Ryerson University has appointed Donna E. Young the founding dean of its new faculty of law, which will open its doors in September. Ms. Young was most recently the President William McKinley Distinguished Professor of Law and Public Policy at the Albany Law School in Albany, New York. She also had a joint appointment at the University of Albany’s department of women’s, gender and sexuality studies, focusing on criminal law, employment regulation, and gender and race discrimination in her teaching. Ms. Young was raised in Ontario and has worked in litigation at Toronto’s Cornish Roland Barristers & Solicitors, at the Ontario Human Rights Commission and at New York City’s mayor’s office. She holds an LLB from Osgoode Hall Law School at York University and an LLM from Columbia University School of Law in New York City. Ms. Young began her new role at Ryerson on Jan. 1.
The Honourable Jane Philpott was named dean of the faculty health sciences and director of the school of medicine at Queen’s University, starting July 1. Dr. Philpott is a former Member of Parliament who held several senior cabinet positions within the federal government, including minister of health, minister of Indigenous services and president of the Treasury Board. Prior to entering politics, Dr. Philpott spent over 30 years in family medicine and global health. In 2008, she joined the University of Toronto’s faculty of medicine and became chief of family medicine at Markham Stouffville Hospital. She also founded a campaign that raised close to $5 million for people in Africa affected by HIV/AIDS, and helped to create the first family medicine training program in Ethiopia.
The University of British Columbia welcomes Allison Macfarlane as the new director of its school of public policy and global affairs, starting July 1. Dr. Macfarlane is currently a professor of science policy and international affairs at George Washington University in Washington, D.C., where she is also the director of the Institute for International Science and Technology Policy, as well as the director of the international science and technology policy master’s program at the university’s Elliott School of International Affairs.
McMaster University announced David Farrar as its next president for a five-year term effective July 1. Dr. Farrar is currently serving as McMaster’s acting president after joining the university in 2017 as provost and vice-president, academic. Before this, he held various positions at the University of British Columbia, including interim president, provost and vice-president, academic. He also served as deputy provost; vice-provost, students; and chair of the department of chemistry at the University of Toronto.
York University named John Justin McMurtry the new dean of the university’s faculty of liberal arts and professional studies, as of Jan. 1. Dr. McMurtry had been serving as interim dean of the faculty since Oct. 2018. As interim dean, he led the faculty’s planning around York’s Markham Centre campus and oversaw the hiring process for close to 40 tenure-stream faculty members. He has also served as associate dean, programs, and vice-dean in the same faculty.
Graham Carr is the new president and vice-chancellor of Concordia University for a five-year term that began on Dec. 12, 2019, having served as the university’s interim president and vice-chancellor since July 1 of last year. Dr. Carr first joined the university’s department of history in 1983 and has since held several leadership roles, including provost and vice-president, academic; vice-president, research and graduate studies; and dean of graduate studies.
Memorial University’s next president and vice-chancellor is Vianne Timmons, who begins her new position in April. Dr. Timmons has been the president and vice-chancellor of the University of Regina since 2008. She grew up in Newfoundland and Labrador and moved to Nova Scotia to teach at St. Francis Xavier University, where she became chair of the education department. She later joined the faculty of education at the University of Prince Edward Island and became vice-president, academic development, at UPEI in 2001. She has served as the president of the International Association for the Scientific Study of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, co-chair of the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council’s Advisory Committee on Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Policy, and chair of the Canadian Bureau for International Education.
Robin Yates was appointed dean and vice-provost, graduate studies, at the University of Calgary, as of Feb. 1. For the last year, Dr. Yates has served as interim dean and vice-provost. Since 2008, he has taken on various roles at U of Calgary, including associate dean of students and senior associate dean in the faculty of graduate studies, and is a professor in the department of comparative biology and experimental medicine within the faculty of veterinary medicine.
The University of Ottawa has appointed Nicola Urbani the institution’s new executive director of innovation support services. Dr. Urbani has assisted in the growth of several companies and startups, and has held positions such as vice president of commercialization for the Lady Davis Institute at the Jewish General Hospital in Montreal and was recently director of investments at CIC Capital Ventures. He began his new role on Feb. 3.
Martha Billes was appointed to a second term as chancellor of the University of Guelph, which runs until April 2023. Ms. Billes, a well-known businesswoman, has been a director of Canadian Tire Corporation since 1980 and the controlling shareholder of the company since 1997. She graduated from the Macdonald Institute, one of U of Guelph’s founding colleges, with a bachelor of science in 1963 and was the first U of Guelph graduate to be named the university’s chancellor in 2017.
Western University announced John Yoo as the next dean of the Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, starting May 1. Dr. Yoo currently serves many roles at Western, including interim chair/chief of the department of pediatrics; fellowship director for the department of otolaryngology – head and neck surgery; and is a professor of otolaryngology and oncology. He is president-elect of the Canadian Association of Head and Neck Surgical Oncology and is an executive board member with the Canadian Association of Otolaryngology.
Cheryl Regehr was reappointed the University of Toronto’s vice-president and provost for a second term. Dr. Regehr was first named to the position in 2013, after serving as the university’s vice-provost, academic programs. From 2006 to 2009, she was dean of the Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work at U of T. Dr. Regehr received a PhD in social work from U of T.
Shannon Simpson is taking on a new role as director of the Office of Indigenous Initiatives at the University of Toronto, after serving as the director of First Nations House and Indigenous Student Services at U of T since 2003. In her new role, Ms. Simpson will work with Indigenous faculty members in mentorship, curriculum development and protocols for community-based research involving Indigenous people. She will also support ongoing efforts to integrate Indigenous content into curricula and create pathways for Indigenous applicants to work and study at U of T.
The University of Calgary announced William Ghali as the university’s next vice-president, research, for a five-year term effective March 1. Dr. Ghali was most recently the scientific director of the O’Brien Institute for Public Health at U of C and a physician in the Cumming School of Medicine. He is a fellow of both the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences and the Royal Society of Canada, and is co-director of the U of C World Health Organization Collaborating Centre in Disease Classifications and Health Information.
Brescia University College at Western University is welcoming Canadian author and activist Maude Barlow as its next chancellor. Ms. Barlow is the recipient of 14 honourary doctorates and many awards recognizing her commitment to social justice and the environment. She is the honourary chairperson of the Council of Canadians and co-founder of the Blue Planet Project, a Council of Canadians’ initiative focused on water protection.