Category Archives: Issue 16 Fall 2011

Departure
Posted on March 15, 2012 by ethanp
UBC Farm Director Mark Bomford stands in wooded area, looking up at camera

Mark Bomford

Mark Bomford has accepted the position as Director of the Yale Sustainable Food Project at Yale University. As a result, he will be taking a year’s leave of absence from our Faculty effective October 17, 2011. During his years of service with the Centre for Sustainable Food Systems, Mark has been instrumental in the growth, development and preservation of the UBC Farm in ensuring its current and future role as an active, vibrant and vital entity on the UBC campus landscape. We have all been inspired by Marks dedication and passion and wish him well in his new role at Yale.

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Appointments
Posted on March 7, 2012 by lfsadmin

Gwen Chapman Appointed Program Director, Food, Nutrition and Health Program

Gwen Chapman, Progranm Director, Food Nutrition & Health Program

Professor Gwen Chapman

Gwen Chapman, Professor, was appointed Program Director, Food, Nutrition and Health program in July 2011. Chapman joined UBC in 1991 after completing her MSc and PhD in Nutritional Sciences at the University of Toronto. Her research focuses on the multiple factors that shape an individuals’ everyday eating habits and why we make the decisions we do around food.

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UBC Botanical Garden Joins Faculty of Science
Posted on March 2, 2012 by lfsadmin

After more than 25 years with our Faculty, UBC Botanical Garden and Centre for Plant Research was officially moved to the Faculty of Science in April 2011.

The transfer creates a cluster of biodiversity and natural history related attractions within the Faculty of Science, which is already home to the Beaty Biodiversity Museum and the Pacific Museum of the Earth.

“This move presents great opportunities for UBC Botanical Garden,” said Murray B. Isman, Dean, Faculty of Land and Food Systems. “By aligning with the Faculty of Science, and specifically the Beaty Biodiversity Museum, UBC Botanical Garden will be able to further advance its biodiversity education and research programs.”

For more information, please visit the UBC Botanical Garden website: www.botanicalgarden.ubc.ca

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2011 Milestones
Posted on February 20, 2012 by lfsadmin
  • $ 1.9 million research grant to expand Think&EatGreen@School Project

    Jerry Spiegel, an associate professor in the School of Population and Public Health, received $1.9 million from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) to lead a program examining the health effects of the global food system through five interconnected projects in Ecuador and Canada. Called “Think, Eat and Grow Green Globally,” it will examine the effects of pesticide exposure on banana workers in Ecuador and grape pickers in British Columbia’s Okanagan Valley; healthy eating in schools in Vancouver and in Quito, Ecuador’s capital; and the changing livelihoods among indigenous communities in the Andes and in rural Canada.

    The team includes UBC researchers Jennifer Black, Gwen Chapman, Alejandro Rojas, Ann Marie Nicol and Annalee Yassi, as well as collaborators from institutions across Canada and in Ecuador.

  • NSERC Discovery Grant

    Six of our faculty members received 5-year NSERC Discover Grants in 2011 – Prof. David Kitts, Prof. Eunice Li-Chan, Adj Prof. D’Ann Rochon, Prof. Dan Weary, Asst. Prof. Vivien Measday and Dean Murray Isman.

  • Dr. David Fraser Honoured with BC SPCA Lifetime Achievement Award

    Dr. David Fraser, who has had a distinguished 40-year research and teaching career in applied animal behaviour and welfare, was awarded a Lifetime Achievement Award by the BC Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals on May 27 in Vancouver. The BC SPCA’s Lifetime Achievement Award recognizes and honours individuals who have made an outstanding contribution to the lives of animals in BC and across Canada.

    “David Fraser is one of the most dedicated and influential advocates for animal welfare in the world today,” said Craig Daniell, chief executive officer for the BC SPCA. “He has been, and continues to be, an inspiration to us for his work in helping millions of animals around the world.”

    Dr. Fraser was appointed professor and NSERC Industrial Research Chair in Animal Behaviour at UBC in 1997, where he co-founded the internationally respected Animal Welfare Program.

  • Winnie Ng and Roxana Quinde Receive Just Desserts Award

    Advising and Recruitment Officer Winnie Ng and Global Partnerships Coordinator Roxana Quinde each received the AMS and Alumni Associations Just Desserts Award in 2011. This award recognizes those who have gone above and beyond the call of duty. Its purpose is to honour faculty, staff and students who have shown exceptional service to the students of all AMS constituencies.

