Carleton’s Board of Governors (BoG) has announced the appointment of Alastair Summerlee as Carleton’s interim president and vice-chancellor.
Summerlee will take over from current Carleton president and vice-chancellor Roseann Runte to become the university’s 14th president.
Summerlee served two terms as president and vice-chancellor at the University of Guelph (U of G), Chris Carruthers, chair of the BoG, stated in a press release.
“As president, he championed the importance of the student experience and teaching and learning, while also continuing to teach, supervise graduate students and conduct his own research,” Carruthers said. “His leadership experience, combined with his commitment to social justice and international development, will bring great value to the Carleton community.”
According to the press release, Summerlee began his career at the U of G in 1988, working as a biomedical sciences professor.
He also served as associate dean of the Ontario Veterinary College, dean of graduate studies, vice-president (academic), and provost and vice-president (academic), before acting as the U of G’s seventh president and vice-chancellor from 2003 to 2014.
According to the release, Summerlee said he is looking forward to getting involved at Carleton and in the community.
“It will be a pleasure to help continue the work of Dr. Roseann O’Reilly Runte in promoting Carleton University as an excellent choice for students and a leader among Canadian universities with its commitment to solving real-world problems,” he said.
In March, Runte announced she would be leaving her position as Carleton’s president on July 31 for a new job as the president and CEO of the Canada Foundation for Innovation.
Summerlee will begin his role as Carleton’s interim president and vice-chancellor the next day, on Aug. 1.
