Appointments and Renewals

Following a review conducted according to the provisions of University policy on out-of-scope academic administrative appointments, Dr. Emmanuel Aito has been appointed to a second five-year term as Director, La Cité effective July 1, 2022.

Dr Emmanuel Aito was appointed acting director of La Cité universitaire francophone in August 2016. In 2017, he began his current 5-year term as Director of La Cité, following a national search. He describes La Cité as “l’imaginaire collectif that has thrust the U of R into the orbit of the Francophonie, both in Canada and abroad”. Before his current leadership position, from 2006 until 2016 he had served two consecutive 5-year terms as Head of the Department of French, which was part of the Faculty of Arts until 2015. Along the way, he had also concurrently served as the interim Department Head of International Languages in 2013.

Dr Aito came to the University of Regina in 1998. He earned both his MA (1992) and PhD (1999) from Dalhousie University, Halifax. His primary area of teaching and research is French linguistics, with a particular focus on specialized language and terminology. In the past few years, he has developed a body of work in glottopolitics, theorizing the intercultural dimensions of terminology, while also demonstrating the lexical creativity in minority languages. Dr Aito continues to be interested in the intersections of language and democratization. Despite his current busy administrative assignment, he has continued to supervise the work of several MA and PhD students as well as to lead the growth of the graduate program at La Cité.

 Dr. Aito also spearheaded the diversification of La Cité’s academic programming.These efforts resulted in the embrace of wide-ranging interests in the Humanities and Social Sciences that go beyond the traditional confines of modern language studies. Dr Aito has thus successfully recruited and mentored several graduate students into these programs, some of whom have returned over the years to be colleagues at La Cité. He continues to pursue student recruitment from far and near.

Given La Cité’s specific province-wide mandate as the hub of French-Language university-level academic opportunities, Dr Aito has built productive partnerships within our University and in the Fransaskois community. He maintains critical relationships with the leadership and members of the ACUFC, the umbrella organization that supports Francophone institutions outside of Québec. Dr Aito has also developed collaborative relationships with the provincial and federal departments responsible for funding a significant portion of La Cité’s diverse operations. He is also proud of the dedication of his entire team at La Cité.

In his personal life, Dr Aito relishes his close friendships and adores his close-knit family, including his several grandchildren. He is also gratified to witness the personal and professional successes of the students he has recruited and mentored over the years.

The Associate Vice-President (Academic), Dr. Nilgün Önder, would like to take this opportunity to thank the members of the Reappointment Committee for their collegial work. They are Michael Akinpelu, Michael Poplyansky, Sylvain Rheault, Alpha Barry, Marie-France Girardin, Denis Simard, Kevin Piel, Rebecca Alao. The Committee was supported in its work by Yvonne Gray of the AVPA's Office.

Following a review conducted according to the provisions of University policy on out-of-scope academic administrative appointments, Dr. Douglas Farenick has been appointed to a second five-year term as Dean, Faculty of Science effective July 1, 2022.

Douglas Farenick received his PhD in mathematics from the University of Toronto in 1990 and he held a two-year postdoctoral fellowship at Le centre de recherches mathématiques, Université de Montréal, before starting a tenure-track position at the University of Regina. He was promoted to the rank of Professor in 2002. Over the course of his career at the University of Regina, Dr. Farenick has served as Associate Dean (Research) of Science, Head of the Department of Mathematics & Statistics, and is currently the Dean of the Faculty of Science. His professional leadership roles have included Vice President (West) of the Canadian Mathematical Society (CMS) and Chair of the Finance Committee of the CMS. Dr. Farenick is currently President of the Canadian Council of Deans of Science, serves on the Board of the Pacific Institute for the Mathematical Sciences, and represents the University of Regina on the TRIUMF Members Council.

Dr. Farenick’s mathematical expertise is in the areas of operator algebra theory, operators on Hilbert space, noncommutative convexity, quantum information theory, and the theory of operator systems. He has published two books (Springer) and more than 50 peer-reviewed research articles. Dr. Farenick has enjoyed continuous support from the NSERC Discovery Grant program throughout the entirety of his career. He has taught mathematics at all undergraduate and graduate levels, and ranks the teaching of a three-week intensive graduate course at the African Institute for Mathematical Science in Kigali, Rwanda, as a high point in his teaching career. He continues to be inspired by the students and colleagues he works with locally and abroad.

Dr. Farenick is an alumnus of the University of Regina, where he studied mathematics and computer science as an undergraduate student. In his spare time he enjoys swimming and cycling. 

The Interim Provost would like to take this opportunity to thank the members of the Reappointment Committee for their collegial work. They are Martin Argerami, Lee Aument, Shannon Dea, Garth Huber, Trent Kostelny, Peter Leavitt, Shanelle Puffalt, Renata Raina, Leslie Robbins, Karin Rustad, and Sandra Zilles. The Committee was supported in its work by Yvonne Gray of the Provost's Office.

