Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada
August 11, 2009
The Crop Development Centre and
the Department of Plant Sciences at the
University of Saskatchewan are
pleased to announce that Dr. Helen Booker has accepted the
position of Flax Breeder with the CDC.
Dr. Booker comes to the Crop Development Centre from the
Agriculture Food and Nutritional Science Department at the
University of Alberta in Edmonton, where for the past 18 months
she has worked as a Research Associate in Cereal Breeding. Prior
to that, she was employed as a Natural Sciences and Engineering
Research Council (NSERC) Post-doctoral Fellow with Agriculture
and Agri-Food Canada at the Saskatoon Research Centre in
Saskatoon.
After completing a BSc (Honours) in Molecular Biology and
Genetics and an MSc in Plant Physiology at the University of
Guelph, Dr. Booker obtained a PhD in Plant Breeding and Genetics
from the University of West Indies, a Centre that is well
recognized for its excellence in the breeding of tropical crops.
Dr. Booker will begin her new position at the Crop Development
Centre on August 17, 2009. She will have the honour of working
over the next year with with Dr. Gordon Rowland, whose
successful 30 year research career with CDC has resulted in the
release of 15 flax and 4 fababean varieties. Among his releases
are Vimy, which dominated the western Canadian flax acreage for
over 10 years, and CDC Bethune, which has now replaced Vimy as
the most dominant flax variety in western Canada.
About the U of S Crop Development Centre: Located within the
College of Agriculture and Bioresources, the Crop Development
Centre is Saskatchewan’s plant breeding institute. The CDC
develops varieties of spring wheat, durum, canary seed, barley,
oat, flax, pea, lentil, chickpea, and dry bean for the economic
benefit of farmers and Saskatchewan’s agricultural industry.
Since its inception, the CDC has released over 325 new plant
varieties.
About the University of Saskatchewan (www.usask.ca):
The University of Saskatchewan is one of the leading medical
doctoral universities in Canada. With 58 degrees, diplomas and
certificates in over 100 areas of study, the university is
uniquely positioned in the areas of human, animal and plant
studies. World-class research facilities, renowned faculty and
award-winning students make the U of S a leader in
post-secondary education. |
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