RE

TU

RN

UN

DE

LIV

ER

AB

LE C

AN

AD

IAN

AD

DR

ES

SE

S T

O:

TH

E P

OR

TIC

O M

AG

AZ

INE

, U

NIV

ER

SIT

Y O

F G

UE

LPH

, G

UE

LPH

, O

N N

1G 2

W1

U N I V E R S I T Y O F G U E L P H M A G A Z I N E F O R A L U M N I A N D F R I E N D S

Project Re-VisionStudent researchers helpto change stereotypes

PLUSMeet U of G’s new presidentGuelph scientists fight disease

the

No purchase necessary. Contest open to Canadian residents who are the age of majority in their province or territory of residence as of the contest start date. Approximate value of each prize is $1,000 Canadian. Chances of winning depend on the number of valid entries received by the contest deadline. Contest closes Thursday, November 27, 2014, at 11:59 p.m. ET. Only one entry per person accepted. Skill testing question required.

Alumni Term

Life Insurance

Underwritten by

The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company (Manulife).Manulife and the Block Design are trademarks of The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company and are used by it, and by its affiliates under license.

Remember when you hadno cares in this world?

It�s the same feeling you get, young or not so young, when you know you�re

protected � especially when you have people who count on you. Consider

Alumni Term Life Insurance, whether you�re looking for new coverage or

adding to an existing one, and enjoy exclusive low rates for you and your

family. No worries. We�ve got you covered.

ALUMNI TERM LIFE INSURANCE

Visit www.manulife.com/guelphmag to learn more or call toll-free 1-888-913-6333.

This program is recommended by:

s It�

otected � especialpr

lumni TAding ad

amilyf

UMNIAL

ou get, ythe same feeling y

when ylyotected � especial

anceerm Life Insurumni TTexisting one, and enjoto an eding

. amily ries.orNo w e got ye�vW

TERM LIFE INSURANCE

oung, when y not so young orou get, y

ount on ye people who cvou ha when y

e looking fou�r y, whether

yxisting one, and enjo atesw re loclusivxeed.ervoou ce got y

TERM LIFE INSURANCE

e ou�rw you knooung, when y

ou. Considerount on y

age orervo new core looking f

ates ourou and y yorf

Visit www.manulif

omecam is rgroThis pr

to learn morguelphmagom//ge.cwww.manulif

y:mended bom

l-frtoll cale or to learn mor

r lumAe Infe

an onlfoLif

eel-fr .333913-6-888-1

Get an online quoteermni TTelum

ancensurra

yten bUnderwrit

acturThe Manuf(Manulife).

the Block Design arManulife and y it, and bye used band ar

ance Companys Life Insureractur

s Life Insureracturademarks of The Manuftre the Block Design ar license.filiates under its af

No purthe age of majoritye ar

as of 000 Canadian. Chances of win,$1valid entries rof

Thur perper

ance Company

ance Companys Life Insur

to Canadian r. Contest open sarychase necesNo purritorytervince oro prtheir in the age of majority

value of each prize isximate oprontest start date. Apthe cas of ning depend on 000 Canadian. Chances of winontest deadline. Contest closesthe cyed beceivvalid entries r

. OnlyT9 p.m. E014, at 11:5, 27 2emberv, NosdayThurequirtesting question rl cepted. Skilson ac per

to enter!

esidents whoto Canadian residence of rritory

value of each prize isthe numberning depend on

ontest deadline. Contest closes one entry. Only

ed.equir

anceto enter!

The University of Guelph Alumni MBNA Rewards MasterCard®

credit card.

Alumni: Support U of G. Reward yourself.

• Earn 1 MBNA Rewards point‡ for every $1 in eligible purchases

• 1,000 bonus points‡ after your fi rst eligible purchase††

• Receive 1,000 bonus points‡‡ each year on your account anniversary

• Redeem‡ points for cash back, travel, merchandise, gift cards and charitable donations

Learn more today.Visit creditrsvp.com or call 1.877.428.6060a. Mention priority code CRPR.Call us Monday – Friday 9 a.m. – 9 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. Eastern Time.

‡ These are highlights of the credit card rewards program (the “Program”) associated with this credit card account. Points will be awarded on eligible transactions charged to your account as set out in the Program terms and conditions. Complete terms and conditions describing Program eligibility, accrual and redemption of points, and other important conditions, limitations and restrictions will be sent after your account is opened. Please read the terms and conditions carefully upon receipt.†† To qualify for this offer, an applicant must be approved for the specific credit card account described in the offer. The account must be used for at least one eligible transaction that is not subsequently rescinded, the subject of a charge back request or otherwise disputed. Please allow 8 -10 weeks from the transaction date for bonus points to be posted to your points account. Limit one-time bonus point offer (no cash value) per new account. This promotion is offered by MBNA and may be amended or cancelled at any time without notice.‡‡ To qualify for bonus anniversary points, your account must be in good standing and you must have made at least one purchase transaction on your account within the prior calendar year. This bonus will be applied annually following the anniversary date of your account opening. This promotion is offered by MBNA and may be amended or cancelled at any time without further notice.a By telephoning to apply for this credit card, you consent to the collection, use and processing of information about yourself by MBNA, its affiliates and any of their respective agents and service providers, and to the sharing or exchange of reports and information with credit reporting agencies, affiliates and service providers in relation to processing your application and, if approved, administering and servicing your account. You also acknowledge that the account, if approved, will not be used by any third party other than a third party specifically designated by you, and then only in accordance with MBNA policies and procedures then in effect.Information is current as of September 2014 and is subject to change.The Toronto-Dominion Bank is the issuer of this credit card. MBNA is a division of The Toronto-Dominion Bank.All trade-marks are the property of their respective owners.® MBNA and other trade-marks are the property of The Toronto-Dominion Bank. AD- 07-14-0453

With a University of Guelph Alumni MasterCard®credit card, you’ll support your alma mater each time you make an eligible purchase at no added cost to you, plus:

See how fast your points can add up.Type of Purchases Monthly Expenses Monthly Points First-Year Points

Gas $200 200 2,400

Groceries $525 525 6,300

Insurance and Utilities $425 425 5,100

Dining Out $175 175 2,100

Other $350 350 4,200

Subtotal $1,675 1,675 20,100

Bonus points†† +1,000

Potential fi rst-year total (Redeemable for $210 cash back and more.) 21,100

For illustrative purposes only. Actual rewards earned will depend on individual purchases.

2 The Portico

Happy 50thBirthday Guelph!$20 plus tax, shipping and handling – Visa or MCTel: 519-766-4587 • Email: coats0922@rogers.com

Order your

cannon poster

now fromAnderson-Coats

Photo!

Fall 2014 • Volume 46 Issue 3

EditorMary Dickieson

Assistant Vice-PresidentCharles Cunningham

Art DirectionPeter Enneson Design Inc.

ContributorsSusan BubakLori Bona HuntKevin GonsalvesWendy JespersenTeresa PitmanAndrew Vowles, B.Sc. ’84

Advertising InquiriesScott Anderson519-827-9169

Direct all other correspondence to:Communications and Public AffairsUniversity of GuelphGuelph, Ontario, Canada N1G 2W1E-mail m.dickieson@exec.uoguelph.cawww.uoguelph.ca/theportico/

The Portico magazine is published three timesa year by Communications and PublicAffairs at the University of Guelph. Its mis-sion is to enhance the relationship betweenthe University and its alumni and friendsand promote pride and commitment with-in the University community. All materialis copyright 2014. Ideas and opinionsexpressed in the articles do not necessarilyreflect the ideas or opinions of the Univer-sity or the editors.Publications Mail Agreement # 40064673

Printed in Canada — ISSN 1714-8731

To update your alumni record, contact:Alumni Affairs and DevelopmentPhone 519-824-4120, Ext. 56550Fax 519-822-2670E-mail alumnirecords@uoguelph.ca

the

Fall 2014 3

of G’s new

Gryphon statue willbe a rallying point forstudents and alumni. A research team docu-ments the monarch’s need for milkweed; another produces a bio-compositeflowerpot – now availableat a store near you.

he Guelph-

Ghana Project isremembered through thelaunch of a home sciencehistory. More than 1,500celebrated the University’s50th anniversary at Alumni Weekend, and the alumni associationwelcomes a new board of directors.

422

20 26 28

on the cover

t h e p o r t i c o • f a l l 2 0 1 4

— 8 —

PRESIDENTIAL PROFILE President Franco Vaccarino looks ahead to his new role

at U of G and to the University’s next 50 years of success.

— 14 —

EAT WELL: STAY HEALTHY Prof. David Ma says good nutrition, exercise and a healthy

body weight can help us prevent chronic disease.

— 16 —

WHY GERMS ARE ONE STEPAHEAD OF US

Pathobiologist Scott Weese offers advice on how to fight infection outbreaks in animals and humans.

REDEFINE DISABILITY AND DIFFERENCE

Prof. Carla Rice uses digital storytelling to help health-care professionals improve care for patients with disabilities.

College News

The Portico.

See page 18.

4 The Portico

&

of G’ s Gryphon statue wasunveiled June 21 with great fanfare

and picture-taking. It’s the centrepiece ofthe newly landscaped front entrance to thecampus at the corner of Gordon Street andStone Road.

Or, as one Guelph grad put it: “TheGryphon statue is like the hood ornamenton a Rolls Royce. You’ve got the RollsRoyce of universities; now you’ve got aneye-catching hood ornament.”

Those words are from Myros Trutiak, a1980 biology grad who owns the artfoundry where the bronze statue was cast.“I’ve always thought the University shouldhave some kind of monument,” he says.

He was quick to jump on board whenartists Kim Kozzi and Dai Skuse, a.k.a.FASTWÜRMS, approached him aboutcasting a sculpture for U of G. And theartists, both fine art faculty at Guelph, wereequally enthused when former presidentAlastair Summerlee asked them to design astatue for the campus entrance.

Guelph grads Nicole Vogelzang, MFA’08, and Dustin Wilson, MFA ’13, werehired to help with the project.

The $300,000 Gryphon was fundedentirely by donations, primarily from alumniand student groups.

In antiquity, the mythical gryphon(griffin) was depicted as a creature withstrength, power and wisdom. The GuelphGryphon designed by FASTWÜRMS restson a book and is lit at night to represent theillumination of knowledge.

The pose was inspired by artist JohnTenniel’s illustration of a sleeping Gryphonin Lewis Carroll’s 1865 novel Alice’s Adven-tures in Wonderland. “It provided a good prag-matic direction for us,” says Skuse, “but wealso like the surprising connection to multi-disciplinary creativity in academia.

“Lewis Carroll himself confounds the typ-ical image of professors as ivory tower intel-lectuals. Very few people know of his lifelongwork as a mathematician and teacher.”

“I like that it’s a little bit whimsical,”adds Trutiak. “It’s friendly. It personalizesthe university. Visitors will take pictures,and Alumni will bring their kids over tosee the big Gryphon. A university needssomething monumental to rally around.Sculpture is that important.”

“Our motivation was to make a signif-icant and exceptional work of art thatwould be both commemorative and endur-ing,” say the FASTWÜRMS.

U of G’s big Gryphon took six monthsof research and development work, followedby a full year of daily production and cre-ative work in the FASTWÜRMS studioand the MST Bronze foundry in Toronto.Weighing in at 1,800 kg, it’s one of the larg-er projects that Trutiak has manufactured.

About U of G, Trutiak says: “The Uni-versity of Guelph was fabulous. It openedmy mind to many different things and I fig-ured out how to really think.” He studiedbiology, chemistry, physics, welding andmetal fabrication and says he still uses all ofthat knowledge in his business.

