Laurentian appoints vice-provost for Barrie programs

Laurentian University recently appointed Bernadette Schell to the newly-created position of vice-provost for its programs in Barrie.

Schell is in the process of relocating her family to Barrie, and will begin her duties as Laurentian’s vice-provost on July 1.

Schell comes from the University of Ontario Institute of Technology, where she is the founding dean and a professor in the Department of Business and Information Technology, the president's advisor on Cybercrime, and designer of UOIT's National Centre for Internet Safety and Security.

She has a BA from Rutger's University in New Jersey, an MSc and PhD from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in New York.

Schell will be part of the senior administration team, responsible for the leadership and direction of Laurentian's programs in Barrie.

"The creation of the position of vice-provost in Barrie is the natural evolution to ensure Laurentian meets the demand for university programs. Laurentian and the City of Barrie are very fortunate to have Bernadette on board," Dominic Giroux, Laurentian's president, said in a press release.

"Her leadership skills, passion, expertise and innovative approach are great additions to both the community and the university. Laurentian is definitely on the move and our presence in Barrie is a huge part of that momentum."

Schell is very familiar with Laurentian, having worked in the Department of Commerce and Administration from 1978 to 2002, the press release stated.
 
During that time, she served a number of leadership roles including President of the Laurentian University Faculty Association and Director of the School of Commerce and Administration.

"When I left Laurentian, programs in Barrie were just getting off the ground," Schell said.

"Over the years, I've watched from a distance as they have grown from humble beginnings to well over 1,200 students today. My goal is to continue growing the number of innovative university programs offered in Barrie, while ensuring our programs are of the highest quality.”

The vice-provost position replaces that of dean - Laurentian@Georgian.  Giroux thanked Tom Gerry for his “outstanding leadership” as acting dean for the past two years.