Our board

Professor Deep Saini began his term as the 18th President and Vice-Chancellor of McGill University on April 1, 2023. A career academic and accomplished researcher in plant biology, Professor Saini brings a unique combination of national post-secondary experience with an international perspective. He most recently served as President of Dalhousie University in Canada and, prior to that, was Vice-Chancellor and President of the University of Canberra in Australia. Professor Saini had previously worked at four of Canada’s U15 universities, including as a Vice-President of the University of Toronto and Principal of its Mississauga campus, Dean of the Faculty of Environment at the University of Waterloo and Director General of the Plant Biology Research Institute at the Université de Montréal.

His awards and recognitions include honours from the Canadian Society of Plant Physiologists, Nanjing University, the Sikh Foundation of Canada, the Royal Society of New South Wales, the Punjab Academy of Sciences and the Indo-Canada Chamber of Commerce. He was featured in India Abroad’s “2011 Power List” and is the recipient of the Queen Elizabeth II Platinum and Diamond Jubilee Medals and the NRI Welfare Society of India Hind Rattan Award.

His leadership roles have included governance and advisory roles at national and international levels, presidencies of national professional societies, journal editorships, membership on national and international granting panels, international trade missions and membership of the executive committee for the U15 Group of Canadian Research Universities.

Professor Saini grew up in India and holds a Doctor of Philosophy in Plant Physiology from the University of Adelaide in Australia. He is fluent in English, French, Hindi and Punjabi.

He is the Chair of the board of Universities Canada.

Joy Johnson became the 10th President and Vice-Chancellor of Simon Fraser University in 2020 and is also a Professor in its Faculty of Health Sciences.

As President, Joy is committed to enhancing student learning experiences, working towards Indigenous reconciliation and advancing equity, diversity and inclusion across the university.

Prior to her appointment as President, Joy served as Simon Fraser University’s vice-President, Research and International from 2014 to 2020 where she oversaw the evolution of cutting-edge research, innovation and international engagement across eight faculties. Under her leadership, SFU’s research income grew from $103 million in 2014 to $161 million in 2020—the fastest growth of any Canadian university. Other major accomplishments include launching a groundbreaking big data initiative, hosting one of Canada’s largest supercomputers and establishing a university-wide innovation strategy.

Joy has had a distinguished career in academics and research. She completed her PhD in Nursing at the University of Alberta and joined the University of British Columbia as a Professor in the School of Nursing. Her commitment to research led her to the role of Scientific Director with the Canadian Institutes of Health Research Institute of Gender and Health, where she is credited for shaping the Canadian research landscape to ensure gender is considered in health research.

Joy is an elected Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences, a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada and has co-authored more than 180 peer-reviewed articles.

Professor Johnson is the Vice-Chair on the board of Universities Canada.

Michael Benarroch became President of the University of Manitoba on July 1, 2020. He is a Manitoban and former Dean of the I.H. Asper School of Business who returned to UM after having served as Provost and Vice-President (Academic) at Toronto Metropolitan University. He is an economist with a special interest in global economic outlook, the impact of trade on the environment, and government economic policy. Dr. Benarroch is a passionate teacher and researcher, an active advocate for equity, diversity and inclusion and the advancement of Indigenous engagement and reconciliation. He has engaged extensively in service to community and in board governance.

Dr. Benarroch is a Director on the board of Universities Canada.

Christian Blanchette took office as the ninth Rector of Université du Québec à Trois Rivières (UQTR) on December 1, 2020. Prior to his appointment, he had been the Dean of the Faculty of Continuing Education at the Université de Montréal since 2011.

Having obtained his PhD in Physics from York University in 1994 and with a background as an environmental specialist, Mr. Blanchette began his career in teaching before turning to research on the impact of the Internet and learning technologies on higher education.

With an academic career spanning almost thirty years, he has taken a keen interest in issues relating to digital transformation in an academic context and the evolution of education in the context of lifelong learning, as well as emerging issues in higher education.

