Posted: October 9, 2011

Veterinarian and lawyer, Dr. Brian Ausman OVC ’84 was the first recipient of the OVCAA Alumni Volunteer Award in 2009 in recognition of his role as one of the founders of Veterinarians Without Borders – Canada .

In addition to practising veterinary medicine, Ausman went on to earn an MBA from Wilfrid Laurier University and a law degree from the University of Western Ontario. He practises law at Miller Thompson LLP in Guelph. He has traveled extensively in Asia, Africa and South America and volunteered to do the founding legal work for the establishment of Veterinarians Without Borders-Canada.

Posted: October 8, 2011

A gifted teacher whose compassion and dedication made a lasting impression on generations of students, Dr. Amreek Singh was chosen as the OVC’s Distinguished Alumnus in 2008.

Singh taught at the OVC for 11 years until 1985, when he was recruited as one of the founding faculty members of the Atlantic Veterinary College (AVC) at the University of Prince Edward Island.

His gifts as a scientist and teacher earned him six teaching awards including the 1984 OVC Professorial Award for Teaching Excellence.

On top of his professional accomplishments, Singh is praised for his contributions to community life through such initiatives as the in-school mentor program for Big Brothers and Big Sisters. He was active on the provincial youth soccer scene for more than 20 years as a championship-winning coach and an accredited referee. He is also active in the P.E.I. Indo-Canadian community.

“All I have achieved is thanks to my young, sharp and intelligent friends. They are the best,” said Singh, who has mentored many second- and even third-generation veterinarians, children of former students at the OVC.

His son, Ameet, is a veterinarian who recently joined the OVC faculty in the Department of Clinical Studies as a board-certified surgeon.

Posted: October 7, 2011

A “true ambassador” for the OVC and the University of Guelph, Dr. Arthur E. Ferguson, OVC ’50, was a poultry pathologist whose work helped the poultry industry flourish in Ontario.

In the mid-1950s and 1960s, the poultry industry was evolving from small individual farms to larger units with more specialization. As birds were concentrated in larger numbers, control of disease was increasingly important if the industry was to grow. Ferguson was a major influence on the growth of the poultry industry in Ontario from its small beginnings to its world-class status.

Ferguson’s life is noteworthy for his professionalism, sense of honesty and devotion to duty. Shortly after graduating from the Ontario Agricultural College in 1938, he joined the Royal Canadian Air Force, serving as a navigator in the Porcupine Squadron on bombing raids over occupied Europe. He was among the many veterans who returned to Guelph and enrolled in OVC in 1946.

After graduation in 1950, he worked at OAC and as a poultry consultant throughout the province before joining the faculty at OVC in 1955. In addition to providing a poultry disease diagnostic service based at the college, he taught about poultry diseases and husbandry to veterinary, agricultural and graduate students.

Following his retirement in 1981, Ferguson was instrumental in organizing and fundraising for several class projects that have enhanced life at his alma mater, including the stained glass windows in the OVC Lifetime Learning Centre; restoration of the large mural Farm Animals that hangs in the MacNabb Room of the OVC Learning Commons, as well as the bronze plaque and book of remembrance listing OVC faculty and students who died in the Second World War. Throughout his career, he consulted in more than 60 countries and made contact with educators, producers and business people that greatly enhanced the reputation of OVC and the U of G around the world.

Ferguson died in August 2007, two months after receiving this award.

Posted: October 6, 2011

Dr. Carlton Gyles OVC ’64 held a variety of leadership positions at the University of Guelph, including interim OVC dean, and dedicated 38 years to research and mentoring students.

After retiring in 2006, he kept as busy as ever, wrapping up research, working with graduate students, helping plan the Pathobiology / Animal Health Laboratory building that opened in 2010, and as the editor-in-chief of The Canadian Veterinary Journal (CVJ), published by the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association.

For consistently demonstrating calm leadership and the highest standards of professionalism as a scientist, academic and mentor, Gyles was named the OVC Alumni Association’s 2006 Distinguished Alumnus.

Gyles is internationally recognized for his research on Escherichia coli. He was among the first to pinpoint how a toxin produced by E. coli — similar to the toxin produced by cholera bacteria — could cause illness in pigs.

His work has focused generally on understanding how bacteria cause disease and especially on controlling the risk of contamination through food, water and human contact with animals. He is particularly interested in plasmids, DNA strands existing separately from bacterial chromosomes. It was Gyles’ work that found these bits of genetic material could carry both the genes for enterotoxins, such as the one that makes E. coli pathogenic to pigs and cattle, and the genes conferring resistance to antibiotics. His lab also discovered the mechanism of disease for another class of pathogenic E. coli that produces Shiga toxins or verotoxins, associated with edema disease in pigs. Gyles and his co-workers were also the first to sequence the toxin genes and purify the toxin itself.

