1. education
2. alumni and reunions

COVER STORY
UPCOMING EVENTS
JUNE 30, 2015
Deadline for nomina ons for the
Macdonald Dis nguished Alumni
Awards
…………………………………………………………
LINKS
Macdonald Campus
Two Minutes with…Chris Buddle,
Associate Dean (Student Affairs)
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Professor Chris Buddle took on the role of Associate Dean (Student Affairs) on June
1st this year. He comes to the role with an impressive record.
Chris makes learning an enjoyable experience for his students: he is an ar culate,
engaging, enthusias c and mo vated educator in our Environmental Biology
Program. The quality of his work with our students is con nually being recognized
and rewarded. In 2008 he received the Macdonald Campus Award for Teaching
Excellence. He then led the redesign of the St. Lawrence Ecosystems course, which,
among other innova ons, incorporated the use of social media into this first-year
course, allowing the students to communicate with scien sts around the world from
the field. For this body of work, he was awarded the “Best Prac ces and Pedagogical
Innovators Award” by SALTISE (Suppor ng Ac ve Learning and Technological
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Innova on in Science Educa on). This past summer, Chris
was one of a handful of interna onal post-secondary
educators to be awarded the “Desire 2 Learn (D2L)
Innova on Award” from the Society for Teaching and
Learning in Higher Educa on. He assumes the role of
Associate Dean (Student Affairs) at a me when significant
emphasis is being placed on enhancing the student
experience.
We sat down with Chris to learn a bit more about what
makes him ck.
Q: You are much more than a university professor. How
would you describe yourself? What are your hobbies and
interests and why did you become a university professor?
A: I describe myself as an enthusias c op mist but with
enough skep cism to stay grounded. I'm a people person,
and love the University environment in part because I get to
interact with smart, interes ng people every day. I’m also a
bit of a generalist, and enjoy working on a wide range of
projects, from Arc c research on spiders to projects about
teaching and learning.
Universi es provide a place to think crea vely, to collaborate
and to learn, and I have always enjoyed this milieu. A er
comple ng my undergraduate studies at the University of
Guelph, I wanted more of the university experience. Research
was a good fit, and a er doing a PhD about spiders occurring
in the boreal forests of Alberta, I moved on to a post-doc in
Ohio and con nued my studies. During my post-doc a tenuretrack posi on presented itself at McGill and I jumped at the
opportunity. I realized the other day that I’ve been living and
breathing the university experience for over half my life, and
my enthusiasm for academia has never wavered.
I have always had many hobbies and interests outside
academia. I’m an avid cyclist and cross-country skier, I try to
play some guitar and mandolin, and dabble with drawing
and pain ng. For me, art and science are in mately linked.
Most importantly, I have an amazing family and I’m
immensely proud to be a husband (of almost 20 years) and
father: my three (growing) kids keep me grounded and help
me keep priori es straight.
Q: What do you hope to accomplish in your new role?
A: I want to work in a collegial and produc ve manner with
the en re Macdonald Campus community, recognizing that
our undergraduate students are vital to our success. The well
-being of our undergraduate students is a priority for me. I
want to help ensure that our students are having a posi ve
educa onal experience: one that will change their lives, bring
them happiness, success, and allow them to be innovators,
thinkers and leaders. The Student Affairs Office (and its
incredible staff) plays a central role in helping enrich the
experience for our undergraduates, and I hope I can bring
energy, enthusiasm and some fresh perspec ves on ways
that we can con nue to succeed. Although we are facing
some challenges, there are also unparalleled opportuni es
for us to rethink how we do things and how we priori ze our
opera ons. I’m also hoping to con nue to explore ways to
show our campus to the world. We are a campus that learns
together and works together, and I am proud and excited to
play a part in helping this community grow.
Q: What do you as a teaching innovator see for the future
of teaching and learning?
A: The landscape of higher educa on is changing rapidly, and
with that must come a paradigm shi in the way we think
about teaching and learning. The way that we access
knowledge and content is so different than it was 15 years
ago, and the future holds even more rapid changes.
