News

By Emma Geldart

“It’s a beautiful day.”

For over 20 years, Dr. Claude Caldwell has made it a point to address almost every class he’s taught in China with these four words. It was no different for Dalhousie University Faculty of Agriculture graduating students last Friday.

“If you remember nothing else today, remember it is a beautiful day,” he spoke to the Class of 2018 during their convocation ceremony.

Claude, now retired as a professor from the Faculty of Agriculture but remaining as Professor Emeritus on the campus, shared wisdom and insight with the Class of 2018 during his address.

“When thinking about my convocation address, I decided to think about when I was in their seat and what I would have liked to know,” Claude explains. “I picked three simple things that I know to offer as advice to students.”

Claude’s insightful advice to students- be present, life is not a competition and any day can be a beautiful day if you choose it to be.

“The key to happiness and success is to be present in the moment,” he spoke to the Class. “You have a chance at making everyday a beautiful day if you start it right.”

For 34 years, Claude has been a staple at Dalhousie University Faculty of Agriculture. Beginning in 1983 as Assistant Professor of Plant Science, Claude had only intended to stay on the campus for five years. Thirty four years later, Claude retired last summer. After his retirement in June 2017, Claude found himself drawn back to Dal AC as Professor Emeritus.

“I am very grateful to the Faculty to be able to maintain an office and lab on campus,” Claude says. “It has enabled me to maintain my supervision of graduate and honours students and to carry on with my research. The main difference now is that I do things on my own time.”

In addition to his continued teaching and research, Claude also works as the Chief Scientific Officer for Field to Fork AgriSystems Consulting, a consulting firm specializing in various aspects of agricultural production, food and feed processing, food marketing, facilitation and agri-food education.

Originally trained in the United Kingdom as a biophysicist and crop physiologist, Claude has worked extensively in a number of areas all over the globe. With experience in a variety of cropping systems, agricultural technologies, crop development and agricultural ecosystems, Claude’s 34 years of service are truly irreplaceable.

In addition to his teaching and research on campus over the past 34 years, Claude has supervised many graduate students in diverse aspects of plant culture and management and international cropping systems. His international experience involves work in China, Vietnam, The Philippines, Indonesia, Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, The Gambia, Cambodia, Tanzania and Ethiopia. He also played a large role in establishing the academic and research collaborations between Dal AC and Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University (FAFU).

Reflecting on his time at Dal AC, Claude explains that the reason he stayed for 34 years were the varied opportunities he was given in his position. Each day was something different, which made for a challenging yet rewarding 34 years on campus.

“I have 34 years of experience, not one experience 34 times,” he explains. “Whether it was new students, new research, new courses, working internationally, I enjoyed it because there were always challenges.”

With so many experiences under his belt, it’s difficult for Claude to pinpoint a favorite part of his time spent on the Ag Campus. From teaching to research nationally and internationally, Claude reflects on his time spent helping students to open their minds and how rewarding it was for him.

“I enjoyed the challenges of teaching first year students,” Claude says. “Students have changed over the years- they are now a very urban group with little previous knowledge in agriculture. There are sometimes differences in opinion, for example, in terms of GMO’s or organic agriculture. It was a challenge, not to change their minds, but to open their minds to information so that they can make their own decision in an informed way. It’s clear that this year’s graduates have learned to think critically and that’s very rewarding for me to see.”

Almost one year into his retirement, Claude is excited for what the future will bring. As he continues with this new chapter, there are four words he’ll be sure to remember and pass on wherever he goes.

“It’s a beautiful day.”