Police arrested a would-be bicycle thief Wednesday morning thanks to a pair of quick thinking OVC faculty members.

It's believed the man may have cut the locks off at least three bikes this morning. Anyone whose bicycle is missing from the racks around OVC, or whose bike lock may have been tampered with, is asked to contact U of G Campus Community Police at Ext 52245.

The incident began around 9:40 a.m. as Pathobiology Prof. Andrew Peregrine walked across the courtyard between the Lifetime Learning Centre and the Pathobiology / AHL building. There he spotted a man who appeared to be trying to cut the lock off a bike in full view of several bystanders.

Wary but not convinced anything was amiss, Peregrine continued to his office in the Pathobiology building. Once inside, he went to see Prof. Dorothee Bienzle, whose third-floor office overlooks the courtyard. He pointed out the man below and asked if she thought he looked suspicious.

"Yes, because he's stealing my bike," a surprised Bienzle told him.

The pair hurried outside where they found the man still trying to cut the lock. When confronted, the man initially claimed the bike belonged to him. When Bienzle replied that the bike was in fact hers, he left, first heading toward the main OVC building and then across the lawn to Gordon Street.

As Bienzle talked to police on her cellphone, she and Peregrine followed the man south along Gordon Street, behind the Food Science building and back toward the Central Animal Facility on McGilvray Street. That's when police arrived and arrested the suspect as he tried to ride away on another bike.

The man has been charged with several offences including theft, possession of stolen property, breach of probation, and possession of burglary tools, said a campus police spokesperson.

An OVC professor was among several members of the University community who were honoured May 5 at the 2011 YMCA-YWCA of Guelph's Women of Distinction Awards.

Dr. Pat Shewen, a professor in the Department of Pathobiology, was recognized for lifetime achievement in the Science, Technology and Research category.

University of Guelph students, faculty and alumni made up more than half of the 29 nominees for the awards. Winners were announced at the River Run Centre during a gala fundraiser for the Teenage Parents Program.

An OVC graduate, Shewen joined the faculty in 1982. She became assistant dean of research in 1995 and served as founding chair of the new Department of Pathobiology from 1997 to 2002. Along with professor emeritus Bruce Wilkie, she helped develop an effective vaccine for bovine pneumonic pasteurellosis. The disease, also known as shipping fever, is a major cause of sickness, death and economic losses in the cattle industry.

For more on the Women of Distinction awards, see the U of G news release.

The University of Guelph and members of the Korean Canadian community celebrated the life of an extraordinary Canadian and a national hero in Korea by dedicating the Dr. Frank Schofield Memorial Seminar Room on Feb. 1.

U of G president Alastair Summerlee and OVC dean Elizabeth Stone welcomed special guests including South Korea's former prime minister Un-Chan Chung and Ji-In Hong, the Consul General to Toronto.

"For his contributions to the Ontario Veterinary College, Dr. Schofield is remembered as a distinguished scientist and a dedicated teacher," said Stone. "For his contributions to Korea, he his remembered as the 'tiger grandfather' who supported Korean students and spoke out for Korean independence while a medical missionary from 1916 to 1920."

"On behalf of the College, I extend sincere thanks to the Korean-Canadian community, OVC faculty members and friends whose generosity and passion created this enduring tribute to Dr. Schofield's legacy."

The seminar room is located on the main level of the new Pathobiology / Animal Health Laboratory building. It is supported by donations from alumni of Seoul National University's College of Veterinary Medicine, the Dr. Schofield Memorial Scholarship Association of Korean-Canadians, friends and colleagues.

Schofield's career is showcased in a display in the seminar room developed by Vilnis Cultural Design Works of Eden Mills, Ont. There is also a bronze bust of Schofield created by the Umian Seone Sculpture Company of Seoul and shipped to Canada from South Korea.

Schofield graduated from the OVC in 1910 when it was still located in Toronto. He became a renowned veterinary pathologist and taught at OVC from 1921 to 1955. His most famous scientific discovery was tracing a bleeding disease in sheep and cattle to mouldy sweet clover. That work led to development of vitamin K inhibitors now used worldwide to control blood-clotting.

