On May 1, Joanne Benham Rennick began a new role as executive director of Wilfrid Laurier University’s Schlegel Centre for Entrepreneurship and Social Innovation. Dr. Benham Rennick is an associate professor in global studies and has led social entrepreneurship learning opportunities at Laurier. She previously taught in Laurier Brantford’s contemporary studies program and served as director of an international service-learning program at St. Jerome’s University at the University of Waterloo.
York University has reappointed Robert Haché for a second term as vice-president, research and innovation, effective July 1. Prior to his appointment in 2011, Dr. Haché served as associate vice-president, research, at the University of Calgary and has held appointments there in the departments of biological sciences, and cell biology and anatomy.
Philanthropist and lawyer Doug Stollery will be the University of Alberta’s next chancellor. Dr. Stollery is president of the Stollery Charitable Foundation, and a board member of CARE Canada and the Stephen Lewis Foundation. He has previously been a partner with Reynolds Mirth Richards & Farmer LLP and served as a director of the Alberta Law Reform Institute and the Legal Education Society of Alberta. Dr. Stollery retired from PCL Constructors Inc. in 2013 and will begin his term at U of A on June 15.
Ryerson University has appointed Pamela Sugiman dean of the faculty of arts, effective July 1. Dr. Sugiman, currently chair of the sociology department, serves on the executive committee of the multi-institutional Landscapes of Injustice Project and leads the Oral History Research Cluster. She was formerly the president of the Canadian Sociological Association and director on the executive board of the National Association of Japanese Canadians.
Brock University has tapped David Vivian to be the new director of the Marilyn I. Walker School of Fine and Performing Arts, effective July 1. He was an active participant in the planning of the school and its move into a downtown facility. He has previously served as director of the Centre for Students in Arts and Culture at Brock. Mr. Vivian holds a master of fine arts from the University of British Columbia and studied scenography at the National Theatre School in Montreal.
The University of Victoria’s new associate vice-president, academic planning, is Nancy Wright, effective July 1. Dr. Wright has held visiting professorships at the University of Western Ontario and the University of Florida, and a research fellowship in the Centre for Studies in Religion and Society at UVic. In Australia, she served as deputy and acting dean of the University of Western Sydney, and executive dean of arts at the University of Queensland, before returning to Canada to take up a position as dean of arts, humanities and social sciences at the University of Windsor.
Jeffrey Goldberg will step in as Mount Royal University’s acting provost and vice-president, academic, as a national search begins to fill the role permanently. For the past five years, he served as dean of the faculty of science and technology at Mount Royal. Prior to arriving at Mount Royal in 2011, he was head of the department of biological sciences at the University of Calgary.
Laurentian University’s board of governors has appointed Jennifer Witty chair for a one-year term, starting in June. Ms. Witty has been a board member since 2005. She completed an MBA at Laurentian in 1999 and is currently superintendent of human resources systems with Vale Ontario Operations.
Robert Leckey has been named dean of the faculty of law at McGill University, effective July 1. Dr. Leckey joined the faculty in 2006 and is currently a full professor and William Dawson Scholar. He is also director of the Paul-André Crépeau Centre for Private and Comparative Law and was formerly board president of Egale Canada, the national advocacy group for the rights of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people.
Jens Coorssen returns to his alma mater, Brock University, to take up the position of dean of the faculty of graduate studies, effective July 1. Dr. Coorssen previously served at Australia’s Western Sydney University as chair of molecular physiology in the school of medicine. His research has had an impact in a range of health fields, dealing with concerns including injuries to the spinal cord and nervous system, seizure disorders, cognitive deficiencies, and pre-term labour.
Cathy Bruce has been appointed dean of Trent University’s school of education and professional learning for a five-year term commencing July 1. Dr. Bruce is known for her innovations in mathematics teaching. She leads the Trent Math Education Research Collaborative and, in 2012, was named one of Ontario’s most outstanding university teachers by the Ontario Confederation of University Faculty Associations.
Founder and CEO of The New Energy Group, Niraj Bhargava, has been appointed executive director of the Carleton Sustainable Energy Research Centre at Carleton University. Mr. Bhargava is also the co-founder and former CEO of Energate and is an advisory board member at Carleton’s Sprott School of Business. In addition, he was founder and CEO of the Queen’s University Centre for Enterprise Development and served as dean of the business school at Royal Roads University.
Karen Spearing was appointed Trent University’s new university secretary, effective Mar. 24. She joined the university in 2010 as executive assistant to the president and previously worked as university secretary at the University of Ontario Institute of Technology. Ms. Spearing has also held senior administrative roles at the Toronto Police Service and York Regional Police Services Board.
Tim Tribe has been named vice-president, advancement and communications, at the University of Northern British Columbia, effective July 11. Mr. Tribe most recently served as the chief development officer and campaign director at Conestoga College. While there he developed long-term strategies to support college fundraising, secured significant donations from a variety of donor bases, launched a new alumni engagement tool and built an award-winning donor relations program.
Robert Knight will be the University of Northern British Columbia’s new vice-president, finance and business operations. He was recently the associate dean for administration and finance at New York University’s Steinhardt School of Culture, Education and Human Development, where he was responsible for a wide range of the school’s operations. After leaving NYU in 2015 and returning to Canada, Mr. Knight served in a term position at Saint Mary’s University in Halifax.
Mohamed Lachemi began his term as Ryerson University’s president and vice-chancellor on April 4. Dr. Lachemi held a Canada Research Chair from 2002 to 2010 and also served as Ryerson’s provost and vice-president, academic, and dean of the faculty of engineering and architectural science. Most recently he served as the interim president and vice-chancellor. He played a key role in the success of innovation clusters at Ryerson’s Digital Media Zone and fostered partnerships including the one between the Institute for Biomedical Engineering and Science Technology (iBest) and St. Michael’s Hospital.
Kirsten Woodend has been reappointed as dean of the Trent/Fleming School of Nursing, effective July 1. Prior to joining Trent University in 2011, Dr. Woodend served at the University of Ottawa as director and associate dean of the school of nursing, faculty of health sciences. She is president of the Canadian Association of Schools of Nursing and a senior investigator for the Nursing Best Practice Research Centre. Previously, she was a clinical scientist with the Élisabeth-Bruyère Research Institute and director of research at the Canadian Pharmacists Association.
On May 1, Jamie Mandigo became Brock University’s inaugural vice-provost, enrolment management and international, for a five-year term. His responsibilities include oversight and leadership of the registrar’s office, international market development, international services, ESL services, and institutional analysis and planning. During his time at Brock, Dr. Mandigo, a kinesiology professor, has served as director of the university’s Centre for Healthy Development through Sport and Physical Activity, and vice-chair of senate.
Tracy Rands joined Dalhousie University this past January as director of talent management. The new portfolio within human resources focuses on recruitment, performance management, career and leadership development, and organizational health. Ms. Rand is an active career coach with nearly 20 years of HR experience in the private and public sectors.
The Canadian Institute for Advanced Research has appointed John Hepburn vice-president, research, starting in June. Dr. Hepburn was vice-president, research and international, at the University of British Columbia and previously served as dean of the faculty of science. He will remain a professor at UBC in the departments of chemistry, and physics and astronomy. Dr. Hepburn has received a number of honours and awards, including the Rutherford Medal in Physics from the Royal Society of Canada and an Alfred P. Sloan Foundation Fellowship.