Senior Administration

President is responsible for:

• administering the affairs of the University;
• providing strategic leadership within a vibrant and complex culture;
• providing a visionary approach in all matters internally and externally;
• developing a strategic vision for the University‎, and overseeing related action plans and implementation;
• acting on behalf of the Board of Governors with respect to the operational management and control of the University;
• overseeing and upholding policies and for maintaining the intellectual independence and integrity of the University;
• fostering an environment that promotes excellence in teaching and research; and
• advising Senate and the Board of Governors.

Vivek Goel
519-888-4400
president@uwaterloo.ca

Please refer to the biographical information provided with other governor biographies.

University Secretary is responsible for:

• provision of services to the Board of Governors, Senate and other University-level administrative committees;
• performing normal functions of any corporate secretary;
• the Secretariat, Police Services, the Safety Office, institutional policy management, privacy protection, internal audit, risk management and records management.

Genevieve Gauthier-Chalifour
gen.gauthier-chalifour@uwaterloo.ca

Ms. Gauthier-Chalifour completed her B.A., Political Science at Wilfrid Laurier University and her Master of Arts, Leadership at the University Guelph. She has also completed the Chartered Director Program with the Directors College, Conference Board of Canada and McMaster University DeGroote School of Business and is currently the Board Chair, Canadian University Boards Association. Genevieve has had increasing responsibilities within the Secretariat at the University of Guelph since 2006.  She has led the Secretariat since 2017 and brings strong knowledge and experience as a governance professional in higher education with expertise in board and academic governance practices, collegial and bi-cameral governance, compliance and transparency practices, student judicial and adjudicative systems, and higher education policies. A recent comprehensive review of board governance practices conducted under her leadership at the University of Guelph helped to inform the Council of Ontario Universities Leading Practices in University Board Governance.

Vice-President, Academic & Provost is responsible for:

• providing leadership in all matters academic, financial and material;
• setting and encouraging a high academic standard of scholarly activity within the University;
• overseeing and upholding policies for maintaining the intellectual quality of the University;
• fostering an environment which promotes excellence in teaching and research;
• working with the faculty deans and other senior officers to develop long-term academic goals;
• budgetary authority and responsibility for the day-to-day operation of the University; and
• serving as vice-chair of Senate.

   Vice-President, Research & International is responsible for:

• providing leadership in research throughout the University and externally;
• external representation of the University with regard to research and research-related issues;
• maintaining the autonomy and intellectual independence of the University in matters related to research;
• acting as co-chair of Senate Graduate and Research Council; and
• setting, fostering and maintaining a high academic standard of scholarly activity with respect to research throughout the University.

Charmaine Dean
519-888-4567, ext. 84889
vpresearch@uwaterloo.ca

Professor Dean received her PhD degree from the University of Waterloo in 1988. Her research interest lies in the development of methodology for disease mapping, longitudinal studies, the design of clinical trials, and spatio-temporal analyses. Much of this work has been motivated by direct applications to important practical problems in biostatistics and ecology. Her current main research applications are in survival after coronary artery bypass surgery, mapping disease and mortality rates, forest ecology, fire management, smoke exposure estimation from satellite imagery, and modeling of temporary and intermittent stream flow for flood analysis and predictions.  Professor Dean has given eleven years of service to the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada, including two as Chair of the Statistical Sciences Grant Selection Committee and one as Chair of the Discovery Accelerator Supplement Committee for the Mathematical and Physical Sciences. She has served as Chair of the NIH Biostatistics Grant Review Panel; on the Michael Smith Foundation for Health Research Advisory Council and on selection panels for that foundation; on the Board of Directors of the Pacific Institute for the Mathematical Sciences; on the Scientific Advisory Board of the Banff International Research Station; and as a member of the College of Reviewers of the UK Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council. She is a member of the Mitacs College of Reviewers and of College of Reviews of the Canada Research Chairs Program. She is Associate Editor of Biometrics, of Environmetrics, and of Statistics in Biosciences, and Senior Editor of Spatial and Spatio-temporal Epidemiology.  She has served as President of national and international societies.  In 2003, Professor Dean was awarded the CRM-SSC prize; in 2007 she was named Fellow of the American Statistical Association; in 2007 awarded the University of Waterloo Alumni Achievement Medal; in 2010 named Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science; and in 2012 awarded the Trinidad & Tobago Canadian High Commission Award.

