Atlantic BIOCON 2019 will feature local and international technology leaders who are transforming natural resources into high value products.
Speaker additions are ongoing. Sign up for our mailing list to receive updates.
Presentations will be delivered in English and French. Simultaneous interpretation will be available on site.
Speaker additions are ongoing. Sign up for our mailing list to receive updates.
Presentations will be delivered in English and French. Simultaneous interpretation will be available on site.
Master of Ceremonies:
Dr. André Pelletier, Business Development, Research and Productivity Council (RPC)
Dr. André Pelletier, Business Development, Research and Productivity Council (RPC)
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André has a bachelor’s and Master’s degree from the Université de Moncton (BSc Chem, MSc Chem), where he focused on organic synthesis and natural products chemistry, and has recently received his PhD in Chemical Engineering from the University of New Brunswick. He has authored or co-authored twelve scholarly articles and is co-inventor of two patents relating to the enzymatic treatment of wood pulp and wood chips.
Before joining RPC, André was NBIF’s Research Development Officer where he helped in the evaluation of research funding applications and in the management of NBIF’s various research programs. This position has allowed him to gain an overview of the province’s applied research landscape, including the various research programs related to bioscience and biotech fields. In his past, he has worked as a technical writer and online training content developer for the Oil and Gas industry, a Research Assistant at UNB’s Limerick Pulp and Paper Centre, a Laboratory Technician for Xtrata Zinc, and Chemical Control Technician for NB Power, giving him broad industrial experience. |
Alejandro Adem, Chief Executive Officer and Scientific Director, Mitacs Inc.
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Alejandro Adem has been Chief Executive Officer and Scientific Director of Mitacs since February 1, 2015. He is concurrently Professor of Mathematics at the University of British Columbia.
As CEO of Mitacs, Professor Adem has overseen an unprecedented expansion of its programs, with the goal of delivering 10,000 research-based internships annually across Canada and abroad by 2020. He worked closely with stakeholders to launch the Mitacs Science Policy Fellows Program in 2016, which places talented academics in science policy roles in both federal and provincial governments. Other important milestones under his leadership include an Indigenous engagement initiative, an innovative entrepreneurship program, and a number of global mobility agreements with partner countries across the world. Professor Adem is a highly regarded researcher in mathematics. He obtained his PhD at Princeton University and has authored over 70 articles as well as two books, delivered over 360 invited research lectures around the world, and has held postdoctoral or visiting positions at Stanford University, the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton, the ETHZurich, the Max Planck Institute in Bonn, the University of Paris VII and XIII, and Princeton University. His distinctions include a Sloan Doctoral Dissertation Fellowship (1985), a USA National Science Foundation Young Investigator Award (1992), Romnes Faculty Fellowship (Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation, 1995), a Vilas Associate Award (University of Wisconsin, 2003), Canada Research Chair at UBC (2004), Fellow of the American Mathematical Society (2012), Ten Most Influential Hispanic Canadians (2015), the Canadian Mathematical Society’s Jeffery-Williams Prize (2015), and Corresponding Member of the Mexican Academy of Sciences (2017). Professor Adem serves on a variety of scientific, editorial, and governance boards for the worldwide mathematical sciences community. In particular he is a member of the Advisory Board for the Association for Women in Mathematics and was recently appointed for a four-year term on the International Mathematical Union’s Committee for Women in Mathematics. |
Dr. Alex Ward, President of Origin Materials Canada Research
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Dr. Alex Ward is President of Origin Materials Canada Research, a subsidiary of Origin Materials. Origin Materials is a chemical company focused on the future of materials. Origin has developed a new chemical platform, furanic chemistry, that converts diverse biofeedstocks into 4 key building-block intermediates used widely by industry. Dr. Ward is the Director of Open Innovation and is part of the product development team. She oversees Origin’s grant portfolio, which supports novel interdisciplinary projects among Canadian academic experts and local and global industry partners. Dr. Ward earned her PhD at the University of Windsor in cell biology and has a diverse professional background that includes basic research, business development, and technical writing for private and public sector.
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Allan Eddy, Port Hawkesbury Paper
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Allan Eddy joined Port Hawkesbury Paper in August 2018. At Port Hawkesbury Paper he is responsible for business development, community and government relations, and strategic forestry issues.
