York University President and Vice-Chancellor Lorna R. Marsden has been honoured as one of “Canada’s 
Most Powerful Women: Top 100″, and specially selected as the top public sector leader.
Right: York University President and Vice-Chancellor Lorna R. Marsden
The award, presented in Toronto today by the Women’s Executive Network (WXN), recognizes the Top 100 female achievers in Canada, in categories ranging from the professions to the corporate world. Marsden was given special recognition from among the 10 women awarded in the public sector and broader public sector categories.
“I am deeply honoured to be selected from among such a terrific group of dynamic women,” said Marsden. “During my days as a graduate student in the US, the motto ‘Princeton in the nation’s service’ influenced the path I chose, and today my work is inspired by York’s motto, ‘Redefine the Possible.’ I am very proud to represent the many hardworking women in the public sector, who are committed to ensuring that Canadians enjoy the highest standards of public service. Through their efforts, Canadians have come to expect evidence-based decision-making and strong accountability.”
This is the third year that the Top 100 Awards have been presented by the WXN, Canada’s leading organization dedicated to the advancement and recognition of executive-minded women in the workplace.
“I wish to thank the Women’s Executive Network for its dedication to the advancement and professional development of women leaders in this country,” said Marsden.
Marsden, who has been president and vice-chancellor of York University since 1997, earned a PhD from Princeton University in 1972 and had a distinguished teaching career at the University of Toronto, where she later became vice-provost. In 1984, then prime minister Pierre Trudeau appointed her to the Senate of Canada, and in 1992 she returned to academia as president and vice-chancellor of Wilfrid Laurier University in Waterloo, Ont. Along the way, she has been active in community issues: as president of the National Action Committee on the Status of Women when equal pay and benefits issues were developed; as an active leader in the Liberal Party of Canada during the Trudeau years; and as a founder of the Canadian Institute for Advanced Research. At York University, her focus is on advancing university education and improving accessibility, making York one of the foremost centres of academic excellence that is open to all.