These ALES achievers are outstanding in their fields, as recognized by their Alumni Awards.
On Sept. 25 the Faculty of Agricultural, Life and Environmental Sciences will celebrate four of the faculty's alumni who have been recognized for their outstanding contributions with a 2017 University of Alberta alumni award.
Giving back to the land
Distinguished Alumni Award winner Wayne Lindwall, '71 BSc(Ag), '75 MSc, has helped change the way land is farmed in Canada and beyond. His leadership in soil conservation created a more sustainable way to grow crops-called conservation tillage-that has improved soil and water conservation, reduced costs, increased food production and contributed to lower carbon emissions around the world.
But he didn't start out that way.
"I worked as a summer student in the late 1960s at the Lethbridge Research Station," he says. "I wanted to work for a large machinery company, but my friend, who had a job there, said 'you might like research.'"
That first summer blossomed into a career that focused on soil sustainability, conservation and the then new concept of no-till farming, also known as conservation tillage or, as of 1991 in the Canada sense, "direct seeding."
Conservation tillage is now used on more than 70 per cent of seeded land in Western Canada, but the impact goes far beyond the farm: by keeping organic matter in the soil, conservation tillage can significantly reduce the carbon dioxide that enters the atmosphere.
"In the '70s I was told the idea was impossible. Today, 75 per cent of farmers are doing no-till farming.
"Landscapes have changed completely," he says and that, while he was "just a cog in the wheel", he's gratified by both the alumni award recognition and the fact that "A group of innovative farmers set up groups with their own financial needs in mind and said, 'you know, I think Wayne is onto something here.'"
Leading by example
"I believe that Don Brinton is the finest and most distinguished broadcaster in Canadian history."
Davis Asper, son of Israel Asper, Founder, CanWest Global
Donald C. Brinton, '51 BSc(Ag), is also receiving a Distinguished Alumni Award this year. He has the distinct honour of having spoken the first words on Alberta's first television station in 1954.
While researching permafrost in the Northwest Territories before his final year of study, Brinton worked as a radio announcer in Yellowknife, which led to a job producing rural radio reports for the Alberta Federation of Agriculture. He soon began working for CFRN radio and, a few years later, was the first broadcaster to hit the air on CFRN-TV, doing newscasts, cohosting The Noon Show and creating a variety of programs for the station. Starting in 1964, Brinton went off-camera to spend decades creating what is now a legacy of quality Canadian television programming. He has always believed in giving back to his community and has served on the U of A board of governors, as well as boards of the Television Bureau of Canada, Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra, Banff Television Festival, Academy of Canadian Film and Television and many more. In 2016, he was invested as a member of the Order of Canada.
Asked why television was such a natural fit, Brinton says: "I finally believed sincerely that I was meant for this kind of a role because television was a beautiful mixture of things that I think I had some interest and talent for."
A scholar and a gentleman
Be thorough and work the problem. These words could be the credo mileage John Kuspira, '55 PhD, has lived his life. As the U of A's first recipient of a PhD in genetics, this world-renowned plant geneticist promptly began to change the field of genetics research across the university (by creating the Department of Genetics in 1961) and the country (by helping establish the Genetics Society of Canada in 1957.)
Kuspira's pioneering work in plant genetics is known around the world; the same basic principles, with modifications to the technique, are used by geneticists today to study the heredity of humans and other animal species. Kuspira, who will receive an Honour Award, was also a beloved professor of a very popular genetics course that attracted around 10,000 U of A students over 35 years. His problem-solving approach to teaching the subject challenged the critical thinking abilities of students, a skill that many carried forward. Many of his former students are now dispersed around the world: South Korea, Pakistan, Thailand, Switzerland, across Canada and the United States.
Despite being now retired, Kuspira maintains his attitude to research rigor: "I feel strongly that it is a person's obligation to seek out answers to questions the matter how complex," he says.
Growing a fruitful career
Lalitha Taylor, '05 BSc (Nutr/Food), was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis at 19. Her desire to help prevent and manage the disease, and provide other individuals with a greater quality of life, prompted her to become a dietitian. She has created educational videos, volunteered at public hospitals in Peru and South Africa and received awards for her many contributions. Taylor donates time to her local community, including Youth Empowerment and Support Services, the Arthritis Society, Ronald McDonald House, Red Willow Community Church and the U of A nutrition program, where she mentors students. She is passionate about strengthening the health of communities through nutritional education and shares her knowledge at daycares, schools, churches and community organizations.
"When I received this award I didn't think of myself; I thought of my profession," says Taylor. "I am so proud of the role dieticians play in society today. We encompass health and sustainable living through quality of life."
Before the Alumni Awards ceremony on Monday night, both Taylor and Lindwall will speak to ALES students on how communications has influenced their career trajectory. This public lecture is at noon on Monday, Sept. 25, in room N2-115 Education North. Please plan to arrive by 11:50 a.m.