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Announcements – August 2020

BY LAURA BEAULNE-STUEBING | AUG 05 2020

Carleton University professor Joy Mighty has been awarded the 2020 Christopher Knapper Lifetime Achievement Award from the Society for Teaching and Learning in Higher Education for her over 40 years of educational development. Dr. Mighty served as the associate vice-president, teaching and learning, at Carleton from 2012 to 2018, while also holding a joint appointment in the Sprott School of Business and the Pauline Jewett Institute of Women’s and Gender Studies. She has provided leadership at teaching and learning centres at Carleton, the University of New Brunswick and Queen’s University. Dr. Mighty was the president of STLHE from 2007 to 2010, and during her term was instrumental in developing the scholarship of teaching and learning, the teaching assistant and graduate student advancement group, and the education developers caucus. She also helped create the Canadian Journal for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning and the Collected Essays on Learning and Teaching

Ted Sargent began a four-year term as the University of Toronto’s vice president, research and innovation, and strategic initiatives, on July 1. Most recently, Dr. Sargent served as the university’s inaugural vice-president, international. Dr. Sargent is a researcher in the Edward S. Rogers Sr. Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering in the faculty of applied science and engineering. He holds a Canada Research Chair in nanotechnology and received the Killam Prize for engineering this year.

Suzanne Curtin was appointed dean of the faculty of graduate studies at Brock University, beginning her new role on July 1. Dr. Curtin joins Brock from the University of Calgary, where she was associate dean in the faculty of graduate studies and graduate program director in the department of psychology. She held her first faculty position at the University of Pittsburgh before spending 15 years at U of Calgary.

The University of Toronto’s Victoria University announced its president, William Robins, has been reappointed to a second term. Dr. Robins, a scholar of the literature and culture of medieval Europe, began his first term in 2015. Since then, he has helped to establish new admissions awards based on need and merit, consolidated inter-religious initiatives at Emmanuel College and created the position of special advisor on Indigenous issues and a Victoria University Indigenous advisory circle. He began his second five-year term on July 1.  

Business and community leader Dawn Farrell is Mount Royal University’s first chancellor. Ms. Farrell is the president and chief executive officer of TransAlta CorporationShe is also involved in community service and has contributed to the United Way Calgary and Area, and to the Calgary Stampede. In 1986, Ms. Farrell taught an economics course at MRU and later served on the university’s board of governors and the university foundation’s board of directors.  

MarieJosée Berger has been appointed provost and vice-president, academic, at Laurentian University. In the past 20 years, she has served in several leadership positions in academia, including dean, school of education, and associate vice-president of continuing education at Bishop’s University. She also served as dean of the faculty of education at the University of Ottawa. She began her five-year appointment on Aug. 1.  

Tammy Eger was appointed to the position of vice-president, research, at Laurentian University after serving as interim vice-president, research, for the last six monthsDr. Eger is a professor in Laurentian’s school of human kinetics and was the inaugural research chair in occupational health and safety with the Centre for Research in Occupational Safety in Healthand was also the centre’s co-founderShe began her new role on July 1.  

Algoma University’s new vice-president, academic and research, is Donna M. Rogers. She began her new role on July 1. Dr. Rogers joined Algoma in 2018 as academic dean after serving in teaching, research and academic leadership positions at Pennsylvania State University, Middlebury College, Dalhousie University and Brescia University College. She is a professor of Spanish and Catalan language and linguistics 

Wilfrid Laurier University announced that its chancellor, Eileen Mercier, has been reappointed to a second four-year term, which begins on Oct. 28. Ms. Mercier has nearly 50 years of business leadership experience and was one of the first women in Canada to build a career in corporate governance. She has sat on several boards, including as chair of the board of directors of Payments Canada and chair of the Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan board. In 2011, Ms. Mercier was named one of Canada’s 25 Women of Influence and has been named one of Canada’s Most Powerful Women four times. She has served as a member of Laurier’s board of governors in the past, including a term as chair from 1988 to 1990. 

Fred Fleming was elected chair of the board of governors at Trinity Western University. He has been a member of the board of governors, serving as treasurer, for six years. Mr. Fleming earned a bachelor of commerce at the University of British Columbia and later became a chartered accountant. He has served on other boards, including Focus on the Family Canada and Ravi Zacharias International Ministries.  

