Professor Roger Downer

Professor Roger G.H. Downer is President and Vice Chancellor of the University of Limerick, a position he has held since September 1998. He also chaired the Conference of University Rectors in Ireland in 2002, and the Council of Heads of Irish Universities in 2001. In addition to his academic responsibilities, he is Chair of the Birr Scientific and Heritage Foundation, Chair of the National Self Portrait Collection, Vice-Chair of the National Technology Park, Vice-Chair of the Hunt Museum, a member of the Board of Directors of Shannon Free Airport Development Company Ltd., and of the Irish Peace Institute, an honorary member of Garryowen RFC and co-President of UL-Boh’s RFC.

Professor Downer served as President of the Asian Institute of Technology from 1996 to 1998. He was a plenary speaker at the APEC economic summit held in Jakarta in 1997 and served on the Board of Directors of the J.F. Kennedy Foundation.

Most of Professor Downer’s academic career was spent at the University of Waterloo, Canada where he was an early recipient of the Distinguished Teacher Award. In addition, Professor Downer was Chair of the Department of Biology, Acting Dean of Science from 1989-96, and Vice President of University Relations. As Vice President, he planned and led the largest fund-raising campaign in the history of the University, raising $89 million within four years. He is editor or co-editor of four books and author or co-author of over 160 research publications. He received the FJR Fry Gold Medal, the ESC Gold Medal and election as a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada in recognition of his research efforts. Professor Downer has served on and chaired the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada grant selection committees in food and agriculture and in animal biology, and he has served on the Regulatory Biology panel for the National Science Foundation of the USA. He was also President of the Canadian Society of Zoologists, President of the Canadian Council of University Biology Chairs and Vice-President of the Biological Council of Canada.

Professor Downer was born in Belfast and obtained the degrees of BSc and MSc from the Queen’s University of Belfast (QUB) before moving to Canada where he completed the degree of PhD at the University of Western Ontario. Subsequently, he was awarded the degree of DSc from QUB.

Professor Downer is married to Jean and has three children, Kevin, Kathleen and Tara.