Provost's Biography

Vice-President Academic & Provost

Dr. Ian Orchard

Professor Ian Orchard received his Ph.D. (1975) and D.Sc. (1988) from the University of Birmingham, UK, and was appointed Professor of Zoology at the University of Toronto in 1982.  He served as Vice-President of the University of Toronto and Principal University of Toronto Mississauga from 2002-2010.  He had previously served as Associate Dean Sciences in the Faculty of Arts and Science (1993-97), Vice-Dean in the Faculty of Arts and Science (1997-98), and Vice-Provost Students (1998-2002).

He was made a University of Toronto Distinguished Professor in 2011, received the University of Toronto Mississauga Research Excellence Award in 2013, and the Vivek Goel UTAA Faculty Citizenship Excellence Award in 2014.  In 2010, the University of Toronto established the “Ian Orchard Student Initiative Fund” in recognition of his service.  He holds a Special Research Visiting Professorship at The Instituto do Cérebro - InsCer (Brain Institute), PUCRS,Porto Alegre, Brazil.

His research interests lie within the field of neuroscience and neuroendocrinology, with particular emphasis on insects, and the blood-feeding bug, Rhodnius prolixus, which acts as the vector of human Chagas’ disease in Central and South America.

He was appointed Vice-President Academic and Provost, University of Waterloo, in July, 2014.