Naomi Adelson appointed associate vice-president, research and innovation

I am pleased to announce the appointment of Naomi Adelson as Ryerson’s first associate vice-president, research and innovation. The appointment is for a five-year term effective September 1, 2018.

As a professor, established researcher, and seasoned academic administrator, Naomi brings to Ryerson her experience advancing research excellence and innovation in a respectful, inclusive and empowering work environment.

She recently served as associate dean, research to the Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies and prior to that was chair of the Department of Anthropology, both at York University. Naomi began her academic career by obtaining her diplomes d’etudes collegiales as a registered nurse. She then went on to complete her bachelor of arts in the humanities from McGill University, her master of arts in anthropology from McMaster and her PhD in anthropology from McGill University.

As a medical anthropologist, Naomi's theoretical interest is founded on the critical study of the body and health in relation to the naturalization and medicalization of social and historical inequalities. Naomi has been conducting research in collaboration with the northern James Bay Cree (Iiyiyu’ch) and in association with the Cree Board of Health since the late 1980s. Her most recent project focuses on the social and political context of medical care to the Cree through the Cold War years. Her publications include Being Alive Well: Health and the Politics of Cree Well-Being (University of Toronto Press), “The Embodiment of Inequity: Health Disparities in Aboriginal Canada” (CJPH) and “Discourses of Stress, Social Inequities, and the Everyday Worlds of First Nations Women in a Remote Northern Canadian Community” (Ethos).

Ryerson will be well served by Naomi’s commitment to working collaboratively through research networks and building communities of scholars and the next generation of researchers. Her interdisciplinary background and experience bringing together researchers, front-line community workers, partner organizations, clinicians and students is well suited to Ryerson’s approach to partnerships and fostering strong working relationships with industry and community partners to solve complex problems.

I want to express my appreciation and thanks to Kelly MacKay who has served as the interim associate vice-president, research and innovation since November 2017. We look forward to celebrating Kelly’s contribution to this important role at a later date.

I want to also express my sincere gratitude to the members of the search committee who generously contributed their time and effort to the search for our first associate vice-president, research and innovation.

Elected faculty members:
Costin Antonescu
Faculty of Science

Cheri Bradish
Ted Rogers School of Business Management

Seth Dworkin
Faculty of Engineering and Architectural Science

Lorraine Janzen Kooistra
Faculty of Arts

Nina-Marie Lister
Faculty of Community Services

Deans’ representative:
Pamela Sugiman
Dean, Faculty of Arts

Elected graduate student:
Eno Hysi
PhD Candidate, Department of Physics

The Vice-President, Research and Innovation appointees:
Carol Shepstone
Chief Librarian

Bala Venkatesh
Professor, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering and Academic Director, Centre of Urban Energy

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

Steven N. Liss
Vice-President, Research and Innovation