Today is a proud day for all of us at the University of Guelph, including our alumni around the world. Once again, we received top marks from our students in the annual Globe and Mail University Report Card. In fact, in several areas, our grades were the highest in the country, including overall student satisfaction, environmental commitment and food services.

Among the highlights, U of G was ranked No.1 in its division or tied for the top ranking in keys areas such as teaching, student services, buildings and facilities, and campus technology.

We also received an A+ for campus atmosphere and an A for overall quality of education, and our faculty received A's for subject knowledge, teaching quality and availability to students.

These kinds of accolades are worth their weight in gold as I advocate with government and friends to help them see that Guelph is and always has been — to quote the Globe and Mail — engaged in a "quiet revolution.”

Indeed, the marks are extremely gratifying. But what’s even more important is what they indicate: people are starting to understand what Guelph is all about, what sets us apart. Guelph’s student experience is unique, both individualistic and communal, and, above all, genuine. And our success is all due to the efforts of our faculty, students, staff and alumni.

Our faculty continue to amaze me with their dedication and commitment to ensuring the Guelph teaching experience is top quality. Their willingness to be accessible to students and directly engage them in learning is another thing that sets us apart. I am grateful that the Report Card results recognize their efforts.

Our staff were also cited in today’s Report Card, noted for their helpfulness and for providing top-notch services and equipment to our undergraduates. In particular, I want to recognize those who work in Food Services because the quality of our food was once again acknowledged with an “A” — a mark that definitely stood out among the C’s and D’s that dominated the rankings in this division.

Lastly, I want to thank all of our students who responded to the survey. The campus atmosphere that you rated an A+ is a direct result of your involvement and engagement. Guelph is known for being a place where students help other students and where everyone works together to ensure U of G is a place of comfort and safety and a source of pride.

I’ve said many times that Guelph is a wonderful place to work and learn, and it’s because of the people, our values and our sense of community. It’s very satisfying to have these distinguishing features recognized in the Report Card. Congratulations to all!

Posted by Alastair Summerlee at 11:32 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

All students who enrol at the University of Guelph expect that the knowledge gained here will change their lives for the better. They are right, of course, but they may not know how much the University of Guelph has already done to improve life in Canada.

The list of Guelph contributions goes back almost 150 years to a time when the country’s agrarian society needed an injection of scientific knowledge. Our founding colleges became key players in the development of Canadian society through advances in crop production, the care of livestock and the role of rural families.

From those historical strengths, the University of Guelph has become a leader in advancing healthy animal and human systems, environmental sustainability, biodiversity, and food and water quality. Few institutions in the world have such a deep understanding of the life sciences or how our culture has impacted our concept of life. Few institutions in the world are as prepared as the University of Guelph to address the challenges facing us today.

Canada is no longer an isolated, agrarian society. And the threat of pandemics and disease, environmental degradation, food and water shortages and deteriorating societies are no longer the problems of other countries. These are global issues that affect our quality of life as surely as those of our neighbours around the world.

What we need in the world today is a way of accelerating our collective capacity for change. Educators, researchers, scholars, scientists, artists and students ― wherever we are on Earth, we need to think differently, act decisively and work together to find the solutions needed.

For the University of Guelph, this is a call to action. We believe this is our time to provide leadership. We are drawing on our historical strengths, our cross-disciplinary expertise and our desire to improve life for future generations ― in Canada and around the world.

You can learn more about our achievements in this regard in my annual report which is now 'live' on the web with a link from:

http://www.uoguelph.ca/president/report/

Posted by Alastair Summerlee at 10:03 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Internationalism is identified as one of the University of Guelph’s key institutional objectives. Indeed, international co-operation takes Guelph expertise around the world. U of G founded Veterinarians Without Borders and we were one o f the first universities to manage Canadian aid projects through the Canadian International Development Agency. We are lending expertise to the development of a new university in Botswana as well as scientific advisers to the United Nations Environment Program. Our faculty and staff are leading and collaborating in international research projects around the globe and many of our students participate in international travel opportunities as part of their educational experience.

This is the third year that U of G has participated in Leave for Change, which promotes short-term volunteer opportunities for people to help out with meaningful projects in international settings. The program is run through Uniterra and was created by World University Service of Canada and the Centre for International Studies and Co-operation. Uniterra mobilizes people and organizations in Canada and the developing world to reduce poverty by achieving the UN Millennium Development Goals.

Under Leave for Change, Canadian volunteers are assigned overseas for two to four weeks. This allows a limited number of qualified employees from participating organizations to transform their holidays into short international assignments with well-defined tasks and the support of development professionals in the host country.

