SUMMER 2007 AGRICULTURAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES · AgroEcology Group to promote ecological agriculture on campus, and increase contact with the ecological agriculture community

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SUMMER 2007

2 From the Dean’s Desk

3 Spotlight on the Leaders of Tomorrow

4 Towards a Greener Mac

5 The Mac Agro-Ecology Group

6 Developing Leaders to Alleviate Poverty

7 Finding Common Ground

8 A Wildlife Summer in Botswana /FCC Awards FMT Students

9 Kudos

10 Development and Alumni Relations News

11 Alumni News

T H I S I S S U E

AGRICULTURAL ANDENVIRONMENTAL

SCIENCESedition

S P O T L I G H Ton the leaders of tomorrow

FACULTY OF AGRICULTURAL

AND ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES

Summer 2007

Office of the Dean

Macdonald Campus

McGill University

21,111 Lakeshore

Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue

Quebec, Canada H9X 3V9

Tel.: 514-398-7707

Fax: 514-398-7766

www.mcgill.ca/macdonald/

Dean of the Faculty

Chandra A. Madramootoo

EditorNadine Fortin, BSc(AgrEng)’94Communications Officer — Macdonald

Editorial Board

Robert Bonnell, BSc(AgrEng)’83, MSc’85, PhD’93

Josée Bonneville, Development, Alumni and University Relations AssociateErica Burnham, BA’94, MLIS’98Helen Cohen Rimmer, BA’76, MSc’79Nadine Fortin, BSc(AgrEng)’94Communications Officer — MacdonaldRon Henry, Director of Development — MacdonaldKathy MacLean, BSc(Agr)’81Rodger Titman, BSc’65

Editorial ConsultantHelen Dyer, Communications Officer,Development, Alumni and University Relations

Susan Murley, Director of Special Projects, Development, Alumni and University Relations

Design and LayoutHelen Cohen Rimmer, HCR Photo

AGRICULTURAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES 2

Dear Graduates and Friends,

I was recently invited by a group ofMacdonald graduate and undergraduatestudents to visit the McGill BirdObservatory, located adjacent to theMorgan Arboretum. The students werevery excited by their various researchprojects and their volunteer efforts inbanding birds and recording vitalornithology data on the species that passthrough the Observatory. They wanted meto experience first-hand their passion forthe environment and their commitment tothe protection of nature. These studentsvolunteer their time for a worthwhilecause by collecting valuable data for theCanadian Wildlife Service. They do thisvery early in the morning and late in the evenings in spring and fall. These studentswere motivated by their various field courses and outdoor learning experiences. It’s aform of learning which all of us as Mac grads have experienced, and which enrichedour lives upon graduation.

Among Macdonald’s greatest assets are the numerous students and student groupswho, through their educational experience at Mac, take on causes to improve thequality of life on campus, at home and abroad. Our students show initiative, and possess a level of energy and excitement that is infectious. Whether it’s developing asustainability plan for Macdonald Campus, providing nutrition and dietetics support tohealth professionals, or building water supply systems for rural villages in Africa,Macdonald students are leaders who are making a difference in the world. They comeup with the ideas, do the necessary fundraising, and volunteer their time to completethe projects.

I am extremely proud of our many student-led initiatives and the impact they make.Our students are using the knowledge they gain in the classroom to solve real lifeproblems in the field. They communicate and articulate a passion for their projectswhich inspires the newly arrived students on campus.

Your gifts to Macdonald help our students to achieve their dream of making the worlda better and safer place. On behalf of the students, I thank you for your support,which is so vital in allowing our students to step beyond the confines of the classroomwith confidence.

Chandra A. Madramootoo, BSc(AgrEng)’77, MSc’81, PhD’85 Dean, Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences

Dean Chandra Madramootoo at Convocation.

