GUELPH – Several members of the University of Guelph (U of G) community have been recognized for their contributions in their respective fields with appointments to the Order of Canada and others have been recognized with the Order of Ontario.
The Order of Canada is a Canadian state order and is the second-highest honour for merit in the system of orders, decorations and medals of Canada, after the Order of Merit.
According to Ontario.ca, “The Order of Ontario is the province’s highest civilian honour. An Ontarian who has shown the highest level of excellence and achievement in any field, and whose impact has left a lasting legacy in our province, in our country and around the world is eligible to be nominated.”
Dr. Jeffrey Farber, adjunct professor in the Department of Food Science, was named to the Order of Canada alongside Dr. Lorne Hepworth, chair of the Agricultural Research Institute of Ontario (ARIO), part of the Ontario Agri-Food Innovation Alliance, a collaboration between U of G and the Government of Ontario.
“On behalf of the University of Guelph, I am delighted to see our faculty members, alumni and affiliates awarded with Canada’s highest honour,” said president and vice-chancellor Dr. Charlotte Yates in a U of G press release.
“Their work has certainly improved life across Canada and beyond and I could not be prouder of them.”
The Order of Canada recognizes outstanding achievement, dedication to the community and service to the nation.
“Congratulations to both Dr. Jeffrey Farber and Dr. Lorne Hepworth on this well-deserved recognition of their contributions to research and innovation in Canada’s agri-food sector,” said Dr. Rene Van Acker, interim vice-president (research).
“It is a pleasure to see them both join the circle of U of G faculty, alumni and associates appointed to the Order of Canada.”
Dr. Jeffrey Farber
Farber is a food safety researcher who worked for several years as a food science professor, director of U of G’s Centre for Research in Food Safety (CRIFS) and as head of the master’s in food safety and quality assurance.
Farber worked for more than 30 years with Health Canada where he played a significant role in developing many of the agency’s food safety policies as a food microbiologist and globally recognized expert on Listeria and Cronobacter bacteria.
“I share this great honour with all the colleagues and students that I have worked with over many years in government, agencies and organizations, academia and industry, both in Canada and globally,” Farber said in the same press release.
Dr. Lorne Hepworth
Hepworth has served as ARIO chair since 2019 and has overseen significant infrastructure investments that leverage U of G expertise to fuel research and innovation for Ontario’s agri-food sector.
The Ontario Beef Research Centre, which opened in 2019, and the Ontario Swine Research Centre, which opened in 2023, are owned by ARIO and managed by U of G.
More alumni honoured
Dr. Betsy McGregor, a graduate of the Ontario Veterinary College, also recently accepted her Order of Canada at an investiture ceremony this past fall. McGregor, who was named in 2022 as a U of G Alumnus of Honour, was honoured with the Order of Canada for her work championing gender analysis, diversity and ethics in science and and her commitment to nurturing Canada’s next generation of health leaders.
Other U of G alumni recently recognized with the Order of Ontario include:
- Dr. Gervan Fearon (OAC MSc, 1984), former president and vice-chancellor at Brock University, Brandon University and currently president of George Brown College;
- Marva Wisdom (MA 2007), a prominent equity and leadership practitioner and founding chair of the Guelph Black Heritage Society; and
- Dr. Lee Errett (BA, 1972), former chief of cardiac surgery at St. Michael’s Hospital in Toronto.