Our University Secretary, Vicki Hodgkinson, just returned from Malawi where she was involved with an incredible project that will literally help to change lives and improve life for the people of that country. You can read about Vicki’s incredible journey at her blog site – but I must warn you, reading Vicki’s blog will take you on an emotional rollercoaster ride, a ride filled with sadness and despair but also love and hope. Here is an excerpt:

“Later during the workshop, I was able to sit and talk with some of the women. They shared some of their stories. They told me about the struggle of coming to terms with having HIV, the challenges brought by the stigma it carries, the positive things they are doing in their lives to live fully, and the feelings of empowerment they have gained through membership in COWLHA. It was tremendously moving….but I dared not let a tear come to my eye. The last thing they want is for someone to feel sorry for them……they are busy living and seeking to be respected as human beings first, as mothers, daughters, friends, co-workers….and only subsequently, as victims of HIV.”

Vicki’s blog: http://www.vicki.onleave.ca

Sean Yo, an analyst in Computing and Communications Services, recently returned from a five-week trip to Indonesia. Sean went to Nepal in 2007 as one of the first four U of G staff members chosen to participate in Leave for Change. I suspect that this volunteer experience changed Sean’s own life as he organized his Indonesian volunteer activity independently – but with the support of the University and our Professional Staff Association.

Join Sean on leave at: http://www.sean.onleave.ca

As well, Sean was recently profiled in At Guelph and you can read more about him here: http://www.uoguelph.ca/atguelph/09-06-17/profile.shtml

I am proud and humbled to work with people like Vicki and Sean, and with so many more of our students, staff, faculty and alumni who give real meaning to the term, ‘global citizenship’.

Posted by Alastair Summerlee at 02:00 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

In recent weeks, there has been much hype and hysteria over the H1N1 flu virus. Images of mask-covered travellers in airports and on subways have filled our television screens and the front pages of newspapers around the world.

Mexico is a common destination for Canadians travelling in the winter and spring, so it wasn’t surprising that intense interest in and concern about H1N1 arose here at home. But that concern led to misunderstandings, confusion and the circulation of false information, especially in the early days of the virus’s emergence.

Eventually, voices of reason and reassurance started to prevail, and I am extremely proud to say they were the voices of U of G faculty and researchers. During the height of media reports on the outbreak, scarcely a day went by without a Guelph scientist appearing on the national evening news or in a national newspaper.

There was Department of Population Medicine chair Cate Dewey, whose firm messages about how the virus is transmitted and the safety of the Canadian pork supply were loud and clear on national TV shows such as CTV’s Canada AM and CBC’s The National and in newspapers such as the Globe and Mail. On television, Dewey managed to convey both her expertise and a sense of calmness about the situation, which went a long way in providing reassurance to confused and concerned viewers.

Then there was population medicine professor David Waltner-Toews, author of The Chickens Fight Back: Pandemic Panics and Deadly Diseases That Jump From Animals to People. He landed a coveted spot on CBC’s popular talk show The Hour, where he discussed zoonotic diseases and the H1N1 virus with host George Stroumboulopoulos, who has interviewed many of the most influential and recognized people in the world on the program. David was also featured on numerous other national news programs.

And I must stress the role played by Davor Ojkic, a research scientist in the Animal Health Laboratory. Davor, a veterinarian who earned a PhD in pathobiology from OVC in 2002, was extremely helpful, especially in the early days of the media circus. He expertly and patiently explained to Canadian TV viewers what the H1N1 virus is, how it’s diagnosed and where it might have originated.

Canadians’ understanding of the outbreak was furthered by the expertise of other Guelph faculty, including Prof. Ken McEwen, a Ridgetown Campus agricultural economist who discussed the possible economic impact on the pork industry on radio stations coast-to-coast; Prof. Chris Bauch, Mathematics and Statistics, who was among the math modellers asked by the Ontario Agency for Health Protection and Promotion to make predictions about how the H1N1 virus will spread; and Prof. Jan Sargeant, who managed to persevere through logistical nightmares and officially open her Centre for Public Health and Zoonoses — a timely venture — in the midst of all the chaos.

U of G’s prominence during the H1N1 crisis underscores what I’ve been saying for a long time: It’s Guelph’s time. The global challenges arising give us the opportunity to step up to the plate and shine. That’s not to say we’re opportunists. It’s just that so many of the problems facing communities in Canada and around the world have to do with the very areas in which we excel: the safety of our food supply; the quality of our water, air and soil; and our health and well-being.

These are the areas where Guelph has the knowledge and expertise to make a difference, whether it’s educating people, providing information or developing life- improving and even life-changing innovations. U of G is becoming known as the “go to” place for answers and expertise in times of global change and uncertainty.

People will continue to look to us for help and knowledge, and we must continue with our drive to change lives and improve life.

While the world’s attention was focused on H1N1, a number of other outstanding U of G achievements were announced that may have slipped under the radar.

They include compelling research by chemistry professor Mario Monteiro on a new sugar-based vaccine that may eventually prevent “traveller’s diarrhea” and other disorders associated with the bacterium Campylobacter jejuni. This is big news because there are currently no vaccines available for the organism.

In addition, biomedical sciences professors Brenda Coomber and Roger Moorehead received nearly $1 million from the Canadian Cancer Society to support their promising efforts to find new ways to control the growth of cancer.

