Environmental Biology

Faculty
MSc Program
PhD Program
Interdepartmental Programs
Courses

Disclaimer

Chair
Mark K. Sears (1106 Bovey, Ext. 3921)
(E-mail: msears@evbhort.uoguelph.ca)

Associate Chair
J. Chris Hall (2225 Bovey, Ext. 2740)
(E-mail: jchall@evbhort.uoguelph.ca)

Graduate Co-ordinator
Greg J. Boland (3234 Bovey, Ext. 2755)
(E-mail: gboland@uoguelph.ca)

Graduate Secretary
Joy Roberts (1102 Bovey, Ext. 3937)
jroberts@evb.uoguelph.ca

Graduate Faculty

Gregory J. Boland
BSc, MSc Acadia, PhD Guelph - Professor

Paul H. Goodwin
BS Villanova, MSc Minnesota, PhD California (Davis) - Associate Professor

Andrew M. Gordon
BScF New Brunswick, PhD Alaska - Associate Professor

J. Christopher Hall
BSc, MSc Guelph, PhD Alberta - Professor

Robert Hall
BAgrSc, PhD Melbourne - Professor

Rebecca Hallett
BSc Toronto, MPM, PhD Simon Fraser - Assistant Professor

Thomas Hsiang
BSc, MSc British Columbia, PhD Washington - Associate Professor

Peter G. Kevan
BSc McGill, PhD Alberta - Professor

Hung Lee
BSc British Columbia, PhD McGill - Professor

Steven A. Marshall
BSc (Agr) Guelph, MSc Carleton, PhD Guelph - Professor

Gard W. Otis
BS Duke, PhD Kansas - Associate Professor

Leonard Ritter
BSc, MSc Montreal, PhD Queen's - Professor

Jonathan M. Schmidt
BSc, PhD Toronto - Associate Professor

Cynthia D. Scott-Dupree
BSc Brandon, MPM, PhD Simon Fraser - Associate Professor

Mark K. Sears
BS, PhD California - Professor

Keith R. Solomon
BSc, MSc Rhodes, PhD Illinois - Professor

Gerald R. Stephenson
BS, MS, PhD Michigan State - Professor

Gordon A. Surgeoner
BSc (Agr), MSc Guelph, PhD Michigan State - Professor

John C. Sutton
BSc Nottingham, PhD Wisconsin - Professor

Jack T. Trevors
BSc, MSc Acadia, PhD Waterloo - Professor

Associated Graduate Faculty

George L. Barron
BSc Glasgow, MSc Toronto, PhD Iowa State, DSc Glasgow - Professor Emeritus

Michael Cassidy
BSc, PhD Guelph - Co-ordinator, Food Safety Science Unit, Food Safety System Development Branch, Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs

Ralph A. Chapman
BSc, MSc Mount Allison, PhD Cornell - Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, London

Kristin E. Day
BSc, MSc Waterloo, PhD Guelph - retired

Stephanie De Grandis
BSc, MSc Toronto, PhD Guelph - Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, Guelph

R. Austin Fletcher
BSc Delhi, MSc British Columbia, PhD Alberta - Professor Emeritus

Richard Frank
BSc Leeds, Dip. Agric. Cambridge, DTA Trinidad, MSA, PhD Guelph - retired

Neil C.C. Gray
BSc Guelph, MSc Warwick, PhD Western Ontario - ICI Biological Products, Mississauga

Bruce M. Greenberg
BSc California (Berkley), PhD Colorado - University of Waterloo

C. Ron Harris
BA, MA UBC, PhD Wisconsin - retired

Stephanie A. Hilton
BA Western, MSc Guelph - Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, London

Peter V. Hodson
BSc McGill, MSc UNB, PhD Guelph - National Water Research Institute (CCIW), Burlington

A.H.G. Padman Jayaratne
BSc Colombo (Sri Lanka); PhD Guelph --Assistant Professor, Dept. of Pathology and Molecular Medicine, McMaster University

Derek C.G. Muir
BSc, MSc, PhD McGill - National Water Research Institute (CCIW), Burlington

Kelly R. Munkittrick
BSc, MSc Guelph, PhD Waterloo - Fisheries and Oceans, Burlington

