Michael Phair, an educator, LGBTQ activist, anti-poverty campaigner and former municipal politician, has been named chair of the board of governors at the University of Alberta. The Government of Alberta has appointed Mr. Phair for an initial term of up to three years. From 1992 to 2007, Mr. Phair was elected to Edmonton’s city council and was its first openly gay council member. He founded HIV Edmonton and held posts with local organizations including the Social Planning Council, Homeward Trust and the Pride Festival Society. He’s currently executive director of the North Saskatchewan River Valley Conservation Society. Mr. Phair has been an instructor at MacEwan University, Mount Royal University and U of A. In 2015, an Edmonton public school was named in his honour. “I know that I and the board of governors are committed to the teaching and research excellence that distinguishes the university,” Mr. Phair said. “Our challenge moving forward in today’s city and province will be to further shape the diversity of economic development and social issues demanding our attention and best thinking.”
Laurentian University has tapped David Lesbarrères to be the next dean of graduate studies. His appointment comes into effect July 1 for a five-year renewable term. He has served as acting dean since the new faculty of graduate studies was established in March 2014. He was previously director of graduate studies at the university. Dr. Lesbarrères started at Laurentian in 2004. He was vice-chair of the biology department from 2005 to 2008. He is on the executive of the Ontario Council on Graduate Studies.
The University of Ontario Institute of Technology has appointed Noreen Taylor university chancellor. Her installation will take place prior to convocation in June. Ms. Taylor founded the RBC Taylor Prize for literary non-fiction, and currently serves as president of Windfields Farm Limited and as chair of the boards for Canadian Stage and Saint Elizabeth Health Care. In 2015, she was named a Member of the Order of Canada.
Peter Keller was appointed Simon Fraser University’s next vice-president, academic, and provost. His appointment begins Sept. 1. Dr. Keller joins SFU from the University of Victoria, where he is a professor of geography and served two terms as dean of the faculty of social sciences. He has previously served as president of the Canadian Cartographic Association and is a member of Council of the Canadian Institute of Geomatics.
Vic Pakalnis has been named associate vice-president of Laurentian Mining Innovation and Technology, a new mining research initiative at Laurentian University. LMIT coordinates Laurentian’s four mining-related research centres. Mr. Pakalnis, a mining engineer, was previously president and CEO of Laurentian’s Mining Innovation Rehabilitation and Applied Research Corporation, and was the Kinross Professor in Mining and Sustainability at Queen’s University.
On Feb. 29, Peter Hedley became director of support services, part of student enrolment services, at the University of Saskatchewan. Dr. Hedley comes to U of S after having served in student affairs at Capilano University. He spent 10 years working at London Brunel International College at Brunel University in Middlesex, U.K., where he was director of academic and student services, and college principal.
Carson Pue has been named special assistant to the president at Trinity Western University. Mr. Pue will advise TWU President Bob Kuhn on special projects in fundraising, leadership development, church relations, communications and the institution’s proposed school of law. He is the former CEO of Arrow Leadership and now owns Quadrant Leadership Inc., a leadership training firm. He recently served as executive director at First Baptist Church Vancouver.
Lace Marie Brogden will be the founding dean of Laurentian University’s faculty of education for a five-year renewable term, beginning July 1. Dr. Brogden will oversee the English-language school of education and the French-language École des sciences de l’éducation. Dr. Brogden has been director of the baccalaureate program at the University of Regina’s faculty of education since 2010. She also worked as evaluation coordinator in Saskatchewan’s Official Minority Language Office and as a French immersion teacher.
Royal Roads University’s board of governors has extended the second term of Allan Cahoon as president and vice-chancellor for an 18-month period. The extension, which begins July 1, 2017, will allow Dr. Cahoon to complete his term as president of the Inter-American Organization for Higher Education. Dr. Cahoon was first appointed president of RRU in 2007 and was reappointed in 2012 for a second five-year term.
Sylvain Charlebois was named dean of the faculty of management at Dalhousie University, effective July 1. Dr. Charlebois will be cross-appointed to the faculties of management and agriculture. He currently serves as associate dean, research and graduate studies, in the College of Business and Economics at the University of Guelph, where he co-founded the Food Institute. He is a former director of the Johnson-Shoyama Graduate School of Public Policy with the University of Regina and the University of Saskatchewan.
Retired chief of the North Bay Police Services, Paul Cook, has been named chancellor of Nipissing University. He will begin his four-year term on June 1. Mr. Cook was born and raised in North Bay and acted as chief of police from 2004 to 2016 after 34 years on the force. He received the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Medal and the Royal Canadian Air Force Commander’s Commendation in 2012.