  • CNIE Award of Excellence in Innovation in Web Design

    The Canadian Network for Innovation in Education (CNIE) recently awarded Associate Prof. Maja Krzic the CNIE Award of Excellence in Innovation in Web Design for her Virtual Soil Science Learning Resources website (soilweb.landfood.ubc.ca/promo/) , which showcases our existing and in-development web-based teaching resources related to soil science. This award recognizes web-based technologies that support learning.

  • Associate Prof. Maja Krzic World Record Holder

    Associate Professor Maja Krzic broke a world record at the 2011 Canadian Masters Swimming Championship in Montreal in May 2011. Krzic’s relay team (4 X 50m. medley) set a new world masters swimming record– and a new Canadian record – for the event in their age class. She was inspired to compete by her colleague, Associate Professor Art Bomke, a two-time silver medal champion in basketball (World Masters Games, 2005 and 2009).

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UBC-Peruvian Research Gains $3.4M to Improve Food Security
Posted on February 3, 2012 by lfsadmin
Agricultural land in the Andes region of Peru

Agricultural land in the Andes region of Peru (source: Wikimedia)

Greater food security in the impoverished Andean regions of Peru will be the focus of a UBC-Peruvian study thanks to a $3.4 million investment from Canadian development agencies.

The 42-month initiative will work with smallholder farmers and indigenous people in two regions of the Peruvian Andes known for their biodiversity and active farmers’ associations. The aim is to increase food security by improving sustainable, organic agriculture, production and marketing, focusing on staple crops such as potatoes and other Andean tuber crops.

The research team comprises LFS Profs. Andrew Riseman, Eduardo Jovel and Judy McLean, along with Roberto Ugás, Universidad Nacional Agraria La Molina, Manuel Ruiz, Peruvian Society for Environmental Law, and other stakeholders.

“Our goal is to enhance local farmers’ knowledge, innovations and practices regarding native crop management, improvement and selection to increase yields,” said Riseman, who studies plant genetics and the efficient use of nutrients and intercrop interaction for sustainable production.

To foster intensive and integrated farming, the researchers will explore participatory plant selection, assessing the genetic diversity and traits associated with sustainability of current and under-used indigenous crops.

“The contributions of indigenous people to agriculture remain crucial to the future of food security in the region,” said Associate Professor Jovel, head of the UBC Aboriginal Health and Natural Products Chemistry Lab. “The Andean region is a repository of traditional knowledge and an asset for the development of sustainable strategies for farmers.”

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Reducing Sprawl Doesn’t Require a Heavy Hand
Posted on January 24, 2012 by lfsadmin
Associate Professor Sumeet Gulati | UBC Faculty of Land and Food Systems

Associate Professor Sumeet Gulati

“Our homes and personal vehicles generate approximately 40% of carbon dioxide emissions,” said Sumeet Gulati, Associate Professor in the Food and Resource Economics Group. “We live in big, energy inefficient residences, far from work and other amenities, and operate large, and sometimes multiple, vehicles.”

Gulati’s research is centred on the cost-effectiveness and formation of environmental policy. In an op ed article for The Globe and Mail published in April 2011, Gulati suggested that if the public were required to pay for carbon emissions, they would choose the location of their residences, their size and energy efficiency, and their vehicles appropriately. However, “Pricing carbon, especially for individuals, doesn’t sell in politics.”

So what is the alternative?

Gulati pointed to a recent study of U.S. metropolitan regions that estimated the difference in carbon emissions from the average household living in a suburb versus the city. In only two cities – Los Angeles and Detroit – were city dwellers less energy efficient than those in suburbs, and only marginally so.

“Cities that are bordered by mountains, large bodies of water, or lack water to supply their suburbs sprawl less,” he added. “While our governments do not have control over geography, they do have other mechanisms.”
Transferable Development Rights (TDR), for example. This policy instrument raises the cost of suburban development without hurting local landowners. It allows the sale of development rights from a protected area to areas suitable for densification.

Could TDRs encourage suburban dwellers to give up that sprawling lot, and two hour drive, for a more energy efficient life in the city?

