The following message to the University community is from York President and Vice-Chancellor Rhonda L. Lenton and Provost and Vice-President Academic Lisa Philipps:
We are delighted to announce that the search for the deputy provost to lead our Markham Centre Campus planning and implementation has reached a successful conclusion.
Last fall, a search committee was established and charged with advising the President in regards to the appointment of the inaugural deputy provost Markham. This is an important and exciting time in York’s evolution as we put in place – and bring to reality – plans for innovative teaching and research programs, physical space, and partnerships for our new Markham Centre Campus to better serve students and the community in York Region.
Following an extensive search which attracted outstanding candidates, the search committee recommended the appointment of Dr. Rui Wang to the position of deputy provost Markham. We are very pleased that Dr. Wang has accepted our invitation to take up a five-year term, commencing July 1, 2018. Dr. Wang will arrive to take up the position on Aug. 1. On June 26, on the president’s recommendation, the Board of Governors Executive Committee, on behalf of the Board of Governors, concurred with the recommendation for the appointment.
Dr. Wang joins York from Laurentian University, where he is a member of the Department of Biology and has served as vice-president Research since 2015. Prior to that appointment, from 2004 to 2015, he was vice-president of Research and subsequently vice-president of Research, Economic Development and Innovation at Lakehead University. He also held previous appointments at the University of Saskatchewan and the Université de Montréal. In his administrative positions, he has been actively involved in strategic planning, academic policies and programming, communications, enrolment management, student services, and government relationships. At Laurentian, he has put in place strategies to intensify research capacity and consolidate research strengths, thereby increasing funding. He has also promoted collaborative initiatives with community and industry partners and Canadian and international universities. While at Lakehead, he spearheaded development and implementation of the university’s first strategic research plan and put in place policies and procedures to support research and researchers. He was also deeply involved in the process of planning and establishing Lakehead’s Orillia campus, including negotiations with local governments and communities and leading program development and complement and regional economic development. He has been a champion of equity and diversity throughout his career, promoting Indigenous teaching and research, and was instrumental in supporting the establishment of the Maamwizing Indigenous Research Institute at Laurentian in 2017.
Dr. Wang has worked closely with governments at all levels – federal, provincial, and local – to foster partnerships and strong relationships, support local industry and raise the profile of his institutions. At Laurentian, he has worked with the city of Sudbury to highlight the city’s environmental resuscitation and promote economic development in the city and northern Ontario more generally.
Dr. Wang holds an MSc and MD from universities in Xi’an and Shandong, China and a PhD in physiology from the University of Alberta. His research focuses on the study of metabolism and the physiological functions of gas molecules known as gasotransmitters, including NO, CO, and H2S. He has trained more than 110 graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, and other research personnel. Dr. Wang has more than 270 peer-reviewed papers to his credit and has given 161 lectures and keynotes around the world.
We would like to thank the members of the Search Committee for deputy provost for their contributions to this important process. We also wish to express appreciation to Professor Angelo Belcastro for his service as advisor and executive director, Markham Centre Campus.
We look forward to welcoming Dr. Wang to York University as deputy provost Markham and to working with him in the coming years to advance our Markham Centre Campus. We hope that all members of the University will join us in congratulating and welcoming him.