Veroni, DVM '47, Dec. 18, 2001 Vivienne Williams, BA '78, Feb. 3, 2002

Summ er 2002 43

UNIVERSITY OF GUELPH

the 'Way 'We 'Were FROM THE ARCHIVES

HE FIRsT TIME Guelph alumni were asked to contribute significantly to the support of their alma mater was in 1919 when they were asked to donate $60,000 toward the cost of building War Memorial Hall.

The provincial government donated $40,000 to the project, which came to fruition because of suggestions by students that the Ontario Agricultural College should build a memorial to the 109 college men who lost their lives in the First World War. Students wielded saws and axes against a stand of Norway spruce to ensure that the building would stand on its present site, excavated the foundation themselves and held a series of concerts to raise funds. Built of Georgetown

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44 GuELPH ALUMNus

limestone, War Memorial Hall opened in june 1924. Two bronze tablets face each other in the memorial chapel, one bearing the names of the 109 fallen men, the other remembering those who died in the Second World War. The hall quickly became a cultural centre for the city as well as the site of OAC's annual convocation ceremonies.

The example of War Memorial Hall and the good it brought to the campus may have influenced alumni giving in later years. A scholarship endowment fund created in 1959, the 1966 Development Fund that supported the establishment of the University of Guelph, and the University's last major capital campaign in 1986 all received broad alumni support.

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