Queen’s University is appointing Brenda Brouwer as the Interim Dean of Smith School of Business, effective Nov. 18, 2019.  

Dr. Brouwer recently completed a secondment with the Vector Institute for Artificial Intelligence as Head, Academic Partnerships. In this role she developed and led the talent development initiative cultivating relationships between the academy and industry to support a talent pipeline of master’s graduates with the skills, competencies and knowledge that organizations at the forefront of AI in Canada seek. Her time at Vector illustrated the importance of building networks between academies and organizations to promote knowledge and talent mobilization.

Prior to her secondment, Dr. Brouwer was the Vice-Provost and Dean of the School of Graduate Studies at Queen’s for eight years, preceded by five years as the Associate Dean in the School of Graduate Studies. During her tenure, she provided academic and administrative leadership which saw the expansion and development of graduate credentials including professional and applied advanced degrees, the development of resources that support academic excellence, and student well-being. She also led the introduction of innovative and professional programming to meet the evolving needs of students entering an increasingly diverse labour market. As president of the Canadian Association for Graduate Studies from 2015-2017, Dr. Brouwer also played a key role in providing national leadership in graduate education.

Dr. Brouwer joined Queen’s after completing a PhD in Neuroscience at the University of Toronto. She holds a B.Sc. in Kinesiology (University of Waterloo) and an M.Sc in Biomechanics (McGill University). She is a professor in the School of Rehabilitation Therapy with cross appointments to the School of Kinesiology and Health Studies and the Centre for Neuroscience. Dr. Brouwer maintains a successful research program that focuses on quantifying the biomechanical, neuromuscular and metabolic demands of mobility in healthy aging and stroke.

Dr. Brouwer has served on numerous Senate committees, Council of Ontario Universities’ committees and working groups including the Council on Quality Assurance and the Highly Skilled Workforce Steering Committee. She has also been a member of the U.S. Council of Graduate Studies Advisor group for completion in STEM master’s programs.

“Principal and Vice-Chancellor Patrick Deane and I extend our thanks to Dr. Brouwer for providing leadership to Smith during this period of transition,” says Provost and Vice-Principal (Academic) Tom Harris. “A special thanks also goes to Teri Shearer, Deputy Provost (Academic Operations and Inclusion), for her support and guidance as Interim Dean of Smith School of Business during the past month.”

Dr. Brouwer is replacing David Saunders who is returning to his role as a faculty member at Smith and is enjoying a well-earned administrative leave (sabbatical) after 16 years as dean.

“Dr. Saunders led the school through tremendous growth including significantly expanding the portfolio of education programs to serve the evolving needs of business, and fostering areas of research and specialized expertise such as analytics and artificial intelligence, entrepreneurship and innovation, social impact and sustainability, leadership and teams, and more,” says Provost Harris. “Under his leadership, Smith established more than 100 strategic international partners and strengthened its reputation as one of the world’s pre-eminent business schools. I would like to thank Dr. Saunders for his significant contributions to Queen’s while heading up the Smith School.”

Smith School of Business at Queen’s is renowned for its excellence, innovation and leadership in business education. From establishing the first undergraduate business degree a century ago to creating groundbreaking programs and courses in emerging areas including artificial intelligence, fintech, analytics, cultural diversity, entrepreneurship, team dynamics, social impact and more, Smith is at the forefront of preparing students for the business marketplace. In addition to its rich tradition of academic and teaching excellence, Smith is known for delivering an outstanding learning and development experience.