William F. Grant

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William Frederick Grant, (born October 20, 1924) is an Canadian plant geneticist, biosystematist, educator, and environmental advocate who developed higher plant species for monitoring and testing for mutagenic effects of environmental pollutants. He is an authority on the genetics of the genus Lotus (Leguminosae) developing an innovative procedure for increasing seed production in the legume birdsfoot trefoil.

1 Life
2 Jobs
3 Awards
4 References
5 External links

[edit] Life

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 Ph.D. 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 under the operation of the Canadian Department of External Affairs , Ottawa. 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 Programme on Plant Bioassays in the use of higher plants in the testing for environmental mutagens in the global environment.

[edit] Jobs

In 1956, he was a founding member of the Genetics Society of Canada . In 1962, he was elected a Fellow of the Linnean Society of London ; appointed Life Member 2005 In 1964, he was elected President of the Macdonald Campus, McGill University Branch of the Agriculture Institute of Canada . In 1965, he was a founding member of the Canadian Botanical Association . In 1973, he was the only Canadian to participate in the 25th Nobel Symposium in Sweden. From 1974 to 1982, he was Editor of the Canadian Journal of Genetics and Cytology . From 1974 to1978, he was Treasurer of the Biological Council of Canada . In 1975, he was elected President of the McGill University Chapter of Sigma Xi . In 1975, he was elected President of the Genetics Society of Canada. In 1981, he was elected President of the International Organization of Plant Biosystematists . From 1990-1996, he was a Member of the International Committee of the International Congress of Systematic and Evolutionary Biology

[edit] Awards

In 1984 and 1989, he was awarded Senior Japan Society for the Promotion of Science Fellowships . In 1989, he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada [1]. In 1989, he was a recipient of the George Lawson Medal of the Canadian Botanical Association [2]. In 1990, he was made an Emeritus Professor by McGill University [3]. In 1990, he was awarded The McMaster University Distinguished Alumni/Alumnae Scholar Award [4]. In 1991, he was awarded the Presidential Citation by the President of the Genetics Society of Canada. In 1993, he was appointed honorary Editor-in-Chief of the journal Plant Species Biology . In 1995, he was awarded life Membership in La Corporation des Agronomes du Québec . In 2000, he received an honorary D.Sc. from McMaster University [5]. In 2006, he was inducted into Westdale Secondary School’s Wall of Distinction, Hamilton, Ontario. In 2007, he received the first Life Time Achievement Award from the Genetics Society of Canada [6].