Previous to this position, he has served in senior executive roles in four Nova Scotia government departments including Assistant Deputy Minister in the departments of Natural Resources, Agriculture and Fisheries & Aquaculture. As a graduate in Natural Resource Management in Forestry from the University of New Brunswick, Allan has worked for both Federal and Provincial levels of government as well as the private sector over the past 39 years. Throughout his career, Allan has been involved with various aspects of policy development, sector issue management, and stakeholder liaison activities. In the last several years he has been deeply involved in change management and sector transition, with a significant focus on innovation. Allan was a driving force in the establishment of the Nova Scotia Innovation Hub and believes strongly that the emerging global bioeconomy presents a significant opportunity for Nova Scotia’s renewable bio-resource sectors and by extension rural economic development. |
Doug Hooper, Director, Policy and Regulation, Advanced Biofuels Canada
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Doug Hooper is the Director, Policy and Regulation, for Advanced Biofuels Canada. Advanced Biofuels Canada is the national voice for producers, distributors, and technology developers of advanced biofuels in Canada. Since 2005, Doug has worked directly on key energy and climate action policies in Canada, including renewable and low carbon fuel regulations, carbon pricing, and fiscal policies to build biofuel production capacity and expand clean fuel use.
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Fraser Gray, Vice President, Finance & Strategy, Sustane Technologies
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A Chartered Accountant with over 30 years experience in business leadership, Fraser has achieved significant milestones in strategy, finance, and operations management including in-depth experience in manufacturing. Fraser’s experiences include extensive work in lumber, pulp & paper, and wood pellets. From 2013 to 2015 Fraser was responsible for the Innovacorp-led Demonstration Centre in Liverpool at the former Bowater site, connecting the dots on emerging technologies and startup companies including Sustane. Fraser rejoined Sustane’s team in 2018 to support the company’s financing, growth, and operationalization as they begin to introduce their platform to waste recycling and renewable energy markets in Canada and abroad.
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Jason Hollett, Nova Scotia Environment
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Jason Hollett has been working for the province of Nova Scotia for over 10 years on climate change, renewable energy and energy efficiency. He currently leads the team at Nova Scotia Environment responsible for the development and implementation of the province's cap and trade program, which began in 2019. He has also spent time as a teacher and working in rural economic development.
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John Baker, President, CBD BAKER INC.
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John Baker has been a Professional Agrologist for 40 years and a professional plant breeder recognized by the Canadian Seed Growers Association (CSGA) and a Hemp Breeder / Researcher recognized by Health Canada.
His expertise in plant breeding, new crop development and product development has been applied in the food, natural health product and bio-pharmaceutical sectors. Industrial Hemp has been a consuming focus over the past 18 years, and John has been responsible for placing over 13 new cultivars of industrial hemp on the Canadian and International OECD list of approved cultivars. These cultivars are grown across Canada, and in Northern / Central USA. Since 2005 after his discovery of relatively high Cannabidiol (CBD) levels in heritage Canadian industrial hemp germplasm, Baker focused on the development and release of cultivars for the biopharma sector. Canadian regulations had prevented the utilization of these varieties for CBD production in Canada until August of 2018. However, in 2015, full commercial use of these cultivars began in the state of Kentucky USA, by way of a US cultivar licence agreement. A similar Canadian licence agreement has been reached in Canada with a New Brunswick company called “1812 Hemp”. John currently lives with his wife Christine in the Belleville / Stirling area of Central Ontario, and their business activities are located within the Quinte region. |
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Dr. John Kettle, Director of Customer Solutions and International Relations, Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke)
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Dr. John Kettle has been working in research for the pulp and paper related industries since 1983 when he started his R&D career in his native UK with English China Clays. In 1997, he moved to Sundsvall in Sweden to work for SCA Graphic Research and worked in their R&D management until 2006 when he moved to Finland to work at KCL (a jointly run R&D centre for the leading pulp, paper and packaging companies in Finland). At KCL he had various positions including Research Area Director for an area called “Sustainable Production Technologies” before in 2010, KCL was merged into VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland Ltd (VTT). At VTT he worked in research and international business development ending up as one of the Vice Presidents of Sales and Business Development. In 2018, John joined Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke) to develop the international customer engagement and in 2019 became the Director of Customer Solutions and International Relations in the same institute.
