New provost, dean, and university secretary

"I am delighted to report that the University of Waterloo’s Senate and Board of Governors have enthusiastically approved the appointment of three key members of the senior administrative team starting July 1, 2012," president Feridun Hamdullahpur wrote in a memo to the campus community on Friday.

The appointees are:

• Sallie Ann Keller as vice-president academic & provost for an initial term ending June 30, 2017;
• Pearl Sullivan as dean of engineering for an initial term ending June 30, 2017; and
• Logan Atkinson as secretary of the university.

"We are excited to welcome these three outstanding leaders to their new positions at the University of Waterloo and I know that you will provide them with your ongoing support," the president writes.

"I would also like to take this opportunity to thank Adel Sedra for his years of contributions and excellent work in the Faculty of Engineering, and Geoff McBoyle for assuming the interim role of vice-president academic & provost," concludes the memo. "There will be many occasions to further recognize both Adel and Geoff in the coming months before the new individuals take office."

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Keller trades the Beltway for Ring Road

A news release from the media relations department

A noted statistician and senior administrator, Professor Sallie Ann Keller is currently the director of the Institute for Defense Analyses Science and Technology Policy Institute, a government-funded research and development centre in Washington, D.C. She leads more than 40 researchers who gather and analyze information on international and national science and technology issues for the White House, the National Science Foundation, the National Institutes of Health and the federal commerce and energy departments. Her five-year term at Waterloo begins July 1, 2012, when she will also become professor, with tenure, in the Department of Statistics and Actuarial Science.

“The breadth of Sallie Ann Keller’s experience at respected universities and scientific organizations in addition to her strong record of academic leadership and scholarship will benefit Waterloo as we continue on our path to becoming one of the top 100 universities in the world. We look forward to welcoming her to our community,” said Feridun Hamdullahpur, president and vice-chancellor of the University of Waterloo.

Keller has held leadership roles in academic and government settings. She is a former dean of engineering and professor at Rice University in Houston and a professor and director of graduate studies in statistics at Kansas State University. Keller was also the group leader in statistical sciences at the Los Alamos National Laboratory and program director of statistics and probability at the National Science Foundation. She received the National Institute of Statistical Sciences’ Jerome Sacks Award for Outstanding Cross-Disciplinary Research. A past-president of the American Statistical Association, she is also an active member of the JASON Study Group.

"Successful provosting requires a clear-eyed administrative attitude, a nose for research directions, and a deep appreciation for academic values and culture," says Dr. Steven Koonin, former undersecretary for science in the U.S. Department of Energy and colleague of Keller's at the Institute for Defense Analyses Science and Technology Policy Institute. "Sallie has these qualities in abundance and has demonstrated in several organizations that she can combine them to great effect."

“Waterloo is an institution known for being focused on how to bridge the boundaries of the disciplines,” said Keller. “I have had success in building these kinds of connections, and so I believe in institutions like Waterloo that promote entrepreneurial activity and faculties working together.”

Keller earned a PhD in statistics from the Iowa State University of Science and Technology. She holds BS and MS degrees in mathematics from the University of South Florida.

Keller succeeds professor Geoff McBoyle, who served as vice-president academic & provost on an interim basis when he replaced Hamdullahpur, who became president and vice-chancellor.

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Sullivan "the best person for the job"

A news release from the media relations department

An award-winning professor and accomplished researcher, Professor Pearl Sullivan is currently the chair of the Department of Mechanical and Mechatronics Engineering at Waterloo. She joined the university as a professor of mechanical engineering in 2004.

“The exemplary reputation of Waterloo Engineering fueled a lot of international interest in this position,” said Feridun Hamdullahpur, president of the University of Waterloo. “We were thrilled that, in the end, one of our own professors was the best person for the job. Faculty and students both here and elsewhere have the greatest respect for Pearl Sullivan — a striking example of the top-quality educators and leaders we have in our own community.”

Sullivan has had a distinguished academic career. She is the founding director of Waterloo’s joint graduate program in nanotechnology within the faculties of engineering and science. Before joining Waterloo, she was a professor of mechanical engineering at the University of New Brunswick (UNB), and a lecturer and visiting professor at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore.

“Waterloo Engineering wants to be the destination of choice for the most talented students. We will continue to create opportunities for them to reach their career aspirations to become practitioners, researchers or entrepreneurs,” said Sullivan. “Our excellent faculty has led education and research innovation in Canada, and is taking on larger research challenges that will make a global impact.”

Originally from Malaysia, but in Canada for nearly 30 years, Sullivan earned her PhD from the Department of Metals and Materials Engineering at the University of British Columbia. She has a master of applied science (MASc) and a bachelor of engineering (BEng) with distinction from the Department of Metallurgical Engineering at the Technical University of Nova Scotia. She holds a professional engineer (PEng) designation from Professional Engineers Ontario, and a Chartered Engineer (CEng) from the Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining in the United Kingdom. In 2009, she received the Outstanding Performance Award from Waterloo, and twice received the UNB Faculty Merit Award for Excellence.

Sullivan’s five-year term will begin July 1, 2012. She will be Waterloo’s eighth dean of engineering, and the first woman to hold that post. She takes over from Adel Sedra, an international authority in microelectronic circuits, who has served two terms as dean and is retiring.

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Atkinson experienced in law and education

A news release from the media relations department

Effective July 1, respected university administrator Logan Atkinson is the new Secretary of the University.

A former university secretary at Carleton University in Ottawa and currently an associate professor in that university’s Department of Law, Atkinson has wide experience as a lawyer, educator and university administrator. He will report directly to Feridun Hamdullahpur, president and vice-chancellor at Waterloo.

“The University of Waterloo is committed to excellence in education, research and scholarship, and will continue to be at the forefront of innovation. Professor Atkinson’s experience in law, education and university administration will benefit Waterloo and contribute to our ongoing success,” said Hamdullahpur.

The secretary is a member of the senior administrative team at the university. He will provide advice and guidance on effective university governance for the Board of Governors, the Senate, and the executive group. The portfolio of responsibilities also includes liaising with legal counsel, coordinating internal audits and risk management, and overseeing the office responsible for policing, conflict management and human rights, safety, and records management.

“The University of Waterloo is a dynamic, robust institution, with impressive leadership and a stellar, well-deserved reputation,” said Atkinson. “It is a real privilege to join this university at such an exciting time in its history.”

Atkinson succeeds Lois Claxton, who retired from the position last year. He holds a doctorate in Law from the University of Ottawa, an MA in Legal Studies from Carleton University, an MPhil in Humanities from Memorial University, an LLB from the University of New Brunswick, and a BA from Mount Allison University. He is a fellow of the Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators and a member of the Bar of Newfoundland.

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