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Winter 2009 3

When I speak with University ofGuelph alumni, they often tell me a

story from their student days at Guelph that“changed their life” or “opened their eyes” toa new career option. For many grads, it wasthe close-knit residence community wherethey made lifetime friends. Others mention aprofessor who inspired them or a political fig-ure who challenged the status quo whenspeaking on campus.

Some grads talk about getting involved instudent government or social and politicalactivism, while others say they landed a goodposition in a tough job market because of theskills they learned at Guelph.

I enjoy these stories, but I think it’s impor-tant that you know these are more than justgreat memories of times past. The Universityexperiences that impacted and improved yourlife are still happening on our campus. Whetheryour degree is a few years or a few decades old, it speaksto the core values of the University of Guelph.

Our focus has always been on providing our studentswith a unique learning experience, and that commit-ment gives us a competitive edge in terms of qualityand leadership. Your alma mater is the top-rated uni-versity in Canada for student satisfaction and quality ofeducation. That’s according to the Globe and Mail’s annu-al University Report Card, which reflects the opinionsof university students across the country.

U of G professors received A’s for subject knowl-edge, teaching quality, and interaction with students. Wealso earned top marks for tolerance of diverse opinionsand ideas and for our sense of community. These marksunderscore the characteristics that make Guelph a uni-versity where “life-changing” experiences still happen.

The campus has changed, of course — new build-ings, new faculty, more students, perhaps a change tothe academic program you took. These are all part ofthe University’s strategic plan to maintain our leader-ship position in undergraduate education.

Ten years ago, U of G was the first university inCanada to introduce supplemental instruction (program-based learning groups, peer tutoring, library learningcommons) into its teaching and learning strategy, andthis fall we became the official go-to place for Canadi-an post-secondary institutions that want to bring simi-lar programs to their students.

When Maclean’s magazine issued its reputational sur-vey of Canadian universities in November, your alma

mater was second among comprehensive universities forquality of education, innovation and graduating leadersof tomorrow. That opinion comes from 12,000 people,including CEOs of major Canadian corporations, highschool counsellors and academic administrators.

Within days, Guelph master’s student Ashley van Her-ton was named one of 10 Canadian students to receivea future leaders scholarship supported by Canada’s Out-standing CEO of the Year award program. David John-ston Monje, a PhD candidate in plant agriculture, led ateam of six student researchers to the medal podium inan international science competition held at the Mass-achusetts Institute of Technology. Their project proposeda genetically-engineered solution to vitamin A deficiencyin children in the world’s poorer countries.

Outside the classroom, more than 500 students vol-unteered in the community during Project Serve day and1,450 collected $87,000 worth of food donations for thelocal food bank. Aboriginal students hosted three days ofawareness programs. The Central Student Associationsponsored a talk on Darfur during Genocide AwarenessMonth, our students lined up to vote in the federal elec-tion and many participated in Peace Week activities.

Sadly, peace and poverty are not new concerns in oursociety, but it is important that the University of Guelphcontinues to be a place where students get involved inthe issues and work to improve the lives of others while“opening their eyes” to their own future ambitions.

Alastair Summerlee

President

the president’s pageCORE VALUES DETERMINE THE GUELPH STUDENT EXPERIENCE

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4 The Portico

I magine hav ing a personal servicerobot that can clean up your child’s

room and load your dishwasher.A U of G team led by engineering

professor Medhat Moussa has developedthe first intelligent system for a robot thatcan communicate, learn and be pro-grammed by the average person throughvoice commands. Their research was pub-lished in IEEE Transactions of Robotics, thehighest-ranked journal in robotics.

Unlike robots that are programmed byexperts to operate in controlled settingssuch as laboratories and factories, robotsdesigned to help out in the home must beable to learn different tasks based on theuser’s needs and adapt to an ever-changingenvironment, says Moussa, who’s beenworking on the design for seven years.

He and PhD student Maria Ralph asked15 people with different levels of techno-

logical expertise to train a robotic arm topick up five different household objects usingnatural language. All 15 were successful intraining the robot to pick up a comb, aspoon, a key, tweezers and a tensor bandageclip within 45 minutes. Moussa says the train-ing time will become shorter as the robotlearns patterns of commands and can startpredicting which command will come next.

The biggest factor standing in the wayof commercializing these learning robotsis the hefty price tag. Moussa’s robot costsabout $25,000, even though he’s appliedthe technology to a somewhat simpledesign to keep costs down. But he antici-pates it won’t be long before these robotsbecome common enough to drop in price.

“Japan expects the robotics industry tobecome bigger than the automotive indus-try by 2025,” he says. “There is definitelya lot of interest in this.”

NEW VP (RESEARCH)NAMED AT GUELPH

T he Univers ity of Guelph wel-comed Kevin Hall, former head of

the Department of Civil Engineering atQueen’s University, as its new vice-presi-dent (research) Jan. 1.

President Alastair Summerlee says Hall’sexpertise and research focus are alignedwith Guelph’s strategic priorities aroundinternationalism, humanitarianism andenvironmental sustainability. He also sharesU of G’s multidisciplinary approach toresearch and learning, says the president.

At Queen’s, Hall was director of theCentre for Water and the Environment andchaired the advisory board of the Institutefor Population and Public Health. He isalso an international consultant in coastaland river engineering and water resources.

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&Someday a robot in your home

in around p e o p l e • r e s e a r c h • h i g h l i g h t s

Kevin Hall

Bioenergy adds valueB ioenergy research and the bioe-conomy will be the focus of U of G’s newCentre for Agricultural Renewable Energyand Sustainability (CARES), which openedat the Ridgetown Campus in October.

The first project is a farm-scale biodieseldemonstration plant. More than $900,000is being provided through Agriculture andAgri-Food Canada’s Advancing CanadianAgriculture and Agri-Food Program.

In addition to government and Uni-versity support, the Southwestern OntarioBioproducts Innovation Network (SOBIN)was instrumental in the conception ofCARES.

U of G and SOBIN will work togeth-er to substitute non-renewable materialsin many manufacturing sectors, consumergoods and services.

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RSC ELECTS BONENProf. Arend Bonen, Human Health and Nutri-

tional Sciences, has been elected a Fellow of

the Royal Society of Canada, considered this

country’s senior academic honour. Renowned

for his work on the role of muscle activity in

metabolic diseases, Bonen holds the Canada

Research Chair in Metabolism and Health.

“Although I am honoured to have been elect-

ed a fellow, there are many people who have

contributed to my efforts,” he says, naming tech-

nicians, graduate students, researchers and col-

leagues in his department and around the world.

“Present-day science relies extensively on these

multi-faceted collaborations, without which my

work would not have flourished.”

Bonen joined U of G in 2003 from the Uni-

versity of Waterloo, where he was chair of the

Department of Kinesiology. He also taught at

Dalhousie University.

His research combines physiological, bio-

chemical and molecular approaches. It focus-

es on the mechanisms that regulate fuel (glu-

cose and fats) entry and utilization in heart and

muscle that enable normal functioning, such as

beating of the heart. Many of the same meta-

bolic biochemical processes are also provoked

by lifestyle factors such as eating a high-fat diet

or living a sedentary lifestyle, he says. His stud-

ies suggest that exercise can prevent or treat

some types of diseases such as type 2 diabetes.

the

Grad studentwins nationalhonour

G uelph graduate student BraeAnne McArthur is one of eight

scholars nationwide to be named a Des-jardins Academic All-Canadian byCanadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS).The award recognizes both athletic andacademic achievement. To be eligible,students must already be Academic All-Canadians and maintain an average ofat least 80 per cent.

A three-time Academic All-Canadi-an, McArthur has twice been namedtrack-and-field MVP at U of G, holds theUniversity’s record in the pentathlon andranks third all-time in the high jump andlong jump. This season, she was the CISpentathlon bronze medallist, the OntarioUniversity Athletics (OUA) high-jumpbronze medallist, the OUA pentathlonsilver medallist and an OUA All-Star.

A 2006 BA graduate, McArthur isnow completing the master’s portion ofa PhD in child clinical psychology.

U of G joinselite globalgroup“S upplemental instruction”

may not be snazzy terminology,but U of G’s designation as a nationalcentre for supplemental instruction is abig vote of confidence in the Universi-ty’s expertise in teaching and learning.

Only a handful of universities world-wide are designated as centres for sup-plemental instruction, following a mod-el created more than 30 years ago by the

University of Missouri at Kansas City.Ten years ago, Guelph became the firstuniversity in Canada to introduce sup-plemental instruction when it launchedweekly review sessions for historicallydifficult courses. Led by senior students,these sessions help undergraduates nav-igate course material, connect with oth-er students and develop learning strate-gies. Last year, more than 3,000 studentsparticipated.

U of G’s new designation makes itthe go-to place for Canadian post-sec-ondary institutions wanting to bringsupplemental instruction to their stu-dents.

Brae Anne McArthur

university

Winter 2009 5

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6 The Portico

U niversity of Guelph scientists believe they’ve uncovered a promising treatment for one of

the world’s most common water-borne diseases. They discovered that an antibody used

to detect the parasite Cryptosporidium parvum, which causes cryptosporidiosis, can also be

used to fight off the bug itself.

A team of environmental biology professors set out to find a better way to detect this nasty

intestinal bug, but they ended up finding that specially engineered recombinant antibodies used

to detect the parasite can also prevent the bug from physically binding to human intestinal cells,

blocking infection.

C. parvum is transmitted through drinking water contaminated by the feces of infected ani-

mals. Proper water and sewage treatment and filtration, as well as correct disposal of animal

waste, normally prevent the disease from spreading, says Prof. Jack Trevors, one of the study’s

authors.

In healthy people, the parasite causes severe diarrhea, abdominal cramping and fever for a

week or two. In very young or very old people or in immune-compromised individuals, the symp-

toms may be more severe and may cause death. No effective therapy exists.

Co-author Prof. Hung Lee says he hopes other researchers will use the Guelph work to devel-

op a treatment based on using antibodies. “Potentially we could also use this new approach to

address other intestinal infections.” The research team also included Prof. Chris Hall and graduate

students Nicholas Pokorny and Jeanine Boulter-Bitzer, B.Sc.(Agr.) ’97, M.Sc. ’00 and PhD ’07.

Using FIV tounderstand HIV

A bout 2 .5 per cent of theapproximately 64 million pet cats in

the United States are infected with thefeline immunodeficiency virus (FIV), andthe proportion in Canada is probably aboutthe same. FIV is a virus similar in structureto the human immunodeficiency virus(HIV), and Guelph pathobiologistDorothee Bienzle is studying it in the hopesof taking a step toward a cure for HIV.

She is interested in the role dendriticcells play in FIV development. These cellsare important messengers in the mam-malian immune system. Their main func-tion is to take potentially dangerous for-eign material that enters the body anddisplay portions of the invader on their cellsurface — effectively sending a message tothe rest of the immune system. Dendriticcells then travel to the lymph nodes, wherethey interact with cells responsible forfighting foreign invaders such as whiteblood cells to help the immune system tai-lor an appropriate response.

This process doesn’t work properly forpeople infected with HIV. Researcherssuspect HIV exploits the messenger sys-

tem by binding to receptors on dendriticcells and getting a free ride to the core ofthe host immune system. Once there, HIVcan infect other immune system cells,eventually causing AIDS.

“Dendritic cells are the first to beinfected after exposure to the FIV or HIVvirus,” says Bienzle. “By understandingtheir response to infection, we may uncov-er keys to decreasing the virus mode andvirus spread.”

Other collaborators on this projectinclude research associate Xin Wen, tech-nician Mary Ellen Clark, Prof. FelipeReggeti and master’s candidate Alex Folkl.

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Uof G s women ’s and men’s cross-country teams won the Canadian

Interuniversity Sport (CIS) championshipsheld at Laval University Nov. 8. It was arecord-setting fourth consecutive win forthe women’s team and third consecutivetitle for the men. In addition, GryphonMatt Brunsting won the men’s individualgold medal in the 10-kilometre race witha time of 32:08.3, and by teammate KyleBoorsma, who won silver. On the women’sside, Lindsay Carson won the bronzemedal in the five-km race despite nursinga foot injury, with a time of 17:59.3.

On Nov. 9, the Gryphon men’s lacrosseteam became national champions, beatingout McGill University 14 to 9 to win theBaggataway Cup. It was the men’s thirdoverall championship title, with previouswins in 1995 and 2000, all under headcoach Sam Kosakowski, B.Sc.(H.K) ’92.

Guelph was led by attacker BradenGallant, who scored three goals and threeassists. Gryphon attackman Jason Mainerwas awarded the UnderArmor Player ofthe Game award for his performance offour goals and one assist.

Cross-Country,Lacrosse TeamsWin Gold

Dorothee Bienzle

Jack Trevors

in around universityScientists discover treatment for water-borne disease

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“Funny how you lose sight of some things and memory others” — from Beloved, by

Toni Morrison

I n the photograph, she is an80-year-old woman, eyes shut, softwhite hair a stark contrast to

the black background, fine linesand wrinkles illuminated bythe light of the camera’s flash.

But hidden behind thoseclosed eyes is a young girl, justat the beginning of who shewill be. You can’t see her on thesurface, but she is there. For they

are one and the same, these two,separated only by years.

It’s a symbiotic relation-ship caught on film, yet notvisible to a beholder’s eye. Butlook closer, deeper, and youwill see hints of the duality —like the old woman’s gentlesmile, the kind only a sweetmemory can bring.