Laurentian University has appointed Craig Fowler associate vice-president, research partnerships, innovation and economic development. He has served as associate vice-president, administration and external relations at Laurentian since August 2012. Prior to joining Laurentian, Mr. Fowler held several senior roles at the Ontario Ministry of Research and Innovation, including director of scientific and research collaborations.
Effective July 1, Janice Ristock will become provost and vice-president, academic, at the University of Manitoba. Dr. Ristock is presently vice-provost, academic affairs, a position she has held for four years. In her previous role as associate vice-president, Dr. Ristock was the lead in developing U of M’s successful bid to serve as home for the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation. Throughout her 25 years at U of M, she has remained active as a social science researcher and supervisor in the fields of gender and sexuality.
Frank Plummer was named the recipient of the 2016 Canada Gairdner Wightman Award, given to a Canadian who has demonstrated outstanding leadership in medicine and medical science throughout his or her career. Dr. Plummer is a special advisor to the chief public health officer at the Public Health Agency of Canada and is a distinguished professor of medical microbiology at the University of Manitoba. He was recognized for his groundbreaking research in Africa in understanding HIV transmission and his leadership at the Canadian National Microbiology Laboratory in combatting SARS, H1N1 influenza and Ebola epidemics. The award comes with a $100,000 cash prize and will be presented in Toronto in October.
Neal Davies has been appointed dean of the University of Alberta’s faculty of pharmacy and pharmaceutical sciences, effective Sept. 1. Dr. Davies is dean of the College of Pharmacy at the University of Manitoba. He began his career at U of A, graduating with a PhD in pharmaceutical sciences in 1996. He previously worked as assistant and associate professor in the college of pharmacy at Washington State University, where he also served as director of the graduate programs in phar-macology and toxicology and subsequently pharmaceutical sciences.
Pascal Calarco was appointed university librarian at the University of Windsor, effective April 18. He was previously associate university librarian for research and digital discovery services at the University of Waterloo.
Amrita Daniere was appointed vice-principal, academic, and dean at University of Toronto Mississauga. Her two-year term begins July 1. Dr. Daniere is a professor in the department of geography and planning at U of T, and co-director of the Urban Climate Resilience in South East Asia Partnership through the Asian Institute at the Munk School of Global Affairs. Since joining the university in 1995, she has served in several administrative roles, including vice-dean, graduate, at UTM from 2010 to 2014.
Trinity Western University has appointed Catharine Penfold Navarro vice-provost, teaching and learning. She currently serves as graduate faculty scholar at the University of Central Florida. Among her roles in student services, Dr. Penfold has been director of student success at Valencia College in Orlando, director of student services and academic advisor at the University of Kentucky in Lexington, and director of community life at LCC International University in Klaipeda, Lithuania.
Katherine Bergman was reappointed to a second five-year term as president and vice-chancellor of St. Jerome’s University, federated with the University of Waterloo. Dr. Bergman’s appointment originally began Aug. 1, 2012. Previously, Dr. Bergman served as vice-president, academic and research, and professor at Nipissing University, and dean of science and a geology professor at the University of Regina.
Carol Merriam will become dean of the faculty of humanities at Brock University after serving in the post on an interim basis since March 2015. Her five-year appointment will begin July 1. Dr. Merriam is a professor of Latin language and literature and an experienced academic administrator, having served as associate dean of humanities from 2011-15 and chair of the department of classics from 2004-07.
The University of Alberta appointed André Costopoulos vice-provost and dean of students. Currently dean of students at McGill University, Dr. Costopoulos begins his new post on July 1. He joined McGill in 2001 as a research associate and sessional instructor in the department of anthropology and joined the faculty as an assistant professor in 2003.
Scott Kline has been appointed vice-president, academic, and dean of St. Jerome’s University, federated with the University of Waterloo. His four-year term commences July 1. Dr. Kline, a religious studies professor, previously served as the interim vice-president, academic, and dean.
At McMaster University, Robert L. Baker has been named vice-president, research, effective July 1. Dr. Baker has been McMaster’s dean of science since 2013. His administra-tive career began at the University of Toronto, where he was the inaugural chair of the biology department, associate dean of science at U of T Mississauga, and later vice-dean, graduate edu-cation and research, and vice-dean, research and infrastruc-ture, with U of T’s faculty of arts and science.