McGill University News - Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences

Tracking puffins at dawn in Alaska

webfull — Wed, 04 Dec 2024 19:29:50 +0000

Collecting data on tufted puffins thanks to the Vivian Lewin and BELF Awards

In the eerie stillness of a misty Alaskan dawn, Cassandra Ciafro was already on the move by 3 a.m. Clad in camouflage, she melded seamlessly with the rugged cliffs, joining the seabirds in their lofty perches. Her mission? To deploy trackers and observe deitary patterns of the tufted puffin, a key indicator of the region’s fish stocks.

“I’ve always wanted to work with something related to marine science,” said Ciafro. “This experience has helped me grow so much as a person.”

Published: 4 December 2024

McGill student pursues dream wildlife conservation career thanks to the Canada Award

webfull — Wed, 04 Dec 2024 19:23:09 +0000

Hear from Manuela Gonzalez Barrantes, first-year Environmental Biology student and Canada Award recipient from New Brunswick, on why she chose McGill, how the Canada Award made that dream into reality, and her big plans for the future.

Check out the full article and video on the McGill Giving website

Published: 4 December 2024

From cod to crops to cranberries: Lister 3MT competitors deliver

webfull — Wed, 04 Dec 2024 16:32:19 +0000

On November 27, the Macdonald Campus Office of Student Academic Services hosted the annual Lister Family Engaged Science Three Minute Thesis (3MT) Competition, an event open to master’s and doctoral students from all disciplines in the Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences.

Published: 4 December 2024

Chandra Madramootoo: A lifetime of service to McGill, Macdonald Campus and the world

webfull — Thu, 28 Nov 2024 19:33:19 +0000

In 1974, Chandra Madramootoo arrived at Macdonald Campus to pursue his BSc in Agricultural Engineering. He never left.

“I loved the program. I loved the professors. I loved my courses,” said Madramootoo. “It was giving me exactly what I wanted in life. I was fulfilling a dream.”

After also earning his MSc (1981) and his PhD (1985) at Mac, he accepted an 11^th hour offer from McGill for an assistant professorship, declining opportunities at other universities.

Published: 28 November 2024

Small berries, big achievements

webfull — Thu, 28 Nov 2024 19:19:27 +0000

He’s known as the king of cranberries. More than anyone else, Marc Bieler (DipAgr’58, BA’64) has contributed to Quebec’s thriving industry centred on a small red fruit with anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. Today, at the age of 86, this McGill alumnus continues to be involved in the day-to-day operation of the family business and to give back to the community.

Read the full article

Published: 28 November 2024

2024 Scholastic Awards Reception: celebrating student excellence

webfull — Wed, 27 Nov 2024 17:32:46 +0000

The 2024 Scholastic Awards Reception on November 12^th recognized more than 155 outstanding undergraduate students and close to 50 graduate students. The Faculty awarded over $400K in named scholarships at the undergraduate level and more than $340K in fellowships and awards at the graduate level.

Published: 27 November 2024

McGill Bioresource Engineering Prof. Zhiming Qi honoured with L.R. Ahuja Ag Systems Modeling Award

webfull — Wed, 27 Nov 2024 17:25:20 +0000

On November 11, McGill University Bioresource Engineering Professor Zhiming Qi received the L.R. Ahuja Ag Systems Modeling Award at the annual Soil Science Society of America conference in San Antonio, Texas.

This prestigious honour is awarded by the American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America, and Soil Science Society of America to a soil scientist, agronomist, or crop scientist in recognition of recent distinguished contributions and their demonstrated impact on:

Published: 27 November 2024

Are Canadian Froot Loops healthier than those in the US? Comments from Prof. Stéphanie Chevalier

webfull — Mon, 25 Nov 2024 17:33:37 +0000

In a new article, La Presse investigates claims made by Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Donald Trump's Secretary of Health nominee, that Froot Loops sold in Canada have far less ingredients than their American counterparts.

Published: 25 November 2024

Plant-based beverages: a green alternative to cow's milk? Comments from Prof. Vijaya Raghavan

webfull — Wed, 20 Nov 2024 16:03:01 +0000

Almond milk, oat milk, coconut milk, rice milk, macadamia milk... there have never been so many options to replace cow's milk on grocery shelves. But which one has the smallest environmental footprint?

Published: 20 November 2024

Artificial intelligence to reduce herbicide use—comments from Mathieu Leduc

webfull — Wed, 20 Nov 2024 15:15:48 +0000

Students at the Université de Sherbrooke have developed a tool that enables market gardeners to rid their fields of weeds more quickly and without resorting to herbicides, using AI-controlled robotics.

Published: 20 November 2024