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 you make on a mon thly bas is. Perh aps you have a mortgage. outstanding credit card balances, car loans or student loans. 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

1'"0\~Jil\(;)'

t\\~,.·\1'1~1.~ m~HII 'JI

Glltli.•rn,J(~t un: IX'>I.H 1, 0 , 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 $,<:(),()11010

~770.>11:)1,!

'------~-----------------------------------------~1 O)n.~ua

Underwritten by:

mJ Manulife Financial The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company

Recommended by:

~ University of Guelph Alumni A"sociation

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 Economics - The Household Balance Sheet Report - 2001 Editi on

3 message from the

4 in and Around the University

U oF G researchers focus 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 indepen­

dent learners and those who love modern literature.

on the Cover

Sketches and drawings by

Robbie/Young + Wright Arch itects

are tangible results of the multi·

yea r planning required to design

U of G's new science complex.

Photography by Daniel Harrison

dent ontentSY rwe rwere 44

SUMMER 2002

FACULTY I STUDENTS I FACILITIES

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.

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

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

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

24 USING TOBACCO TO SAVE LIVES

Guelph scientists use plants- including a species of tobacco- to produce life-saving antibodies.

29 LIFE AFTER GRADUATE STUDIES

A new doctoral scholarship will help meet Canada's

need for researchers and university professors.

alumni Matters

THE UNIVERS I TY

of Guelph Alumni Association makes Cana­dian history 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.

32

Summer 2002 1

Personal, Professional Investment Advice

The William Vastis Wealth Management Team

"We 11wke our clients' goals, our own."

I RBC . Investments·

RBC Dominion Securities Inc.

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.

William Vastis, B.Comm.,CIM - University of Guelph (t\11 C11nadian ~ GuC'Iph Gr~ phons)

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

Christine Zwirz 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

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:

Communications and Public Affairs

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 copy­

right 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

To update your alumni record, contact:

Development and Public Affairs

Phone 519-824-4120, Ext. 6550

Fax 519-822-2670

E-mail reco rds@uoguelph.ca

UNIVERSITY 0KGUELPH

UNIVERSITY OF GUELPH

message from the President

DESPITE THE COMPLEXITY oftoday's world, an

ideal education still boils down to three essential

elements: a student, a teacher and a place for them to

interact. The best of all possible educations adds a fourth element: a commitment to research, to discovery, to

transforming knowledge and making it new. The University of Guelph has long been committed

to attracting the brightest students and

the finest faculty and creating an envi­

ronment that nurtures excellence in

learning and discovery.

This approach has made us a glob­

al resource, an incubator of ideas in a world that is changing faster and grow­

ing smaller each day. Our six colleges

work together to cover the full spec­

trum of inquiry, from the biological to

the physical, economic, historical, cul­

tural, ethical and social impacts of

ideas, research and technology.

The demand for our expertise is growing. The rapid scientific

MORDECHAIROZANSKI

building the future we imagine: a world with abundant

clean water and air, nutritious and safe food, a thriving

economy, and a vibrant social and cultural environment.

The campaign will revitalize our aging infrastructure

by supporting a 373,000-square-foot science complex, a 1,500-seat classroom complex, renovations to the

School of Hotel and Food Administration and the crop

science facilities, and future projects

involving the social sciences and arts.

It will fund new equipment for our

researchers and students, such as an

MRI scanner at the Ontario Veterinary

College and diagnostic and analytical equipment in a new Advanced Tech­

nology and Training Centre.

It will support a new academic chair in Scottish studies to sustain Guelph's

position as one of the world's foremost

centres for the study of Scottish heritage. And it will fund numerous scholarships

for students, including the new Lincoln

Alexander Chancellor's Schol-

advances of the 21st century,

particularly in biological disci­

plines, are rife with implications

for our health, our environ-

ON MAY 11, WE LAUNCHED arships, worth $20,000 each over four years, for students who are

aboriginal, from a visible minor­

ity or who have a disability.

THE UNIVERSITY'S

$75-MILLION CAMPAIGN. ment, our economy and our

society and culture - new

frontiers that Guelph is unique-

OuR THEME IS "THE SciENCE You will read about many of

these projects, and the tremen­dous leadership gifts that sup­

port them, in the pages of this

issue of the Guelph Alumnus.

OF LIFE AND THE ART ly positioned to help chart.

Our vision is to be a leader

in this evolving knowledge-

OF LIVING." WE INVITE YOU

TO BE PART OF IT. It is with great pleasure that

I can report we've already based society through rigorous

scientific inquiry and a pro-

found understanding of the interrelated social, ethical,

cultural, historical, political, economic and intellectual

dynamics of modern life. To succeed, we need to attract and retain more world­

class faculty and the most talented students, and we need

to provide them with the best infrastructure in which to learn and to discover.

The resources we need to achieve that success will be

raised through our biggest fundraising campaign ever.

On May ll, we launched the University's $75-million

campaign. Our theme is "The Science of Life and the Art

of Living." We invite you to be part of it. The success of the capital campaign will be integral to

received 70 per cent of our $75-

million goal, thanks to an early wave of leadership gifts

from alumni, faculty, staff, students and private-sector

partners and friends. I thank those who have already giv­

en for their outstanding generosity, and I encourage all members of the extended University of Guelph family to

consider a gift, no matter what the size, to help us achieve

our vision. It's participation that matters most.

The Campaign for the University of Guelph is absolute­

ly essential to help us create a margin of excellence that will enable our researchers, teachers and students to make

a difference in our world. It's the way we will write the next chapter in the University of Guelph's great history,

of which we are all so proud.

Summer 2002 3

w OJ

~ :r: u tfl

z >= "' <! ::;: >­OJ

tfl 0 f­a :r: Q_

• 1n an aroun

CAFFEINE AND DIABETES

U OF G HUMAN biol­

ogist Terry Graham is

part of a three-year tri­

university 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 acc­

ounts 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 dis­

ease 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.