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  Vice-President, Advancement is responsible for:

• developing an overall vision, strategy and integrated approach to advancement (fundraising) and alumni relations portfolio;
• introducing processes that will advance connections with internal and external stakeholders to ensure that Waterloo is maximizing its advancement opportunities;
• cultivating relationships with alumni and other key stakeholders; and
• providing planning, programming and ensuring accountability relevant to this community are other important aspects of the advancement role.

Nenone Donaldson
519-888-4567, ext. 33423
ndonaldson@uwateloo.ca 
 

Nenone began her term as Vice-President, Advancement for the University of Waterloo in January 2022, leading the university's fundraising and alumni relations activity. Fundraising professionally since 1998, Nenone joined the University in the Faculty of Engineering in 2004 during Campaign Waterloo as one of the institution’s first Faculty-based fundraisers. With an expansive track record of building successful relationships, developing key connections, and strengthening the alumni network, she also built several strategic corporate alliances that allowed Waterloo Engineering to pursue ambitious plans. In 2013, she added the role of campaign director for the highly successful Educating the Engineer of the Future campaign, which raised over $100 million. In 2017, she assumed leadership of the advancement team in Engineering, a portfolio which includes marketing, communications, recruitment, events, alumni relations, and fundraising. She has also advised technology startups on leadership, communications, and people and was a founding board member of the Waterloo Alumni Angels, an angel investing group. A Queen’s University graduate, Nenone is currently a Director on a not-for-profit board in the youth sector, Amici Camping Charity.

Vice-President, University Relations is responsible for:

• marketing and strategic communications, government relations, and community relations and events;
• develops recognition, support and commitment for University of Waterloo’s teaching and research mandate with the ultimate goals of ensuring a strong positive public profile;
• building and maintaining positive and constructive relationships with staff, faculty, student, alumni, public sector institutions, the private sector, the government, the campus community; and
• the University’s broad range of stakeholders conveying the University’s mission, vision, values and aspirations.

Vice-President, Administration & Finance is responsible for:

• planning and control of Waterloo’s financial and physical assets and expenditures; and
• managing several administrative and operations areas, including Finance, Plant Operations, Procurement & Contract Services, Parking Services, Central Stores, Research + Technology Park, and Bookings.

A graduate of Wilfrid Laurier University, Reitsma began her career at PriceWaterhouseCoopers (PwC) as a co-op student in 1997 and remained with the firm as an associate, senior associate, manager and senior manager until joining as an equity partner in 2011. In 2017, she left PwC for the position of Chief Financial Officer at Conestoga College and was soon named Vice-President Finance and Corporate Services and Secretary-Treasurer of the Board at Conestoga College.

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 Associate Vice-President, Graduate Studies and Postdoctoral Affairs is responsible for:

• providing leadership in graduate studies throughout the University and externally;
• serving on Senate, appropriate major committees, and on other University bodies;
• making independent judgments on University matters, representing the particular interests, policies and points of view of graduate studies as determined by Senate Graduate & Research Council;
• acting as Waterloo’s external representative with regard to graduate affairs;
• co-chairing and academic mentoring of Senate Graduate & Research Council together with faculty deans; and
• setting and maintaining a high academic standard of scholarly activity within graduate studies throughout the University.

