Dr. Van Eerd to be inducted into R.D.H.S. Hall of Excellence

Dr. Laura Van Eerd will be inducted into the Ridgetown District High School’s Hall of Excellence during this Thursday night’s commencement.

Dr. Van Eerd is a Professor of Sustainable Soil Management at the University of Guelph Ridgetown Campus.

Dr. Van Eerd’s interests primarily focus on elucidating the role of cover crops and other management on soil health attributes and their link to primary productivity/resiliency, enhancing nitrogen use efficiency while mitigating edge-of-field losses.

She has published over 50 peer-reviewed papers, including the 2018 Best Paper of the Year in the Canadian Journal of Plant Science.

In addition to receiving awards for her significant contributions to teaching, research, and extension, Dr. Van Eerd was recognized as one of six influential women of Canadian agriculture in 2020.

Commencement takes place at the Rudy Brown Building at Ridgetown College starting at 7 p.m.

Former principal Doug Johnston founded the Hall of Excellence to celebrate the success of former RDHS students.

Each member is a leader in their field, whether it be medicine, politics, athletics, sports, etc. Every spring, one or more graduates from RDHS are chosen to be inducted.

Their biography is read at graduation, and a picture and plaque are raised in the hall outside the office to commemorate the event.

Michael Bennett, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, The Ridgetown Independent News