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Ken LeBlanc, Energy Manager, Cape Breton Regional Municipality
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Ken LeBlanc is Energy Manager for Cape Breton Regional Municipality (CBRM) and an employee of Efficiency Nova Scotia. He brings a wide range of knowledge and experience to his position, including a Mechanical Technology diploma from Cape Breton University, Naval Weapons Engineering (Electronics) Technician for the Canadian Navy, and a Bachelor of Environmental Engineering from Dalhousie University. This multi-faceted background allows Ken to see the potential in a symbiotic relationship of natural biological processes and modern technology. As Energy Manager for CBRM, Ken is focused on reducing energy consumption, promoting use of renewable resources, and finding innovative solutions for handling bio-resources produced by municipal services.
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Kendra MacDonald, CEO, Canada’s Ocean Supercluster
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Kendra MacDonald is the inaugural CEO of Canada’s Ocean Supercluster responsible for driving innovation and growth in the ocean economy.
Kendra was previously a Partner in Deloitte's Risk Advisory practice and the Chief Audit Executive of Deloitte Global. Kendra has worked with a number of clients across multiple industries, small and large, public and private in the areas of governance, risk management, cyber security, internal and external audit. Kendra is a frequent speaker and facilitator on the topics of innovation, future of work and disruptive technologies and is currently the Chair of the Newfoundland and Labrador Association of Technology Industries. Kendra has had the opportunity to live and work in Ottawa, Montreal, Australia and Hong Kong before moving to St. John's in 2010 where she now resides with her husband and two children. |
Michael Dennis, Investment Manager at Innovacorp
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Michael Dennis is an investment manager at Innovacorp, where his focus is on identifying and developing seed and early stage investment opportunities in the clean technology sector. He manages all aspects of the investment review, approval and closing cycle.
Michael has extensive experience in the commercialization of early stage technologies through his career as a research scientist, entrepreneur and executive in early stage start-ups. Prior to joining Innovacorp, Michael was CEO of Performance Genomics Inc. of Truro where he led a turn-around based on strategic partnering and financing for the company’s R&D program. He previously founded BlueBio Sustainable Biotechnology, a biotechnology consulting company based in Nova Scotia, and served as CEO of Genome Atlantic where he led development and financing of large-scale genomics research projects in Atlantic Canada. Michael also spent 15 years in the biotechnology industry in Montreal where he was co-founder and CEO of BioSignal, a biotechnology tools company that raised several rounds of venture financing, grew to profitability and was acquired by a U.S.-based multinational. He then served as CEO for SignalGene, a publically-traded medical genomics company where he led private and public financings and established strategic alliances with partners in the U.S. and E.U. Michael holds a B.Sc. and M.Sc. from Dalhousie University and a doctorate in biochemistry from the Université de Montréal. He worked as a research associate at the National Research Council’s Biotechnology Research Institute and as an associate professor in pharmacology at the Université de Montréal. Michael has previously served on the board and investment committee of Innovacorp. |
Myrna Gillis, Co-founder and CEO, Aqualitas
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Myrna Gillis, Aqualitas’ co-founder and CEO, has spent more than 25 years as lawyer, disabilities advocate and entrepreneur and has lead initiatives in cannabis research, product development, international import and export. Under her leadership, Aqualitas has raised tens of millions in non-brokered funds in the exempt market, raised hundreds of thousands of dollars in research grants and credits for award-winning technologies and innovations in the cannabis sector. Aqualitas is a woman-led, environmentally sustainable producer, the only Clean Green certified producer in Canada and will soon be the only Canadian licensed producer that is GMP European ICH compliant with organically grown certification. Myrna was named the Bronze Business Leader of the Year in the 2019 Halifax Chamber of Commerce Business Awards for her leadership in rural economic development, innovation and environmental sustainability. She is a member of the advisory and selection committee for the Wallis McCain Institute Program for high growth potential entrepreneurs in Atlantic Canada. Myrna was a two-time finalist presenter with the Arcview Group, the largest deal flow angel network for cannabis investors in North America. She received her Queen’s Counsel designation in 2014 for exceptional merit, ethics and contribution to the legal profession.