Jeff Casello
519-888-4567, ext. 33439
jcasello@uwaterloo.ca

Dr. Casello received his undergraduate, Masters and Ph.D. degrees from the University of Pennsylvania.  He also holds a Masters from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.  He began his academic career as an instructor and a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Pennsylvania beginning in 2000.  Dr. Casello joined the University of Waterloo in 2004 with a joint appointment between the School of Planning (Faculty of Environment) and the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering (Faculty of Engineering).  He assumed administrative responsibilities in 2010, when he was asked to serve as the Associate Dean, Undergraduate Studies in the Faculty of Environment.  In 2016 he was appointed as the Associate Provost, Graduate Studies. Dr. Casello teaches courses and conducts research on the planning, design and operations of sustainable transportation systems. As an instructor, Dr. Casello is a recipient of the University of Waterloo Distinguished Teacher Award (2013). In his13 years at Waterloo, Professor Casello has been very active working with graduate students, having supervised (or co-supervised) 28 Masters and PhD students. As a researcher, Dr. Casello investigates all facets of transportation systems, often in conjunction with municipal partners.  He has conducted extensive studies on the opportunities and challenges to increase walking, cycling and public transportation.  His research partners include the Regions of Peel and Waterloo, the Cities of Edmonton, Hamilton, Kingston, and Toronto. Internationally, Dr. Casello has conducted transportation research in Mexico City, Philadelphia and Washington DC. Dr. Casello has been active in advancing the University’s internationalization agenda.  Since 2012, Professor Casello has organized workshops with colleagues from Karlsruhe University of Applied Sciences.  He has also facilitated internships in Germany, the United States and most recently with the World Bank in Mexico City.

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Associate Vice-President, Academic is responsible for:

• overseeing the quality assurance process for undergraduate academic programs and chairing of Senate Undergraduate Council; and
• the Centre for Extended Learning, the Centre for Teaching Excellence, the Writing Centre, and the shared oversight of Centre for the Advancement of Cooperative Education (WatCACE) & Office of Academic Integrity.

David DeVidi
519-888-4567, ext. 33899
ddevidi@uwaterloo.ca

Professor DeVidi completed his BA at Carleton, and both his MA and PhD at Western. He first arrived in the Department of Philosophy in 1994 as a postdoctoral fellow, and subsequently joined on as a faculty member in 1996. A scholar of philosophy, Professor DeVidi’s research focuses on logic, the philosophy of mathematics, and philosophy of disability. Earning his appointment as full professor in 2007, he has led or been involved with numerous departmental, Faculty, and University-level initiatives, and his service to the community has included a variety of roles: as department chair (2012-18), associate chair of graduate studies (2003-09), three terms as a member of Senate, two terms as a member of the Board of Governors, and a term as president of the faculty association. He is a winner of the University’s Award of Excellence for Graduate Supervision and the Equity and Inclusivity Award.

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Associate Vice-President, International is responsible for:

• Advancing and stewarding internationalization activities, goals, and aspirations;
• Oversight of campus-wide discussions on internationalization strategic plans;
• Oversight of the organization, planning, and hosting of delegation visits from around the world, including universities, public and private sector institutions and civil society organizations; 
• Supporting outbound executive international travel; and
• Leading innovative international projects, and initiating dialogues to establish linkages between multiple entities.

Ian Rowlands
519-888-4567
irowlands@uwaterloo.ca

Ian Rowlands is also a professor in the School of Environment, Resources and Sustainability at Waterloo where his teaching and research activities focus upon energy policy, corporate sustainability and global environmental governance. During his 18 years at Waterloo, he has held a variety of administrative positions within the Faculty of Environment and University-wide with the Waterloo Institute for Sustainable Energy. Previously, he was an energy planner at the United Nations Environment Programme’s Collaborating Centre on Energy and Environment (Denmark) and a lecturer in international relations and development studies at the London School of Economics and Political Science (United Kingdom). He has also held fellowships with the Robert Schuman Centre for Advanced Studies at the European University Institute (Italy) and United Kingdom Government’s Department for International Development. He received a BASc in Engineering Science from the University of Toronto and a PhD in International Relations from the London School of Economics and Political Science.

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Associate Vice President, Human Rights, Equity & Inclusion and Anti-Racism is responsible for:

• develop and promote a strategic approach to advance equity at the University;
• evaluate and enhance University policies, procedures and practices to address equity;
• provide consultation and advice on equity issues (including duty to accommodate and climate);
• address systemic issues;
• develop equitable recruitment and retention strategies; and
• deliver learning and development on equity-related matters.

