Meet President Vivek Goel

Dr. Vivek Goel is the University of Waterloo's seventh president and vice-chancellor. He is a distinguished scholar with extensive achievements in research, teaching and leadership across both public and private sectors.                                                         

As president, Dr. Goel has led the advancement of equity, diversity, inclusion, anti-racism, and decolonization initiatives at Waterloo. Working alongside Indigenous knowledge keepers, the University committed to reconciliation, Indigenization and decolonization through a formal commitment in September 2022. Under President Goel’s leadership, the University of Waterloo has made significant progress on ensuring Indigenous cultures are represented in campus spaces and formal institutional processes and ceremonies, including introducing Waterloo’s Eagle Staff at convocation, designing a new student residence that prioritizes Indigenous engagement and principles and establishing an outdoor Indigenous Gathering Space. In 2023, to build and strengthen the Waterloo’s relationship with local First Nations, the University announced it will waive tuition for incoming and current students who are members of the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation or Six Nations of the Grand River. 

To help advance anti-racism in the sector, Waterloo became a signatory to the Scarborough Charter on Anti-Black Racism and Black Inclusion in Canadian Higher Education in 2021, and in 2024 was proud to host the Inter-Institutional Forum on the charter. Further to this work, the University released its President’s Anti-Racism Taskforce report with 88 recommendations to advance anti-racism within the institution.

President Goel also led a visioning exercise to chart a long-term vision for the institution. Engaging thousands of community members, the University launched the Waterloo at 100 vision in 2023.  Waterloo at 100 seeks to evolve the University of Waterloo’s unique strengths to prepare graduates to not only navigate uncertainty in the future, but to help shape that future for the betterment of humanity and our planet. Five interconnected “Global Futures” provide a strong organizing framework for interdisciplinary activity led and co-produced by students, faculty, staff and community and external partners working together across education, research, innovation and service. The Waterloo at 100 vision also recognizes the University’s deep connection to its surrounding community and its role in continuing to make significant contributions to the region’s globally renowned innovation ecosystem. Building upon Waterloo at 100, the University is establishing a Global Futures Office that will enable the Global Futures Networks to connect the campus community and external partners to develop initiatives spanning education, research and service that will help make the greatest impact for the future of humanity and our planet.

Under President Goel’s leadership, Waterloo also launched new institutional values: think differently, act with purpose and work together, which reflect the founding strengths and differentiators defining Waterloo’s unique impact in Canada and the world.

A champion for the vital role that universities play in helping society advance, President Goel is a proponent for the importance of academic freedom and responsibility. At the recommendation of the University’s Freedom of Expression and Respectful Engagement Task Force, Waterloo has developed an action plan  to develop a campus environment that values open dialogue, inquiry and exchange, free expression and inclusive engagement.

Goel is recognized in Canada and globally as a leading public health researcher, health-services evaluation expert, and champion for the use of research evidence in health policy making. In Dec 2020, Goel was named a member of the Order of Canada, recognized for his contributions as an academic and administrator who is committed to the advancement of public health services, evidence-based healthcare and research innovation. Dr. Goel played an integral role in supporting Canada’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic, as a member of the federal COVID-19 Immunity Task Force, and as scientific advisor for the CanCOVID Research Network, the national research platform for COVID-19 research. President Goel was also integral in the University’s North campus being selected as the site of Grand River Hospital and St. Mary’s General Hospital’s new joint hospital, serving Waterloo-Wellington and beyond. The new regional hospital will occupy 60 acres in the David Johnston Research + Technology Park , fostering a closer relationship between the University and community health-care providers. The partnership promises to bring innovative health-care solutions and reimagine the future of human health through Waterloo’s tremendous strengths in research, technology, innovation and deep community connectedness.

President Goel has and continues to benefit regional, national and global governance through leadership service to numerous boards and committees including as Chair of the Board for the Canadian Institute for Health Information, and as Board member of the Business + Higher Education Roundtable.

Before joining the University of Waterloo, Goel held several senior leadership roles at the University of Toronto, including Vice-President and Provost, and most recently Vice-President, Research and Innovation. He served as founding President and CEO of Public Health Ontario from 2008 until 2014, and was also Chief Academic Strategist with Coursera, a global platform that connects universities and learners with online courses.

Goel is a Member of the Order of Canada, a fellow of the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences and a fellow of the Fields Institute for Research in Mathematical Sciences. In 2023, he was recognized for his contributions to the Canadian health system through the Canadian Health Leadership Network’s McNaught-Taillon Leadership Award.

Goel obtained his medical degree from McGill University and completed post-graduate medical training in Community Medicine at the University of Toronto. Dr. Goel obtained a master’s degree (MSc) in Community Health from U of T and a master’s degree (MS) in Biostatistics from Harvard University School of Public Health.