Clydesdale appointed Distinguished Professor

By Patrick J. Callahan, News Office staff

Fergus M. Clydesdale

ergus M. Clydesdale, head of the Department of Food Science has been appointed Distinguished Professor by President William M. Bulger. The appointment was made following a vote of approval by the Board of Trustees at its meeting May 7 at the UMass Dartmouth campus.

      Clydesdale was recommended for the honor by Chancellor John V. Lombardi, Charlena Seymour, interim senior vice chancellor for Academic Affairs and provost, and Cleve Willis, dean of the College of Natural Resources and the Environment.

     In their letter of recommendation, Lombardi and Seymour say the quality of Clydesdale's work has made him one of the world's experts on food policy. They point out that Clydesdale is the author of 360 scientific articles and 20 books which he has either co-authored or co-edited.

     "While Dr. Clydesdale's academic accomplishments more than justify our request, let us note, too, his outstanding teaching accomplishments. He has established exemplary credentials in teaching and has received the highest University honor: the Distinguished Teaching Award both for teaching large general education classes and smaller, upper-level graduate offerings," they say.

      Lombardi and Seymour also noted that Clydesdale has received numerous honors and awards, and as one outside observer pointed out, he has "received widespread recognition by his peers and has been given most of the major honors. ... For teaching he received the William Cruess Award, for research the Babcock Hart Award, and for outreach the Donald K. Tressler Award." He is also the recipient of the highest honor given by the Institute of Food Technologies -- the Nicolas Appert Award.

     Clydesdale earned his bachelor's and master's degrees from the University of Toronto, and earned his doctorate in Food Science from UMass Amherst in 1966.

     Initially appointed as a post-doctoral research associate, he was appointed to the faculty in 1967 and awarded tenure and promoted to associate professor in 1972. He was promoted to professor in 1976 and is currently department head, a post he has held since 1989.