Christopher Taylor
519-888-4657, ext. 40246
christopher.taylor@uwaterloo.ca

Christopher Stuart Taylor is the Associate Vice-President of Equity, Diversity, Inclusion & Anti-Racism (EDI-R) at the University of Waterloo. He is also an Assistant Professor in the Department of History. He completed his PhD at Western University (Canada) in History and Migration & Ethnic Relations (MER).His book, Flying Fish in the Great White North: The Autonomous Migration of Black Barbadians, is available from Fernwood Publishing. He also worked in the Ontario Public Service (OPS) and began his career as a Policy Coordinator Intern in the Deputy Minister's Office at the Ministry of Labour. He was the Diversity and Inclusion Coordinator in the Ministry of the Attorney General's Diversity, Inclusion & Accessibility Office; a Senior Policy Advisor at Ontario's Anti-Racism Directorate; and Manager of Social Justice & Change Cluster at the Ontario Correctional Services College.
Dr. Taylor is a proud founding member of the University of Waterloo’s Black Faculty Collective (BFC).
Twitter: @DrCSTaylor

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Associate Provost, Integrated Planning and Budgeting is responsible for:

• fulfill the mandates of the Office of the Vice-President, Academic and Provost as well as engender a spirt of trust and cooperation based on commonality of goals between the Provosts Office and the Faculties, Academic Support Units (ASU) and the Affiliated and Federated Institutions of Waterloo (AFIW);
• develop an understanding of each Faculty's academic aspirations and financial circumstances for a realistic assessment of the viability of various initiatives;
• ensure there is open flow of information in creating a cooperative working relationship with all faculties, ASU's and AFIW;
• support and encourage cooperation in areas of inter-faculty teaching and interdisciplinary programs;
• assist in coordinating proposals for use of space including those that involve new construction, renovations or changes in occupancy of space; and
• ensure that multi-year planning and budgeting in the Waterloo Budget Model are enabled and faculties and ASU's are supported by realistic budget plans, with a clear understanding that financial objectives are not an end in themselves.

Jennifer Kieffer (Interim)
519-888-4657, ext. 33989
j2kieffer@uwaterloo.ca

Jennifer Kieffer was named Interim Associate Provost, Integrated Planning and Budgeting in July 2020.  Prior to that role Jennifer worked in Institutional Analysis and Planning (IAP) for fifteen years, first as an Institutional Analyst and, since 2013, as the Senior Manager of the Policy and Enrolment Planning team.  Jennifer is an active member of the Council on University Planning and Analysis (CUPA), an affiliate of the Council of Ontario Universities (COU), and in 2018 was selected by CUPA as the recipient of the Marty England Award for leadership and excellence within the CUPA community.  As Interim Associate Provost, Integrated Planning & Budgeting, Jennifer is providing leadership to the Budget and Integrated Planning review underway at Waterloo.  Jennifer has also played a significant role in helping to negotiate each of the Strategic Mandate Agreements (SMAs) Waterloo has signed with the provincial government in recent years.
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 Chief Human Resources Officer (acting) is responsible for:

• human resources at Waterloo including strategic planning, change management, pension and benefits, salary administration, policy development and application, organizational and human development, succession planning, recruitment and retention, and new faculty support;
• implementing the Robust Employer-Employee Relationship theme of the strategic plan; and
• serving on Executive Council and appropriate major committees, and chairing advisory committees to the Provost.

