Professor
      Focus
     
    
   
   
    
     
      By
      Angela
      Matheson
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Ninean
      LeBlanc
     
     
      Professor
      of
      Biology
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Ninean
      Leblanc,
      who
      grew
      up
      in
      the
     
     
      Caribbean,
      always
      had
      a
      fascination
      for
     
     
      living
      things
      and
      nature.
      When
      he
      finished
     
     
      high
      school,
      he
      was
      faced
      with
      the
      choice
      of
     
     
      studying
      biology
      in
      either
      Great
      Britain
      or
     
     
      Canada.
      Inspired
      by
      friends
      and
      the
      better
     
     
      employment
      opportunities,
      he
      decided
      to
     
     
      study
      at
      Guelph
      University
      in
      Ontario.
      He
     
     
      worked
      for
      three
      years
      at
      an
      oil
      refinery
      in
     
     
      the
      West
      Indies
      to
      raise
      sufficient
      money
      to
     
     
      travel
      and
      study
      in
      Canada,
      and
      in
      1956
      he
     
     
      became
      a
      student
      at
      Guelph
      University.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      After
      completing
      his
      BSc
      and
      MSc,
      he
      went
     
     
      to
      Queen’s
      University
      to
      complete
      his
      Ph.D.
     
     
      When
      he
      finished
      his
      studies
      at
      Queen’s,
      he
     
     
      was
      Offered
      a
      job
      at
      Delhi
      as
      an
     
     
      Endimologist
      for
      tobacco
      research
      for
      the
     
     
      federal
      government.
      He
      was
      also
      offered
     
     
      a
      job
      as
      a
      professor
      at
      the
      Prince
      of
      Wales
     
     
      college
      on
      PEI.
      He
      chose
      the
      latter
     
     
      because
      he
      enjoys
      dealing
      with
      students
      and
     
     
      demonstrating
      labs.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Two
      professors
      at
      Guelph
      and
      Queen’s
     
     
      University
      had
      a
      great
      influence
      on
      Ninian
     
     
      Leblanc
      during
      his
      university
      years.
      He
     
     
      explained
      that
      English
      professor,
      A.M.
      Ross
     
     
      and
      Biology
      professor
      C.D.
      Nelson
      knew
     
     
      how
      to
      inspire.
      They
      could
      stimulate
     
     
      students
      by
      turning
      the
      dullest
      topic
      into
      an
     
     
      intriguing
      subject.
      These
      professors
      would
     
    
   
   
    
     
      make
      classes
      pleasurable
      by
      relating
      and
     
     
      making
      associations
      of
      interesting
      topics
      to
     
     
      the
      learning
      students.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      While
      studying
      at
      university,
      he
      lived
      in
     
     
      residence.
      Drinking
      and
      pubbing
      were
     
     
      confined
      to
      weekends.
      On
      Friday
      nights
     
     
      they’d
      crash
      into
      buses
      and
      travel
      to
      the
     
     
      pubs
      to
      release
      pressure
      and
      to
      let
      the
      hair
     
     
      down.
      Saturdays
      were
      left
      for
      studying
      with
     
     
      perhaps
      a
      little
      dancing
      at
      night.
      He
      feels
     
     
      sorry
      for
      the
      undergraduates
      today
      who
      deal
     
     
      with
      the
      pressures
      of
      drugs
      and
      alcohol.
     
     
      Drugs
      and
      booze
      weren’t
      popularly
      known
     
     
      back
      then
      and
      most
      students
      were.
      only
     
     
      familiar
      with
      the
      drug
      called
      NONODS.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Today
      Mr.
      Leblanc
      lives
      in
      West
      Royalty
     
     
      outside
      of
      Charlottetown
      and
      is
      continuing
     
     
      to
      spread
      his
      love
      and
      knowledge
      of
      biology.
     
     
      One
      of
      his
      most
      memorable
      classes
      was
     
     
      being
      corrected
      for
      a
      speed
      talker.
      About
     
     
      fifteen
      years
      ago,
      he
      was
      in
      a
      middle
      of
      a
     
     
      lecture
      going
      "a
      mile
      a
      minute"
      when
      a
     
     
      student
      in
      the
      back
      interrupted
      by
      saying
     
     
      "Be
      Jesus
      Christ,
      Where
      the
      hell
      is
      the
     
     
      fire?"
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Mr.
      Leblanc
      is
      deeply
      interested
      in
      athletic
     
     
      variety.
      He
      has
      a
      passion
      for
      running
      and
     
     
      has
      been
      jogging
      with
      close
      friends
      for
     
     
      approximately
      ten
      years.
      He
      awakes
      every
     
     
      morning
      at
      five
      pm
      to
      jog
      six
      to
      eight
      miles
     
     
      with
      a
      group
      of
      close
      knit
      friends.
      He
      has
     
     
      participated
      in
      Road
      Runners
      on
      PEI
      and
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      The
      UPEI
      X-Press
     
    
   
   
    
     
      November
      8,
      1990
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Page
      6