Throughout his career, he has had various management responsibilities in academic and research roles, in student programs and student experience, and in organizational and community development.

For example, he established and managed the University of Ottawa teaching and learning support service (1999–2008), as well as the Institute for the Advancement of Teaching in Higher Education (2004–2008). He also served as Associate Dean, Interdisciplinary Studies and International Affairs in the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies at the University of Ottawa (2008–2011).

Christian Blanchette has served as a member of numerous committees. For almost ten years, he was active in Quebec’s high council of education, the Conseil supérieur de l’éducation, where he chaired the Commission de l’éducation des adultes et de la formation continue (adult education and continuing education commission) from 2014 to 2021. While there, he worked on issues relating to popular education, as well as the impact of education on the integration of immigrants and refugees in Quebec.

Mr. Blanchette is a Director on the board of Universities Canada.

Dr. Brett Fairbairn is a distinguished academic and a passionate advocate for universities and higher education. His special interests include students and access, participatory governance, and community-university engagement. As a leader, he strives for strategic focus, relationship development, and a strong value system of integrity, respect and accountability.

A Rhodes Scholar and a Fellow of the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation, Brett taught and conducted research in history, public policy, and interdisciplinary studies at the University of Saskatchewan (USask) for over 30 years before becoming president and vice-chancellor at TRU in December 2018. While at USask, Brett held increasingly senior leadership roles including as provost and vice-president academic. For his last five years at USask, he was a professor at the Johnson Shoyama Graduate School of Public Policy, teaching about ethical leadership in democracy and public service, social economy, and co-operatives in the new economy.

Brett’s academic work has focused on the history and interdisciplinary study of democracy, social movements, and co-operative enterprises in Canada and around the world, with a special focus on organizational governance. He has been supported through numerous grants from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada. A strong believer in community-based research, Brett has more than 80 publications, which are a mix of scholarly and community-oriented writings. He has published on the history of German elections in the 19th and 20th centuries, on farmer movements in Western Canada, and on how governance and strategy in co-operative businesses can contribute to stronger communities and social cohesion. His most recent book, Risk and Relevance: The Transformation of Canada’s Co-operative Retailing System, was published by the Canadian Centre for the Study of Co-operatives in spring 2019. It is a study of organizational change, leadership, governance and strategy in Western Canada’s retail co-operatives.

Brett completed a DPhil in Modern History at the University of Oxford. He holds a Bachelor of Arts from Oxford (honours first class) and from the University of Saskatchewan.

As a proponent of active citizenship, Brett has served in voluntary leadership roles, including chair of the Saskatchewan Academic Health Sciences Network and chair of the Saskatchewan Archives Board. For his university and public contributions, Brett has been honoured with a number of awards including the Queen’s Golden Jubilee Medal in 2002.

Brett resides in Kamloops with his wife Norma, a ceramic artist. They are the parents of three adult children, one of whom has special needs. Brett’s interests also include hiking, photography, science fiction, and cats.

Dr. Fairbairn is a Director on the board of Universities Canada.

Born and raised in Alberta, Bill joins the University of Alberta from Queen’s University, where he served as the dean of law for 14 years from 2005 to 2019. He holds a BA (English and Philosophy) from Carleton University, a JD from the University of Toronto, a DEA in International Economic Law from Université Paris I-Sorbonne and an LLM from Columbia University. His scholarly work spans property law, corporate law and international trade law. Under his leadership, the university is embarking on a major program of academic and administrative restructuring guided by the University of Alberta of Tomorrow proposal, his five-year vision for the university.

Prof. Flanagan is a Director on the board of Universities Canada.

Dr. Hakin, a Professor in Chemistry, came to St. Francis Xavier University in July 2020 from Alberta where he served as the Provost and Academic Vice President at the University of Lethbridge. As Provost, he led the strategy to redefine the University of Lethbridge as a destination university with a strong focus on student experience leading to important advances in academic programming and significant growth in enrolment.