From the Dean’s Desk

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COVER PHOTO: Some of our leaders of tomorrow at Convocation Day on May 25, 2007. You can read abouttheir involvement in the Mitabi Forum or in the Mac Sustainable Project in this issue. From left to right:Guillaume Pilon, MSc’07, Nina Gauthier, BSc(Dietetics)’07, Brian Lee, U3 Dietetics, Johanne Philippe,BSc(AgrEnvSc)’07, Pénélope Thériault, U3 Bioresource Engineering). PHOTO: Owen Egan

The McGill Bird Observatory is a project of the Migration Research Foundation, with support fromMcGill University's Avian Science and Conservation Centre. The MBO is a member of the CanadianMigration Monitoring Network. To learn more about MBO activities, see www.migrationresearch.org/mbo.html.

3 AGRICULTURAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES

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Investing in Our Future

On May 25, 2007, several hundred students left MacdonaldCampus with their diplomas in hand and their heads full ofdreams and projects. Even if these “Centenary graduates” felt atwinge of sorrow at the thought of leaving Macdonald, theyknew exciting new adventures would await them.

During their time at Mac, our graduates acquire a solideducation, build strong friendships, and gain experience throughfield trips, summer jobs, internships and lab work. But theirinnovative ideas and initiative also change the face of ourCampus and community in very concrete ways.

This issue of In Focus highlights some of the recent studentleaders and student groups who have dedicated their time andenergy to achieve a dream and improve life in their communities– on campus or off. These concrete actions have a sharedfoundation: the stimulating academic programs and innovativeprojects you can read about in this special issue are the directresult of Macdonald’s ability to recruit the most talented studentsand highly qualified professors.

Our students’ passion for agriculture, the environment, nutritionand wildlife has inspired them to initiate, or become part ofprojects that improve campus life: to find technical solutions forreducing poverty in developing countries, produce organicagricultural products, improve the practice of health professionalsor contribute to maintaining biodiversity abroad.

The enthusiasm and commitment of these student leaders hasradiated throughout the campus, attracting other students tooutstanding projects that are making a difference. Facultymembers and student associations have thrown their supportbehind these initiatives, allowing students to reach theirambitious goals.

In return, students share their expertise with their classmates, theMacdonald community, donors and alumni, younger generationsof students and the general public. Even academic projects haveemerged from these groups.

In Focus wants to share the stories of these initiatives with you.Who knows, you might be tempted to get involved!

S P O T L I G H T o n t h e l e a d e r s o f t o m o r r o w

Students know that Macdonald’steaching programs provide the besttraining in environmental studies inCanada. But some of them decidedto “think outside the classroom” andapply their lessons right where theystudy. A group of 11 undergraduatestudents from the Mac SustainableProject (MSP) have analyzed theenvironmental footprint of thecampus from the maintenance of thelawn right down to the residencetoilets. They interviewed faculty,staff, administration and students,and collected data on the air, water,land, materials and energy, the fivecomponents of the MacdonaldCampus’s “ecosystem.” After twoyears of concentrated volunteer work, theypresented a report with recommendations tomake the Campus more sustainable.

The report, titled “The EcosystemSustainability Assessment: MacdonaldCampus,” is not gathering dust on someforgotten shelf, but has been read avidly by theadministration. Even before it was completed,the report had laid the foundation for newprojects.

Marie-Ève Lemieux, a student in the Schoolof Environment started the MSP and inspiredAnthi Mimidakis to get involved right fromthe start. “The idea of being part of a projectwhere I can get hands-on experience, interviewmany people and understand how things work, was reallyappealing,” said Mimidakis, BSc(AgrEnvSc)’07, who was alsoinvolved in writing the report. Third year environment studentAmélie Roy signed up a year later. She designed the logo for thegroup and took an active part in developing the energy section.

While volunteering on this project, the two students realized thattheir concerns and involvement could really make a differenceand had the power to change things on campus. “We want theother students to be aware that they can be heard,” explained thetwo students. They also hope to sensitize their peers to dailyhabits that are more ecologically friendly.

Putting words into action

While they were still in the processof writing the report, the membersof the MSP started other events toincrease the awareness of their class-mates about sustainability issues andto improve the Campus environ-ment.

The MSP helped to produce a“greener” renovated MacdonaldLibrary, with the installation of thecampus’ first automatic faucet andan environmentally friendly carpet,as well as use of non-volatile organiccompound paint for walls. Thegroup also launched the first

Sustainability Awareness Week in January,which featured conferences, movies about theenvironment and other special activities for theMac community. Planning for the secondedition is already underway.

