Dr. Rene Van Acker, appointed vice-president, research and innovation, just a year ago, is now starting a five-year term as the University of Guelph’s 10th president and vice-chancellor. His term starts July 2, 2025. 

Van Acker says he is assuming the role at a time when the university is on a “pathway to becoming a top-tier university, not just in Canada but around the world.”

With nearly 30 years in academia — _including in senior leadership roles as chair of the Department of Plant Agriculture, dean of the Ontario Agricultural College (OAC) and vice-president (research and innovation) — Van Acker is widely known for fostering trust and building high-performing teams across the institution.

As he steps into the presidency, Van Acker is focused on encouraging the University community to “think big.” He highlights U of G’s competitive rankings: ninth for reputation among Canadian universities, first in Canada for veterinary science and among the top universities for total research funding, with more than 20 Canada Research chairs held at the university.

“Despite our achievements, we often perceive ourselves as ‘smaller’ than we actually are. It is time to recognize our scale and impact and to not limit ourselves,” he says. “Our mission to improve life and our ability to solve real-world challenges are clearly needed in this world. Applying our expertise to make a global impact has always been part of U of G’s culture and is what draws people to the institution,” he adds. 

“We are investigating ways to protect our global groundwater resources, cataloguing every species in the world’s largest DNA library, securing Earth’s food supply, tackling emerging diseases through One Health, improving the mental health of communities, exploring the human experience through interdisciplinary creativity and advancing ethical, sustainable business practices that shape tomorrow’s leaders – all under one institution.” 

He has launched several internationally recognized U of G initiatives, co-founding the Arrell Food Institute and leading the development of the new Guelph Turfgrass Institute, the Bioproducts Discovery and Development Centre, the Honey Bee Research Centre, Soils at Guelph and more. He has also helped lead the development of dozens of course-based graduate programs to bolster academic offerings and revenue. 

Source:  University of Guelph June 26, 2025 news release