News

The recipient of the 2023 Achievement in Internationalization Award is Dr. Lord Abbey, Department of Plant, Food, and Environmental Sciences

This award serves to recognize and celebrate the achievements of a member of staff or faculty who has contributed to one or more of the numerous aspects of internationalization at the Faculty of Agriculture. Internationalization includes but is not limited to: International development cooperation and projects; international research collaboration; international students on campus; domestic student mobility abroad; internationalization of curriculum; and knowledge exports (providing education abroad).

Lord joined the faculty of Agriculture and immediately became a member of the Faculty of Agriculture Internationalization Strategy Committee. He is heavily involved in internationalization activities. Lord has been involved in various research and teaching programs with academic institutions and organizations like the Agricultural Transformation Through Stronger Vocational Education (ATTSVE) in Ethiopia, Uganda Skills Development Project in Uganda, Skills to Access the Green Economy in Saint Lucia, the Joint Dalhousie University-Tamil Nadu Agricultural University  Training Program– India, and most recently, development of a new grass roots project with St. Francis University College of Health Sciences (FUCHS)–Tanzania.

In addition to the international graduate students in his research lab, Lord currently is hosting an Ethiopian PhD student here on a Study in Canada Scholarship. He has also recently agreed to host visiting undergraduate students from our partner institute, TNAU, this spring and another Study in Canada Scholarship applicant.

One of Lord’s students said, “I was intrigued to find that Dr. Abbey's laboratory is very mixed with students from seven different countries. This made me understand why his laboratory is very popular amongst graduate students on campus and why he has a very healthy and thriving research group.”

And here is another quote from one of Lord’s nominators, “He is connected to our international undergraduate and graduate students; he identifies their issues and challenges and offer his time and support to them unconditionally. Dr. Abbey is also actively recruiting international graduate students in his research programs. Not only helping them to settle down when they arrive from other countries, he also helps them with their day-to-day life, bring them for grocery shopping, inviting them to his house and try his best to make sure they adapt to Canadian life.”

In recognition of his significant contribution to internationalization at the Dalhousie University Faculty of Agriculture, we present the 2023 Achievement in Internationalization Award to Dr. Lord Abbey.

The recipient of the 2023 Early Career Research Excellence Award is Dr. Travis Esau, Department of Engineering.

This award recognizes and celebrates Travis’s many contributions to research at the Faculty and was selected based on the originality, independence of thought, overall quality, and impact of his research program.  Travis received his PhD from Dalhousie University in 2016 and joined the Department of Engineering in 2018.

Travis has more than 49 scholarly publications in peer-reviewed journals, and 5 book chapters. In addition, he has over 53 papers/abstracts in national and international conference proceedings, and about 50 posters/oral presentations at international conferences and industry meetings. Travis has a Google Scholar h-index of 17, and i10 index of 23. In the last four years alone, Dr Travis obtained over $1.5 million in research funding, excluding in-kind contributions.

Travis is a recipient of the 2022 Young Engineer of the Year Award from the Canadian Society for Bioengineering. This award is in recognition of his excellent contribution to research and scholarship in Engineering and related disciplines.

Travis has made significant contributions to the field of precision agriculture particularly in the blueberry industry through his innovative research and ground-breaking discoveries.

Here’s a quote from the Executive Director of the Wild Blueberry Producers Association of Nova Scotia - “Much of Travis’s current research is leading edge and laying the groundwork for what our industry will look like in 5 or 10 years.  This work is critical for us to stay efficient and sustainable.”

In recognition of his extensive contributions to research at the Dalhousie University Faculty of Agriculture, we present the 2023 Early Career Research Excellence Award to Dr. Travis Esau.

The recipient of the 2023 Experienced Faculty Teaching Excellence Award is Audrie-Jo McConkey, Department of Animal Science & Aquaculture.

This award serves to recognize and celebrate a faculty member’s contributions to teaching at the Faculty of Agriculture over more than five years. There are a number of criteria for this award including classroom and laboratory instruction, development of innovative teaching methods and contributions to student development outside the classroom.

Audrie-Jo has been a sessional instructor, a lab instructor, and a lecturer since 2004, and is a key figure in the Aquaculture program.  She recently re-developed and elevated the Aquaculture Environment course, and has collaborated with Extended Learning and the provincial Department of Fisheries and Oceans for aquaculture training for government staff.  She also develops course materials for international missions and participates in classroom and lab instruction in several countries.

Audrie-Jo is very well regarded by her students and colleagues.  She is always thinking of new ways to deliver the best information, and improve the student experience in every course.

Here are some quotes from Audrie-Jo’s nomination letters:

“I can’t recall a single moment that we have crossed paths on campus where she wasn’t interacting with students, preparing teaching materials or expanding her understanding of the art of teaching and learning.”

“Recently, I had a conversation with Audrie-Jo in a teaching lab where she was preparing her materials for an aquaculture lab. She was explaining to me the importance of teaching her lab a certain way. It required a fair amount of advance preparation, but in her words her students deserved this level of preparation.”

“Audrie-Jo also makes significant contributions outside of the classroom.  She leads the Dal-AC Aquaculture Student Society organizing things like beach clean-ups, guest speakers, tours, etc.  She also models community stewardship as a scout leader and chairing the Rotary club of Truro.”

These are just a few of the many contributions that Audrie-Jo has made to the Faculty of Agriculture, both inside and outside of the classroom. She clearly has a very significant impact on our teaching and learning culture, but it is the impact on her colleagues and students that may be her greatest contribution.