4 GU ELPH ALUMNUS

BETTER BUTTER IDEAS LEAD TO

TOP RESEARCH AWARD

BuTTER YOU CAN SPREAD AT refrigera­

tor 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 Memo­

rial Fellowship, NSERC's most prestigious award

to outstanding young researchers. The fellow­

ships 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.

"We're trying to decipher the structure of

the liquid state of these fats in order to modi­

fy 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.

Marangoni will spend the next two years col­

laborating with researchers around the world on

modifying the physical properties of fats and oils,

focusing on milk fat, palm oil and cocoa butter.

A faculty member at Guelph since 1991 and

a 1989 PhD graduate of OAC, he says the fel­

lowship "is also an endorsement of the agri­

cultural sciences, a field that is always pushing

the envelope."

HANG ON TO THE CAROUSEL

U OF G's CA RO U SEL jour­

nal has come back to life

after a three-year publishing

hiatus. The 13th issue was pub­

lished 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

Rachel Freedman, Sarah Simp­

son an d Erin Wallace.

HEALTH RESEARCH FUNDED AT U OF G "U OF G CONDUCTS

more health-related

research than any other Canadi­

an 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 the Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI).

Six Guelph projects will share more than $18 million in

CFI funding designed to

strengthen research infrastruc­ture and help universities attract

and retain high-calibre talent.

The projects include research in

food safety, chemistry, biodi ­

ve rsity science, breast cancer,

reproductive disorders, and ani­

mal and human health.

U of G was among 69 Canadian universities, colleges,

hospitals and non-profit agen­

cies that received more than

$779 million in the January

announcem ent. In addition to

th e CFI funding, the Guelph resea rch projects are support­

ed by th e University and pri ­vate-, public- and voluntary­

sector partners.

• • n1vers1 PEOPLE IN THE NEWS • CAMPUS HIGHLIGHTS • UNIVERSITY NOTES

Scholarship honours intellectual promise

GRADUATING interna­tional development stu­

dent 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

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

DESIGN 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-

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.

Summer 2002 5

., I

s 0 Vl

ro -<

~ , :::! z Vl n I

~ ro rn

"" UJ

~ g:_ z <( UJ 0

0 z <(

UJ co

~ I u tf)

z )-

"" <( :;: >­"' tf)

0

b I 0..

in and around the University

f 1iJ :: 'l

BIASED YOUTH COUNSELLORS

WHEN IT COMES TO

counselling urban youth

about their futures, edu­

cators and mentors often

base their career advice

more on addresses than

aspirations, research by a

U of G geography pro­

fessor reveals.

Harald Bauder says

youth from inner-city

ethnic-minority neigh­

bourhoods are routinely

encouraged to seek

careers in fields that

require less training and

education. And some of

that career advice is com­

ing from community

agencies that were creat­

ed to provide young peo­

ple with guidance and

mentors. Teachers and

counsellors are often

biased by the general per­

ception that people from

inner-city neighbour­

hoods 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 pub­

lished in the Internation­al Journal of Urban and Regional Research.

6 GuELPH ALUMNUS

Get answers about food safety

WHATEVER YOU want to know about food

safety issues in Canada, you're likely to

find it at www.foodsafetynetwork.ca, the offi­

cial Web site for U of G's Food Safety Network.

Officially launched in March, the network pro­

vides the most up-to-date research, commen­

tary, 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 data­

bases 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 pro­

ducers and scientists, says creator Doug Pow­

ell, 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

Murray, BSA '50, a former chair of Guelph's

Board of Governors who is retired from a career

in the Canadian meat-packing industry.

NO ROCKY ROAD TO SUCCESS

NINE THIRD-YEAR land­

SCape architecture students

won all the prizes in a recent

competition sponsored by the

Aggregate Producers' Association

of Ontario. Winners Tina Fer­

nandes, Mark Zuzinjak, Saya

Nakano, Emily Mann, Alison

Bond, Mike Salisbury, Kristine

White, Barbro Sollen and Jeffrey

Schurek developed ideas for the

rehabilitation of aggregate extrac­

tion sites as part of a course

taught by Prof. Cecelia Paine.

COACHES NAMED

FORMER 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.) gradu­

ate of Guelph, played for the

Gryphons from 1973 to 1977

and was named Wildman Tro­

phy winner in 1976. He returned

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 assist­

ant coach for the past two sea­

sons, 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 ...

S OME 90 PER CENT of

the members of online

communities are "lurkers;' peo-

pie who rarely participate in

discussions, says Prof. Blair

Nonnecke. A new faculty mem-

ber in the Department of Com­

puting and Information Sci ­

ence, Nonnecke says the Inter­

net hosts online groups in

virtually every topic under the

sun- health and medical top­

ics are particularly popular­

but only about 10 per cent of

members actively participate by

posting messages. He's interest­

ed in the differences between

people who publicly take part

in electronic communities and

the "lurkers" who prefer just to

look on.

STOP SURFING, START LEARNING

AFTER 40 YEARS OF rely­

ing 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 reg­

ister and select courses online,

pay by credit card, download

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

MACDONALD STEWART Art Centre director Judith

Nasby is curating the first exhi­bition of Canadian Inuit art to

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$

TH E 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

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.

RELIGION AND FAMILY VALUES

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 kin­

ship 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-cen­

tury goals. The campaign theme -"The Science of Life and the Art of Liv­

ing" -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, corpo­

rations 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 gen­

eration of Guelph students, but will also help improve the quality of life for all Canadians.

Milk Gives!

