December 7, Sudbury, ON – Confidently looking to the future as a financially stable university, Laurentian University’s Board of Governors is pleased to announce that Dr. Sheila Embleton will assume the role of Interim President, working alongside Dr. Brenda Brouwer, who will serve as Interim Provost, starting January 1, 2023.
Coming on the heels of Laurentian’s exit from the CCAA process, these appointments serve notice that Laurentian University’s turnaround story is set to enter a new and exciting chapter.
“We’ve got a lot of work to do in a short period of time and we are fortunate to have someone with Dr. Embleton’s academic pedigree to lead the institution in this important phase of its transformation,” said Jeff Bangs, Chair of the Board of Governors. “She’s a proven leader, someone who has built a reputation for transparency and developing strong relationships, which was paramount to us in the search process.”
Recipient of many distinctions for her academic contributions, including the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Award, Dr. Embleton is a Distinguished Research Professor of Linguistics, York University, and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada. She served as Vice-President Academic and Provost at York University (from 2000 to 2009), having previously been Associate Dean of the Faculty of Arts from 1994 to 2000.
“I’ve always been of the opinion that Laurentian University held a unique and enviable position within Canada’s post-secondary education ecosystem and it is an honour to be able to fill this role at such a critical time for the institution. I am committed to being a unifying presence, fostering greater collegiality and building on the strength of Laurentian’s tricultural identity and bilingual mandate,” said Dr. Embleton.
Joining her on Laurentian’s leadership team is Dr. Brenda Brouwer; an accomplished academic with considerable administrative experience. Early this year she was appointed Senior Advisor, Academic Innovation, Queen’s Health Sciences following nearly two years as Interim Dean, Smith School of Business and eight years as Vice-Provost and Dean, Graduate Studies overseeing the expansion of credentials and resources in support of student success. In 2018-19, Dr. Brouwer was seconded to the Vector Institute for Artificial Intelligence as Head, Academic Partnerships to cultivate relationships between Ontario universities and industry to develop talent in support of a growing artificial intelligence ecosystem.
Dr. Brouwer, a Professor of Rehabilitation Science and Neuroscience, has been recognized for teaching excellence and her research contributions on the control of movement following stroke.
“On behalf of the Board and the entire LU community, I wish to express our gratitude to Dr. Tammy Eger and Dr. Céline Larivière for their service to the University,” said Bangs. “They stepped up at a critical time and while they will return to their respective roles of VP Research and Dean of Education and Health, they will be counted on to provide guidance to our new leaders.”
Concurrent with the arrival of Dr. Embleton and Dr. Brouwer, the search process for their permanent replacements will soon begin, one that is guided by a rigorous and transparent framework involving both internal and external stakeholder groups.