For when photographer Susan Dobson’scamera shutter closed, Lois EtheringtonBetteridge ceased to be all that she hasbecome. Gone was the celebrated metal-smith, artist, pioneering teacher and Memberof the Order of Canada. Instead, she was anine-year-old girl again and back in hersecret place, the space she created under thebasement stairs where everything began.

Betteridge doesn’t know why she pickedthis place to visit in her mind. Dobson justasked her to close her eyes and think ofsomething from the past. Betteridge hadeight decades’ worth of memories to choosefrom, but she crawled back to her childhood

hideout almost instantly. “I had a little chemistry lab in the base-

ment,” she says. “I built it up out of the spaceunder the stairs, made it safe and secure. I hadbeen given a chemistry set for Christmas andused to make smoke bombs and things like

that down there.”Laughing, she adds: “I don’t

actually have a great memo-ry, so I don’t remember a lotfrom my childhood. But I’veoften thought of that space,about what it was like just tobe in it. The beginning of mycareer was there. It really

started under those stairs.”So the image of her that

Dobson’s camera caught isreally a reunion betweenwoman and child, patron andprotegé, time and timeless-ness. Exactly the kind ofphotograph Dobson intend-ed it to be.

“It’s about looking backto the past while being very much aware ofthe present,” says Dobson, who has taughtphotography in the University of Guelph’sSchool of Fine Art and Music full time since2002. “The past frequently interferes andintersects with the present. There’s an inter-esting dichotomy between the two, and Iwanted to show that photographically.”

Betteridge’s photo is one of 68 that make

8 The Portico

memories

photography by Susan Dobson

story by Lori Bona Hunt

was about to embark on a multi-year journey into orthodontia. Dob

There was an impromptu photography session a few years earl

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up Dobson’s “Rememory” exhibit, whichhad its inaugural showing at the MacdonaldStewart Art Centre in the fall. All the sub-jects were photographed with their eyes shut,in the midst of a memory. The photos are allhead-and-shoulder shots, and everyone iswearing black. The collection wastoo large to show all at once at theart centre, so Dobsonpainstakingly edited it downto two dozen images.

The portraits are displayedlarger than life, with some ofthem, including Betteridge’s,four feet tall. Dobson wanted

viewers to see the faces over-sized, to examine in detail thephysical traces of memory andto really experience the cor-poreal manifestation of hersubjects’ concentration.

Her inspiration for“Rememory” came from sev-eral different sources, none ofthem directly related yet all ofthem connected to the passing of time anda desire to cling to or run away from thepast.

“Some things go. Pass on. Some things juststay. I used to think it was my rememory. Youknow. Some things you forget. Other thingsyou never do.” — Beloved

There was an impromptu photographysession a few years earlier with her then nine-

year-old daughter, Emma, who was about toembark on a multi-year journey into ortho-dontia. Dobson wanted a keepsake of herdaughter’s childhood smile, which featuredan endearing jutting front tooth.

“I took a photograph, and just as I

released the shutter, she blinked, so her eyesare closed in the picture.”

Dobson was both charmed and intriguedby the resulting image and by her own long-ing to simultaneously embrace her child asshe was and as who she will be.

“I tacked up that photograph in my stu-

dio, and it hung there for years as I thoughtabout it. I felt there was something elsegoing on in it. It seemed rather subversiveto close your eyes in a photograph, yet stillthere was something about it, something elsegoing on in there.”

She was also in the midst ofworking out a complicated past-pre-

sent relationship of her own— with her profession. In2006, she began developing acourse that merged digital andnon-silver photographic prac-tices. A fan of traditional dark-rooms, large-format cameras

and Polaroid film, she foundherself looking for ways toteach her students about dig-ital technology while instill-ing a historical understandingof media, materials andprocesses.

It got her thinking aboutbooks she’d read that tackledsimilar themes, including In

Rethinking France: Les Lieux de memoire byFrench historian Pierre Nora, who talks aboutthe process of rememory in understandingnational identity, and Toni Morrison’s novelBeloved, which explores the past and its tan-gible existence in the now. In Beloved, the pro-tagonist’s memories, which the author calls“rememories,” are actively present in her life.

“I read Beloved later and enjoyed that

Winter 2009 9

are made

of this

ntia. Dobson wanted a keepsake of her daughter’s childhood smile.

ears earlier with her then nine-year-old daughter, Emma, who

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like doing, sometimes you have to take arisk,” he says.

The image Dobson caught of Hall is cap-tivating. He appears deep in thought yet atpeace. The laugh lines on either side of hismouth hint at someone who has spent yearseither smiling or grimacing.Three earrings in his left ear arevisible against the black backdrop.

What Hall remembers mostis not the memory he called upbut the magic of being pho-tographed in the dark. Nag-ging worries and tedious“must dos” seemed to dissi-pate with the light, as if timewere standing still.

“I think all of us tend to

be ‘on’ all the time at work,”he says. “I mean the ‘onswitch’ is really pushed all theway to high speed whenyou’re dealing with people.”When the lights went off, sodid his “on switch.”

“I remember feeling as ifI was going into myself, total-ly relinquishing, just wipingthe slate clean. When you’re sitting with youreyes closed in a dark and quiet place withminimal stimulation, you really go into whoyou are. In a way, this is the only picture I’llever have of the true me, the person no oneever sees.”

“Funny how you lose sight of some thingsand memory others.” — Beloved

More than one person has likened the“Rememory” collection to deathbed pho-tos. Indeed, Dobson acknowledges that thesubtle toning and black-and-white prints mayevoke images of post-mortem photography.

“But you can see the people concen-trating. The intensity about the face showsthey are very much alive. I enjoy the ten-sion between life and death and betweenpast and present in the photographs. In fact,the life/death paradigm is central to the

reading of any photograph.”As with every other detail

in her project, Dobson’s deci-sion to photograph her subjectsthis way was intentional and

purposeful. “I chose to delib-erately subvert traditionalexpectations of portraitureby asking everyone to closetheir eyes.”

She wanted the photos tocapture the relationship

between past and present,rather than between the sub-ject and the photographer.But more important, shewanted to block the tradi-tional pathway people taketo see the soul of a portrait.

“You read a face throughthe eyes. I wanted to closethat off to see what else you

can actively portray without that access. Iwanted the attention on the rest of the face.”

It was a risky move, says Robert Enright,a U of G research professor in art criticismwho is one of Canada’s foremost art writersand critics. “The eyes are the most expressivepart of a face, and not taking advantage of thatnarrows the range of possibilities for a pho-tographer.”

Of course, Dobson’s willingness to takethat risk is what made all the difference.

“She’s not taking advantage of the obvi-ous thing in portraiture, capturing how

Winter 2009 11

you never forget

me?

your face is mine

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This is howmemoriesare made

Prof. Susan Dobson’s

“Rememo-

ry”collection would

have a much different feel

had she been able to pho-

tograph inside her subjects’ minds while they

conjured up memories. Gone would be the

calm, restful expressions and peaceful aura that

are the signatures of her photography exhibit.

Instead, there might be flashing lights and turn-

ing wheels as her subjects’ brains shifted into

overdrive.

U of G psychology professor Boyer Winters

tells us that finding a specific memory, espe-

cially one from the long-forgotten past, is like

shuffling through years of mental filing cabinets.

Where a memory is stored in the brain depends

on a lot of factors, so find-

ing it, especially quickly

and on-demand, can be

complicated. It requires a

lot of activity on cellular,

molecular and even

anatomical levels.

“It’s a dynamic

process,” says Winters,

whose research focuses

on the building blocks of memory. “A memory

isn’t just put away and then sitting undisturbed

for 20 years. It’s processed, reprocessed, reac-

tivated and even embellished. The age of the

subject, the nature of the memory, how far

removed it is and how long ago it was stamped

into the brain determine the systems that will

be activated to recall it.”

Winters says it’s likely that the long-term

memories Dobson’s subjects were thinking of

were all declarative, which means they’re con-

sciously available. This is different from proce-

people look at the world,” says Enright.“She’s asking us to look inward instead,inside our own head and emotions.”

The resulting images are distinct, dra-matically lit and intriguing, he says. “It cer-tainly would have been a less intimate showif the eyes were wide open.”

Enright’s interest in “Rememory” isboth professional and personal — he alsoposed for Dobson. In his portrait, heappears tranquil and passive, the polaropposite of his everyday self.He says the memory he wasthinking about is too person-al to divulge, but he likes toshare his “Rememory” pho-tograph, something he does

with Dobson’s permission. A frequent con-tributor to national and international maga-zines and art catalogues, he is often asked tosupply a photo to accompany his work.

“The irony of it is too much to resist —an art critic with his eyes closed.”

“Thank God I don’t have to remem-ory or say a thing because you know it.All.” — Beloved

As much as he likes his portrait,Enright wasn’t prepared to see it

blown up larger than life ina public art gallery.

“It was disconcerting.Despite the fact that I’vebeen involved in publicactivities for a long time, I’m

12 The Portico

some things go,pass on

Susan Dobson

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dural memory, which

involves basic sensory and

motor skills such as walk-

ing and riding a bike. More

specifically, they were

probably all episodic mem-

ories, a conscious collec-

tion of specific events from

a person’s past, such as a

favourite birthday party or

the birth of a child.

Such memories would be encoded in the

hippocampus, an area of the temporal lobe,

which then helps co-ordinate all the different

pieces of information to help form the memo-

ry, he says. “But again, it depends on many

factors. A memory may be processed and

retained initially in the hippocampus, then stored

for the long term elsewhere.”

Add to the mix things such as whether the

memory involves smell (if so, it’s probably stored

in the olfactory cortex) or sight (that would like-

ly be stashed in the visual

cortex). Throw in emotion

and things get even more

complex.

Remember the photo

subjects who laughed and

cried. Past episodes that

evoke emotion can involve

both declarative and pro-

cedural memory process-

es. In other words, the memory is consciously

available but can also bring about a strong,

sometimes unconscious physiological reaction.

Researchers believe this happens because

emotional memories engage different brain

structures than regular memories do.

“Calling up a memory requires various por-

tions of the brain to work together,” says Win-

ters. “Recalling memory is much more compli-

cated than you’d think, considering how

seemingly quickly and readily you’re able to

retrieve the information.”

Winter 2009 13

a very private person in a lot of ways. Tohave your private face made intensely pub-lic is a strange feeling. You walk in and tendto avert your eyes from your own portrait.”

Hall, in fact, didn’t attend the opening ofthe exhibit. The very idea of it wasjust too daunting. So he didn’tknow his photo was four feet highuntil people who’d seen it startedcoming up to him. And it wasn’tuntil the final week of the exhi-bition that he actually workedup the nerve to go see it.

Betteridge has one wordto describe seeing her portrait:harrowing. “When I went tohave my picture taken, I did-n’t think beyond the fact that

I was lending myself to her to do this thing.I was interested in her, in watching how sheworks. So when I got to the exhibit, I wasreally stunned. Of course, at my age you seea lot of blemishes that don’t show on the

young people.” Laughing, sheadds: “I didn’t realize I lookedas old as I did.”

But she’s gotten over theshock. She speaks fondly aboutthat day, of travelling to her

childhood places and spacesthrough memory, and evenabout the resulting imageDobson caught on film. “Peo-ple have told me it’s an inter-esting picture, a good picture,in spite of the wrinkles!” ■

somethings just

stay

Boyer Winters

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14 The Portico

The last great gift

University of Guelph students and

anatomy instructors honour the

medical and artistic knowledge

gained during society’s long

history of studying the human body

through dissection by re-creating

the mood of Rembrandt’s 1632

painting, Doctor Nicolaes Tulp's

Demonstration of the Anatomy of

the Arm, Mauritshuis Museum,

The Hague, Holland.

From left: Master’s student

Geoffrey Collins, B.Sc. ’06; anato-

my technician Premila Sathasivam;

undergraduate Jimmy Duminie;

secondary school co-op student

Chris Onderisin, undergraduates

Justan Lougheed, Jamie-Lee

Munroe and Chris Gabor; and

Prof. Lorraine Jadeski.

PHOTOS BY DEAN PALMER

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J aime-Lee Munroe remembers feel-ing an overwhelming sense of gratitude.

She was standing with her classmates atthe front of the human anatomy lab. Stainless-steel tables were lined up in rows before them.Lying on the tables, covered by plastic sheets,were the donors they would be learning from.

“I was about to meet my donor,” saysMunroe, a fourth-year biological science stu-dent. “All I could think about was howincredible it was that someone had giventheir entire body to us so we could learn.”

She knew she was fortunate to have thisexperience. Typically, students have to wait

until medical school before getting theopportunity to study a human cadaver. TheUniversity of Guelph may be the only uni-versity in the country that allows studentsto do full-body dissections during theirundergraduate degree.

Learning from those

who donate their body to science

is a privilege to be

remembered and valuedBy Deirdre

Healey

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physical limitations and capabilities of thehuman body. They need to have a goodunderstanding of how the body works so theycan portray figures accurately. As an artist, youneed to be able to get the proportions right.”

Although most art classes engage a stu-dent’s imagination, this one is a test of con-centration, focus and observational accuracy,says Maddison. Artists have a natural fascina-tion with the human body and a curiositythat makes them want to look as deeply asthey can into what we’re made of, she says.

Limited to 30 students, the course offerstwo three-hour sessions in the anatomy lab.Webb says drawing muscles and joints andunderstanding how they function and areconnected are important steps in learningto portray the illusion of movement. Thecourse also helps art students understand justhow fragile, complex and beautiful the

human body is, she says.For some students, this becomes a spring-

board to a career in anatomical drawingand/or medical illustration.