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Pascal-Hugo Plourde, Director of Partnerships, SDTC
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Pascal-Hugo has spent nearly 20 years forging meaningful partnerships with entrepreneurs, stakeholders and governments in Canada and internationally. In his current role as Director of Partnerships, he bridges the gap between funding and talent, connecting promising Canadian cleantech entrepreneurs with a strong supportive ecosystem to help propel their growth domestically and on an international scale. With guidance and funding secured through partnerships, SDTC works as a catalyst and convenor for Canada’s cleantech ecosystem, helping Canadian companies in their efforts to develop and deploy globally competitive cleantech solutions that address climate change, clean air, clean water and clean soil. Pascal-Hugo holds a BA and Masters from the University of Ottawa.
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Paul Richards, Regional Manager, Innovacorp
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Paul Richards is the Regional Manager for Innovacorp, Nova Scotia’s early stage venture capital organization. In this role, Mr. Richards focuses on enabling knowledge-based companies to accelerate the commercialization of their technologies and to create a dynamic high-growth entrepreneur culture in Nova Scotia. As the sector lead for the bioresource sector he has proactively been supporting the development and financing of the sector in the region. A key priority in his work is the development of the Innovacorp Demonstration Centre for the Bio-Resource Economy which is a facility aimed to help support the sector to create high-value opportunities in the rural regions. Currently, Paul is leading a joint collaboration between Innovacorp and Bioenterprise, a business accelerator offering commercialization services to help promote the creation, growth and expansion of businesses engaged in Agri-Technologies.
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Dr. Robert Summerby-Murray, President, Saint Mary’s University
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A respected academic, award-winning educator and accomplished administrator, Dr. Robert Summerby-Murray was appointed Saint Mary’s University’s 34th President in July 2015. Today he leads a vibrant, diverse community of over 8,000 faculty, staff and students and is an enthusiastic champion of Saint Mary’s unique contributions in Nova Scotia and around the globe.
Originally from Christchurch, New Zealand, Dr. Summerby-Murray completed his PhD in geography from the University of Toronto in 1992. He is a Fellow of the Royal Canadian Geographical Society, and is active on several public and private boards, including the Business-Education Council and the Advisory Council for the Order of Nova Scotia. He is the Chair of the Board of Directors of the Canadian Bureau for International Education, serves on Committees for Universities Canada and is a member of the AAU Executive Committee. In 2018, Dr. Summerby-Murray was named one of Atlantic Business Magazine’s Top 50 CEOs. |
Dr. Roberto Armenta, Chief Scientist and Director of R&D, Mara Renewables Corporation
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Dr. Roberto Armenta is the Chief Scientist and Director of R&D of Mara Renewables Corporation in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia. Dr. Armenta has worked extensively in academic, government and industrial sectors. His work includes innovative R&D on industrial biochemical processes, and his research has been crucial in developing novel processes for the development of microbial bio-products. With over 15 years' experience, Armenta's tenures have included his role as Natural Product Biochemist with the Prince Edward Island government, and as Senior Scientist, Director of R&D for Ocean Nutrition Canada Limited (ONC)'s Fermentation and Metabolic Engineering Group. He’s an Adjunct Professor in the Department of Process Engineering and Applied Sciences at Dalhousie University, and a prolific inventor and author, with over a dozen commercially relevant patents and numerous peer-reviewed scientific publications to his name. He’s also a member of the Society for Industrial Microbiology and Biotechnology and the American Oil Chemists’ Society.
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Rod Badcock, Principal Partner, BioApplied Innovation Pathways
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Passionate about renewable resources, Rod Badcock spent the beginning of his career in woodlands operational roles with Alberta Pacific Forest Industries and Bowater Mersey Paper Company.