Trutiak has worked with FASTWÜRMSfor 20 years; they describe him as a “mastercraftsman.” Two of their joint projects arethe “Snomun,” which sits outside the MetroToronto Convention Centre, and “Monoc-eros” in the city’s Liberty Village.

“I’m really lucky to be in this business,”says Trutiak, “working with great artists, help-ing them produce fabulous works of art.”

U of G’s Gryphon Statue Anchors the Campus

At the Gryphon unveiling, from left: Dustin Wilson, Nicole Vogelzang, Kim Kozzi, Alastair Summerlee and Dai Skuse.Jacqueline Murray

Fall 2014 5

the

H ab itat lo ss on breedinggrounds in the United States – not

on wintering grounds in Mexico – isthe main cause of recent and projectedpopulation declines of migratorymonarch butterflies in eastern NorthAmerica, according to new researchfrom the University of Guelph.

The groundbreaking study was pub-lished in the Journal of Animal Ecology.

The insects are most sensitive toavailability of milkweed on breedinggrounds particularly in the Corn Beltregion of the United States, said RyanNorris, a professor in Guelph’s Depart-ment of Integrative Biology.

He conducted the study with leadauthor and current Guelph post-docTyler Flockhart, as well as scientists fromAustralia’s Commonwealth Scientificand Industrial Research Organization.

These results contradict the long-held belief that monarch butterflies aremost vulnerable to disturbances on win-tering grounds in Mexico. They alsoconfirm suspicions that recent declines

have been driven by breeding events. Milkweed is the only group of plants

eaten by monarch caterpillars beforethey develop into butterflies. Industrialfarming contributed to a 21-per-centdecline in milkweed plants between1995 and 2013, and much of this lossoccurred in the central breeding region,the study said.

More than 70 per cent of milkweedin this region is located in farmland wheregenetically modified crops are increasing,as opposed to 16 per cent in conserva-tion lands and 10 per cent in public areassuch as roadways, the study said.

Changes in milkweed abundance canaffect everything from larval competi-tion for food to egg-laying in adults.

“The rapid loss of milkweed pro-jected for this region, attributable to landcover changes and shifts in agriculturalpractices, is a very large concern,” saidFlockhart. Left unchecked, milkweedloss will cause the monarch populationto decline by at least another 14 percent, the study said.

Monarchs need milkweed BLACK SUN RISES

6 The Portico

ECO-FRIENDLYFLOWERPOTS BLOSSOM

Jill Selby (left) and Amy Thatcher,

both of the Department of Plant

Agriculture, pictured with a bio-

composite flowerpot made with

U of G technology.

ey players in Canada’s dairy and poul-try industries have helped the Ontario

Agricultural College (OAC) create two full-timeprofessorships in the Department of Animal andPoultry Science.

Dairy genomicsa new profe s sorship in dairy genomicswill help Canada maintain its world-leadingposition in dairy cattle genetics. The facultyposition is being supported by a $750,000 giftfrom three key players in that industry: SemexAlliance, Canadian Dairy Network (CDN) andHolstein Canada.

“We have a substantive need for genomic andgenetics research, both at Guelph and within thenetwork of dairy research across Canada,” saysanimal and poultry science chair Jim Squires.“The person who holds this position will ben-efit from a close collaboration with the dairyindustry and with researchers at other Canadianuniversities.”

Recruitment is already underway for theprofessorship, which will also contribute to theUniversity’s Centre for Genetic Improvementof Livestock (CGIL). The new faculty positionwill serve Canada’s dairy sector through research,participation in key conferences and events, andthe training of genetics professionals.

Squires says that dairy cattle genetic improve-ment research has evolved in the last several yearsfrom the traditionally quantitative approach toa broader genomics-based approach, and thatCGIL must move forward and encompass mol-ecular genetics to a greater extent.

“It’s important for our industry to have lead-ership in this area,” says Semex CEO Paul Larmer,who led the funding initiative. The past successesin CGIL and OAC’s animal science programs havebeen due in large part to some really exceptionalleaders within that group. We need to ensure thatwe are still bringing the best and the brightestresearchers into OAC and the University.”

“For Semex and our funding partners, spon-soring a faculty position is also an opportunityto influence young people looking to do gradu-ate work,” he says. “All three organizations will bepotential landing spots for students who pursue

an interest in genetics. This is putting dollars intosomething that can impact people, academic pro-grams and research in a very direct way.”

Poultry welfareprof. alexandra harlander has been namedto a new professorship that will focus on animalwelfare and behaviour in all poultry species.

The Burnbrae Farms Professorship in PoultryWelfare recognizes the largest gift to the position:$500,000 from Burnbrae Farms, one of Canada’spremier egg producers. “Burnbrae Farms’ com-mitment to the industry, animal welfare and con-sumers is evident in its support of this innovativeposition,” says OAC dean Rob Gordon.

The professorship is also partially funded by

the Poultry Industry Council, the CanadianPoultry Research Council and Egg Farmers ofCanada. Harlander is an associated faculty mem-ber with U of G’s Campbell Centre for theStudy of Animal Welfare, and her research hasreceived support from government and otherindustry partners.

One current study looks at housing and thebehaviour of laying hens, with the goal of solv-ing problems associated with non-cage systems.Harlander says Canada, like Europe, is movingtowards less-restrictive aviaries instead of hous-ing birds in cages. “This professorship is timely.With pressing demands from the public andfood industry, Canada needs research based onsound data to help the poultry sector establishnew, high-care standards.”

in around universityCanada’s Dairy and Poultry IndustriesSupport OAC Professorships

Alexandra Harlander

Fall 2014 7

GUELPH-HUMBERPROPOSES EXPANSION

SUMMERLEE HONOURED

“You can ’t see the end.

She’s talking about an artwork, butHelen Brink is also thinking about herlate husband and print-collecting part-ner, Andrew. He died in late 2011 butwas uppermost in her mind last fall as U of G’s Macdonald Stewart Art Centre(MSAC) prepared an exhibition of blackand white prints from the collection theybuilt during 50 years of married life.

Donated in batches to MSAC overthe last 10 years, the Brink collectioncontains more than 1,000 black andwhite works by printmakers from thesixteenth to nineteenth centuries, espe-cially European masterworks. The col-lection is valued at $1 million.

Andrew’s father, Alexander Brink, grad-uated from the Ontario Agricultural Col-lege in 1919. His mother, Edith MargaretWhitelaw, completed a domestic sciencedegree at Macdonald Institute in 1922.

“When Andrew, who understood theiraffinity and relationship to Guelph, wasdeciding to place his collection in a muse-um, he turned to the Macdonald StewartArt Centre in memory specifically of hisparents,” says MSAC curator Dawn Owen.

Andrew and Helen Brink collectedmostly individual prints, including worksby French artist Claude Lorrain, Eng-land’s William Blake and Flemish print-maker Antoni Waterloo. Andrew wrote abook about Lorrain called Ink and Lightthat was published posthumously andlaunched during MSAC’s Lorrain exhi-bition earlier this year.

Also in the collection is an oversizedbook of landscapes by Waterloo. That’s ararity, says Owen. Few complete books ofprints from the period remain today, asdealers and collectors often disassembledthe volumes to frame individual pieces.

For Helen Brink, the volume standsout for another reason.

In a print called The Trimmed Grove,two peasant women move through a pas-toral landscape. The road bends out ofsight beyond them and is lost amid trees,hills and skyline.

“You can’t see the end,” said Helen.“And that was very meaningful, and par-ticularly meaningful to me since Andrewdied, because that was what it really sig-nified — that you don’t know what’saround the corner.”

Art Donation Reflects Family Ties

Claude Lorrain, Le Départ pour les champs [Departure for the Fields], circa 1638-

41 (etching on laid paper, state 3C, 12.6 cm x 17.8 cm)

8 The Portico

t didn ’t take long for Franco Vaccarino to feelconnected to the University of Guelph.

Shortly after being named as the school’s eighth pres-ident and vice-chancellor, he heard former presidentBill Winegard explain why the adage “to know whereyou are going, you must understand where you havebeen” has deep roots at U of G. The saying has resonatedthroughout Vaccarino’s own life as well.

“My parents were immigrants and big believers inthe power of education in terms of making you a bet-ter person; that was always the message they gave mybrother and me growing up in Toronto,” he says.

“The belief was that things like a job, a career, wouldfall into place if you focused on being a better person,on understanding the complexities of life and of people.That is what education provides: understanding, per-spective and respect for differences.”

A graduate of both the University of Toronto (U of T)and McGill University, Vaccarino has spent 30 years asa teacher, researcher, policy adviser and administrator.Most recently, he was principal of the University ofToronto Scarborough (UTSC) and vice-president at theUniversity of Toronto.

He has been recognized internationally for hisresearch accomplishments in psychology and neuro-science. He led the development of the World HealthOrganization’s first-ever authoritative report on the neu-roscience of addiction. He also led the integration offour separate research centres as part of the creation ofwhat is now Canada’s Centre for Addiction and MentalHealth, the largest mental health and addictions researchcentre in the country.

In addition, Vaccarino was recently named a fellowof the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences, one ofthe highest honours for members of the Canadian healthsciences community.

Now beginning at a new university, he says respect forand appreciation of history is what distinguishes Guelph.“The founding colleges – that combination of traditionand strong history – together with the new energy ofemerging areas give this place energy, a buzz, and make itspecial in both breadth and depth. That is critical.”

During his observations of the post-secondary land-scape, U of G often caught his attention. “There wassomething unique about this place. The research donehere was a part of it, but another difference was the cul-ture, the attitude, the real sense of community, and pridein that sense of community.”

He particularly likes Guelph’s emphasis on the student

experience and the you-can-do-it-all philosophy thatavoids pigeonholing and lets people go beyond the class-room and even beyond borders to learn. It makes Guelphdifferent and gives the University an edge, he says.

“Today, the pace of change – the volume of infor-mation and the speed at which we turn informationinto knowledge – is happening at an unprecedentedrate, and we are seeing it in all fields. How we adapt tothat pace of change is more important than ever.”

Across the university system, there is increased focuson student engagement, experiential learning, inter-national collaborations and partnerships, and innova-tions with diverse and broad applications. These are allareas in which Guelph already excels, Vaccarino says.

“Universities need to be primary sources of knowledge,but they also need to be incubators of new ideas and freshinnovations; they need to be places that bring together dif-ferent groups with a sense of community and purpose.”

It’s this notion that drew Vaccarino to academia. Hisfield of psychology and neuroscience is all about new ideasand complex interactions. “It’s a gateway discipline, con-necting with so many different areas and fields,” he says.

Vaccarino ran an active research lab at U of T fordecades, conducting a broad spectrum of basic and clin-ical neuroscience research. He focused on what motivateshuman behaviour, specifically the neuroscience of sub-stance abuse, addiction, and anxiety and mood disorders.

“As far back as I can remember in my adolescence,I was drawn to the behaviour of people, the reasons whywe do what we do.”

He says understanding people – how they processinformation and make decisions – is key when work-ing with large groups with diverse backgrounds, suchas heading a university. “It provides perspective and helpsyou understand situations where you might otherwisebe scratching your head.”

Vaccarino remains active within the neurosciencecommunity. “Now I am using my scientific backgroundand experience to have impact in a broader way, servingon boards and advising organizations, and working moreat a systems level.”

This includes working with the Canadian Centre onSubstance Abuse, serving as a board member of BrainCanada – a $100-million national research alliance – andbeing a fellow of the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences.

“It’s extremely rewarding to know that you can influ-ence programs and policies on a national and interna-tional level.”

Vaccarino started his teaching and research career at

THE PAST INSPIRES THE FUTURE

Fall 2014 9

UTSC after completing his master’s and PhD at McGill.In his late 30s, he led a major national research initia-tive backed by the Medical Research Council.