A recent initiative of Guelph’s anatomyprogram is an outreach program that hasgenerated a huge amount of interest fromboth high schools and community colleges.

Last year, more than 2,000 high schoolstudents from Guelph and the GreaterToronto Area took part in educational ses-sions, and the HHNS labs have hosted col-lege students enrolled in clinical programssuch as massage therapy, dental assisting, den-tal hygiene and advanced-care paramedics.

Jadeski says Guelph’s outreach programsupports the curricula of these visiting stu-dents by enhancing their understanding ofanatomical concepts and facts and theirawareness of how structure-function rela-tionships within the body vary as a functionof relative health and disease. The programalso allows many more students to learnfrom the donors who so impressed Munroe.

“As one of only 10 schools of anatomyin the province, we feel obligated to makethe most of the generous intentions of theindividuals who donated their body to sci-ence,” says Jadeski. “Our goal is to promoteas much learning as possible.”

With Webb and Sathasivam, Jadeski islaunching a website to provide informationto potential donors about how to donatetheir body to Guelph’s anatomy program.It also explains the importance of talking

to loved ones about the choice of whole-body donation.

“We will give the family or the donor asmuch information as possible, then have all thepaperwork in place in advance so that whenthe time comes, the donor’s loved ones do nothave to deal with it,” says Sathasivam. “We wantthe transition to happen with the utmostrespect and as smoothly as possible.”

Although more than two years havepassed since Munroe’s first day in the anato-my lab, she says she is still grateful to herdonor for everything she learned duringthose eight months.

“I truly believe it would have been dif-ficult to learn as much as I did if it weren’t

for our donors. Nothing compares with see-ing all those structures in real life. Duringthe written tests, I found myself thinkingback to what I’d seen in the lab rather thanthe pictures in my textbooks. There’s just nosubstitute. The human anatomy course is stillmy favourite and has made coming to uni-versity worthwhile.”

Munroe is currently taking the program’sfourth-year research course. She’s not surewhat she wants to do after graduation, but

she hopes there will be more opportunitiesfor her to work in the anatomy lab.

“I am filled with immense gratitude forthe donors. Without them, I would not havehad this life-changing learning experience.Our donors gave us their last gift. They hadthe courage to entrust their whole selves —arms that hugged their loved ones and legsthat chased grandchildren through the parkduring a picnic, lungs that burned as theyraced back and forth across a basketball courtin high school, and hands that gripped thesteering wheel as they sat in the driver’s seatof a car for the first time — all of that left inthe hands of students they didn’t know. There’sno way you can thank them enough.” ■

18 The Portico

Students say thank you

W hen someone donates his or her body to the University of Guelph to be used in the

human anatomy course, it is not a gift taken lightly.

“We are passionate about respecting our donors and appreciating that they have giv-

en us the ultimate gift,” says Prof. Lorraine Jadeski, Human Health and Nutritional Sciences

(HHNS). “It is a truly selfless act to donate your body, and there is so much to be gained

and so much to be learned from the people who do. This gratitude to our donors is a theme

that runs throughout the course.”

Each spring, HHNS holds a memorial service to recognize and thank those who have

donated their body for the sake of education. The service was launched in 2000, partly to

provide closure for all who participate, says technician Premila Sathasivam, who co-ordi-

nates the human anatomy lab.

“I work so closely with every donor that it is particularly meaningful for me,” she says.

At the service, students have an opportunity to speak about their experience and say thank

you. “You develop a connection with your donor over the span of the course,” says Jamie-

Lee Munroe, who spoke at last year’s memorial service. “Each week of the course, the

donor reveals something new.” She says it was gratifying to be able to stand up and pub-

licly express her appreciation.

After the service, students place flowers around a tree in the Arboretum that was donat-

ed by the 2001/02 human anatomy class, the Department of Human Health and Nutritional

Sciences and the Human Kinetics and Human Biology Alumni Association.

To learn more about U of G’s human body donation program, visit www.uoguelph.ca/

humananatomy, call 519-824-4120, Ext. 56171, or send e-mail to anatomy@uoguelph.ca.

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Pathobiology, where he earned his D.V.Sc.with now retired professor Dean Percy. (Thatcame after McKerlie spent two years as acountry vet in England, a stint that landedhim in the middle of that country’s BSE cri-sis of the early 1990s.) A co-applicant forthe grant that funded the TCP, McKerlieassumed the centre’s head post last springafter serving as interim CEO during itsdesign and construction.

Referring to researchers’ use of its facil-ities — and varied mice, tissues, gametes,stem cell lines and DNA housed here — forlearning more about human health, he says:“The genetic and molecular mechanismsthat cause disease are very similar betweenhumans and animals.”

Put together an organism’s genetic mate-rial — its genome — with physical traits wecan see or measure — its phenotype — andyou get “phenogenomics.” Here at the TCPand elsewhere in Canada and abroad,researchers are taking the next steps beyondmapping genomes for humans, fruit flies,dogs, mice and other creatures. In painstak-ing fashion, they’re now learning how DNA’sbiochemical code works by selectively manip-ulating the function of each of the mouse’sroughly 22,000 genes and observing theresults in tissue or in live animals. From there,they hope to learn more about how thosegenes work in us.

“The mouse is going to prove to be themost powerful mammalian model system forus to use and functionally annotate thehuman genome,” says McKerlie, who gaveOVC’s 2007 Chappel Memorial Lecture.“One of the greatest scientific challenges ofthe 21st century is to understand the func-tion of all 22,000 genes in the humangenome. And for any human gene, there’s a95-per-cent chance that there’s a mousegene that has a very similar function. It’s thegene in the mouse, not the human, that wecan manipulate. We can establish a mousemodel of that gene’s function and, when itdoesn’t function, get on with the biologyand creation of new drugs.”

Observe a mouse with a precisely mutat-ed gene and you can make some inferencesabout causes and treatment of disease involv-ing the comparable bit of DNA in humans.For example, a spontaneous mutation meansthe “SCID mouse” has no working T or Bcells, making it ideal for learning more about

Colin McKerlie

A robot washes the cages

Lisa Phaneuf, left, and Susan Newbigging

22 The Portico

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how the human immune system works andperhaps learning how to cure the same dis-ease in humans — severe combined immun-odeficiency syndrome. Scientists can use the“non-obese diabetic mouse” to understandwhat triggers diabetes, which affects abouttwo million Canadians. Roughly the samenumber of Canadians suffer from asthma, saysMcKerlie, whose own lab team looks forgenes and proteins involved in allergic respons-es to airborne irritants. “We’re looking formice that wheeze,” he says. Whether it involvesasthma, diabetes or cancer, manipulating themouse genome gives us clues about diseasemechanisms in ourselves. “We can humanizethe mouse and then use it as a model systemto inform us about the genes and the biolo-gy that contribute to human health.”

Not that the mouse is all things to allresearchers. Guelph pathobiology professorGeoff Wood, DVM ’93 and D.V.Sc. ’07, splithis own graduate time between U of G andMcKerlie’s labs at SickKids and Mount Sinai.Wood still studies mice, but he has broad-ened his focus to dog phenogenomics, usingcanine cancer patients arriving at the OVCTeaching Hospital. For all the value ofinducing pinpoint mutations in experimentalrodents, he expects dogs sharing our homesand even our food will tell us other thingsabout environmental factors involved in real-life spontaneous cancer. Studying bothspecies, Wood says, “gives us an opportuni-ty to mine these two data sets of whatchanges go on in the dog and the mouse,what’s similar and different.”

Susan Newbigging, DVM ’03 andD.V.Sc. ’07, who also worked in McKerlie’sTCP labs, now directs pathology studies atthe Toronto centre and is a team investiga-tor at SickKids. She agrees it’s important tolook at all kinds of influences on various dis-eases. “Maybe the mouse model helps deter-mine which genes are causing asthma, butyou need a larger animal model, too.”

Still, Mus musculus remains the workhorseof the genetics lab. Up to 200,000 mice willbe housed in the secure, climate-controlledToronto facility designed to keep its occu-pants free from potential contamination. Staffand visitors from scientists to dignitaries mustdoff their street clothes, don scrubs and takean air shower before entering the below-ground holding area. Cage rooms are inde-pendently ventilated with a set number of

air changes each hour. Animal attendants anda robot add sterilized bedding and food tothe cages, up to 36,000 of them eventually,each identified by a computer code. A sec-ond robot empties and cleans used cages.Lise Phaneuf, DVM ’98 and D.V.Sc. ’06, isassociate director of TCP research and facil-ity operations, overseeing day-to-day careand research use by staff and scientists.

Last spring, the TCP won a 2008 NorthAmerican facility-of-the-year award for itsdesign. The modern building blends into thecity backdrop of Toronto’s Discovery District.It was designed to be cost-effective andsecure with areas for interaction, collabora-tion and training and flexible space to addressfuture needs. A tightly constrained urban site,underground utilities, rigid zoning restrictionsand plans for future vertical expansion alldrove the requirement for an innovativedesign. Sixty per cent of the floor plan isunderground. The future master planincludes a 300,000-square-foot, 15-storeytower to be built above the TCP.

Research here occurs in three main facil-ities connected to various researchers at mem-ber hospitals. At the Centre for ModelingHuman Disease, researchers make and analyzemutant mice as well as tissue, cell lines andgenetic material alone. The Canadian MouseMutant Repository preserves and distributesmutant mouse lines and tissue, working withresearchers and clinicians in those nearby hos-pitals and with scientists in Canada and abroadthrough the Federation of International

Mouse Resources. The Mouse ImagingCentre uses optical and digital technologyto study the animals at all life stages.

“It’s a one-stop shop” for studies ofmouse genetics, pathobiology and humandisease, says Wood. But not a stand-aloneshop. The Toronto facility works with larg-er groups, including the Canadian MouseConsortium, the International KnockoutMice Consortium, and North American andEuropean organizations all developing genet-ically engineered models of human disease.

That spirit of collaboration drove thedevelopment of the facility, which was fundedby the federal and provincial governments,the four member hospitals and industry. Noone scientist or institution alone could haveput together the TCP, says McKerlie. Likeningthe centre’s programs to the scope of theHuman Genome Project, he says: “This is bigscience, so it required big facilities. But moreimportant, it requires a big community ofscience based on sharing to make it work.”

At the same time, Newbigging says theTCP mandate hits near home. Whether can-cer or heart disease, “everybody is touchedby disease in their family. I’ve had familymembers with different illnesses. I want todo something about it.” Overseeing pathol-ogy in her unit is several steps removed fromthe bedside, but “I’m getting to help peopleeven though not directly. I can say we’refinding out why it’s happening, how diseaseworks. These are the first steps to treatmentsand cures.” ■

“One of the greatest scientificchallenges of the 21st century is to understand the function of all 22,000 genes in thehuman genome. And for any human gene, there’s a 95-per-cent chance that there’s a mouse gene that has a very similar function.”

Winter 2009 23

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Internet thievesare killing Canada’s musicindustry

T he next time you considerillegally downloading a newalbum or single, know that

Internet piracy is killing Canada’s oncethriving music industry, says GrahamHenderson, BA ’79. He’s president ofthe Canadian Recording Industry Asso-ciation, a job where music piracy andthe exploitation of musicians is a dailyconcern.

“Legislation in Canada needs tochange,” says Henderson. “We can’t havea rules-free environment. It’s not goodfor the economy, it’s not good for busi-ness, and it’s not good for the creators.”

With a law degree in hand, Hender-son joined the music industry as digitalmusic was making its appearance and anonline peer-to-peer file sharing servicewas launched by Napster.

“I knew things were changing,” hesays, “but what I didn’t count on was

that artist rosters would decline as fastas they did and that retail music saleswould drop from $1.4 billion annuallyto $650 million. With the advent ofNapster, the reputation of record com-panies went into a tailspin.

“If you have regard to what is hap-pening in the rest of the world, you’llsee that what is happening in Canadais rather backward,” he adds. “There arethriving digital marketplaces out there.They’re just not here — yet. In the end,I think property rights will win outover anarchy.”

The Senate isnot retiring

F or being part of what somecitizens call “a retirement clubfor the old boys,” Canadian sen-

ator Lorna Milne, B.Sc.(Agr.) ’56, saysshe’s never worked so hard in her life.

Milne may be the only U of Ggraduate now serving the Senate ofCanada and is one of few women everappointed to the upper house. Findingher place in the male-dominated Sen-

ate presented a new set of challenges,but Milne says she’s always felt confi-dent in her ability to affect change.

“It was no more of a problem thanbeing one of only four women in anOAC class full of men,” she says. “WhenI joined the Senate, there were maybe15 women there. In the past 14 years,that number has more than doubled.”

It was Milne who proposed thathemp be legalized as an agriculturalproduct in Canada. The bill was passedin 1997, and today there is a fruitfulhemp industry in Manitoba, sending amessage that hemp is a good alternativecrop. She was also responsible for therelease of Canada’s historic census resultsafter Statistics Canada had decided theywould remain secret forever. Milne cur-rently serves on standing Senate com-mittees that deal with energy, environ-mental affairs and natural resources, andlegal and constitutional affairs.

Knowing what consumerswant is the key

A s the world looks to the2010 Vancouver Olympics,Brenda Woods, B.Comm. ’81,

will also be watching with great inter-est. Woods is vice-president of market-ing for Visa, and the Olympic Games isone of her best opportunities to get theVisa brand out to a global audience. Visahas been an official Olympic sponsorsince 1986.

Woods describes her work at Visa asa “dream job” that provides the bene-fit of working for a company with astrong global brand and a large localmarketing presence.