In 2011, Rod entered the consulting world which has led to the formation of BioApplied Innovation Pathways where he is a Principal Partner. BioApplied focuses on advanced technologies in renewable resource sectors supporting clients who are developing new products, services, and processes through innovation. In this role he has worked on numerous projects such as the High Performance Logging Program in cooperation with the Canadian Woodlands Forum, the commercialization of Cellulose Nano-crystals, and the launch of the Nova Scotia Innovation Hub in cooperation with FPInnovations. |
Sean Fraser, Liberal Member of Parliament for Central Nova
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Sean Fraser is a devoted father and husband and has the pleasure to serve as the Liberal Member of Parliament for Central Nova since 2015. Sean holds a law degree from Dalhousie University, a Masters degree in Public International Law from the Netherlands’ Leiden University, and a Bachelor of Science from St. Francis Xavier University.
Sean has been fighting for environmental causes long before he came to Parliament. Sean has had a successful legal career with one of Canada’s top-ranked law firms, he has also served as Vice-President of a local branch of the United Nations Association of Canada and acted as a Research Fellow with the Centre for International Sustainable Development Law. As a Member of Parliament, Sean served on the Standing Committee on Environment and Sustainable Development, where he listened to Canadians to develop strong environmental policies. In September 2018, Sean was appointed Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Environment and Climate Change. In his role, he lends his voice and thoughtful consideration to the Government’s efforts on federal environmental policy. In particular, he is a forceful advocate for the Government’s price on pollution, which he regularly defends in the House of Commons. Sean has also been at the forefront of the efforts to fulfil the Government’s commitments under the Species at Risk Act. |
Dr. Stefanie Colombo, Canada Research Chair (Tier II) in Aquaculture Nutrition
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Dr. Stefanie Colombo is a Canada Research Chair (Tier II) in Aquaculture Nutrition, and Assistant Professor at Dalhousie University - Agricultural Campus. She completed her B.Sc. in Marine & Freshwater Biology at the University of Guelph, her M.Sc. (Biology) at Dalhousie, Ph.D. (Biology) at Memorial University, and postdoc at Ryerson University. Currently at Dalhousie, the overall goal of her research program is to discover novel solutions in nutrition to improve aquaculture and contribute toward healthier, environmentally sustainable, and economically viable farmed seafood. She currently serves as the Past-President for the Aquaculture Association of Canada.
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Stephen Ball, Regional Director, NPC Atlantic
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Stephen is a forward-thinking, strategic problem solver with over 12 years in the international innovation space. With a background in biochemistry, Stephen has built this career on his scientific knowledge, fueled by his desire to use science to create real-world solutions.
Most recently, Stephen was Director of Sales and Marketing at BioVectra, a contract manufacturing company serving a global client base. There, he gained extensive understanding of various manufacturing processes such as fermentation, and their role in new product development. He was also exposed to the regulatory requirements of Good Manufacturing Practices, Environment Canada, Health Canada, and the FDA. Most importantly, he garnered a reputation for developing mutually-beneficial business relationships with clients and partners, helping the company significantly expand its market share. Stephen was responsible for over $100 million in sales, providing extensive insight and leadership to project teams to ensure their viability. He also led corporate and academic research teams through the commercialization process, helping them manage issues in research, navigate regulatory compliance requirements, and negotiate intellectual property agreements. Stephen has a BSc from Mount Allison, and received his MSc at Memorial University. He completed his MBA with a concentration in marketing at Saint Mary’s University. |
Steve Parsons, General Manager Corporate Div, Eskasoni First Nation
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Steve Parsons is presently the General Manager Corporate Div. , Eskasoni First Nation which is nestled on the beautiful Bras d`Or lakes in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia.
