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BBQ Connects OAC Community, Honours Faculty Achievements
September 21, 2011
Each fall, the OAC community comes together with a barbecue to welcome the new academic year and reconnect faculty, staff and students. On Johnston Green on September 21, four outstanding OAC faculty were honoured with OAC Alumni Foundation and Association faculty awards.
“It’s important to mark the start of a new school year and it's appropriate for the entire community to share in this recognition of faculty by alumni” said OAC dean Rob Gordon. “I am grateful to our Foundation and Association for their leadership in supporting these important faculty awards.”
The OAC Alumni Distinguished Research Award was the first of three awards for outstanding teaching, research and service presented by Rob Hall, president of the OAC Alumni Association. Professor Gopi Paliyath, a faculty member in Plant Agriculture, was recognized for his contributions to agriculture and human health. Paliyath, who serves as Food for Health Research Program Director under the U of G-OMAFRA partnership, has over 30 years of industry-oriented plant research, spanning the biochemistry of fruits and vegetables, shelf life and quality, and the potential of nutraceuticals.
Professor Paul Sibley, from the School of Environmental Sciences, received the OAC Alumni Distinguished Teaching Award. Sibley has conducted extensive research and teaching in aquatic ecology, environmental biology and toxicology, and environmental policy. A passionate and animated instructor committed to hands-on and experiential learning, he was recognized for enhancing the student learning experience, and engaging his students through problem-solving.
Professor Laura Van Eerd, an associate professor in the School of Environmental Sciences at the Ridgetown Campus, received the OAC Distinguished Extension Award. Her research focuses on optimizing nutrient management in the agro-ecosystem. She has become an indispensable source of information for farmers, industry and government, primarily on the use and management of cover crops.
Professor Rebecca Hallett, a specialist in ecology and entomology in the School of Environment Sciences, was presented with the 2011 G.P. McRostie award by Linda Hruska, chair of the OAC Alumni Foundation. Hallett was honoured for her outstanding advising and mentoring at the undergraduate and graduate level, significant contributions to academic program development, and active involvement in seminars and workshops benefiting students across OAC and the University.