His work and leadership effectiveness were noticed:“Soon I found myself heading a major research institu-tion.” He served as vice-president and director of researchat the Clarke Institute of Psychiatry in Toronto and lateras vice-president of research and then executive vice-president of the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health.During this period, he was also appointed to the interimgoverning council that created the framework for today’sCanadian Institutes of Health Research.

“I enjoyed the energy of large organizations, thebringing together diverse groups of people to solve com-mon problems. It was extremely rewarding.”

But the lure of the classroom remained strong. “Theuniversity is where my heart lies,” he says. “I have alwaysloved teaching, enjoyed being around students and shar-ing ideas; it was a natural environment for me.”

Back at U of T, he served as chair of the Departmentof Psychology, graduate chair of the tri-campus GraduateDepartment of Psychology and head of the Departmentof Psychiatry’s neuroscience program.

He became vice-president at U of T and principalat UTSC in 2007, helping it grow in size and stature.He also led a strategic planning process that helped to

position UTSC as a key intellectual and cultural hub.His leadership philosophy is simple: plan, set goals, apply

yourself and do everything that you do well. “Then thingswill happen organically, opportunities will come along.”

That’s how he views the chance to head U of G, forwhich Vaccarino has the enthusiastic support of his wholefamily. His wife, Cosmina, is a psychotherapist. Theirdaughters are Oriana, 24, who just started a PhD in appliedsocial psychology at Guelph, and Elysia, 22, who is pur-suing a master’s degree in the field at York University.

“It seems psychology is the family business,” Vaccarinosays, adding that his brother is also a psychologist.

The family also shares a love of music and sports,especially skiing. “I’m a high-energy person, so I find itextremely relaxing to play sports,” says Vaccarino, whois also an avid hockey, golf and tennis player.

Now settled into his Guelph home near campus, heis ready to begin a new challenge. “It’s very importantas you start the process of going forward that youremember where you are coming from; where you endup depends a lot on where you started,” he says.

That also holds true for U of G, he says. “As we cel-ebrate 50 years as a university, we’re standing at a thresh-old. In the next 50 years, the successes that we createwill be guided by the successes of the last 50 years.”

It’s difficult to get past stereotypes,even for some doctors and otherhealth-care practitioners. Just ask ElizaChandler in Toronto. The 31-year-oldhas cerebral palsy, although that’s notalways what takes her to the doctor’soffice. “I experience this when I goto the doctor for earaches. Theyassume I’m there for my disability,”says Chandler, who this year com-pleted a PhD at the University ofToronto and has begun a post-doc inRyerson University’s School of Dis-ability Studies. “That’s a barrier tohealth care. It would be a benefit tohave doctors with a more nuancedunderstanding of disability.”

Hoping to highlight thosenuances for health professionals andfor everyone else, she has turned tothe arts – and specifically to a novelarts-based research initiative calledProject Re-Vision at the Universityof Guelph. That project uses digitalstorytelling to amplify often-unheardvoices and to afford a look throughan artistic lens at difference and dis-ability, not just for health experts butalso for wider audiences.

The project is led by Carla Rice,a professor in U of G’s Departmentof Family Relations and AppliedNutrition (FRAN), and involvesother investigators at Laurentian,Trent, York and the University ofToronto. Rice has used funding fromher Canada Research Chair in care,

Digital storytelling helps

let’sdisability and

Story by Andrew Vowles

Left to right: Kim Wilson, Ingrid Mundel and Andrea LaMarre arehaving fun with Portico photographer Dean Palmer, but the storybehind the photo is their joint effort to change our perception ofwhat it means to be disabled or different in today’s society.

Fall 2014 11

gender and relationships and fromother public and private sources –notably the Social Sciences andHumanities Research Council and theCanadian Institutes of Health Research(CIHR) – to outfit a multimedia lab.

Telling powerful storiesOpened in 2013, REDLAB (Re-Visioning Differences Media ArtsLaboratory) occupies a refurbishedwing of Blackwood Hall. Using videoand audio equipment, Rice and herteam run workshops lasting two orthree days to help participants telltheir stories of difference and disabil-ity to each other, and enable them toturn those stories into two- to three-minute video scripts.

So far, they’ve made more than100 short films. Some are actualvideos, while others combine photos,illustrations and print, all braidedtogether by a voice-over and often amusical soundtrack. Those voices areoften the first-person accounts of par-ticipants themselves.

From bullying and blindness todyslexia and schizophrenia, depres-sion and eating disorders, says Rice,“They talk from a first-person per-spective about their experiences andinsights around disability. The purposeis not to replace old representationswith new ones but to open audiencesto multiple and nuanced ways ofunderstanding difference.”

to change perceptions

redefine difference

12 The Portico

Project Re-Vision aims to help partici-pants share their experiences with health-careproviders and policy-makers in hopes of elim-inating stereotypes, increasing understandingand improving health care and policy. SaysRice: “There’s a lot of evidence that peoplewith disabilities are invalidated, and their healthcare is poorer than those without disabilities.People often stop going to their health-careprovider because of negative interactions.

“If we can bring a disability studies lensto health care and begin to get health-careproviders from doctors onward to see dis-ability as another identity category – asopposed to a biomedical or individual prob-lem – that’s going to go a long way toimprove health-care interactions.”

Interviewed after viewing the videos,doctors and other practitioners report achange in how they view and work withpeople with differences and disabilities, shesays. “It’s been profound. Even health-careproviders who thought they were equity-minded start to confront misconceptions;they start to see disability for what it is. It’spart of the human condition.”

So is aging, arguably a gradually disablingprocess that will affect everyone who liveslong enough. “We think of disability assomething we can eliminate from the pop-ulation,” adds Rice, “but it’s actually some-thing that’s central to the human condition.It behooves us to understand disability andembody difference better.”

Used for training in institutions andschools, the videos can help those fledglingpractitioners understand patients better.More broadly, they can also help studentsget a different view. Pamela Cushing teachesin the disability studies program begun threeyears ago at King’s University College ofWestern University. After hearing Chandlertalk last year, Cushing asked her to discussProject Re-Vision with her class on mediaand representations of disability.

“There’s a dearth of diverse stories outthere about disabilities,” Cushing says, andoften those narratives are one-dimensionaltales of tragedy or inspiration. She describesthe Re-Vision videos as “tight little insightsinto someone’s life, how they live with thatdifference.” Some are direct; others are moreoblique, even what she calls “thought exper-iments.” Rather than try to control theviewer’s response, the videos leave “a lot of

room for the audience’s own imagination.”That resonance between storyteller and

audience is a powerful part of the project,says Rice. Understanding and imagining,seeing things anew, being asked to think andquestion issues: that’s what makes ProjectRe-Vision an arts initiative. For participantsand audience members alike, that can involvecatharsis – what she calls art as therapy. Butthe project aims to go deeper than that.

“I feel the arts and disabled artists whoself-identify in their work are challengingpeople to reimagine disability and bodilydifference. That’s why it’s so integral to bringin artists. I would love to see disability artson the map as a legitimate genre, like fem-inist art or aboriginal art.”

The videos have been shown at film andarts festivals; last year’s official opening of RED-LAB took place alongside the Abilities ArtsFestival in Toronto to coincide with the Inter-national Day of Persons with Disabilities.

Rice stresses that she’s a social scientistrather than an artist but says she’s intrigued

by the possibilities afforded by art for help-ing people tell their stories and reflect theirexperiences. “I’m interested in what the artistdoes and how it affects people on a differ-ent register than other knowledge systemssuch as science or philosophy.”

Other groups carry out similar work.Tangled Art + Disability is a not-for-profitorganization in Toronto that helps artistswith disabilities share and promote theirwork with the wider public. But Rice saysProject Re-Vision is unique. “There are noother projects trying to use video and arts-based methods to change health-care providers’perceptions of disability and difference.”

Project Re-Vision is widening its scope toinclude new voices and to explore other waysof telling stories. Rice has helped aboriginalstudents, parents and teachers in Toronto tocreate digital stories about urban aboriginalidentity and education. Her effort was part ofa larger aboriginal arts project in 2013 called“inVISIBILITY: Indigenous in the City.”

Now she’s looking northward for a dig-ital storytelling project with Inuit youth tobegin next year in REDLAB North. “AtREDLAB, we are interested in workingwith groups that have been alienated fromany positive notion of communal lifethrough historical forces such as residentialschooling of aboriginal children or the insti-tutional warehousing of people with dis-abilities,” she says.

Expanding disability researchDeveloping digital storytelling amongseniors with mental illness and dementia isthe next project for Kim Wilson, a formerresearch project manager with REDLABand a PhD candidate in FRAN. She com-pleted a Guelph undergraduate degree in2004 and has served as executive director ofthe Canadian Coalition for Seniors’ MentalHealth and as a member of the seniors advi-sory committee of the Mental Health Com-mission of Canada. Using new fellowshipfunding through the Technology Evaluationin the Elderly Network – part of theNational Centres of Excellence program –she plans to engage older adults in story-telling and hopes to highlight the growingneed for trained geriatric specialists. Wilsonsays Project Re-Vision is about “disruptingnarrative and opening meaning for peoplewhose voices and stories are not always

Prof. Carla Rice says it’s importantfor us to connect with difference anddisability: “It’s through the encounterand relationship that we come tounderstand difference. That meansmoving away from norms and normalization, and seeing how pres-sures to aspire to normal and failureto embody normative standards can function to harm people.”

Fall 2014 13

heard, helping people to see that there aremultiple voices and stories.”

Andrea LaMarre studied eating disorderswith Rice for her master’s degree and willuse a Vanier scholarship through CIHR forher PhD on the topic beginning this fall.She completed a BA in sociology in 2012.

Besides helping Project Re-Vision par-ticipants to create short films, LaMarre hasmade two videos of her own. “I have a per-sonal experience of an eating disorder, so it’sa way for me to feel like I’m making somedifference in some small way.” She says herfilms are short and to the point. “You canshare a couple of stories in 15 minutes andfocus on a moment that was illustrative ofyour struggles and experience. I think theprocess of running a workshop was one ofthe best experiences of my life.”

Ingrid Mundel is REDLAB’s new researchmanager but was previously co-ordinatorof the student-focused Research Shop inU of G’s Institute for Community EngagedScholarship. She has a Guelph master’s degreeand is working on a PhD in English.

Project Re-Vision is now designing aninteractive website intended to bring theproject to more health-care providers andto the general public. They’re working withToronto consulting company WorkingKnowledge. Producer Katie McKenna hopesto go beyond the “tired old tropes” oftragedy and inspirational narratives. Refer-ring to the honesty captured in REDLABproject videos, she says, “It reaches out andgrabs you. You can tell you’re watchingsomething very special and very real.”

Also in the works is a theatre productioninvolving Toronto playwright Jan Derbyshireto be mounted in health-care facilities anduniversity classrooms. Says McKenna: “Thisis what art has been doing since the begin-ning of time. People want to hear stories.”

Imagining a new perspectiveIn her own video, called The Elephant in theRoom, Rice tells her story of growing up asa “fat girl.” “I have experienced bodily dif-ference. I understand what that feels like.”She grew up on rural Cape Breton Islandand attended a former all-girls high schoolbefore heading to Harvard University for herundergrad. Working as a therapist, she sawhow difference and disability played out inclinical settings. Eventually, she decided thatshe wanted to focus not on treating prob-lems but on finding solutions. That led herto grad studies in psychology and women’sstudies, and then to a faculty position at TrentUniversity where she began looking into dig-

ital storytelling before coming to Guelph. Rice says short-form storytelling gives

people tools to distill and interpret theirexperience, and to find an audience for theirwork. “Digital stories can’t be created out-side of community.” Referring to the storycircle and workshop screening for partici-pant videos, including her own, she says, “Iwouldn’t have told that story as a lone per-son. I needed a community to hear me andto receive that story. For some people,including me, it’s the first time they havetold their story. They talk about the experi-ence as a transformation.”

