A former president of Acadia University in Wolfville, he was named to the Senate of Canada as a Conservative on August 27, 2009,[2] and served until his retirement on November 6, 2017.

His scientific accomplishments include the development of the chemistry of the Bio Logicals’ “Gene Machine”, an automated process for the manufacture of DNA.

[3] He has received numerous awards during his long and prestigious career including being named a Steacie Fellow in 1982, admission to the Order of Canada in 1991, the Manning Principal Award as Canada’s outstanding contributor to innovation in 1992, induction into the Canadian Science and Engineering Hall of Fame in 2011 and the Rx&D Health Research Foundation Medal of Honour in 2013.

Ogilvie served for three years as chair of Nova Scotia Premier’s Council for Innovation and is Senior Fellow for Postsecondary Education at the Atlantic Institute for Market Studies, a rightwing thinktank.

[citation needed] He was appointed to the Canadian Senate by Prime Minister Stephen Harper on August 27, 2009, and he retired in November 2017.