The Office of the Provost is drawing on experience and a track record of accomplishment as it welcomes two new leaders after intensive internal searches.

Bonny Ibhawoh has been selected as McMaster’s next vice-provost (International Affairs). He is currently a professor in the department of history in the Faculty of Humanities and the Senator William McMaster Chair in Global Human Rights.

Steve Hranilovic, professor and associate dean (Academic) at the Faculty of Engineering will be McMaster’s next vice-provost and dean of graduate studies.

“I am very pleased with the outcome of these two very important internal searches. Dr. Ibhawoh and Dr. Hranilovic bring passion and a track record of excellence that will serve them well in these roles,” said Susan Tighe, provost and vice-president (Academic).

“They have the experience and knowledge to advance McMaster’s ability to offer a world-class education and research. Their first task will be to oversee a review of their respective portfolios and will work with stakeholders across campus to develop a forward-thinking strategy.”

Strategic leadership for the international portfolio

The Vice-Provost (International Affairs) is responsible for providing strategic leadership for McMaster’s international portfolio, including developing strategic partnerships to enhance research, growing the university’s international presence and profile, and aligning international student recruitment strategies.

“I am honoured to be able to contribute to the university in this position,” Ibhawoh said. “Internationalization is an important part of the higher education system as international students and global collaborations strengthen our research and teaching agenda. I look forward to working with stakeholders across the university to enhance McMaster’s internationalization initiatives.”

Ibhawoh brings more than 30 years of teaching and research in the fields of Global Human Rights, Legal History, Peace/Conflict Studies in Europe, Africa, and North America. He has led or collaborated in 15 successful research grants totalling more than $10 million. He is the director of the McMaster Centre for Human Rights and Restorative Justice and a United Nations Human Rights Expert, serving as Chair of the UN Expert Mechanism on the Right to Development, as well as a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada.

Ibhawoh has been at McMaster since 2006. He earned a BA in History and International Studies from Bendel State University in Nigeria in 1989, an MA in History from the University of Ibadan, Nigeria in 1994, and a PhD History (Legal History) from Dalhousie University in 2003.

He will succeed Peter Mascher, who helped strengthen the university’s international portfolio over the past eight years and has been a dedicated leader on campus since joining McMaster in 1989.

Fostering innovation and enhancing graduate recruitment

The vice-provost and dean of graduate studies is responsible for fostering innovation, leading the expansion of interdisciplinary offerings and for enhancing the recruitment of graduate students among other duties.

“I am humbled and thrilled to be taking on this leadership role,” Hranilovic said. “Graduate students are integral to McMaster University.”

“When we invest in our students and help them become better researchers, we are investing in the future of research at McMaster and beyond.”

Many of Hranilovic’s past students have gone on to work in industries around the globe and some have become professors themselves.

Hranilovic is ranked among the world’s top 2 per cent of scientific experts, according to a database published by Stanford University and Elsevier. He has been at McMaster for 19 years, in roles as a researcher, teacher and academic leader. Hranilovic is an Optica Fellow, recognizing his impact in the optics and photonics community, and a Fellow of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) in recognition of his research within electrical and electronic engineering disciplines.

He earned a BASc in electrical engineering from the University of Waterloo in 1997, a Master of Applied Science from the University of Toronto in 1999, and a PhD from the University of Toronto in 2003. He will succeed Doug Welch, who joined McMaster in 1988 and held various leadership roles supporting graduate students succeed since 2004.

Ibhawoh and Hranilovic start in their new roles and five-year terms on July 1.