One workshop participant made a videoabout losing her sight in adulthood andneeding to figure out how to sustain her loveof reading now that many books wereunavailable to her. “Through the workshopthere was space for her to go into a tangleof emotion. She discovered that she was notangry at her blindness but at the lack ofbooks available in accessible formats.”

This year, Rice published a new bookcalled Becoming Women: The Embodied Self inImage Culture. She says it’s a passion for socialjustice and a desire for inclusion that driveher work. “Cultural justification for ‘other-ing’ often occurs through people’s bodies,through falsely labelling aspects of others’embodiments as faulty and lacking, at leastin the recent history of western culture sincethe rise of science.

“I’m interested in how we can interruptthose processes and how we can begin toimagine a world or a society where differ-ence is welcomed in.”

Artist and academic Eliza Chandleridentifies with Project Re-Vision’sgoal to use disability arts to informwider audiences. “It goes beyondmerely swapping a single positiveimage for a negative one,” shesays. “When we create disabilityart, we’re not only creating newrepresentations of disability, we’re also creating many new representations of disability.”

SH

IFT

utrition and omega-3 fatty acidshave to play a role in fighting

breast cancer.”With that thought in his mind, nutri-

tional scientist David Ma began to studythe impact of diet and omega-3 fatty acidson mice.

He became interested in the topicwhen he learned of research saying therewas no scientific evidence that nutrition– and omega-3s – had any impact onbreast cancer and human health.

“I was convinced, based on my ownresearch, of the benefits of eating foods withomega-3s to fight colon cancer. Saying ithad no impact on breast cancer didn’tsound right to me, so I decided to conductsome research,” says Ma, a faculty memberin Guelph’s Department of Human Healthand Nutritional Sciences.

In 2013, he published a research reportthat validated his hypothesis. Now Ma isstarting a comprehensive lifestyle studythat will look at what we eat, how we liveand how those factors can impact ourlong-term health. Along with other U ofG researchers, he hopes to transformhealth through education and early adop-tion of healthy habits.

So how did a high school student fromAlberta, who was unsure about what hewanted to do, make his way deep into theheart of Texas before zigzagging back toToronto and eventually landing in Guelph?How did he realize that dietary fats couldhave an impact on breast and colon cancer?

To find the answers, you have to goback to the days before he enrolled at theUniversity of Alberta. Ma began his aca-demic career with a bachelor’s degree inbiochemistry; like many undergraduates,he had aspirations to pursue medicine ora career in health care.

“I don’t have a big motivational storyof a relative with breast cancer that mademe think that I should study nutrition andhealth,” he says. “My mother influencedme and encouraged me to work hard andget an education that would open doors.”

In 1995, an undergraduate summerposition in Alberta’s Faculty of Agricul-ture, Food and Nutritional Sciences ledhim to consider a career researching theimpact of nutrition on health and well-

being. Ma started graduate studies in themedical sciences program in 1996, exam-ining the role of dietary fat in breast can-cer, and completed his PhD in 2001.

As a post-doctoral researcher at TexasA&M University, he investigated the roleof omega-3 fatty acids and folate in coloncancer. That was where he met his wife,Soo Min Toh. She moved to the Univer-sity of Toronto to become a professor inmanagement in 2003, and he followed ayear later, joining Toronto’s department ofnutritional sciences.

In 2007 he saw an opening at Guelphand the University of Guelph-Humber.U of G offered opportunities to expandhis research program and work with col-leagues with complementary interests, aswell as access to research facilities in a newscience complex, including the AdvancedAnalysis Centre.

“I really like the community here; it’s ahumble institution with good peopleworking together doing great research. Uof G has opened doors for me with infra-structure, but more so with people,” he says.

Ma divides his time between researchin Guelph and teaching at Guelph-Humber. Among his service responsibili-ties, he is vice-president of the CanadianNutrition Society.

Ma and Toh live in Mississauga withtheir three children: Noah, 8, Mattea, 6,and Anika, 2.

He says he appreciates the chance towork with a team of dedicated researchersand students at U of G. “I really enjoyteaching; in research, I have some excel-lent, independent students who want tobe challenged and stimulated.

“Any research successes I have aretheirs, and vice versa. I feel very proudwhen my students publish articles or getawards. It’s a privilege to guide them.”

Ma’s research has focused mostly onmice, but it has human health implications.

It was at Toronto in 2004 that he firstexamined the role of omega-3s in breastcancer. Omega-3 fatty acids found inseafood and novel foods such as omega-3enriched eggs have been shown to inhib-it other types of cancer. Like other mam-mals, humans can’t make omega-3s andneed to obtain it in their diet.

Upon arriving at U of G, Ma workedwith graduate students Breanne Andersonand Mira MacLennan to study the effectsof omega-3s. The team exposed femalemice prone to developing a human formof breast cancer to omega-3s in the diet,as well as mice genetically modified withthe ability to make omega-3s.

“What we found showed a clear linkbetween nutrition and preventing breastcancer. Of all my research, that’s what givesme the most pride,” he says. “It was defi-nitely a relief and exciting to show thehypothesis actually worked.”

According to the Canadian CancerSociety, one-third of all cancers can beprevented by eating well, staying activeand maintaining a healthy body weight.

Research by Ma and others suggestsearly nutrition is critical to later develop-ment of cancer. By studying mice, hehopes to trace life-cycle connectionsbetween food and disease. He is also devel-oping fatty-acid reference values to helpresearchers determine what people shouldbe consuming.

Ma is both a research contributor anddirector of the new Guelph Family HealthStudy. Prof. Jess Haines, Family Relationsand Applied Nutrition, is associate direc-tor. They work with a dozen U of Gresearchers and several community healthorganizations who have teamed up to lookat ways to prevent chronic disease. Thestudy will follow up to 3,000 families fordecades to examine the effects of tailoredhealth interventions.

College of Biological Science deanMike Emes says the project could have amajor impact on the long-term health ofindividuals and families. “Currently, 40 to50 per cent of health-care costs go to treatchronic diseases, and we believe many ill-nesses could be addressed through ahealthier lifestyle.”

For Ma, the study is an opportunity todirectly interact with people and see hisresearch make a difference. “This study willmove knowledge into the hands of peopleand policy-makers, which is something thatexcites me.

It’s finding ways to be innovative, cre-ative, impactful and helpful to people. Forme, that’s extremely rewarding.”

14 The Portico

RESEARCH VALIDATES

THE IMPORTANCE OF HEALTHY

EATINGBY KEVIN GONSALVES

Fall 2014 15

Worms and germs like to travelInfection control key to stopping a disease outbreak

16 The Portico

Pathobiology profe s so rScott Weese has three simple tipsfor avoiding infection: “Don’t eatpoop, don’t stick things up your

nose and wash your hands.”If only it were that easy. Germs have

always been – and always will be – one stepahead of us, thanks to their millions of yearsof evolution, he says. But understanding theevolutionary origins of these bugs and howwe’ve evolved with them can help researchersunderstand how they spread between ani-mals and humans – and how to stop them.

“No, I don’t think we’re ever going to win;our goal is to avoid losing,” says Weese of thewar on bugs. “Bacteria were learning how tobecome antibiotic resistant before we evolved.Antibiotic-resistance genes were around beforeantibiotics were around. Bacteria were usingthem to fight off natural antibiotics.”

Most people try to avoid germs, butWeese is drawn to them as an infectious dis-ease researcher. “I always liked studyinginfectious diseases as a vet student,” he says.“It’s something that keeps throwing newchallenges at us.”

Communication is a vital part of manag-ing infectious diseases and outbreaks, he says.Dealing with the psychological aspects of anoutbreak can be more challenging than deal-ing with the disease itself, because containingthe infection often depends on people fol-lowing his advice – even if they don’t want to.

Weese says keeping an outbreak undercontrol involves time, which is often in shortsupply; money, which the animal’s ownermay not want to spend; and inconvenience,which no one likes. There’s no single strat-egy for managing an outbreak, he adds, butthere are some common approaches.

If an infectious disease occurs on a farm,Weese would usually recommend that allanimals be prevented from entering or leav-ing the farm, even for shows or races, andthat could have financial implications. “Afarm that depends on racing for its liveli-hood could be devastated if its horses areunable to race, either because they are sickor quarantined. Animals travel a lot morethan people recognize,” he adds, pointing tohorses that travel internationally for com-petitions and trade.

Australia’s horse industry, for example,was ravaged by equine influenza when it first

By Susan BubakPhotos by Martin Schwalbe

Fall 2014 17

18 The Portico

arrived on the continent in 2007, causingalmost $1 billion in losses.

Weese says it isn’t always necessary toidentify the cause of a disease outbreak; it’smore important to keep it from spreadingusing well-established infection control mea-sures. “Early intervention is always the key,”he says, “and while we always want to knowexactly what is going on, we can formulatea good outbreak response even before weknow the cause.”

As outbreaks among livestock and otherdomesticated animals grab headlines, thepublic may believe infectious diseases arebecoming more prevalent, but Weese saysthat’s not necessarily the case. He points toincreased awareness and better reporting.The sooner an outbreak is reported, thesooner steps can be taken to contain it.

“We’re seeing a more proactive approach,especially with some diseases,” he says. “I don’tthink we’re seeing more outbreaks; I thinkwe’re seeing more outbreak responses. Whileit may seem like we have more problemsthese days, we’re probably preventing biggerproblems by acting early and often rather thansitting back and hoping for the best.”

A relatively new cause for concern is cli-mate change: warmer weather is allowingsome types of diseases to migrate to areaswhere they previously didn’t exist. Tick-borne infections such as Lyme disease arebeing reported in more parts of Ontario, saysWeese, because climate change has expandedthe range of disease-carrying ticks.

The warmer North America becomes, themore hospitable it becomes to tropical diseasessuch as West Nile virus. Milder winters won’tbe able to kill these pathogens and their insectcarriers, adds Weese. “Any time a new diseasecomes in, it brings a lot of angst with it.”

He says Ontario’s disease climate willchange over the next 20 years, just as it haschanged from 20 years ago, when West Nilevirus, severe acute respiratory syndrome(SARS) and the Middle East respiratory syn-drome (MERS) corona virus weren’t on thepublic’s radar. “Most of these multi-drug-resistant bacteria that we’re seeing weren’t asmuch of an issue back then,” he says.

The next disease crisis could be just oneflight away, as planes move animals and peo-ple from one part of the globe to anotherin a matter of hours. People with an infec-tious disease they contracted in a remote

part of the world could be on the next flightto a major urban centre. It sounds like theplot of a sci-fi thriller, but it happened ear-lier this year when a passenger infected withthe MERS corona virus travelled from SaudiArabia to the United States. And by mid-July, many airlines had cancelled flights intothe West African countries affected by theEbola outbreak.

As a high school student, Weese spent hissummers working with horses at a localracetrack. Becoming a veterinarian was anatural fit for his interest in animals, scienceand medicine. He completed his DVMdegree in 1996 and his D.V.Sc. in 2000 atthe Ontario Veterinary College (OVC).

A lot of his current work as an OVCprofessor is collaborative, involving otherdepartments and colleges on campus as wellas other institutions. Sometimes the detectivework begins close to home. Weese’s lab wasone of the first to study the transmission ofmethicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, whensome horses at OVC became infected.

He has also studied Clostridium difficile ina wide range of species, including pets, farmanimals, rats and polar bears. He is integrat-ing those studies with his research onhumans to better understand how the bac-teria infect people in hospitals and long-termcare facilities.