Steve graduated from Memorial University – St John`s, NF in 1990 with a Bachelor of Arts and a Bachelor of Education. Steve started his working career with Shoppers Drug Atlantic Office as a Loss Prevention Retail Coordinator. Over the years 1991- 2000 Steve was promoted to the level of District Coordinator responsible for the profitability of twenty SDM franchises in both Newfoundland and Nova Scotia. Since 2001, Steve has worked within the First Nation community of Eskasoni both as a secondary teacher delivering business curriculum courses and as an economic development consultant. Since 2003, Steve was responsible for project management of the newly renovated Dan K Stevens arena, establishment of a community gaming casino along with numerous exterior commercial contracts. Since 2013 Steve has been working as the General Manager of Eskasoni Corporate Div which has been engaged in renewable resources of wind and solar development, cold storage and live storage of fishery related product along with many other industry sectors. In 2008 and again in subsequent 4 year terms of 2012 and 2016 Steve was elected to the Cape Breton Victoria Regional School Board district 3 as a board trustee holding the position of vice chair and Chairman. Steve also serves as a board member on several companies and foundations including the Cape Breton University Board of Governors, Cape Breton Partnership, Sydney & Area Chamber Of Commerce, Eskasoni Wind Company ltd and most recently Provincial Advisory Committee to the Minister of Early Childhood and Education. |
Dr. J. Kevin Vessey, Professor of Plant Biology, Saint Mary’s University
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Dr. J. Kevin Vessey is a Professor of Plant Biology at Saint Mary’s University in Halifax, Canada. Dr. Vessey’s teaching and research area is plant physiology, particularly the functional interactions between crop plants and beneficial micro-organisms, and the optimizing of crops as biodiesel and bioethanol feedstocks. Dr. Vessey received his BSc and MSc from Dalhousie University and his PhD from Queen’s University, Kingston. From 2005 to 2017, he served in the positions of Dean of Graduate Studies and Associate VP Research at Saint Mary’s. Prior to coming to Saint Mary’s University, he was a Professor of Plant Science at the University of Manitoba for 16 years. He has also been a Researcher Associate at North Carolina State University, and a Visiting Scientist at the Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique, France. He has published over 85 peer-reviewed scholarly articles and book chapters, has co-edited one book, and been awarded one patent. Dr. Vessey has served on many boards and committees including grant selection committees of the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) and BioFuelNet Canada; advisory committees for the Nova Scotia Research and Innovation Trust, NSERC Atlantic, and TRIUMF (UBC); and the Boards of Directors for NSERC, the Offshore Energy Research Association, Plant Inoculants Canada, Springboard Atlantic Inc., and the Alliance of Canadian Comprehensive Research Universities. In recognition of his scholarly and service activities he received awards the “Unsung Heroes” Award from the Nova Scotia Health Research Foundation, the Dedicated Service Award from the Northeastern Association of Graduate Schools, the C.D. Nelson Award from The Canadian Society of Plant Physiologists, and the Rh Institute Award in the Natural Sciences from the Rh Institute Foundation.
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Slyvain Volpé, FPInnovations
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Sylvain Volpé was born and grew up in the forest region of Edmundston, New Brunswick. The forest industry is an important part of the economic vitality of the province and encouraged Sylvain to complete a Bachelor of Forest Science at the University of Moncton in 2005. His interest to specialize is expertise lead him to Laval University in Quebec City where he completed in 2007 a Master’s of Science in Forest Operations under the direction of Luc Lebel.
With his background acquired in university research and the desire to continue in the field of research, Sylvain joined the research group on forest feedstocks (now Fibre Supply) at FPInnovations in Montreal. Since the last 12 years at FPInnovations, Sylvain specializes in:
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Julie Towers, Deputy Minister
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Julie Towers became the Deputy Minister of the Nova Scotia Department of Natural Resources on December 12, 2016.
Prior to her appointment as Deputy Minister of Natural Resources she was the Chief Executive Officer of the Nova Scotia Office of Immigration since June 2016. In addition to her responsibilities with the Nova Scotia Office of Immigration, Julie has also led the Nova Scotia Office of Aboriginal Affairs since 2014. Julie takes an action-oriented approach to growing our province. She is a proud graduate of the University of Toronto and the University of New Brunswick, with Bachelor and Master of Science degrees in Biology. She also worked as a wildlife biologist before entering Nova Scotia’s public service. She brings considerable experience in government and business to her current roles, including serving as the Executive Director of Renewable Resources for the Nova Scotia Department of Natural Resources and running her own consulting business in British Columbia. She also has a great sense of humour and loves the outdoors. |
Bruce Anderson, Michelin Canada
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Bruce Anderson is responsible for Michelin metallic reinforcement operations in North America. Since joining Michelin in 1993, Bruce has worked in all three Nova Scotia plants, several U.S. factories, as well as the company’s global headquarters in Clermont-Ferrand, France. Bruce has also been part of several projects and factory expansions in Brazil, China and India.
During his 26 years with the company, Bruce has witnessed and been a part of Michelin’s continued commitment to becoming a more sustainable company at a global level. |