In recognition of her enthusiastic commitment to teaching and student success at the Dalhousie University Faculty of Agriculture, we present the 2023 Experienced Faculty Teaching Excellence Award to Audrie-Jo McConkey.

The recipient of the 2023 Outstanding Graduate Supervision Award is Dr. Gordon Price, Department of Engineering.

This award recognizes faculty members who provide exceptional support, supervision, and advising for graduate students.

Gordon has supervised over 20 graduate students and at least as many undergraduate students through his summer internships and honors project supervision.

Just listen to the praise directed at Gordon from his students and colleagues:

“Gordon supports his graduate students and allows them freedom to be creative and not afraid to develop their own research plan. His continued support and advice have made Gordon a highly sought out supervisor.”

“Beyond his outstanding mentorship, Gordon is a true leader in the engineering department and graduate studies, always eager to share his wealth of knowledge and expertise with others. He has made a significant impact on our research community by serving as graduate coordinator, various faculty committees, is a founding board member of the Centre for Sustainable Soil Management.”

“Throughout my time with Dalhousie University, Gordon has consistently demonstrated support for graduate students within the institution. He has demonstrated a keen ability to motivate and inspire students, fostering independence in their respected fields and ensuring adequate support throughout their academic program length.”

“His dedication to my success was critical to the successful completion of my Master's and Ph.D. degrees and I am deeply grateful for his efforts. Dr. Price's vast knowledge and expertise in the field of agriculture and waste management are evident in the quality of his research and in the way he communicates with his students. He is always willing to share his knowledge and experience and encourages me to think critically and independently and to strive for excellence in my work. Under his supervision, I developed a deep understanding of soil science, agriculture, and sustainable environmental management and honed my research skills to become a better scholar.”

In recognition of his extensive contributions to graduate supervision at the Dalhousie University Faculty of Agriculture, we present the 2023 Outstanding Graduate Supervision Award to Dr. Gordon Price.

The recipient of the 2023 Staff Award for Excellence in Service is Gillian Hatch.

This award recognizes staff who have made an exceptional contribution to supporting the Faculty of Agriculture.

Gillian is no stranger to the Faculty of Agriculture as she is a graduate of the class of 2013. She started her career here working in recruitment in the Registrar’s Office, and in 2018, Gillian began her role as the Student Success Advisor. She substantially exceeds the expectations of her current position, and is an integral part of what makes the Faculty of Agriculture an amazing student experience.

Gillian has a firm commitment to a student-centred approach in all she does, and she brings her knowledge and experience to advising for course selection, and career pathways, as well as incorporating leadership opportunities for students through programming.  Whether at the helm of the New to Dal Orientation, Student Advancement in Leadership, training and mentoring our peer educators, or in advocating for individual student needs across units and campus, Gillian exemplifies excellence in action.

A champion for services for equity-seeking and marginalized students, Gillian advocated for the creation of a brave space on campus this year. She also led an initiative to have Dalhousie’s 2SLGBTQ+ Advisor on campus regularly throughout the academic year.

Gillian does not shy away from helping around campus as well. She will jump in and lend a helping hand with campus tours, field trips, or Community Day. Gillian demonstrates an exceptional ability to foster collaboration, communication, and cooperation among colleagues and members of the campus community. She is a champion and is truly passionate about the Agricultural Campus. She is a true Aggie and it shows in her work.

Gillian also ensures that the Student Success Centre has a strong digital presence.  Her efforts have led to the Student Success Instagram page gaining an audience of over 700 followers over the last three years.  This communication channel informs students of on and off campus events, job postings, and more.

As one of Gillian’s nominators said, “If you ask the student leaders she works with, they will echo all of these accolades and more. Gillian has contributed a great deal to this campus and to the university as a whole, from the time she was a student, and throughout her nearly 8 years working here to support our students.”

In recognition of her wide ranging and impactful contributions to the Dalhousie University Faculty of Agriculture, we present the 2023 Staff Award for Excellence in Service to Gillian Hatch.

The recipient of the 2023 Friend of the Faculty Award is Carl Bragg.

This award recognizes persons and/or associations from outside the university community who have been instrumental in furthering the aims of the Faculty of Agriculture and Agricultural Campus. The award is intended to honour a long-term relationship with, and support for, the Faculty and Campus.

Carl deserves recognition because of his exceptional support of the people in the Faculty of Agriculture. He has been an exceptional collaborator and has traveled from his office in Collingwood on several occasions with just a quick phone call to meet with researchers, graduate students, and undergraduate students on campus.

He has partnered with undergraduate students within the Engineering Design Course with  his company Doug Bragg Enterprises (DBE). Carl always took the time to attend each design presentation and frequency would correspond with undergraduate students looking to share their innovative project ideas and thoughts.

Furthermore, Carl openly accepted undergraduate and graduate student class trips to DBE regardless of his busy schedule.

Carl has a special ability to make everyone he interacted with to feel valued and appreciated. Whether it was through watching student presentations and asking questions, financial support of projects or words of encouragement.

Carl’s engagement with the Faculty of Agriculture, Department of Engineering and our faculty, staff and students left most feeling supported in even the most challenging of situations.

Carl has invested significant time, resources, and expertise to support our faculty research initiatives, providing access to cutting-edge technology, equipment, and facilities, and serving as an industry mentor and advisor to our students and faculty. Since his passing in 2022, a memorial fund has been established in the name of Carl Bragg which yearly will provide scholarships for deserving students who are pursuing research at the Faculty of Agriculture especially as it relates to the wild blueberry industry.

In recognition of his spirit of service and many contributions to the Dalhousie University Faculty of Agriculture, we present the 2023 Friend of the Faculty Award to Carl Bragg.