“We focus on infectious diseases, not vet-erinary infectious diseases,” says Weese. “Abug is a bug. It doesn’t matter if C. difficile iscoming from a horse or a person or a dog– it’s the same bug.”

Although his research initially focusedon specific micro-organisms, he is now look-ing more closely at microbiota – massivepopulations of microbes that live in and onpeople and animals. The human body con-tains 10 times more bacterial cells than allother types of cells combined.

“We need these vast microbial popula-tions to survive, so we don’t want to get ridof them,” he says. “What we want to do issupport the good components of the pop-ulations and get rid of the bad parts.” Main-taining a healthy bacterial ecology is key topreventing certain types of infection, he adds.When a person’s gut bacteria have been dis-rupted by antibiotics, for example, they’remore susceptible to a C. difficile infection.

According to research by Prof. EmmaAllen-Vercoe in U of G’s Department ofMolecular and Cellular Biology, repopulat-ing the gut with fecal transplants fromhealthy patients is one approach that hasproven effective against C. difficile. Weese isstudying a similar approach to treatingintestinal diseases in dogs and cats.

He started his Worms & Germs Blog –www.wormsandgermsblog.com – and disease-mapping site of the same name –www.wormsandgermsmap.com – to helpraise awareness of zoonoses among vets,health-care providers and the public.

Weese discusses current cases that aremaking headlines to inform people of therisks and prevention strategies. His goal is toprovide balanced and unbiased informationon subjects as diverse as how to deworm yourdog, the dangers of taking animals into hos-pitals, and why monkeys bite more than theaverage pet. Some of the topics come fromquestions Weese receives from readers, suchas the risks of contracting rabies from runningover roadkill with a car. “Even the bizarrequestions make me think,” he says.

20 The Portico

e still hopes to reach outer space one day. Fornow, while nurturing that larger dream, Guelph grad

Matt Bamsey is tending a kind of space garden. Since lastfall, he has applied lessons learned from his U of G stud-ies – and from a few “extraterrestrial” stints – to growplants as life support systems for long-duration space mis-sions. He’s helping German researchers develop indoorgrowing systems for testing in Antarctica in a few years.

The southern continent is not quite the moon orMars. But it’s one of the places on Earth that throw upthe kinds of challenges that tomorrow’s space explorers– perhaps including Bamsey – might face on other worlds.

Whether it’s a months-long space flight or a long-term stay in a space colony, humans will need to growtheir food during the mission, he says. Beyond servingas a homegrown food source, those plants will helpmaintain air quality and recycle water and wastes in thatself-contained environment. Think of all of the benefitsprovided by your indoor plants. In space, those advan-tages will become necessities, Bamsey says. “We’re usingplants to keep people alive.”

Last fall, he began a post-doc at the German Aero-space Centre’s Institute of Space Systems in Bremen.The institute develops life support systems for spacetravel – also one of the goals of U of G’s ControlledEnvironment Systems Research Facility. That’s whereBamsey completed his PhD with Prof. Mike Dixon inthe School of Environmental Sciences.

Using growth chambers that allow researchers tomaintain precise control over environmental factors thatinclude temperature, light and pressure, Bamsey was partof a team learning to grow plants for space applicationsand for uses here on Earth.

Dixon has longstanding research collaborationswith space agencies worldwide to develop life supporttechnologies for space travel. Besides dealing with theCanadian Space Agency (CSA), he works with theNational Aeronautics and Space Administration in theUnited States, the European Space Agency and the Russ-ian Space Agency. That’s a testament to the technologydeveloped here on campus, says Dixon. “We’re morefamous 1,000 miles away than 50 miles away.”

Dixon has worked with the Bremen group for anumber of years. Within the next four years, the Ger-man centre plans to send an indoor growing system toAntarctica. U of G is a partner in the proposal andBamsey is helping to develop the system, which will belocated at the Neumayer III base on Antarctica’s Ekstromice shelf, closest to South Africa.

Inside two yoked shipping containers – normallyused to transport goods by rail and boat – plants will begrown in modules under conditions meant to mimicthose on the International Space Station. The stackedgrowth system will use controlled lighting and aero-ponics and hydroponics to deliver nutrients and water.

Bamsey also continues to nurture his childhooddream of reaching space, maybe in a mission to themoon or even to Mars. He was a finalist among some5,000 applicants for the CSA’s most recent recruitmentcampaign for Canada’s next astronauts. By 2009, only16 candidates were left, including Bamsey and RyanHunter, a U of G microbiology grad then doing a post-doc at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

By then, Bamsey had spent almost a decade betweenschool and the CSA. He began his PhD in 2006 co-supervised by Dixon and the CSA’s Alain Berinstain,and spent most of his time at the agency’s Montrealheadquarters in its space science planetary explorationdivision. Bamsey finished his doctorate in 2012.

Besides working on life support systems, he had achance to experience a mock Mars trip in 2007. He andsix other researchers conducted a four-month simulat-ed space expedition in the Canadian high Arctic. Liv-ing at a research station run by the Colorado-based MarsSociety on Devon Island, the team studied water use,habitat systems and crew psychology. Bamsey was theonly crew member with previous experience on DevonIsland, having visited four times since 2003 to build andmaintain a greenhouse for plant growth studies.

“It’s a great place to learn about field biology and geol-ogy and how people are going to fare when locked awayfor periods of time,” he says. “I learned a lot about myself.The psychologists reported that I was the emotionalstability point of the group. I’m not overly excited.”

As crew executive officer, he learned about workingwith the commander to resolve issues between teammembers in the station. One lesson learned: “You needa place to have a private conversation.” The team also hadto navigate disagreements with the science crew feedinginstructions from back “on Earth,” although that sharedadversity brought the Mars researchers closer together.Today, he says, all seven crew members are still friends.

That trip and his work with controlled environmentswere “operationally relevant experience” lines on hisresumé for the Canadian astronaut program. Along withother shortlisted candidates vying for two openings in2009, he faced months’ worth of challenges – physical,mental and emotional.

SCIENTIST OR ASTRONAUT: HE WILL GROW FOOD IN SPACE

Fall 2014 21

Tests ranged from fighting fires and floods on a boatto constructing puzzles at the bottom of a water tank.Bamsey learned that he needs to become more com-fortable in water, a key part of astronaut training. He didbetter with robotics and simulated pilot testing.

That year, David Saint-Jacques and Jeremy Hansenwere chosen for the Canadian astronaut program. Now33, Bamsey hopes for another CSA call – maybe for amission to the space station, whose operations have beenextended to 2024.

So far, the closest he’s come to space was during apost-doc at the University of Florida in 2012-13, whenhe flew aboard aircraft undergoing parabolic flights tosimulate microgravity. Those rollercoaster rides lastingtwo hours in the upper atmosphere allowed researchersto look at the effects of microgravity on plants.

“You’re floating around and trying to press buttonsto make things happen,” Bamsey says. “That’s easy, butyou go from zero gravity to more than two G’s on thedownswing. That’s where you need to keep your headsteady.” (Motion sickness drugs are de rigueur.)

Bamsey grew up in Guelph reading books aboutspace and astronomy, following space shuttle flights andsketching spacecraft designs. He was a teenager whenhis parents bought him “claims” to chunks of the moonand the red planet as birthday gifts. He studied aero-space engineering at Carleton University and the Uni-versity of Colorado before returning to Guelph for hisdoctorate. Getting to the moon or another planet is along shot, he says, but “it would be incredible to be onMars.”

History Book aLabour of Love

harlotte anokwa, M.Sc.’77, says she is only the messen-ger for the story of development

and growth in Ghana’s first universitydegree program in home science. Infact, she is an important contributor tothat story as both an alumna and a for-mer professor of the department shewrites about in Remembering the Journey:The History of the Home Science Programmeat the University of Ghana.

The book covers the department’shistory from its beginnings in the late1960s to 2010 in the larger context ofwomen’s education in the West Africancountry. In the closing chapter, shewrites: “The vision of earlier leaderswas investing in individual students inthe classroom and outside it so that

communities could be reached andfamilies educated in ways that movethe country’s development forward.”

Anokwa’s book documents those“earlier” leaders, including many Uni-versity of Guelph faculty, staff andalumni who were part of the Ghana-Guelph Project from 1970 to 1979.The Department of Home Science wasone of five University of Ghana depart-ments assisted by the project, whichalso benefited Ghana’s ministry of agri-culture extension service.

U of G’s participation was funded bythe Canadian government and co-ordi-nated by Prof. Jim Shute, rural extensionstudies and the Centre for Internation-al Programs. Anokwa was one of 43Ghanaians who studied at Guelph; 24completed graduate degrees, and manyreturned to academic positions at theUniversity of Ghana. The home science

department has grown to more than 300students and offers undergraduate, mas-ter’s and doctoral programs.

Anokwa says Guelph providedresources not available in Ghana at thetime, enabling the home sciencedepartment to grow through researchand curriculum development based onthe needs of families and communities.The program created new opportunitiesprimarily for young women: theygained valuable skills, some becameteachers, others advanced to higherlevels of university education, all con-tributed to Ghana’s economic andsocial development.

A book launch held on the U of Gcampus July 18 brought together manypeople who have contributed to the his-torical and ongoing relationship betweenthe two institutions. Anokwa recalled her2008 visit with retired Guelph and

Above: Charlotte Anokwa with a copy of her new book. Top right: Profs. Bruce Ryan, psychology, on the left, and James Snell,

history. Bottom right: Prof. Jim Shute, left, Charlotte Anokwa and former U of G president Bill Winegard.

22 The Portico

The next 50 years

Above: Lila Engberg, front; standing left to right, Marie Tyler, B.A.Sc. ’78; Sharon

Channer, B.H.Sc. ’69; Marie Dunn, DHE ’42; and Charlotte Anokwa.

Fall 2014 23

Ghana professor Lila Engberg, who sug-gested a home science history should bewritten and who produced boxes ofdocuments and photos along with thenames of other people who wouldeventually contribute to the book.

“I didn’t know Lila had accumulatedso much information on the program,”says Anokwa. “I felt a documented his-tory would be valuable for Ghanaian stu-dents and professors, and I wanted towrite the book for Lila. I lived with Lilawhen I was a master’s student at Guelphand later writing my doctoral thesis. Mywork on Remembering the Journey was away of giving back to her and all theothers who paved the way.”

Anokwa went on to earn a doctor-ate at the University of Toronto andtaught at the University of Ghana for 17years. She specialized in rural and urbanextension education, women’s educa-

tional programming, and training forrural women educators in agriculture,health and community improvement.She was one of the founders of theHome Economics Association for Africaand helped to refocus the profession onlocal concerns and networking forinternational support.

She has lived in the United Statesfor the last 20 years, where she super-vises a healthy families program inIndianapolis that provides home visitsto help first-time mothers and youngcouples learn to care for their newbabies. Her husband, Kwadwo Anokwa,is a journalism professor at ButlerUniversity. Their three adult childrenalso live in the United States.

Remembering the Journey can be pur-chased through Amazon for $35 CAD,plus shipping.

24 The Portico

Human anatomy expandshe Department of Human Healthand Nutritional Sciences has launcheda $4-million fundraising drive to build

a new learning centre for the human anato-my program. A “social skeleton” announcedvia Twitter – Dr.J_@UofGGiving4Life –offers donors of $1,000 or more the oppor-tunity to name one of 69 bones on theskeleton for official recognition. For moreinformation, email giving4life@uoguelph.caor visit www.givingforlife.ca.

