Old Kingswoodian Gareth Difford (OK 2006) has recently been promoted to Professor of Animal Breeding and Genetics at the Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU), Norway. At just 36 years old, Gareth has reached this significant milestone in recognition of his contributions to research, teaching and international collaboration in animal science.

After leaving Kingswood College, Gareth completed a BSc and MSc (cum laude) at Stellenbosch University before pursuing his doctoral studies in Europe. In 2018, he was awarded a joint PhD from Aarhus University (Denmark) and Wageningen University (The Netherlands), two of the world’s leading agricultural universities. His doctoral research focused on improving feed efficiency and reducing methane emissions in dairy cattle, helping to make livestock production more sustainable.

Since then, Gareth has established an international research career spanning livestock and aquaculture, leading innovative research in genetics, nutrition and sustainability. Today, he heads the Phenotype Forge research group at NMBU and supervises the next generation of scientists working to improve sustainable food production.

One tradition Gareth has proudly maintained throughout his academic journey is wearing his Old Kingswoodian tie at many of his most important milestones, from presenting research at international conferences to completing his joint PhD and celebrating his promotion to Professor. It is a small reminder of where his journey began.

Reflecting on his time at Kingswood, Gareth said:
“The scientific grounding I received at Kingswood was crucial in helping me get to where I am today. But don’t forget the Afrikaans, it has helped me immensely in Belgium, the Netherlands, Denmark and now Norway. Baie dankie, Mev. Kruger!”