Visit Sumeet Gulati’s blog at blogs.ubc.ca/sumeetgulati/ or follow him on Twitter at @sgulati

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Year of Science
Posted on January 20, 2012 by lfsadmin
Dr. Alejandro Rojas, Year of Science

Dr. Alejandro Rojas

In September 2010, the BC Ministry of Advanced Education and Labour Market Development kicked off the Year of Science initiative, a school year long program to inspire young minds across the province and foster a culture of research and innovation. Year of Science showcased how science works, who scientists are, the kinds of work they do, and why science matters in the everyday lives of British Columbians and the communities they live in.

Two of our researchers – Dr. Alejandro Rojas and Dr. Hennie van Vuuren – were profiled as leading scientists on the Year of Science website.

Dr. Alejandro Rojas’s work with the Think&EatGreen@School Project was featured in September 2010. Rojas is leading a team of researchers who are exploring innovative ways to teach students at 39 Vancouver public schools about where food comes from, how to produce it and how to lessen their impact on the environment.

“Our hope is that kids will receive the tools they need to make better choices about the food they eat because healthy food is ultimately better for our planet as a whole,” said Rojas.

Dr. Hennie van Vuuren, Year of Science

Dr. Hennie van Vuuren

Dr. Hennie van Vuuren, profiled on the Year of Science website in June 2011, developed the first genetically engineered yeast approved by regulatory bodies worldwide. Van Vuuren and his team took an innovative approach to their research and created wine yeast that prevent the formation of neurotoxins before the technology to genetically alter the yeast was even available.

Van Vuuren juggles numerous titles including Professor, Eagles Chair in Food Biotechnology, and Director of the Wine Research Centre. He advised aspiring scientists to “Follow your interests and be passionate and committed to what you are doing.”

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Advancing Science Through Industry Partnerships
Posted on January 12, 2012 by lfsadmin
Associate Professor Tim Green, Supplement Reseach

Associate Professor Tim Green

Building strong partnerships with industry can be of great advantage to universities, especially when it comes to advancing research goals.

Associate Professor Tim Green, for example, studies vitamin requirements – particularly vitamin D, folate, and vitamin B12 – and what benefits taking supplements might have on health. His research is supported in part by Factors Group of Nutritional Companies, Canada’s leader in the development, formulation and manufacture of nutritional supplements for the natural products market.

“Factors Group supplies the technology and the supplements for our research, while we have the ability to do trials and can provide independent verification that the supplements actually work,” said Green, who rigorously tests some of the company’s products. “There are a lot of unsubstantiated claims about the miracles of what vitamins can do. That’s why research into supplements is so important.”

The Canadian Centre for Functional Medicine (CCFM), a not for profit, multidisciplinary research facility focusing upon the scientific investigation of natural health products, nutritional interventions and strategies for preventive medicine works closely with the Factors Group and other institutions globally.

“We design and carry out clinical trials to investigate the safety and efficacy of natural health products,” said Dr. Michael Lyon, MD, Medical and Research Director, CCFM. “All of our on-site clinical trials are fully reviewed and approved by UBC’s Human Research Ethics Board as well as Health Canada’s Natural Health Products Directorate.”

“Their attention to research is unique in the supplement industry,” added Green.

CCFM has a long working relationship with our Faculty that extends beyond research to teaching. Dr. Lyon and Dr. Simon Wood, PhD, a consultant for Factors Group, are also Adjunct Professors in our Food, Nutrition and Health program.
Bringing Dr. Lyon and Dr. Wood on board as faculty members not only allows us to access their expertise, but it creates an even stronger link between UBC and industry thereby presenting research and co-op opportunities for our students.

Dr. Wood, who obtained both degrees in co-op programmes in England, has work in academia and industry on 3 continents. He is a proponent of involving universities and industry closely to build on their respective expertise for research and to prepare students for their careers in industry. Said Dr Wood, “it is a real privilege to be collaborating with a world leading university. Over the last two years, this collaboration has resulted in more than a dozen publications in peer-reviewed journals, and we are currently working on over a dozen further projects.”

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Applied Biology Graduate Interned in Indonesia
Posted on January 5, 2012 by lfsadmin
Rebecca Taves in Lombok, Indonesia

Rebecca Taves in Lombok, Indonesia

“I had no idea when I applied to the Faculty of Land and Food Systems that I would be getting such a fantastic and personalized education,” said Rebecca Taves.

