The Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada welcomes Alejandro Adem as its new president, effective Oct. 1. Dr. Adem has served as chief executive officer and scientific director of the non-profit research and training organization Mitacs since 2015. An accomplished researcher in the field of mathematics, he is also a faculty member at the University of British Columbia. Dr. Adem has received numerous NSERC grants and, since 2005, has held the Canada Research Chair in Algebraic Topology and Group Cohomology at UBC. A supporter of equity, diversity and inclusion, Dr. Adem has worked to increase the participation and visibility of women in mathematics during his role on the advisory board of the Association for Women in Mathematics.
Mohamed Lachemi has been reappointed president and vice-chancellor of Ryerson University for a second term, which runs until April 2026. He became Ryerson’s president in April 2016, and first joined the university as a professor in the faculty of engineering and architectural science in 1998. An award-winning teacher, mentor and researcher, Dr. Lachemi is well-known for his research in high-performance materials and advanced technologies to mitigate the effects of built structures on the environment.
The University of Winnipeg has appointed Christopher Storie the new director of the Institute of Urban Studies for a three-year term that began on July 1. Dr. Storie is a faculty member and chair in the department of geography at the university.
York University has appointed Sheila Cote-Meek as its first vice-president, equity, people and culture, effective Oct. 1. Dr. Cote-Meek most recently served as associate vice-president, academic and indigenous programs, at Laurentian University. She previously served as health director for the Union of Ontario Indians and as interim dean of the Anishinaabe studies division at Cambrian College in Sudbury.
Jill Scott will be the University of Ottawa’s new provost and vice-president, academic affairs, for a five-year term starting Sept. 1. Dr. Scott comes to Ottawa from Queen’s University, where she was a full professor in the department of languages, literature and culture. Dr. Scott also served as vice-provost, teaching and learning, and interim associate vice-principal, international, at Queen’s prior to her new appointment.
Darren Fernandez has been appointed university registrar at York University, effective Aug. 26. Prior to this, he has served as associate registrar and director of student support and advising, enrolment services, at the University of British Columbia. During his time at UBC, he has been instrumental in numerous initiatives, including the design of a new student financial aid and awards strategy.
Mount Royal University has appointed Michael Quinn its new vice-provost and associate vice-president, academic. After joining Mount Royal in 2013 as holder of the inaugural Talisman Energy Chair for Environmental Sustainability and director of the Institute for Environmental Sustainability, Dr. Quinn was subsequently appointed associate vice-president, research, scholarship and community engagement in 2015.
Brock University alumna Madelyn Law was appointed the university’s associate vice-provost, teaching and learning, effective July 1. In this role, Dr. Law will take the lead of Brock’s Centre of Pedagogical Innovation. She was previously the director of Brock’s interprofessional education for quality and improvement program, as well as an associate professor of health sciences.
Robert Wood has been appointed dean of the University of Lethbridge’s faculty of health sciences, effective July 1. He previously served as dean of the school of graduate studies at the university, and subsequently dean of graduate studies and postdoctoral affairs since 2011. He first joined the university in 2000 as an assistant professor in the department of sociology.
Lakehead University has chosen David Richards as its new dean of the faculty of business administration. Since joining the faculty in 2008, Dr. Richards has served in numerous roles. He is currently an associate professor of human resources and organizations behavior, and previously served as assistant dean and graduate studies coordinator.
Rui Wang was appointed dean of the faculty of science at York University for a five-year term effective Jan.1, 2020. Dr. Wang has been part of the York community since August 2018, when he was appointed deputy provost for the Markham campus and professor of biology in the faculty of science. Since May 1, he has also been serving as interim vice-president, research and innovation.
The University of Lethbridge has announced that Erasmus Okine will serve a second term as vice-president, research. Prior to his arrival at U of Lethbridge on 2015, Dr. Okine served in a dual capacity as the associate vice-president, research, and associate vice-president, academic, at the University of Alberta. He has received a number of awards over the course of his career, including the Alberta Premier’s Silver Award for Excellence in Agricultural Research.
Mike Mahon, president and vice-chancellor of the University of Lethbridge, has been reappointed to a third term, effective July 1, 2020. At his request, this will be his final term. During his time with the university, he introduced the university’s first academic plan and strategic research plan, followed by the university’s strategic plan, Destination 2020. Dr. Mahon is also the current chair of the board of directors for Universities Canada.
Scott Kline becomes interim president at St. Jerome’s University, affiliated with the University of Waterloo, effective July 1. He has served many roles at the university since joining as a faculty member in 2002, including most recently as vice president, academic, and dean. Dr. Kline’s research revolves around the role of religion in relation to public policy.
The University of Alberta appointed Matina Kalcounis-Rueppell dean of the faculty of science, the first woman to hold the role. Dr. Kalcounis-Rueppell is returning to her home province of Alberta after serving as department head of biology at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. She is a passionate advocate of community engagement and of the importance of wildlife conservation.
Hugh Grant has been appointed dean of business and economics at the University of Winnipeg, effective July 1. Dr. Grant assumes the role after being a part of U of Winnipeg for more than three decades. His first post at the university was in 1986 as an assistant professor. He was previously acting dean for the faculty.
McMaster University has a new director of athletics and recreation, Shawn Burt. Former chief athletics officer at the University of Saskatchewan, Mr. Burt will assume the role in July. Prior to his time at U of S, he worked for Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment, as well as Ryerson University. He is an alumnus of Dartmouth College, where he was varsity letterman on the men’s hockey team.
Mount Allison University welcomes Shawna Garrett as its new registrar, starting Aug. 19. Originally from the Maritimes, Ms. Garrett comes to Mount Allison from the College of the North Atlantic-Qatar, where she is the registrar. She has held similar positions at NSCAD University and Acadia University, and has worked in a number of roles in the area of international and student affairs.
St. Thomas More College, federated with the University of Saskatchewan, appointed Carl N. Still its new president, as of May 1. Dr. Still has been part of the college since 1995, when he joined the philosophy department. He later served as head of the department and dean of the college from 2006 to 2016. Dr. Still’s work lies in Western philosophy, with an emphasis on the Catholic intellectual tradition.
The University of Lethbridge has appointed Mary Ingraham the new dean of the faculty of fine arts. She will assume her new role at the beginning of the fall semester. Dr. Ingraham is currently the director of the Sound Studies Institute, and a professor of musicology in the department of music, at the University of Alberta.
Wilfrid Laurier University has appointed Maria Cantalini Williams the new dean of the faculty of education for a five-year term that begins on July 1. Dr. Williams was a faculty member in the Schulich School of Education at Nipissing University from 2003 to 2018. She taught in the bachelor of education and graduate studies programs, and was director and associate dean of the Laurier-Nipissing concurrent education program in Brantford, Ontario, for six years. She also founded and was the faculty lead for Nipissing’s international practicum program in Italy for 12 years.
Anthony Clarke becomes the next dean of the faculty of science at Wilfrid Laurier University, starting Aug. 1. Dr. Clarke is currently a professor in the department of molecular and cellular biology at the University of Guelph, where he has also held a number of administrative roles, including assistant vice-president, graduate studies and program quality assurance; interim associate vice-president, academic; and associate vice-president, research services.
Pamela Klein has been elected chancellor of the University of Regina for a three-year term starting on July 1. Ms. Klein is the president of advertising and communications firm Phoenix Group. She has been associated with U of R for many years, most recently serving as vice-chair of the board of governors. Ms. Klein also has a long history of community service with local organizations and agencies, including the Paul J. Hill School of Business, the Amakon Foundation, the Hospitals of Regina Foundation, the MacKenzie Art Gallery, and Sask Film.