The purpose of Faculty Affairs is to enrich York's intellectual community by bringing new people and ideas to York and helping them thrive once here.
Faculty Recruitment
for prospective faculty & hiring committees
Faculty Development
for new, current, & emeriti faculty members
About Faculty Affairs
The Faculty Affairs office was created in August 2022 to support colleagues at every career stage, from first applying for a faculty position through to retirement. We facilitate faculty recruitment not only by posting positions and guiding process, but also offering hiring committees resources and support. Starting May 2023 and culminating in New Faculty Orientation in August, we will host online welcome sessions for new faculty to ease their transitions to York and connect them with each other. For those already at York, we organize faculty meet-ups about different issues so that colleagues can find mentors, models and sounding boards as they move forward in their careers. As well, we support new and seasoned academic leaders in their journeys through the ‘New Academic Leaders’ Orientation, tailored workshops, meet-ups and 1:1 sessions.
In addition to our office’s own initiatives, we also circulate information about other opportunities and programs at York so these reach all faculty. The Research Commons for instance, offers a full complement of programs to facilitate colleagues' scholarship, while the Teaching Commons does the same to invigorate pedagogy. Finally, the York University Retirees’ Association (YURA) builds community among retired faculty and staff and sustains their connection to the university.
Whether a prospective colleague, a new one, or a long-standing one, we hope you see ways that you and your ideas can thrive at York.
Newsletter
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Faculty Affairs Team
Uzo Anucha, MSW, PhD
Associate Vice-President, Faculty Affairs (starting January 2025)
Uzo Anucha is a full professor in the School of Social Work and the York Research Chair in Youth and Contexts of Inequity. Her education spans two continents and includes a PhD in Social Work from the University of Toronto; MSW and BSW from York University; and BSc and MSc from University of Nigeria. Professor Anucha joined York in 2006 as an Assistant Professor in the School of Social Work.
Professor Anucha’s academic career is grounded in critical community-engaged scholarship underscored by a commitment to building equitable and long-term research collaborations with communities, as well as a commitment to ongoing and active knowledge exchange to support collective action and social change. Since 2009, her research agenda has focused on critical youth work. She is the founding Academic Director of Youth Research and Evaluation Exchange (YouthREX), a multi-million dollar investment by the Ontario government to leverage research and evidence in building the capacity of youth workers. Since YouthREX’s launch in November 2014, Professor Anucha has led its collaborative development into a multifaceted learning ‘space’ that has become a key component of the Ontario youth sector.
Professor Anucha’s service at York University has been diverse and sustained and she has consistently taken on service roles at the school, faculty, and university levels, includingserving as the Graduate Program Director of the MSW and PhD programs, and participation on university-based governance committees, such as the Faculty of Liberal Arts and Professional Studies' Executive Committee.
Professor Anucha has also served on a variety of community boards including being appointed by Order in Council by the Government of Ontario to the Board of Directors of the Central Local Health Integration Network ,a crown agency of the Government for two terms of six years (2011-2017). Her professional service includes serving a full three-year term on the Board of Accreditation for the Canadian Association of Schools of Social Work and a full three-year term on the Council on the Role and Status of Women in Social Work Education with the Council on Social Work Education.
Debbi Collett
Academic Resource Coordinator
Debbi Collett began her career at York University in the early 1980s. From 1983 to 1991, she worked in the Secretariat Office and for the Associate Vice-President, Research. Debbi left York for a few years to start a family and to attend Seneca College where she graduated as valedictorian. She returned to York in 1998 and for 24.5 years worked in the Division of the Provost and Vice-President, Academic. In August 2022, she began working with the inaugural Associate Vice-President, Faculty Affairs.
Pam Fernandes
Faculty Development Lead
Pam Fernandes joined the Faculty Affairs team in December 2022. Before that, she worked in various administrative roles across York, most recently at the Department of Chemistry (2020-2022) and the Department of Biology (2016-2020).
Pam received her Bachelor of Science in Honours Biology and Bachelor of Education at York in 2012. Having always been interested in teaching and learning of young minds, she worked as a casual relief teacher in Melbourne, Australia in 2014. She returned with a renewed motivation to improve the teaching and learning environments for students and faculty.
Raluca Lacatus
Academic Leadership Support and Development
Raluca first joined York University in 2018, bringing with her a strong commitment to leadership development. She had held various roles focusing on strategy, growth and transformation. In her current role, Raluca supports academic leaders through leveraging existing university resources, developing new initiatives, and providing support through the ‘New Academic Leaders Orientation’ and one-on-one sessions as needed.
Prior to joining York University, Raluca gained over 15 years of experience in the social sector, where she successfully led large-scale transformation initiatives. Her entrepreneurial spirit was demonstrated through the launch and leadership of her own venture, which she ran for six years.
Raluca holds an MBA from the Schulich School of Business. She is passionate about enabling positive transformations at personal, organizational, and community levels through constructive conversations, identifying untapped opportunities, and fostering supportive growth.
Madeleine Maleki
Faculty Affairs Coordinator
Madeleine Maleki began her career at York in 2012. She has held various administrative roles in the Office of the Dean, Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies, most recently as Sr. Faculty Affairs Coordinator, Office of the Associate Dean, Faculty Affairs. Madeleine received a Bachelor of Arts in History from Dalhousie University, as well as a Bachelor of Public Administration from York University. She joined the Faculty Affairs Team March 2023.
Land Acknowledgement
York University recognizes that many Indigenous Nations have longstanding relationships with the territories upon which York University campuses are located that precede the establishment of York University. York University acknowledges its presence on the traditional territory of many Indigenous Nations. The area known as Tkaronto has been care taken by the Anishinabek Nation, the Haudenosaunee Confederacy, and the Huron-Wendat. It is now home to many First Nation, Inuit and Métis communities. We acknowledge the current treaty holders, the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation. This territory is subject of the Dish with One Spoon Wampum Belt Covenant, an agreement to peaceably share and care for the Great Lakes region.