In 2005, he received the Roche Diagnostics/CSM Award, considered one of Canada’s premier microbiology science prizes.

Posted: October 5, 2011

Looking back, Dr. Carin Wittnich never would have guessed that a degree in veterinary medicine would have led to a career focused on human cardiovascular health.

Nor could Wittnich, who because of her veterinary background has often felt like “sort of an oddball” among her medical colleagues, have predicted she would be considered a role model for future generations of vets. But she is.

Wittnich, OVC ‘76, was named the OVC Alumni Association’s Distinguished Alumna in 2005. Currently a professor in the University of Toronto’s Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Wittnich was also a professor in U of T’s surgery and physiology departments and director of the university’s collaborative cardiovascular sciences program.

Her research efforts are in two major areas: marine mammals and cardiovascular health. marine mammal research program explores various aspects of the interaction between the ecology and environment of many different aquatic mammal species both in Canada and abroad. Wittnich’s cardiovascular program explores the role of maturation in the heart’s metabolic and functional responses to stressors such as reductions in blood flow or abnormally high or low oxygen levels.

Wittnich’s professional enthusiasm for research and teaching has spilled over into her community involvement in promoting environmental awareness, women’s and children’s health, as well as innovative programs to help Alzheimer’s patients and autistic children. She helped found the Oceanographic Environmental Research Society (OERS). Her work with the Heart and Stroke Foundation on gender differences and heart disease resulted in her being awarded the Order of Ontario in 2001 and the Queen’s Jubilee Medal in 2002.

Wittnich also created several new graduate and undergraduate courses at U of T. In 1991, she established the first cardiovascular sciences collaborative program in Canada and this led to her being named the inaugural Northrop Frye Scholar for her ability to combine science and education.

Posted: October 4, 2011

Donal McKeown, OVC ’58, built a career in both the United States and Canada as a small-animal practitioner, orthopedic surgeon, educator and specialist in animal behaviour.

He taught at OVC for many years and founded four business ventures focused on small-animal health and nutrition. In 2004, he was named the University of Guelph Alumni Association’s Alumnus of Honour for his leadership in the veterinary profession, his contributions to education and his community involvement.

After graduating from OVC, McKeown was a partner at a prestigious small animal clinic, Friendship Animal Hospital in Washington, D.C., where he had the distinction of caring for the pets of two U.S. presidents (Johnson and Nixon). He returned to Canada in 1974 to become a professor at OVC, first as a surgeon in the Department of Clinical Studies.

Later, his interests evolved to include animal behaviour, and he spent his last years at OVC in the Department of Population Medicine. He is considered a pioneer in animal behaviour work and was a popular speaker at national and international conferences.

Through his work in animal behaviour, McKeown became involved in educating police and customs officials about how to train canine rescue and police dogs.

He also became involved in industry during his time and OVC and following his retirement. He was one of the founders of Veterinary Medical Diets, a pet food company based in Guelph, and also founded three other companies including PABA, the Canadian distributors of the “Gentle Leader” line of products.

McKeown is well known for his leadership as an early president of the Ontario Veterinary Medical Association (OVMA), and was named Ontario Veterinarian of the Year in 1989 by the OVMA.

Posted: October 4, 2011

Widely recognized as a dedicated teacher, researcher and administrator, Dr. Ted Valli OVC ’62 was named OVC’s Distinguished Alumnus in 2004.

After completing his DVM, Valli continued his studies at Guelph where he earned MSc and PhD degrees in 1967 and 1969. He then became a faculty member in the OVC’s Department of Pathology. In addition to the more than 200 refereed papers Valli authored during his career, he also supervised the work of over 30 graduate students, including five who became faculty members at OVC. He once said working with graduate students was what he enjoyed most. “They were a marvellous part of being a professor,” he said in 2004. “They ate my food, borrowed my clothes, drove my car - we were like a family.”

He became chair of OVC’s Department of Pathology in 1979, and later served as Associate Dean of Research at OVC from 1985 to 1990. He left the College to act as Dean of the College of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Illinois, a position he held for two terms.

Valli’s friends and colleagues speak of his strong work ethic and his enthusiasm for clinical pathology. He was known to sleep at his laboratory when necessary, in order to conduct blood tests on animals every few hours. “We had a lab timer that made a devastating noise when it went off, and we relied on it to keep us awake,” he remembers.

