About Dr. David Schindler

Dr. David W. Schindler was one of the world’s leading limnologists and a pioneer in freshwater science whose work transformed environmental policy globally. He began his academic career at Trent University in 1966 and later held the Killam Memorial Chair in Ecology at the University of Alberta.

Professor Schindler founded and directed Canada’s Experimental Lakes Project, one of the most influential long-term environmental research programs in the world. His research on acid rain, eutrophication, and climate impacts on freshwater systems directly shaped regulation in Canada, the United States, and Europe.

A Rhodes Scholar with a doctorate from Oxford University, Dr. Schindler received many of the world’s highest scientific honours, including the Stockholm Water Prize, the NSERC Herzberg Gold Medal, and the Killam Prize. He was an Officer of the Order of Canada, Fellow of the Royal Society of London (UK), and a member of the U.S. National Academy of Sciences.

Established in 2008, the David Schindler Endowed Professorship in Aquatic Science is the first privately funded endowed academic professorship at Trent and was named in honour of Dr. David Schindler, a world-renowned limnologist and former Trent professor.