Beginning with her experience in

alum

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Editor’s Note: We’re sure that the comments from these Guelph alummore about them, so we’ve published more extensive profiles in The

Lorna Milne

Graham Henderson

24 The Portico

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u of g

Gryphons honour champions of the past

alumni matters

The University of Guelph honoured one ofits most successful football coaches, TomMooney, during Homecoming weekendSept. 19 and 20. Pictured at the game withGryphon football co-captain Sean Riley,Mooney was also honoured at a receptioncelebrating the 50th anniversary of the 1958football team he coached to a championshiptitle.

Alan Fairweather, B.Sc.(H.K.) ’75, did it allduring his four years as a Gryphon swim-mer, capturing several University, provincialand national honours. Then he did it allagain during the 28 years he served as headcoach of the Gryphon swim team. Nowretired, he was inducted into the GryphonHall of Fame Sept. 19 as an athlete. Duringhis student years, Fairweather was a CIAUfinalist, OUAA silver and bronze medallistand team captain who broke several

Gryphon records in the 50, 100, 200 and500 freestyle events. Many of these recordsstood for more than 10 years. On thenational stage, he was a Swim Canadamedallist in 1973, setting a Canadian relayrecord, and swam for Team Canada in 1971and 1973.

Three-sport athlete Jack Reeves, BSA ’52,is a new inductee into the Gryphon Athlet-ics Hall of Fame. He competed in football,hockey and track and field, earning a totalof eight varsity letters. In football, Reeveshelped lead his team to the IntermediateIntercollegiate Championship in 1949 andwas team captain in 1952, playing both half-back and quarterback. In hockey, he was thetop scorer every year he played. Competingonly one season in track and field, he wonthe 100-, 220- and 440-yard events in 1951and received the Hamilton Olympic ClubTrophy.

Also inducted into the GryphonAthletics Hall of Fame in 2008were the 1997 women’s cross-country team, the first women’steam in Guelph’s history tobring home a national title, andthe 1955 football team, whichcaptured OUAA, OQAA andDominion Intermediate Inter-collegiate titles.

T he University of Guelph Alumni

Association acknowledges and

appreciates the generosity of our many

alumni, donors and volunteers who

demonstrate their philanthropic vision

on a daily basis.

We are fortunate that our alumni

engage in the life of the University and

invest in the next generation of leaders

— and they do so in many different

ways. U of G alumni are involved in the

governance of the University as advis-

ers and committee members. Others

enrich the learning experience by offer-

ing student co-op work experiences,

giving guest lectures or acting as men-

tors. Still others partner with faculty and

graduate student researchers in the

endless quest for new knowledge.

Alumni are ambassadors for the Uni-

versity and are effective champions with

the public, the media and legislators.

Financial contributions from alumni also

enrich the learning experience of stu-

dents at Guelph.

Philanthropy is the spirit and act of

assuming responsibility to improve the

quality of life for others. It can be prac-

tised by all. Large or small in our means,

we all have the ability to make a differ-

ence. Our alumni prove this each day.

Thank you for all the ways you contribute.

Linda Hruska,

B.Sc.(Agr.) ’85, M.Agr. ’88

President, UGAA

PRAISING ALUMNI

28 The Portico

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The School of Languages and Literatures held an alumni reunion at the Macdonald Stewart

Art Centre in September. Among the 50 attendees were, from left: Prof. Frédérique Arroyas;

master’s student Samantha Read; Prof. Stéphanie Nutting; Lauren McGann, BA ’08; and

master’s student Julia Scott.

Gryphons in love

D id you meet your partner at U ofG? If so, we want to hear about how

you met! Share your story with your Uni-versity of Guelph Alumni Association andyou’ll be automatically entered in a drawfor a romantic dinner for two at a restau-rant in your city.

We’ve identified more than 3,000 U ofG couples, and we’d like to find more.Share your story with us by e-mail atugaa@uoguelph.ca or by regular mail tothe UGAA at 50 Stone Rd. E., Guelph,ON N1G 2W1.

Not your typical networking event

M ore than 4 00 people attended“Knocking Down Silos,” a net-

working seminar led by Dave Howlett,

B.Sc. ’81, Nov. 5 at War Memorial Hall.He coached the audience on strategic net-working and communication, all with thegoal of connecting with others andincreasing co-operation and teamwork inany setting, whether professional or social.

Attendees included members of theGuelph business community, alumni andstudents. The presentation inspired theexchange of business cards, résumés andcamaraderie. Howlett has also appeared onROBTv and Citytv and has been featuredin the London Free Press.

“Dave’s use of humour and his focuson real-life situations motivated everyoneto advance or kick-start their careers,” saysAlumni Affairs director Jason Moreton.“The University of Guelph is proud to callhim one of our own.”

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New Leadership inAdvancement

A lumni A f fa irs and Develop-ment welcomed Kathy Hay as its

new associate vice-president (advance-ment) in October 2008. She was for-merly executive director of advancementat the University of Toronto Mississauga,where she led the advancement team tosuccessful completion of a $160-millioncampaign for capital expansion.

“I consider my role in advancementat the University of Guelph to be justthat — advancement of the University’smandate in education, research and com-munity engagement,” she says. I feelexcited and privileged to play a role inadvancing the University and ensuringthat our alumni and stakeholders havethe opportunity to be part of the solu-tions for the future.”

Hay has also worked in developmentand fundraising for Big Brothers BigSisters of Peel, Families and ChildrenExperiencing AIDS, and the CanadianFoundation in Säo Paulo, Brazil. She hasexperience in the financial service sectorand has been an active board member forthe United Way of Peel Region.

“I believe we all have a responsibilityto our community to do what we can tothe best of our ability — and make adifference,” says Hay. “It matters. I amcommitted to that.”

Winter 2009 29

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M e m o r i e s 1960s■ Lawrence Massey, ADA’67, has both good news andbad news to report. He hasretired from farming for healthreasons after 32 years on thefamily’s century farm inNorthumberland County. Hewas the fifth generation to oper-ate Aquadale Farm, which hadbeen in the Massey name since1869. The good news is that heis finding success in a new writ-ing career begun in 2002. Hehas published two articles innational magazines and fourbooks — a family history, achronological summary of hisbattle with Parkinson’s diseaseand a two-volume set ofAquadale farm history. “Thefarm history books proved to bethe most challenging yet mostrewarding of my writingendeavours,” he says. “I wouldbe remiss in not giving creditfor the support and contribu-tions of family members inthese projects, particularly myfather, who, at the ripe youngage of 93, still retains the gift ofa photographic memory.”

1970s■ Joseph Arbour, M.Sc. ’78,and his wife, Edith, have movedto La Spezia, Italy, where he isdeputy director of the NATOUndersea Research Centre. Hewas previously at Fisheries andOceans Canada’s Bedford Lab-oratory of Oceanography inDartmouth, N.S. Their daughters,Victoria and Jessica, remain inCanada studying at university.■ Stepan Belej, B.Sc. ’74, hasworked for BASF Plant Sciencefor more than 22 years, startingin Canada and moving to NewJersey in 2000. In October, hetransferred to BASF Plant Sci-ence LLC in Research TrianglePark, N.C. He is now group ISmanager of the BASF plantbiotechnology group. ■ Craig Pearson, M.Sc.’71,

Winter 2009 31

COMING EVENTSFeb. 3, March 3 and April 7 • Café Sci-

entifique, a free series of science and

technology discussions hosted by the

Faculty of Environmental Sciences, 7 p.m.

at the Bookshelf in downtown Guelph.

Speakers are Profs. Stefan Linquist,

Department of Philosophy; Rumina Dhal-

la, Department of Business; and Scott

Weese, Centre for Public Health. See

www.uoguelph.ca/ cafescientifique.

Feb. 7 • Alumni boat cruise on Florida’s

Charlotte Harbor. Watch the dolphins and

enjoy lunch ashore. For more information,

send e-mail to Bert Mitchell at

bert.mitchell@earthlink.net.

Feb. 17 • Children’s theatre at the

Arboretum, featuring Dufflebag’s Beauty

and the Beast, seating limited, tickets $5,

order by calling 519-824-4120, Ext.

52358.

March 4 • Florida Alumni Reunion at

Maple Leaf Golf and Country Club, Port

Charlotte, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., $20 per per-

son for buffet lunch and beverages. To

reserve your place, send e-mail to Lyle

Rea at WLREA@comcast.net.

March 4 • 2009 Shenkman Lecture in

Contemporary Art, 5 p.m. at War Memo-

rial Hall, free.

March 21 and 22 • College Royal cam-

pus-wide open house, Saturday 9 a.m.

to 5 p.m. and Sunday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.,

details at www.collegeroyal.uoguelph.ca.

June 19 and 20 • Alumni Weekend, a

chance to reconnect with classmates and

friends.

March 27 to May 10 • The Arboretum’s

Theatre in the Trees presents Norm Fos-

ter’s comedy Self Help. For tickets and

details, call Barb Watson-Ash at 519-824-

4120, Ext. 54110.

Above: Bring your kids to the popular live-

stock show during College Royal and take

part in the family fun. Left: If your class is

planning a summer 2009 reunion, let us

know by contacting Wendy Jespersen at

wjespers@uoguelph.ca.

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was honoured by the U of GLibrary for a book written withMacdonald Stewart Art Centredirector Judith Nasby. The Cul-tivated Landscape: An Explorationof Art and Agriculture uses morethan 70 illustrations of art tovisually enhance a discussionabout the evolution of agricul-ture — how we think aboutagriculture, its use of the landand impact on landscape, andhow landscape has been por-trayed historically in art. Pear-son, who is U of G’s presiden-tial adviser on internationalprograms, is a former dean ofOAC and a former chief scien-tist with Australia’s Bureau of

Rural Sciences. The book isavailable in the library and at theUniversity Bookstore.■ Constance Roy, B.Sc. ’76, isthrilled to report that, after a longsojourn in New Mexico, she hasreturned to Canada and hopes tospend the rest of her life in Pow-ell River, B.C., where she is a reg-istered nurse at the Powell RiverGeneral Hospital. She would loveto hear from “any and all U of Galumni. It is so good to behome!” She can be reached atmconstance@ netscape.net.■ Steve, B.Sc.(Agr.) ’79, andAlice Uher, B.Sc. ’79, havebeen operating Uher’s Perfor-mance Feeds, a Purina dealer in

Chatham-Kent, Ont., for almost20 years. They have four grownchildren: Katy, Andrea,Stephanie and Mark — theonly aggie in the lot — whograduated from U of G’sRidgetown Campus in 2008and is now studying renewableenergy technology at SelkirkCollege in Nelson, B.C.■ Darryl Williams, B.Sc.(Agr.)’75, lives near Markdale, Ont.,where he started Grey-BruceBeef Marketing Ltd. in 2006.After graduating from U of G,he earned an MBA at the Uni-versity of California, Davis, anda D.Sc. in medicine at the Uni-versity of Florida. He taughtanatomy and physio at a medicalschool and worked in France,Mexico and the United Statesbefore returning to Canada.

1980s■ Karen Bailey, B.Sc.(Agr.) ’80and M.Sc. ’83, who works forAgriculture and Agri-FoodCanada in Saskatoon, receivedthe Canadian PhytopathologicalSociety’s Award for OutstandingResearch in 2008. Her career hasfocused on developing scientif-ic innovations that improve planthealth through the managementof plant pests, notably pathogensand weeds. She has contributedto reduced reliance on synthet-ic pesticides in agricultural fieldcrops, horticulture, forestry andurban centres. ■ Monique Leclerc, M.Sc. ’82and PhD ’87, received the 2008American Meteorological Soci-ety’s Award for OutstandingAchievement in Biometeorol-ogy. A professor at the Univer-sity of Georgia, she received theaward for research that hasadvanced understanding oftemporal and spatial patterns oflocal and regional carbonexchanges, and for global lead-ership in the advancement ofbiometeorology.

■ Connie Lesnick, B.Sc ’84and M.Sc ’87, and her husband,Tim, B.Sc ’82 and M.Sc ’87,have lived in Rochester, Minn.,for 11 years. They both doresearch at the Mayo Clinic —she in hematological malignan-cies and he in biostatistics (sta-tistical genetics of Parkinson’sdisease). Connie took a sabbat-ical to stay at home after theirfirst son, Colin, was born in2000 and went back to work in2006 when their second son,Torin, was three. She writes:“We love our city, our work andour family life with two activeboys and three cats. We’d love tohear from any old friends. Oure-mails are lesnick@mayo.eduand lesnick.connie@mayo.edu.” ■ Ronald MacDonald,B.Sc.(Eng.) ’81, received the2008 Canadian Society for Bio-engineering (CSBE/SCGAB)Maple Leaf Award for his out-standing leadership in the pro-fession through service, exten-sion efforts and consultingengineering activities. This is thehighest award given by the soci-ety, of which MacDonald is a

27-year member. He is presidentof the Guelph consulting firmAgviro, which provides livestockenvironmental consulting ser-vices in North America and Asia.Earlier in his career, he workedwith Ontario Hydro and withthe Ontario Agricultural Ener-gy Centre, where he played aleadership role in developingheat exchangers and heat pumps

Ron MacDonald

32 The Portico

Classmates 20 years ago when they were both studying English at

U of G, Sally Cooper, BA ’88 and MA ’90, left, and Sylvia Markle-

Craine, BA ’89, had a few minutes to reminisce at the campus authors

recognition event hosted by the U of G Library Oct. 30. The annual

program is designed to celebrate the book-publishing accomplish-

ments of members of the University community and to make their

books available through the library.