Andy completed his undergraduate and graduate work at the University of Leicester in the UK where he met his wife, Linda. Linda and Andy are the parents of Abbey and Callum who live and work in Calgary, Alberta.

Andy and Linda are greatly enjoying being a part of the StFX university community as well as the local Antigonish community.

Dr. Hakin is a Director on the board of Universities Canada.

With degrees in law from Université de Montréal and Harvard University, Daniel Jutras has been UdeM’s Rector since June 1, 2020. A specialist in civil and comparative law, his expertise is internationally recognized, the result of a long career devoted to the study of contract law and civil liability, class actions and judicial institutions. As a seasoned teacher and an early player in the integration of a comparative and pluralist perspective in the teaching of law, Mr. Jutras has played a leading role in the transformation of legal education programs in Quebec and elsewhere in the world.

In addition to his academic activities, Daniel Jutras has contributed to Canadian public and political life as an ethics consultant to the Canadian Judicial Council, as a member of the independent advisory committee on Senate appointments and as a member of the independent advisory committee on the appointment of the Governor General of Canada. The Supreme Court of Canada has appointed him as amicus curiae in two of the most important constitutional cases of the last decade. Between 2002 and 2004, Daniel Jutras was also senior counsel to the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Canada, the Rt. Hon. Beverley McLachlin.

Today, he is a member of numerous boards of directors in the university sphere and in civil society organizations such as the Centre hospitalier de l’Université de Montréal, the Montreal Clinical Research Institute, the Board of Trade of Metropolitan Montreal, the Canadian Research Knowledge Network, the Interuniversity Cooperation Office and the U7+ international university network.

At the time of his appointment as UdeM Rector, Daniel Jutras held the Wainwright Chair in Civil Law of McGill University’s Faculty of Law. At the same faculty, between 1985 and 2020, he was in turn Vice-Dean, Director of the Institute of Comparative Law and finally Dean, from 2009 to 2016.

His contributions to academic life, Canadian political life and educational innovation have been recognized by his appointment as an Officer of the Order of Canada. As a McGill Professor, he received an award for excellence in teaching. He was also awarded the Médaille du Barreau du Québec in 1983, the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal in 2013, the distinction of Advocatus Emeritus of the Quebec Bar in 2014 and the Mérite du Barreau du Québec in 2016. In 1982, upon completion of his studies at the UdeM, Daniel Jutras proudly received the Academic Medal of the Governor General of Canada.

Dr. Jutras is a Director on the board of Universities Canada.

Deborah MacLatchy was appointed President and Vice-Chancellor of Wilfrid Laurier University on July 1, 2017. As President of Laurier, she has spearheaded the development of a five-year institutional strategic plan, the Laurier Strategy: 2019-2024. The strategic plan focuses the university’s direction into two interconnected themes: thriving community and future readiness.

During her tenure at Laurier as President and previously as Provost, she has championed equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) initiatives, including the growth of supports for Indigenous students, an enhanced focus on women in science and the creation of a community of practice model to advance and distribute EDI initiatives throughout the university.

A distinguished biologist with extensive experience in research, teaching and administration, MacLatchy served as Dean of Laurier’s Faculty of Science from 2007 to 2009 and as Provost and Vice-President: Academic from 2009 until 2017. Previously, MacLatchy spent 13 years at the University of New Brunswick where she was Dean of Science, Applied Science and Engineering and Director of the university’s international office.

MacLatchy holds an honours BSc from Acadia University and a PhD in Zoology from the University of Manitoba. She is a founding Fellow and Past Chair of the Science Directors of the Canadian Rivers Institute and is a Past President and Council Member of the Canadian Society of Zoologists. She has been recognized for her many achievements with a number of significant awards, including an honorary doctorate from Acadia University in 2016 and the 2015 Recognition Award from the Senior Women Academic Administrators of Canada. As well, she was named one of Canada’s Most Powerful Women for 2012 in a Top 100 list compiled by Women’s Executive Network.

Dr. MacLatchy is a Director on the board of Universities Canada.

Dr. Paul Mazerolle is the 19th President and Vice-Chancellor of the University of New Brunswick.