Knowledge is everywhere and it’s totally accessible: the idea
of “founda onal content” will shi drama cally as we
con nue along in this digital age. A university professor must
work to be a facilitator of discussions about the content as
well as be the delivery mechanism for that content: this
approach requires a movement away from podium-style
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lectures. An instructor can help students synthesize and
cri que knowledge; an instructor needs to be a learner with
the students, albeit a learner with a deeper set of
experiences and specialized knowledge. At Macdonald, we
have an opportunity to con nue to transform our classrooms
into ac ve learning classrooms: ones full of interdisciplinary
thinking, problem solving, debate and discussion. We can
also fully embrace a range of new and exci ng technologies
and tools to help us with this paradigm shi in teaching and
learning. Social media pla orms are part of this toolbox.
They have a place in the classroom, but only if the learning
outcomes match. I have used social media effec vely when
the learning outcomes are about science communica on:
Twi er or blogs represent new and exci ng ways to
communicate about ac vi es in the classroom. If the tools
are a distrac on, it’s because they aren’t being used
appropriately. We live in a society full of distrac ons and
technology, and as university professors, it’s our
responsibility to find ways to leverage these effec vely and
integrate the technology and tools into teaching and
learning.
Q: You are very acƟve on social media. What does all this
tweeƟng and blogging bring to you as an educator and
researcher?
A: Being a scien st involves collabora on, networking,
sharing ideas, reflec ng on these ideas, troubleshoo ng, and
communica ng about research. These ac vi es can be done
in hallways, around a coffee machine, in laboratories, at
conferences, or with social media tools. For me, the social
media tools fit well with my personality and, every day, the
tools help me be a be er scien st, and be be er at my job.
Twi er helps me learn about new developments in my field,
read broadly, and helps me connect with amazing people
from around the world. Blogging helps to hone
communica on skills, and helps to reach out to a broader
audience. I'm a strong believer that we have a responsibility
to share what we do with people beyond the walls of our
ins tu on: blogging is a terrific way to do this. Finally,
Twi er and blogging help present a very human side to
higher educa on, and help remind us that, at the end of the
day, we are all hard-working people, doing interes ng things
in our jobs, struggling along every now and then, having fun,
and finding success and happiness at being in the business of
higher educa on.
FACULTY NEWS
Building for the Future: Student Life and Learning
Student Life and Learning (SLL) Building project for the
Macdonald Campus that has been winding its way through
the University for some me has finally wound its way back
to campus.
Academic success arises from the combined influence of
program, support services and extracurricular ac vi es. A
growing campus needs to sa sfy all of these dimensions, and
FOCUS ON MACDONALD E-NEWSLETTER | WINTER 2014
it was with this in mind that Dean Chandra Madramootoo
and Morton Mendelson, then Deputy Provost (Student Life
and Learning), charged a small workgroup with the task of
developing a plan for a facility on the Macdonald Campus
that would serve the needs of a growing and diverse student
popula on.
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Overall enrolment in the Faculty has grown tremendously
over the past 10 years and currently stands at more than
2,000 students; enrolment is expected to con nue to grow
in the coming years. Exis ng facili es for services to students
are spread out in several different buildings on campus;
buildings that are somewhat removed from the academic
core. While some facili es are dated, others are spaced
inappropriately or isolated. Gathering places to meet and
share are few and far between.
The first round of discussion on a Student Life and Learning
Building garnered the interest of University administrators
but the project was simply too ambi ous. The team was
called back to the table to rework the plan so that it would
be be er suited to a campus of this size – a facility that
would become the heart of the campus and would provide
our community with best-in-class services. Plans include
providing space for Student Government offices and club
rooms, Athle cs and other Student Services opera ons,
Student Affairs Offices, and Food and Dining Services.
undertake a financial feasibility study that will explore
poten al funding opportuni es and, ul mately, the financial
sustainability of the project, and the Macdonald
community’s first public consulta on was held in November.
