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People on the Move

Announcements – April 2017

BY ANQI SHEN | APR 01 2017

3M Canada and the Society for Teaching and Learning in Higher Education have announced the 2017 3M National Teaching Fellows: Greg Evans, department of chemical engineering and applied chemistry, University of Toronto; Alison Flynn, chemistry and biomolecular sciences, University of Ottawa; James Fraser, physics, Queen’s University; Timothy O’Connell, recreation and leisure studies, Brock University; Nicola Simmons, education, Brock University; Alan Steele, electronics, Carleton University; Gordon Stubley, mechanical and mechatronics engineering, University of Waterloo; Glen Van Brummelen, mathematics, Quest University; Jay Wilson, curriculum studies, University of Saskatchewan; and Shelly Wismath, liberal education program, University of Lethbridge.

Lyn McLeod will become Lakehead University’s next chancellor at a convocation ceremony in June. Ms. McLeod was Member of Provincial Parliament for the Fort William Riding (now Thunder Bay–Atikokan) from 1987 to 2003. She served variously as minister of colleges and universities, minister of energy and minister of natural resources. She has served on Lakehead’s board of governors and is currently a board member of Georgian College. Ms. McLeod was awarded the Order of Ontario in 2014.

The University of Ontario Institute of Technology appointed Peter Stoett dean of the faculty of social sciences and humanities, starting July 17. Dr. Stoett will join the university from Concordia University, where he is the founding director of the Loyola Sustainability Research Centre. He holds a PhD in political studies from Queen’s University and is an expert in global environmental politics and human rights.

Renison University College, affiliated with the University of Waterloo, has appointed Kofi Campbell its new academic dean, effective June 1. Dr. Campbell is currently associate professor of English at Wilfrid Laurier University’s Brantford campus, where he is also associate dean of the faculty of liberal arts and director of the MA in cultural analysis and social theory. Dr. Campbell’s scholarly expertise includes queer Caribbean studies and postcolonial literature. He holds a PhD in English literature from Western University.

The Federation for the Humanities and Social Sciences has named Gabriel Miller its next executive director, effective May 1. Mr. Miller is currently vice-president of public issues, policy and cancer information at the Canadian Cancer Society, and was formerly director of government and media relations for the Federation of Canadian Municipalities. He has been named one of Canada’s “top 100 lobbyists” by the Hill Times.

Wilfrid Laurier University has appointed Kathryn Carter associate vice-president, teaching and learning, effective April 1. Dr. Carter, who served in the role in an acting capacity since July 2015, has been a faculty member in the English program at Laurier’s Brantford campus since 2000. She has previously served as program coordinator of the contemporary studies program, associate dean of the Brantford campus, and associate dean of graduate studies and postdoctoral studies at Brantford.

Deborah White has been appointed dean and chief executive officer of the University of Calgary in Qatar. Dr. White, who holds a PhD in nursing from the University of Alberta, has been serving in the position on an interim basis since July 2016. Dr. White began her tenure at U of Calgary in 2002, and was named associate dean of research in 2008. As a researcher, she has focused on patient safety and quality of care.

Huron University College, affiliated with Western University, has named Donna Kotsopoulos provost and dean of the faculty of arts and social science, effective July 1. Dr. Kotsopoulos is a professor and associate dean in Wilfrid Laurier University’s faculty of education, cross-appointed to the faculty of science. She holds a PhD in education from Western and sits on the executive boards of the Senior Women Academic Administrators of Canada and the Association for Early Childhood Educators of Ontario.

Michael Benarroch has been named Ryerson University’s next provost and vice-president, academic, effective July 1. Dr. Benarroch is currently dean of the Asper School of Business at the University of Manitoba and was the founding dean of the faculty of business and economics at the University of Winnipeg. He holds a PhD in economics from Carleton University.