Taves was part of the Applied Biology program’s first graduating class in May. She entered the Program as a mature student in 2007, after working for several years as a reference assistant at Calgary Public Library.

“I decided I wanted to go back to school and I was looking for a program that married my interest in food with my interest in agriculture,” she said.

Taves is particularly drawn to agriculture extension for farmers in the developing world and the Applied Biology Program’s Food and Environment stream matched her career goals.

“The Program allowed me to design my studies to fit my personal needs and desires,” she said. “It was very suited to me and to what I wanted to achieve.”

In her last semester, Taves spent six weeks in Lombok, Indonesia where she interned for Sustainable Trade and Consulting, helping the company develop a monitoring plan for a renewable biomass fuel-switch project.

Under the Kyoto Protocol’s Clean Development Mechanism, industry in first world countries can offset their carbon outputs by encouraging sustainable development, such as the use of clean fuels, in a developing country. Clean fuels can be costly, however, especially for impoverished farmers. For that reason, many Indonesian farmers use cheaper, unsustainable alternatives like coal or harvested wood.

“Carbon credits allow farmers to be compensated for the price difference in fuel and encourages them to use a more sustainable fuel source,” added Taves.

Now working in Ottawa for Statistics Canada on the Agriculture Census, Taves is busy learning Bahasa, Indonesia’s official language, in hopes of returning to the country one day.

“My time in Indonesia was incredible and eye opening,” she said. “I’ve definitely got the bug to go back there.”

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Rise in Student Enrollment
Posted on December 23, 2011 by lfsadmin

Student enrolment at UBC may have increased 4% over last year, but two programs in our Faculty left those numbers in the dust.

The Applied Biology (APBI) program showed a 20% increase in domestic first year student enrolment and a 114% increase in students transferring into the program in second year. Our Food, Nutrition and Health (FNH) program is up 11% in domestic first year student enrolment and 52% in student transfers over last year.

The numbers are especially impressive for the APBI program, considering it’s still relatively new. Launched in 2010, the program allows students to study animal, plant, or soil sciences in a way that relates directly to some of the earth’s major issues.

“We anticipated the program would resonate with potential students, but the take-up rate has been very quick. It’s developing a positive reputation with students.” said Lynn Newman, Assistant Dean, Students.

The rise in domestic enrolment numbers can be attributed in part to our Student Services team. In keeping with the goals of UBC’s strategic plan, Place and Promise, Lynn Newman, Winnie Ng and Joshua Robertson – with assistance from Roxana Quinde and Chris McGill – have ramped up their recruitment and retention activities and developed even stronger relationships with students.

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Think&EatGreen@School Project
Posted on December 19, 2011 by lfsadmin
Alejandro Rojas of Think&EatGreen@School

Associate Professor Alejandro Rojas

Vancouver K-12 schools are getting a leg up in food and sustainability issues thanks to the Think&EatGreen@School Project.

Launched in 2010, the Think&EatGreen@School Project is a five-year interdisciplinary study that explores innovative ways to teach students about the impact of individual food choices on the planet’s limited land and water resources.

“During our first year, close to 400 UBC students worked on projects in 21 Vancouver public schools,” said Alejandro Rojas, LFS Associate Professor and principal investigator of the Think&EatGreen@School Project. We intended to reduce the number but now we have 39 schools involved in Think7EatGreen@School.

This included a team of LFS 350 students who took part in a Farm-to-School Salad Bar Assessment project at David Lloyd George Elementary. The students worked with a registered dietician to analyze the cafeteria lunch menu and identify potential areas for improvement. Using Canada’s Food Guide and their knowledge of seasonally available fresh produce, the team devised menu changes and searched for a supplier that could deliver locally sourced, affordable food for the school’s 180 students.

At Kitsilano Secondary, students from our LFS 250 course helped to create a Garden Maintenance and Management plan. The project included making maps of the school’s garden area, conducting and analyzing a soil sample, and performing a solar analysis. The students also recommended particular crops that would thrive in the school’s soil and climate. Their findings will be used to improve the current garden.

The Think&EatGreen@School project also created an opportunity for public schools to become a “Think&EatGreen@School” school by submitting their own projects in the form of small grant applications of up to $2,000 to implement food initiatives. Fourteen schools obtained the small grants and are collaborating with the Think&EatGreen@School team and UBC students to implement them this academic year.