Taking it public

Sylvie de Blois, BSc(Agr)’92, associateprofessor in the Department of Plant Scienceand the School of Environment, got involvedbecause “these initiatives are in sync with whatI teach and the practical applications oncampus.” She is working with the MSPmembers on a website, following one of thereport’s recommendations to make theinformation and knowledge about the research

projects conducted at Macdonald available to everybody. Thewebsite is expected to go live in the fall.

“It’s really interesting for the students when the Dean or thedirectors are using their suggestions. It means changes can comefrom the base and go up. It also includes Macdonald as part ofthe global community,” said de Blois.

The MSP was inspired by the Campus Sustainability AssessmentFramework (CSAF) concept, now used by more than 50campuses, across Canada, the United States and Australia.


Spotlight on the Leaders of Tomorrow

Towards a Greener Mac Mac students are putting their minds to work to achieve a more sustainable campus

The MSP helped to produce a “greener” renovated MacdonaldLibrary and Learning Centre. From left to right: Janine Schmidt,Trenholme Director of Libraries, Marie-Ève Lemieux, AnthiMimidakis, and Erica Burnham, Head Librarian, Macdonald Libraryand Learning Centre.

The Ecosystem Sustainability Assessment: Macdonald Campus report will be available on the Rethink McGill website: www.mcgill.ca/rethink/

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Macdonald offers great opportunities to learn and get hands-onexperience, but sometimes dedicated students like FrédéricThériault, a master’s student in Plant Science (pictured at right),want to look beyond the campus experience. Four years ago, asundergraduate students in plant science, Thériault and his class-mates decided to build stronger connections between theireducation program and the world of ecological agriculture, amethod of agriculture that attempts to ensure the profitability offarms while preserving the environment. They created the MacAgroEcology Group to promote ecological agriculture oncampus, and increase contact with the ecological agriculturecommunity in Quebec and beyond.

The band of diploma, undergrad and grad students developed anannual lecture series called Agriculture for the Future. Peoplefrom across the province came to the campus last March to sharetheir knowledge on subjects such as the impact of the agrarianreform in Quebec; the effect of organic food on health; seeddiversity; and alternative and innovative models in agriculture.The group organizes workshops on vermicomposting, and theyare working to breathe new life into the Ecological AgricultureProject, located in the Centennial Centre, where people canconsult a great collection of books and documents aboutecological agriculture.

The group is also participating in the annual Organic AgricultureConference in Guelph, as well as taking part in Rendez-vous biogatherings – student meetings about organics in Quebec. “It is agreat opportunity to network and talk with students from theother institutions interested in ecological agriculture,” explainedFrédéric Thériault. Macdonald has already hosted the Rendez-vous bio event twice in the past four years.

“It’s one of the most dynamic groups on campus,” said CarolineBegg, BSc(Agr)’79, PhD’95, Faculty Lecturer in the Department

of Plant Science andDirector of Farm Practice inthe FMT program, who ishelping the group to findfinancial support for theiractivities. She also lends ahand with promoting thegroup’s activities to createinterest among students.When participants returnfrom Guelph, she makessure to allow time fordiscussion and exchange ofinformation with the rest ofthe class in the Principles ofEcological Agriculturecourse she teaches.

In April, some members ofthe Mac AgroEcology group worked with other studentsinterested in the future of farming in Quebec to present a reportto advance their position on land accessibility, subsidies, educa-tion and the place of the younger generation to the Commissionsur l'avenir de l'agriculture et de l'agroalimentaire québécois.The independent commission is holding public consultationsacross the province to paint a complete picture of the future ofthe Quebec’s agriculture and agri-food sectors.

Now completing a master’s degree in plant science, Thériault isalready putting his knowledge into practice: he runs aco-operative organic vegetable farm in Les Cèdres with otheralums from Mac. You can find the group every Saturday at theSainte-Anne-de-Bellevue’s farmers’ market, selling the fruits (andvegetables) of their labour.