A second consulta on will be held in January.
What are your thoughts on this project? To keep abreast of
project developments and to learn more, please visit the SLL
project webpage.
Consultants from Ernst Young were hired late this fall to
Reconnec ng with Mac: Homecoming 2014
Homecoming is just that – an opportunity for our alumni to
come home, learn something new, reconnect (some mes
a er 50 years) and rekindle that special feeling about what
Macdonald was and what it has become. By all accounts,
Homecoming 2014 was a resounding success. We’re happy
to share some of the day’s special moments with you here.
More than 200 other photos, including class pictures, may be
viewed on our Flickr site. What ac vi es might you like to
see at Homecoming 2015? Macdonald Alumni Rela ons
Associate Anna Duff would love to hear from you.
Alumna Marilyn (Anderson) Stocker, BSc(HEc)’59, and
husband William Stocker were challenged to move their
robots around an obstacle course in the Ac ve Learning
Classroom using a program that was designed especially for
them by Xuebin Tian, an undergraduate student in
Bioresource Engineering. Students in Bioresource
Engineering
professor
Viacheslav
Adamchuck’s
Instrumenta on and Control course design robots to solve a
wide range of agricultural produc on challenges.
The Macdonald Stewart Benefactors Circle was a special
recogni on event, allowing Provost Anthony Masi, Chair of
McGill’s Board of Governors Kip Cobbe , Execu ve Director
of the Macdonald Stewart Founda on Bruce Bolton and
Dean Madramootoo to thank and appreciate donors who
have made gi s of $250,000 and more to the Faculty. More
than half of the donors, whose names are etched into the
glass in the Link Archway, were present at the ceremony.
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The Sir William Macdonald Luncheon not only allowed
classes to catch up but also to celebrate the achievements of
Gerald A. (Gerry) Mulligan, BScAgr’52, (below) who was
awarded the Dis nguished Alumni award, and the classes of
1954 and 1964, who collec vely raised over $90,000 in
support of students and faculty ini a ves.
Many alumni took advantage of a tour of the Mac Farm,
which has been the centre of much ac vity this past year,
with the development of a new one-acre plot run by the
Macdonald Student Ecological Garden, the launch of the
Farm to School Day Camp, and the rebuilding of silos
destroyed in the Farm’s October 2013 fire.
By far the most interes ng response to the ques on “What
is your favourite MCSS moment ever?” raised during the
MCSS 100th Anniversary trivia quiz came from former
Council President John (Jack) Sadler’s (BScAgr’79 and Council
President 1977-78 and 1978-79) team, who recounted in
great detail the events surrounding the “Dean-napping” of
Dr. Lewis Lloyd in the late 1970s. Our current council worked
hard to ensure that stories from the good old days were
collected from former council members who were unable to
a end the event. A grand me was had by all. Pictured here:
Ma hew Brown, MSc’12, Ariane Gauthier, BSc(FSc)’11, Peter
Pertschy, FMT’12, and Marissa Nolan, BSc(AgEnvSc)’11.
THE STUDENT EXPERIENCE
Taking Learning Outside the Classroom:
The Student Experience Enhancement Fund
In keeping with McGill’s commitment to ensure “that every
McGill student has an opportunity to par cipate in an out-of
-the-classroom learning ac vity like an internship, academic
exchange program, industry co-op or research project,” the
FOCUS ON MACDONALD E-NEWSLETTER | WINTER 2014
FAES has launched the Student Experience Enhancement
Fund (SEEF).
(Con nued on page 6)
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in mate knowledge of how business is conducted in various
parts of the world.
The SEEF is designed to provide funding for experien al
learning ini a ves, which go above and beyond the
tradi onal classroom experience. These experiences may
include, but are not limited to, par cipa on in conferences,
seminars, workshops, internships and development projects.
The Faculty will launch the program with a contribu on of
$10,000. Further injec on of Faculty funds will depend on
the success of the program and the growth of the
philanthropic contribu ons.
