Pam Sugiman appointed dean of the Faculty of Arts

I am pleased to announce the appointment of Pamela Sugiman as dean, Faculty of Arts. The appointment is for a five-year term effective July 1, 2016.

Pam has been chair of the Sociology Department since 2012, joining Ryerson in 2006 after holding a tenure-stream position for 15 years at McMaster University. In the course of her career, Pam has built a reputation for creativity, collegiality, transparency and vision. Her commitment to issues of social justice, equity, diversity and inclusion are a reflection of her personal values and have profoundly shaped her scholarly interests.

Through roles in the broader community and the university, Pam has developed her leadership skills and administrative experience, serving as president of the Canadian Sociological Association, director on the national executive board of the National Association of Japanese Canadians, chair of the Department of Sociology and an elected faculty representative on the Ryerson University Board of Governors.

A distinguished researcher, Pam is committed to further nurturing and supporting a culture of research and social engagement in the Faculty of Arts. She currently serves on the executive committee and steering committee, and leads the Oral History Research Cluster for the Landscapes of Injustice Project, a multi-institutional, $5.5-million initiative funded in large part by a Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council Partnership Grant. As a graduate student, she was supported by a Connaught Fellowship and SSHRC Doctoral Fellowship, has received a SSHRC Insight grant and for many years has served on numerous research-based adjudication committees including the Federal Status of Women External Committee to the Policy Research Fund and the Canada Research Chair College of Reviewers.

Enhancing undergraduate and graduate education, teaching and student life are among Pam's priorities for her new role, building on the Faculty of Arts' reputation for a high level of student engagement and success. Pam is dedicated to providing students innovative programs of study that are relevant and rigorous.

Chris Evans, interim provost and vice president academic, said "Pam Sugiman brings to the role of dean a demonstrated commitment to Ryerson values, in her teaching, research, community engagement and relationships with students and colleagues. I know that Pam will deliver a guiding vision to the Faculty of Arts that will position it, and Ryerson, for an exciting future."

I wish to extend my thanks to Jean-Paul Boudreau, who has provided the Faculty of Arts with outstanding leadership over the past five years. With a combination of vision and action, Jean-Paul has energetically fostered the evolution of the faculty while focussing with his team of faculty, staff and students on three pillars: academic excellence (with a 173 per cent increase in scholarly, research and creative activity; 33 international tenure-track faculty hires), innovative programming (including a new BA in intercultural communication and the Arts+ model of experiential learning), and imaginative city-building initiatives (including the SocialVentures Zone and Arts EcoAction Plan). His achievements also include Ryerson's successful bid to host the 2017 Congress of the Humanities and Social Sciences. Building on these successes in social innovation, Jean-Paul will take on the role of special adviser and executive lead for social innovation when he completes his term as dean.

I also want to express my sincere gratitude to the students and faculty who served so generously on the search committee for the dean of the Faculty of Arts:

• Carl Benn, Professor, Department of History
• Kathleen Kellett-Betsos, Professor, Department of Languages, Literature and Culture
• Marie Bountrogianni, Dean, The Chang School
• Michelle Dionne, Professor, Department of Psychology
• Doreen Fumia, Professor, Department of Sociology
• Klaas Kraay, Professor, Department of Philosophy
• Nima Naghibi, Chair, Department of English
• Marc Yvan Valade, Student, Policy Studies
  
• Kim Varma, Chair, Department of Criminology

Please join me in congratulating Pam and wishing her all the best in her new role.

Mohamed Lachemi
President and Vice-Chancellor