Federation for the Humanities and Social Sciences welcomes Guy Laforest as new President-Elect

News
May 30, 2016

OTTAWA, May 30, 2016 – The Federation for the Humanities and Social Sciences is welcoming a new President-Elect and one new member to its Board of Directors.

Following a period of nominations that ran from January 25 to February 8, 2016 for three Board positions, all three positions were acclaimed in accordance with the Federation’s governance policies and ratified at yesterday’s Annual General Meeting in Calgary, Alberta. The Federation thanks all those who nominated candidates in this election process.

The acclaimed appointments are as follows:

  • President-Elect. The candidacy of Guy Laforest has been acclaimed as President-Elect. Following his one-year term as President-Elect, Guy Laforest will be the President for two years (June 2017 to May 2019), followed by a two-year term as Past-President. Guy Laforest is Full Professor in the Department of Political Science at Université Laval and is an acclaimed scholar whose main areas of teaching and research are modern political theory, intellectual history, Canadian constitutional politics, and the theories of federalism and nationalism. Widely published in Canada and internationally, his current work is focused on the reinterpretation of Canadian federalism. Laforest is a Member of the Royal Society of Canada (2014) and a Chevalier de l’Ordre de la Pléiade de l’Association des parlementaires de la francophonie, at the National Assembly of Quebec (2013). Current President Stephen J. Toope has served the first year of his two-year term and remains President of the Board until June 2017.
     
  • Director, Teaching and Learning. The candidacy of Tim Goddard has been acclaimed as Director, Teaching and Learning (June 2016 to May 2018). Goddard is Professor of Education at the University of Prince Edward Island, where he teaches in the field of educational administration and leadership, with a focus on international development and education in fragile communities. In addition to his scholarly work, Goddard serves as Project Director for the $10.5 million GAC (Global Affairs Canada) funded Teacher Certification and Accreditation of Teacher Training Institutions in Afghanistan initiative.
     
  • Director, Equity and Diversity. The candidacy of Cindy Blackstock has been acclaimed as Director, Equity and Diversity. This is her second and final two-year term, which will end in May 2018. A member of the Gitksan First Nation, Cindy has over 25 years of social work experience in child protection and indigenous children’s rights. As Director of the First Nations Children’s Action Research and Education Service (FNCARES) at the University of Alberta, her research interests are indigenous theory and the identification and remediation of structural inequalities affecting First Nations children, youth and families. 

“It is a true honour to assume the position of President-Elect on this active and committed Board of Directors,” said Guy Laforest, the new President-Elect of the Federation for the Humanities and Social Sciences. “I look forward to working closely over the next year with current President Stephen J. Toope on advancing the organization’s ambitious agenda outlined in its recently released 2016-2020 strategic plans.”

The Federation would like to thank three outgoing Board members: Antonia Maioni who will step down from the Board, having now completed her term as Past-President, as well as Fernand Gervais and Douglas Peers, who served two consecutive terms as Director, Teaching and Learning, and Director, Development, respectively. 

“We have benefited immensely from the leadership and guidance received during their terms,” said the Federation’s Executive Director, Jean-Marc Mangin. “We are especially grateful to outgoing Past-President Antonia Maioni, who has been on our Board since 2013, for her dedication and her leadership in developing renewed strategic directions for the Federation during her tenure.”

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The Federation’s new Board of Directors

*Signifies new and acclaimed appointments

About the Federation for the Humanities and Social Sciences

The Federation for the Humanities and Social Sciences promotes research and teaching for the advancement of an inclusive, democratic and prosperous society. With a membership now comprising over 160 universities, colleges and scholarly associations, the Federation represents a diverse community of 91,000 researchers and graduate students across Canada. The Federation organizes Canada’s largest academic gathering, the Congress of the Humanities and Social Sciences, bringing together more than 8,000 participants each year. For more information about the Federation, visit ideas-idees.ca.

Media inquiries
Nicola Katz
Manager of Communications
Federation for the Humanities and Social Sciences
C: 613-282-3489
T: nkatz@ideas-idees.ca