Posted: October 3, 2011

Dr. Clifford Ian Chappel, and OVC ’50 graduate who went on to become a world-renowned medical researcher and entrepreneur, was honoured in 2003 as the OVC AA’s Distinguished Alumnus and the University of Guelph Alumni Association’s Alumnus of Honour.

After graduating from OVC, Chappel pursued graduate studies in the Department of Medicine at McGill University, earning a Ph.D. in Investigative Medicine.

Chappel’s distinguished career in medical research and business as the Director of Biological Research at Ayerst Laboratories Ltd. in Montreal, where he made a significant contribution to medical science through his discovery of acepromazine, a widely-used tranquilizer in veterinary medicine.

Later, he founded several research consulting companies, including Bio-Research Laboratories Ltd., Eco-Research Ltd. and CanTox Inc. He also formed Bio-Breeding Laboratories Ltd., a laboratory animal breeding facility in Ottawa.

Among his scientific accomplishments is the discovery of the BB rat, the first animal model for juvenile diabetes. These rats are now raised in colonies worldwide, allowing pathologists to examine progressive changes in the pancreas before the onset of diabetes.

A past-president of the Pharmacological Society of Canada and a founding member and first president of the Society of Toxicology of Canada, Chappel authored more than 60 scientific papers and reviews in investigative medicine, pharmacology and toxicology.

In 1987, Chappel established OVC’s annual Chappel Memorial Lecture in memory of his father. The lecture series allows University of Guelph faculty and students to learn from world-renowned biomedical scientists through an annual lecture and informal meetings.

“I grew up within a stone’s throw of OVC,” he says. “On my way home from school, along with my chums, we would stop by the vet school the large animal surgery at that time had large ground-floor windows where little boys could watch surgeries. That’s what convinced me of what I wanted to do.”

Posted: October 2, 2011

Dr. Tom Hulland OVC ’54 joined the faculty of the College during a period of remarkable growth that saw OVC become one of the best veterinary schools in the world.

In 2002, his many contributions to the veterinary profession were celebrated with the OVC AA Distinguished Alumnus Award.

After graduating from OVC in 1954, Hulland worked as a large animal practitioner before pursuing his PhD at the Faculty of Medicine, University of Edinburgh. When he returned to OVC in 1958 as an Assistant Professor, he brought with him something only two other faculty members had — an advanced research degree.

At the time OVC was not considered a research institution and the DVM was considered the highest qualification for faculty. Professors who had graduate degrees brought a new level of sophistication to the College.

Hulland chaired the Department of Pathology from 1967 to 1969 and served as associate dean of academic affairs from 1969 to 1981. He also chaired many University committees and played a key role in the design of the classrooms in the Lifetime Learning Centre.

In addition to his dedication to his many administrative positions, Hulland excelled at research and teaching. He returned to a full research program after his 12-year term as associate dean and was twice chosen for the Award for Teaching Excellence by the senior graduating class of OVC. He also received U of G’s Medal of Merit.

Hulland was the second Canadian to attain diplomate status with the American College of Veterinary Pathologists, an organization he later served as president. He was also president of the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Medicine, London, England.

Over the years, Hulland remained an active alumnus and community volunteer and made numerous gifts of art to the Tom Thompson Gallery in Owen Sound and to the University collection at the Macdonald Stewart Art Centre.

Posted: October 1, 2011

Dr. James Archibald is regarded as a pioneer in the development of veterinary surgery whose work influenced both animal and human surgical techniques. Named the OVC AA’s Distinguished Alumnus in 2001, the College’s Small Animal Clinic also bears his name in honour of his legacy. Archibald died in December 2004 in his 86th year.

After graduating from OVC in 1949, Archibald immediately accepted a faculty position at the College. During his 37-year career, some of the most extraordinary advances in veterinary medicine took place, and many of them were the direct result of his foresight and talent as a surgeon.

Archibald insisted on using sterile surgery practices and demanded that a proper operating suite be constructed at OVC. The young professor won the support of deans Andrew McNabb and Trevor Lloyd Jones, and the result was better patient care and expanded services in both small- and large-animal surgery. With OVC colleague Harry Downie, Archibald pioneered work in animal heart and kidney transplants that led to techniques later used in human medicine. During his career, Archibald served as chair of the Department of Clinical Studies, director of Animal-Care Services, acting associate dean of research at OVC and a member of Board of Governors.

He was published extensively in veterinary journals, edited two editions of the textbook Canine Surgery and co-authored a text titled Experimental Surgery. He was one of the founders of the American College of Veterinary Surgery, and one of the first editors of the Canadian Veterinary Journal.

Archibald’s many honours include election to the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons in England, being named University professor emeritus at U of G and receiving the Order of Ontario in 1990.