Mac AgroEcology Group: going beyond theoryLearning through direct contact with the ecological agriculture world

Tourne-Sol Co-operative Farm

The Tourne-Sol co-operative farm is a great example of aninitiative that sprang from the knowledge gained and bondscreated at Mac. The five founding members: Emily Board,BA’03, Daniel Brisebois, BSc(AgrEng)’02, Frédéric Thériault,BSc(AgrEnvSc)’04, Reid Ballard Allaway, DipEnv’05, BSc’06and Renée Primeau, BSc(AgrEnvSc)’05, are young farmers who wantedto establish a sustainable project in the Vaudreuil-Soulanges region andpromote organic agriculture as a viable and dynamic alternative forQuebec’s agriculture future.

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Developing leaders to alleviate povertyaround the world

Have you ever stirred your coffeewith a piece of dry spaghetti?That’s just one of the environ-mentally friendly practices that delegates to the Engineers withoutBorders National Conference willfollow when they’ll meet inMontreal in January 2008. TheMacdonald branch of theEngineers without Borders (EWB)has the mandate to “green” theconference. Ghislaine Johnson,the retiring president and founderof the EWB at Mac, calls it “anexciting challenge.”

The third-year student in bio-resource engineering created theMacdonald branch in 2005 as partof the national organization thathelps people in developing communities gain access to technologies that will improvetheir lives. The chapter on McGill’sdowntown campus was formed in2001. Don’t be misled by the name“Engineers without Borders”: students from other disciplines are welcome, and at Mac, thecommittee includes students from the departments ofBioresource Engineering and Plant Science, and the School ofEnvironment.

The 10 members of the Macdonald branch have hosted biweeklyworkshops, speakers and discussion groups on Campus, butthey’re also reaching out to the local community to raise aware-ness of the problems facing people in emerging regions. “Wehave talked to 700 students from elementary to CEGEP levelsabout water, food and energy”, explained Johnson. “Students arevery interested, especially with the climate change issues”.

Every year, the group raises money to send one or more

students abroad to gain practicalexperience in a developing country. Johnson travelled toGhana last summer, and MelanieLefebvre, a student in the Schoolof Environment, has begun herown adventure in Salaga, Ghana,this summer. You can read aboutMelanie’s summer in Ghana onher blog: http://melinghana.blog.com

Over a period of three and a halfmonths, Lefebvre will work on amultifunctional platform project,a diesel-powered engine that canpower various agro-processingmachineries such as corn huskers.The low cost tool will reduce thetime and energy spent on routinetasks usually done by hand by thevillage women, giving womenmore time to generate income andreduce the poverty of their families. “I’m really excited towork with local women,” saidLefebvre.

In addition to providing people around the world with theresources that enable them to help themselves, EWB studentslike Johnson and Lefebvre use their involvement to create a broadnetwork and develop leadership skills through the national meet-ing and workshops of their organization. “At the last annualmeeting in Calgary, listening to speakers such as Her Excellencythe Right Honourable Michaëlle Jean, Canada’s GovernorGeneral, or meeting with students from other chapters were agood source of inspiration, energy, and motivation to go on,”said Johnson.

To learn more about Engineers Without Borders McGill UniversityChapter: www.mcgill.ewb.ca/

EWB student Ghislaine Johnson with Masata Adama from Ghana’sBole’s Cocoa Research Centre.

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A fundamental shiftis underway in theway health profes-sionals work. Atmany hospitals,patients with chronicor severe illness arenow assigned a teamof health profes-sionals working inconcert – doctors,nutritionists, nurses,physical and occu-pational therapists ormental-health profes-sionals. Getting rid ofthe siloed approachto health care createssubstantial benefitsfor patients, who getcoordinated care andtheir own personal-ized think-tank of professionals working to improve their health.The new “interprofessional” (IP) approach also brings challengesfor health care workers, as they figure out how best to adapt tothis new era of care.

McGill is rising to the challenge of developing interprofessionalbest practices, and Macdonald’s Dietetics and Human Nutritionstudents are playing a leadership role. In 2004, McGill received a$1.3 million grant from Health Canada to create the McGillEducational Initiative on Interprofessional Collaboration:Partnerships for Family-Centred Practice, a program focused onpromoting increased communication and teamwork amonghealth disciplines. Dietetics students participated in the program’sworking group meetings and helped act as sounding boards fordifferent projects funded by the grant.

