At a ceremony held on October 30th, 2024, the Animal Health Technology program at Vanier College, honoured Mark Hagen, Director of Research for Rolf C. Hagen Inc. and the Hagen Avicultural Research Institute (HARI), for his steadfast support of Vanier's Animal Health Program for the past 30 years.
A second-generation family company, Rolf C. Hagen Inc. has a history of philanthropic support of educational institutions and research institutes in Canada and abroad.
A technical program, such as Animal Health Technology, cannot successfully train students to work with a variety of animals in many different settings, without input and support from companies, institutes and organizations related to animal needs and well-being, such as Rolf C. Hagen Inc. Stephanie Laett, veterinarian and teacher with the Animal Health Technology program at Vanier College, underscores how important Mark Hagen's support has been for Vanier and for the many animal health technicians who have graduated from the Animal Health program, which is the only one offered on the Island of Montreal.
"I would like to express my deepest gratitude to Mark for his continuous and invaluable support. His contributions over the years have greatly enriched the educational experience of our students."
Some highlights of Mark Hagen's support include:
- Serving as a guest speaker for the Exotic Animal Care course, where he shared his expertise on parrot nutrition, health and care as well as the ecology and conservation ethics of parrots in the wild.
- Facilitating field trips to the Hagen Avicultural Research Institute (HARI), where he and his team provided guided tours. These visits allowed students to learn firsthand about research on parrot nutrition, pair bonding, and egg incubation.
- Facilitating wet labs for the Exotic Animal Care course, where past Vanier AHT graduates, Josee Bermingham and other HARI technicians worked with students on General Physical Exams (GPE), handling, and radiology techniques using Quaker parrots.
- Donating various items over the years to support the care of the in-house birds and reptiles used in the program.
Stephanie Laett further states, "This year, Mark Hagen has again demonstrated his generosity by donating 40 companion animal-related items (for dogs, cats, fish, and reptiles) to our silent auction. Proceeds from the auction will help fund four third-year Animal Health Technology students as they complete their final internship with the Cheetah Conservation Fund (CCF) in Namibia."
"We are so very fortunate to have Mark Hagen's ongoing support, and his contributions continue to make a significant impact on our program and students." In recognition of his generosity and long-standing support, the Animal Health Technology Department proudly presented a thank-you certificate to Mark Hagen.
In accepting this recognition, Mark Hagen stated, "It's been incredibly rewarding to support Vanier's program and see students gain the skills needed to care for animals responsibly and compassionately. By investing in these students, we're investing in the future of animal health and welfare. As our alma mater, Vanier is especially meaningful to both myself and Josee Bermingham, who heads up R&D at Hari."
