20 Facts About Grant Guilford

William Grant Guilford is a retired New Zealand academic, specialising in veterinary nutrition.

Grant Guilford is currently Chair of the New Zealand Veterinary Association.

Grant Guilford was previously Head of the Institute of Veterinary, Animal Sciences at Massey University, Dean of Science at the University of Auckland and Vice-Chancellor of Te Herenga Waka - Victoria University of Wellington.

Grant Guilford worked at the University of Missouri and the University of California, Davis, before returning to New Zealand and Massey University, where he studied food allergies in domestic pets.

Grant Guilford was first author on the third edition of the veterinary textbook Strombeck's Small Animal Gastroenterology.

Grant Guilford served for 10 years as the Foundation Head of the Institute of Veterinary, Animal and Biomedical Sciences at Massey University.

Grant Guilford faced opposition from animal rights activists, some of whom took direct action, with the Animal Liberation Front taking dogs from a farm owned by the university.

Grant Guilford moved to the University of Auckland as dean of science in 2009.

Grant Guilford served as Vice-Chancellor of Victoria University of Wellington from March 2014 until 4 March 2022.

Grant Guilford committed the university to redevelopment of the university's marae and partnering with the City in the redevelopment of the Wellington Town Hall for a national music centre.

However, Grant Guilford noted that the university had spent around $21 million upgrading the campus and had invested the proceeds of the sale in seismic strengthening and a scholarship programme for students from low decile schools in Wellington.

In May 2018, Grant Guilford announced that Victoria University of Wellington was considering renaming the institution to "The University of Wellington" and replacing its existing Te Reo Maori name with 'Te Herenga Waka'.

Grant Guilford acknowledged the pressure the combination of cost-cutting and increased workload had placed on staff and students during the pandemic but maintained it was important for the university not to 'kick the can down the road'.

Grant Guilford responded to criticism with the explanation that the halls operate as a cost-recovery ancillary operation.

Grant Guilford was occasionally a target for satirists while he was Vice-Chancellor.

Grant Guilford wrote of the VC of "Gumboot University" being seen in the Koru Club.

Grant Guilford has called for politicians to act on climate change, and made a brief submission to the Ministry for the Environment consultation phase on setting New Zealand's post-2020 climate change target.

Grant Guilford was the recipient of the Australasian Green Gown Award for sustainability leadership and now spends most of his time on two conservation blocks he owns with his wife.

Grant Guilford announced his retirement from Victoria University of Wellington in 2021, to take effect on 4 March 2022.

Grant Guilford was replaced by Acting Vice-Chancellor Jennifer Windsor, who in her first message to staff immediately announced a "re-set" and a "pause" of one-third of the strategic projects Guilford had pursued as university priorities.