0 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

Scottish studies chair a Canadian first

THE ToRONTO-BASED Scottish

Studies Foundation is leading the

effort to establish an academic posi­

tion in U of G's Department of History that

will advance the study of Canada's Scottish

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 Scot­

tish studies progEam unparalleled in North

America. The foundation supports gradu­

ate 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.

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 repu­

tation as an internationally acclaimed cen­

tre 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 Scot­

tish and Scottish-Canadian communities.

More than two million Canadians have

Scottish ancestry, and many of the country's

educational, business and financial institu­

tions owe their founding to pioneering Scot­

tish immigrants. The broad interest in Scot­

tish heritage is reflected by the number of

individuals and companies that have joined

the list of supporters for the chair in Scot­

tish studies. They include: John "Ian" Craig,

former vice-president of Nortel; Sun Life

Financial; Standard Life Assurance Com­

pany; Henry W. Kinnear Foundation; Pow­

er Corporation of Canada; Wilson Foun­

dation, established by Lynton "Red" Wilson,

OC, chair of CAE Inc.; CAE Inc.; Douglas

Reekie; T. lain Ronald; Canada Life; Hon.

Alastair Gillespie, Alastair Gillespie & Asso­

ciates, Ltd.; and Ed Stewart, former Ontario

deputy minister of education and past chair

of the Scottish Studies Foundation.

Gift triggers provincial scholarship

MI CHAEL WALSH, BA '69, MA

'70 and PhD '92, is taking advan­

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 two­

to-one match from the provincial scholar­

ship program.

Philosophy chair Peter Loptson calls the

Campaign Leadership

UNIVERSITY PRESIDENT

• Mordechai Rozansk~

HONORARY PATRONS

• 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

• Robert Mclaughlin

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

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 Philoso­

phy 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

THE 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

10 GUELPH ALUMNUS

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

C EN T R A L Student Association (CSA) communications com­

missioner Todd Schenk pre­dicted last winter that building a $2-million 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-

cial turf. Open to the entire community, it is well-used by varsity athletes, intra­

mural sports teams, staff and alumni.

Football scholarship honours alumnus

T 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 annu­

al awards for Gryphon football play­ers who demonstrate academic abili­

ty, leadership and financial need. Gray played both offence and defence

for the Redmen on two dominion cham­pionship teams in 1948 and 1950.

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

CREATED AS an 80th-birthday gift, the Lincoln Alexander Chan­cellor's Scholarships endowment

has become a favourite campaign pro-

ject for many U of G employees, as well as for

off-campus admirers of the University's chan­

cellor. A birthday gala held in Toronto Dec.

13 raised almost $450,000 to launch the schol­

arsh ip endowment. Honorary patrons for

that event were Donald Oliver, Edward Rogers

and Galen Weston.

The endowment will provide two annu­

al 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 commu­

nity 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, fac­

ulty, staff and students: professor emerita

Mary Beverley-Burton, Zoology; Prof. Thorn

Herrmann, Psychology; Kenda Semple, a cus­

todian in Physical Resources; and under­

graduate student Todd Schenk.

To date, the campus community cam­

paign has raised $450,000 to support a

number of projects across the University.

We've got soy many ·ideas

THE $1 - MILLION 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

First Line Seeds president Peter Hannam,

BSA '62, and his family.

First Line Seeds is also a founding spon­

sor of Project SOY (Soybean Opportunities

for Youth), an annual contest that encour­

ages students to create new uses for soy­

beans. Hannam says he has "always been

impressed by the creativity of students and

researchers. I feel fortunate to be in a posi­

tion to give something back to an institu­

tion that has provided me with a lot of sup­

port, both as a student and an alumnus."

Good gardening

R 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 40-

year association with CBC Radio as the

"Ontario Gardener" who spoke to garden­

ers across the province every Sunday morn­

ing. 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-

cational Programs endowment. The endow­

ment 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 Hum­

ber College in Toronto, and he was an inter­

nationally accredited judge of roses. ga

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

$10 million

• Endowed Chai rs

• Ca nada Resea rch Chairs

• Research Centres

STUDENT SUPPORT

$10 million

• Scholarships

• Library

• Lea rnin g Commons

• Lea rning Technologies

Campaign Team

• Robert Mclaughlin Vice-President

(Alumni Affairs and Development)

• Rudy Putns Executive Director,

Development

• 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

Scie nce and Co llege of Physical and

Engineering 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

Summer 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 embed­

ded 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 con­

cert 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 show­

pieces like Johnston Hall, Macdonald Insti­

tute 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 his­

tory 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 nur­

ture 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 approxi­

mately $140 million. Embedded in its design

is the intent to seamlessly integrate teach­

ing and research activities across disciplines

within state-of-the-art facilities, thereby pro­

moting discovery and high-quality learn-

ing experiences for a growing number of

students. And features such as a glass­

enclosed entrance wing, a spectacular inte­

rior 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 collab­

oration 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 Universi­

ty's provost and vice-president (academic).

The goal is to centralize the physical, bio­

logical and computational sciences on cam­

pus, providing new laboratory space and

first-class research space for chemistry, bio-

By Stacey Curry Gunn • 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 Microbiol­

ogy 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 Informa­

tion 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 cre­

ative environment for scholarship," says

CPES dean Peter Tremaine. "This gathering

together of disciplines will fuel collabora­

tion in interdisciplinary research and teach­

ing, which is where some of the most ex cit­

ing 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 syner­

gies. 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 sig­

nificant development."

