Published by Communications and Public Affairs (519) 824-4120, Ext. 56982 or 53338
News Release
February 01, 2002
U of G to offer one of Canada's largest doctoral scholarships
University of Guelph president Mordechai Rozanski announced today the establishment of one of the largest doctoral scholarships in Canada. The Brock Scholarship, valued at up to $120,000, will be awarded to extraordinary candidates for graduate studies at the doctoral level. This scholarship will cover all educational and living expenses for three years of study, with a possible extension for a fourth year. Award winners will be outstanding in their field of studies, their research work, and their ability to serve as mentors and leaders to other students in doctoral programs.
The scholarships will be funded from an endowment of $1 million, donated by Bill and Anne Brock. Bill Brock is a 1958 graduate of Ontario Agricultural College (OAC) and an active volunteer. He served as chair of the University of Guelph's Board of Governors from 1991 to 1995 and continues to serve as chair of the Board of the Heritage Trust. He has also served the university in numerous other volunteer roles, including as a member of the university Senate, director of the OAC Alumni Association, chair of the OAC Advisory Committee and deputy chair of the university's last capital campaign.
"We thank Bill and Anne for their faith in our research and teaching prowess," Rozanski said. "Bill has been a tireless and highly effective supporter of this university since his own student days. He knows better than most that our vision is a bold one: to be a global resource in a world that is changing faster and growing smaller every day. To succeed, we need to attract and retain world-class faculty and talented students. This tremendous gift will help us do just that. The search begins immediately."
Isobel Heathcote, dean of graduate studies, added: "We are very excited about this new scholarship. It will be the university's - and one of Canada's -- largest and most prestigious awards for graduate studies, and will help us attract the best and brightest students so that we can continue to generate outstanding talent for the world."
Bill Brock said that he and his wife created this scholarship "to help the University be recognized worldwide as a leading research-focused university and to attract brilliant scholars, not only to carry out their post-graduate studies and research, but also to encourage them to become part of tomorrow's faculty. The university has built an outstanding reputation, and we hope this scholarship will help build on this excellent base."
With total research funding in excess of $100 million, Guelph is among the most research-intensive universities in Canada. Its six colleges offer 31 doctoral programs that cover the full spectrum of inquiry, including agricultural economics and business, botany, engineering, literary studies, molecular biology and genetics, psychology, veterinary sciences and history.
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