Hello, McGillians!
I would like to take the opportunity of my first Dean's Corner to introduce myself to you all. As the incoming Dean of Students, I value the confidence placed in me by both the student body and administration. Such a big responsibility comes with great opportunities to make a real difference. Students make up a majority of the McGill community, representing some of the brightest talent in Canada, and our administration has built the infrastructure and expertise to provide an educational experience that ranks at the very top. I see my new role as having the privilege to work with both groups to facilitate conversation and help make our best ideas a reality.
Who am I? I grew up near Manchester in the UK, have a Joint Honours degree in genetics and biochemistry and a PhD in the molecular evolution of fruit flies from the University of Edinburgh (where I learned how to make traps to get rid of them!). As a post-doc, I wanted to experience the wider world and came to the University of Alberta for two years. That was 33 years ago. I've spent the last 28 years at McGill working to improve the lives of graduate students, first as Graduate Program Director in Parasitology, and for the last five years as Associate Dean in Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies. In my free time, and because my students no longer let me into the lab, I cook. I also play traditional music on the concertina, which I learned to play some fifteen years ago while going through a difficult period of depression. Both have been a great help to me during this turbulent year.
In closing, I look forward to getting to know you all and collaborating with you over the next five years. I welcome your opinions and ideas, and am excited to find ways to keep making our common experience at McGill even better.