Cooper, who lives in Hamilton, Ont., and teaches English at Hum-

ber College Institute of Technology and Advanced Learning in Toron-

to, published her second novel, Tell Everything, in 2008. Markle-Craine

lives in Guelph and writes poetry and short stories. A story in her first

published collection, Swimming to Fatima, won top prize in the Eden

Mills Writers’ Festival Literary Contest. To see the entire list of alum-

ni authors honoured by U of G, go to http://author.lib.uoguelph.ca.

U of G classmates tell stories

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Winter 2009 33

for agricultural applications. Hereceived the CSBE/SCGABYoung Engineer of the YearAward in 1996 and the JohnTurnbull Award in 2005. ■ Mike Mooz, BA ’83, is aCanadian naval officer recentlypromoted to commander andappointed deputy director ofthe Canadian Forces LeadershipInstitute within the CanadianDefence Academy. He willbegin a doctoral program in warstudies this year at the RoyalMilitary Academy. ■ Rob Neill, B.Sc.(Agr.) ’81,is global head of marketing forSyngenta Crop Protection basedin Switzerland. He and his fam-ily recently moved back toSwitzerland after spending sev-eral years in North Carolina. ■ Ted Reesor, B.Sc. ’87, isdirector of marketing for BLSSystems in Oakville, Ont. Aftergraduating from U of G, hestudied respiratory therapy inToronto. Later, he helped createthe respiratory therapy depart-ment at Joseph Brant Memori-al Hospital in Burlington. Hehas been involved in many pro-jects related to health care,including an international airambulance. Since earning anMBA in health services man-agement, he has been market-ing oxygen therapy devicesdesigned for patients with sus-pected respiratory illnesses suchas influenza, TB and SARS. Helives in Burlington with hiswife, Sandy, B.Sc. ’86, and“three future U of G grads.”■ Tannis Slimmon,B.A.Sc.(Agr.) ’82 and M.Sc. ’88,was named ContemporarySinger of the Year at the 2008Canadian Folk Music Awards.Her sophomore solo album,Lucky Blue, is a collaboration withher partner, Lewis Melville,B.Sc. ’86, who produced thealbum and shared writing cred-its. A former member of the Bird

Sisters, she has written songs foror performed on more than 65albums over the past 25 years.Her first solo album, Oak Lake,was released in 2001. Melville isa veteran of the alternative musicscene and has produced a num-ber of Canadian and interna-tional albums. A roots musician,he also has a keen interest inexperimental music and is anoriginal member of theWoodchoppers Association, aToronto-based freestyle jazzorchestra. Both Melville andSlimmon are also scientistswho work at U of G — shein the Department of Inte-grative Biology and he in theDepartment of Molecular andCellular Biology.

■ Stephen Tanner, BA ’82,was recently sworn in as chiefof police in Kingston, Ont. Hewas previously Belleville PoliceService chief, a position he heldfor seven years. Before that, heserved in Guelph and HaltonRegion. Besides his Guelphdegree in psychology, Tannerholds a master of public admin-istration from the University ofWestern Ontario. He and hiswife, Colette, have two sons.

1990s■ Kendra Arthur, B.Sc.(H.K.)’91, is an athletic therapist andco-owner of Bio-ConnectionsHealth Care Centre in Exeter,Ont. She married Gord Craig

in 2003 and has two children. ■ James Byrne, DVM ’97,began working as a veterinaryinspector for the Canadian FoodInspection Agency inBrockville, Ont., in 2008. Hemarried Sara Washbush in 2007.■ Karen Daynard, B.Sc.(Agr.)’94 and M.Sc. ’97, has beenselected to participate in theCanadian Nuffield Scholarshipprogram. Over the next twoyears, she will travel around theworld, meeting up with otherNuffield members and research-ing a specific agricultural issue.Daynard, who is volunteer edi-tor of the OAC Alumni News,

says she’s interested in learninghow to attract more studentsinto agricultural studies andcareers. “I specifically want tolook at how agricultural uni-versities around the worldrecruit students, and the rolethat events can play in makingagricultural careers ‘cool.’” ■ Colin, BA ’91, and KarenGodwin, B.A.Sc. ’90, workwith Canadian Baptist Min-istries and have been teachingseminary in Kigali, Rwanda,since August 2008. They write:“We have left pastoral ministryin Liege, Belgium, after 12 yearsand thought we’d try another

Tannis Slimmon and Lewis

Melville performing in the

Arboretum’s lilac garden.

Three Guelph grads from Australia, Thailand and South Korea crossed

paths last summer at a professional meeting in Korea. From left are

André-Denis Wright, M.Sc. ’93 and PhD ’98, who works for CSIRO

Livestock Industries, Australia’s national science agency; Vanida Khum-

nirdpetch, PhD ’96, who does livestock research for the government

of Thailand; and Kyu-Hyun Park, M.Sc. ’04 and PhD ’08, of South

Korea’s National Institute of Animal Science. Their chance meeting

illustrates how the University of Guelph covers the globe through the

work and expertise of its graduates.

It’s a Guelph globe

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34 The Portico

continent. With our four chil-dren, we are enjoying all thenew adaptations to life here.”■ Ahmad Mahdavi, PhD ’90,is a pesticide environmental tox-icologist based in Guelph andan advocate for improved gov-ernment regulation and farmertraining in the use of pesticidesin the developing world. Searchfor his name on the Internet toview his many blogs promotingways to bridge the gap betweenSouth and North on pesti-cide/chemical regulations andresearch.■ Sean McInnis, BA ’93, stud-ied classical guitar at Guelphunder Bruce French, then attend-ed McGill University to earn aPhD in music performance, spe-cializing in modern works of theguitar. He taught at PlattsburghState University in New York forseveral years, but he and his wife,Jennifer Pepper, BA ’97, have

recently returned to Guelph.McInnis teaches high schoolmusic in Cambridge and was aguest performer Oct. 30 at theCollege of Arts Thursdays atNoon concert series.■ Tatiana Mitchell, BA ’99,who has been teaching Englishat Seneca College since January2007, begins work on a masterof education degree this monthat the Ontario Institute forStudies in Education in Toron-to. She can be reached atmitchellt@rogers.com.■ Karl Reimer, B.Sc.(Eng.)’94, and his family returned toCanada in 2006 after spendingmore than six years in centralNew York. He is a senior reme-diation engineer at Gartner LeeLimited — now AECOM — inMarkham, Ont. Friends cancontact him at karlreimer@sympatico.ca.■ Deborah Lynn (Rumble)

Newly elected MP Lisa Raitt,

M.Sc. ’93, has been appointed

to Prime Minister Stephen Harp-

er’s cabinet as minister of nat-

ural resources. She represents

Halton and is one of four Guelph

graduates serving as MPs from

Ontario. The others are Olivia

Chow, BA ’79, the NDP repre-

sentative for Trinity-Spadina;

David McGuinty, K.Dip. ’81, a

Liberal serving Ottawa South;

and Mike Wallace, BA ’87, a

Conservative MP for Burlington.

Originally from Cape Breton,

N.S., Raitt has an undergradu-

ate science degree from St.

Francis Xavier University and

studied environmental chemistry

at Guelph. She went on to

Osgoode Hall Law School in

Toronto and trained with barris-

ters in the United Kingdom, spe-

cializing in intellectual property,

commercial litigation and ship-

ping arbitration. She joined the

Toronto Port Authority in 2000 as

general counsel and later served

as harbourmaster before being

promoted to CEO, a post she

held from 2002 until her election

to Parliament in October.

Raitt lives in the Halton com-

munity with her husband, Dave,

and two young sons.

Grad heads NR portfolioP

HO

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Legacies

www.alumni.uoguelph.ca

MatterYour bequest can change the world by makingfuture generations your beneficiaries.

The University of Guelph is dedicated to providing what theworld urgently needs: innovation that protects and cultivatesthe essentials for our quality of life — water, food,environment, health, community, commerce and culture.

Visit our web site to learn more about building a legacy ineducation for you and your family.

www.alumni.uoguelph.ca/For more information on Bequests and Planned Gifts contact:

Ross Butler519-824-4120, ext. 56196Fax: 519-822-2670E-mail: rbutler@uoguelph.ca

At One of Canadaʼs Top Comprehensive Universities...

483424_26_m00.qxp:483424_26_m00.qxp 12/16/08 3:46 PM Page 34

done just that in her Fashionblog, comparing the Europeanflair of Guelph’s downtown withfashion hot spot Paris, France. ■ Kristin McDonald, BA ’07,studied fine art and art history atU of G and is pursuing herdream of being an artist. In hercurrent work, she uses paper,paint, foam core and recycledprints, all mingling together inthe form of paintings and paperworks. “I’m interested in creat-ing dreamscapes — places imag-ined but never visited,” she says.McDonald was invited to showat the One of a Kind Show andSale in Toronto in November. Toview her works, search the Inter-net for GlueSTICK Dreams.■ Scott Moccia, B.Eng ’08,celebrated his convocation with

his parents Sandra (Tiffin),B.Sc. ’76, and Rich Moccia,B. Sc. ’76 and M.Sc. ’78. Sandrais a registered nurse, while Richis a U of G professor, chair ofthe M.Sc. aquaculture programand interim associate vice-pres-ident (research) for agrifood andpartnerships.

■ Homero Marconi Pentea-do, MLA ’04, is a professor oflandscape architecture at Uni-versidade Federal do EspiritoSanto in Brazil. He has taken afour-year leave to pursue a PhDat the University of Oregon ona Fulbright Scholarship.■ Jay and Mindy (Martin-dale) Squire, both B.Sc.(Agr.)’02, were married in August2004 and welcomed their firstchild, Brendan Jay, in June 2008.■ Janet Stanley, BA ’07, receivedthe 2008 Jane Graham Memori-al Award from the Guelph ArtsCouncil. The award was estab-lished in memory of Guelph artistJane Graham, BA ’83, after herdeath in 2005. Stanley works pri-marily in oil painting and is usingthe financial award to participate

in a four-week studio residencyin Vermont. To learn more abouther work, visithttp://guelpharts.ca/janetstanley.■ Jacquie Thompson, B.A.Sc.’07, married T.J. Reeds at Hern-der Estate in St. Catharines, Ont.,Aug. 1. They live in Hamilton,where she is completing a dietet-ic internship with HamiltonHealth Sciences Corporation.

Anna (Davidson) Armitt, DHE ’37,June 30, 2007

Marie Brown, DHE ’40,May 31, 2008

Donald W. Carter, DVM ’68,Oct. 12, 2006

Gerald Channer, M.Sc. ’78,Oct. 23, 2008

Russell Craig, DVM ’51, Oct. 4, 2008

Eric Cresswell, MSA ’55,Nov. 14, 2008

Doris (German) Darrach, BSA ’42,Nov. 5, 2008

Elizabeth (Freudemann) Dryden,DHE ’36, Oct. 5, 2008

Robert Dunn, ADA ’61, July 26, 2008

Mary (Elliott) Enright, DHE ’47,Sept. 6, 2008

Elizabeth (Roe) Ewart, DHE ’38,January 2008

Howard Fairty, ADA ’47,Oct. 29, 2008

Morrey Findlay, BSA ’49,July 8, 2008

James Fuller, BSA ’48, Aug. 18, 2008

John Ghetti, BSA ’51, Oct. 15, 2008David M. Gray, BSA ’50,

Oct. 19, 2002Errol Hancock, DVM ’24,

July 31, 2008Edna (Hopkins) Hazzard, DHE

’35, Sept. 1, 2008Gordon Hitchin, B.Sc.(Agr.) ’70,

June 11, 2008Mary Horchak, BA ’71, March 2006Gerald Jelly, DVM ’52, Aug. 1, 2008Catherine Jewson, DHE ’41,

April 16, 2008Genevieve (Waugh) Johnson,

DHE ’42, July 28, 2008William Jordan, BSA ’51,

Aug. 16, 2008Hugh Knowles, BSA ’44,

July 6, 2008Kenneth G. McPhee, BSA ’34,

Nov. 1, 2008Ross Mitton, DVM ’52,

Aug. 31, 2008Allison Morgan, BSA ’50,

April 9, 2008Chris Narayan, B.Sc.(Eng.) ’65,

Feb. 23, 2007

Marion Penhale, DHE ’31,Sept. 24, 2008

Francis Powell, BSA ’41,May 1, 2008

Fernand Plante, B.Sc. ’70,Nov. 12, 2008

Richard “Rick” Richards, BSA ’38and Fell. ’83, former dean of theOntario Agricultural College, Oct.19, 2008 Please view www.uoguelph.ca/president/blog/2008/10/

Fred Roemmele, BSA ’49,July 25, 2008

Lori Schaefer, BA ’96, July 29, 2008Harold Shield, BSA ’51,

July 13, 2008John Shivas, BSA ’41, Sept. 16, 2008Lysle (Montgomery) Smith,

DHE ’40, Sept. 14, 2008Arnold Stansell, BSA ’40,

March 18, 2007Hilary (Gidney) Sullivan,

M.Sc. ’95, May 22, 2008 Donald Ulmer, DVM ’59, in 2007Stuart Walley, BSA ’26, Sept. 16, 2008John Woodcook, DVM ’38,

July 4, 2008

PASSAGES

36 The Portico

Scott Moccia, centre, with

parents Rich and Sandra.