Prior to his appointment in July 2019, Dr. Mazerolle was previously the Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Arts, Education and Law, 2009-2019), Campus Provost for Mount Gravatt campus (2009-2019), Director of the Violence Research and Prevention program (2006-2019), and Director of the Key Centre for Ethics, Law, Justice and Governance (2007-2009) at Griffith University in Queensland, Australia. He was also Director of Research and Prevention at the Queensland Crime and Misconduct Commission (2002-2005) and Head of the Criminology program at the University of Queensland (2000-2006).

Dr. Mazerolle received his Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from the University of New Brunswick (1989), his Master of Science in Criminal Justice from Northeastern University (1990) and his PhD in Criminology from the University of Maryland at College Park (1995).

Dr. Mazerolle has led and participated in several major initiatives. While at Griffith, he chaired the university-wide Safe Campus Taskforce and chaired the sub-committee on Changing Attitudes and Behaviour regarding Sexual Harassment and Sexual Assault. Since 2014, Dr. Mazerolle led and chaired the Griffith Integrity 20 program.

Dr. Mazerolle was a Member of the Premier’s Youth Violence Taskforce and the Seniors Taskforce in Queensland, Australia. He was also Board Chair and Director at Open Minds, a leading non-government organization addressing mental illness and disability.

Dr. Mazerolle is a past Editor of the Australian and New Zealand Journal of Criminology and is the Founding Co-Editor (with Tara McGee) of the Journal of Developmental and Life-Course Criminology.

An active scholar in criminology, Dr. Mazerolle has led several funded research projects. His research examines processes that shape offending behaviour across the life-course. His primary focus is in building knowledge on violence to inform theories, advance understanding, and improve policy and practices to reduce or prevent violence.

Paul is a proud native of New Brunswick, having grown up in Fredericton.

Dr. Mazerolle is a Director on the board of Universities Canada.

Gabriel Miller is the President and CEO of Universities Canada. He is an experienced not-for-profit leader who has built an extensive track record in member relations, advocacy, stakeholder engagement, and public policy development over his 22-year career. Previously, he was the President and Chief Executive Officer of the Federation for the Humanities and Social Sciences.

Prior to joining the Federation, he served in a series of senior roles with the Canadian Cancer Society, culminating as Vice-President of Public Issues, Policy and Cancer Information, and at the Federation of Canadian Municipalities. Gabriel has extensive experience building public dialogue on complex issues such as end-of-life and palliative care, directed successful national campaigns, and been a leader in highly effective coalitions, including one that led to the federal ban on asbestos announced in 2016 and the 10-year national infrastructure plan announced in 2013. He is an experienced media spokesperson who has appeared in major national television news broadcast organizations and leading Canadian newspapers. Previously, Gabriel was the Government and Media Relations Director of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities, which represents big city mayors and municipal governments across the country.

Gabriel holds a BA in Philosophy from Queen’s University and has served as a member of several not-for-profit boards as well as on the Government of Canada’s Diamond Jubilee Advisory Committee.

An accomplished academic leader, professor and research scientist, Dr. Lesley Rigg has served as Brock University’s President and Vice-Chancellor since November 2022.

Previously, the forest ecologist and biogeographer led the research enterprise at Western University as the institution’s Vice-President, Research. Prior to arriving at Western, she served as Dean of the Faculty of Science and Professor, Biological Sciences at the University of Calgary, where she led one of the largest Faculties on campus spanning six departments and five multidisciplinary programs.

Her experience also includes significant leadership at Northern Illinois University. There, she served as Vice-President for Research and Innovation Partnerships and other roles including Associate Dean Research and Graduate Affairs in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.

She is a Fellow of the Royal Canadian Geographical Society, was an executive committee member of the Ontario Council on University Research (OCUR), and the recipient of many honours, including the Alberta SHEInnovator Award and the Women of Inspiration, Vision Builder Award for Western Canada. Rigg’s partner is David Goldblum, an Associate Professor in the Department of Geography and Environment at Western University.

