Former Acadia president Nova Scotia's newest senator

Nova Scotia's newest senator has an "overwhelming feeling of good."

Kelvin Ogilvie, a former president of Acadia University in Wolfville, was named to the Senate on Thursday.

"I was enormously pleased and honoured to be rewarded. It's based on my career," the longtime academic told CBC News.

Ogilvie, 66, is an expert in biotechnology, bio-organic chemistry and genetic engineering. He was president and vice-chancellor of Acadia for 10 years and served on many national and international committees. In 1991 he was named to the Order of Canada.

Ogilvie is involved with the Atlantic Institute for Market Studies and Genome Canada, and chairs the advisory boards of the National Research Council's Institute of Marine Bioscience and the Atlantic Innovation Fund.

He admits he is a Conservative supporter, but has never run for office. He said he learned of his appointment to the Senate "in the recent past."

Ogilvie's appointment is a surprise to some Conservatives in the province who expected the nod would go to either former premier Rodney MacDonald or former cabinet minister Brooke Taylor.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper announced a total of nine Senate appointments on Thursday, filling the vacancy in Nova Scotia, along with those in New Brunswick, Manitoba, Nunavut, Quebec and Ontario.

Harper said all of the new appointees have pledged to support his plan to reform the Senate and limit terms to eight years.