The Mitabi Forum is another interprofessional initiative begunin 2004 that brings together students and faculty from thehealing professions within McGill’s Faculty of Medicine. Thegroup discusses issues and case studies, such as the treatment ofan 85-year-old woman with breast cancer, or the care of a single

mother sufferingfrom a stroke, from amultidisciplinaryperspective. Thisyear, dietetics andnutrition studentswere key organizers ofthe largely student-run group, withLarissa Beznaczuk-Smyrnew (U3Nutrition) and recentgraduate NinaGauthier,BSc(Dietetics)’07, asco-Presidents, andBrian Lee (U3Dietetics) andNicole Bourgeois(U3 Dietetics) asVPs.

In addition to these monthly dialogue sessions, the Forum holdsan annual, interprofessional health conference. “Macdonaldstudents played important roles in this year’s Fourth AnnualMcGill Interprofessional Health Conference,” explainedBourgeois. Approximately 170 students in medicine, dietetics,communication disorders, physiotherapy, occupational therapyand nursing attended the meeting. A few faculty members werealso present – some in support of the initiatives, others to learnmore about IP.

The Cree-Ojibwe word “mitabi” means “he sits on the bareground.” “It emphasizes our goal to use dialogue to findcommon ground between health-care professionals and theirpatients regarding their respective roles in the healing process. It’salso a great way to build stronger links between students fromthe Mac and downtown campuses,” said Nicole Bourgeois.

For more information about McGill University’s MitabiInterprofessional Health Initiative: ww.med.mcgill.ca/mitabi_forum/

Paul Gross (Medicine-4), Johnny Sit (Nursing), Maxim Ben-Yakov (Medicine), Larissa Beznaczuk-Smyrnew (U3 Nutrition), Marcus Povitz (Medicine-4), Tina DeSouza (Speech-Language Pathology),Nicole Bourgeois (U3 Dietetics), Ed Walker (U3 Dietetics), and Brian Lee (U3 Dietetics).

Finding common ground Dietetics and Human Nutrition Students are leaders in helpinghealth professionals work together effectively

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Hands-on experience is the best way to put into practice the knowledgelearned in the classroom. Every year, Farm Credit Canada (FCC)challenges students in agriculture diploma programs across Canada towork with experienced farm operations to develop solid real-life businessplans. The awards for the four winning plans from Mac’s FarmManagement and Technology (FMT) program were presented on April18 to Martin Estermann, FMT’07, Jonathan Blais, final year FMTstudent, Thomas Ammerlaan, FMT’07, and Karl Hardy Demers,FMT’07. All third-year FMT students have to build a business plan aspart of their capstone Farm Project course. “This project is thecomprehensive assessment for the program. It’s an invaluable learningexperience: the FCC awards greatly encourage high quality businessplans, and provide recognition for those projects,” said Peter Enright,director of the FMT program. “When a student is returning home witha solid business plan and the skill set required to update and redefinethose plans as market conditions change, it’s of great benefit to thefamily enterprise or company.”

Peter Enright, BSc(AgrEng)’86, MSc’89, Director of the Farm Managementand Technology Program, Jonathan Blais, Martin Estermann, GuylainCastonguay, Farm Credit Canada, Karl Hardy-Demers, ThomasAmmerlaan, and Pascal Thériault, Faculty Lecturer.

Farm Credit Canada awards four Farm Management and Technology students

Do you picture your-self monitoring giraffesor endangered whiterhinos in Africa?Maybe you’re a catlover and you dreamof helping maintainthe cheetah populationat the Wild CheetahTransit Station inBotswana?

Lindsay Parker, aMac freshman inwildlife biology, does-n’t have to use herimagination anylonger. She is volun-

teering at the Mokolodi Nature Reserve in Botswana from May 9to June 27, 2007, working with cheetahs that are considered a“problem” by many local farmers who see the animals as livestockpredators. When a “problematic” cheetah is identified, the animalis brought to the reserve and relocated into a safe, remote habitatwhere it may be monitored. “I tranquilize the animal, take dataand help release it,” explained the 18-year-old student, who had

the opportunity to go to Africa through the World UniversityService of Canada (WUSC) Students without Borders program.

