December 18, 2015 – The Laurentian University Board of Governors today approved the appointment of Dr. Pierre Zundel as its next Vice-President, Academic and Provost, effective July 1, 2016.
After 16 years of experience as Professor and Department Head at the Université de Moncton and at the University of New Brunswick (UNB), Dr. Zundel has accumulated 12 years of senior academic administrative experience as Dean of Renaissance College at UNB from 2004 to 2009 and as President and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Sudbury since 2009. Under his leadership, the University of Sudbury created satellite programs on the James Bay coast and on Manitoulin Island, efforts which were highlighted by the Canadian Chamber of Commerce as a model for distributed education in Indigenous communities. Enrolment increased despite provincial declines in the Arts and in Journalism and the budget was balanced for five consecutive years. His appointment as President of the University of Sudbury was renewed in 2014.
Dr. Zundel was recognized as a 2001 UNB University Teaching Scholar. He received the 2002 Atlantic Association of Universities Instructional Leadership Award and the prestigious 3M National Teaching Fellowship in 2003. Renaissance College was awarded under his leadership in 2006 the Alan K. Blizzard Award for Collaborative Teaching from the Society for Teaching and Learning in Higher Education.
He chairs the 21-member Association of Catholic Colleges and Universities of Canada. From 2010 to 2014, he chaired the seven-member Consortium of Francophone Universities of Ontario and was recognized in 2014 as the Franco-Ontarian Personality of the Year in Sudbury. Dr. Zundel serves on the Executive Committee of the Greater Sudbury Development Corporation and chairs its Community Economic Development Committee. He also chairs Shared Space Sudbury, served on the board of Eat Local Sudbury, and was previously advisor to the New Brunswick Business Council.
He completed a B.Sc. and a M.Sc. at the University of Toronto, and a Ph.D. in Forest Harvesting and Economics at Université Laval and served as Managing Editor of the International Journal of Forest Engineering from 2000 to 2005. He conducted research on forest land access policy and biomass energy, research missions and international field studies courses in over 14 countries. He authored or co-authored over 40 publications and delivered over 40 presentations on teaching and learning in higher education and on forestry, and delivered many faculty development workshops and seminars.
“We are delighted to have Pierre in this leadership position. He is an award-winning educator and experienced administrator who is passionate about innovation in teaching and learning. He has an intimate knowledge of the operations at Laurentian, of the communities we serve including Franco-Ontarian, First Nation and Métis partners,” said Laurentian President and Vice-Chancellor Dominic Giroux.
“I am excited by the opportunity to build strategically at Laurentian,” said Dr. Zundel. “This university has created real momentum and I look forward to working with my colleagues and community partners to serve our students and have a broader impact on their university experience,” said Dr. Zundel. “I believe Laurentian will continue to differentiate itself favourably from other universities.”
Dr. Zundel’s appointment was recommended after a national search by a 10-member committee composed of faculty, students, administrators and Governors, and was endorsed by the University’s Senate. He will be the successor to Dr. Robert Kerr, whose 6.5 year non-renewable term ends on June 30, 2016.