The Macdonald Campus Community Pays Tribute to Professor Varoujan Yaylayan
The Macdonald Campus community gathered on Friday, April 10, to celebrate the life and legacy of the late Professor Varoujan Yaylayan, PhD., who was a cherished faculty member of the Faulty of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences’ Department of Food Science and Agricultural Chemistry.
Friends, colleagues, students, and family members took time to share memories and reflect on the profound impact Prof. Yaylayan had, both professionally and personally. Salwa Karboune, PhD, Dean of the FAES and Associate Vice-President, Macdonald Campus expressed her gratitude to students and faculty for their presence and engagement during this emotionally resonant gathering. “He embodied a quiet grace and remarkable human qualities. As former Chair of the Department of Food Science and Agricultural Chemistry, he was a unifying leader, able to bring ideas and people together around a shared goal,” she noted.
“On a personal level, Varoujan Yaylayan who started his career as a prof at ɬ back in 1993, was a mentor, friend, and valued colleague to many. Open to new project ideas, he listened with great generosity and often emphasized the importance of “listening to one’s inner voice.” Dean Karboune added.
Students unanimously remember a professor deeply devoted to his profession, always available and attentive. “He was kind and always the first to reply to our emails,” said Cole Arnold, a final-year B.Sc student in the Department of Food Science and Agricultural Chemistry. “He created a safe space for curiosity and made a lasting and positive impact on us.”
These touching words reminded Provost and Executive Vice-President (Academic) Angela Campbell, PhD, of the professor’s deep commitment to his students and colleagues. “In our discussions, he never hesitated to advocate for his colleagues and his students,” she said, adding that his passing represents a profound loss for the ɬ community. He cared deeply about ensuring that his department was always represented fairly and received the recognition it deserved.”
Professor.- Stéphane Bayen, PhD., colleague and close friend, recalled with emotion the welcome Prof.-Varoujan extended to him upon joining the Macdonald community. “It is not only the guidance he offered me that I remember, but also the unwavering guidance he provided to his students,” he said. “He was a model of fairness, always doing what was right for our community.” The nine professors of the Department of Food Science acknowledged the loss of a central figure in their teaching mission. “He was outstanding in chemistry,” Prof.-Stéphane Bayen added. “While it is painful to have lost such a brilliant mind, I find comfort in seeing you all gathered here today.”
Prof. Varoujan Yaylayan, Chair of the Department of Food Science and Agricultural Chemistry from 2012-2026, has dedicated his academic career to identifying and structurally characterizing key Maillard reaction intermediates using multianalytical approaches. Beginning in the early 2000s, his research expanded to the investigation of undesirable reaction products, work that ultimately led him to pioneer the guidance of Maillard pathways through mechanochemistry for the selective formation of target compounds in 2015.
The loss has been felt deeply within the department. “Today, we came together as a group to support one another and to navigate this loss,” said Saji George, PhD, Chair of the Department of Food Science and Agricultural Chemistry who also took a moment to thank everyone involved in organizing the memorial. “This truly shows the importance of community in times like these,” he added.
To conclude the gathering, Armenian coffee and peach desserts were served as a final farewell. This thoughtful gesture, carefully prepared by students from the Department of Food Science and Agricultural Chemisty Student Association, reflected the affection and respect held for a professor deeply loved by all. As his brother reminded those present, Varoujan never wished to retire:
“Why would I retire? I love my job!” he shared, quoting the late professor.