In July, the Project also offered the First Summer Institute. Using the LFS Orchard Garden, the FNH Teaching Kitchen and Agora, some 80 teachers, academics, chefs, restaurateurs, urban farmers and farmers planted, harvested, prepared, ate and celebrated amazing healthy, local and organic food, designed innovative curriculum and pedagogy and attended a dozen of specialized workshops covering the whole range of subjects involved in sustainable food systems, health and environment.

For more information on the Think&EatGreen@School Project, please visit www.thinkeatgreen.ca

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Winnie Ng, Student Services
Posted on December 15, 2011 by lfsadmin

Starting university can be stressful, especially for students fresh out of high school. Fortunately for our undergraduates, Winnie Ng is on hand to help make the transition a little bit easier.

Winnie Ng, LFS Student Services

Winnie Ng

Ng has worked alongside Assistant Dean–Students Lynn Newman and fellow Advising and Recruitment Officer Joshua Robertson since 2004, helping to serve more than 1,100 undergraduate students each year. She advises them on everything from course registration to career options, and, as an alumna (BSc Dietetics, 2001), has first-hand experience of what it’s like to be a student in our Faculty.

That experience translates into some creative ideas for engaging our student body. This past spring, for example, Ng organized a special Amazing Race event for incoming undergrads during the campus-wide UBC Welcomes You day. She based the event on the popular reality TV game show The Amazing Race.

“I wanted to give our incoming students a fun introduction to our Faculty,” she said.  “It was a good way to show them a clearer picture of what we’re all about.”

Each team was given a clue that directed them to a challenge site. First up was the culinary lab in our Food, Nutrition and Health (FNH) building, where teams were instructed to make a salad roll. After completing that task, they received another clue that led them to the next challenge.

It’s this type of out of the box thinking, as well as her strong connection with our students, that led Ng to receive the AMS and Alumni Associations Just Desserts Award earlier this year. This special award recognizes those who have gone above and beyond the call of duty. Recipients are nominated by the students themselves, proof that Ng’s making a difference.

“Our students are doing great things,” added Ng. “I love talking to them about their experiences and I’m proud to be part of a Faculty that offers such amazing programs and learning opportunities.”

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Tamar Kafka, Dietetics
Posted on December 7, 2011 by lfsadmin
Tamar Kafka, Dietetics Education Coodinator | Faculty of Land and Food Systems

Tamar Kafka

“Dietetics is a very practical, useful science,” said Tamar Kafka. “It’s a diverse field with many different ways to use your degree.”

Kafka’s journey, for example, has led her from Clinical Dietitian at Royal Columbian Hospital to Internship Coordinator for the Fraser Health Authority, and finally to her new position as Dietetic Education Coordinator in our Faculty.

This new role is a perfect fit for Kafka. Besides being an alumna of our Faculty – she graduated with a BSc in Dietetics in 2000 – she already has experience working with our students; in her position at the Fraser Health Authority, she coordinated internship placements for our fifth-year Dietetics students.

“I loved working with the students. It was the highlight of my job,” Kafka said. “I feel really lucky to be able to continue that work here at UBC.”

She will work closely with Karol Traviss, who, on top of her teaching duties, has coordinated the growing program on her own since 2003.  Our Faculty has the only undergraduate dietetics training program in BC and currently enrolls more than 30 students each year.

Kafka, who also holds an MSc in Nutrition Communication from Tufts University in Boston, is responsible for the internship component of the program. Her background in Dietetics, along with her own internship experience at the Winnipeg Health Sciences Centre, gives her a solid understanding of student needs.

“The Dietetics program has a real community feel and it’s nice to be part of that again,” she said.

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Joy of Feeding
Posted on November 29, 2011 by lfsadmin
Joy of Feeding | ReachOut | UBC LFS

Cristina, Naty and Jamie King

“I have never regretted my decision to give up my career in corporate finance to become a farmer,” said Naty King.

Twenty-five years ago, Naty left her job as vice-president of a foreign exchange company in San Francisco to become an organic farmer with her husband Gary.

“We decided to take note of what was important to us,” she said. “We wanted to provide our four daughters with the wonders of growing up on a farm and the benefits of eating healthy.”