MAC HALL TRANSFORMSof G announced in January that Macdonald Hall will become the new home of theCollege of Business and Economics. Built in the early 1900s, Macdonald Hall is acampus landmark. Dean Julia Christensen Hughes says renovations to the building

will honour the heritage and historical significance of the former residence hall. Fundraising initiatives for the $10-million renovation include naming opportunities for

the business school itself as well as spaces within the building, starting at $5,000. To learnmore about the Macdonald Hall renovation, contact Christina Couture atcouturec@uoguelph.ca or Mary Walsh at mwalsh06@uoguelph.ca.

U OG G FUNDRAISING INITIATIVES

Sept. 18 Gryphons on Bay Street

Social. B.Comm.,

Sept. 18 OAC 140th Celebration.

Sept. 20 Homecoming 2014.

Sept. 20 College of Business and Eco-

nomics Flapjack Brunch.

Sept. 20 School of Languages and Lit-

eratures Reunion.

Sept. 21 HK 5K.

Sept. 27 U of G at TFC.

Sept. 27 • Gryphon Men’s Soccer

Reunion.

Sept. 29 •

Oct. 2 • Marketing and Consumer Stud-

ies Alumni Mixer.

Oct. 30 • Reunion Leaders Meeting.

Nov. 6 • School of Engineering Honours

and Awards.

Nov. 8 •

Nov. 15 Hockey Day in Gryphonville.

COMING EVENTS •

Master’s student Enaam Chleilat and

department chair Lawrence Spriet.

Retired engineering professor William Stammers, BSA ’54 and MSA ’56, and Eliz-

abeth-Anne Stammers, BA ’80, head one of the University’s many multi-gener-

ational alumni families. They have three daughters who graduated from Guelph and

all married fellow alumni; now the third generation is attending U of G. The Stam-

mers family attended the Alumni Weekend family picnic on June 22 to help celebrate

their U of G tradition. Standing, left to right: Kristin (Stammers), B.A.Sc. ’89, and Leo

Mirotta, BA ’91; Emily Davies; Betty-Anne and Bill Stammers; Karyn (Stammers), BA

’78, and Brent Davies, BA ’85; Kelly (Stammers) Farfaras, BA ’87; Adam Davies; and

Tom Farfaras, BA ’87. Kneeling: U of G student Julia Mirotta, Elizabeth Mirotta, and

U of G student Erika Farfaras.

NEW MEMBERS JOIN UGAA BOARD

The University of Guelph Alumni Association welcomed four new directors at its June

20 annual general meeting and installed incoming president Brandon Gorman, pre-

viously secretary/treasurer. Current board members are, front row, left to right: Chris

Moulton, B.Comm. ’05; Kelly McCarten, B.A.Sc. ’87; and recording secretary Vikki

Tremblay. Second row: Brandon Gorman, B.Comm. ’06; Michael Lockhart, BAA ’10;

and Christina Crowley-Arklie, B.Comm. ’09. Third row: vice-president, internal, Robert

Naraj, ADA ’91 and B.Comm. ’95; Richard Horne, BA ’11; and Alexander

Burlatschenko, B.Comm. ’07. Back row: past-president Brad Rooney, ADA ’93 and

B.Sc.(Agr.) ’97; Heather Inch, BA ’03; and Elizabeth Thomson, BA ’97.

Family picnicreunites grads

Fall 2014 25

More than 1,500alumni and friendsattended AlumniWeekend in June. Itwas a special cele-bration of U of G’s50th anniversary and37 class and groupreunions. The week-end kicked off withthe unveiling of theGryphon Statue atthe corner of StoneRoad and GordonStreet. The Conver-sat Ball was a high-light for alumni,guests and the 100volunteers whodesigned and staffedsix themed venues.The celebrationcontinued into Sun-day with the AlumniFamily Picnic. Toview more photos of the weekend, visit www.alumni.uoguelph.ca.

Clockwise from top left, all photos identified left to right: Gryph and U of G student Sam Lam at

the alumni family picnic. Tony Bernard, DVM ’67, and his wife, Sharon. Kimberly Pascos and

Kristina Szabo, both DVM ’99. U of G students Natalie Chow, Sophia Watts, Charley Carriero and

Sarah Kay, with friend Alisaha Forstinger. Student Desiree Pat. Sitting: Scott Lamb; David Halls;

Robin-Lee Norris, BA ’80; Scott Robinson, B.Sc.(Agr.) ’82; Barb Deter, B.Sc. and DVM ’91; and

Ian Smith; standing: Tom and Ashley Manes, Jennifer Lamb, and Wendy Smith.

26 The Portico

ALUMNI WEEKEND

Fall 2014 27

Clockwise from top left: Irene and John Thompson, Marva Wisdom, MA ’07, and Stephen, B.Sc.(Agr.) ’83, and Anne Marie Sims.

Rachel Moraghan, B.Comm. ’13, and Megan Gooding, BA 13. Kevin Stinson and Sarah Schorno, both B.Sc ’13. Fireworks at mid-

night. One of several classic cars displayed on campus. Ron, BA ’75, and Trish Walker, BA ’77 and M.Sc. ’90. Diana Hillier-Stoltz

and Drew Stoltz, B .Sc.(Eng.) ’91; Kara, BA ’96, and Jeff McFarlane, ADA ’96; sociology professor Mavis Morton and geography

lecturer John Ferguson; Kate and Daryl Holmes, B.Sc. ’88.

28 The Portico

CANADIAN DESIGNS A FLAG FOR THE SCOTS

heila Collins, ADA ’87, knowsthe feeling of going back to visit

your hometown. You might have livedelsewhere for many years, but the placeyou grew up still feels like yours. “It’sa place that you can go back to and say,‘This is where I’m from.’”

That was her experience when sheand her siblings took a drive lastChristmas to Aurora, Ont., where theygrew up. Collins knows her Scottish-born father felt the same way about thecity of Edinburgh — the home leftbehind when he emigrated to Canadaand her own adopted home for the lastdozen years.

Collins studied horticulture at U ofG, worked in the industry for a while,

and then went back to school at YorkUniversity, where she completed adegree in geography. It was her dad’sroots that drew her to Edinburgh,where she works for the DunedinCanmore Housing Association.

Just chatting with her, you can tellshe loves the history and the festiveatmosphere of Edinburgh. “It’s justwonderful to walk into the city and dis-cover something that you thought wasnew but has been going on for years.”

One of her discoveries was theannual Riding of the Marches. ThisScottish tradition dates back to the 16th

century, when people gathered to rideon horseback around the perimeter ofthe “common land,” or municipal

boundary. The Edinburgh riding fellout of favour in the 18th century, buta re-enactment was launched in 2009as an annual September event throughthe creation of the Edinburgh MarchRiding Association.

Collins first enjoyed the ceremoni-al ride as a spectator but added to theevent last year when the exiles’ flag shedesigned was presented for the firsttime. She was inspired by a similar flagbelonging to the Scottish town ofSelkirk that was created by a group ofScottish emigrants living in Hespeler,Ont. Collins designed her flag to allowall expatriate Scots to be part of this his-torical event in Edinburgh and to com-memorate her late father, Mel Collins.

The Edinburgh exiles’ flag uses thecity’s black, red and silver colours, and itsdesign hints at the saltire cross from theflag of Scotland. Stitched in Toronto andgifted by Collins to the City of Edin-burgh during the 2013 Riding of theMarches, the flag is now on permanentdisplay at the Edinburgh city chambers.

“I can’t say enough about howproud I am of the City of Edinburghto accept the exiles’ flag and to makeit part of a tradition that dates back tothe late 1500s,” she says.

Collins is not just a volunteer butalso an active participant in the Edin-burgh riding association. She also plansto one day ride on horseback and goup the Royal Mile, the last mile for allriders who participate. As the exiles’flag is presented to the riders, “it’s agreat moment to share, a great way tocelebrate the city. This goes beyondwhat people might call ancestraltourism. It is something quite real,something people can walk into andrealize – a living history.”

Fall 2014 29

1940Alex Rattray, DVM ’42, and

his wife, Marion, made nation-al headlines in April when theyrenewed their marriage vows inthe same church where theywere wed in 1944. The coupletold a CBC video team that thesecret to their seven-decademarriage centred on family.Both aged 94, the Rattrays havetwo sons, Don and Doug, and alarge extended family.

1950Richard Philp, DVM ‘57, is

a retired professor who taughtin the School of Medicine andDentistry at Western Universi-ty. He has published severaltextbooks on toxicology andenvironmental issues, and hasrecently written historical fic-tion. His first novel was Loyal-ist Rifleman, a saga of the War of1812; Acceptable Casualties, thestory of two Canadian soldiersin the First World War, was pub-lished by Friesen Press in June.Philp and his wife, Joan, live ina 130-year-old heritage homein London, Ont. They have sev-eral grown children and grand-children living across NorthAmerica.

1960Dave Cartledge, DVM ’69,

works for the Canadian FoodInspection Agency, in Red Deer,Alta. He has received a “Hero ofthe Flood” award from theAlberta government for helpingmany victims of the 2013 floods.Much of his volunteer effortinvolved cleaning mud andwater out of numerous homesin High River and Calgary. In

less stressful times, he enjoysmembership in ToastmastersInternational.

Terry Daynard, B.Sc.(Agr.)’65, M.Sc. ’66 and PhD ’68,received the 2014 “champion”award from Farm and Food CareOntario for his career contribu-tions to agriculture. A former cropscience professor and assistantdean of the Ontario Agricultur-al College, he farms with his wife,Dorothy, outside Guelph andserved previously as executivedirector of the Ontario CornProducers’ Association. He wasinstrumental in developing theOntario Environmental FarmPlan and, more recently, hasembraced social media to com-municate the value of science andinnovation in agriculture. Followhim on Twitter @TerryDaynard.

Reuben Lachmansingh,BSA ’64, graduated in the yearU of G was established, makinghim one of the last Ontario Agri-cultural College graduates toreceive their degrees from theUniversity of Toronto. He hasworked as a civil servant, scienceteacher, motel owner and entre-preneur. In his free time, he has

travelled the world, practised taekwon do, and earned several tro-phies and medals in league and“oldies” international crickettournaments. His recently pub-

lished novel, A Dip at the Sangam,tells the story of a man kidnappedin Calcutta, India, in 1869 andsent to work as a slave on a sug-ar plantation in British Guiana.

Jill Varnell, B.H.Sc. ’61, ofRaleigh, N.C., writes: “My firstmemory of Conversat was notthe first time I attended in thewinter of 1958 but was a storymy mother, Isabel Young, DHE’38, shared with me. My father,Bert Young, BSA ’37, really want-ed to take Mom to Conversatbut didn’t have the money. Witha dare from his classmates andbest friends Reg Stuart, Gord

Left to right: Randy Dimitroff, BA ’86, president of Friends

of Gryphon Football; Pat Tracey; Mike O’Shea; Guelph

Gryphons head coach Stu Lang; and Kyle Walters.

It’s all about football

30 The Portico

Nixon and Joe Mooney, Dadraised the money. The dare wasto run around Mac Hall starknaked, playing his trumpet. Everytime I hear the word ‘Conversat,’it elicits a smile. Thanks for thememories.”

1970Marguerite Adams, B.A.Sc.

’74, lives in Georgetown, Ont.,and works as a sales consultant forPampered Chef. She says she isproud to have three generationsof Guelph grads in her family:her mother, Opal Sharpe, DHE’38, herself and her three children.They are Adams’s daughtersMelissa Jansen, B.Sc.(Agr.) ’01,and Jennifer Ross, B.Sc. ’07, andher son, Robin Adams,B.Sc.(Eng.) ’04. Adams congrat-ulates Jennifer on her May 31marriage to Trevor Ross.

