at Lakehead University in May 2005. He says proudly: "Not bad for an old geezer." • Sandra (Leacock) Murray, BA '72, has retired after 29 years of teaching with the Lambton/Kent Board of Education in Chatham, Ont. She is the 2005 recipient of the outstanding elementary teacher award from the Ontario Teachers' Federation and the Ontario Teachers Insurance Plan. Her husband, Bill, BA '72, retired from the Lambton/Kent board in 2003. • Aakosua Frema Osei Opare, M.Sc. '76, is a member of parliament in Ghana representing the Accra Metropolitan Area, Ayawaso West constituency, and was recently appointed deputy minister of manpower, youth and employment. Before entering government, she was the country director of the British NGO ActionAid Ghana. • Moura Quayle, BLA '74, has been seconded from her position as dean of the Faculty of Land and Food Systems at the University of British Columbia to serve as deputy minister for the B.C. Ministry of Advanced Education. She is also a member of the Ontario Agricultural College's International Advisory council. • Rick Savage, BA '72, retired from a 30-year career in the Canadian Air Force and is now a senior business analyst with xwave in Halifax, working on a maritime helicopter project. • Beth Selby, B.A.Sc. '79, graduated in November from the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education at the University of Toronto with an educational doctorate. • Jane Siberry, B.Sc. '79, was honoured by the Canada Council with the 2005 Victor Martyn Lynch-Staunton Award for outstanding artist in the field of music. She's been touring across
Jane Siberry
Canada and the United States since mid-November and will perform at Carnegie Hall in New York March 11. She's then off to England until the end of April. • Alan Spergel, B.Comm. '76, is founding partner and president of Mandelbaum Spergel Inc. of Toronto, trustees-inbankruptcy, and was recently named chair of the board of directors of the Canadian Association of Insolvency and Restructuring Professionals. • Polly (DeCarlo) Stringle, BA '72 and M.Sc. '78, is an arts coordinator for the Thames Valley District School Board in London, Ont., and a part-time lecturer at the University of Western Ontario. She is married to Gary and is "mom" to two golden retrievers, Waldo and Rufus. She urges other alumni who loved their Guelph experience as much as she did to give to the University. • Gordon Surgeoner, B.Sc.(Agr.) '71 and M.Sc. '73, received the Order of Ontario in September for his distinguished teaching and research career. A retired faculty member in U of G's Department of Environmental Biology, he is now president of Ontario Agri-Food Technologies in Guelph. • Joachim Voss, MA '74, is director general of Centro Internacional de Agricultura Tropical (CIAT) and a member of the Ontario Agricultural College International Advisory
The OAC diploma class of 1955 held a two·part reunion to cele· brate its 50th anniversary. Thirty·nine of the original 59 gradu· ates met in Guelph in July, and a dozen travelled to Bermuda in October. There, they were hosted by classmate Edward Manuel, ADA '55 and B.Sc.(Agr.) '59, and his wife, Marian. Dr. Tom Mar· tin, who went into medicine, writes that his class has made many contributions to society. "First and foremost, they have been the local and community leaders in agriculture. Some of those who did not choose to stay in agriculture went into teaching, the min· istry, academia, government and business. One of our Canadian classmates was even knighted by the Queen of Denmark for his contribution to improving the economic climate for various facets of the Danish economy." As students, this small class excelled in College Royal events and won the intramural assault·at·arms tro· phy for boxing and wrestling in both 1954 and 1955. "This class has always been very proud to be associated with the Ontario Agricultural College," says Martin. "We hope OAC has been proud of our efforts."
Council. CIAT is a not-for-profit organization that conducts socially and environmentally progressive research aimed at reducing hunger and poverty and preserving natural resources in developing countries. Previously, he served as senior research manager at the International Research Development Centre and as a member of the board of governors for the Consortium for Sustainable Andean Development. • Lee Whittington, B.Sc.(Agr.) '79, completed the Advanced Agricultural Leadership Program in 1989 and earned an MBA in 1997 from the University of Saskatchewan. He is now manager of information ser-
Lee Whittington
vices for the Prairie Swine Centre of Saskatoon. He received the 2005 Animal Industries Award in Extension and Public Service from the Canadian Society of Animal Science. • Carin Wittnich, DVM '76, spent several days working in 110 F Mississippi heat to treat
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