Please join me in congratulating Dr. Farenick on this reappointment.

Associate Vice-President (Indigenous Engagement) (June 1, 2021)

Following a national search according to the provisions of University policy on out-of-scope senior appointments, Interim Provost Gregory has recommended to Interim President Chase that Ms. Lori Campbell be appointed the inaugural position of Associate Vice-President (Indigenous Engagement). Ms. Campbell has accepted the appointment, which begins June 1, 2021.

Ms. Campbell is 2-Spirit nēhiýaw āpihtāwikosisān and is a band member of Montreal Lake First Nation, Treaty 6 territory. She is an intergenerational survivor of the Indian Residential School system and a child from the Sixties Scoop generation. Ms. Campbell has made it her career advocating for social justice and working towards a more equitable society for all.

Ms. Campbell was the University of Waterloo’s first Senior Director of Indigenous Initiatives, and in that capacity played a crucial role in the University’s earliest Indigenization planning. She currently holds the position of Director, Shatitsirótha’ Waterloo Indigenous Student Centre, program developer and Adjunct Lecturer in the Indigenous Studies academic program at St. Paul’s University College, University of Waterloo.

With over 13 years of progressive leadership in student services, academics, research and administration, Ms. Campbell is an experienced leader in education with a proven track record particularly in building community and advancing processes of Indigenization, reconciliation, and decolonization. Her areas of research and teaching expertise include Indigenous feminisms, Indigenous research methodologies, social justice, and Indigenous women’s leadership. Ms. Campbell holds two undergraduate degrees (Indigenous Studies and Psychology), a master’s degree in Adult Education and is working towards a PhD in Social Justice Education.

Ms. Campbell is a sought-after public speaker, educator, and media expert. She is the recipient of a wide range of academic and community honours including the Ontario Women’s directorate’s Leading Women Building Communities Award, University of Waterloo’s Equity and Inclusivity Award, UNESCO Global Action Program Award for Regional Centre of Expertise on Education and Sustainable Development and the 2021 national Women of Inspiration Award.

I thank members of the Search Advisory Committee for their commitment and advice throughout this search process. In alphabetical order, I acknowledge Dustin Brass, Michelle Coupal, Sherry Farrell-Racette, Merelda Fiddler-Potter, Misty Longman, Geordy McCaffrey, Jérôme Melançon, Dennis Omeasoo, Cathy Rocke, Pheonix Sparvier, and Jason Wong. I would also like to thank Geordy McCaffrey for all of his work on this Committee prior to his withdrawal. Thanks are also accorded to Nancy Kazeil of Human Resources and Bryanna Butz of the Provost's Office, both of whom contributed substantially to the success of this search.

Please join me in congratulating Ms. Campbell on this appointment.

Dean of Graduate Studies and Research (1 January 2021 - 31 December 2026)

I am pleased to announce Dr. Aziz Douai will be joining the University of Regina as the Dean of the Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research on January 1, 2021.

Dr. Aziz Douai is passionate about graduate education and student success. In his recent role as Associate Dean at the School of Graduate & Postdoctoral Studies, Ontario Tech University, Dr. Douai has helped shape the graduate student experience through revamping the graduate professional skills program, expanding the Three Minute Thesis (3MT®) competition, overseeing student awards and scholarships, and launching several engagement initiatives. As a graduate Faculty supervisor and educator, Dr. Douai advocates for a holistic approach to graduate education and believes in empowering graduate students.

Dr. Douai holds a PhD in Mass Communications from Pennsylvania State University, a Master’s of Science in Advertising from Boston University, and has lectured on global communication issues in North America, Europe, and the Middle East. A recipient of the Fulbright Scholarship, SSHRC and international competitive research grants, he highly appreciates the importance of research funding to graduate student success.

Dr. Douai maintains an active research agenda focused on disruptive communication technologies, international communication and conflict, with a special interest in the MENA media and politics. He is the author and co-editor of three books, including recently released Arab media and the politics of terrorism: Unbecoming news. He has published more than 50 peer-reviewed journal articles and book chapters. 

Dr. Douai is a Founding Member of the Center on Hate, Bias and Extremism, a Senior Research Affiliate at the Canadian Research Network for Terrorism, Security & Society, and a member of the Digital Life Institute. He served as grant reviewer and Chair of the Multi-disciplinary Committee-Social Sciences at the Social Science and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) between 2017-2020. 

I'd like to also take this opportunity to thank the search committee members - Dr Raymond Blake, Kishore Bommavaram, Janine Brown, Dr Tanya Dahms, Dr Hussameldin Ibrahim, Dr Tarun Katapally, Dr Gordon Pennycook, Dr Cathy Rocke, Dr Twyla Salm, Darlene Sorensen, Brett Waytuck.

I also want to say a special thank you to Nancy Kazeil and Karen Walker who supported the committee throughout the search.