The Sheep CRC’s Wellbeing and Productivity Program is set to go from strength to strength, with retiring program leader Professor Geoff Hinch to hand the reins to respected livestock scientist and consultant, Dr Lewis Kahn.
Prof. Hinch’s involvement in CRC activities dates back to the 1990s when he was involved with the CRC for Premium Quality Wool, before holding roles with all three Sheep CRC’s as well as the Poultry CRC and the Spatial Innovation CRC.
Throughout this period he has also held the positions of deputy head and later head of the University of New England’s School of Rural Science and Agriculture.
Chief executive of the Cooperative Research Centre for Sheep Industry Innovation (Sheep CRC), James Rowe, said Prof. Hinch had made an immense contribution to the industry over a career spanning 35 years.
“In his time working with the Sheep CRC, Geoff has been a leader in the applied sciences of animal behaviour and welfare, as well as animal reproduction,” Prof. Rowe said.
“It is with both sadness and gratitude that we wish him farewell and all the best in his retirement, but we’re fortunate to have a smooth transition plan in place with Lewis Kahn a proven hand in delivering programs which enhance the health and performance of sheep in his years as executive officer of the ParaBoss program.”
Originally from a farm at Yerong Creek, NSW, Prof. Hinch chose to take his undergraduate studies at the UNE as it allowed him to pursue a career in agricultural science without moving to a metropolitan university.
“I didn’t necessarily want to go back to the farm, but I wanted to maintain a connection to agriculture and from there my career just evolved,” he said.
He completed a PhD at UNE in the area of cattle behaviour and meat quality, before taking a full time research role with the New Zealand Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries investigating high fecundity sheep – a move which brought the realisation that he would find a return to academia and teaching at UNE a more rewarding career path.
“I’ve always viewed teaching as my major role. Most of my satisfaction has come from supervising post-graduates and seeing them completing their research and move into industry,” Prof. Hinch said.