Research station welcomes new operations manager
The Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences is pleased to announce the appointment of Tracy Gilson as operations manager for the University of Manitoba’s Glenlea Research Station.
Tracy will provide management for the operations and maintenance of the research station as well as the Bruce D. Campbell Farm and Food Discovery Centre in support of the research, teaching and outreach goals of the Faculty. As well, Tracy will explore opportunities with industry and government partners interested in collaboration.
“The Faculty welcomes Tracy in her new role,” said Karin Wittenberg, acting dean of the Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences. “Agriculture today is being called upon to produce more food with shrinking resources. With a renewed focus on student training, research and public outreach, the Glenlea facilities and programs will become increasingly important in meeting these challenges and providing new opportunities for Manitoba.”
“I am excited to join the University of Manitoba – it’s like coming home,” said Tracy Gilson. “In agriculture today, the opportunities and optimism for the future are great. That said, we must continue to address topics such as food safety and security, animal health and welfare, and water management and crop production. The Glenlea Research Station is integral to moving our sector forward to tackle these issues.”
Tracy brings extensive experience in the areas of agribusiness management and government administration from her previous role as acting assistant deputy minister in Manitoba Agriculture, Food and Rural Development. She received her Ph.D. in animal science in 1993 and her MBA in 2010 from the University of Manitoba, and has worked in various research and agri-industry operations throughout her career.
The Glenlea Research Station provides the Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences with facilities and services necessary for its teaching, research and outreach programs and is the site for major infrastructure associated with the National Center for Livestock and the Environment and the Bruce D. Campbell Farm and Food Discovery Centre.
Located south of Winnipeg on Highway 75, the 500-hectare station includes a dairy unit, a swine unit comprised of two farrow-to-finish swine barns, and a beef feedlot. The site also houses long-term sustainable cropping systems plots, including Canada’s longest running organic cropping systems study.
The Farm and Food Discovery Centre is an innovative agricultural education facility featuring interactive hands-on displays about every aspect of food production, from farming practices to the marketing and retailing of food.