The new arrangement will mean, for example, closer working relationships between

people who specialize in the physical and bio­

logical aspects of membranes and the com­

putational models that simulate membrane

functions. It will facilitate work between peo­

ple 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 hav­

ing 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 dis­

appearing 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 for­

ward in an integrated and interdisciplinary

manner that positions the University at the

cutting edge;' says Emes. "It was a key fac­

tor 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, teach­

ers 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 stu­

dents, 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 proxim­

ity to encourage exchange between the two. "The new science complex will enable

us to share the big picture with our stu­

dents;' 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 "phenom­

enal" 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 build­

ing, 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 stu­

dent 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 cut­

rate 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 stu­

dents 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 com­

plex will help address, she says. Spaces for "show and tell" sessions will

encourage students, faculty and staff to "pre­

sent 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 Uni­

versity's graduates in high demand, he says. "Our graduates already find that the ver­

satile skills and practical attitude they devel­

op 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 majority of the lecture rooms,

labs, offices and technical shops that sup­

port Guelph's natural sciences programs are

now located. Internal and external studies have deter­

mined that Axelrod and Chemistry/Micro­

biology would have required major

upgrades to meet the needs of today's

researchers and students, including reme­

dies 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 bud­

getary constraints. As a result, the Chem­

istry/Microbio logy Building will be torn down to make way for the new science com­

plex. In time, Axelrod will be renovated for

other purposes. The MacNaughton Build­

ing 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 post­

secondary institutions.

U of G officials learned in early 2000 that SuperBuild would provide $45 million

towards a new science complex and a 1,500-

seat classroom complex that will be used by

all disciplines across campus. (Construc­

tion 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 sci­

ence facilities is the opportunity to replace

outdated instruments and add ultra-mod­

ern 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 infra­

structure. 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 class­

room 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

• $45 mil lion

Announced Feb. 25, 2000, by Brenda Elliott, minister for inter­

governmental affairs and Guelph­

Wellington 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

undergraduate teaching lab, $40,000 in

equipment from the pharmaceutical com­

pany Eli Lilly and $25,000 from the E.W.

Bickell Foundation.

An architectural Rubik's cube Creating a new building that will accom­

modate 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 trans­

form 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 represen­

tatives from across campus, along with its

many subcommittees, worked with all CBS

and CPES departments to determine require­

ments for the science complex teaching labs, research labs, support rooms, offices, admin­

istration and other components.

The vast amount of input on program

requirements was then filtered and fine­

tuned to become floor plans and three­

dimensional 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 labora­

tory. Every receptacle, vacuum outlet, dis­

tilled 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 sci­

ence complex are another aspect of the over­

all planning puzzle. Construction is sched­

uled 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

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 main­

taining green space and the architectural

character of the campus, and promoting effi­

cient 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 30°/60°

'' 1 --~~~-

I

.u-._,:sJJ' I

t'f tl f l

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 90°, 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 glass­

enclosed wing, which will serve as a con­

necting walkway. This triangular shape opens up a major

courtyard between the front of the building

and Reynolds Walk. It also creates an interi­

or 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 com­

mons and workspaces for students. The visual connection as one passes from

the exterior courtyard through the main

entrance to the interior courtyard will cre­

ate a sense that the "building is alive and Jiv­

ing;' 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 sup­

port 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 Univer­

sity 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 out­

side 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 well­

being, 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 tech­

nologies 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 scientif­

ic instrumentation facilities equipped with

the most advanced analytical/diagnostic equipment and educational information

technologies: the Guelph Molecular Super­

centre, advanced imaging/microscopy, mass

spectrometry, nuclear magnetic resonance

spectroscopy, chromatography and separa­

tion, and the HP Canada Ltd. Openview Software Laboratory.

Guelph B.Sc. students will learn the most

advanced analytical techniques using a col­

lection 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 accred­

ited training and professional development.

The location of the centre on the main

floor provides accessibility and the high pro­

file needed to attract industrial research

partners and off-campus academic collab­

orators, 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 arrange­

ment is needed and to be rearranged accord­

ing to changing needs, says Young. "We're trying to make the building as peo­

ple-supportive and as function-supportive as

CANADIAN IMPERIAL BANK oF CoMMERCE

• $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 simpli­

fy 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 con­

tinue, 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 res­

onance 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 Innova­

tion (CFI). The college plans to launch a new Institute for Animal-Human Links in

Health Science Research that will strength­

en the bridge between veterinary medicine

and human health. Among Canada's four veterinary colleges,

Guelph has the most extensive research con­

nections in human health, says Leatherland.

"We have links with five Ontario medical

schools in research, and about half the peo­

ple 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 exten­

sively 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 diag­

nostic services to patients in the VTH Small

Animal Clinic.

Through fundraising efforts that Dob­

son 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 renova­

tions 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 fol­

lowing the need at OVC and know how

By Andrew Vowles • 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 impor­

tant 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 ani­

mals 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 dis­

ease, 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

• $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 investiga­

tions using smaller animals such as mice. "We want to make the MRI unit a facil­

ity 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 can­

cer in animals. Prof. Steven Kruth, chair of Clinical Stud­

ies, says the instrument will be useful in diag­

nosing cancer in cats and dogs- and in

learning about this disease in humans- par­

ticularly in gauging disease spread, a key

question that is difficult to answer with X­

rays 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 neces­

sarily translate well into humans for vari­

ous reasons. The next step is large-animal

models, including cats and dogs, of spon­

taneously occurring diseases."

This will take the results of research and

clinical work with animals back to the human bedside. For example, OVC is currently work­

ing out gene therapy protocols for treating

melanoma in dogs. Solving those problems

in dogs provides information useful for treat­

ing 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 mus­

culoskeletal 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 func­

tion and mechanics and maintained the tis­

sue 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 osteo­

porosis, 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 dif­

ference in understanding some of the processes of arthritic disease and cartilage

disease generally and how they relate to ani­

mals with load-bearing joints- humans

being one example, horses being another­

and 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 collabora­

tive 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 grad­

uate 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 strength­

ening the links between medical research

and veterinary science are key reasons why Dobson and his OVC colleagues are eager­

ly 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 stu­

dent Jenn Estall, front-house manager for the

evening, says she and her teammates, Andrew

Exel and Darcy MacDonell, left nothing­

or as little as possible - to chance.

