TRURO - Disappointed, frustrated and disillusioned.
But far from down and out.
Such is the state of Alex Martynenko after his attempts to be reinstated as an assistant professor at the Nova Scotia Agricultural College (NSAC) were dashed by the province's deputy minister of agriculture.
"I did not expect it," Martynenko said of the written decision he recently received from Paul LaFleche.
Martynenko, 51, was fired at the end of May from the college over allegations that he falsified data in two publications relating to the drying of ginseng and apples.
While acknowledging that he made an error by adding a chart in the submission of one discussion paper that came from another, Martynenko strongly disagrees that he actually did anything wrong and that he did not plagiarize other published work as he was accused of doing.
"My conscience is clear with this," he said Tuesday.
LaFleche, in his letter, wrote in part that the science in Martynenko's work was shown by a research sub-committee to be unreliable, a factor that an institution such as the NSAC cannot afford.
Martynenko denies that is the case, however, and feels there are other underlying reasons why his position and ongoing research projects were terminated immediately before his three-year probationary period was to end.
An argument for Martynenko's case is being prepared by the Nova Scotia Government Employees Union for an upcoming adjudication process. And while that may take months to come to fruition, he believes the truth will come out when those called to testify are given a chance to speak away from the administrative and bureaucratic process associated with the college and the provincial government.
In the meantime, Martynenko says he is looking for new work and will continue to pursue his research efforts through other venues.
"I believe in final justice but meanwhile I am not going to sit and wait. It will happen," he said, of the truth being heard.
NSAC co-president Bernie MacDonald said he could not comment on private, personnel issues. LaFleche is out of the province on his annual leave and was immediately unavailable.
