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Macdonald Homecoming on October 26^th was another success with alumni reconnecting with old friends, learning about some of the interesting research undertaken in the Faculty, meeting engaged students, attending a logger sport demonstration and taking a campus tour. Thank you to all alumni who celebrated with us—you are what make Mac Homecoming so special.

Distinguished Alumni Awards

°Õ³ó±ðÌýMacdonald Distinguished Alumni Award was created by the Macdonald Branch of the º£ÍâÖ±²¥bÕ¾ Alumni Association to recognize distinguished graduates for their outstanding professional contributions, scholarly distinction and/or service to the community at large. The first Awards were presented at Homecoming 2006 and are awarded at Homecoming every year.

In 2009, we were pleased to introduce the Macdonald Distinguished Young Alumni Award, which recognizes the achievements and contributions of our younger alumni (those who have graduated in the last ten years).

This year, we celebrated award winners Dr. Allan Armitage (B.Sc.Agr.’67) and Ophelia Sarakinis (FMT’19). 

Finlayson Enhancement Award

During the Awards and Presentations event, the Finlayson Enhancement Award was presented to the Class of 1974 for having raised the largest combined contribution for the Faculty from October 1, 2023 to September 30, 2024. The class collectively contributed $26,746 to the Faculty. The Class of 1974 was also raising funds for a Macdonald Class of 1974 Student Experience Enhancement Award.

In 2009, alumnus Peter Finlayson, B.Sc.(Agr.)’63, and his sister, the late Janet Finlayson, B.Sc.(H.Ec.)’59, BLS’63, endowed the Archie and Marjorie Finlayson Annual Alumni Enhancement Fund that is commonly referred to as the Finlayson Enhancement Award.

This innovative fund, the first of its kind at º£ÍâÖ±²¥bÕ¾, encourages annual giving to the Faculty. It is presented annually to the alumni year that raises the most funds for the Faculty in the calendar year on a matching dollar for dollar basis, up to a maximum of $11,000. The class is recognized at Homecoming every year, and their class year is inscribed on a plaque in the Centennial Centre.

Q & A with Homecoming Attendee Phil Marchessault

Our team caught up with º£ÍâÖ±²¥bÕ¾ Mac alum Phil Marchessault (B.Sc.[F.Sc.]’92, M.Sc.’96, Cert. in Software Development ’11, Dip. in Internet Business Technology ’14) at Homecoming 2024 to hear about his experience at Mac as a student and now, many years later, as a Homecoming attendee.

What is your current occupation?

I am a semi-retired Clinical SAS programmer. Before that I was a Clinical Data Manager, Data Coordinator, Project Assistant and jack of all trades in a really fast growing company. Before that I worked in biotech producing enzymes for diagnostic use. I moved up the ladder through different levels of research associate to end up as a supervisor. It was there where I was able to use the fermentation skills that I learned during my masters in Biosystems Engineering from Mac.

My most recent work, however, has been my dream job since I started taking continuing education classes in software development at º£ÍâÖ±²¥bÕ¾. I've pooled the knowledge that I've gained in clinical trials and data management and am hopefully bringing a new level of quality to our team!

What is your favourite memory of your time as a student at Macdonald?

What I remember so vividly from my days at Mac, was our spirit of what I suppose one could call collaborative competition. We took study groups to the extreme. We all wanted to succeed but also wanted each other to do so.

I think at least a double majority of our tight-knit Food Science group graduated with distinction or great distinction. During convocation, I think one professor was overheard to have asked: "distinct from whom?"

Did you have a favourite professor? What stood out about them?

No doubt, Dr. Edmund Idziak - Food Microbiology. He was serious and funny. He really got me to think critically.

In the summer of 2023, I called him up out of the blue to thank him for showing our class how to make sauerkraut. Even though the batch we made in class was unsuccessful, I started making it over 30 years later from memory. Now that’s a teacher! When I spoke with him, he asked if I ever went to Homecoming. He told me that he went every year. So, I went to my first, and definitely not last, Homecoming in 2023, just to bring him some.

What did you take away from your experience at Mac Homecoming?

I really enjoyed the entire day. All the events were interesting plus allowed the opportunity to ask questions. The research tour was amazing as were the student led initiatives—I only wish I had more time to speak to everyone hosting a table. I really enjoyed the logger sport demonstration. The student athletes were making funny comments and keeping the audience entertained.

I also truly enjoy hanging out with the great team working at Mac! For the second year in a row, I’ve been treated like family by Anna, Lisa, Anja, and Ron [members of the Macdonald Campus University Advancement team]! It’s quite something to not only be welcomed home, but to be welcomed home by name by everyone after meeting them only once the year prior.

If you can give one piece of advice to a current student, what would that be?

For you to win, someone else doesn't have to lose. We can all elevate each other and everyone benefits. We can all strive and succeed to be distinct together!

And don't feel that promotions are the necessarily the best thing for everyone. The farther you move into management, the less you might do of what you excel at and enjoy.