Special guests at the breakfast were faculty and staff marking their 25 th year of employment at the University. “Guelph is a very special place to these 25-year employees, to their colleagues across campus and to retired faculty and staff who have also invested their careers in the development of this institution,” says President Summerlee. “We are grateful for that dedication.”

Dr. Summerlee joined the University in 1988 as a professor in the Ontario Veterinary College's Department of Biomedical Sciences. He was appointed Associate Dean of OVC in 1992, Dean of Graduate Studies in 1995, Associate Vice-President Academic in 1999 and Provost and Vice-President Academic in 2000. Dr. Summerlee became President of the University on July 15, 2003.

His career as a scholar, professor, researcher and administrator spans nearly 30 years. He holds a B.Sc., B.V.Sc. and PhD from the University of Bristol and began his career there, serving as the veterinary pre-clinical dean in the School of Veterinary Science before coming to Guelph. Dr. Summerlee has been recognized internationally for his exceptional teaching and for his scholarship and publications in the biomedical sciences. He received a Distinguished Professorial Teaching Award from the University of Guelph Faculty Association in 1991 and a national 3M Teaching Fellowship earlier this year. Known as an innovator in curriculum development, he launched the extensive revision of the veterinary program at OVC and helped create the University of Guelph/Humber program.

While serving as President, Dr. Summerlee plans to continue teaching and research. He has been very encouraged by an outpouring of support from faculty and staff. In particular, he remembers the day after his appointment was announced. He arrived at work to find housekeeping staff waiting to congratulate him and a campus police officer who met him outside the University Centre at 5 a.m. to shake his hand. “That's very important to me. I'm passionate about the people here at Guelph. They are the reason it was very easy for me to make the decision to want to do this job.”