After he retired, he returned to Korea, his beloved adopted home, where he died in 1970 and was buried in the patriot's section of the National Cemetery.

The epitaph on his tomb reads, "When I die, please bury me in Korean soil. Please take care of the boys and girls and the poor that I once cared for."

In 2009, Schofield was named a person of national historic significance by the Canadian government.

Renovations have begun on new research facilities for the Centre for Public Health and Zoonoses (CPHAZ).

Construction will affect office and laboratory space formerly occupied by the Animal Health Laboratory and Department of Pathobiology at the west end of Building 49. Plans call for the temporary closure of corridor C1105 (adjacent to the former post-mortem viewing area and AHL bacteriology lab).

Throughout construction, students will continue to have access to locker rooms 1131 and 1128 via corridor C1107. It will be accessible from the entrance next to the former AHL administration area, and from the main east-west corridor (corridor C1102) connecting the Small Animal Clinic and the former Department of Pathobiology.

(The east end of corridor C1102 will be closed when construction begins on the Animal Cancer Centre later in the spring. The student locker rooms will still be accessible from the north via the College Avenue entrance to building 49.)

The infrastructure project is scheduled for completion in May. The work is supported by a $1-million grant from the Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI) New Initiatives Fund. The funding goes toward equipment and facilities to expand CPHAZ's capacity to conduct state-of-the-art research in animal-related aspects of public health, particularly zoonotic diseases.

CPHAZ offices will remain in McNabb House.

A retired OVC professor, whose association with the University of Guelph goes back more than 60 years, has died.

Bruce M. McCraw passed away Nov. 19 at Guelph General Hospital at the age of 86.

McCraw retired in 1989 following a long career at OVC that began in 1948 in what was then the Department of Parasitology. In addition to his teaching and research, he was actively involved in campus and community life, serving the OVC Library Committee, the U of G Senate and Executive, and the Guelph Children's Aid Society.

For more, see the story in the Guelph Mercury and the obituary online.

Two OVC professors are among 13 University of Guelph researchers to share in a $12.8-million investment in the Canada Research Chairs (CRC) program announced by the federal government.

The University received five new CRCs and had a total of eight renewed, including Department of Biomedical Sciences Prof. Allan King's Tier 1 chair in animal reproductive biotechnology and Pathobiology Prof. Dorothee Bienzle's Tier 2 chair in veterinary pathology.

On the opening day of a special conference in Toronto making the 10th anniversary of the CRC program, Canada's Industry Minister Tony Clement announced a total of 310 new or renewed chairs worth an estimated $275.6 million.

For more, read the U of G news release.

Innovative technology developed by researchers in the Department of Pathobiology is showcased at this year's Royal Agricultural Winter Fair.

High immune response (HIR) technology is a new genetic tool for breeding disease-resistant cattle developed by a team led by Prof. Bonnie Mallard and Lauri Wagter-Lesperance.

"We've patented a process that will help producers identify their healthiest animals and breed them based on their inherent immune response capacity," said Mallard. "HIR animals are improved through natural genetic selection, making this a 'green' and sustainable approach to improving animal health, food safety for consumers, and the bottom line for producers."

Mallard invited visitors to the Royal to drop by the U of G booth and meet the researchers, watch a video describing the HIR process, and participate in a short survey.

A number of U of G initiatives are in the spotlight at the Royal this year, including the latest advances in bioproducts, the BetterPlanet Project, and EquiMania!

Billed as the largest indoor event combining agricultural, horticultural, canine and equestrian exhibits, the annual Royal Winter Agricultural Fair attracts more than 350,000 visitors. It runs until Nov. 14 at Exhibition Place in Toronto.

Canada has strengthened its capacity to solve health problems that occur at the intersection of the human and animal worlds with a new cutting-edge research and diagnostic centre that opened today at the University of Guelph.

The Pathobiology and Animal Health Laboratory building will support the growing role of veterinarians in research and teaching in public health, infectious diseases, pathology and immunology.