Already, Parker has had more life-changing expeditions that mostof us can dream of. At 15, she visited the Antarctic with theorganization Students on Ice, and the following year, she was partof a blue whale research program in the St. Lawrence River withthe same organization. Each time, the young Albertan returnedhome to inspire young people and adults alike through herpresentations. The environmentalist also started a recyclingproject at her high school. Her experiences have transformed herfrom a shy teenager to an outspoken advocate who is alwayslooking for opportunities “to make a difference.”

When she returns from Botswana, the Millennium ExcellenceScholarship Laureate will again share her experiences with thecommunity to raise environmental awareness. Parker willcontinue her studies at Mac in the fall, with the long-term goalof protecting threatened whale populations. She is also dreamingof becoming a lecturer for Students on Ice to help otherteenagers make a difference.

You can read Lindsay’s adventures in Botswana on her blog:http://swborders.org/

A Wildlife Summer in Botswana

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Harriet Kuhnlein, professor in the Schoolof Dietetics and Human Nutrition andDirector of the Centre for IndigenousPeoples’ Nutrition and Environment(CINE), had an honorary Doctor of Lawsdegree conferred upon her at the convoca-tion ceremonies of the University ofWestern Ontario, on June 11. ProfessorKuhnlein was recognized for her outstand-ing work on native peoples’ nutrition and

diet, and the preparation and preservation of traditional foodsources.

Professor Timothy G. Geary is the new Director of the Instituteof Parasitology. Professor Geary, who holds the Canada ResearchChair in Parasite Biotechnology, has been an active member ofthe Institute since 2005.

Natural Resource Sciences professor David Bird, MSc’76,PhD’78, is the first recipient of the Bird Protection Quebec’s(BPQ) Award for Education in Quebec. All award winners werepresented with a letter from the President, a certificate, a gift anda letter from the BPQ’s president at the BPQ’s Annual GeneralMeeting on May 7.

Plantes et CT-Scan

Vous avez manqué l’émission Découverte sur les travaux duprofesseur Pierre Dutilleul du Département des sciencesvégétales? Visionnez le reportage sur l’utilisation du CT-scan enagriculture sur le site de l’émission: http://www.radio-canada.ca/actualite/v2/decouverte/index.shtml. Cliquez sur l’onglet « natureet environnement », puis sur le bouton « février 2007 ».

Hats off to you! Chapeau les filles!

Two Macdonald students won Excelle Science prizes in theChapeau les filles! competition organized by the Quebecgovernment. The awards are for young women who dare todepart from the beaten track.

Magalie Dion, a second year GeneralAgriculture student (pictured at left), wona prize in the Agriculture category fromthe ministère de l’Agriculture, desPêcheries et de l’Alimentation(Agriculture, Fisheries and Food Services).When she has completed her bachelor’sdegree, Magalie will return to the family

enterprise in Saint-Liboire. While her father will continue tomanage the farm, her brother will be in charge of the humanresources and she will monitor and plan the field activities. Shewill be the first woman in six generations to run the farm.

Sarah Lebel, a first year BioresourceEngineering student, won the Relève(Renewal) prize from the ministère duDéveloppement économique, del’Innovation et de l’Exportation(Economic Development, Innovation andExport Trade) and the ministère del’Éducation, du Loisir et du Sport(Education, Leisure and Sport). Raised ina family of scientists, it was natural for her

to choose engineering. She has already decided to pursuegraduate studies: biofuels and soil decontamination are amongher choices for specialization.

Celebrating World Water Day

The Brace Centre for Water ResourcesManagement celebrated World Water Day byhosting the sixth annual Graduate StudentsColloquium on March 22. Pierre-LucLizotte, BSc(AgrEng)’05, Natural ResourceSciences, won second place for his presenta-tion “Measurement of Net CO2 ExchangeUsing a Portable Profiling System.” Abstracts can be found atwww.mcgill.ca/brace/symposia/colloquium/.

Macdonald Team atNational Engineering Finals

In the last In Focus, we toldyou that a team of fourBioresource Engineeringstudents won first place inthe Quebec EngineeringCompetition. In March, theteam travelled to Saskatoonto participate in theCanadian EngineeringCompetition, and wonsecond prize in the team design competition against seven othercompetitors at the national level.

