Administrative Searches
Vice-Provost and Associate Vice-President (Academic)
The Selection Committee for the Vice-Provost and Associate Vice President, Academic is pleased to announce that Michael Quinn, PhD will be appointed Vice-Provost and Associate Vice-President, Academic effective July 1, 2019.
Michael joined Mount Royal in 2013 as the inaugural Talisman Energy Chair for Environmental Sustainability and Director of the Institute for Environmental Sustainability. He was appointed Associate Vice-President of Research, Scholarship & Community Engagement in 2015, where he has been instrumental in furthering research and scholarship at MRU.
He has a Ph.D. in Environmental Studies from York University, an MSc. in Wildlife Ecology, and a BSc. in Forestry, both from the University of Alberta. He is a passionate teacher with a strong record of developing and implementing experiential education opportunities, including international field schools and programs with Indigenous communities.
Michael has a distinguished career in interdisciplinary applied research with a particular interest in landscape-scale conservation and management. He has focused his attention on problems associated with environmental sustainability, protected areas, road ecology, regional ecohydrology, human-wildlife conflict, and transboundary ecosystem management. He was awarded the Wilburforce Fellowship in Conservation Science for science leaders who excel in using science to help achieve durable conservation solutions in western North America and a Killam Research and Scholarship Fellowship.
He has been a member of many internal governance and planning committees as well as a number of external committees that have brought impact for Mount Royal University on the provincial and national stages.
He has been instrumental in securing Mount Royal University's first Canada Research Chairs, the successful designation as an Ashoka U Changemaker campus, achieving Canadian Council on Animal Care certification, implementing new research management and finance systems, and increasing our success in externally sponsored research.
Please join me in congratulating and wishing Michael the very best as he becomes Vice-Provost and Associate Vice-President, Academic.
I wish to express my sincere gratitude to Dr. Jim Zimmer, Vice-Provost and Associate Vice-President (Teaching & Learning), and to Dr. Gaye Warthe, Associate Vice-President (Academic), pro tempore for their contributions and leadership in Academic Affairs. Thanks also to the members of the Selection Committee who participated in the search process for this important role.
At this time I am still considering next steps with respect to the administration of the Research, Scholarship & Community Engagement portfolio, led to date by Dr. Quinn. Details will be forthcoming as soon as decisions are made.
Selection Committee Membership:
| i. the Provost and Vice-President, Academic as Chair of the Committee; | Lesley Brown |
| ii. one Dean or Director elected by the members of Deans Council; | Phil Warsaba |
| iii. one Chair or manager from the unit elected by the Chairs and/or managers in the unit - the unit being all those who report, either directly or indirectly, to the Dean or Director; | Michelle Yeo |
| iv. two faculty members or instructors normally from the unit elected by all the faculty and instructors in the unit. In units delivering primarily credit programs, these faculty members shall be tenured. | Jennifer Boman Allison Dube |
| v. one representative from the Mount Royal Faculty Association (MRFA); | Allison MacKenzie |
| vi. one staff members from the unit selected by the Mount Royal Staff Association (MRSA); | Pattie Mascaro |
| vii. one student normally from the unit, in units delivering primarily credit programs, selected by the Students' Association of Mount Royal University (SAMRU), in other units selected by the students in that unit. | Nathan Lawley |
| The Provost and Vice-President, Academic may, in consultation with the unit, appoint one or two members to ensure balance, representation and equity. | Kit Dobson Jodi Nickel |
| The Associate Vice-President, Human Resources (or designate) shall serve as a resource to the Selection Committee. | TBD |
Dean of Continuing Education and Extension
The Selection Committee for the Dean of Continuing Education and Extension is pleased to announce that Brad Mahon, PhD will be appointed Dean of the Faculty of Continuing Education and Extension effective July 1, 2019.
Brad will build on the strengths of a Faculty that includes the Conservatory and many diverse programs. As interim Dean of the Faculty since January 2018, Brad has shown a commitment to the education of all learners, an ability to build a positive culture of teamwork and a desire to create strong community partnerships.
He has deep roots at Mount Royal. An alumnus, Brad's professional roles began at the Conservatory as a guitar instructor and chamber music coach in 1997 and a program coordinator between 2004 to 2014. He took over the helm as director of the Conservatory in 2017.
On campus, Brad contributes to a number of committees and councils, including the Teaching and Learning Steering Committee, Budget and Finance Advisory Committee, Deans' Council, General Faculties Council and the Taylor Centre Concert Series Committee, among others.
In the community, Brad has been the administrative lead for the Royal Conservatory's guitar program for nine years and has adjudicated festivals across Canada. He is a professional guitarist and contributes as a musicologist and columnist to various publications ranging from Soundboard to Guitar Connoisseur.
His resume includes holding senior roles with the Medicine Hat College Conservatory of Music and Dance and the Conservatory of Performing Arts at the University of Regina. Brad has also been a sessional undergraduate instructor at many universities including the University of Regina, University of Calgary and University of Lethbridge.
He earned a Bachelor of Music, Master of Music in guitar performance and a Doctor of Philosophy in Musicology - all from the University of Calgary.
Selection Committee Membership:
| i. the Provost and Vice-President, Academic as Chair of the Committee; | Lesley Brown |
| ii. one Dean or Director elected by the members of Deans Council; | Meagan Bowler |
| iii. one Chair or manager from the unit elected by the Chairs and/or managers in the unit - the unit being all those who report, either directly or indirectly, to the Dean or Director; | Dimitra Fotopoulos |
| iv. two faculty members or instructors normally from the unit elected by all the faculty and instructors in the unit. In units delivering primarily credit programs, these faculty members shall be tenured. | Denise Chenger Cindy Campbell (resigned) |
| v. one representative from the Mount Royal Faculty Association (MRFA); | Melanie Peacock |
| vi. one staff members from the unit selected by the Mount Royal Staff Association (MRSA); | Charissa Hovdebo (resigned) |
| vii. one student normally from the unit, in units delivering primarily credit programs, selected by the Students' Association of Mount Royal University (SAMRU), in other units selected by the students in that unit. | Jenn Sheehan |
| The Provost and Vice-President, Academic may, in consultation with the unit, appoint one or two members to ensure balance, representation and equity. | Jean-Louis Bleau Melanie Rogers (resigned) |
| The Associate Vice-President, Human Resources (or designate) shall serve as a resource to the Selection Committee. | Jessica Turner |
| Executive Search Firm: Knightsbridge Robertson Surrette |
Katherine Frank Tracy Campbell |
Chair Support Coordinator
It is my great pleasure to announce that Dr. Janet Miller has been appointed as the Chair Support Coordinator for the period of July 1, 2019 - June 30, 2021.
Dr. Janet Miller is a counseling psychologist and a full professor with more than twenty years of experience. She is looking forward to supporting Chairs in a role she knows well and hopes to make a positive impact on the chair experience. Her priorities will include training and onboarding support, mid-term career development and leadership training, succession planning, health and wellness, and end-of-term transition support.
Janet will be working closely with Chair's Assembly and will liaison with Dean's Council representative Dr. Stephen Price.
She holds a PhD in Psychology from the University of Alberta, a Master of Arts in Clinical Psychology from Lakehead University, and a Bachelor of Arts (hons.) in Psychology from McMaster University.
Lastly, on behalf of Dean's Council, I want to thank Dr. Bruce Foster for his role as Chair Support Coordinator over the past year.
Please join me in congratulating Janet on this new role, one in which I know she will flourish.