Timothy Adlington, B.Sc.’76 and M.Sc. ’78, is CEO of

Parwan Valley Muchrooms nearMelbourne, Australia. He movedthere from British Columbia in2011 with his wife, Jeanette.“We are loving the lifestyle andbeauty of the country, and we’refortunate to have both daugh-ters and a grandson in Australiaas well.” Adlington has been inthe mushroom business almostexclusively since graduationwith Campbell Soup and Mon-eys Mushrooms. He also com-pleted an executive MBA at theUniversity of Toronto’s RotmanSchool of Business.

Richard “Dick” Bourgeois-Doyle, BA ’73, was appointedsecretary general of the Nation-al Research Council (NRC) ofCanada April 1. In this role, heacts as secretary to the NRCcouncil and as NRC’s seniorofficer for values and ethics. Pre-viously, he was NRC directorof corporate governance. Before

DevelopingManagementand Leadershipwww.uoguelph.ca/business/executive-programs

Offering internationally recognized On-LineGraduate and Professional DevelopmentEducation

As a leading comprehensive institution, the University ofGuelph�s executive on-line graduate education issupported by internationally renowned faculty who areengaged in cutting edge research and practice.

To learn more, come and talk to us.For more information please contact Patti Lago by phone at1.888.622.2474 or by email at plago@uoguelph.ca

Your Career. Your Way.Business at Guelph.

Hall of Fame Inducts Three Aggies

George W. Arnold,

Arthur Bolton,

Gordon Surgeoner

Fall 2014 31

For information on bequests and planned giving, please contact Ross Butler at 519-824-4120, ext. 56196, rbutler@uoguelph.ca, or visit www.alumni.uoguelph.ca

Make your legacy at the University of Guelph

joining NRC in 1987, he waschief of staff to the minister ofscience and technology and theminister of fisheries and oceans.Earlier he helped found twopublic relations firms in Ottawaand a resource inventory com-pany in British Columbia. Aformer broadcaster and jour-nalist, he has written a numberof books and contributed tomany discussions on the histo-ry of science and innovation inCanada. He also holds a master’sdegree from Athabasca Univer-sity and a certificate in businessadministration from the Uni-versity of Ottawa.

Ninkey Dalton, BA ’73,sells real estate for The Agencyin Beverley Hills. She says,“When you’re looking for greatreal estate opportunities in Cal-ifornia, call me.”

Michael Field, BA ’79 andMA ’80, has published a sus-

penseful debut novel calledIncarceration. He is currently aguidance counsellor at a feder-al penitentiary and lives inBracebridge, Ont. His daughter,Madeleine, is enrolled in U ofG’s arts and science program.The novel revolves around aman who teaches English at apenitentiary and gets tooinvolved with an inmate and theprisoner’s wife.

Juri Peepre, BLA ’76, wasfeatured in the Summer 2014Portico, but the notice inadver-tently placed him in the wrongdegree program. He earned hisdegree in landscape architectureand has spent much of his careerprotecting Canada’s wilderness,particularly in northern BritishColumbia and Yukon. Peeprereceived the Order of Canadain 2013.

Peter Taylor, BA ’76, is direc-tor of development and com-

Guelph grads are Calgary co-workers

munications at Rooftops Cana-da/Abri International, the inter-national development program ofco-operative and social housingorganizations in Canada. He isalso the principal of WatchWordCommunications and a boardmember of the Canadian Hard ofHearing Association – YorkRegion. His literary writing hasbeen published in Canada andinternationally.

1980Helena Champion, M.Sc.

’80, is a consultant with DrugQuality Assurance LLC in Win-chester, Maine. She providesquality assurance and qualityoperations support for drug andmedical device development andcommercialization to helpclients comply with Food andDrug Administration, Europeanand global regulations in goodmanufacturing practice, good

32 The Portico

Spread Your WingsUniversity of Guelph Alumni Travel

Educational Travel for Alumni and Friends

Join like-minded travellers on an amazing journey, enhanced by an exceptional educational experience. Learn more at www.alumni.uoguelph.ca/travel or call 519-824-4120, ext. 56934, or 1-888-266-3108.

The Ontarion updates its look

The Ontarion

The Ontarion

The Ontarion

The Ontarion

Emily Jones

clinical practice and good lab-oratory practice. She has morethan 25 years of experience indrug and device developmentwith large biotech pharmaceu-tical companies. She has officesin Boston and Palm Beach. Inher spare time, she enjoys choralsinging, golf and sailing.

George Charbonneau,DVM ’81, is a partner in SouthWest Ontario Veterinary Servicesbased in Stratford, Ont. He hasserved as president of the Cana-dian Association of Swine Vet-erinarians, the Ontario Associa-tion of Swine Veterinarians andthe Ontario Pork Congress. Hehelped to found the OntarioPork Industry Council and wasits inaugural chair. He is a districtrepresentative to the AmericanAssociation of Swine Veterinar-ians and currently serves as itsvice-president. He received theassociation’s Swine Practitioner

of the Year award in 2012.Birte Kersting-Wilson,

B.Sc. ’86, is an environmentalconsultant with AMEC Envi-ronment and Infrastructure inHonolulu. She writes: “Myunplanned career path led meto paradise.”

Jennifer La Chapelle, BA’81 and MA ’83, is the proudmother of Madelaine Donnel-ly, a 2014 honours graduate ofGuelph’s program in theatrestudies. Donnelly is now start-ing a post-graduate program indocumentary and non-fictionmedia production at SenecaCollege.

Lisa Valoppi-Carter,B.A.Sc. ’89, says she didn’t real-ize when she started her degreein family and social relationsthat it would give her such asolid foundation to become anentrepreneur, “partnering withmy husband in life and business

Fall 2014 33

Recruit Guelph

Contact us to get started today!

(519) 824-4120 x 52323www.recruitguelph.ca

Encourage your company to hire Guelph students and graduates

Continue to access career advice & job search support

- No waiting, or fees. Post, interview, HIRE!

- Incentives for hiring

- Hire a co-op student for 4, 8, or 12 months (program specific)

- Post for full-time, part-time, & summer jobs

Alumni...

Alum

Recruit Guelph mni

Recruit Guelph

Recruit Guelph

Enccourag graduate

Conntinue

Noo waitin

- Hi e a co-op student for 4, 8, or 12 months (prr

- Poost for

Alummni.

Encourage your company to hir graduates

eer advice & job searContinue to access car

- No waiting, or fees. Post, interview

e a co-op student for 4, 8, or 12 months (pr

- Post for full-time, part-time, & summer jobs

Alumni...

e Guelph students and Encourage your company to hir

ch supporteer advice & job sear

- No waiting, or fees. Post, interview HIRE!

ogram specific) e a co-op student for 4, 8, or 12 months (pr

- Post for full-time, part-time, & summer jobs

e Guelph students and

ch support

ogram specific)

- Noo waitin

- Inccentive

Contact us to get started today!

(519) 824-4120 x 52323www

- No waiting, or fees. Post, interview

- Incentives for hiring

Contact us to get started today!

(519) 824-4120 x 52323ecruitguelph.ca .rwww

, - No waiting, or fees. Post, interview HIRE!

Contact us to get started today!

(519) 824-4120 x 52323ecruitguelph.ca

40-year friends fish the Fraser

Left to right: Phil Burden, Alan Spergel and Dave Risk, all

B.Comm. ’76, jump-started their 40th anniversary by spending

three days in July fishing in British Columbia. Burden and Spergel

are chartered accountants, the former a retired international tax

specialist living in Surrey, B.C. Spergel heads a large insolven-

cy practice based in the Toronto area. Risk founded an interna-

tional brokerage business in fresh and frozen seafood products

based in Toronto. When Risk hauled this five-foot-long sturgeon

from the Fraser River, his U of G friends ensured that he didn’t

try to sell it. “It must go back to fight again.”

and being able to balance work,motherhood, and volunteer-ing.” She is chief financial offi-cer at UnyPOS Manufacturingin Michigan. “Thank you Uni-versity of Guelph for offeringlearning outside the tradition-al setting as well.”

Hayo van der Werf, M.Sc.’89, obtained a PhD in agro-nomic and environmental sci-ences at Wageningen Universi-ty, Netherlands, in 1994. He isa senior scientist at the FrenchNational Institute for Agricul-tural Research. He focuses onmethodological developmentof life-cycle assessment forstudying the environmental sus-tainability of agri-food systems.

Jan Vorstermans, M.Sc. ’82,lives in the Netherlands andworks in business developmentfor Fresh Park Venlo BV, includ-ing fresh supply chain develop-ment, metropolitan food clusters,crossover and high-tech agros.

1990Michael Barnycz, M.Sc.

’99, has completed a one-yearassignment in Thunder Bay,Ont., for the Ministry of Munic-ipal Affairs and Housing. He sayshe was finally able to apply the“rural” part of his degree in rur-al planning and development. “Itwas a great opportunity to workwith municipalities in north-western Ontario and to take inthe sights around Thunder Bay.”He has since returned to hishome position with the ministryin Toronto.

Darryl North, B.Sc. ’92,writes that he and his “wonder-ful, loving wife, Brenda,” weremarried in 2012 and have threechildren, Hunter, Brooklyne andCarissa. The family resides inGuelph, and North invites U ofG friends to contact him at dar-ryl_north@mccormick.com.

Steven Rowland, ’90, is apart-time professor in the envi-

ronmental program at St.Lawrence College in Cornwall,Ont., and spends the rest of histime working in the field andlab for St. Lawrence Testing andInspection.

Jessica Young, BA ’92, is achildren’s book author livingwith her family in Nashville,Tenn., where she teaches art inelementary and middle school.Her most recent picture book,My Blue is Happy, was illustrat-ed by Catia Chien and pub-lished by Candlewick Press. Itfollows a young girl throughher neighbourhood as sheexplores what colours mean todifferent people. Among hernumerous awards, Young waslisted on the Ontario LibraryAssociation’s Best Bets 2013.Read more about her books atwww.jessicayoungbooks.com.

Vikram Shrivastava,B.Sc.(Eng.) ’96, has earned thehighest post-licence certifica-tion available in the waterresources engineering profes-sion. He received a Diplomate,Water Resources Engineer, this

34 The Portico

Winegard medalist drawn into foodengineering

summer from the AmericanAcademy of Water ResourcesEngineers, a subsidiary of theAmerican Society of CivilEngineers. The award recog-nizes strong professional ethics,a commitment to lifelonglearning and continuing pro-fessional development. Shrivas-tava is a department manager inthe Fairfax, Va., office of Dew-berry, a professional servicesfirm providing architectural,engineering, and managementand consulting services to pub-lic- and private-sector clients.

2000Grazyna Adamska Jarec-

ka, BA ’02, also holds a master’sdegree in fine art from IndianaUniversity of Pennsylvania. Shehad her first solo show in theToronto region in April 2014and showed her work atGuelph’s Boarding HouseGallery this summer. View herwork at www.adamskapainting.com.

Joseph Clement, BLA ’05,combines his interest in designand landscape with movingimages and storytelling. He com-pleted a master’s degree at theOntario College of Art andDesign in 2011, and has pro-duced and directed several musicvideos, short documentaries andexperimental films. His currentproject is a feature-length docu-mentary, The Integral Man, aboutCanadian mathematician JimStewart, professor emeritus atMcMaster University and a con-cert violinist. Stewart’s Torontohome – named “Integral House”for its curved walls – features aconcert hall that seats 150 andserves as the focal point for hiscontributions to arts and culturein Canada. Clement expects torelease the film in spring 2015.

Brandon Gorman,B.Comm ’06, is the newly elect-ed president of the University of

Guelph Alumni Association. Hespecialized in marketing at U ofG and was an active student vol-unteer, including serving as pres-ident of the commerce associa-tion and as a member of thesteering committee for the for-mation of the College of Man-agement of Economics. He hasrecently completed an MBA.Gorman’s career began and con-tinues with the Royal Bank; heis currently a senior commercialaccount manager focusing onclients in the manufacturingindustry. He lives in Whitby withhis wife, Lindsay, B.Comm. ’06,and their son, Anderson.