Jacquie Thompson

483424_26_m00.qxp:483424_26_m00.qxp 12/16/08 3:46 PM Page 36

www.recruitguelph.ca

Hire GuelphStudents,Co-op Studentsand Alumni

Sust

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Co-operative Education& Career Services519-824-4120 ext. 52323recruit@uoguelph.ca

483424_cov_m00.qxp:483424_cov_m00.qxp 12/16/08 2:56 PM Page cvr4

i n and around the un ivers i ty

P rof. Arend

Bonen is elected to the Royal Society ofCanada, a bioenergyresearch centre opens atRidgetown, an engineer-ing team develops a robotthat can learn, and envi-ronmental scientists discover how to stop awater-borne disease — all expanding U of G’sresearch reputation as the University welcomesa new vice-president(research).

a lumni mat ters

L eadership andphilanthropy are top-

of-mind as the Universityof Guelph Alumni Association, the Depart-ment of Alumni Affairsand Development and the Board of Governorscontemplate the impactthat University donorshave on the Guelph stu-dent experience. Leadersalso shine in some of U of G’s distinguishedGryphon alumni.

426

3 — president’s page • great guelph grad — 19 • grad news — 30 • letters — 37

on the coverStudio art grad Javy Wong, BA ’07, poses for the camera of Prof. Susan Dobson. Photo by Susan Dobson

contentst h e p o r t i c o • W i n t e r 2 0 0 9

— 14 —

THE LAST GREAT GIFT Since the 1960s, Guelph students have had the privilege of

learning from people who made the greatest gift of all by donatingtheir body to science education. Today’s anatomy instructors and

students remain grateful for the knowledge they receive.

— 20 —

BIG SCIENCE, SMALL MAMMALGuelph veterinary graduates take on key roles

in one of Toronto’s newest facilities dedicated to genetic research and human health.

— 24 —

SOME THINGS TO THINK ABOUTIntroducing five Guelph alumni

whose stories are also featured in the Portico online version at www.uoguelph.ca/theportico/

— 8 — cover story

MEMORIES ARE MADE OF THISMost of us discard the photos in which someone has their

eyes closed. Fine art professor Susan Dobson turns the accidentalimage into a purposeful study of memory.

ALUMNINEWSLETTERSSEE PAGE 18

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2 The Portico

the

the

porticoWinter 2009 • Volume 41 Issue 1

EditorMary Dickieson

DirectorCharles Cunningham

Art DirectionPeter Enneson Design Inc.

ContributorsBarbara Chance, BA ’74Deirdre Healey, BA ’01Lori Bona HuntWendy JespersenRebecca Kendall, BA ’99Teresa PitmanSPARK Program WritersAndrew 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 2009. 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

For more information consult:www.mba.uoguelph.ca

www.leadership.uoguelph.ca

In times of limitedresources, conflictingdemands, and rapidcultural andtechnological change,organizations needskilled leaders andmanagers. TheUniversity of Guelph’sMBA and MA(Leadership) offerunique solutionstailored toyour personalleadershipdevelopment.

College of Management and Economics

Executive Programs:College of Management and Economics

Executive Programs:Innovative programs combining onlinelearning with residential components.

On-Line,

On-CampusOn-Line,

On-Campus

the

Make another educated choice...Bring your colleagues home

For more information, visit our web site:

www.conferences.uoguelph.ca

or contact us directly:

Lisa Tersigni-Holt

Tel: 519-824-4120 ext. 52353

E-mail: ltersigni@hrs.uoguelph.ca

Do you have a conferenceor meeting in the nearfuture? Your alma materis the ideal location.

Our beautiful 850 acre campus

is known for its tree-lined

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483424_01_m01.qxp:483424_01_m01.qxp 12/18/08 6:10 PM Page 2

book for the more emotive side of whatrememory might be,” says Dobson. “All thesethings — these scraps of paper and scraps ofideas — just seemed to come together all ofa sudden and form a body of work. That wasvery exciting to me.”

She shot the photos with four-by-five-inch Polaroid film, which israrely used today. “I had hoarded thefilm over the years, waiting for justthe right project.”

She used a large-formatview camera exactly likethose common in the late19th century, although por-traits taken during that erawere always reproduced assmall prints. “You’d never see

photographs this large in ahistorical context.”

Dobson’s subjects wereasked to sit perfectly still tomaintain a proper framingand focus. She then marriedthose old-time practices withmodern techniques, scanningthe images, turning them intodigital files and then produc-ing them as oversized prints, a styleexplored by photographers in thelast few decades.

“We’re bringing the past andpresent to play in a photographicmedium,” she says.

“Whatever is going on outside my door ain’t forme. The world is in this room. This here’s all thereis and all there needs to be.” — Beloved

People who posed for “Rememory” sayit was an experience like no other. They satin a small room in absolute darkness formore than an hour. Dobson wanted her sub-

jects to disengage from the camera, from theact of posing, from her and even from them-selves. “The darkness was intended toencourage them to regress into memory.”

In the dark, amid the silence and waves ofmemory, she would take pictures without

warning. She’d take two, three, some-times four or more until she capturedjust the right image, the right “remem-ory.” “With some people, it was fiveminutes before I took a single picture.

With others, it was only a fewseconds.”

She found her subjects byfirst asking friends andacquaintances to sit for her.Often, someone who posedwould suggest someone else

— a friend, a colleague —and the “Rememory” com-munity grew from there.

While in the midst oftheir memories, some peo-ple smiled, some cried andone even laughed out loud.Mindful of their privacy,Dobson never asked them toreveal what they were think-

ing. “Some would tell me after-wards; some wouldn’t. I thinkmany of them were surprised byhow emotional the process was.”

Michael Hall recalls his emo-tions being high from the start because there’snothing he hates more than being pho-tographed. A colleague of Dobson’s, he runsthe slide library for the School of Fine Artand Music and has worked at the Universityfor 27 years.

When asked to take part, he reluctantlyagreed. “When there’s something you dis-

10 The Portico

you rememory

me?

yes, i remember

you

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NOTEWORTHY• U of G’s Centre for Families, Work

and Well-Being (CFWW), celebrat-

ed its 10th anniversary in Decem-

ber. Co-founder Prof. Donna Lero

says the unique research centre

currently has 27 active research

projects, partnerships with more

than 100 community organizations

and collaborators in at least a dozen

countries, all aimed at improving the

lives of families, workers and com-

munities.

• The University’s horse health centre,

Equine Guelph, has launched an

online calculator that allows horse

owners to estimate the risk of infec-

tious disease on their farms. The

website considers current farm prac-

tices and suggests biosecurity mea-

sures that can help protect your hors-

es’ health. Visit the Equine Guelph

site at www.equineguelph.ca.

• For over a year, Prof. Doug Larson,

Integrative Biology, collected pieces

of wood, stone, turtle shells, bits of

ivory, fish fossils and other items

connected to U of G research and

scholarship. From these biological

objects, he built a guitar that makes

beautiful music and tells stories of

local history. He was inspired by the

Six String Nation guitar that was

built by Nova Scotia luthier George

Rizsanyi from 60 pieces of Canadi-

ana. Larson’s made-in-Guelph gui-

tar has already made several

appearances in the city.

• U of G’s renowned L.M. Mont-

gomery Collection — the largest

and most comprehensive in Cana-

da — is now accessible to schol-

ars and fans around the world via

the Internet. Many items in the

Guelph collection are now digitized

and available through the new L.M.

Montgomery Research Centre web-

site (www.lmmrc.ca) and the “Our

Ontario” gateway, which is spon-

sored by the Ontario government.

UN panel hearsfrom Guelphresearchers

F our members of Rural WomenMaking Change (RWMC), a think

tank on Canadian rural issues based atthe University of Guelph, spoke at theUnited Nations in New York City Oct.16 to a gathering of UN staff, interna-tional NGOs and the media.

The panel discussion helped launchthe second UN Decade for the Eradi-cation of Poverty.

Guelph representatives were RWMCdirector and sociology professor Belin-da Leach, program co-ordinator SusanTurner, researcher Colleen Purdon andresearch assistant Evelyn Encalada-Grez.

RWMC is made up of communityorganization members and academics.

Leach says some delegates were sur-prised by the presentation. “They didn’thear how great things are for ruralwomen here in the ‘First World.’ In fact,rural poverty, a lack of opportunitiesand gender inequality are huge issuesin rural Canada, just as they are indeveloping nations around the world.”

In Canada, rural women are adiverse group, working in the agricul-tural industry as farmers or labourers,the manufacturing industry and the ser-vice industry, says Turner. Lack of accessto job and skills training and publictransportation as well as shrinking com-munity resources put rural women onan unequal footing, she says.

“Canada is a leader in exportinggender equality to developing nations,but our own record is sketchy. Ruralwomen around the world suffer frompoverty, lack of transportation anddeclining rural opportunities, and theyare not a priority with governments.Our research shows that this is perfectlytrue in Canada right now as well.”

Higher U.S.salaries enticeCanadian grads

H igher wages are enticing someCanadian university graduates to

start their careers in the United States,with some bringing in up to 50 percent more than their counterparts whostayed in Canada.

That’s the finding of Guelph sociol-ogist David Walters, whose research withDavid Zarifa of Statistics Canada is thefirst to compare the early economicreturns of new graduates who stay inCanada and those who head south. Theyfound that the difference in earnings

between Canada and the United Stateswas most pronounced among grads withdegrees related to computer science andengineering. (The average earnings dif-ference was almost 50 per cent for thesegrads and 24 per cent overall.)

Although the total number of gradslured to the States was small — onlyabout 400 made the move, comparedwith 6,000 who remained in Canada— the researchers found that most ofthose who migrated south are concen-trated in fields vital to the economy.

“They are physicians, nurses, engi-neers, professors, computer scientistsand entrepreneurs, and those few fieldsare important for Canada’s productiv-ity in a global knowledge economy,”says Walters.

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Rural women in Canada are more

likely to work seasonal or part-time

jobs than are women in urban areas.

Winter 2009 7

Rural women in Canada are more

likely to work seasonal or part-time

jobs than are women in urban areas.

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Munroe recalls the class was given sever-al minutes to adjust to the sights, sounds andsmells of the lab before being assigned to adonor. Everyone was silent as the instructorreminded them about being respectful andtaking care of this gift they had been given.

In groups of six, the students were direct-ed to a table. Before them was the donor theywould be studying for the next eight months.

“At the time, I had no idea just howmuch I would learn,” says Munroe. But learnshe did — about the human skeleton andthe muscles that move it, the nerves andblood vessels, and how all these parts work

in relationship to one another.“Human anatomy is a very old science,

and dissection has been the cornerstone ofanatomy education for centuries,” says Prof.Lorraine Jadeski, who is director of theanatomy program at Guelph.

Hippocrates II was the first to writeabout human anatomy during the “goldenage” of Greece (500 to 300 BC). Humanbody dissection for the purpose of study-ing anatomy flourished during the Renais-

sance among both scientists and artists, andremain one of the basic principles of mod-ern medicine.

Human anatomy is sometimes referredto as the ‘physics’ of medical science, andwhile new teaching methods and computersimulations have been developed to aid thestudy of human anatomy, none can truly

replicate the experience of human dissection,says Jadeski.

The Department of Human Health andNutritional Sciences (HHNS) offers a third-year course that explores human anatomythrough lectures and associated laboratorydissections, with lab-based studies the mainfocus. “This gives our students the oppor-tunity to learn anatomy in the best way pos-sible,” she says.

“A thorough study of the human bodyin a hands-on anatomy course is essential tofully understand the intricacies of the humanbody. If you have a clear understanding ofanatomical structures, their functions andrelationships, then health and clinical appli-cations become somewhat intuitive.”

In addition, the nature of lab-basedcourses gives students a wealth of valuable

experiences that may not be perceived astraditional academic pursuits, she says. Anato-my students are actively engaged in small-group learning and peer-teaching exercises.They are continually discussing concepts asa dissection team and must interact withtheir peers, graduate students and instruc-tors. The scenario is similar to team-basedmedical education and health care.

16 The Portico

Studying models of the human heart

are, from left: graduate student

Kevin Sukhu, Prof. Lorraine Jadeski,

master’s student Geoffrey Collins,

undergraduate Jamie-Lee Munroe

and anatomy technician Stefanie

Attardi.

In the undergraduate course “Anato-

my for Artists,” students begin by

drawing the human skeleton — the

work below is by Kendra Faykes —

and then study various parts of the

body, including the muscles and lig-

aments of the foot — drawing above

by Laura Eby.

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Jadeski teaches anatomy to about 300 stu-dents a year. “Each new class brings a hard-working and dedicated group of students,” shesays. “Their talents, energy and enthusiasm forlearning are limitless. Many graduates are nowpursuing careers in the health sciences.”

She adds that learning human anatomy isimportant for students heading for medical

school, but it can also be an advantage for those pursuing other careers such as phys-iotherapy, chiropractic, dentistry, nursing,nutrition, occupational therapy and bio-mechanics.

“Our graduating students are open booksin terms of their future studies,” says Jades-ki, whose goal is to prepare her students byexposing them to as much detailed anato-my as possible.

The program is restricted to studentsenrolled in biomedical science or humankinetics, and even then, there’s a long waitinglist of students hoping to be admitted, she says.

“We have to limit the number of stu-dents because of lab availability. Access to anadequate number of donors is our majorproblem.”

Premila Sathasivam, a longtime HHNS

technician who co-ordinates the humananatomy lab in the Powell Building, says itis one of the most popular courses offeredby the department. It is also one of the mostvaluable, say graduates.

After beginning graduate work at theUniversity of Toronto, Megan Fisher, B.Sc.’07, wrote a letter to U of G president Alas-tair Summerlee to thank the University forthe excellent courses she had taken as anundergraduate.

