Alumni E-News

Alumni E-News is aimed at keeping alumni up-to-date with news from the university including important announcements, student and alumni achievements, athletic news and upcoming events. You will still receive your alumni magazine, the Agricola News, by mail, free-of-charge.

In this monthly, E-newsletter you'll find brief news items and for many, a link to our alumni website for more detailed information.

Where are they now?

Here is your chance to let other alumni know where you are and what you’re doing! Please send us an email at alumni@nsac.ca and let us know what you’re up to – you just might be featured in an upcoming issue of Alumni E-News. We look forward to hearing from you! Please send along a picture if possible! This month we feature two young alumni Heather-Anne Grant and Amy Sangster.

Rotary Group Study Exchange to Brazil

	Two NSAC Alumni have been chosen to participate in a Rotary International Group Study Exchange to Brazil this Spring.
The team will be visiting the South Eastern part of Brazil which has a high concentration of farming and ranching. For four weeks, the five person team will experience the host country's institutions and ways of life, observe their own vocations as practiced abroad, develop personal and professional relationships and exchange ideas. Click here for complete article.

Events:

University Day - Friday March 5th

University Day - an open house for prospective students will be held on Friday, March 5th, 2007. It's a day long introduction and orientation to NSAC in which students participate in an expo highlighting NSAC programs, athletics and services NSAC has to offer. Students can also meet with future classmates and take part in program activities. If you know of anyone who may be interested in attending, please let us know at recruit@nsac.ca

Basketball Nationals

2007 CCAA Men's Basketball National Championships

NSAC's Athletic Department and Host Committee will be hosting the CCAA Men's Basketball Nationals on March 10 - 14, 2007.

Teams from British Columbia, Alberta, Ontario and Quebec ( four provincial reps and two wildcards ) will be joining the ACAA Champion and a Host Team for the event. The Bronze and Gold Games will be broadcast on EastLink on Wednesday the 14 th at 7 and 9 pm - both regionally and via satellite across the country. The technical specs for the satellite coverage will be available on our site (nsac.ca/athletics) , as soon as we receive the information from EastLink.

This will be the 11th CCAA National Championship hosted by NSAC . Stay tuned to our site (nsac.ca/athletics) for the specific schedule and tournament information.

ACAA Volleyball Championships
Feb.24-25

The ACAA Volleyball Championship is being held this year at NSAC - Feb.24-25. The specific schedule will be posted on our site, once all play-off positions have been determined this weekend (Feb 16 -18) .

President's List 2007

Seventy-one students were honoured for high academic standing February 7th, by being named to the President’s List at NSAC.
	Students on the President’s List are within the top ten per cent in their program and maintain an average of 80 per cent or higher.
In recognition of their achievement, students will attend an evening reception in Alumni Hall in Cumming Hall with guest speaker and former NSAC student, Dr. Jamie Johnstone.

Founding Day 2007

NSAC President Dr. Philip Hicks cuts the cake yesterday, February 14th in celebration of Founding Day and the university's 102 birthday.

Research

Carrot Production In Silico

Soon the carrot industry will have a new tool for the field - located on the hard drive of a computer.Nova Scotia Agricultural College (NSAC) is pleased to announce the creation of a new project in Agroinformatics. The project, being led by Dr. Raj Lada with the Department of Plant and Animal Sciences, intends to develop a computer modeling system for the carrot industry. Click here for complete article

Tools and Technologies to Control Aleutian Disease in Mink

	Nova Scotia Agricultural College (NSAC) is pleased to announce the recent support of the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA)
of $1.81 million through the Atlantic Innovation Fund for an innovative project that will help to develop technologies which will support management strategies to control Aleutian Disease (AD) in the mink industry. Click here for the complete article

Apple-Pie Leftovers.

A pioneering researcher at NSAC is turnung apple-processing waste into value-added foods and nutraceuticals. Click here for the article

Atlantic BioVenture Centre Established

A life sciences’ initiative targeting the conversion of land based and marine bioresources into higher value bioproducts was recently launched by the Nova Scotia Agricultural College in partnership with the NS Department of Agriculture and Fisheries and Office of Economic Development. Click here for the complete article.

Marketing

2006-2007 Marketing Campaign Continues

The second half of the 2006-2007 marketing campaign started February 5th. This portion of the campaign will include high school posters, online advertising and TV closed captioning sponsorships. The creative continues to drive prospective students to askVIC.ca where they can get answers to questions presented in the advertising and learn more about NSAC.

Please look for the closed captioning spots, which will be airing:

Feb 6: American Idol
Feb 8: The O.C. and Survivor
Feb 11: Cold Case, Simpsons and Family Guy
Feb 14: American Idol
Feb 15: The O.C. and Survivor
Feb 18: Cold Case, Simpsons and Family Guy
Feb 21: American Idol
Feb 22: The O.C. and Survivor
Feb 25: Cold Case, Simpsons and Family Guy
Feb 28: American Idol
Mar 1: The O.C.
Mar 4: Cold Case

Online Poll

Of all the great things NSAC has going for it which of the following do you think it should be most proud of? Click here to take our 5 second pol!

The results from our last poll "If NSAC was a person which of the following adjectives best describes him/her?

Approchable: 35%
Proud: 23%
Traditional: 13%
Modest: 12%
Relaxed: 10%
Smart: 8%

You can see the results here

Making the Big Switch!
By Andy Hammermeister Ph.D., P.Ag.

Anyone who has ever made the switch from conventional to no-till farming will know the challenges of switching approaches. At first you might think it is as easy as getting a new seeder and sprayer. But as you get into it, you find that you may need a whole new way of looking at how to farm, a change to your whole farming system. Click here for the complete article.