On November 6, the John Abbott–Macdonald Remembrance Day Ceremony united students, veterans, and community members in tribute to Canada’s armed forces. Held on the John Abbott College football field, the event featured moving speeches and a solemn wreath-laying at Macdonald Campus’s War Memorial.


In Canada, researchers from McGill University’s WELL-E Chair are using artificial intelligence to improve the welfare of dairy cows. At a farm in Montreal, high-definition cameras track cows’ movements, ear positions, and walking patterns to gather behavioral data. These subtle signals help assess the animals’ physical and mental health.

Dean Salwa Karboune is please to announce the following appointments in the Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences:
Jessica Head
Director of the Morgan Arboretum and Molson Nature Reserve
Professor Jessica Head has been appointed as Director of the Morgan Arboretum and Molson Nature Reserve for a three-year term starting September 2025. Professor Head is an Associate Professor in the Department of Natural Resource Sciences.
As we welcome the Fall semester, the Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences is pleased to announce the following appointments:
Sebastien Faucher
Associate Dean (Research)
Dr. Faucher obtained his Ph.D. in Microbiology and Immunology from the Université de Montréal in 2007 and joined our Faculty in July 2011. He has previously served as Acting Associate Dean (Research) in 2020.

Last week, La Presse reporters spoke to agronomist and economist Pascal Thériault about a recent price surge of 62.58% for Ghanaian cocoa, a move aimed at supporting its struggling farmers. This significant price hike is expected to affect not only other cocoa-producing countries but also global chocolate manufacturers and consumers.

Dear Macdonald Campus Community,
It is with great excitement and gratitude that I begin my journey as the new Dean of the Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences and Associate Vice-President of the Macdonald Campus at McGill University. As I begin my term, I’m excited to connect with each of you - professors, lecturers, staff, learners, students, alumni, donors, and allies. Thank you for the trust you have placed in me.

For 15 years, McGill University dining halls have been serving up fresh, local produce grown by students at Macdonald Campus as part of their agricultural and environmental sciences programs. Last year alone, 3.4 tons of tomatoes and almost 2 tons of onions ended up on students' plates thanks to the McGill Feeding McGill initiative.

The athlete began this sport at McGill University, the only school in Quebec to offer the opportunity to do logging as a sport.
Stéphanie Naud, FMT’14, BSc(AgEnvSc)’17, is representing Canada at the World Timber Sports Championships in Wisconsin from July 16–19.

As McGill’s Class of 2025 prepares to cross the stage, the 10 valedictorians from Faculties across the University—including Andre Hadji-Thomas and Jennifer McDonald in the Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences—have been drafting their speeches and, in the process, reflecting on much more than their academic success.

On May 2, 2025, over 60 people gathered in the John Abbott College Library for the Lister Science Chats, where four Macdonald Campus graduate students presented their research and shared how past events as well as the discoveries, sometimes unintentional, and techniques of previous scientists made their work possible.

On April 11, 2025, over 60 people gathered at the annual John Abbott Sustainability Through Science Symposium to hear how the research of three Macdonald Campus graduate students contributes to a more sustainable future. Honours and science students from John Abbott College, as well as members of McGill University's Macdonald Campus community, were inspired by short talks followed by a panel discussion on the students' university experience and their chosen career paths.
Please join us in congratulating the 2025 winners of the Macdonald Campus Gold Key Awards, selected for their outstanding contributions, passion, and commitment to enriching student life on our campus. Read their stories below.

Single-use plastics are everywhere—but two McGill University researchers are redefining the norm and championing sustainability.
"Although plastic pollution wasn’t the main focus of our research, safeguarding water bodies is essential to our work, and we knew we had to address the disconnect between our values and laboratory practices."

Although Andrea Amado doesn’t come from an agricultural background, she was drawn to farms from a young age. Originally from Argentina, she moved to Sherbrooke, Quebec with her family when she was four. Some of her earliest memories are of visiting farms and connecting with the animals, especially cows and horses. This interest eventually led her to McGill, where she earned a B.Sc. in Agricultural and Environmental Sciences in 2023 and is now in her second semester of the M.Sc.

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On Monday, February 24, 2025 the Macdonald Campus Library will open up its Seed Library for online orders. The seed catalogue will be available to McGill students, faculty, and staff on opening day.
If you're not yet a member of the Seed Library, please fill out the registration form.
