Former Queen’s vice-principal and a faculty member of distinction Suzanne Fortier has been named the 17^th principal and vice-chancellor of McGill University. Dr. Fortier (Chemistry) most recently served as the president of the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC).

“I am delighted that the next principal of McGill, one of our closest Canadian sister institutions, is a current Queen's faculty member and former vice-principal (academic) and vice-principal (research),” says Principal Daniel Woolf. “Suzanne did great things at Queen’s and has continued to do them on a national level while she was at NSERC. I am very much looking forward to working with her in her new role as we continue to advocate for post-secondary research and education in Canada.”

Dr. Fortier also held a variety of senior academic leadership positions at Queen’s including vice-principal (research) and associate dean of graduate studies and research. Her area of expertise is in X-ray crystallography, the study of molecular structures using an X-ray.

“Suzanne Fortier is eminently qualified for her new role,” says former Queen’s principal William Leggett (Biology). “Her performance in the VP Research and Academic portfolios at Queen’s was exemplary and her leadership as president of NSERC has been creative and transformative. Intelligent, creative and visionary she brings out the best in others and leads by example. McGill is fortunate indeed to have attracted her to this important role.”

Dr. Fortier’s distinguished service also includes membership on the International Jury of France’s Investissements d’Avenir, the boards of the Canada Foundation for Innovation, Genome Canada and the Canada Research Chairs, as well as the Steering Committee of the Network of Centres of Excellence.