News

By Emma Geldart

If there’s a club or organization on campus, chances are Rosalie Madden is in it.

The many clubs and organizations that she was involved in at Dalhousie Agricultural Campus led Rosalie to be awarded the 2015 Student Leadership Impact Award for a Club or Organization.

The Student Leadership Impact Award for a Club or Organization is awarded to a student or student group for their commitment, time, energy and resources for making a difference to other students. In a short period of time, Rosalie provided leadership and inspired collaboration through several clubs and committees on the Agricultural Campus. She went above and beyond to demonstrate a true love of agriculture.

“I’m honoured to be amidst such a crowd of fantastic people,” Rosalie explains. “I love the Impact Awards banquet, it’s so great to hear about all of the amazing things going on around our campus!”

Originally from Sheldon, Vermont, Rosalie completed her undergrad at McGill University in Quebec. She came to Dalhousie Faculty of Agriculture because of the love she developed for Nova Scotia. Rosalie crossed the stage last Friday during Convocation ceremonies to receive her Masters of Science in  Agriculture.

Rosalie Madden and Dr. David Gray

Rosalie was also the recipient of a Distinguished Graduate Award.  The Distinguished Graduate Award is designed to express the Faculty’s acknowledgment and appreciation to graduating students, who have, through their time, energy, talent and leadership enriched the campus community during their studies without neglecting academic pursuits. Recipients are recognized for contributions made through their involvement over time in multiple activities, including, but not limited to, student government, campus activities, community service, sport and recreation, internationalization, or other campus programs.

“Two of my best friends from McGill lived in Halifax, and so I used to come to Nova Scotia on vacation to visit them,” Rosalie says. “I fell in love with the province. I decided to come to the AC because I wanted to work with the Canadian Research Chair in Organic Agriculture. I love Nova Scotia and am thrilled to have found a job here!”

Rosalie is currently working at Perennia in Kentville, NS as a Horticultural Specialist. A natural leader, Rosalie couldn’t resist getting involved on campus. Her involvement in one club or organization would lead to another and before she knew it she found herself involved with over 15 clubs and organizations. Rosalie was president of the Dalhousie Agricultural Association of Graduate Students (DAAGS), co-organizer for Ruminate, a member of the Graduate Studies Committee, co-chair of the Agrology Club, and a member of Female Leaders in Academia, to name a few.

Rosalie explains her passion for getting involved stems from her love of agriculture. She also believes that being involved with different clubs and organizations on campus will help students communicate better with each other, something she feels is very important.

“I love agriculture, and I love sharing my love of agriculture,” Rosalie explains. “We live in an era of easy access to information.  I think we, as students and society members, need to think critically about a lot of the information that we come across. But it is not enough to simply think deep thoughts, we also need to be able to discuss it with our peers; by communicating with each other we gain a broader and deeper understanding.”

Not only was Rosalie involved in many clubs and organizations, she was also involved in politics pertaining to graduate students.

“I became pretty involved in graduate student politics while at the AC as well,” Rosalie says. “Grad school can and should, be hard, but sometimes it’s hard for all the wrong reasons. Because I had a supportive supervisor and committee, I felt like I was in a position to be a voice for some students who didn’t feel like they had one. I think our graduate program is stronger today than it was.”

During her time on the Agricultural Campus, Rosalie committed her spare time and energy to making a difference for other students. She learned a lot from being involved with so many groups, something that allowed her to develop skills that were transferrable to the workplace. To Rosalie, getting involved is not only very important, it’s a unique opportunity that everyone should take advantage of.