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People on the Move

Announcements – June 2016

BY ANQI SHEN | JUN 06 2016

Four recipients of the inaugural Governor General’s Innovation Awards, recognizing ground-breaking work in a number of areas, have a university affiliation. They are: Jeff Dahn of Dalhousie University, for his pioneering development of the lithium-ion battery; Robert Burrell of the University of Alberta, for his discovery of the world’s first therapeutic medical application of nanotechnology; Breanne Everett of the University of Calgary, who co-founded a medical company that develops wearable technology to improve patients’ quality of life while reducing health care costs; and Mark G. Torchia of the University of Manitoba, who along with engineer Richard Tyc, created a medical device that uses lasers to treat brain tumours that are otherwise inoperable.

William Lahey-146William Lahey has been named the next president and vice-chancellor of the University of King’s College, in Halifax. Dr. Lahey, currently associate professor at Dalhousie University’s Schulich School of Law, will begin his term July 1. He received an arts degree from Mount Allison University, followed by degrees in jurisprudence from Oxford University, where he was a Rhodes Scholar, and a master of laws from the University of Toronto. He has also worked in the public service, having been a clerk for Justice Gérard La Forest of the Supreme Court of Canada and deputy minister of Nova Scotia’s department of environment and labour. He has also served as head of the Dalhousie Health Law Institute.

Richard Sigurdson-146Richard Sigurdson has been reappointed dean of the faculty of arts at the University of Calgary for a six-year term. Prior to joining the University of Calgary, Dr. Sigurdson was dean of the faculty of arts at the University of Manitoba and acting provost of University College. He has also served previously as a professor and chair of political science at the University of New Brunswick and as acting dean of arts at Thompson Rivers University.

Craig Brunetti-146Starting July 1, Craig Brunetti will be Trent University’s new dean of graduate studies. Dr. Brunetti is a biologist whose research focuses on understanding how viruses cause disease and how to develop better ways to treat viral infections. He has served as director of the environmental and life sciences graduate program and undergraduate chair of the biology department. Prior to joining Trent, he was a research associate at Western University in the department of microbiology and immunology.

Baljit Singh-146The University of Calgary has appointed Baljit Singh its next dean of the faculty of veterinary medicine, beginning Sept. 1. He joins the faculty after serving as associate dean of research at the University of Saskatchewan since 2011. Dr. Singh has received a 3M National Teaching Fellowship, the Outstanding Veterinary Anatomist Award from the American Association of Veterinary Anatomists and the Pfizer Award for Research Excellence.

Penny Werthner-146Penny Werthner has been reappointed dean of the faculty of kinesiology at the University of Calgary. Before joining the university in 2012, Dr. Werthner spent 12 years at the University of Ottawa and served for a year as director and associate dean of the school of human kinetics. She has also been a sport psychology consultant for Canada’s national and Olympic teams since 1985.

Don Tapscott-146Don Tapscott has been reappointed chancellor of Trent University for a second three-year term. Dr. Tapscott is an alumnus of Trent in psychology and sociology, and a recipient of an honorary doctor of laws degree from his alma mater. In 2013 and 2015, he was named one of the most important living business thinkers in the world by Thinkers50. He was also named a member of the Order of Canada for his leadership in business innovation.

Stephanie Chu-146Stephanie Chu will join Kwantlen Polytechnic University as vice-provost, teaching and learning, on July 25. She will oversee the establishment of the university’s first teaching and learning plan. Dr. Chu holds a doctorate in educational psychology and has served since 2010 as director of Simon Fraser University’s teaching and learning centre. Dr. Chu currently also serves as co-chair of the B.C. Teaching and Learning Council and vice-chair, communications, for the Educational Developers Caucus.

Paul W. McDonald-146Paul W. McDonald will take up a five-year term as York University’s dean of the faculty of health, starting July 1. Dr. McDonald was a professor at Massey University in New Zealand as well as founding pro vice-chancellor of its college of health since 2013. Previously, he was a professor at the University of Waterloo, where he served as directors of the population health research group and the school of public health and health systems.

Dreeni Geer-146Dreeni Geer will step into the newly created role of director of human rights and equity at Lakehead University, starting Aug. 2. Creating the position was a key recommendation of the university’s sexual assault task force, which was set up in response to a letter published in the local newspaper about a former student’s disclosure of an alleged sexual assault involving another student off campus. Ms. Geer is a lawyer by training who joins Lakehead after serving as War Child Canada’s country director in Uganda. She has worked with international NGOs and held positions at the Raoul Wallenberg Institute for Human Rights and Humanitarian Law in Sweden, and at the Ontario Human Rights Commission. Ms. Geer was formerly executive director of CultureLink Settlement Services in Toronto and community safety director of the violence prevention organization METRAC.

Andrew Hakin-146Andrew Hakin will continue in his role as the University of Lethbridge’s provost and vice-president, academic, with his next five-year term commencing July 1, 2017. Dr. Hakin has been a full professor in the department of chemistry at U of L and in 2005 was appointed associate vice-president, academic. A physical chemist by training, Dr. Hakin’s expertise is in the area of experimental thermodynamics.

Elizabeth Evans-146Elizabeth Evans will be Mount Royal University’s founding dean of the faculty of business and communication studies, effective August 1. Dr. Evans was previously associate dean of undergraduate programs at Ryerson University’s Ted Rogers School of Management. She spent 25 years working in retail management and business consulting before entering academia. In her new role, Dr. Evans will oversee the amalgamation of Mount Royal’s business school and faculty of communications studies, which takes effect this summer.

David Tamblyn-146David Tamblyn has been appointed Lakehead University’s next board chair starting in October. Mr. Tamblyn, who has served as vice-chair since October 2014, is the current director of education with the Superior-Greenstone District School Board, chair of the Northern Ontario Education Leaders and an executive member of the Council of Ontario Directors of Education. He has a long affiliation with Lakehead, being the son of its first president and an alumnus.

Daniel Therrien-146University controller Daniel Therrien has been appointed interim registrar of Concordia University, effective June 1. Mr. Therrien joined the university in 1998 and has been controller for close to six years. Lyne Bouret, who has been director of research and accounting services for the past five years, will step into his former role as interim controller.

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