“The classes I took have allowed me toenter into my master’s with a relatively easytransition. I feel much more prepared thanmy classmates for the academic courses Iam now taking, and I hope future studentswill always have the same great anatomy

experience at Guelph that I did.”Those sentiments are echoed by Anto-

nio Pino, B.Sc. ’08, who says having a yearof human anatomy at Guelph has helpedhim during his first year at dental school,where he’s required to take another full-body dissection course.

“I have a huge advantage over my class-mates because I have done all this before,”he says. “I feel really prepared, whereas formany of my classmates, it’s the first timethey’ve picked up a scalpel.”

Sathasivam says HHNS is working hardto ensure that the anatomy program at

Guelph continues to flourish despite adecline in the number of full-body dona-tions in Canada. U of G receives most of itsdonors from medical schools, but as theirown programs expand, they’re finding itincreasingly difficult to supply Guelph, shesays. As a result, HHNS has begun its ownbody donation program. “We hope thataccepting our own donors will ensure thatwe can continue to offer a high-calibreanatomy program,” she says.

The human anatomy course waslaunched in the 1960s by biomedical scienceprofessor William Boyd, who taught it fortwo decades. Following his retirement,Francine Pilon led the course until Jadeskitook over a few years ago.

Although the anatomy course was orig-inally designed for science students, U of Ghas found ways to maximize the gift of theirdonors by allowing students in other disci-plines to study them. A fine art course, forexample, gives young artists the opportuni-ty to spend time in the lab sketching the dif-ferent layers of the human body in detail.

“It’s an entirely different collection ofstudents and an entirely different way oflearning,” says HHNS professor Alison Webb,who started “Anatomy for Artists” four yearsago and teaches it with fine art professor JeanMaddison.

Drawings from each course are exhibit-ed in the Zavitz Hall art gallery, and sever-al from the winter 2008 course are repro-duced as part of this story.

U of G did have a similar course whenthe human anatomy lab first opened in the1960s, but it eventually lapsed. Webb, who isan artist herself, brought the course backbecause “it’s vital for artists to understand the

Winter 2009 17

Stefan Herda’s drawing of the mus-

cles in a human torso, above, and

Alison Zuk’s reproduction of an arm

and leg, next page, are highly rated

for both their anatomical accuracy

and artistic representation.

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D onald Z iraldo, B.Sc.(Agr.) ’71, the son of animmigrant from Friuli, Italy, is credited with tak-

ing Canada into the small club of countries that makeand export the highest-quality wine.

He and his Austrian partner, Karl Kaiser, establishedInniskillin Wines in Ontario’s Niagara Peninsula anddeveloped it into one of the most important producersin Canada. Ziraldo’s marketing expertise developed theVQA designation as a mark of quality for Niagara winesand introduced uniquely Canadian icewine to the world.

For these reasons, his name was a natural choice forone of the world’s most important winemaking awards— Italy’s Masi Civiltà Del Vino Prize.

Ziraldo’s horticulture degree from Guelph helpedfuel a passion that started when his mother gave himthe ring that his father, who died when Ziraldo was only15, had always wanted him to have. Engraved on theinside of the ring was the image of a bunch of grapes.

“My father had put my destiny inside that ring,”Ziraldo has said.

The gift began his dedication to viticulture andwinemaking. Inspired by his father’s homeland and theexcellent wines produced in the Friuli region, he decid-ed to make similar quality wines in the Niagara Penin-sula. The Masi prize demonstrates his success.

In announcing the award, the Masi Foundation laud-ed Ziraldo’s focus on research and innovation for winein the Niagara region.

“His actions are closely compared to what SandroBoscaini, president of Masi Agricola and vice-presidentof the foundation, has done for years by promoting theart of winemaking in the Veneto through the use ofnative grapes and traditional methods, updated with thelatest technology.”

The prize includes a special cask of Amarone, whichZiraldo shares with others recognized by the Masi Foun-dation. Considered the prince of wines for the Venetianregion, the Amarone cask was presented in the Valpoli-cella region of Verona in late September, the time of yearwhen grapes selected for making Amarone are laid outon bamboo racks in the traditional appassimento method.

During Ziraldo’s years at Inniskillin, one of his mostprestigious prizes was the Grand Prix d’Honneurreceived for the 1989 Icewine at the 1991 Vinexpo inBordeaux. That win signalled the start of internationalinterest in Canadian wines. A member of the Order ofCanada and the Order of Ontario, he left Inniskillin inthe hands of the Constellation Group in 2006 and hassince focused on research and development projects aspresident of Vineland Research and the Innovation Cen-tre of Horticulture.

For information about his new venture, visitwww.vinelandontario.ca.

Winter 2009 19

great guelph gradNIAGARA AMBASSADOR IMPRESSES THE WORLD

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Donald Ziraldo signs a cask of Amarone, “the prince of

wines,” given to him by Italy’s Masi Foundation.

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Model mic

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Two floors below street levelin downtown Toronto, HeatherGoodman leads the way along awide deserted corridor lit by

fluorescent ceiling panels. Her baby-blueslip-on booties muffle her tread against thespotless floor. In matching scrubs, she lookslike a hospital staffer, but her actual title issupervisor of technical services for theToronto Centre for Phenogenomics (TCP).

Goodman stops outside a door whose red-tinted window keeps out the corridor light atnight when the room’s occupants enjoy totaldarkness during their active period. As it’s nowearly afternoon, the interior lights are on.

Swiping her ID badge through a reader,she pushes open the door just enough topoke a head inside. The room is filled withstainless-steel shelving racks packed withplastic cages, row on row. Lights or no lights,it’s difficult from the partly opened doorwayto make out what’s inside them. But thatbusy rustling is an unmistakable sound. Sureenough, behind the plastic lid of an upper-shelf cage nearest the door, a telltale formappears — one of the thousands of occu-pants housed in this new research facility.

Listen hard enough, and that scrabblingof mice in their cages might begin to soundlike something else: a hoped-for groundswell

of genetic information coming from theTCP that will help us learn more about our-selves and how to treat and perhaps curecancer, heart disease, asthma, arthritis, neu-rodegenerative disorders, diabetes andnumerous other diseases.

Opened in fall 2007, this $69-millionfacility is among the largest genetic centresin the world dedicated to the developmentand study of mouse models for humanhealth and disease research. The three-storey,120,000-square-foot centre stands withinwalking distance of its four supportingresearch hospitals: Mount Sinai, St. Michael’s,the Hospital for Sick Children and the Uni-versity Health Network.

You can’t see the University of Guelphfrom here, but you can follow numerousresearch and teaching connections betweenthe TCP and the Ontario Veterinary Col-lege, beginning with the two-time Guelphgrad who heads the Toronto centre.

CEO Colin McKerlie, DVM ’91 andD.V.Sc. ’97, says the TCP is much more thana breeding nest for laboratory mice. “It’s aresearch centre that’s all about enablinghuman health research,” he says.

The University of Toronto professor andSickKids researcher holds an adjunctappointment in U of G’s Department of

Big sciencedepends onsmall mammalsto understandwhat ails usBy Andrew Vowles

mice Photos: Toronto Centre of Phenogenomics and Dean Palmer

Winter 2009 21

483424_14_m01.qxp:483424_14_m01.qxp 12/18/08 6:26 PM Page 21

Guelph’s hotel and food administration pro-gram, she’s been interested in the area ofconsumer insight. “I was interested in whypeople think a certain way about brands,how to create the impression of a brand andhow to encourage people to think positive-ly about a product or brand,” she says.

Woods says keeping her finger on thepulse of the needs and wants of the con-

sumer is important in the competitive fieldof marketing and branding. So is planningahead and anticipating change. “Changes inthe marketplace bring opportunity, but theyalso pose the biggest challenges,” she says.

Don’t forget the children

O ver the past 25 years, DirkBooy, ADA ’78 and MA ’88, hasworked to evoke change and

improve the lives of children throughout thedeveloping world, from a mud-stick hut inrural Sierra Leone to his current office atWorld Vision Canada, where he now servesas the organization’s executive vice-president.

In this role, he’s responsible for develop-

ing strategic priorities, deciding on resourceallocation, handling government relationsand overseeing multi-million dollar globalinvestments. Yet, one of his biggest challengesis helping individual Canadians understandthe scope of the situation.

“What we do and how we lead our liveshere has an impact on people around theworld and on their ability to live a good life,”he says. To resolve the global food crisis, forexample, he advises us to first make sure thatour own daily practices have a positiveimpact on the food situation in the worldand says we should call our government toaccount to ensure that Canada maintains itscommitments to international aid.

“It is about global change to ensure thatfair and free trade exist. It is about ensuringthat in our drive to find alternative energysources, we don’t starve people in theprocess. In the end, it is about justice.”

There’s a greatfuture downtown

A mer ican architect , HughNewell Jacobsen once said: “Whenyou look at a city, it’s like reading the

hopes, aspirations and pride of everyone whobuilt it.” As executive director of the Down-town Guelph Business Association, AudreyJamal, BA ’98, reads the hopes, aspirations andpride of those who built U of G’s hometown.

“People often look to the downtown asan indicator of a community’s health, and Ithink if we’re serious about protecting theenvironment we need to be able to attractintensification, investors and business down-town,” says Jamal. “We also have to grow ina way that’s denser and more sustainable, andbegin to grow our city up, rather than out.”

Jamal says she cultivated a real under-standing of where the needs lie in a com-munity when she was a student at Guelph.After graduation, she worked as an advocatefor people with disabilities at BloorviewMacMillan Children’s Hospital in Torontoand later with the Canadian Arab Federa-tion, where she advocated for Mahar Ararand his wife, Monia Mazigh.

Stepping back from some of the rigors offederal advocacy work, Jamal returned toGuelph with her family. “I was excited to startthis new chapter in my life and career becauseI saw there was room to effect change on themunicipal level and to build stronger relation-ships between government and business.” ■

ME THINGS TO THINK ABOUTBY REBECCA KENDALL

elph alumni will stimulate a discussion or two. We also think you’ll want to reades in The Portico online version: www.uoguelph.ca/theportico.

Audrey Jamal

Dirk Booy

Brenda Woods

Winter 2009 25

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A l u m n i A c h i e v e m e n t s E v e n t s

uof guelph

E ver talked to Shamu thewhale at San Diego’s Sea World?Not the real whale, but the mas-

cot whose costume can be traced backto fashion and software designer SusanLazear, B.A.Sc. ’79. Her company,Cochenille, sells software programs thatassist home sewers and knitters, as wellas manufacturers who make clothing formajor retailers like The Gap.

“In a way, my business was the cul-mination of the all the 4-H projects Idid in rural Ontario as a teen,” saysLazear, who grew up near Stratford,Ont. “It started in the late 1980s, whenI was working in the fashion industryin San Francisco and looking for new

ways to do designs, and I thought com-puters might be helpful.”

At the time, that was a revolution-ary concept. Personal computers werenot mainstream, but Lazear foundsomeone who could help her programin a link between her knitting machineand her computer. “It was hard at first,”she says. “I learned a lot through exper-imenting and trial and error.”

Once she had a working system,Lazear realized it was something oth-er knitters might find useful. Shefounded Cochenille to distribute theproducts in 1989. Starting her ownbusiness was a huge leap, but her indus-try experience had helped to prepare

her. “I’d had to learn a lot of things Ihadn’t even thought of when I wasattending university — how to do pur-chase orders, sampling, keeping busi-ness records.” Those skills, combinedwith the knowledge she’d acquired atschool, prepared her for running herown company.

From the early knitting machinesoftware, Cochenille has expanded tooffer software for people working invarious textile arts and crafts, as well assewing. Garment Designer, for exam-ple, is like magic for the home sewer.It allows users to input their measure-ments, chose from a menu of clothingitems (skirts, pants, etc.) then select andmake adjustments to the collar, sleeve,pockets and other elements. Finally, thecompleted pattern is printed out andready to be used.

As the business expanded, Lazearworried that she wouldn’t enjoy work-ing on her own. “I am a people person,and developing the software and writ-ing the manuals is something you haveto do alone. What I found was that Iwent to a lot of trade shows — and Istill do — so that keeps me in touchwith the people who use my products,”she says. “My reward is seeing whatpeople do with the tools I’ve giventhem.” She’s traveled to New Zealand,Australia, England and other parts ofEurope to attend shows and teach peo-ple how to use Cochenille software.

She’s also been teaching fashiondesign at San Diego’s Mesa College formore than ten years. “I love being infront of students and getting inspiredby them,” she says.

Lazear has a master’s degree inclothing and textiles from San DiegoState University and was departmentchair for apparel design at Bassist Col-lege in Portland, Oregon, before join-ing the faculty at Mesa College.

By Teresa Pitman

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Knit one, purl two; click and dragThis grad combines computerskills and design savvy

prof

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Susan Lazear

26 The Portico

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N e t w o r k i n g

W hat a year 2008 was forthe University of Guelph! We

continue to rank among Canada’s topresearch universities, and with good rea-son. Groundbreaking research con-ducted at Guelph has brought life-changing improvements to people,communities and the world. We arefocusing on what matters — food, envi-ronment, cultures, community, andhealth and wellness.

The new year is a great time tolook forward and bring focus to thechallenges that lie before us. People areconcerned about the safety of our foodsupply; the quality of our air, water andsoil; human and animal health; and thesustainability of our communities. Theworld is facing highly complex chal-lenges that demand new kinds of trans-formational approaches.

Where do we go from here? Throughnew forms of partnership, collaborationand leadership, we plan to accelerate ourmission to “change lives and improvelife.” Guelph is fortunate that a culture

of philanthropy weaves its way throughthe fabric of the University community— our students break national recordsin food bank contributions, and ouralumni remain dedicated to raising mon-ey for their alma mater.