Andrew Kaszowski, BAA’06, has started a new role asalumni communications spe-cialist at Western University inLondon, Ont.

Stephanie Yue Cottee,M.Sc. ’02 and PhD ’07, wasrecently hired by Maple LeafFoods to head a new animalwellness program. She leaves thejob of policy programs adviserat Ontario Pork, where shemanaged the Canadian qualityassurance and animal care assess-ment program. As a researchwriter, she helped develop twocodes of practice for the Nation-al Farm Animal Care Council.

2010Marena Brinkhurst,

B.Sc.(Env.) ’10, has relocated toCalifornia for a new positionwith Namati, an internationallegal empowerment non-prof-it that works in community landrights protection. In April, shemarried Andrew Milne, a gradof McMaster and Simon Fraseruniversities.

Meghan Harris, B.Sc.(H.K.)’12, will graduate in Novemberwith a master’s degree in occu-pational therapy from the Uni-versity of Alberta.

Richard Valenzona, MLA’13, won Toronto’s 2014 NXT

Fall 2014 35

Forster medalist takes barcodingtechnology to market

Read The Portico Online for Letters to the Editor and alumni memories of Guelph’s firstyears as a university: www.uoguelph.ca/theportico.

36 The Portico

Gordon Alexander, ADA ’52, May 3, 2012

James Roy “Jay” Anderson, B.Sc. ’13,May 29, 2014

John Aylesworth, BSA ’42, June 29, 2013

Hedley Barlow, DVM ’54, May 15, 2014

Krishna Basrur, MSA ’59, Sept. 2, 2013

Roy Berg, H.D.Sc. ’91, May 8, 2012Lennox Blizzard, M.Sc. ’69,

June 20, 2014Adam Boyd, BA ’87, April 12, 2013Ernest Carter, BSA ’55, May 12, 2014Mary Chadwick, DVM ’81,

Nov. 9, 2013Beverly Craft, B.H.Sc. ’60,

July 27, 2014Ernest Crossland, BSA ’44,

Jan. 9, 2013Jean-Paul Cucuel, DVM ’57,

Feb. 25, 2014Susan Currie, BA ’71, Oct. 22, 2011Donald Dance, ADA ’58, July 31, 2014Andrew Alfred Dashner, BSA ’51,

March 3, 2014Robert Duff, R.Dip. ’89, March 4, 2009Doris Eickmeier, DHE ’41,

Jan. 4, 2014Skye Faris, B.H.Sc. ’63, May 6, 2014Julie Fields, BA ’00, April 10, 2014Clement Fisher, BSA ’51, July 23, 2014Gunther Gohlich, DVM ’61,

July 11, 2014Bryan Goutouski, BA ’94,

June 14, 2014Ralph Gregg, BSA ’49, July 21, 2014Mario Gubbels, R.Dip. ’81,

July 13, 2014Susan Gubbels, R.Dip. ’81,

July 13, 2014

Rugh Humphreys, DHE ’53, Aug. 3, 2013

Roland Humphries, K.Dip. ’49, Sept. 20, 2010

Ronald G. Hunter, ODH ’99, May 29, 2014

Martin Huzevka, B.Sc.(Agr.) ’84, Feb. 17, 2014

Nathan Incledon, B.Sc. ’92, Sept. 23, 2012

Frederick Kan, B.Comm. ’00, Nov. 14, 2012

Peggy Knapp, H.D.Sc. ’01, Aug. 13, 2014

Charles Lawrence, B.Sc.(H.K.) ’81,Dec. 9, 2013

Gail Lehrbass-Hunt, B.H.Sc. ’60,Aug. 23, 2013

Randal Little, B.Sc.(Eng.) ’94, Dec. 28, 2011

Alan Lowe, BSA ’40, May 2, 2014Robert Marshall, BSA ’55,

June 20, 2014Agnes McGimsie, DHE ’36,

Oct. 20, 2012Gordon McKeown, DVM ’49,

May 1, 2014Clinton McLean, B.Sc.(Agr.) ’81,

April 27, 2014Donald McLean, BSA ’50,

June 15, 2014Alexis McLeod, B.Comm. ’10,

Feb. 4, 2013Murray McMullen, DVM ’61,

July 31, 2014Bonus Nutor, DVM ’64, Jan. 14, 2014William Oliver, DVM ’49,

April 19, 2013Robert Rawlings, ADA ’55,

June 25, 2014Lloyd Roadhouse, BSA ’42,

March 24, 2013

Alexander Romansky, ADA ’49, May 28, 2014

Warren Ross, ADA ’54, May 19, 2014Isobel Russell, DHE ’47, Aug. 3, 2014Martin Schoeley, MBA ’03,

July 18, 2014Roland Shoemaker, ODH ’78,

March 25, 2014Robert Skafte, K.Dip. ’54,

April 26, 2014Myles Smith, DVM ’48, July 28, 2014Mark Spiegle, DVM ’76, May 4, 2014Ivan Steven, R.Dip. ’60,

March 1, 2013Sarah Truong, B.Sc. ’09,

March 28, 2014Ruth Vincent, DHE ’50, May 9, 2014Glenn Watson, BSA ’49, July 27, 2014Daniel A. Webster, BSA ’61,

Feb. 13, 2014James Wilkins, R.Dip. ’54,

May 31, 2014

FACULTY AND STAFF

John Cairns, retired director of theCentre for International Programs,May 14, 2014

Peter Chisholm, retired from theSchool of Engineering, May 29, 2014

Patrick Holland, former professor inthe Department of English, June 23, 2014

Tom Mooney, former Gryphon football coach, June 20, 2014

Koushik Seetharaman, former professor in the Department of FoodScience, June 3, 2014

To honour alumni who have passedaway, the University of Guelph AlumniAssociation makes an annual donationto the Alumni Legacy Scholarship.

PASSAGES

City Prize for a design that wouldtransform a stretch of Yonge Streetinto a pedestrian-friendly publicspace, featuring a curbless, two-

lane shared street, expanded side-walk space, and more trees andbenches to encourage passiveactivities. The competition chal-

lenges people under the age of 30to re-imagine city-owned publicspaces. Valenzona received $5,000in prize money and a chance to

work with a team of industrymentors to help him get hisYONGE REDUX project offthe ground.

reserve Your

Suite Today

226-251-3065

"Located in The Village by the Arboretum on stone road, east of gordon street"

The Village of Arbour Trails offers a full range of living and care support options all on one campus.

If your need for assistance changes, you can chose to move to another neighbourhood within the Village or take advantage

of additional living choices in your suite.

With our Main Street and Town Square, The Village of Arbour Trails has an internal neighbourhood design

that promotes a caring and cohesive community, independence and on-going social engagement.

Reserve Your Suite Today!Phase 2 Opening This Fall

32 Bayberry Drive, Guelph, Ontario 226.251.3065www.schlegelvillages.com

Offering Spacious,

Affordable Suites:

Featuring:

Full Service NeighbourhoodAssisted Care NeighbourhoodMemory Care Neighbourhood

À la carte diningRecreational programsBus for trips & outingsProgram for Active LivingOn-site KinesiologistGeneral storeFull service spa/hair salonSunny outdoor patiosQuiet walking pathsthroughout the village

The Village of Arbour Trails

Continuum of Care

Retirement Home

e VihT age olle Vi f Arbour Tage o rruroubour T slsairraf Arbour T

C

e VihT

rereReti

nuuntioC

age olle Vi

ementement

m om onuu

f Arbour Tage o

meme

f Cf

me

aa

orement H

f Care

rr u

m o

b ur Tbou s

f Care

lsairraf Arbour T

e Vihn Tted iocaat"L e Arboy thage blle Vi on stm oretue Arbo f gost oad, eaoe rron n street"rdof go

ouve YYoerrvres our Reserve Your Suite Today!Reserve Your Suite Today!Reserve Your Suite Today!Reserve Your Suite Today!226-251-3065

adoSuite T

boureighe Ny CarMemorhboureige Ned CartAssis

hboureigvice Null SerF

le Suites:abrdAffo

acg SppanfferiO

226-251-3065

yaay

oodhhoodhbouroodhhbour

le Suites:

ous,aci

Phase 2 Opening This Fall

our need fIf y

and carThe Village of Arbour T

ase 2 OpeYO

hanges, yance ctor assiseed ffo

t ope supporand carrillage of Arbour TTr

Phase 2 Opening This Fall

hou can changes, y

tions all on one camt opange of livs a full rerffeails offfr

his Fallyy

h F ll

o e tvo movose th

pus.tions all on one caming ange of liv

eortal sGenere KinesiologisOn-sit

e Livctivor Aam ffoogrPr outingsor trips &Bus ffo

amsogreational precrRe diningtÀ la car

boureighe Ny CarMemor

g:nturiFeaat

te Kinesiologisinge Liv

outingsams

oodhbour

that prArbour T

With our Main S

ther neighbouranoour need fIf y

es a caring and ctomothat prails has an intrur TTr

t and TeetrWith our Main S

of additional living chood withinther neighbour

hanges, yance ctor assiseed ffo

e communityesivohes a caring and cood dehbourl neighernaails has an int

e, The Village of ruawn Sqowd TTo

our suitoices in yhof additional living ce Village or t thhood within

hou can changes, y

, e communitysign ood de

e, The Village of

e.our suitage e advantakee Village or t

o e tvo movose th

illageout the voughrthsalking patht wQuie

or patiosy outdonnySunair salonice spa/hvull serF

eortal sGener

hlegelvillagesc.swww

illages

or patiosair salon

.comhlegelvillages 32 Ba

independence and on-go

e, Guelrivy Derryb32 Ba

independence and on-go

ario 226.25ntph, Oe, Guel

ing social engagement.independence and on-go

.30651ario 226.25

ing social engagement.

You’ve paid your dues. Start paying less with TD Insurance.

University graduates can save more.At TD Insurance, we recognize all the time and effort you put into getting where you are. That’s why, as a University of Guelph graduate, you have access to our TD Insurance Meloche Monnex program which offers preferred group rates and various additional discounts. You’ll also benefit from our highly personalized service and great protection that suits your needs. Get a quote today and see how much you could save.

Request a quote today 1-888-589-5656 melochemonnex.com/uoguelph

HOME | AUTO

The TD Insurance Meloche Monnex home and auto insurance program is underwritten by SECURITY NATIONAL INSURANCE COMPANY. The program is distributed by Meloche Monnex Insurance and Financial Services Inc. in Quebec and by Meloche Monnex Financial Services Inc. in the rest of Canada. For Quebec residents: We are located at 50 Place Crémazie, Montreal (Quebec) H2P 1B6.Due to provincial legislation, our auto insurance program is not offered in British Columbia, Manitoba or Saskatchewan.

*No purchase is required. There is one (1) prize to be won. The winner may choose between an amount of $60,000 CAD to build a dream kitchen of his/her choosing or $60,000 CAD cash. The winner will be responsible for choosing a supplier and for coordinating all of the required work. The contest is organized by Security National Insurance Company and Primmum Insurance Company and is open to members, employees and other eligible persons who reside in Canada and belong to an employer, professional or alumni group which has entered into an agreement with the organizers and is entitled to receive group rates from the organizers. The contest ends on October 31, 2014. The draw will be held on November 21, 2014. A skill-testing question is required. Odds of winning depend on the number of eligible entries received. The complete contest rules are available at melochemonnex.com/contest.

® The TD logo and other trade-marks are the property of The Toronto-Dominion Bank.

Insurance program recommended by

You could WIN

$60,000 cashto build your dream kitchen!*