Ross J. Norstrom
BSc, PhD Alberta; PhD Stockholm --Head, Research, Wildlife Toxicology Division, National Wildlife Research Centre, Environment Canada, Hull, Quebec

John T. O’Donovan
BSc, Higher Dipl. in Education, MSc, PhD University College (National Univ. of Ireland, Cork) --Research Scientist, Cropping Systems Agronony, Agriculture & Agri-Food Canada, Beaverlodge, Alberta

James E. O'Hara
BSc Carleton, MSc, PhD Alberta - Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Ottawa

Mark R. Servos
BSc, MSc Guelph, PhD Manitoba - National Water Research Institute (CCIW), Burlington

James P. Sherry
PhD Ireland - National Water Research Institute (CCIW), Burlington

J. Leslie Shipp
BSc, MSc, Guelph, PhD Iowa - Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Harrow

Dean G. Thompson
BSc Wilfrid Laurier, MSc, PhD Guelph - Canadian Forestry Service, Sault Ste. Marie

Alan D. Tomlin
BA, MSc Western, PhD Rutgers - Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, London

Christopher D. Wren
BSc, PhD Guelph - Ecological Services for Planning, Guelph

Special Graduate Faculty

Mehran Alaee
BSc Concordia, PhD Guelph - National Water Research Institute (CCIW), Burlington

C. Kenneth Carey
BSc, PhD British Columbia - University of Guelph

Malcolm D. Devine
BSc Glasgow, MSc, PhD Guelph - University of Saskatchewan

Laura S. England
BSc Wilfrid Laurier; MSc Waterloo; PhD Guelph — Research Associate

Brenda Harris
BSc Waterloo, MSc Trent - Dow AgroSciences Canada Inc., Calgary

Stephen B. Holmes
BSc Guelph; MSc Queen’s --Research Scientist, Environmental Research & Assessment, Natural Resources Canada, Canadian Forest Service, Great Lakes Forestry Centre, Sault Ste. Marie

David M. Hunter
BSc Nottingham, MSc Brock, PhD Guelph - Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Vineland Station

Magdalena Kostrzynski
MSc, PhD Poland - Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Guelph

Scott A. Mabury
BS Northland, PhD California (Davis) - University of Toronto

W. Lense Meyer
BScF, MScF New Brunswick, PhD Laval - Lakehead University

Medhat Nasr
BSc, MSc Cairo, PhD California (Davis) - Ontario Beekeepers' Association

Raoul Robinson
BSc Reading, Dip Ag Sc Cambridge, Dip Trop Ag Trinidad, Doctorate Mexico - retired

Alan G. Seech
BSc, MSc, PhD Guelph - Grace Bioremediation Technologies, Mississauga

Paul Sibley
BSc, MSc Guelph, PhD Waterloo - Centre for Toxicology, Guelph

Jeff H. Tolman
BSc, PhD Western - Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, London

James A. Traquair
BSc Western, PhD Alberta - Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, London

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     The Department of Environmental Biology offers programs of study leading to MSc and PhD degrees. Graduate studies in this department are designed to train people to work independently and imaginatively with a high level of technical skill and scientific acumen in various areas of environmental biology.

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MSc Program

     The MSc program emphasizes two major areas of specialization: plant protection and environmental management.
Plant protection includes:

• Entomology, which emphasizes applied aspects of insect pest management plus systematics, ecology, physiology, and toxicology
  
• Plant pathology, which includes diseases of agronomic and horticultural crops, and emphasizes the ecology and genetics of plant pathogens, the epidemiology of disease, and methods for disease management such as chemical and biological controls.
  
• Weed science, which encompasses the study of weed biology and management, and the modes of action and environmental impact of herbicides, while emphasizing the underlying biological, physical and chemical factors involved in plant growth and interactions among weedy plants, insects, pesticides and other environmental factors.
  

Environmental management comprises studies on the impact of anthropogenic substances and practices on the biological components of terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. It encompasses several substantial research programs and areas for graduate education including apiculture, pollination biology, forestry, pesticide chemistry and toxicology, biological control, environmental microbiology, and aquatic biology. These areas are distinctive in their interdisciplinary approach to studying the impact of agricultural and manufacturing practices on both agricultural and non-agricultural systems.