Together, the Kings started Hazelmere Organic Farm in Surrey, BC, growing organic produce for grocery stores, wholesalers, and fine restaurants in the Vancouver area. Gary passed away in 2009 and Naty continues to run the family business.

Her daughters are now grown, but the King’s decision to raise their children on a farm instilled a strong work ethic and sense of community that they have carried with them. It also gave them an appreciation for real food.

“Growing up, we were exposed to all different kinds of food,” said Jamie King.

Added her twin sister, Cristina, “We had the best school lunches, rice wrapped in banana leaves or chicken adobo. The other kids always wanted to trade.”

Naty served her chicken adobo, a Filipino dish that uses a base of vinegar and soy sauce, at the Joy of Feeding event at UBC Farm on May 15, 2011. Envisioned by Meeru Dhalwala, co-owner of Vij’s and Rangoli Restaurants, Joy of Feeding featured 15 Canadian moms of various heritages and professions, sharing their favourite family meals.

The event was a family effort; Jamie volunteered alongside her mom, while Cristina created special flower arrangements for each booth.

Joy of Feeding raised $25,000 and the hope is that it will become an annual fundraiser for UBC Farm.

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A Message from the Dean
Posted on November 19, 2011 by lfsadmin
Murray Isman, Dean | Faculty of Land and Food Systems | UBC | Photo: Don Erhardt

Dr. Murray Isman, LFS Dean

Start an Evolution. It’s the theme of UBC’s ambitious, multi-year campaign, launched at the end of September 2011. The University has set twin goals of raising $1.5 billion and doubling the number of alumni engaged at UBC annually, making it the largest fundraising and alumni engagement campaign in Canadian history.

So where does our Faculty fit in?

Well, as part of the campaign, we are dedicated to creating an internationally significant facility that will support the focus on sustainability at the UBC Farm. Last year, we created an exciting new plan to protect and preserve UBC Farm, one of the University’s most important educational resources. Cultivating Place will ensure that our land-based assets have the academic, social and cultural integration necessary to become a world-class academic resource and a central part of UBC’s sustainability aspirations. To learn more, please visit www.landfood.ubc.ca/cultivatingplace/

Start an Evolution is not just about raising dollars; it’s also about engaging alumni and creating opportunities for alumni and the larger community to get more involved with UBC.  Whether it’s volunteering at the Farm’s Market Garden, touring the Dairy Education and Research Centre or attending one of our lectures or seminars, the investment of our alumni’s time is greatly appreciated.

UBC generates ideas that start evolutions. Ideas that change the way people think and the way the world works. We see this change itself as an evolution, one that improves upon what has come before and inspires the generations that follow.

Our Faculty is at the forefront of social and environmental change. We are educating the next generation of leaders and conducting ground breaking research that will ultimately change lives. With your help, we can make a visible impact on the world. Whether you’re interested in the Animal Welfare Program, Food, Nutrition and Health, Applied Biology, the Wine Research Centre, Global Resource Systems, the Dairy Education and Research Centre or any of our other areas of study, your support and involvement will make a difference.

We look forward to hearing about your personal evolution from your time as a student, staff, faculty or community partner. We invite you to get involved and combine your energy with ours. Together with UBC, you can help create solutions for issues you care about. This is your opportunity to make a contribution with long lasting effects. This is your chance to help start an evolution and support thinking that can change the world.

If you are interested in learning more about the Start an Evolution campaign and supporting our Faculty, please visit: www.startanevolution.ca or www.landandfood.ubc.ca

Murray B. Isman, Dean
Faculty of Land and Food Systems

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Grad Helped Research How Animals Perceive Their Environment
Posted on November 10, 2011 by lfsadmin
Carly Moody, BSc APBI graduate in Applied Animal Biology | UBC Faculty of Land and Food Systems

Carly Moody

Carly Moody wouldn’t go so far as to call herself a cat whisperer. But over the years, she has learned a thing or two about fretful felines.

“Be very calm, very gentle. Let the cat know they can trust you,” said Moody, who graduated in May with a BSc in Applied Animal Biology from our Faculty.

“I have this huge passion for wanting to help animals,” said the Burnaby native. “They freely give love back. And just knowing that an animal is happier because of something you’ve done is an incredible feeling.”

Moody credits the Animal Welfare Program (AWP) for opening her eyes to the treatment and use of animals. “The undergraduate AWP courses have taught me so much, and have definitely been a highlight of my time here at UBC.”

