College News

Last week, President Franco Vaccarino released a message of solidarity for our Black community members, acknowledging the ongoing injustices, hatred and violence committed against them. This message is an important reminder that the U of G community must make an ongoing commitment to combating acts of racism and discrimination. We must continue our work to improve our supports and inclusive practices for our students, faculty and staff.

Prof. Helen Booker has been hired as an associate professor in the Department of Plant Agriculture, assuming the Grain Farmers of Ontario Professorship in Wheat Breeding and Genetics position.

Prof. Jim Squires has been re-appointed as chair of the Department of Animal Biosciences for a three-year-term beginning May 2020.

The Department of Animal Biosciences is pleased to welcome Dr. David Huyben to the department as an Assistant Professor in aquaculture. Huyben will begin his role in July 2020.

The Department of Food, Agricultural and Resource Economics (FARE) is pleased to welcome Dr. Jose Nuno-Ledesma as an assistant professor in Food Industry Economics and Management. He began in his role on January 2, 2020.

Prof. Amar Mohanty, an internationally renowned researcher, has been appointed as the Ontario Agricultural College (OAC) Distinguished Research Chair in Sustainable Biomaterials effective February 1, 2020.

Mohanty, director of the Bio-Products Discovery and Development Centre (BDDC), focuses on engineering new sustainable materials and innovations in bioproducts to reduce society’s use of fossil fuels for mitigating climate change.

A new director has been appointed to the University of Guelph Arboretum. Justine Richardson, an experienced manager focused on facilitating interdisciplinary research and community engagement, will step into the position effective February 3.

The Department of Plant Agriculture is pleased to announce that Kimberley Schneider will be joining the department as an assistant professor in the area of forage and service crops. She will begin in her role on January 2, 2020.

Schneider will lead a comprehensive research program focused on forage species adapted to Ontario, and other crops grown for the provision of ecosystem services.

The Department of Plant Agriculture is pleased to announce Melanie Kalischuk as a new assistant professor in the department, focusing on specialty crop innovation. Kalischuk begins in the role on March 15, 2020.

She will lead a comprehensive research program focused on small acreage horticultural crops produced in Ontario, such as berries, wine grapes, ginseng, hazelnuts, hops and specialty vegetables.

In the summer of 2018, OAC released a strategic vision, Our Shared Priorities, to guide the college until 2023.

The college is now reporting back to its community for the first time, with a listing of actions, new initiatives, process changes, investments and best practices.