In Memoriam - Dr. Karl C. Ivarson
May 7, 1924 - August 2, 2010
Karl Christian Ivarson was born in Kircaldy, Alberta and grew up in Hiawatha, Alston & Champion, Alberta.
He served as a Sergeant in the Canadian Army during World War II, from 1943 to 1945. After the war he attended the University of Alberta, first receiving a B.Sc. and then a M.Sc. in 1953. He proceeded to study at Rutgers University and received his Ph.D. in 1956.
Dr. Ivarson worked for Agriculture Canada from 1956 until 1988. He worked as a soil scientist with the Soil Research Institute, Soil Biochemistry Section, transferring to the Chemical and Biology Research Institute where he probed and resolved problems associated with the effect of microbial activity on mineral transformation in soils.
He retired to his farm in Champion, Alberta in 1988 and enjoyed being a prairie farmer until health issues forced him to give up farming in 2003.
Dr. Ivarson contacted the AIC Foundation in early 2005 expressing his desire to provide support to university students pursuing studies in Soil Science in Canada. He provided a generous cash gift to fund a scholarship program, administered by the AIC Foundation.
The first "Dr. Karl C. Ivarson Scholarships" were awarded in the 2006-2007 academic year, and up to two scholarships have been awarded every year since. The scholarships provide financial support to full-time students entering second or subsequent years of post-graduate studies in soil science (for agriculture, environment, geology or other relevant disciplines) at a recognized Canadian University.
Dr. Ivarson passed away at the age of 86 in Calgary, Alberta on August 2, 2010. Dr. Ivarson bequeathed the assets from the sale of his farm upon his passing to the AIC Foundation. Dr. Ivarson was passionate about his commitment towards supporting the future of soil science and through his generosity this commitment will be carried forward for many years to come.
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Melissa Arcand is a PhD candidate in the Department of Soil Science at the University of Saskatchewan. She is part of a research group that is examining the influence of including pulse crops in crop rotations common to the Canadian prairies on soil N cycling.
Greg Piorkowski is a PhD candidate in the Department of Process Engineering & Applied Science at Dalhousie University. His research focuses on the use of Escherichia coli as a fecal indicator organism within agricultural watersheds.