Louise Dandurand to retire as Vice-President, Research and Graduate Studies
Concordia University President and Vice-Chancellor Frederick Lowy announced today that Louise Dandurand, Vice-President, Research and Graduate Studies, has decided to step down from her position at the end of December 2011 and retire from the university following an administrative leave.
Dandurand began a five-year term as VP, Research and Graduate Studies in November 2006. In June 2010, after a statutory review process, the university appointed her to a second five-year mandate.
“Dr. Dandurand has made a significant contribution to Concordia during her tenure,” says President Lowy. “Under her dynamic leadership, the university’s research profile has grown substantially, both nationally and internationally. She has also been a stalwart supporter of graduate studies as an integral element in a broader research and training agenda at Concordia.”
A search committee will be established to fill Dandurand’s position and continue to build on the important progress made in developing research capacity at the university.
“My experience at Concordia has been extremely gratifying,” says Dandurand. “I have had the privilege of working with colleagues who have not only shown great enthusiasm and dedication, but touched me deeply with their warmth and generosity. After 35 years in public service, I feel that it is time to move on to the next chapter of my life. I leave Concordia encouraged by the tremendous progress that our researchers have made in their domains.”
Before joining Concordia, Dandurand had been president and chief executive officer of the Fonds québécois de la recherche sur la société et la culture, the Quebec granting agency for social sciences, arts and humanities, from 2001 to 2006.
Dandurand holds an Honours BA in History, MSc in the History of Science from the Université de Montréal, and PhD in Political Science from the University of Toronto.
She began her academic career in the Political Science Department at the University of Ottawa. Her teaching and research interests for science policy and university research policies soon brought her into the research administration sphere.
After teaching for five years, she was appointed Director of Policy and Planning at the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada in 1986, and was subsequently Secretary-General of the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada.
In 1997, Dandurand was appointed Vice-Rector, Strategic and Financial Planning, at the Université du Québec à Montréal, and became its Vice-President of Research and Strategic Planning the following year.
Dandurand has served on boards or steering committees of numerous organizations supporting higher education, research and innovation, in Quebec, Canada and internationally.
Related link:
• Vice-President, Research and Graduate Studies