Rigg earned her bachelor’s degree in geography and environmental studies from York University in Toronto, her master’s degree in geography from the University of Colorado and her PhD in geography and environmental studies at Australia’s University of Melbourne. Her teaching career began as an Assistant Professor at Northern Illinois university, where she taught for over 17 years.

Dr. Rigg is a Director on the board of Universities Canada.

Graham Carr is President and Vice-Chancellor of Concordia University. Ranked as the top North American university under 50 years old, Concordia has two Montreal campuses that are home to more than 50,000 students from more than 150 countries.

Graham’s previous leadership positions at Concordia include Provost and Vice-President, Academic Affairs; Vice-President, Research and Graduate Studies; and Dean of Graduate Studies.

Born in Quebec, Graham earned his PhD from the University of Maine and is a Professor in the Department of History. His research focuses on Cold War cultural history.

Graham sits on the steering committee of Montreal Climate Partnership (Partenariat climat Montréal) and currently serves on the board of U SPORTS, the national brand for university sports in Canada. He previously served on the board of directors of Centraide (United Way) of Greated Montreal, the Leadership Council for Digital Infrastructure, as President of the Canadian Federation for the Humanities and Social Sciences, as Chair of the Canada-US Fulbright selection committee and for many years on the National Capital Commission’s Advisory Committee for Communications, Marketing and Programming.

Dr. Joël Dickinson was appointed President and Vice-Chancellor of Mount Saint Vincent University (MSVU) on July 1, 2022.

Before joining MSVU, Dr. Dickinson was Dean of the Faculty of Arts at Laurentian University and also held the positions of Acting Associate Vice-President of Teaching and Learning (2020-2021), and Chair of the university’s Department of Psychology.

She has held a leadership role with the Laurentian University Sexuality and Gender Diversity Committee and was a long-standing member of the Presidential Advisory Committee for the Status of Women. She also served as an ex officio member of the Laurentian University Native Education Council, through which she has had the honour of learning from the Atikameksheng Anishnawbek First Nations People.

She has previously taught at the University of New Brunswick and Mount Allison University. Dr. Dickinson holds a Psychology Honours, Bachelor of Arts and PhD in Psychology from the University of New Brunswick.

She is a Full Professor of Psychology with a research focus in cognitive processing during schema violations. She has experience in development and training for diversity and inclusion workshops. She has a successful teaching and research career, winning the Laurentian University Teaching Excellence award in 2016.

She is an active community volunteer and has worked with many non-profit organizations and advisory boards, including the Women in Cognitive Science Canada Advisory Board and Réseau Access Network. She currently serves as a Director on the Board of 211 Nova Scotia, is Chair of the Governance Committee on the Universities Canada Board and is the Vice-Chair of the Advisory Committee on Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Policy (ACEDIP).

Throughout her career she has demonstrated her commitment to engaging with faculty, staff, students and the local community and continues to be an advocate for those overcoming situations of adversity to succeed.

Dr. Rhonda N. McEwen is the 14th President and Vice-Chancellor of Victoria University in the University of Toronto; Canada Research Chair in Tactile Interfaces, Communication and Cognition; a Professor of Emerging Media & Communication at the Institute of Communication, Culture, Information and Technology; and has graduate faculty appointments at the: Department of Computer Science; Institute of the History and Philosophy of Science and Technology; and Faculty of Information – University of Toronto.

As a Chevening Scholar, Dr. McEwen graduated from City, University of London, England with an MBA in Information Technology Management (high honours). She also earned a MSc in Telecommunications (summa cum laude) from the University of Colorado Boulder; and a PhD in Information from the University of Toronto. A world renowned researcher in human-machine communication, Dr. McEwen combines applied and behavioral science approaches with communication studies theory to examine the social and cognitive effects of technologies. Her pioneering approach to communication research employs experimental techniques, eye tracking, observations, sensor data and interviews to investigate emerging technology used by children and adults, including those diagnosed with communication and learning disorders.

