This week marks the last week of classes in the Winter 2026 semester, and it also marks a special milestone for Dr. David Kristie, who recently delivered a guest lecture in Plant Growth and Development (BIOL3243) — his 40th year contributing to the course.

Dr. Kristie began his teaching career at Acadia University in 1986, joining the Biology Department as a plant physiologist following the departure of Dr. George Curry. He went on to teach and conduct research for nearly three decades before retiring as a professor in the spring of 2015. Following his retirement from teaching, Dr. Kristie contributed to the university in a new capacity, serving as Director of Research at the K.C. Irving Environmental Science Centre from 2015 to 2019.

Though his formal teaching days came to a close at the end of the Winter 2014 term, Dr. Kristie has remained a familiar face in the classroom. “I think I have somehow managed to give one or two guest lectures, and sometimes teach a lab in the course, every year since I retired,” he reflects — a testament to his enduring passion for the subject and the students.

Dr. Kristie also shared a memorable story from the very beginning of his time at Acadia. “I still remember vividly walking into the almost empty classroom,” he recalls. “I had misread the timetable and showed up to my very first course at Acadia half an hour late — the room was nearly empty!” It’s a story he can now tell with a laugh, and it’s worth noting that he arrived right on time for what may well have been his final lecture in the course, just a few weeks ago.

Plant Growth and Development is currently taught by Jen Kershaw and remains a popular choice among students with an interest in plant science and environmental botany. Dr. Kristie’s lecture this year focused on the floriculture industry, covering trends in industry size and growth, as well as the technical methods used to manage plant development for product quality. His continued involvement in the course is a reflection of both his expertise and the lasting connections he has built at Acadia over four decades.