Franco Vaccarino will complete his term as president and vice-chancellor of the University of Guelph effective Aug. 1, 2020.
“Serving as president and vice-chancellor of the University of Guelph has been an extraordinary privilege, and I am deeply honoured to have had the opportunity to make a contribution to this University and its future,” Vaccarino says.
First appointed to a five-year term in 2014, Vaccarino is U of G’s eighth president. A neuroscientist and internationally recognized expert in mental health and addiction, Vaccarino will continue as a faculty member in the Department of Psychology following an administrative leave beginning in fall 2020.
“Franco Vaccarino has been an excellent president, and the University of Guelph has benefited greatly from his leadership during the past five years,” says Shauneen Bruder, chair of the University’s Board of Governors.
“His creative, positive and strategic vision for U of G has positioned us to build on our reputation in Canada and beyond as a top-tier comprehensive research university.”
Under his leadership, the University has a renewed strategic planning framework to guide planning and decision-making, and has reached new heights in fundraising and research, Bruder says.
A presidential search in accordance with Board of Governors policies and procedures has begun.