Dear colleagues,
I am very pleased to announce that Dr. Elizabeth Croft has been appointed as Vice-President Academic and Provost. Her appointment will begin on July 1, 2022.
Croft’s appointment follows an international search conducted in accordance with the appointment policy. In the course of the search, a strong field of candidates was considered. The search committee’s unanimous recommendation was taken forward to the faculty for a ratification ballot and of the eligible faculty members who voted, 90.6% voted in support. Her appointment was approved by the Board of Governors on December 9, 2021.
I’d like to thank the members of the search committee and everyone who participated in this process by providing input into the position description and valuable feedback following the candidate presentations.
About Dr. Elizabeth Croft
Elizabeth Croft is a visionary and forward-thinking leader with a track record of building inclusive, collegial and collaborative partnerships. In each of her senior leadership positions, her action-oriented approach has delivered results in areas of importance to our university, including strong academic programs, reconciliation and decolonization, student experience, and equity, diversity and inclusion.
“I look forward to new challenges with the University of Victoria on my return to Canada. UVic’s global sustainability vision, experiential education, and commitment to Indigenous scholarship, all underpinned by a culture of equity, diversity and inclusion and scholarly excellence, strongly resonates with me. I’m delighted to have the opportunity to work with President and Vice-Chancellor Kevin Hall and his leadership team, the faculty deans, directors, VPAC leadership and the outstanding colleagues that make UVic an exceptional community contributing to a better life for our people and planet.”
— Elizabeth Croft
Croft is currently the dean of the Faculty of Engineering at Monash University in Australia, where she oversees over 8,000 students and 500 academic and professional staff, with programs in Australia, China, Malaysia and India. She holds a B.A.Sc in Mechanical Engineering from the University of British Columbia, an M.A.Sc in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Waterloo, and a Ph.D. from the University of Toronto. She is recognized internationally as an expert in the field of human-robot interaction.
Before joining Monash University, Croft was a tenured full professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the University of British Columbia. While at UBC she was a senior associate dean, an associate dean of education and professional development, the Marshal Bauder Professor in Engineering Economics, and the associate head of the Department of Mechanical Engineering.
Appointment of acting provost
As you are aware, Valerie Kuehne will be stepping down on February 28, 2022. To ensure a smooth transition, Susan Lewis will be Acting Vice-President Academic and Provost from March 1 to June 30, 2022. Please join me in thanking Susan for agreeing to take on this important role.
As we approach the end of the fall term, I would like to acknowledge all the hard work that has gone into making the term successful, especially managing the evolving response to the ongoing pandemic.
Sincerely,
Kevin
Kevin Hall, PhD
President and Vice-Chancellor
https://www.uvic.ca/news/topics/2021+notice-provost-appointment+notice