Media Release - For Immediate Release

June 30 2010

Gauthier Signs on as Vice-President Academic and Research

Dr. David Gauthier

A University of Regina administrator and researcher will join Saint Mary’s as the new Vice President Academic and Research effective September 1, 2010.

Dr. David Gauthier is a geographer by discipline and graduate of the Universities of Calgary (BA) and Waterloo (MA and PhD). He is currently the Vice President (Research) at the University of Regina.

Dr. Gauthier joined the University of Regina in 1985 as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Geography. In 1992 he was appointed as Associate Professor and was later promoted to Professor in 1993. He founded the University’s Centre for Geographic Information Services and in 1995 was appointed as the Executive Director of the Canadian Plains Research Center. He was appointed Vice-President of Research in 2006.

He has authored over 140 publications and received more than 121 academic awards, grants and contracts. He organized the university’s first graduate course on transdisciplinary approaches to environmental sustainability and led the University’s involvement in the establishment of the Prairie Adaptation Research Collaborative (PARC) focusing on climate change adaptation research.

His national work has been instrumental in assisting in the development of the Nature Conservancy of Canada's science based approach to conservation land planning and acquisition. He has also worked on the development of the Canadian Council of Ecological Areas scientific rationale for establishing protected areas.

He has organized and facilitated numerous conservation conferences, symposia and workshops.

Dr. Gauthier is a Canadian representative on the World Commission on Protected Areas and the World Conservation Union Commission on Ecosystem Management and continues to serve on the Executive Committee for the Prairie Conservation Action Plan Partnership

He is looking forward to joining Saint Mary’s and is hoping to continue his research focus on national parks.

Dr. Esther Enns, Dean of Arts, will be the acting Vice-President Academic until his arrival.

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For More Information:

Steve Proctor
External Affairs
Saint Mary's University
(902) 420.5513
E-mail: steve.proctor@smu.ca
www.smu.ca

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