The first recipients of SEEF funding are Mathieu Rouleau,
FMT’13, BSc(AgEnvSc)’16, and Peter Tikasz, BSc(AgEnvSc)’13,
MSc‘15, who will par cipate in the 2015 “Hot Ci es of the
World” tour. Now in its seventh year, the tour, organized by
Professor Karl Moore of the Desautels Faculty of
Management, is designed to give par cipants from across
the University a first-hand look at budding economies,
unparalled access to interna onal business leaders, and an
“Being students in Agricultural Economics and Natural
Resources from the Macdonald Campus, we will play a vital
role in the future of our society. […] One main concern in
today’s economy is how to maximize profit in the global
market, while reducing the ecological footprint and
maintaining a compe ve edge. Macdonald provides us with
an excellent educa on about water, farming, resources,
nutri on and food, which are essen al to the development
of tools that can make a posi ve impact in our world. The
tour will allow us to be er understand key global economic
factors that will influence us as decision makers of the
future,” wrote Mathieu and Peter in their applica on for
funding.
“By travelling in emerging and developing countries, this trip
allows [us] to face current issues and think about the
upcoming challenges [we] will face in the next 5, 10 and 20
years. Each year, part of the travel focuses on the human
impact on its environment. Last year mining was covered
and this year the use of natural resources in tea produc on
will be covered while travelling across various ci es,
including Jakarta, Bali and Hong Kong. The trip also allows
[us] to help out in various not-for-profit organiza ons and to
realize the importance of a small gesture on someone else’s
life, especially the ones in need. It also promotes the
importance of communica ons and teamwork, especially
today where everyone is one click away.”
Opening Up New Research Possibili es for Undergrads
Undergraduate Research Awards
In order to ensure that all our undergraduates have the
opportunity to gain real research experience, the Faculty
plans to build capacity to allow more of our undergraduate
students to undertake research projects. The program will
promote
cross-unit
research
opportuni es
for
undergraduates that will enable them to develop
transferable skills for the future.
Research is the cornerstone of any science-based educa on
and each year, a handful of our brightest students have the
opportunity to undertake NSERC/CIHR Undergraduate
Student Research Award (USRA) projects with qualifying
researchers. However, the number of students seeking these
FOCUS ON MACDONALD E-NEWSLETTER | WINTER 2014
(Con nued on page 7)
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experiences far exceeds the funding opportuni es available.
Modeled on the NSERC/CIHR program, the Faculty has
created its own Undergraduate Research Award (URA)
Program that will provide many more students with the
opportunity to work side-by-side with some of the top
professors in the Faculty, through par cipa on in a
supervised research project over a 16-week period during
the summer. The program will give undergraduates a unique
opportunity to par cipate in research projects, enriching
their educa on while exposing them to ideas that can spark
a lifelong passion or career in science and research. The
results of their work will be displayed each fall at an event
open to other students, professors, alumni and donors.
URAs are a vital component of undergraduate educa on and
the Faculty would like to further expand access to these
opportuni es by encouraging donors to promote
undergraduate research through named endowments. The
awards will be matched by the supervising professor. Several
Macdonald alumni and friends have already established
First-place poster winner Ziwei Zheng (Diete cs and Human
Nutr on) explains her research to Principal Suzanne For er.
PHOTO by OWEN EGAN
Undergraduate Research Awards in their names, helping
foster student interest in science and research that will last a
life me. For more informa on, please contact the
Macdonald University Advancement Office at 514-398-7984.
Fostering Innova on and Entrepreneurship Skills
The Macdonald Entrepreneurship Program
pla orm.
The Macdonald Entrepreneurship Program will coordinate,
harmonize and sustainably grow the Faculty’s
entrepreneurial and social innova on resources, ac vi es
and investments. It provides resources and services designed
to launch students successfully into entrepreneurship and
social innova on ventures. Designed and led by the Faculty,
the Program consists of internship placements, workshops
and seminars, entrepreneurship compe ons, as well as an
academic component.