Michelle Hollis
519-888-4567, ext. 41127
mhollis@uwaterloo.ca

Marilyn Thompson received a BN (1981) from Memorial University, and MEd (1990) and PhD (2000) from the University of Toronto. Before joining Waterloo, she was vice-president of the Eastern Regional Health Authority (NL). She has leadership experience in healthcare, government, education, and various business sectors. She has been a faculty member (Nursing), sessional lecturer (Education), graduate student research supervisor, and University administrator.  She was president of the St. John’s Board of Trade (2005) and the Newfoundland/Labrador Chambers of Commerce (2001-2004); and chair of the Ireland Business Partnerships (2002-2004) fostering government, business, and cultural linkages between the Newfoundland/Labrador and the Republic of Ireland. She was named as a business leader to the Strategic Partnership Initiative, a forum to build consensus among business, labour and government on the major issues affecting the economy of Newfoundland/Labrador. She established a private sector angel investment partnership with the Greater Washington Initiative to increase trade and export opportunities between Washington, DC and Newfoundland Labrador and is a founding member of the ocean biotechnology park collaboration with Dublin and Waterford (Ireland) to create a public-private partnership that would commercialize marine biotechnology products. She has been honoured with the Queen’s Jubilee Medal for her contribution to Canada and the communities of Newfoundland and Labrador.

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Associate Provost, Students is responsible for:

• directing the University’s energies and resources to create an institutional climate that fosters student learning development and fulfilment;
• student support units, including: Athletics and Recreational Services, Campus Wellness (Health and Counselling), Food Services, Housing & Residences, Retail Services, Student Success Office (including AccessAbility Services), Theatre Centre; and
• being the point of contact with student government (Graduate Student Association and the Federation of Students).

Chris Read
519-888-4567, ext. 38050
chris.read@uwaterloo.ca

Chris Read received a Bachelor of Business Administration (1991) and Master of Business Administration (2001) from Wilfrid Laurier University. Since starting his Waterloo career in 1996, he has been fortunate enough to hold the positions of manager, Bookstore (2000-2006); interim director, graphics (2004-2005); and chief housing officer (2006-2012). He became associate provost, students in May, 2012.

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Chief Information Officer is responsible for:

• leading the Information Systems and Technology (IST) department;
• providing core information and communications technology to the University, and anticipating future needs; and
• providing advice to University leaders on information technology matters.

Greg Smith
519-888-4567, ext. 48323
greg.smith@uwaterloo.ca

Gregory came to the University of Waterloo in 2009 after studying and working at Western University.  Before joining IST, Gregory worked at Western and Waterloo in student housing and living-learning programs. Since joining IST in 2011, Gregory has had the opportunity to work with a wide variety of partners to implement, upgrade, and support information systems across campus. Before his appointment to CIO, Smith advanced throughout his career in the roles of Business Analyst, Manager and then Director, Departmental and Campus Applications (now called Information Systems), where he led a team of over 60 people with a focus on strategic management of the University’s portfolio of information systems, the Web Content Management System, and data platforms. 
His keen insights in both business and technology, his passion for post-secondary education, and his focus on campus-wide collaboration to create digital transformation opportunities, has helped Smith achieve an excellent track record of success that has benefitted the entire University.
Gregory holds Honours Business Administration and Masters in Business Administration degrees from the Richard Ivey School of Business at Western University.  

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Associate Provost, Institutional Data, Analysis and Planning is responsible for:

• providing analysis appropriate for decision making, priorities and long-range planning; and
• acting as an analytical resource and serving as liaison for outside agencies, finance and policy issues.

Allan Starr
519-888-4793, ext. 84793
astarr@uwaterloo.ca

Allan Starr joined the University of Waterloo as director of Institutional Analysis & Planning in September 2013. His current role involves leading a team of institutional research professionals in the provision of information and analysis to senior leadership that informs decision-making, priority-setting, long-range planning, and policy development for the University. Prior to joining Waterloo, Allan has held various leadership positions within institutional research offices at the University of Calgary and Mount Royal University focusing on measuring and benchmarking performance outcomes, accountability reporting, information management, decision support systems, quantitative analysis, and institutional assessment. Allan is an alumnus of the University of Waterloo (BMath), Trent University (BSc economics), and University of Guelph (MA economics). He is currently the chair of the U15 Group of Canadian Research Universities Data Exchange, a member of the Canadian Institutional Research & Planning Association, and senior member of the Ontario Council on University Planning & Analysis. Allan resides in Waterloo with his wife and daughter.