Cancer research and treatment were also in the spotlight when W-FIVE, Canada’s highest-rated investigative news program, did a half-hour segment on OVC’s animal cancer centre and the groundbreaking work going on at the Institute for Comparative Cancer Investigation. It was the second time W-FIVE has done a documentary on OVC.

Our proud tradition of providing the best educational and research opportunities to the next generation of scientists also continues to be highlighted. Three U of G PhD students have just received inaugural Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarships, the most prestigious doctoral awards in the country. One of our undergraduate students recently won a Commonwealth Scholarship and Fellowship Plan to pursue cardiovascular research at the University of Oxford.

So whether it’s helping Canadians understand a health scare or uncertain economic times, or developing innovations to improve or save lives, or training the inventors and leaders of tomorrow, my often-repeated message holds true. It’s Guelph’s time — to act, to solve, to make positive changes, to make a difference. Now. More than ever.

Posted by Alastair Summerlee at 11:50 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Sometimes inspiration, both personal and professional, can come out of nowhere and in unexpected packages.

I received a much-needed motivation boost recently in the form of a 60-second music video. It was made by one of our President’s Scholars, Mitch Moffit, with a little help from about 20 of his friends.

Mitch, a third-year biological sciences student, is vying for “The Best Job in the World,” a position that would take him to Hamilton Island on Australia’s Great Barrier Reef for six months. Once there, he would be the island’s caretaker, doing things like feeding the fish and blogging about the unique ecosystem and island life.

The job is actually a very clever promotional campaign by Tourism Queensland in Australia. Their “help wanted” ad generated responses from more than 34,000 people in 200 countries.

Candidates had one minute to explain — via a video application — why they are the best person for the job. Based on those entries, the field was narrowed to 50 finalists, including Mitch and a handful of other Canadians.

People around the world were asked to vote for their favourite, and thousands and thousands of people have been going to the Tourism Queensland website every day to cast their ballots. Their votes will help select a wild-card candidate, with the tourism board choosing the other 10 finalists.

For his “hire me” pitch, Mitch, a fixture in Guelph theatre, wrote a musical. He sings about Canada’s harsh weather, his sense of adventure and his love for the outdoors and travel.

The backdrop is downtown Guelph, and as Mitch walks along the street, a group of his friends follow behind in a chorus, singing about his many qualifications in sync and in tune.

The result is simply delightful. Mitch manages to reveal his likeable personality and the spirit of Guelph as he exudes genuine warmth and charm — all in 60 seconds.

The first time I watched it, I smiled from start to finish, as proud as could be that it was produced by one of our students. When it was over, I was flooded with good feelings about the University, the city and life in general.

I’ve watched the video a dozen times at least, and each time, its feel-good aura lingers. I feel as though I’ve started to emerge from my March doldrums, the result of a brutal winter and the University’s even more brutal financial difficulties.

Simply put, Mitch’s video reminds me of what the University of Guelph is all about. Working at U of G exposes us to creative people like Mitch and to fresh ideas on a daily basis. We even get a chance to encourage and foster them along the way.

We get to witness emerging talent and creative minds on the cusp of what they will become, and to see budding ideas that will one day blossom to revolutionize the world.

We get to work with people who are deeply committed to what they do, whether it’s teaching, research or daily work tasks.

Sometimes we disagree with each other. But we do this knowing that U of G is a place where people feel free to exchange ideas and express differing opinions loudly and publicly, and where they feel confident they will be heard.

And although Mitch’s quirky, cheery video can’t make our financial problems disappear, it does remind us why we must keep our shoulders to the wheel. The tough decisions we make today will help preserve the uniqueness of the Guelph learning experience for our students, both now and in the future. They are the reason we do what we do.

Of course, I’ve always known this about U of G and have expressed similar sentiments in the past. But during troubling times, positive views can sometimes be buried under an avalanche of gloom and doom. I’m shovelling my way out, and Mitch’s outlook on what he and Guelph have to offer has helped immensely.

I’m not the only person who’s been affected this way. As of press time Monday, Mitch had racked up 53,051 votes and was sitting in second place behind the candidate from Taiwan. Voting ended Tuesday.

Mitch has been interviewed by television and radio stations, as well as numerous newspapers. He’s received hundreds of e-mails of support, and thousands of people around the world have seen and commented on his video.

More important, “Mitch mania” has swept Guelph. Magic 106 FM has been doing a “Mitch count” every morning to announce the latest vote tally. A local public relations firm, McMillan Marketing Agency, launched an e-mail blitz. And people at City Hall and local schools rallied their troops to go to the website and vote.

It’s a wonderful example of community pride in this university and city, and an important reminder of all things great about Guelph.

We’ll all be rooting for Mitch when the top 10 and the wild-card finalists are announced in April. If he makes it, Mitch, sans chorus, will be off to Australia to interview for the job, this time in person.

If you haven’t seen Mitch’s video, you can still find it on YouTube. It’ll make you smile, and it might just remind you of things you like about living and working in Guelph — even without an ocean view.

Posted by Alastair Summerlee at 03:35 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)