Dear colleagues,
I am writing to let you know that Lisa Philipps will be stepping away from her current role as provost and vice-president academic in order to take on a new role as senior policy advisor to the president, effective Oct. 1. In this new capacity, Lisa will devote herself to supporting the major collaborative planning efforts under the York U Forward Action Plan, including the Faculties of the Future initiative.
We all know that Lisa’s leadership as provost and vice-president academic has been instrumental to York’s tremendous progress over the last seven years. Working with the Academic Policy, Planning & Research Committee and Senate, she helped place the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) at the centre of the University Academic Plan 2020-2025 (UAP), as a call to action that has inspired the community. York has now been recognized as a global leader in advancing the SDGs for six years in a row, through the Times Higher Education Impact Ranking, among others. Lisa has been a driving force behind several major initiatives, including the Markham Campus, focused on technology, entrepreneurship and work-integrated learning; the resoundingly successful Congress 2023: Reckonings and Re-Imaginings to York; and a new global engagement and internationalization strategy. She also championed the growth and diversification of York’s remarkable faculty through the Faculty Complement Renewal Strategy. Lisa has been spearheading our partnership with the Vaughan Healthcare Centre Precinct to serve the province’s growing needs for interdisciplinary health education, research and innovation, and will continue to support these efforts. Throughout her tenure as provost, Lisa’s commitment to open dialogue and engagement, to fostering diverse leadership, and to celebrating the accomplishments of students, faculty, instructors and staff, has been felt all across the University.
While she will be missed as provost, at this time of unprecedented challenges, the University cannot continue “business as usual.” A senior leader is needed to take on more focused responsibility if we are to leverage the opportunities we have identified and find new creative solutions to support our momentum in realizing the UAP priorities. I am delighted that Lisa has agreed to move into this role, and that she will continue to work closely with members of the University Executive Committee and the entire York community in this capacity.
I am also pleased to announce that David Peters, dean of the Faculty of Health, will be taking on the dual role of interim provost and vice-president academic, and institutional lead (dean of record) for School of Medicine planning, starting on Oct. 1. In his role as the interim provost, he will be focusing on providing the overall leadership to the York U Forward Action Plan geared towards fulfilling York’s vision and achieving financial sustainability. David will also be instrumental in leading the necessary preparations for York University’s groundbreaking School of Medicine – the first of its kind to focus on primary health care.
Since joining York from Johns Hopkins University in January 2023, David has led the Faculty of Health through a collegial process developing an exciting new strategic plan to be leaders and partners for a healthy and just 21st-century world. At the same time, David has been active in growing the University’s external partnerships in health research, teaching and community engagement. He has contributed his expertise and ideas to York’s plan for a unique school of medicine focused on primary health care through an integrated community-based learning network and a transformational approach to medical education incorporating an understanding of the social and economic determinants of health as well as digital health solutions aimed at enhancing access to health care. I appreciate his willingness to serve for the next year as interim provost and institutional lead (dean of record) while I undertake a search for the University’s next provost and vice-president academic this fall.
Finally, I am grateful that Chris Ardern will step in as interim dean of the Faculty of Health, during David’s temporary service as interim provost. Chris is currently serving as the associate dean, research and innovation (ADRI) for the Faculty of Health. He began his appointment at York after completing his PhD from Queen’s University in 2006, and was promoted to associate professor in 2011. During his time at York, Chris has been a member of YU-CARE (an Organized Research Unit concerned with healthy aging) and has been engaged with Southlake Regional Health Centre (a School of Medicine partner) as both a research scientist and affiliated investigator. Plans for selecting an interim associate dean, ADRI in the Faculty of Health will be announced shortly.
I look forward to working with the leadership team and the entire York community, and wish everyone a healthy and productive 2024-25.
Sincerely,
Rhonda Lenton
President & Vice-Chancellor