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Associate Provost, Cooperative and Experiential Education is responsible for:

• facilitating student access to meaningful work opportunities related to students’ academic studies and aspirations;
• opening doors to diverse employment opportunities in Canada and internationally, and to draw employers to Waterloo’s rich talent pool; and
• providing leadership in supporting students in acquiring, reinforcing, and enhancing the capabilities essential in a knowledge-driven economy and borderless workplace.

Norah McRae
519-888-4567, ext. 33900
norah.mcrae@uwaterloo.ca

Norah McRae is known nationally and internationally as a leader in co-operative and experiential education and she has advanced through a series of leadership positions in the field while serving at the University of Victoria over the past 26 years, including her most recent appointment as the Executive Director of the Co-operative Education Program and Career Services," Dixon writes. "She completed her BA and MBA at the University of Alberta and her PhD (interdisciplinary in business/education) at the University of Victoria in 2014. She holds an adjunct faculty appointment in the Department of Educational Psychology and Leadership Studies, and her scholarship in the area of co-operative and experiential education includes twenty-three refereed papers as well as numerous professional papers, presentations, and invited speaking engagements internationally. She has held many leadership roles in provincial, national and international organizations including with the World Association for Co-operative Education (WACE), the Canadian Association for Co-operative Education (CAFCE), and the Accountability Council for Co-operative Education among many others. Her significant career contributions in the field have been recognized with numerous awards including the WACE Donald MacLaren Jr. Academic Award for professional achievement in co-operative and work integrated education (2017), the CAFCE Albert S. Barber Award for outstanding contribution to the field of co-operative education in Canada (2015/16) and the CAFCE Dr. Graham Branton Research Award (2011/12).

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University Librarian is responsible for:

• planning and administering the provision of access to information resources and recorded knowledge, in all its forms;
• present and future needs of each academic program and the University at large, to facilitate the use of these resources; and
• providing leadership to staff at four library locations, cultivating an environment that promotes excellence in teaching, learning and scholarship.

Beth Namachchivaya
​519-888-4567, ext. 33568
bsnamachchivaya@uwaterloo.ca

Beth Sandore Namachchivaya was appointed University Librarian at the University of Waterloo, Ontario Canada, effective 1 August 2017. Beth is a member of the University’s senior leadership team, providing overall direction for the delivery of library services and resources to meet the teaching, learning, and research needs of Waterloo’s diverse academic community. Prior to her appointment at Waterloo, Beth held appointments as Associate Dean of Libraries, Associate University Librarian and Professor at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Library in technical services, information technology, and most recently led the establishment of a comprehensive research and scholarly communication program. She held prior appointments in the libraries at Northwestern University, the University of California, Berkeley, the California Digital Library, and the National Agricultural Library. Her research areas include discovery and access, new forms of scholarship, and the development of sustainable digital curation practices. She has held fellowship appointments at the National Centre for Supercomputing Applications, the Association of Research Libraries Leadership Fellows program, and is an affiliate with the Centre for Informatics Research in Science and Scholarship (CIRSS) at the University of Illinois’ School of Information Sciences. Beth is professionally active as the incoming chair of the Tri-University Group (YUG) Library consortium (UWaterloo, Wilfrid Laurier, and Guelph Universities), the OCUL Collaborative Futures Directors’ Committee, and the Canadian Association of Research Libraries (CARL) Portage Steering Committee.

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Registrar is responsible for:

• undergraduate student recruitment and marketing, admissions, enrolment, student records, awards and bursaries, classroom space, examinations, development and application of academic policies, and execution of convocation ceremonies.