Vancouver Island University president and vice-chancellor, Deborah Saucier, is the 2020 recipient of the Indigenous Women in Leadership Award from the Canadian Council for Aboriginal Business (CCAB) and TD Bank Group. Dr. Saucier is from Saskatchewan, a proud Métis and, in her role at VIU aims to close the education gap for Indigenous students so that they can reach their potential and strengthen their communities. She is the former president of MacEwan University, where she worked to incorporate the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s calls to action into decisionmaking. The leadership award will be presented at CCAB’s virtual Business Recovery Forum on Sept. 16.  

Former labour leader Aaron Ekman has been elected chair of the University of Northern British Columbia’s board of governors. Mr. Ekman was appointed as a provincial representative on the board in May 2018 and was reappointed for a two-year term in the role in July 2019. He was heavily involved in the province’s labour movement and, in 2009, served as the president of the Prince George and District Labour Council. In 2011, he was the founding president of the North Central Labour Council and was elected secretary=treasurer of the British Columbia Federation of Labour in 2014 

Cheryl Suttonvice-president, finance and administration, at Nipissing University, has been serving as interim president of the university since July 1, and will remain in that position until the role is filled on a permanent basisMs. Sutton joined Nipissing in 2010 as the director of human resources and employee relations. Before that, she spent several years at Ontario Northland, serving as vice-president of passenger services in 2005, and gained 25 years of experience as a chartered professional accountant/certified general accountant working in public service.  

Tim Heath has been appointed dean of arts of Concordia University of Edmonton. Dr. Heath joins the university from Grande Prairie Regional College, where he served as vice-president, academics and research. Before this, Dr. Heath was dean of the Centre for Applied Arts and Sciences at Lethbridge College. He completed a PhD in English at the University of Alberta. 

Catherine Dauvergne is the new vice-president, academic, and provost of Simon Fraser University, beginning Nov. 23. She will hold the position until Aug. 31, 2024. Currently, Dr. Dauvergne is the dean of law at the Peter A. Allard Schooof Law at the University of British Columbia. She also served as the special advisor to the UBC president from 2009 to 2011, held a Canada Research Chair in migration law for 10 years and was named a Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation fellow in 2012.   

Mary Wilson joins Wilfrid Laurier University as vice-provost, teaching and learning, for a five-year term that begins Aug. 17. Most recently, Dr. Wilson was the director of the Centre for Academic Excellence at Niagara CollegeBefore this, she was the director for the Centre of Innovation in Art and Design Education at OCAD University 

Vancouver Island University appointed William Litchfield as the university’s associate vice-president, community partnerships. Mr. Litchfield has served as the executive director of the VIU Foundation and as the university’s chief advancement officer  

The University of British Columbia appointed Nancy McKenzie chair of its board of governors. Ms. McKenzie was first appointed to the board of governors in 2017 and has served as chair of the finance committee. She is a former senior executive with 30 years of management and board experience. Currently, she is the corporate director of Coast Capital Savings and, from 2005 to 2017, was the chief financial officer for Seaspan ULC. She also serves as director of UBC Investment Management Trust Inc. and sits on a number of committees at the university. 

On July 1, Dugan O’Neil began a temporary, one-year term as Simon Fraser University’s vice-president, research and international. He has served as associate vice-president, research, since 2017 and is a faculty member in the department of physics. 

The Agnes Etherington Art Centre at Queen’s University has a new director and curator. Emelie Chhangur takes on the role on Oct. 1, bringing with her two decades of experience in experimental curatorial practice. She most recently served as the interim director and senior curator at the Art Gallery of York University, where she also led the reorientation of the gallery to become a civic, community-facing space. Among her many awards, Ms. Chhangur received the Ontario Association of Art Galleries’ inaugural BIPOC Changemaker Award in 2019 

Algoma University announced the appointment of Mario Turco as its new chancellor for a four-year term, beginning Sept. 1. Mr. Turco is an advocate for student success, and in his 42-year career he spent nine years as director of education for the Algoma District School Board. He is a member of the board of directors for the Sault Area Hospital and is chair of the boards education committee and recruitment and selection committee.  

The board of governors at NSCAD University announced Sarah McKinnon as the university’s interim president. Dr. McKinnon joins NSCAD from the Glenn Gould School of the Royal Conservatory of Music, where she recently served as director of academics. She has also held senior academic and administrative roles at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, the University of Winnipeg and OCAD University. Dr. McKinnon began her appointment on July 15 and will remain in the position until a new president is selected.  

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