Biography of Dr. Jeff Keshen, PhD, President and Vice-Chancellor
Dr. Jeff Keshen assumed the role of President and Vice-Chancellor on July 1, 2021 following an almost year-long, rigorous, national search process. Dr. Keshen is the University of Regina’s eighth President. He joins the University after serving for three-and-a-half years as Vice-President of Memorial University’s Grenfell Campus in Corner Brook, Newfoundland and Labrador. Previously he served as Dean of the Faculty of Arts at Mount Royal University in Calgary. He also served as Chair of the Department of History at the University of Ottawa and was an Adjunct Professor in the Centre of Military and Strategic Studies at the University of Calgary.
During his time at Memorial University Dr. Keshen focused on two main initiatives. The first was the development of a strategic plan that supported all students, faculty, and staff at the Grenfell Campus. The priorities of the plan included commitments to student success, Indigenization, and Equity, Diversity and Inclusion. The enhanced support led to impressive growth, doubled research funding, and resulted in the development of new graduate programs.
His second area of focus was strengthening Grenfell's connections to the Corner Brook community and region. Innovative partnerships with all levels of government, the education sector, and industry resulted in large-scale projects such as a new regional aquatic centre, a centre for research and innovation, and management of the Bonne Bay Marine Station.
Dr. Keshen had great success developing programs that encouraged leadership in young people, including programming for vulnerable and Indigenous students. He was also the driving force behind initiatives that recognized workplace excellence, promoted professional development, and increased employee satisfaction.
Dr. Keshen holds a doctoral degree from York University with a research concentration in the history of war and conflict. He was the recipient of the Government of Ontario June Callwood Award for Outstanding Service in Volunteerism for his success with the establishment of the University of Ottawa's Experiential Learning Service. He was a double nominee for the 3-M National Teaching Fellowship Award, and was awarded both the Ontario Leadership in Teaching Prize and University of Ottawa's Excellence in Education Prize.
Dr. Keshen is the author of five books, more than 25 scholarly articles, and has edited 11 books. His book Propaganda and Censorship in Canada's Great War was awarded the best non-fiction book by the Writers Guild of Alberta. It was also shortlisted for the Humanities and Social Sciences Federation of Canada's Harold Adams Innis Prize for the best book in the Social Sciences. His book Saints, Sinners and Soldiers: Canada's Second World War was shortlisted for the Raymond Klibansky Prize for the best book in the Humanities, a prize awarded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Federation of Canada. The book was also recognized with the C.P. Stacey Prize for the best book in the military history category.
Dr. Keshen lives in Regina with his wife and his two children.