Graham Carr
Provost and vice-president, academic
“Concordia was unbelievably fortunate to have Alan as president for the past seven years. He’s one of the true visionaries in North America about the future of higher education, and I think his time at Concordia has really pushed a university that always believed it was innovative to become even more innovative and to become even more experimental.”
Rebecca Duclos
Dean of the Faculty of Fine Arts
“Alan’s naturalness — his joie de vivre — can change the feeling of an entire room. He is genuine, he is kind and he has shown unwavering support for our fervent belief in the power of arts and culture in society.”
Anne-Marie Croteau, BSc 86
Dean, John Molson School of Business
“Alan is a natural leader with a strong executive presence. He is excellent at building trust and creating a culture of mutual respect. He certainly made his mark on Concordia as the university’s reputation rose steadily during his tenure.”
Amir Asif
Dean, Gina Cody School of Engineering and Computer Science
“Alan Shepard’s commitment to Concordia has been unwavering. The Gina Cody School of Engineering and Computer Science has benefited tremendously from his exceptional leadership. We became an inclusive engineering and computer science school renowned internationally for research excellence, innovative programs and training next-gen technical leaders. We received the largest donation ever by a university faculty and we became the first engineering school in Canada to be named after a woman.”
André Roy
Dean, Faculty of Arts and Science
“Concordia’s reputation as an energetic and innovative centre for next-generation teaching and research is thanks to Alan Shepard’s leadership. As we move into the next chapter, we look forward to building on this momentum and keeping the world’s eyes focused on all we have to offer.”
Paula Wood-Adams
Dean, Graduate Studies
“Alan has been an invaluable champion of Concordia’s School of Graduate Studies. Under his leadership, we have enhanced our international prestige, attracting the brightest students in cutting-edge research. Alan was instrumental in the development of next-generation initiatives at the graduate level, including the Public Scholars Program and the Horizon Postdoctoral Fellowships. His legacy of inspiration and dedication will continue to inspire future generations.”
Jonathan Wener, BComm 71
Chancellor
“We have great leadership, we have a fabulous Board chair, we have had a fabulous president in Alan Shepard. To be able to have supported them with their vision for the future has been an honour, a pleasure and a delight.”
Norman Hébert, BComm 77
Chair, Concordia Board of Governors
““When Alan arrived, it didn’t take long to know we had somebody of great talent, dedication and passion. He made sure he had the right team around him. Once that was done, it was time to look at the future. That brought his 9 Strategic Directions, in which he really took the time and effort to involve everyone. I think the greatest thing is that we’ve been able to attract vibrant new talent.”
Lino A. Saputo Jr., BA 89,
Co-Chair, the Campaign for Concordia: Next-Gen. Now
“I believe in Alan Shepard’s vision, I believe in the orientation of the new style of teaching; I like the orientation of the 9 Strategic Directions and I just wanted to be a part of that. I think education needs to evolve as well and so, when you think about the nine pillars Alan is leading, they’re actually very much in sync with where society is going.”
Peter Kruyt, BComm 78
Former Chair of Concordia’s Board of Governors
“I’m proud of being able to play a part in bringing Alan Shepard to the university seven years ago. He has, I think, been highly transformative to the campuses and I think it’s really a nod to Concordia that he should be stolen away by Western University. It means that what’s happened at Concordia has been noticed around the country and we’re going to benefit for a long time from the good work that Alan’s done.”
Hardeep Grewal, BComm 83
Major donor
“I really take pride in helping Alan Shepard’s effort to make this university No. 1 in Canada and around the world, and I’m really hopeful his vision is accomplished. Concordia is training students for the future. Whether it’s in science or in engineering, or all the other disciplines, the research being done here is going to help future generations.”
Miriam Roland, LLD 18
Donor, former member, Concordia Board of Governors
“We know enrollment has increased, but more and more students are here because it’s their first choice and there is a sense of pride that Alan Shepard had in what was going on — a notion that every student was an individual, every student had something worthwhile to contribute. And if the university could find what that was and nurture it, then all of society would be better.”
Bruna Guarino Moraes
President, 61st Garnet Key Society
“I first met Alan Shepard at a welcome event for international students. It was incredibly nice to have such a warm greeting and conversation with the president of the university on my first week in Canada. Being president of the 61st Garnet Key Society has given me the chance to meet him at various events while representing Concordia. He always approached me and my fellow keys with a smile and it has been an honour to have him support the Society throughout his seven years at the university.”
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