Around the Faculty


K U D O S . . .

Catherine St-Pierre, Thomas Fortin-Chevalier, Ellen Ebner, Marie Manchester

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Owen Ness, BSc(Agr)’52“Graduates heading out to a new life carry the memories of a host ofexciting experiences. They look back on happy and tough times, success-ful and failed romances, and they take with them both knowledge andvaluable life lessons. We owe much to Mac and all that it gave us. Inearly years, residence life created a sense of community and lasting rela-tionships and it still provides a strong nucleus to campus life. Thosememories and our gratitude are the inspiration for class reunions.Anniversary gifts at milestone reunions are a well-established tradition.They sometimes create a permanent memory of the class in the form of

buildings or scholarships. They also challenge the ability of a class to work together after25, 40, or even 50 years. Class gifts provide an opportunity to remember the past andhelp with the future. Perhaps we cannot be William Macdonald, but we can help.”

Judy (Kandalaft) Hodhod, BSc(Dietetics)’73“Approximately five years ago, a group of classmates decided that wewanted to give a gift to Mac. I am very enthusiastic about this project.Why is it important to me? Many reasons, but most importantly, duty.Sir William Macdonald was a wealthy man. He could have sat in his easychair, smoked cigars, and drunk fine brandy. But instead he built an agri-cultural school that continues to serve the citizens of Quebec and theworld. We should give back. We owe it to all who have supported Mac inthe past, and we owe it to future generations who might benefit from thisfine institution. If we want to instill a sense of duty in our children, we must practice what we preach!”

Stephen Casselman, BSc(Agr)’68“My ability to earn a decent income and provide for my family was aidedby the degree I received from Macdonald,” says Stephen Casselman, whofeels that the University experience didn’t stop upon graduation and thatgiving back is part of everyday life. Celia (Topping) Moodie, who editsthe quarterly email newsletter that goes to 112 classmates, concurs. Celiadonates to Class of ’68 projects because she believes that “giving back tothe College is a tangible way to acknowledge my education and wonder-ful college experiences.” Permanent class president Harold Cook says that“we started maintaining contact from the beginning” and we have devel-

oped into a “family that gets together and discusses what other families are doing.”They all agree that their classmates’ commitment to each other and to giving back stemsfrom the wonderful time they shared at Mac. Together, class members have donatedmonies to refurbish the Chalet Pruche in the Arboretum and purchase CD-ROM sta-tions for the library. They have also raised $80,000 to provide two scholarships a year,known as the Macdonald Class of 1968 Oval Awards, to deserving students.

Celebrating a graduation anniversary has become a strong tradition at Mac. Reunionclass gifts from the Classes of ’56 and ’51 raised $63,000 and $57,000 respectively. Thecheques were presented at Homecoming 2006 to Dean Chandra Madramootoo for thenew Macdonald Library and Learning Centre. Classes currently registered in a reunionclass gift are: ’47, ’52, ’57, ’58, ’66, ’68 and ’73. Classes considering a reunion class giftare: ’60, ’61 and ’62.


Class Reunion Gifts:a Great Way to Give Back to Mac

Development & Alumni Relations

Macdonald students, staff andvolunteers are already preparing for Homecoming 2007 and the closing of

Centenary celebrations!

All Mac Graduates are invited to attendHomecoming again this year. We areplanning many events that you will notwant to miss: Meet and Greet on Fridaynight, the Memorabilia Breakfast,special presentations, Teachers' Tea atThree, a tour of the Macdonald Libraryand Learning Centre, the Sir WilliamMacdonald Luncheon, the Clan BBQ andmore.

The Homecoming 2007 booklet will bemailed in July. Please take note thatclasses of years ending in “2” and “7”will receive a version that includesMcGill events (includes AnniversaryDinners schedule). All other Mac Gradswill receive a version with Mac basedevents only.

If you need help organizing your classreunion or for further information,please contact Josée Bonneville at:

[email protected] or 514-398-7709

Mark your calendarsTODAY!

