Dr. Erasmus Okine has been appointed the U of L's VP (research) for a second term (Photo: University of Lethbridge)

By Justin Goulet

University of Lethbridge

Accomplished doctor named to second term as U of L’s vice-president (research)

Apr 26, 2019 | 6:19 AM

LETHBRIDGE, AB – The University of Lethbridge’s Board of Governors has appointed Dr. Erasmus Okine to his second term as vice-president (research) of the school.

According to the post-second institution, Okine has helped guide U of L to consistently place among the country’s top three undergraduate research facilities in Research Infosource’s annual rankings.

The school said that total new research funding has climbed steadily, hitting $20 million in 2017, up from $8 million in 2015 and $11 million in 2016.

“We are extremely pleased Erasmus has been reappointed for another five years as our vice-president of research,” Dr. Mike Mahon, U of L president and vice-chancellor, said in a release from the school.

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“His work to create connections between our researchers and external groups cannot be underemphasized. Erasmus has built strong relationships with funding agencies, industry, community groups and government. This work positions the U of L for future success.”

Since Okine arrived at the school, the number of faculty members named as Fellows of the Royal Society of Canada has doubled, three additional names from the U of L have been added to the College of New Scholars, Artists and Scientists, and the first Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry in the United Kingdom was celebrated.

18 more research Chairs were secured by the university’s 50^th anniversary in 2017. That exceeded its goal of celebrating 50 research chairs by 2017.

“I am grateful to be reappointed as vice-president of research and I remain committed to disciplinary pursuits that lead to knowledge and understanding, including basic research, scholarly inquiry, applied and adaptive research, creative activities and knowledge exchange,” Okine said in the release.

“Our many partnerships and collaborations reflect the world-class research being done at the U of L and I look forward to continuing to build our research portfolio.”

The Ghana native completed his Bachelor of Science and a Master of Science at the University of Ghana before making his way to Alberta, where he completed a PhD at the University of Alberta.

His research focuses on the impact and mitigation of greenhouse gases and increasing the efficiency and productivity of livestock.

Okine is a member of the Alberta Research and Innovation Advisory Committee and has received multiple awards throughout his career – including the Alberta Premier’s Silver Award for Excellence in Agricultural Research, being named a Fellow of the Canadian Society of Animal Science and a Fellow of the International College of Nutrition.