Their dinner guests were able to relax and

indulge themselves in the intimate ambi-

ence the students created. But the pace

behind the kitchen door was anything but

relaxed as the student chefs worked to cre­

ate their offering of Ontario squab and Que­

bec foie gras, topped off with a molten

By Andrew Vowles • Photography by Martin Schwalbe

Summer 2002 21

-

MoRsELS FROM THE KITCHEN

Giving students the opportu­

nity 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 "no­

jewelry" policy when a student

preparing meat pies for lunch real­

ized 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 under­

stand why everything had turned to charcoal. The answer: they'd forgot­

ten to convert the cooking temper­

atures 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 bas­

kets full of green tomatoes and even

calling the movie producer for pro­

motional 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 man­

aging an upscale restaurant. Every student in

the hospitality program takes a turn running some aspect of the restaurant operations dur­

ing a mandatory third-year course called

"Foodservice Operations Management:'

Then there's the chance for industry expe­

rience and travel. During a recent co-op place­

ment 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 study­

abroad semester in France. "It gives us an

opportunity to learn more about the glob­

alization of the hospitality industry and how

different cultures express their hospitality;' says Estall, adding that a not-incidental ben­

efit of the trip will be the "winery knowl­

edge" 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 exec­

utive 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 stu­

dents impress Hilton is because real-life

experiences start right here on campus. Fol­

lowing 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 bare­

ly 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 hos­

pitality and food administration, as well as for

other areas on campus, notably applied nutri­

tion. 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 two­

storey dining atrium. This project has been

identified as a fundraising priority of the Col­

lege of Social and Applied Human Sciences

during the University's capital campaign.

The expansion is designed to cater to

anticipated enrolment increases as more stu­

dents plan on careers in the growing hospi­

tality industry, he says. "All the demograph­

ics 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 facil­

ity to accommodate more students as the

expected double cohort hits Ontario uni­

versities with the elimination of Grade 13.

The restaurant facility currently accom­

modates about 200 students a year, far less

than the enrolment expected over the next

few years. Prof. Jeff Stewart, who teaches

both "Foodservice Operations Manage­

ment" and the fourth-year course "Restau­

rant 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 Ser­

vices Overseas before returning to Guelph.

For another example of the increasing­

ly international flavour of Guelph's pro­

gram, look to Stewart's guest teaching part­

ner for the winter semester. Brian Millar, a

lecturer in hospitality management in the

School of Tourism and Hospitality at Aus­

tralia's LaTrobe University, spent the semes­

ter at U of G as part of a faculty exchange

program that has seen Prof. Tanya MacLau­

rin 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 hos­

pitality field a lot longer than we have. Their

program is extremely well-developed."

In other ventures designed to interna­

tionalize its educational programs, the

School of Hotel and Food Administration

offers several options, including an MBA in

hospitality and tourism- one year in res­

idence 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 cus­

tomized 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 Ritz­

Carlton 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 des­

ignated 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 executive­

in-residence program offered in fall and win­

ter. The most recent guest was Lyle Hall,

national director ofKPMG Canada's Hospi­

tality, 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 hos­

pitality background, and there were certainly

those, but there was also a broad range of oth­

er sectors such as human resources, organi­

zational behaviour and management .. "

The school also maintains an active co­

op 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 hospital­

ity.

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 Edu­

cator 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

• $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 par­

ticularly in distance programming and man­

agement development programs. It validates

in many ways that our curriculum is rele­

vant 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 dead­

ly bacteria in food and water, such as the type

of E. coli that contaminated the water sup­

ply 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 bac­

teria and viruses. For decades, scientists have

harnessed the mammalian immune system

to produce antibodies that, once extracted

from the animal, can be used as pharmaceu­

ticals, 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, acti­

vating 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 quan­

tities of antibodies in plants, a process known

as molecular farming. He is genetically engi­

neering the plants to produce antibodies­

or"plantibodies" as they are called.

By Lori Bona Hunt • Illustration by Paul Watson

24 GuELPH ALUMNUS

Using plants to benefit animal and

PLANTIBODY tists are developing technology for applica-

human health may sound like science fie- tions in the fields of environmental, agri-

tion to some, but Hall says it's really a process cultural, food, life, biotechnological and

of combining the basic and applied sciences. TECHNOLOGY medical sciences.

"Plants have the biochemical machinery One of those researchers is doctoral stu-

to produce antibodies or any other type of MAY HELP dent Claudia Sheedy, wh.o calls being part of

~ protein. They can be used instead of animals

MAKE CANADA Hall's group an"adventure:' She became inter-

to produce large quantities of antibodies. We ested in plantibodies as a master's student

have to be careful, go slowly, follow guidelines after reading an article in a science magazine.

and protocols and do it right. But I think that A LEADER IN "I was just so fascinated by the idea. I

when people realize the value of this (tech- decided it was exactly what I wanted to do

nology), the response will be positive:' WHAT MIGHT BE for my PhD. It is so motivating to work in Already, it is widely acknowledged that an area where the possibilities are limitless,

plantibodies and their practical applications THE NEXT where everything remains to be done. We

have the potential to change the way science are still in the infancy of this technology,

looks at antibody production. They may also GENERATION and I feel I am part of something that has a

help make Canada a leader in what might lot of future ahead."

be the next revolution in the pharmaceuti- IN THE In fact, Hall says the work that he, ~ cal industry. Needless to say, the magnitude Sheedy and others are doing is"one of the

of the work Hall is overseeing in U of G's PHARMACEUTICAL many waves of the future in terms of anti-

greenhouses and laboratories has not gone body research."

unnoticed. INDUSTRY.