McGill/MacdonaldHomecoming

October 18-21, 2007

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Alumni News


OTTAWA ALUMNI RECEPTIONApril 3, 2007

Taking action to overcome global warming and climate change

Macdonald graduates and friends joined Dean Madramootoo andprofessors Murray Humphries, PhD’01, and Jim Fyles at theFairmont Château Laurier for an alumni gathering. Humphries,NSERC Northern Chair, presented his work on Northern aboriginalcommunities, part of a broad research program that links the impactof climate change on wildlife and community health outcomes. Fyles,who is the Tomlinson Chair in Forest Ecology, talked about the inter-relationships between plants, soil disturbance and climate, and thefunction of complex ecological and socio-ecological systems acrossmultiple scales.

DEAN’S DONOR RECEPTIONApril 19, 2007

Health, nutrition and climate change

At the Dean’s Donor Reception at Macdonald, 125 guests wereintroduced to three outstanding professors and their research:Florence Dzierszinski, Canada Research Chair in ParasitePathogenesis, who is interested in the interactions betweenToxoplasma gondii and the host cell antigen; Grace Egeland, CanadaResearch Chair in Environment, Nutrition and Health, who isconducting a large Canadian Inuit health survey within the frame-work of International Polar Year; and Professor Murray Humphries,whose work is mentioned above.

TRURO ALUMNI RECEPTIONMay 8, 2007

Climate Change and Biofuels, Human Health and the Environment

Garth Coffin, BSc(Agr)’62, welcomed 60 Macdonald graduates atNSAC in Truro, N.S. Two Mac professors were invited for the“down-home” occasion: Don Smith, James McGill Professor andHead of the Green Crop Network, presented his research on climatechange and biofuels, and Sarah Kimmins helped attendees under-stand how drugs, nutrition and other environmental factors caninfluence our susceptibility to later-life diseases.

The Sustainability Report at a glance

The Ecosystem Sustainability Assessment: Macdonald Campus makes recommendations to improve howMac can use its air, water, land, materials and energy more efficiently. Here are just a few highlights:

Air: Raise awareness in the Macdonald community about the importance of air quality and theassociated energy demand.Water: In the bathrooms: Use low-flow shower heads, aerator for taps, automatic faucets, low-flushtoilets, and automatic flushing urinals, and display the number to call if a leak is noticed.Land: Use compost as an alternative to inorganic fertilizers on campus.Materials: Endorse the purchase of double-sided printers when one needs to be replaced.Energy: Buy Energy Star equipment (refrigerator, washing machine, television set, computers, photo-copy and fax machines, exit signs, windows, vending machines, etc.) whenever possible.

Joy Harvie Maclaren, BSc(HEc)’44, LLD’00, addresses fellow alumni.

Caroline Begg, Sue Childs, DipAgr’66, Norman Campbell, DipAgr’66, andJohn Standish, DipAgr’56, at the Annual Donor Reception.

Don Smith, Sarah Kimmins and Garth Coffin at the Truro Reunion.

Please return undeliverable mail to / Retour des envois non-livrés à:

In Focus Editor, Development OfficeFaculty of Agrcultural and Environmental Sciences

Macdonald Campus, McGill University21,111 Lakeshore Road

Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue, Quebec H9X 3V9

A celebration of the campus environment ...Green and gold are the official Macdonald Campus colours. Inthe fall of 2006, as part of Macdonald Centenary celebrations,students in the “Landscape Design” course planted shrubs andbulbs to show off the “green-and-gold”. On October 20, thestudents planted more than 1000 flower bulbs: daffodils, cro-cus and tulips. With the start of spring, these yellow-floweredbeauties are blooming and embellishing the front of Laird Halland the walkway east of the Centennial Centre.

On November 10, the same class planted trees and shrubs inthree clusters in a location northeast of the Macdonald Libraryand Learning Centre. They planted cedars, mock-orange, dog-wood and other flowering shrubs, both native and exotic. All ofthese trees and shrubs have either green or golden foliage oryellow flowers in the spring or fall.

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SUMMER 2007 AGRICULTURAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES · AgroEcology Group to promote ecological agriculture on campus, and increase contact with the ecological agriculture community

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