Dr. Rene Van Acker appointed as U of G vice-president (Research and Innovation)

Dr. Rene Van Acker has been appointed as the University of Guelph’s new vice-president (research and innovation).

Read Also

Canada-U.K. free trade talks remain comatose

Glacier FarmMedia – One year ago, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak published an open letter to farmers in his country….

The University of Guelph said in a release his five-year appointment “will be crucial in furthering U of G as one of Canada’s top research-intensive universities.”

Van Acker has served as interim vice-president (research) since last July. and said he is excited to advance innovation and institutional creativity as he steps into his new role.

“As I’ve come to appreciate the scope and scale of the role, I’m looking forward to continue the work I’ve been doing with the excellent leaders and teams within the Office of the Vice-President Research and Innovation,” Van Acker said.

“We are a very successful research-intensive university, but we can never take our past success for granted. We always need to take a fresh look at what we are doing to be successful going forward, and that’s what I intend to do.”

Van Acker grew up on a farm near Burford, Ont., and studied for his bachelor and master of science in crop science and weed science, respectively, at the University of Guelph, and earned his PhD in crop weed ecology from the University of Reading in the U.K.

With over 130 peer-reviewed articles published, the university said in the release that Van Acker’s research has been crucial in understanding weed management.

He became a professor at the University of Manitoba, returning to the University of Guelph in 2006. He has since gained 18 years of experience within the Ontario Agricultural College (OAC) as department chair, associate dean and most recently as dean.

Van Acker’s strong visions for OAC were realized through its renewed strategic plan and its first infrastructure master plan in more than 40 years, the university said. He led the fundraising of over $100 million for OAC, including support for 25 externally supported chairs and professorships.

Van Acker has been a key leader in shaping other university institutions, co-founding the Arrell Food Institute and the Guelph Centre for Urban Organic Farming. He also helped lead the development of the new Guelph Turfgrass Institute, the Bioproducts Discovery and Development Centre, the Guelph Food Innovation Centre, the Animal Biosciences Abattoir and Meat Laboratory, the Honey Bee Research Centre, renovations to the Arobretum’s Hilton Centre, the new and expanded Student Federation OAC Suite in Johnston Hall, Dairy at Guelph and Soils at Guelph, the university said.

Dr. Charlotte Yates, University of Guelph president and vice-chancellor, led the search and said “Rene has done a fabulous job as interim vice-president (research) and we are thrilled to have him continue in the role.”

As Van Acker continues in the role of vice-president (research and innovation), Dr. John Cranfield, currently acting dean for the Ontario Agricultural College, will continue to serve as interim dean, the university said.