Clarence Swanton

Dr. Swanton obtained his B.Sc. in Botany from the University of Toronto, his M.Sc. in Agrometerology from the University of Guelph, and a PhD in Plant Ecology from the University of Western Ontario. During the years between earning his M.Sc. and his PhD, he was employed as a field agronomist with the Campbell Soup Company of Canada and later as a weed biologist with the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Food. In 1985 he joined the University of Guelph as a faculty member in the Department of Crop Science. In 1996 he was promoted to full professor.  From 1998 to 2004, Clarence served as the first Chair of the Department of Plant Agriculture which included the Departments of Crop Science, Horticulture and the Horticulture Research Institute of Ontario. From 2007 to 2008 he served as President of the Canadian Weed Science Society.

He has won numerous awards for his research including: the Ontario Agricultural College Distinguished Researcher Award, the University of Guelph Presidential Distinguished Professor Award, Excellence in Weed Science Award for Canada, and the Weed Science Society of America’s Outstanding Researcher Award. He is an elected Fellow of the Canadian Society of Agronomy, the Canadian Weed Science Society, and the Weed Science Society of America. In 2011, he was elected to the Waterford District High School Hall of Fame and appointed by Dupont Crop Protection (US) to serve on their Discovery Visions Advisory Board. In 2013 he received the Outstanding Canadian Award in the area of Crop Protection from Bayer CropScience for exceptional contributions to science and innovation. His research is focussed on weed ecology and the development of integrated weed management systems for field and horticultural crops. In 2019 and 2020, he was granted the title of Ontario Agricultural College Professor Emeritus and University Professor Emeritus, respectively.

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