Prior to this, Rob was AVP of Workforce Development, Executive Director of the Northern Manitoba Mining Academy, Chair of Sciences within the Faculty of Arts and Science at UCN, and also served UCN as the Dean of Health and Applied Science, Head of the Department of Renewable Resources, and Ecotourism Project Manager within the Northern Forest Diversification Centre.

His academic training and experiences are within the areas of biology, ecology, and natural resources management. In addition to his career in education, administration, and research, Rob has a diversity of experiences spanning from his start as a motorcycle mechanic to computer software technician, farmer, canoe guide, biologist, and instructor, among others jobs. This multiplicity of experiences have convinced him of the power of ‘cross-pollination’ in working with diverse groups and people.