Researchers working in sophisticated laboratories will diagnose and study a range of animal diseases and pathogenic organisms, from bird flu and SARS to E. coli and West Nile virus. The 126,000-square-foot, four-storey structure also houses a 120-seat lecture theatre, flexible laboratory space, seminar rooms, teaching labs and office space.

The federal and provincial governments have invested approximately $62 million in this project. Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada committed $37 million, while the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA) contributed $25 million.

"The health and safety of Ontarions and a safe food supply are top priorities for the McGuinty government," said Carol Mitchell, minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs.

"Our government is pleased to provide funding to the University of Guelph to help support ongoing research activities that preserve consumer confidence, protect against animal disease, and demonstrate our commitment to a competitive and sustainable agri-food industry."

U of G president Alastair Summerlee said the facility places Guelph at the forefront of improving the health of animals, people and the environment. "Here current and future scientists will make and share discoveries that will improve the health and well-being of animals, people and the planet," he said.

"This new building will further our ability to identify both the risks we face and the potential benefits and treatments that can be realized by taking an integrated approach to these questions."

Veterinarians have a great deal to share about health relationships among humans, animals and the environment, added OVC dean Elizabeth Stone.

"About 75 per cent of new and emerging diseases are zoonotic, transmitted from animals to humans and back again. Animal health researchers play an important role in identifying, controlling and understanding this phenomenon," Stone said. "We will use this knowledge to improve the health of animals and the prospects for human health, here and around the world."

As a partner with OMAFRA in the Ontario Animal Health Surveillance Network, the University of Guelph Animal Health Laboratory (AHL) helps maintain healthy animals and safe food in Ontario by providing specialized diagnostic services for veterinarians and public- and private-sector agencies.

The new lab areas include open-concept space that encourages cross-training and staff sharing. Improved facilities also allow for better control of pathogenic organisms, Stone said. "This will greatly improve our biosecurity and biocontainment, to protect both our staff and our clients."

The new building fulfills a key component of OVC's strategic vision, as the college approaches its 150th birthday in 2012. Key initiatives include the OVC Health Sciences Centre with its Companion Animal Medical Complex, Large Animal Medical Complex, Hill's Pet Nutrition Primary Healthcare Centre, animal cancer centre, Equine Sports Medicine and Reproduction Centre, and large-animal isolation unit.

Four scientists in the Department of Pathobiology are among 14 University of Guelph researchers to share in $1.8 million in support announced this week by the province of Ontario.

Professors Claire Jardine, Scott Weese, Geoff Wood and Sarah Wootton received funding through the research infrastructure program of the Ontario Research Fund (ORF) for lab space, equipment and software.

Jardine received $87,209 and Weese $122,258 to support their work on zoonotic diseases. Wood was awarded $117,954 for his research on dog and mouse models of cancer to develop novel therapies, and Wootton's work on treatment of lung cancer in non-smokers received $120,711.

For more, see the University of Guelph news release.

Researchers from the Ontario Veterinary College and the Animal Health Laboratory were featured in a report on Daily Planet, the Discovery Channel's daily science news program.

On Saturday, the OVC's Animal Cancer Centre was featured in the Globe and Mail.

A Daily Planet film crew spent time recently with Doug Campbell, an adjunct faculty member in the Department of Pathobiology and researcher with the Canadian Co-operative Wildlife Health Centre. Campbell is investigating white-nose syndrome in bats, a deadly but poorly understood disease named for a distinctive ring of fungal growth around the muzzles and on the wings of afflicted bats.

The film crew followed Campbell, who is working with the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, as he looked for bats in an abandoned mine in eastern Ontario. They also filmed technicians and scientists at work in the AHL's bacteriology lab.

The two-page story on the Animal Cancer Centrelooked at how by studying and caring for dogs with cancer, researchers can develop new ways to help fight the disease in animals and people.

The cancer centre is the clinical arm of the U of Guelph's Institute for Comparative Cancer Investigation (ICCI), established in 2007 to broaden the scope of cancer studies by combining U of G's expertise in basic cancer biology and veterinary medicine with research in other disciplines.