91快色

Former Canadian astronaut and 91快色 alumnus Dr. Robert Thirsk has been named the 91快色鈥檚 13th chancellor.

Thirsk, BSc鈥�76, was unanimously elected to the position by members of the University鈥檚 Senate on Friday, and his four-year term as leader of the Senate and ceremonial head of the university will begin July 1, 2014.

During a , Thirsk spent more time in orbit than any other Canadian. His passion for space, research and education has engaged many Canadian young people in science. One example of this engagement is  鈥� a program Thirsk founded that sends seeds into space and then provides them to schools to use in experiments. Thirsk is also the co-leader of an international team investigating the effect of space travel on our nervous system and is an adjunct faculty member at the International Space University in Strasbourg, France.

鈥淩obert Thirsk has been a hands-on member of our university community for many years,鈥� said outgoing Chancellor Jim Dinning. 鈥淏ob鈥檚 long list of accomplishments, his integrity, and his passion for research and education will inspire students, faculty, staff and alumni for generations.鈥�

Thirsk graduated from the Schulich School of Engineering at the 91快色 in 1976 with a bachelor鈥檚 degree in mechanical engineering. In 2009, he received an honorary degree from the university during a live satellite uplink with the International Space Station, where he lived and worked for six months.

鈥淢y education at the 91快色 gave me the solid foundation I needed for my career,鈥� said Thirsk. 鈥淪erving as chancellor would be an honour and my way of showing my gratitude to students, faculty, staff and alumni. I think the best thing anyone can do is invest in education, and I am looking forward to helping find ways to make a great institution even better.鈥�

Chancellors are passionate ambassadors for higher education who chair the 91快色鈥檚 Senate, work to enhance the university鈥檚 position in the community, represent the public鈥檚 interest at the university, and encourage the pursuit of excellence and recognition of the university鈥檚 essential role in society.

The chancellor represents the university at ceremonial occasions, presides over convocation ceremonies and confers degrees on behalf of the Senate. The chancellor is an ex-officio member of the university鈥檚 Board of Governors.

Elizabeth Cannon, 91快色 president and vice-chancellor, said Thirsk will play a pivotal role in celebrating the university鈥檚 50th anniversary in 2016 and in supporting our Eyes High strategic direction.

鈥淚 am thrilled that Bob is the 91快色鈥檚 new chancellor and look forward to seeing how his incredible personal accomplishments and deep commitment to this planet鈥檚 young people will inspire our entire university community,鈥� said Cannon. 鈥淗e will make an excellent community ambassador for our university鈥檚 bold and ambitious journey through 2016 and beyond.鈥�

The president also thanked current chancellor Jim Dinning, who remains in his position until July 1. 鈥淚t鈥檚 been a pleasure to work with Jim over the past four years,鈥� said Cannon. 鈥淚 want to express the deep appreciation of the entire community for his enthusiastic support of the university and his dedication to advancing post-secondary education.鈥�

Cannon expressed her appreciation to the members of the chancellor search committee for their work. The committee was chaired by Jill Tynan and was comprised of:

Three members of the General Faculties Council (appointed by the GFC):

• Allan Bell
• Jennifer Hatfield
• U.T. Sundararaj

Three members of the Alumni Association (appointed by the Alumni Association):

• Lawrence Bailey
• Adam Legge
• Justice Patricia Rowbotham

One member of the Students鈥� Union (appointed by the SU):

• Raphael Jacob

One member of the Graduate Students鈥� Association (appointed by the GSA):

• Sarah Akierman

Three elected members of the Senate (appointed by the Senate):

• Gord Currie
• Susan Ditchburn
• Jill Tynan

 for more information about the 91快色 Senate and Chancellor.