I Last December, George Jackowski, chair- But why tobacco?

man, director and chief scientific officer of Those waves first began to surface when sci-

SYN•X Pharma Inc., a leading proteomics and entists started to realize that antibody pro-

' discovery company, donated $1 million in stock duction needed to be expanded from verte-

t to U of G. The money will support research in holder of the chair, which will support brate animals and moved into plants. For the life sciences, starting with Hall's studies on research at the professorial, post-doctoral starters, animal-based antibodies are expen-

" using protein plants to mass-produce planti- and graduate levels, create new technologies sive, costing a minimum of $1,000 per gram.

~~ bodies. It was one of the first major gifts to the and facilitate education and training. Sur- Hall hopes using protein plants will lower

! University's capital campaign. Jackowski is the geoner, modest about his"namesake," says the cost by 10 to 50 times in the next decade. founder of numerous biotech companies, the the chair is a tribute to the University's past Animal production of ant ibodies is also inventor of various detection tests and an aca- research successes and its future potential. time-consuming, requiring constant mon-

demic at the University of Toronto. He says he "George Jackowski sees the opportuni- itoring of animals in properly controlled and

~ became interested in Guelph for two initial rea- ty we have here at Guelph to produce anti- regulated care facilities, and the antibodies

sons: his daughter enrolled in the biochemistry body therapies in systems other than what cannot be produced in large amounts.

~ program and he met Gord Surgeoner. has traditionally been used," he says."He is "Plants are the only system that will

Surgeoner, a faculty member in the very involved in science that creates prod- allow us to create antibodies in quantities

... Department of Plant Agriculture, is presi- ucts to benefit humankind." large enough for the volumes that we antic-

dent of Ontario Agri- Food Technologies, a For Jackowski, part of the draw was the ipate will be necessary to detect water- and

consortium of Ontario universities, grower wide scope and appeal of plantibodies."The food-borne pathogens;' he says.

associations, industries and the Ontario Min- beauty of the project is that it involves peo- In addition, plantibodies have the edge

istry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs ple from the farming community all the way over animal-produced antibodies when it

(OMAFRA). The group's focus is on devel- to national researchers in Ottawa." comes to human health."No contaminat-

oping, promoting and adopting biotechnol- Indeed, OMAFRA has invested $1.7 mil- ing viruses or organisms occur in plants that

ogy in an ethical and environmentally con- lion in plantibodies research at Guelph, and could be transmitted to people."

scious manner for dntario's agri-food sector. collaborators include researchers such as Once plants were shown to be effective,

"Gord really opened my eyes to the pos- Jim Brandle of Agriculture and Agri-Food the next step was considering options to

sibilities at Guelph;' says Jackowski."He got Canada and Roger MacKenzie of the make large-scale production possible, says

me all worked up about what the Universi- National Research Council, as well as Surgeoner.

ty can do internationally. Now I hope to help numerous other researchers from other gov- "When you look at the new lists of drugs

thrust Guelph into the limelight as a univer- ernment agencies and Ontario universities. being developed, our existing capacity for

sity with a very strong life sciences program." Many of these collaborators laid the producing antibodies for therapies and diag-

Jackowski's donation established the Sur- groundwork for the plantibodies research nostic production is being quickly usurped

geoner Chair in Life Sciences. Hall is the first that Hall is now overseeing. U of G scien- by the demand. We have to find a way to

26 GuELPH ALUMNUS

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 rea­

son 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? 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

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 contami­

nated soil before crops are planted. They can also be engineered to help fight specif­ic forms of human cancer, because anti­

bodies 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 SYN•X Pharma Inc.

• $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

• $1 million

"No other university in the world has such a facility."

Summer 2002 27

I

'

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 U OF G 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 grow­

ing cluster of collaborative agribusiness education, research and resources in the Guelph area.

28 GuELPH ALUMNUS

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

ture. 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

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 of future 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 undergradu­

ate 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 • Photography by Martin Schwalbe

Summer 2002 29

-

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

AFTER FINISHING his master's degree in his native Alberta in 1999, Rob Fal­

coner accepted a scholarship offer to com­plete a doctorate in 16-century cultural his­

tory 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 commit­

ment, 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 visit­

ed 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.

30 GuELPH ALUMNUS

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."

Keeping life in balance

I 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

group of experts on toxicity testing in amphibians. "That's been an amazing expe­rience," she says, adding that she's also writ­

ing 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.

Building a better future

W 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 commen­

tator 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,

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

• $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

-

+ l.9 z :::J 0 >-w Ci) Ci)

0

"" >-"' w l.9

~

UNIVERSITY OF GUELPH

DONOR PROFILE

UGAA MAKES HISTORY WITH CAMPAIGN GIFT

THE 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 Canadi­

an 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 com­

munity that we endorse the goals of the Uni­

versity;' says UGAA president Jim Weeden .

"The volunteer board, including representa­

tives from each college, voted unanimously

in favour of the 10-year pledge in December 2001. With facilities of this calibre, we're sup­

porting world-class teaching and learning

and meeting the challenges of educating the

next generation of Guelph grads."

Scheduled for completion in September

32 GuELPH ALUMNUS

2003, the classroom complex will meet the

University's growing capacity needs with a

one-of-a-kind first -tier teaching and learn­

ing facility. It will accommodate students

from all colleges and disciplines on campus and will provide leading-edge lecture the­

atres and classrooms equipped with com­

puter-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 increas­

es 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 associ­

ation. They will be used to promote student

and alumni events and to display memora­

bilia. This 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. The 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 reflec­

tive 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

ALUMNI FROM EVERY Uof GcolJege

attended a gathering in Vancouver last

August. Hosted by OVC dean 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

ATRADITIO N SINCE THE 1960 S, the annual Florida reunion in Port Char­

lotte 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 Flori­

da. 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 Craig 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.