Catherine Newell Kelly
519-888-4567 ext, 32263
cnkelly@uwaterloo.ca

Cathy became the University Registrar in August 2017. The Office of the Registrar is the central administrative unit working in co-operation with faculties and departments to administer undergraduate programs. This includes marketing and undergraduate recruitment, admissions, financial aid, awards, scholarships, student records, course scheduling, and final examinations. Cathy began her career at the University of Waterloo in 1996 in what was then know as Distance and Continuing Education (later the Centre for Extended Learning). Cathy helped to shepherd the office through the transition from correspondence (cassette tapes and notes) to fully online delivery - becoming the Director in 2005. The Centre for Extended Learning is now among the largest online learning operations in Ontario and beyond, supporting over 40,000 course registrations in 20 fully online programs annually. More recently, Cathy helped to shape and launch the Ministry's eCampusOntario, serving as its inaugural Executive Director from 2015-2016 on loan from Waterloo. Cathy served for many years on the Executives of the Ontario Council for University Lifelong Learning (President, 2006-07), and the Canadian Association for University Continuing Education (President, 2012-13). She has been an active member of several University committees, including the Academic Programming Strategic Theme steering committee, Leadership Forum Advisory Committee, Pension and Benefits Committee, Undergrad Operations, and several others. Cathy is an alumnus of Waterloo (BA Economics) and Laurier (MBA).

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Chair of the College Heads is responsible for:

• representing the Affiliated and Federated Institutions of Waterloo on Executive Council, a body which is advisory to the president and through which general University issues and policy matters are communicated among Waterloo’s senior leaders.

Marcus Shantz
519-884-8111, ext. 24237
cgcpres@uwaterloo.ca

Marcus is a 1995 graduate of Conrad Grebel University College and the University of Waterloo with a BA in History and Religious Studies and a minor in Peace and Conflict Studies.  He served with Mennonite World Conference in Strasbourg France and began studies at the University of Toronto Faculty of Law, graduating in 2001 with a J.D. He was called to the Bar in 2002, and practiced at Goodmans LLP in Toronto before returning to Waterloo Region to serve as general counsel and vice-president of Mercedes Corp. in St. Jacobs.  Marcus became CEO of Mercedes Corp. in 2009 and served until coming to Conrad Grebel on October 1, 2017. 

      Faculty Deans are responsible for:

• providing leadership for their faculty and for the University;
• intellectual life within her or his faculty and maintaining the confidence and cooperation of colleagues;
• serving on Senate, appropriate major committees and on other University bodies;
• making independent judgments on University matters and representing the faculty’s policies and points of view; and
• overseeing the faculty’s relations with other faculties to ensure they are harmonious and serve overall Waterloo objectives.

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Health – Lili Liu
519-888-4567, ext. 32126
lili.liu@uwaterloo.ca

Professor Liu is an occupational therapist and holds a Bachelor of Science, a Master of Science and a PhD, all from McGill University. Her research has focused on user adoption of technologies for rehabilitation assessments and interventions, as well as ways technologies can help older adults and family caregivers. She joined the University of Alberta in 1992, and recently completed her second five year term as chair of the Department of Occupational Therapy in the Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine. During her tenure, the department went through two successful national accreditation reviews, and established Canada’s first satellite occupational therapy program. She has a long record of administrative service, including a one year team as acting chair of the department, an 18-month term as associate chair, and six-year term as graduate program coordinator. Professor Liu has served as vice-president of the Association of Canadian Occupational Therapy Programs, interim director of the Alberta Centre on Aging, chair and a member of the Chairs’ Council Executive for University of Alberta, member of the Academic Women’s Association Executive, and the University of Alberta’s representative for the Institute for Continuing Care Education and Research Steering Committee.

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Arts – Sheila Ager
519-888-4567, ext. 32217
sager@uwaterloo.ca

Douglas Peers joined the University of Waterloo in July 2011 as Dean of Arts and Professor of History. Dr. Peers also served as a Board member for the Balsillie School of International Affairs from 2013-2016. Dr. Peers was previously Dean, Faculty of Graduate Studies, and Associate Vice-President, Graduate at York University from 2007 to 2011. In 2009, he was elected president of the Canadian Association for Graduate Studies, and in 2014 he was re-elected to the Board of Directors of the Canadian Federation of the Humanities and Social Sciences. Prior to coming to Ontario, he spent twenty years at the University of Calgary where he was Professor of History and Associate Dean and Interim Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences. In 2004, he was Interim Vice-President (Programs) of the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada. He has sat on a number of boards including the management board of Aid to Scholarly Publications Program of the Canadian Federation for the Humanities and Social Sciences from 2005 to 2012 and the Board of Directors of the Shastri Indo-Canadian Institute from 1996 to 2005. In 1993, he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society.

