Graduate students have the chance to network and learn from industry professionals through the Cool Climate Oenology and Viticulture Institute. Master of Science and Doctor of Philosophy programs focusing on topics in Oenology and Viticulture are available through the Department of Biological Sciences and the Centre for Biotechnology. For more information on Graduate Studies at Brock University see the current Graduate Studies calendar.
Graduate study opportunities in Oenology and Viticulture
Debbie Inglis
Professor of Biological Sciences
CCOVI Director and CCOVI Researcher
Research Area: Yeast biotechnology and biochemistry; Icewine fermentation; yeast stress responses and the link to wine quality; etiology of grape sour rot; wine remediation for taints; grapevine cold hardiness; the role of proteins in sparkling wine production.
Gary Pickering
Professor of Biological Sciences
CCOVI Researcher
Research Area: Wine science; flavour science; wine consumer behaviour; sensory evaluation; psychophysics of taste; climate change adaptation.
Jim Willwerth
Assistant Professor of Biological Sciences
CCOVI Researcher
Research Area: Grapevine cold hardiness and freeze protection; terroir-based wine quality; soil-water-vine-relations; precision viticulture; unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV5); impact of terroir and viticulture practices on sensory profiles of wine; bird deterrents.
Sudarsana Poojari
Adjunct Professor of Biological Sciences
CCOVI Principal Scientist, Grapevine Virology
Research Area: Grapevine virus diseases; epidemiology and management; virus-vector interactions; molecular diagnostics; clean plant programs; plant tissue culture; virus discovery and population genetics.
Vincenzo De Luca
Professor of Biological Sciences
CCOVI Fellow
Research Area: Grape biochemistry; grape polyphenolics and resveratrol; grape secondary metabolites.
Charles Després
Professor of Biological Sciences
CCOVI Fellow
Research Area: Signaling pathways involved in plant immunity; pathogen resistance to common fungicides used for crop protection.
Jeffrey Stuart
Professor of Biological Sciences
CCOVI Fellow
Research Area: Biological activities of resveratrol and other red wine polyphenols.
Liette Vasseur
Professor of Biological Sciences
CCOVI Fellow
Research Area: Community-based ecosystem management; climate change adaptation and resilience; sustainable agriculture and rural communities.
Graduate study opportunities in other areas of the grape and wine value chain
Don Cyr
Professor of Finance
CCOVI Fellow
Research Area: Economic and financial aspects of the grape and wine industry; financial derivatives to hedge the risk of adverse weather conditions.
Dirk Declercq
Professor of Management
CCOVI Fellow
Research Area: Entrepreneurship; Organizational Behaviour; Human Resource Management; Cross-country studies.
Lester Kwong
Associate Professor of Economics
CCOVI Fellow
Research Area: Industrial organization aspects of the grape and wine industry; game theoretical models of information transmission and pricing in wine markets.
Amy Lemay
Adjunct Professor, Environmental Sustainability Research Centre
CCOVI Fellow
Research Area: Social-ecological dynamics of agricultural innovation systems; Developing effective knowledge mobilization strategies.
Antonia Mantonakis
Professor of Marketing and Consumer Psychology
CCOVI Fellow
Research Area: Consumer behaviour; impact of external cues on consumer’s wine choice.
Michael Ripmeester
Professor of Geography
CCOVI Fellow
Research Area: Heritage, identity, and the grape and wine industry in Niagara.
Joachim Scholz
Assistant Professor of AR/XR Marketing
CCOVI Fellow
Research Area: Augmented Reality Marketing; Augmented Reality Retailing; Social Media Controversies; Dialogical Branding; Consumer Culture Theory.
Narongsak (Tek) Thongpapanl
Professor of Marketing and Product Innovation
CCOVI Fellow
Research Area: Wine Marketing and Business Management; New Product Development; Technology and Innovation Management; Digital Marketing; E-commerce/M-commerce; Strategic Marketing Management.