LOOKING FOR AN INTERNATIONAL POSITION?

U OF G's CENTRE FOR International

Programs regularly receives informa­

tion about positions overseas or with inter­

national organizat ions in Ca nada. If you would like to be informed of these oppor­

tunities, send e-mail to Jan Walker at jwalk­er@uoguelph.ca and ask her to place you on

the centre's international positions listserv.

ALL ROADS LEAD TO GUELPH!

THE CATCHPHRASE FOR Alumni

Weekend 2002 hopes to inspire all alumni to visit campus June 21 to 23.

Take in some of the weekend's main

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

ALUMNI CONNECT ONLINE

MORE THAN 500 MEMBERS ofthe University 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

•

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 infor­

mation, visit the alumni Web site at www.uoguelph.ca/alumni, send e-mail

to alumni@uoguelph.ca, drop by Alum­

ni House or call519-824-4120, Ext. 6544.

serving as mentors for current and former students. To register for this free service, vis­

it 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 stu­

dent number or birthdate.

Summer 2002 33

I!'

alumni Matters REUNION DES ANCIENTS DE LA MAISON FRAN~ISE

J 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!

WHO'S THE JOHNSTON IN JOHNSTON HALL?

ALTHOUGH SOME HISTORIANS

credit William Johnston as being the

true founder of the Ontario School of Agri­

culture, it might be more accurate to call him

its accidental saviour. Hired in August 1874

as rector, Johnston was thrust almost imme­

diately into the position of acting principal

of a school that was floundering on the heels

of government patronage and inept leader­

ship. He led the School of Agriculture for only

five years, but turned it from a public laugh­

ingstock 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 recogniz­

able building on campus is named for one of

the University's strongest historical leaders.

William Johnston

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.

EDMONTON ALUMNI EVENT HOSTS GRADS FROM ALL COLLEGES

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

34 GuELPH ALUMNus

If you're interested in joining the His­

torical 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 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?

JOIN 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 Wilk­

er at 905-457-2092 or hdwilker@sympatico.ca.

BULLRING TO HOST tooTH-ANNIVERSARY PUB

FROM 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 reg­

istration package. And if you have Bullring

photos or stories for display, contact Alum­

ni House at 519-824-4120, Ext. 6544, or

alumni@uoguelph.ca.

PROF. 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 man­

ager 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.

alumni Matters

Coming Events Y' ALL COME BACK NOW, YA HEAR?

june 11 to 14- Spring convocation

june 21 to 23- Alumni Weekend june 22- Southern Ontario alumni

reunion, Jericho Beach, Vancouver, noon

to 4 p.m.

july 13- OAC '82 reunion at U of G

Whippletree, contact Anne-Marie McWilliam at 519-762-2022 or csamm­

cw@execulink.com.

july 20- OAC '59 A reunion at Alumni

House, contact Fred Black at 519-843-6709.

Sept. 6- OACAA annual golf tourna­

ment; contact Carla Bradshaw at cbrad­

sha@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 519-824-4120, 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.

SAN ANTONIO, T EXAS, was the

site of the most recent alumni gath­

ering outside of Guelph . Grads from Brownsville to Dallas made the trip to

enjoy a Texas barbecue, line dancing and the sights of San Antonio.

The group reminisced about Guelph

from the Bullring to residence life and

heard the latest U of G news from Alum­

ni Affairs representatives Sam Kosakow­

ski and Jennifer Brett. They also gave a presentation on the Un ivers ity's new

online community.

"For alumni living outside of Guelph,

it 's a great way for us to keep in tou ch

with each other;' said Ted Freeman, BSA

Choose one or more categories: • A graduate who has made an out­

standing 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/com­munity 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 already posted "Keeping In

Touch" entries and are using the job post­

ing and business card section of the site at www.olcnetwork.net/uoguelph. Pic­

tures 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 A GUELPH 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 • Environmental Toxicology • Food Science • Microbiology

Engineering Sciences • Biological • Engineering Systems & Computing • Environmental • 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 train­

ing 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-

1960 • Bob Gillham, BSA '63 and H.D.Sc. '99, was named an Offi­

cer of the Order of Canada in

January 2002. He is a professor

of earth science at the Univer­

sity of Waterloo and is known

for his inventions. and research

on groundwater clean-up tech­

nologies. He holds or co-holds

several international patents related to this technology, which

is recognized internationally as a strong candidate for the most

uate students, six post -doctoral fellows and four undergradu­

ates. Their focus is on the syn­

thesis 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."

important advancement in

groundwater remediation in the

past two decades.

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 Soci­

ety of Canada, the country's

highest academic accolade. The

honour follows many other awards, including the Royal

Society's Rutherford Memori­

al Medal, an E.W.R. Steacie Fel­

lowship from the Natural Sci­

ences and Engineering Research

Council, and visiting profes­

sorships at several institutions

around the globe.

Enriching his life outside the

lab are his wife, Julia, and their

two children.

• 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 bio­

mechanics, he has been working

on the development of bracing techniques for more than 30

years. He has held research and

development positions at sever­

al universities, including Victo­ria University in Australia, the

University of Ottawa, Penn State

and SUNY Cortland. Now semi­

retired, 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 main­

tained a private practice in Lind­

say 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 pro­

fessional work, Sweetnam has

served as a senior official with

Swim Canada. His family is well­

known 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 nation­

ally 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 lives in Rockland,

Ont., with her husband, Antho­

ny, and their four children:

Nicole, David, Amanda and

Andrea. Linda looks forward to

hearing from former classmates at arseneau@attcanada.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

STAY IN TOUCH

U of G Alumni Association

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 lift­

ing 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 man­

ager 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 Profit­

Guide'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-

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 Founda-tion of Ontario, and is a found­ing director of the Oceano­graphic Environmental Research Society. She lives in Barrie, Ont., with her husband, Michael

Belanger.