Supported by this foundation ofphilanthropy, the University is under-taking an ambitious fundraising cam-paign that will end in 2014, the yearwe celebrate the 50th anniversary ofGuelph’s incorporation as a university.

The financial goal has yet to be con-firmed, but our vision is to increase thepace of change and life-enhancingtransformation through the support ofstrategic faculty positions and programs.As always, the support, vision and ded-ication of our alumni and donors pro-vide the foundation from which wewill grow. Please join us in this nextphase as we focus on what matters now.

Joanne Shoveller

V ice-president (Alumni

Affairs and Development)

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Joanne Shoveller

‘Thank You’ spreadsacross campusFrom the scoreboard in the gym to sinks in

the library washrooms and a T-shirt worn

by the chair of U of G’s Board of Governors,

hundreds of items on campus are bearing

big yellow tags printed with the words

“Thank You.” The tags signify equipment,

infrastructure and other items purchased

through donations to the University.

It’s a new initiative by Alumni Affairs and

Development to recognize the generosity of

U of G supporters — alumni, students, par-

ents, businesses and the campus commu-

nity. The Department of Athletics and the

Library were the first areas to get “tagged,”

but those splashes of yellow will eventually

spread across the entire campus, attracting

attention and illustrating the impact dona-

tions have on the student experience.

Helping to launch the initiative are Board

of Governors chair (and, in his words, “a

proud Guelph graduate”) Evan Siddall, BA

’87, with students, from left, Tori Betts,

Claire Hohenadel and Jill Taylor.

View tagged items at www.alumni.

uoguelph.ca/thankyou/thanks.shtml.

Reach out and touchsomeone

W in an iPod

Touch! Send

us your updated con-

tact information, and you’ll be entered for a

chance to win an iPod Touch. Don’t miss

out! For more details, visit our website at

www.alumni.uoguelph.ca.

Where do we go from here?

Winter 2009 27

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30 The Portico

C a r e e r s • F a m i l i e s • L i f e E x p e r i e n c e s M

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Reaching Out to the World

W hat do these things have incommon?

The Jahazi Coffee House in Kenya,where the owner wants to set up anInternet café and educational programs;the world-famous breast cancer researchprogram at Princess Margaret Hospitalin Toronto; Ogrant, an online programthat lets students apply for scholarshipsusing videos and digital photos that telltheir stories in creative ways; and a shel-ter for abused women in Toronto.

They’re all worthy causes, but themain thing they have in common isthat they’ve all received funding fromReach Out Toronto, a fundraising orga-nization created by Dr. Hanif Jamal,B.Sc. ’02, and some of his friends,including another Guelph graduate,Saroop Bharwani, B.Sc.(Eng.) ’03.

These two Toronto friends wereroommates during their years atGuelph. They hosted a radio show on

CFRU and worked as deejays at par-ties and events to pay for their text-books and tuition fees. It was whenthey were asked to deejay a CFRUfundraiser that they got their first tasteof involvement with a charity event.

After graduating from Guelph andstarting on their career paths, Jamal andBharwani turned their attention toanother way to use the skills they’ddeveloped: helping others. They col-laborated with other friends from theToronto area: Vivek Moorthy, Anish andSachin Bhalla, Shachin Ghelani, Rom-mel Gajadhar, Shaun Pohanit and RajivButany.

“When the tsunami hit at the endof 2004, we wanted to do somethingto help,” says Jamal, referring to theSoutheast Asian disaster. “We knew thatpeople our age like to go out and par-ty, and we thought we could turn thatinto something that would raise mon-

ey for a good cause.”He and his friendsstaged an event with music, dancing, asilent auction and a 50-50 draw, pullingin some 700 young people and endingup with $14,000 to hand over to theRed Cross.

“Afterwards, people kept saying tous that this was a great concept,” saysJamal. “You hear so much about vio-lence and problems at clubs; here wasa chance to do something positivewhile having a great time.” Inspired bythe success of that first event, thefriends have organized two or threeevents each year and have donated thefunds raised to a different charity eachtime. That’s added up to more than$70,000 since 2005.

“We try to have a mix of local,national and international charities thatwe support,” says Jamal. Partnershipswith club owners and a willingness tocontribute many volunteer hours keepoverhead costs low.

Although they’re all busy with bur-geoning careers, the Reach Out friendsstill carve out time to organize, promoteand run these events. Jamal studied med-icine at McMaster University, did a res-idency in family medicine there and isnow practising in Oakville. Bharwanicompleted a co-op computer engineer-ing degree at Guelph and now works inDallas as a professional telecommunica-tions consultant for an international con-sulting firm. They both believe ReachOut provides a release from the stress oftheir jobs and a chance for a good groupof friends to get together and have fun.

“It doesn’t feel like work,” saysJamal. “We’re all so busy that sometimesit’s only when we’re working on afundraising event that we have time totalk and interact.”

www.reachout-toronto.com

Hanif Jamal, left, and Saroop Bharwani

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Dani, BA ’95, and her husband,Arjan, were married in London,England, in 2006. Their son,Lyndunne Peter, was born July7, 2007. Their e-mail is tinker-bellcursor@yahoo.ca.

2000s■ Karen Blair, BA ’03, com-pleted a master’s degree at AcadiaUniversity and is now workingon a PhD at Queen’s Universi-ty. She is currently recruitingparticipants for a longitudinalstudy of same-sex and other-sexrelationships, with a key focuson how intimate relationshipsaffect our health and well-being.She invites all interested partiesto contact her for more infor-mation at www.klb research.com.■ Janis Conrad, BA ’01, hasreturned to school to add to herGuelph degree in psychology.She is completing a bachelor ofeducation program at NipissingUniversity in North Bay, Ont.,and will be doing her practiceteaching placements in Cam-bridge with a Grade 3/4 class.■ Sarah Desmarais, BA ’03,received the 2008 Alice WilsonAward from the Royal Societyof Canada (RSC). The award,which honours the first womanelected a fellow of the society,recognizes a woman of out-standing academic qualificationswho is entering a career inscholarship or research at thepost-doctoral level. Desmarais,who is originally from Nepean,Ont., went from Guelph toSimon Fraser University and iscurrently enrolled in a doctoralprogram in the School of Popu-lation and Public Health at theUniversity of British Columbia.■ Jason Dunkerley, BA ’03,won a bronze medal in themen’s 1,500-metre race for thevisually impaired at the BeijingParalympics. A former U of Gcross-country runner, he also

competed at the 2000 and 2004Paralympic Games, capturing sil-ver medals at both.■ Zanna Farmer, BA ’06, ishelping to honour U of Gfriend Collin Cureatz, B.Sc.’07, who died in June 2007.She’s organizing a shinny hock-ey tournament to raise moneyfor a bursary at his former highschool, Trinity College, in PortHope, Ont. She invites every-one who knew Cureatz to entera team in the tournament or tojust attend the free event Jan. 24.For details, contact Farmer at7ztf@queensu.ca.■ Melissa Harvey, B.Sc. ’04,graduated from medical school atthe University of Ottawa in 2008and is now a pediatric resident atthe Children’s Hospital of East-ern Ontario in Ottawa. Welearned of her achievement fromanother biological science grad-uate and one of Harvey’s formerteachers at Dr. John M. DenisonSecondary School in Newmar-ket, Ont. Catherine Dallen,B.Sc. ’79, is the school’s studentsuccess and advocacy teacher andhas followed Harvey’s careerthrough U of G and beyond.■ Daniel Janetos, B.Comm.’08, is attending culinary schoolat George Brown College andworking at the Fairmont Roy-al York in Toronto. He recentlyhelped run the first Chef ’s Con-gress at Michael Stadtlander’s(Eigensenn Farm) with GeorgeBrown and chef John Higgins. ■ Heather Loney, BA ’06, wasrecently featured in a GuelphMercury article about her selec-tion as one of Canada’s top 10fashion bloggers. Toronto-basedFashion magazine asked Loney tobe part of a fashion bloggingteam to reveal the range of shop-ping and fashion to be found inCanadian cities. Loney said writ-ing about fashion makes it pos-sible to touch on the history andarchitecture of a city. And she’s

Lacing their skates for Hockey Day in the twin-pad arena, are, from

left: Gerry Pullin, ADA ’67, Settlers Supplies Inc. of Sheffield, Ont.;

Laury Ego, B.Sc.(Agr.) ’67, Ego’s Farm Market and Greenhouse in

Coldwater, Ont.; and Bob Lewis, BSA ’61, Human Resources Con-

sulting Service, Toronto.

Hockey in Gryphonville

Captain Stu O’Neil, BSA ’58, of Denfield, Ont., displays a goaliestick used in the 1958 OAVC Redmen hockey championshipseason. The stick, which was signed by team members during arecent reunion on campus, was covered in galvanized metal sothat it could last the entire season. Coach Al Singleton was verycreative and is said to have hated the expense of replacing a bro-ken goalie stick.

Singleton died in 1995, but his players remembered him dur-ing the Nov. 15 celebration of Gryphon hockey history, aptlydubbed “Hockey Day in Gryphonville.” A profile series producedby the Department of Athletics includes the story “Al Singleton,Never Say Never.” To obtain a copy, contact Gail Kendall at 519-824-4120, Ext. 52368, or gkendall@uoguelph.ca.

Winter 2009 35

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Do you know who I am?I recently received the fall 2008Portico mailed to me by my mother inCanada. I now live in the United Stateswith my husband and two children andhave not changed my information, untilnow. I am an avid reader of the Porticobecause it brings me a little bit of home,reminding me of my life in Canada andmy time at U of G.

I still feel so much passion for theUniversity and what it represents toCanada and to its past and present stu-dents. I feel proud of the Universitywhen I read the Portico and can hardlybelieve I was a student at such an out-standing institution. When friends and col-leagues ask where I went to school, Iproudly tell them “the University ofGuelph — that’s spelled G-U-E-L-P-H,Guelph.”Their reactions are pretty fun-ny.

In the fall issue, there’s an articlecalled “Stories About Linc.” I think thegraduate in the photo is me. I have thesame picture and want to share my sto-ry about Lincoln Alexander.

I came home for convocation fromthe University of Alabama, where I wasdoing graduate work in forensic science.I didn’t want to miss convocation. I’dworked too hard at Guelph and was thefirst person in my family to receive auniversity degree.

My mom and dad were taking a tonof pictures outside War Memorial Hall,and along came the great Lincoln. Heasked me: “Do you know who I am?” Ireplied: “Do you know who I am?” Hegiggled and asked if he could join our

picture taking. My dad almost had anattack because he knew exactly who thiswonderful man was. I’m sorry to admitthat I didn’t put two and two together.

Later, during the ceremony, I gig-gled when I saw him up on stage. Whenit was my turn to kneel, we looked ateach other with big smiles, and he said:“I now know who you are. Do younow know who I am?” My smile was100 miles long, I’m sure. It was a greatending to my U of G chapter.

The time I missed at grad schoolcost me two zeros on two exams, so Igraduated with a 3.9 average instead of4.0. Was it worth it? Absolutely. I lovedmy time at U of G and would love tomeet the Hon. Lincoln Alexander again.

Katherine (Helmeczy )Gaines , B.Sc. ’99 ,

Raleigh, N.C.

Editor’s Note: To share your story aboutchancellor emeritus Lincoln Alexander,write to alumni@uoguelph.ca. And ifyour mom is forwarding your Portico mag-azine, get it faster by sending your newaddress to alumnirecords@uoguelph.ca.

She likes us!Y o u r fa l l 2 0 0 8 i s s u e of thePortico was the best yet. It was veryinformative. Keep us posted on thesediscoveries and issues. Thank you.

Donna Pree , B.H.Sc . ’67

Jordan Station , Ont.

RCAF women on campusI was most interested in yourarticle “A Campus on the March” in thewinter 2008 issue of the Portico. I wasin the first contingent of women tocome on campus to be trained as cooks.We were members of what was thenthe RCAF Women’s Division.

We started training in Toronto inNovember 1941 and came to Guelphlater the same month. Since no one inCanada was used to women on activeduty, we were a novelty to say the least.

We were quartered at the golf club

and paraded to and from the college cam-pus each day. Our meals were taken inCreelman Hall with all the men. (I agreewith the statement about the Aussies!)

Because we had, as yet, no non-com-missioned officers, some of the men wereassigned to march us to and from class-es. One of my favourite memories is ofthe little girl who stood on a corner asa corporal marched us down the street.She pointed at us and said: “Those aremy daddy’s girls.” I felt for poor daddy!

I had graduated from MacdonaldInstitute in 1938, and everywhere wewent, I was pointed out as “the Macgrad.” I was also picked out if a demon-stration was needed. It was flattering butwearing. The nice part, though, was thewarm greetings I received everywhere,especially from people like “Pop” Spiresand his staff in Macdonald Hall and“Scotty” in Creelman Hall. It helped merealize what a difference the attitude ofjanitorial staff can make and stood me ingood stead later in my working career.

Later on, more Mac grads took thecourse. I was by then a messing officerin the RCAF and was always delightedto have a Mac grad come on my staff.

Keep up the good work. The Porti-co is great. I regret not being able to vis-it the campus, but I’m afraid our trav-elling days are over.

E ileen (Elson )Entwisle , DHE ’38,

Cooperstown , N.Y.

letters to the editorPORTICO BRINGS MEMORIES AND VALUABLE INFORMATION

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Creelman Hall doubled as the mess hall

for Wireless School No. 4 and a class-

room for those who trained as cooks

with the RCAF Women’s Division.

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