A Magazine for Alumni and Friends
Three Laurier faculty members have been recognized among Canada’s top emerging researchers. The prestigious Canada Research Chair program has named Homa Kheyrollah Pour and Ivona Hideg as new Canada Research Chairs. Andriy Shkilko will have his Canada Research Chair position renewed for a second term.
Kheyrollah Pour, an expert in using satellite observations and field data to study cold regions hydrology, joined Laurier on July 1. She will serve as Canada Research Chair in Remote Sensing of Environmental Change and assistant professor in the Department of Geography and Environmental Studies.
Hideg is an associate professor of organizational behaviour and human resource management at Laurier’s Lazaridis School of Business and Economics and an award-winning researcher of gender, diversity and equity in the workplace. She has been named Canada Research Chair in Organizational Leadership.
Shkilko, an associate professor of finance at the Lazaridis School, was first named Canada Research Chair in Financial Markets in 2014. He is an expert on stock exchanges, particularly on factors that may affect their stability and efficiency, such as computerized high-frequency trading.
Hideg, Kheyrollah Pour and Shkilko are Canada Research Chairs at the Tier II level, for scholars who are emerging as leaders in their fields. Laurier is currently home to 10 Canada Research Chairs.
Three Laurier faculty members – Mark Eys, William Quinton and Anne Wilson – have been named inaugural Laurier Research Chairs. The Laurier Research Chair program allows faculty members to gradually return to teaching duties while continuing significant research activity after completing federally funded Canada Research Chair terms.
E
ys, a member of the Kinesiology and Physical Education and Psychology departments, concluded his second term as Canada Research Chair in Group Dynamics and Physical Activity in June. His research focuses on understanding how group and social dynamics influence involvement in physical activity.
Quinton, in the Department of Geography and Environmental Studies, held a Canada Research Chair in Cold Regions Hydrology from 2005 to 2015. His research at the time centred on understanding how climate change affects hydrological processes in cold regions and now focuses on permafrost thaw, particularly in the Dehcho Region of the Northwest Territories.
Wilson, a member of the Department of Psychology, held a Canada Research Chair in Social Psychology from 2007 to 2017. Her research focuses on identity, motivation and goal pursuit over time. She has applied her work to topics ranging from personal motivation to societal memories and goals.
Laurier granted two honorary degrees and the Order of Wilfrid Laurier University during fall convocation ceremonies in October.
Judy Da Silva, an Indigenous rights advocate and environmentalist, and Ira Gluskin, a business leader and philanthropist, were presented honorary degrees, while the board of the Grand Valley Educational Society – instrumental in establishing Laurier’s Brantford campus – was presented the Order of Wilfrid Laurier University.
Six convocation ceremonies were held in Waterloo and one in Brantford between Oct. 25 and Oct. 29.
Former Laurier president Max Blouw has been appointed president of the Research Universities’ Council of British Columbia. The council represents the interests of B.C.’s research universities.
Maria Cantalini Williams has been appointed dean of Laurier's Faculty of Education for a five-year term. Cantalini Williams previously served as a faculty member in the Schulich School of Education at Nipissing University and recently received the designation of professor emerita. She also served as director and associate dean of the Laurier-Nipissing Concurrent Education program for six years.
Kathryn Carter has been appointed acting dean of the Faculty of Liberal Arts. Carter most recently served as associate vice-president: teaching and learning and has a long history at Laurier's Brantford campus, where she first taught as a CAS instructor in 1999 before becoming a full-time faculty member in 2002. Her other previous administrative roles include associate dean: Brantford campus, acting dean: Brantford campus and inter-faculty associate dean: academic coordination.
Laurier has appointed Anthony Clarke dean of the Faculty of Science for a five-year term. Clarke was most recently a professor in the Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology at the University of Guelph. He held a number of administrative roles at Guelph, including assistant vice-president of graduate studies and program quality assurance, interim associate vice-president: academic, associate vice-president of research services, and interim dean of the College of Biological Science.
Global security expert and political scientist Ann Fitz-Gerald has been appointed director of the Balsillie School of International Affairs. Fitz-Gerald was previously a professor in Cranfield University’s School of Defence and Security at the Defence Academy of the United Kingdom.
Vladimir Kitaev, a nanoparticle researcher in Laurier’s Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, was named University Research Professor for 2019-2020. The one-year internal award recognizes excellence and leadership in research. Kitaev’s research on particles smaller than 100 nanometres – one nanometre is one billionth of a metre – has applications in spectroscopy, optics, environmental remediation, medical sensing and diagnostics.
Maureen Mancuso has joined Laurier as the university's interim provost and vice-president: academic. Mancuso previously enjoyed a long career at the University of Guelph, where she held research, teaching and senior administrative roles for nearly three decades, including 11 years as the university’s provost and vice-president academic.
Laurier has appointed Kate McCrae Bristol dean of students at the Waterloo campus. McCrae Bristol most recently served as manager, student experience at the University of Waterloo. Her past experience also includes serving as an assistant coach of women’s basketball at Yale University and national sports program manager for Special Olympics Canada.
Kristiina Montero has been appointed Laurier's acting associate vice-president: teaching and learning. Montero previously served as associate dean and graduate program coordinator in the Faculty of Education. Since joining Laurier in 2009, she has been engaged in course and program development, including leading the creation of the student affairs field in the Master of Education program.
Heidi Northwood has been appointed senior executive officer of Laurier’s Brantford campus. Northwood had served in the role on an interim basis since April 2018.