The longstanding vision for entrepreneurship and discovery
through science has never been as vibrant as it is today
within the Faculty. Students are developing innova ve
solu ons that reflect the Faculty’s exper se in agriculture,
food, environment and nutri on. Consistent with McGill
Principal For er’s view for promo ng innova on and
entrepreneurship across the University, the Faculty is looking
to upscale its longstanding vision for entrepreneurship,
science, and social innova on into a cross-University
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The Program provides enhanced learning opportuni es
through internship placements in agri-businesses, workshops
and seminars led by inspiring entrepreneurs and social
innovators. It also provides students with opportuni es and
resources to develop the skills needed to help launch them
into successful entrepreneurship and social innova on
compe ons, such as the Hult Prize and the McGill Dobson
Cup.
(Con nued on page 8)
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The Entrepreneurship Program hosted its first event under
the Entrepreneurial Leadership Speaker Series with Mme
Josée Fiset, co-founder and Vice-President of Les
Boulangeries Première Moisson, who spoke on Transforming
Bread and Bu er Beyond Business. Mme Fiset shared her
personal and professional experiences as a successful
entrepreneur and business leader in the food sector.
Following her presenta on, two Bioresource Engineering
students presented their prototype system for bread quality
assessment by computer imaging, highligh ng their handson experience in research and entrepreneurship as students
in the Faculty.
The event was tremendously successful, with over 100
students and professors in the audience. It demonstrated
the keen interest in entrepreneurship, built momentum
among students for entrepreneurship, and informed
students about the Faculty’s efforts to build and support
entrepreneurial spirit on the Macdonald Campus.
Communica on: Unlocking the Science
Our graduate programs do an excellent job of providing
students with the technical skills required for their future
careers as scien sts. What has become clear is that
communica ng science to non-science audiences, ranging
from policy makers to lay people, has become ever more
important.
The School of Diete cs and Human Nutri on recently
launched its first “Three Minute Thesis Compe on,” a
research communica on compe on developed by the
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University of Queensland. The rules? Synthesize your
research into a killer “Ted Talk-like” three-minute
presenta on with the support of one sta c visual aid. “No
props, poems, raps or songs allowed!”
In all, nine PhD candidates volunteered for this inaugural
event, represen ng over half of the research labs in the
School. Presenta ons covered a wide variety of topics
including child development and school feeding programs,
(Con nued on page 9)
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the improvement of health outcomes through
supplementa on, and expanding our understanding of how
the human body func ons.
First place went to Mark Bradley, PhD candidate with
Professor Niladri Basu, for his presenta on “There is
something fishy about mercury.” Bradley’s research work
involves simula ng the human diges ve system in the lab to
see if different popula ons of gut bacteria can affect the
absorp on of mercury from fish we eat. “By understanding
how the absorp on of mercury can be so different for
different people, we will enable public health agencies to
make be er recommenda ons about which fish to eat and
which fish to avoid.”
“Does adding vitamin D to yogurt and cheese improve
children’s health?” The short answer is: yes, it does. Bre
explained that he is “now undertaking a six-month trial to
see if vitamin D supplementa on leads to be er bone health
and be er bone strength and an immune system that
func ons more effec vely. This research has widespread
impact. It is already being used towards improving vitamin D
health policy in Canada. In the future it can be used
interna onally with the larger goal of improving and
ensuring the proper growth of children all around the
world.”
It was a terrific learning experience for both the presenters
and the audience. We hope that the idea encourages more
such events across the Faculty. Well done!
The People’s Choice Award went to Neil Bre , PhD
candidate with Professor Hope Weiler, for his presenta on
Focus on Macdonald is an electronic publica on of the Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, Macdonald Campus, McGill University.
It is published online four mes a year and can be viewed at publica ons.mcgill.ca/macdonald
Winter 2014 Edi on content contributors: Kathy MacLean, Helen Rimmer, Anna Duff, Sam Daviau
FOCUS ON MACDONALD E-NEWSLETTER | WINTER 2014
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