Elizabeth Saewyc has been named director of the school of nursing at the University of British Columbia, starting July 1. Dr. Saewyc joined the school in 2004 as associate professor and was promoted to full professor in 2009. She serves as executive director of the Stigma and Resilience among Vulnerable Youth Centre at UBC and research director for the McCreary Centre Society.

Western University has appointed Erika Chamberlain dean of law, beginning May 1. Dr. Chamberlain has served as the faculty’s associate dean, academic, for the past five years, leading the external accreditation of the JD program and overseeing the entry of its first-ever PhD class in 2014. She clerked on the Supreme Court of Canada in 2002 and holds a PhD from the University of Cambridge.

Two Canadian researchers have received a Gairdner Award recognizing their contributions to biomedical science. Antoine Hakim, professor emeritus of neurology at the University of Ottawa, has won the 2017 Canada Gairdner Wightman Award, given annually to a Canadian “who has demonstrated outstanding leadership in medicine and medical science.” Lewis Kay, professor of molecular genetics, biochemistry and chemistry at the University of Toronto and senior scientist at The Hospital for Sick Children, has been awarded one of this year’s Canada Gairdner International Awards, which recognizes “outstanding biomedical scientists who have made original contributions to medicine resulting in an increased understanding of human biology and disease.”

Valerie Henitiuk has been appointed MacEwan University’s first adviser for Indigenous initiatives for a two-year term. Dr. Henitiuk is responsible for “developing the strategic direction and coordination for MacEwan’s Indigenous programming.” She serves as executive director of MacEwan’s Centre for the Advancement of Faculty Excellence and as professor in the department of English.

Concordia University of Edmonton has named former Edmonton mayor Stephen Mandel chancellor of the university. Mr. Mandel was mayor for three terms and was appointed to the provincial cabinet of former Alberta premier Jim Prentice as minister of health.

The University of Guelph appointed Ray Darling to the position of registrar, effective March 1. He was previously registrar at the University of Waterloo and at Wilfrid Laurier University. Mr. Darling was formerly associate registrar, admissions, at U of Guelph, where he completed a master’s in political science.

Rhonda Lenton has been appointed York University’s next president and vice-chancellor, effective July 1. Dr. Lenton, a sociologist, is York’s vice-president and provost. From 2009 to 2012, she served as vice-provost, academic, and from 2002 to 2009, she served as dean of the Atkinson Faculty of Liberal and Professional Studies. Dr. Lenton is an executive member of the Ontario Council of Academic Vice-Presidents and represents the council on the boards of eCampusOntario Board and the Ontario Council on Articulation and Transfer. Her areas of teaching and research expertise include research methods and data analysis, gender and familial violence.

The University of the Fraser Valley has named Jackie Hogan its interim president and vice-chancellor. Ms. Hogan, a chartered professional accountant, joined UFV in 1989, and is currently chief financial officer and vice-president, administration. She was awarded the PEAK Award for Excellence in the Public Sector by the Association of Women in Finance in 2014. Ms. Hogan will step into her interim role on July 1.

Lakehead University has named Dean Jobin-Bevans the new principal of its Orillia campus, starting July 1. Dr. Jobin-Bevans is an associate professor with Lakehead’s department of music, and served as acting dean and chair of that department. He is currently interim dean of the faculty of social sciences and humanities.

Louis Taillefer, physics professor at Université de Sherbrooke and director of the Canadian Institute for Advanced Research’s quantum materials program, has been awarded the 2017 Simon Memorial Prize. Dr. Taillefer is the first Canadian to receive the prize, awarded every three years by the Institute of Physics, since it was established in 1957. He was selected for his “pioneering contributions to the field of unconventional superconductivity.” Superconductors are materials that can conduct electricity without any loss of energy. As a renowned expert in this area, Dr. Taillefer has made several key contributions to the field using experimental techniques. In 2007, he and his team had a breakthrough observation of quantum oscillations in a copper-oxide superconductor which drastically changed how scientists view electron behavior in those materials. In 2016, the team identified a key signature that underpins why copper oxides are the strongest known superconductors.

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