The searches for a new provost and a vice-president, Research are now underway.

These are key positions in the life of the university and the search committees are seeking input from the university community.

The provost is the university’s senior vice-president and chief academic officer. The provost provides vision and leadership for all of McMaster’s academic activities including faculty recruitment, retention and promotion; attracting and retaining excellent students; enrolment management; graduate and undergraduate program development and assessment; student life, library resources; and strategic planning, including oversight of the academic budget and space allocation. Susan Searls Giroux is currently the acting provost.

The vice-president, Research (VPR) is responsible for supporting, promoting and advancing research at McMaster. The role oversees a research enterprise consistently ranked among Canada’s best. The VPR is also responsible for fostering the relationship between research and teaching. Karen Mossman is currently the acting vice-president research.

The committees are welcoming nominations, comments and feedback which can be sent to: info_vpr@mcmaster.ca (for VPR search)
inputvpp@mcmaster.ca (for the Provost search)

Two leading executive consulting firms, who have a deep knowledge of McMaster, are assisting the search committees. The searches led by these firms will be local, national and international in scope.

Boyden is the firm leading the search for the provost and vice-president, Academic; Odgers Berndtson is the firm leading the search for the VP Research.

Selection Committee for Provost and Vice-President (Academic)

• Dr. David Farrar – President and Vice-Chancellor (Chair)
• Mr. Roger Couldrey – Vice-President (Administration)
• Ms. Fareen Samji – Member, Board of Governors
• Dr. Susan McCracken – Associate Dean (Academic) and Associate Professor, Accounting and Financial Management Services
• Dr. Jamal Deen – Distinguished University Professor, Electrical & Computer Engineering
• Dr. David Price – Professor and Chair, Family Medicine
• Dr. Faiza Hirji – Graduate Program Chair and Associate Professor, Communication Studies and Multimedia
• Dr. Kalaichelvi Saravanamuttu – Associate Professor, Chemistry and Chemical Biology
• Dr. Vanessa Watts – Assistant Professor, Sociology/Indigenous Studies Program
• Ms. Shylo Elmayan – Director, Indigenous Student Services
• Mr. Maxwell Lightstone – Graduate Student, Faculty of Engineering
• Ms Mariam Elsheikh – Undergraduate Student, Faculty of Engineering
• Dr. Arig al Shaibah, Associate Vice-President, Equity and Inclusion (Equity Advisor -Consultant to the Committee)