William F. Grant
William Frederick Grant, (born October 20, 1924) is a Canadian plant geneticist, biosystematist,[1] educator, and environmental advocate[2] who developed higher plant species for monitoring and testing for mutagenic effects of environmental pollutants. He has carried out research on the genetics of species of the genus Lotus (Leguminosae) and the forage species Lotus corniculatus (Birdsfoot Trefoil)[3] developing an innovative procedure for increasing seed production[4] in the legume birdsfoot trefoil.
Biography
Born in Hamilton, Ontario, he received a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1947 from McMaster University and a master's degree in 1949. In 1953, he received a PhD degree from the University of Virginia. In 1953, he was appointed botanist to the Department of Agriculture, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, through the Colombo Technical Cooperation Program[5] under the operation of the Canadian Department of External Affairs, Ottawa.[6] In 1955 he joined McGill University as an assistant professor in Genetics in the Department of Genetics. In 1961, he was appointed associate and in 1967 was made a full professor. In 1970, he joined the Department of Plant Science, retaining his affiliation until 1976 as associate member with the Department of Biology. From 1983 to 1989 he was appointed adjunct professor, Department of Biology, York University, Toronto. From 1978 to 1986, he was a member of the Environmental Contaminants Advisory Committee on Mutagenesis to the Minister, Department of National Health and Welfare, and the minister, Department of the Environment, Ottawa. From 1987 to 1991 he was appointed chair of the Steering Committee of the International Program on Chemical Safety's collaborative study on plant genotoxicity assays for screening and monitoring environmental pollutants, a cooperative venture sponsored by the United Nations Environment Program, the International Labour Organization, and the World Health Organization. Since 1995 he has been a co-director of the International Program on Plant Bioassays[7] in the use of higher plants in the testing for environmental mutagens[8] in the global environment.
Employment
- 1956, founding member of the Genetics Society of Canada.[9]
- 1962, elected a fellow of the Linnean Society of London; appointed life member 2005.
- 1964, elected president of the Macdonald Campus, McGill University Branch of the Agricultural Institute of Canada.[10]
- 1965, founding member of the Canadian Botanical Association.[11]
- 1973, the only Canadian to participate in the 25th Nobel Symposium in Sweden[12]
- 1974 to 1982, editor of the Canadian Journal of Genetics and Cytology (now GENOME).[13]
- 1974 to 1978, treasurer of the Biological Council of Canada (replaced by the Canadian Federation of Biological Sciences).[14]
- 1974, elected president of the Genetics Society of Canada.
- 1975, elected president of the McGill University Chapter of Sigma Xi.
- 1981, elected president of the International Organization of Plant Biosystematists.[15]
- 1990–1996, member of the International Committee of the International Congress of Systematic and Evolutionary Biology
Awards and appointments
- 1984 and 1989, awarded Senior Japan Society for the Promotion of Science.[17]
- 1989, elected a fellow of the Royal Society of Canada.[18]
- 1989, recipient of the George Lawson Medal[19] of the Canadian Botanical Association.[11]
- 1990, made an emeritus professor by McGill University.[20]
- 1990, awarded The McMaster University Distinguished Alumni/Alumnae Scholar Award.[21]
- 1991, awarded the Presidential Citation by the President of the Genetics Society of Canada.[22]
- 1993, appointed honorary Editor-in-Chief of the journal Plant Species Biology.[23]
- 1995, awarded life Membership in Ordre des agronomes du Québec.[24]
- 2000, received an honorary D.Sc. from McMaster University.[25]
- 2006, inducted into Westdale Secondary School’s Wall of Distinction, Hamilton, Ontario.
- 2007, received the first Life Time Achievement Award from the Genetics Society of Canada.[26]
References
- ↑ http://www.tc-biodiversity.org/biosystematics.htm Retrieved on July 22, 2008.
- ↑ http://www.ecojustice.ca Retrieved on July 22, 2008.
- ↑ http://topics.scirus.com/Lotus_corniculatus.html?navbar=off Retrieved on July 23, 2008.
- ↑ http://www.organic.aber.ac.uk/library/Organic%20forage%20seed%20production.pdf Retrieved on July 22, 2008.
- ↑ http://www.colombo-plan.org Retrieved on July 22, 2008.
- ↑ http://www.dfait-maeci.gc.ca/international/index.asp Retrieved on July 22, 2008.
- ↑ http://www.wiu.edu/NATO Retrieved on July 22, 2008.
- ↑ http://www.ems-us.org Retrieved on July 22, 2008.
- ↑ http://life.biology.mcmaster.ca/GSC Retrieved on July 22, 2008.
- ↑ http://www.aic.ca Retrieved on July 22, 2008.
- 1 2 http://www.cba-abc.ca/cbahome.htm Retrieved on July 22, 2008.
- ↑ http://nobelprize.org/nobelfoundation/symposia/complete-list.html Retrieved on July 24, 2008.
- ↑ http://pubs.nrc-cnrc.gc.ca/rp-ps/volumes.jsp?jcode=gen&lang=eng Retrieved on July 22, 2008.
- ↑ http://www.cfbs.org Retrieved on July 22, 2008.
- ↑ http://www.iopb.org Retrieved on July 22, 2008.
- ↑ "Author Query for 'W.F.Grant'". International Plant Names Index.
- ↑ http://www.jsps.go.jp/English Retrieved on July 22, 2008.
- ↑ Fellows of the Royal Society of Canada, Academy III Retrieved on July 22, 2008.
- ↑ http://www.cba-abc.ca/lawson.htm Retrieved on July 22, 2008.
- ↑ McGill Emeritus Professor recipients Retrieved on July 22, 2008.
- ↑ McMaster Alumni Retrieved on July 22, 2008.
- ↑ http://www.yorku.ca/spyro Genetics Society of Canada Bulletin 33 (Issue 3): 99–105, 2002 Retrieved on July 24, 2008.
- ↑ http://www.blackwellpublishing.com/journal.asp?ref=0913-557x Retrieved on July 22, 2008.
- ↑ http://oaq.qc.ca Retrieved on July 22, 2008.
- ↑ McMaster Honorary degree recipients Retrieved on July 22, 2008.
- ↑ Lifetime Achievement Award, Page 88 Retrieved on July 22, 2008.
External links
- Canadian Who’s Who
- Colombo Plan for Technical Co-operation
- International Organization of Plant Biosystematists
- Lotus Newsletter
- Lotus corniculatus
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