Introducing McGill's new dean of agricultural and environmental sciences

International water management expert Chandra Madramootoo known for broad thinking

A world leader in water management has been appointed Associate Vice-Principal and Dean of McGill University's Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences. Chandra Madramootoo begins his five-year term at the helm of Macdonald Campus on August 15, 2005.

Dr. Madramootoo has been an integral part of Macdonald Campus as a James McGill Professor and founding director of the Brace Centre for Water Resources Management. He obtained his BSc(AgrEng), MSc and PhD degrees in agricultural engineering at McGill and worked for several years in agricultural water management in the Commonwealth Caribbean region and other parts of the world.

Dr. Madramootoo specializes in water table management, irrigation, drainage, water quality, watershed management and land reclamation. He has built strongly funded research networks in Canada and overseas to enable engineers and scientists to study water resources and soil and water engineering problems. He has extensively studied the hydrology and water quality of surface and subsurface drained fields. He has taught undergraduate and graduate courses in hydrologic systems and modeling, irrigation, drainage, and soil and water quality management.

He has played a pivotal role in building the Brace Centre for Water Resources Management's extensive teaching and technology transfer programs, as well as its research infrastructure. He has served as project leader on many large-scale water and environmental research projects in Quebec, Central Asia, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Egypt.

"Professor Madramootoo is an internationally recognized expert who possesses in-depth knowledge of the Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences and has demonstrated a passion for Macdonald Campus, its people and its programs," said Heather Munroe-Blum, Principal and Vice-Chancellor of McGill University. "He is a multidisciplinary thinker who has managed a wide portfolio of projects that have helped our understanding of the world's most precious resource: water."

To learn more about Dr Madramootoo and his research on water management, please consult his web page.

About Macdonald Campus
The Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences and the School of Dietetics and Human Nutrition are located on McGill University's Macdonald Campus, which occupies 650 hectares of waterfront property on the western tip of Montreal. Students can earn internationally recognized degrees at the undergraduate and graduate level in the fields of natural sciences, environment, agriculture, food, applied economics and engineering. Students benefit from small classes and have the opportunity, in all programs, for study abroad in places such as Panama, Barbados or Africa.

About McGill University
McGill University is Canada's leading research-intensive university and has earned an international reputation for scholarly achievement and scientific discovery. Founded in 1821, McGill has 21 faculties and professional schools which offer more than 300 programs from the undergraduate to the doctoral level. McGill attracts renowned professors and researchers from around the world and top students from more than 150 countries, creating one of the most dynamic and diverse education environments in North America. There are approximately 23,000 undergraduate students and 7,000 graduate students. It is one of two Canadian members of the American Association of Universities. McGill's two campuses are located in Montreal, Canada.