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Engineering – Mary Wells
519-888-4567, ext. 33347
mawells@uwaterloo.ca

Mary Wells is Dean of Engineering at the University of Waterloo (July 1, 2020), the ninth dean since the faculty was founded in 1957. She was previously Dean of the College of Engineering and Physical Sciences at the University of Guelph since 2017. Prior to her time in Guelph, Wells was a professor of mechanical and mechatronics engineering at Waterloo for 10 years. She received awards for graduate supervision from both the Faculty and the University in 2017. An accomplished materials engineer, Wells also served as the Associate Dean of Outreach for Waterloo Engineering between 2008 and 2017, and chaired its Women in Engineering committee for many years. She chaired the Ontario Network of Women in Engineering from 2013 to 2018. Wells began her academic career as a professor in materials engineering at the University of British Columbia from 1996 to 2007, and has worked in the steel industry in Canada and internationally. The co-author of two books on women in mining, her research focuses on the relationship between processing, structure and properties for advanced metallic alloys used in the transportation sector.

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Environment – Bruce Frayne
519-888-4567, ext. 38479
bfrayne@uwaterloo.ca

Professor Frayne’s commitment to sustainability, social justice, interdisciplinarity and internationalization through transformative education, scholarship and service resonates with the Faculty and University Strategic Plans,” said James Rush, vice-president academic and provost at Waterloo. “Together with more than a decade of teaching, research, and administrative leadership experience within the Faculty, and with more than two decades of experience both within and outside of the academy leading several large multi-country multi-stakeholder research and policy networks, he is well-positioned to lead the Faculty of Environment. Frayne is an urban planner, geographer, and senior member of the university administration. He holds a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Natal (now University of KwaZulu-Natal), a Master of City and Regional Planning from the University of Cape Town, both in South Africa, and a PhD in Geography from Queen’s University, Canada. Frayne served as an assistant professor at Queen’s University before joining the University of Waterloo in 2010 and was appointed as a full professor in 2019. His research interests fall within the broad ambit of sustainable cities, and encompass the three related areas of human migration, urbanization, and food security. In addition to leading the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Canadian Cities Index project, Frayne works in Sub-Saharan Africa and cities of the Global South. He has served as a member of Waterloo Senate (2012-14) and on other bodies at the university, Faculty, and unit levels, along with several external boards, committees, and advisory bodies. Frayne takes over from Jean Andrey, a professor in the Department of Geography and Environmental Management (GEM) who has served as the dean since 2014. 

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Mathematics – Mark Giesbrecht
519-888-4567, ext. 36582
mwg@uwaterloo.ca

Professor Giesbrecht completed his BSc at the University of British Columbia and earned both his MSc and PhD in Computer Science from the University of Toronto. He worked at IBM Canada before serving as Assistant Professor at the University of Manitoba and at Western University. He joined the University of Waterloo in 2001 as an Associate Professor. His service has included a variety of roles within the David R. Cheriton School of Computer Science including as Director (2014-present) and Associate Director (2009-11) and Director of Undergraduate Studies (2002-2005), and also serving as a member of Senate (2016-present). He is a Distinguished Scientist of the Association of Computing Machinery (ACM) and serves on several conference and journal editorial boards, as well as NSERC committees.

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Science – Chris Houser
519-888-4591, ext. 30353
chouser@uwaterloo.ca

Chris Houser is the Dean of Science at the University of Waterloo and the tenth dean since the Faculty was founded in 1957. Prior to joining the University of Waterloo, he was Dean of Science at the University of Windsor (2016-2022) and Interim Vice President Research and Innovation (2022-2023). Houser joined the University of Windsor from Texas A&M University where he was the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs in the College of Geosciences (2014-2016), and the inaugural Global Faculty Ambassador in the Office of the Provost (2011 to 2016).