UNIVERSITY OF PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND
UPEI faculty member named a Member of the Royal Society of Canada's College of New Scholars, Artists and Scientists

Dr. Aitazaz Farooque, Professor and Associate Dean of the UPEI School of Climate Change and Adaptation, has been named one of 56 new Members of the prestigious Royal Society of Canada's (RSC) College of New Scholars, Artists and Scientists.

Dr. Aitazaz Farooque (left), Professor and Associate Dean of the UPEI School of Climate Change and Adaptation, speaks with Dr. Wendy Rodgers, President and Vice-Chancellor of UPEI, and Dr. Alejandro Adem, President, Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada, at a recent federal funding announcement at UPEI's Canadian Centre for Climate Change and Adaptation in St. Peter's Bay, PEI.

"The Royal Society of Canada is very proud to welcome today an imposing group of inspiring scholars, artists, and creators whose peers have recognized their exceptional contributions to the world of science and culture and to the well-being of Canada. The impact of their work will continue to be felt in the development of public policies for years to come, while contributing to the well-being of our society," said Alain-G. Gagnon, FRSC, President of the RSC, in a news release issued on September 3.  

Members of the RSC's College of New Scholars, Artists and Scientists are mid-career leaders who bring a multigenerational capacity to address major challenges and seize new opportunities, including those in emerging fields.

"Election to the Royal Society of Canada is a testament to Dr. Farooque's groundbreaking research in precision agriculture and his innovative use of technology to develop sustainable practices amidst the challenges of climate change. Dr. Farooque's exceptional contributions embody the broad impact of research at UPEI," said Dr. Greg Naterer, UPEI's Vice-President Academic and Research. "On behalf of UPEI, I congratulate Dr. Farooque on this prestigious honour."

Dr. Farooque's research focuses on the fundamental understanding and development of state-of-the-art climate-smart technologies for the Atlantic Canadian agriculture industry. In addition to receiving various national, provincial, and university awards in recognition of his excellent contributions to research, teaching, and services, he was selected as one of the Top 125 researchers in Canada to receive the NSERC Discovery Accelerator Supplement Research Grant.

Dr. Farooque has garnered over $18 million in research funding from various provincial, federal, and industry funding agencies in Canada. Most recently, he was awarded a grant of $6.93 million through the NSERC-SSHRC Sustainable Agriculture Research Initiative (SARI) for a project to develop precision agriculture techniques to ensure food security and mitigate climate change. SARI is a joint initiative between the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC), in collaboration with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC).

He supervises a large team of highly qualified personnel working on various aspects of research and development and has authored and co-authored over 150 peer-reviewed journal articles, eight book chapters, 90 conference proceedings, 85 industry presentations, and has presented over 50 keynote and invited talks at international conferences and professional events.

Dr. Farooque is a registered professional engineer in both PEI and Nova Scotia, and a professional agrologist registered in PEI. He is the Director of UPEI's Canadian Centre for Climate Change and Adaptation in St. Peter's Bay, PEI.

Dr. Farooque is the fourth UPEI faculty member to be honoured by the RSC. In 2011, Dr. Ian Dowbiggin, Professor of History, Faculty of Arts, was named a Fellow of the Society's Academy of the Arts and Humanities. In 2014 and 2022 respectively, Dr. Sunny Hartwig, Associate Professor of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, and Dr. Xander Wang, Professor, UPEI School of Climate Change and Adaptation, were named members of the RSC's College of New Scholars, Artists and Scientists.

The RSC will induct the 2024 Cohort of Fellows and College Members at a ceremony on November 8, 2024, in Vancouver, British Columbia.