Gordon Smith has been appointed interim dean for the Faculty of Arts and Science, effective July 1, 2016. He takes over from Susan Mumm, who has accepted the position of principal of Brescia University College in London, Ontario. The initial term of Dr. Smith’s appointment is 12 months.

“The search for the next Dean is well underway,” says Alan Harrison, Provost and Vice-Principal (Academic), “but the Principal’s Advisory Committee (PAC) has agreed that additional time is needed to ensure both strength in depth and an appropriate level of diversity in the candidate pool. With the PAC’s work continuing at least into the fall, we approached Dr. Smith, the current vice-dean, about the possibility of serving as the interim dean, and I am pleased to announce that he has accepted our invitation.”

Dr. Smith has held various administrative appointments within the Faculty of Arts and Science since 2003, and his leadership over that time has been instrumental in ensuring the success and progress of a number of important initiatives within the faculty. Recent examples include the inauguration of collaborative programs with St. Lawrence College, building the Indigenous Studies program across the faculty through the recruitment of new faculty members, and the development of a variety of courses and programs.

Dr. Smith’s research focuses on historic and current issues of representation in Canadian ethnomusicology. He is the 2016 recipient of the Society of Composers, Authors and Music Publishers of Canada (SOCAN) Award of Excellence for Advancement of Research in Canadian Music, which will be presented at the Social Sciences and Humanities Congress in Calgary, in early June.