Charlotte Yates, who earned a PhD from Carleton’s Department of Political Science in 1988, has been chosen to serve as the University of Guelph’s interim president for two years, beginning August 2.
“I would like to offer our warmest congratulations to Charlotte Yates from Carleton University’s Faculty of Public Affairs,” said Dean André Plourde. “We are proud to see an alumna of our political science program take on this important role in higher education.”
The University of Guelph’s Board of Governors praised Yates’ “significant experience and extensive knowledge of the complexities and challenges facing the University” in making their decision.
Jane Jenson, a long-time faculty member at Carleton University, served on Yates’ PhD committee and remembered her well.
“Such a major appointment has been in the cards since Charlotte’s days at Carleton,” said Jenson, now a Professor Emerita at the Univeristé de Montréal. “She was a leader among her peers, both intellectually and politically, and the skills she had as a student have only developed and strengthened over the years of her highly successful career at McMaster University and University of Guelph.”
Jenson also noted the importance of Yates’ personal origins.
“Having grown up in a farming community in Manitoba, she is very well positioned to head a research and teaching community in which agricultural and life sciences have such significant presence alongside the social sciences – Charlotte’s own domain – and the arts.”
Jenson’s praise was echoed by Rianne Mahon, a Distinguished Research Professor at Carleton, who also remembers Charlotte Yates well.
“Charlotte was always full of energy. She always enjoyed a lively debate but could also be a sympathetic listener,” recalls Mahon. “I was not at all surprised when McMaster, and most recently Guelph, recognized her leadership skills, as Charlotte was the sort of person who was not afraid of taking difficult decisions when necessary.”
Prior to her appointment, Yates served as provost at the University of Guelph beginning in 2015. Before that, she was dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences at McMaster University. Her research focuses on the automotive industry, labour issues and public policy. She earned a bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of Winnipeg, a master’s degree from Queen’s University and a PhD from Carleton University.
Thursday, April 23, 2020 in Department of Political Science, News
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