Dr Roger Buckland
The 1995 Distinguished Alumnus Award was presented to Dr. Roger. B. Buckland.
Dr. Buckland has risen to prominence in Canada and internationally for his leadership in academic administration and research. This prominence was realized through his achievements as Dean of the Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences and Vice-Principal (Macdonald Campus) of McGill University; through his leadership and collaborative work among his peers at the national level and through his significant work as a poultry science teacher and researcher prior to his educational administrative responsibilities.
Under Dr. Buckland's energetic and enthusiastic leadership, the Macdonald Campus has acquired new research facilities and the faculty has undergone important structural changes contributing to new orientations in teaching and research. Despite difficult financial times, Dr. Buckland spearheaded successful initiatives to create new state-of- the-art production and research facilities for cattle and swine as well as a new greenhouse and new laboratories for nutrition research. Under Dr. Buckland's determined guidance, departmental reorganizations and mergers gave rise to the School of Dietetics and Human Nutrition, the Department of Food Science and Agricultural Chemistry and the Department of Natural Resource Science.
On the national scene, Dr. Buckland conceived and was the driving force in the creation of the Confederation of Canadian Faculties of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine and served as its founding President. On the international front, he has played an instrumental role in the development and administration of the Canada-Egypt-McGill Agricultural response program which has delivered some $25 million of CIDA support for agricultural development and transfer in Egypt. Dr. Buckland was also named a Fellow of the Agricultural Institute of Canada in Ottawa this year.