Moody assisted Animal Welfare Prof. Dan Weary in his research that explores how animals such as dairy cows or pigs interact and perceive their environment, and how to use that knowledge to create improvements. “I have a great interest in research and see myself pursuing this as a veterinarian.”

Moody is currently working full-time at an animal hospital. In addition to reception duties, Moody also has prepped animals for surgery and administered medications.

“We’ve dealt with hamsters, chickens, rabbits, reptiles, raccoons, ferrets, a seagull someone found on the road with a broken wing, and some really big snakes.”

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UBC Cheese
Posted on November 1, 2011 by lfsadmin
LFS Associate Professor Christine Scaman | Reach Out | UBC Faculty of Land and Food Systems

Associate Professor Christine Scaman

It can take a long time to get a product to market, something our Food Science students are discovering as they work to create a UBC-brand cheese.

At the helm of the project is Food Science Associate Professor Chris Scaman, who came up with the idea for a locally-produced, student-created cheese last year.

“It’s an ideal opportunity to help our students understand what’s involved in running a small business,” said Scaman. “They’re learning about the technology and process involved in creating the commodity, as well as what it takes to get the product on store shelves.”

In 2010, four students from a senior food science course, FNH 425 – Angie Dueck, Victoria Gilbert, Keely Johnston and Florence Yip – experimented with cheese production, including brie and gouda. The goal is to eventually sell the cheese on campus at places like Agora, Sprouts and UBC Farm, with profits directed to the Food Science Student Club.

Before the cheese can make it to the consumer, however, Scaman’s students will need to spend the next few years fine tuning the manufacturing process and, with the help of UBC Sauder School of Business students, creating business and marketing plans.

One major hurdle is the current equipment and facilities, which cannot accommodate large scale production or meet Canadian regulatory requirements.

“In order to make the project feasible, we need to upgrade the facilities or partner with a company that will allow our students to use their facilities,” added Scaman.

For more information, contact Prof Christine Scaman (christine.scaman@ubc.ca).

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In Memorium: Bruce Douglas Owen
Posted on May 6, 2011 by ethanp

Bruce Douglas Owen, PhD, died at the age of 83 on Monday, May 2, 2011 in the Delta Hospital in BC.

Born in Edmonton, AB, Bruce pursued a lifetime career as a Professor of Animal Science. Following the completion of a BSc (Agriculture, 1950) and an MSc (Animal Nutrition, 1952) from the University of Alberta, he spent several years working at Lederle Laboratories in Pearl River, NY and at the Canada Department of Agriculture Experimental Farm in Beaverlodge, AB. He completed a PhD (Animal Nutrition, 1961) at the University of Saskatchewan and immediately began an academic position there in the Faculty of Agricultural Science. In 1977 he accepted a professorship at UBC, where he remained until he retired in 1991.

Bruce loved children and all animals, and appreciated healthy debate on matters relating to science and animal health. He enjoyed playing violin and listening to classical music, and was an avid concert and opera attendee.

He is survived by his wife Jean, sons David and Douglas and their families, and his loving companion Greta Gill.

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In Memorium: Bruce Macdonald
Posted on March 20, 2011 by ethanp
Bruce Macdonald | ReachOut | UBC Land and Food Systems

Bruce Macdonald

Alastair Bruce Macdonald, a former Director of UBC Botanical Garden, passed away following a long illness on March 11, 2011. Macdonald came to Canada in 1980 to take on the role of Associate Director at the Botanical Garden, with responsibility for horticulture and plant introductions. He became Acting Director in 1985 and Director from 1987 to 2002.

Macdonald was involved with the International Plant Propagator’s Society (IPPS), eventually becoming international president. He was senior lecturer in nursery stock production at Hadlow College in England, and later during his tenure at UBC, taught plant propagation in the Horticulture Program. He was much admired for his encyclopedic knowledge of cultivated plants and plant propagation and production methods and for his enthusiastic, yet easy and relaxed teaching style.

In 1998 Macdonald was awarded the Royal Horticultural Society’s Gold Veitch Memorial Medal. The award is given for outstanding contribution to the advancement of the science and practice of horticulture. This was the first time the medal had been given to a Canadian since first presented in 1922.

He is survived by his wife, Liz, children Katie and Jenny and their families.

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