Admission Requirements

     Normally, applicants must hold a bachelor's degree with high second-class honours standing or better in a field appropriate to their proposed area of study. Interested students from other disciplines may also be acceptable, subject to the decision of the department graduate admissions committee.

Degree Requirements

     A candidate for the MSc degree is expected to have a general knowledge of fundamental aspects of biology and detailed knowledge of the specialty area. The specialty area will normally be one of the areas in which the Department of Environmental Biology is prepared to offer a graduate degree. In addition, students are encouraged to obtain a knowledge of both theoretical and applied aspects of their specialty area.
     Before the end of the student's first semester, the advisory committee will meet informally with the student to discuss the student's background, interests and knowledge in the proposed research area. The advisory committee will then establish a program of prescribed courses (at least 1.5 credits of 400- and 600-level courses) and, if required, additional courses. All MSc candidates must complete a thesis. A statement of the objectives of the thesis research program should be prepared as early as possible.
     A normal MSc program requires six semesters. Programs involving field work may require seven or eight semesters. The number of courses per semester should not normally exceed four. Among these would be courses that are core requirements of the undergraduate specialty and represent the candidate's deficiencies.
     Graduate students must take both the Introductory Seminar, ENVB*6710, and the Advanced Seminar, ENVB*6720, unless exempted from taking the Introductory Seminar by the advisory committee.

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PhD Program

     The PhD program emphasizes the same major areas of specialization as the MSc program.

Admission Requirements
     Normally applicants should have attained a master's degree with high second-class honours standing or better in a field appropriate to their proposed area of study. Under exceptional circumstances, as noted in the Graduate Calendar, students may be permitted to transfer from an MSc to a PhD program without completing the master's degree. Interested students from other disciplines may also be acceptable subject to the decision of the department graduate admissions committee.

Degree Requirements
     A candidate for the PhD degree is expected to have a general knowledge of fundamental aspects of biology and detailed knowledge of the specialty area. The specialty area will normally be one of the areas in which the Department of Environmental Biology is prepared to offer a graduate degree. In addition, students are encouraged to obtain a knowledge of both the theoretical and applied aspects of their specialty area.
     Before the end of the student's first semester the advisory committee will meet informally with the student to discuss the student's background, interests and knowledge in the proposed research area. The advisory committee will then establish a program of prescribed courses and, if necessary, additional courses.
     All PhD candidates must complete a thesis. A statement of the objectives of the thesis research program should be prepared as early as possible. A PhD program normally requires 9 to 11 semesters. The number of courses per semester should not normally exceed four. Graduate students must take the Advanced Seminar, ENVB*6720, and may be required by their advisory committee to take the Introductory Seminar, ENVB*6710.

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Interdepartmental Programs

Toxicology MSc/PhD Collaborative Program
     The Department of Environmental Biology participates in the MSc/PhD program in toxicology. Professors C. Hall, Harris, Ritter, Solomon, and Stephenson are members of the Toxicology Interdepartmental Group. The faculty members' research and teaching expertise includes aspects of toxicology; they may serve as advisers for MSc and PhD students.
     Please consult the Toxicology listing for a detailed description of the MSc/PhD collaborative program.

