Vianne Timmons, B.A., B.Ed., M.Ed., Ph.D.

President and Vice-Chancellor

University of Regina

Dr. Vianne Timmons grew up in Newfoundland and Labrador and spent her early teaching career in Alberta and British Columbia. She moved to Atlantic Canada in 1992 to join St. Francis Xavier University where she was the chair of the Education Department. In 1996, she joined the Faculty of Education at the University of Prince Edward Island, and became Vice-President, Academic Development in 2001.  She officially began her role as seventh President and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Regina on September 1, 2008.

Dr. Timmons received her Bachelor of Arts degree in 1979 from Mt. Allison University in Sackville, New Brunswick, with a combined major in Psychology and English.  She then obtained her Bachelor of Education in Special Education in 1980 from Acadia University in Wolfville, Nova Scotia.  In 1983, she completed her Master of Education in Special Education at Gonzaga University in Spokane, Washington, USA, and she obtained her PhD in Education Psychology in 1993 from the University of Calgary.

Dr. Timmons maintains an active and wide-ranging research program, with particular emphasis on family literacy and inclusive education. Dr. Timmons is active in the academic community regionally, nationally and internationally. During the course of her career, she has authored or edited nine books, written more than a dozen book chapters, and authored more than 40 peer-reviewed articles in leading academic journals. She has been either the principal investigator or a co-investigator on more than 30 funded research projects, and has also presented more than 150 invited lectures about her work.

Dr. Timmons served for six years on the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC), is President-Elect of the International Association of the Scientific Study on Intellectual Disability (IASSID), and serves as Chair of the Canadian Bureau of International Education. She is also a member of the Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada (AUCC) Standing Advisory Committee on Educational Issues.

In Regina and area, Dr. Timmons is a member of the Board of Directors for Communities of Tomorrow, the Wascana Centre Authority, and the Regina Regional Opportunities Commission. She is Honorary President of the University of Regina Women’s Club, the Canadian Club of Regina and the Canadian Federation of University Women – Regina.

Dr. Timmons is a member of the Bras d’Or Mi’kmaq First Nation in Nova Scotia.