Dr. McEwen has worked with and researched digital communications media for over 20 years, both in companies providing services, and in management consulting to those companies. Dr. McEwen’s research has appeared in CBC 60 Minutes, Nine 9 News Australia, CBC Radio, the Boston Globe, the Toronto Star and the Globe and Mail. She has over 47 publications, including the co-edited Sage Handbook of Human-Machine Communication (2023), and articles in Human-Robot Interaction Companion; Information, Communication & Society; Computers and Education; New Media and Society; and information science journals.

Dr. Philip Steenkamp, President and Vice-Chancellor of Royal Roads University, is a galvanizing leader with broad experience.

Spanning a 17-year career in public service, Steenkamp held senior leadership positions in multiple provincial ministries, including Deputy Minister from 1997 to 2011.

As President and Chief Executive Officer of the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Games Secretariat, Steenkamp held provincial oversight and management of the largest event, at that time, in the world.

Recent positions include Vice-President, External Relations at the University of British Columbia and Simon Fraser University.

He has served on numerous boards and committees, including the Dr. Peter AIDS Foundation, the Immigrant Employment Council of BC and the Michael Smith Foundation for Health Research. Currently, Steenkamp is Chair of Universities Canada’s international committee, Chair of the Research Universities’ Council of BC (RUCBC) and Chair of The Conversation Canada.

His academic roles have included Adjunct Assistant Professor at Queen’s University, Research Fellow at the University of Namibia and Assistant Professor and Postdoctoral Fellow in the Department of History at the University of Victoria, with a focus on African history.

Steenkamp holds a PhD in History from Queen’s University (1989), a Master of Arts in History from Queen’s University (1986) and a Bachelor of Arts (Hons) from the University of Natal, Durban (1983).

In 2003, he was named a Queen’s Golden Jubilee Medal recipient for outstanding public service to the people of British Columbia. In 2024, he received the King Charles III Coronation Medal, recognizing those who have made significant contributions to Canada and their home provinces.

Dr. Annette Trimbee is the sixth president and vice-chancellor of MacEwan University, having previously served as president and vice-chancellor of The University of Winnipeg.

Dr. Trimbee brings to MacEwan a wealth of experience and knowledge as a leader in both the post-secondary and the public sector. As an accomplished academic, Dr Trimbee holds a PhD (Ecology) from McMaster University, a M.Sc. (Botany) from the University of Manitoba and was a postdoctoral fellow (Zoology) at the University of Alberta.

In addition to her time as a postdoctoral student at the University of Alberta, Dr. Trimbee spent over 25 years in Edmonton building a distinguished career with the Government of Alberta. During this period, she held several senior leadership positions, including appointments as deputy minister with Advanced Education and Technology and with Treasury Board and Finance.

Dr. Trimbee currently serves on the board of Universities Canada, the voice of Canadian universities at home and abroad and also chairs the Canadian Research Knowledge Network, a partnership of universities dedicated to expanding digital content for the academic research and teaching enterprise in Canada. Dr. Trimbee serves on the board of The Conversation Canada and is a member of the International Red River Board that provides assistance to the International Joint Commission in matters related to the water management along the Canada-US boundary.

Previously, Dr. Trimbee served as chair of USports, which oversees sports at 56 Canadian universities and served on the board of Manitoba Hydro where she shared her knowledge and expertise in water management and energy policy. Dr. Trimbee was appointed to Alberta’s royalty review panel in 2015 which studied the province’s oil and gas sector with a focus on the royalty rate structure.

Dr. Trimbee was appointed by the City of Edmonton in the Fall of 2020 to chair the Community Safety and Wellbeing Task Force. The mandate of the task force was to work independently to develop recommendations to the City of Edmonton to address racism, discrimination, excessive use of force, poverty, and homelessness in Edmonton, based on trends, best practices, and change models from across Canada. In April 2021, Dr. Trimbee and the task force presented their report to the City of Edmonton “Safer for All, Report and Recommendations of the Community Safety and Well-Being Task Force.”