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Courses

Course/(Credit Value)	Term	Course Description
Plant Protection Entomology
ENVB*6340 Colloquium in Insect Systematics (0.25)	W	Weekly discussions and seminars dealing with current topics in systematic entomology.
ENVB*6370 Physiology of Insects (0.5)	F	Students will be assigned a library exercise and will select a laboratory project in their own area of interest. Emphasis will be placed on techniques and familiarity with current literature.
ENVB*6540 Insect Pest Management (0.5)	W	The course will examine the various methods of controlling insects and the development of pest management programs. Students will prepare research papers and participate in seminars on the application of control methods to the management of pests of agriculture, forestry and the urban environment.
Plant Pathology
ENVB*6040 Molecular Basis of Plant-Microbe Interactions (0.5)	F	A lecture and seminar course on recent advances in the study of plant-microbe interactions. Topics included are the biochemical, physiological and genetic aspects of plant defenses and the interaction of plants with pathogenic and mutualistic bacteria, fungi and viruses.
ENVB*6060 Topics in Phytopathology (0.5)	W	Current topics and emerging issues in phytopathology and plant health will be examined through presentations, discussions and group projects. Emphasis will be placed on ecology, population biology and genetics of plant pathogens and other microorganisms, and their application to current practices in plant health.
ENVB*6080 Plant Disease Epidemiology and Management (0.5)	W	Epidemiology and management of plant diseases caused by fungi, viruses, and bacteria. (Offered in alternate years.)
Weed Science
ENVB*6180 Physiology and Biochemistry of Herbicides (0.5)	W	Chemical and biological fate of herbicides in soil. Physical, morphological and physiological factors influencing herbicidal selectivity and modes of action. (Offered in alternate years.)
Environmental Management Apiculture/Pollination Biology
ENVB*6520 Pollination Biology (0.5)	F	Pollination biology is discussed from both entomological and botanical viewpoints, stressing fundamental and applied aspects. (Offered in the fall semester or by arrangement with the professor.)
ENVB*6620 Management and Biology of the Honey Bee (0.5)	F	An in-depth treatment of advanced topics related to honey bees, including management techniques such as wintering bees, queen rearing and instrumental insemination, comb-honey production, genetics and breeding of honey bees, caste determination, and social behaviour of honey bees. Discussion sections will focus on recent research.
Microbiology
ENVB*6190 Environmental Microbial Technology (0.5)	W	Current topics in selected areas of environmental microbial technology. An emphasis will be placed on the physiology and genetics of microorganisms useful in environmental biotechnology. The course involves extensive use of current journal articles.
Other
ENVB*6451 Topics in Environmental Biology (0.25)	F, W, S	This course provides graduate students, either individually or in groups, with the opportunity to pursue topics in the major areas of departmental specialization: plant protection and environmental management. This course may be offered in any of lecture, reading/seminar, or individual project formats.
ENVB*6452 Topics in Environmental Biology (0.5)	F, W, S	See ENVB*6451 above.
ENVB*6530 Ecotoxicological-Risk Characterization (0.5)	W	A biologically based, advanced course that will give students working knowledge of current procedures and techniques for ecotoxicological-risk characterization. The course material will cover the following topics: problem definition, dose-response characterization, exposure characterization, and risk assessment and risk-management decision making.
ENVB*6550 Bioactivity and Metabolism of Pesticides (0.5)	W	The basis of pesticide bioactivity will be examined, with emphasis on mode of action, structure-activity relationships and analytical methods. Students will participate in seminars and prepare a research paper and/or conduct a laboratory research project in consultation with the instructor(s).
ENVB*6560 Forest Ecosystem Dynamics (0.5)	F	An exploration of energy flow and distribution in forest ecosystems. Both components will be examined in the context of biomass and productivity, perturbations and resilience. Some aspects of modelling will be covered.
ENVB*6570 Pesticide Toxicology Colloquium (0.25)	F	A literature review and open discussion course designed to critically analyze issues of pesticide toxicology and their relevance to human health and the environment.
ENVB*6710 Introductory Seminar (0.25)	F	Graduate students will be provided with information and training in seminar presentation styles, abstract and precis preparation, and computer generation of both slides and posters. Students must present a seminar and poster presentation on a topic of their choice, as well as participate in the presentations of colleagues and selected faculty.
ENVB*6720 Advanced Seminar (0.25)	W	Graduate students will prepare either an oral or a poster presentation on their thesis research. They will also be responsible for participating in the organization of a departmental graduate student symposium during which their presentations will be given and evaluated. Students must also attend weekly departmental seminars and prepare 5 precis for evaluation.

         

The Office of Graduate Studies has attempted to ensure the accuracy of this on-line Graduate Calendar. However, the publication of information in this document does not bind the university to the provision of courses, programs, schedules of studies, fees, or facilities as listed herein. Other limitations apply.

            © 2000 University of Guelph, Office of the Registrar