1980 • Laurie (Stowe) Alba, 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 20-year 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-

GRAD NEWS UPDATE FORM

Name

Address

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. a gr. 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

Degree & Year _______ _

City

Prov./State _______________________ _ Postal Code ________ _

Home Phone _______ _ Fax E-mail

Business Phone ______ _ Fax E-mail

Occupation

Grad News Update------------------------------------

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 introduc­

tion to the historical jesus and

what he says to us today. These

books and another that she edit­

ed 10 1995, Evolution and

Human Values, are previewed on

her Web site at www.theolo­

gyauthor.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-Madi­

son since then. She says she's

excited to be returning to U ofG

this july as a professor of aquat­

ic 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 Van­

couver and would love to hear

from fellow Guelphites at

krchin@comnet.ca.

• Patrick Elliott, B.Sc. '95, mar­

ried janet Wheeler Aug. 11,2001.

He teaches biology and chemistry

and coaches hockey at Orchard

Park Secondary School in Stoney

Creek, Ont., and recently com­

pleted 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 becom­

ing famous for avoiding science

classes at all costs while at

Guelph. Cold Springs Farm rais­

es 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 produc­

tion. 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

Cunningham, B.Comm. '94,

CIBC Wood Gundy can show you how high yielding, tax efficient securities can be a practical solution to today's lower interest rates.

CANADIAN & GLOBAL INCOME FUNDS • Monthly Cash Distribution • Tax Efficient • Tax Deferral • Conservative/Low Volatility

We can help you earn higher returns and ensure that you keep it! Call today:

Todd Cook, OAC '82 • Financial Consultant 305 King Street West • Suite 1010 • Kitchener • ON • N2G 1B9 Tel: 519-570-1541 or 800-265-2433 • e-mail: todd.cook@cibc.ca

Commissions, trailing commissions. management fees and expenses all may be associated with mutual fund investments. Please read the prospectus before investing. Mutual funds are not guaranteed, their values change

cmc frequently and past performance may not be repeated.

Wood Gundy Clarington Funds CIBC Wood Gundy is a division of CIBC World Markets Inc. a <>ubsidiary of C!BC and member of CIPF Co-Sponsored by Clarington Funds

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 med­

ical and dental supplies distrib­

utor. 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 vice­

president, 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 Wit­

mer. He also holds a BA from

McMaster University.

• David Ivory, B.Sc.(Agr.) '92,

recently accepted a Texas Com­munity Forestry Award present­

ed 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 pro­

gram 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 Mar­

keting Inc. as an account execu­

tive. 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 audiometric 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 regulatory

OAC engineering grads reunite

Guelph engineering grads from 1948 to 1966 were invited to cam·

pus last summer for a first-time reunion of engineers who rece ived

thei r degrees th rough the former OAC affi liation with the Univer­

sity of Toronto. About 6o alumni and their spouses enjoyed a golf

to urnament, a walki ng tour of ca mpus and dining together. Engi­

neering professor John Ogilvie helped organize the event on behalf

of the OAC engineering alumni.

compliance. He went on to

complete a technical diploma in geographic information systems

in Nova Scotia and now works

for the Ontario Ministry of Nat­

ural 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

BMO 0 ~~~~?,~~ ~~ns• Member ClPF

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

University of Toronto Press. Contact him at rob_bob@ aztec­

net.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.

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

his tenure as president of the ~ University of Guelph from 1967

to 1975.

"' ~ :r: 0 z ::::J <(

"' CD <(

"' <( CD

"' <( CD

>­CD

f-;;: "' f-

"' 0 0..

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 rep­

utation 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 ser­

vice included several positions in educa­

tion 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.

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,

OBlTUARI FS ~- ---- -----~- --

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 ser­

vice and received numerous commenda­

tions from fellow officers at the Scar­

borough police division.

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 vet­

erinary program. His research interests

focused on comparative studies on the hemostatic mechanism in domestic ani­

mals, and the detection and characteri­

zation of inherited and acquired abnor­

malities 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

Summer 2002 43

UNIVERSITY OF GUELPH

the 'Way 'We 'Were

THE 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 pro­

ject, 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 Nor­

way 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

44 GuELPH ALUMNus

FROM THE ARCHIVES

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 remem­

bering 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 giv­

ing in later years. A scholarship endowment fund cre­

ated in 1959, the 1966 Development Fund that sup­

ported the establishment of the University of Guelph,

and the University's last major capital campaign in 1986

all received broad alumni support.

Create the

Vision

Shape the

Future

Inspire Others

Diploma in Leadership An innovative limited-enrolment program combining

e-Learning with a residential component

Begins July 2002

and inditJidual

care!

As a member of the University of Guelph Alumni Association, you can enjoy savings through preferred group ratest. In addition, with Meloche Monnex,

YOU will always receive personalized care and attention. Call us now and get a taste

of our exceptional approach to service that has been our trademark for over 50 years.

FOR YOUR DIRECT QUOTE:

1--888~~~589-5656

Recommended by

University of Guelph Alumni Association

Get a quote! You could

a BMWX5* Our home and/or auto

policyholders are automatically entered.

Meloche Monnex Where insurance is a science ... and service, an art

tGroup auto insurance rates are not applicable in the Atlantic provinces. •No purchase necessary. Contest open only to residents of Canada, excluding Manitoba. Due to provincial legislation, our auto insurance program is not offered in British Columbia, Manitoba and Saskatchewan. Approximate value of the BMW X5 vehicle (model 3.0) is $57,000 (may not be identical to the one shown). Contest runs from December 13, 2001 to December 31, 2002. To obtain the rules and regulations of the Win a BMW X5 Contest, visit www.melochemonnex.com.