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People on the Move

Announcements – November 2019

BY LAURA BEAULNE-STUEBING | NOV 11 2019

The University of Saskatchewan has appointed Chelsea Willness its next university secretary and chief governance officer. Her appointment takes effect Jan. 1, 2020. Dr. Willness is currently associate dean, research and academic, and is a professor of organizational behaviour at the Edwards School of Business at USask. She is the recipient of several teaching awards, including the university’s Master Teacher Award and Award for Distinction in Community Engaged Teaching and Scholarship. She has also held two national research grants for her research on how stakeholders – such as job seekers, employers or consumers – respond to organizations’ environmental practices and community involvement. Dr. Willness received a BA in psychology from USask and an MSc and PhD in industrial organizational psychology from the University of Calgary.

Trinity Western University announced Laurie Matthias as its new associate provost, teaching and learning, effective July 2. Before coming to TWU, Dr. Matthias spent 12 years as an education faculty member at Trinity International University in Deerfield, Ill., where she directed graduate programs and founded the Center for Integrative Faculty Development. There, she was awarded the President’s Prize for Excellence in Scholarship and Teaching twice in a five-year period. In her new role at TWU, Dr. Matthias will use her expertise in education and leadership to align student learning outcomes with instruction and assessment.

Osman Hamid joined Ontario Tech University as its first director, creativity and entrepreneurship, on Oct. 21. In this position, Mr. Hamid will take on a leadership role at the university’s Brilliant Catalyst, a hub for tech innovation, experiential education and entrepreneurship for university students. Mr. Hamid comes to OTU from Ryerson University’s Ted Rogers School of Management. He holds a BA and MBA from Ryerson and is completing a PhD from Western University.

York University will be welcoming Jenifer Papararo as the next director/curator of the Art Gallery of York University on Jan. 1, 2020. Ms. Papararo has previously worked at the Plug In Institute of Contemporary Art on the campus of the University of Winnipeg and served as the curator of the Contemporary Art Gallery in Vancouver.

Brock University announced Nicholas Dion as its new chief of staff to the university president, starting Nov. 4. The role is a new position at Brock and was created to support the work of the president and vice-presidents, act in a leadership capacity in managing the office of the president and, when appropriate, act on behalf of the president. Mr. Dion is currently senior projects officer for the provost at the University of Toronto, and was previously an undergraduate lecturer in U of T’s department for the study of religion.

Madhur Anand, a professor in the school of environmental sciences at the University of Guelph, was appointed the inaugural executive director of the Guelph Institute for Environmental Research (GIER). The GIER is a new research institute encompassing all seven colleges at the U of Guelph, with the aim of supporting interdisciplinary research and raising the profile of environmental research at the university. Dr. Anand is also an internationally recognized poet and published her first book of poems, which was nominated for a Trillium Book Award, in 2015. She began her new appointment on Sept. 1 and will lead the institute until Aug. 2021.

Wilfrid Laurier University has appointed Lynda Hawton Kitamura as the chair of its board of governors. Ms. Hawton Kitamura, effective July 1. She previously served on the board’s finance and investments committee, and the strategic planning steering committee, as well as serving as a member of the university senate. She is the chief financial officer and vice-president of operations for the Electronic Products Recycling Association. Before joining the recycling association, Ms. Hawton Kitamura was the vice-president, finance, at Hewlett-Packard.

Vancouver Island University announced Irlanda Price as its new associate vice-president, student affairs. Before that, Ms. Price was the associate vice-president, student development, at Medicine Hat College. She also worked at Coast Mountain College in roles including educational advisor and campus manager. With an MA in social work from the University of Northern British Columbia, Ms. Price has led initiatives such as the creation of an Indigenous student support centre and bursaries to increase student retention. She is also a faculty mentor for “Women Honouring Other Women,” a gathering for women leaders in academia.

Luann Good Gingrich is the new director of the Global Labour Research Centre at York University. Dr. Good Gingrich, an associate professor in York’s school of social work, began her directorship on July 1. The centre aims to foster a creative and inclusive research community, support transdisciplinary and cross-sectoral collaboration, and facilitate graduate and undergraduate student mentorship and community building. Dr. Good Gingrich completed a BSc at Eastern Mennonite University in Virginia, an MSW at Wilfrid Laurier University and a PhD at the University of Toronto.

Cynthia-Lou Coleman joins Vancouver Island University as its 2019 Fulbright Canada Jarislowsky Foundation Visiting Research Chair in Aboriginal Studies. In this position, Dr. Coleman, who is a professor in the department of communication at Portland State University, will spend four months exploring how Indigenous scientific and cultural issues are covered by the media in Canada and the United States.

Susan O’Neill was appointed Simon Fraser University’s new dean of the faculty of education on Aug. 1. Dr. O’Neill was previously associate dean, academic and research, at SFU and held faculty positions at Western University and Keele University in the U.K. She is president of the UNESCO-affiliated International Society for Music Education and an executive member of the World Alliance for Arts Education.

Lisa Stowe was appointed director of experiential education at University of Calgary’s Taylor Institute for Teaching and Learning. Dr. Stowe, a senior instructor in the department of communication, media and film at U of C, began her new position on July 1. In this role, Dr. Stowe is responsible for promoting and advancing experiential education through initiatives led by the Taylor Institute. She holds a PhD from U of C and a Master of Arts and Bachelor of Arts from Memorial University.

The University of Sudbury has appointed John Meehan its next president and vice-chancellor for a two-year term. Originally from Antigonish, N.S., Fr. Meehan was most recently rector of L’Église de Gesù and interim director of the Newman Center at McGill University. Prior to this, he was president of Campion College, the Jesuit university college federated with the University of Regina.

Mount Saint Vincent University welcomed Mustansar Nadeem as the institution’s next vice-president, administration, starting Sept. 9. He previously served as vice-president, corporate services, and chief financial officer at Olds College in Alberta. A chartered professional accountant, he also held administrative management roles with the Northwest Territories Power Corporation.

Mark Sargent was named the new chair of the board of directors of King’s University College, affiliated with Western University, effective July 1. Rev. Sargent is director of priest personnel and coordinator of pastoral care in health care institutions for the Diocese of London, Ont.

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