Carleton University President Benoit-Antoine Bacon has announced that, following approval by the Board of Governors on June 7, Dr. L. Pauline Rankin has been selected as the university’s new Provost and Vice-President (Academic) for a five-year term, effective Aug. 14, 2023.
Rankin currently serves as the Dean of Carleton’s Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences (FASS), a role she has held since July 1, 2018. Prior to her appointment as Dean, she served as Carleton’s Associate Vice-President (Research and International) and as Associate Dean (Research and Graduate Affairs) in FASS. She also completed a term as Director of the Pauline Jewett Institute of Women’s and Gender Studies (now the Feminist Institute of Social Transformation) and served as Director of the School of Indigenous and Canadian Studies.
“Pauline’s demonstrated leadership, experience and accomplishments throughout her term as Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences make her particularly well-positioned to take on the key role of Provost and Vice-President (Academic),” said President Bacon, who chaired the advisory search committee. “I would like to thank the members of the advisory committee for their hard work and thoughtful advice, and invite everyone to join me in congratulating Pauline on her well-deserved appointment.”
Rankin is a political scientist with an appointment as Professor in the School of Indigenous and Canadian Studies. She has received multiple teaching accolades and her research spans various aspects of gender and politics, with specific interest in domestic and global applications of gender mainstreaming, gender activism and gender equality measurement. She completed her undergraduate studies at the University of Toronto in English Literature and holds an MA in Canadian Studies and PhD in Political Science from Carleton.
“I am truly honoured to have the opportunity to serve the Carleton community as Provost and Vice-President (Academic),” said Rankin. “I look forward to working with everyone to enhance our academic mission and to realize Carleton’s full potential as one of the most dynamic, innovative and most inclusive universities in the country.”
Rankin will succeed Jerry Tomberlin who will complete his term as Provost and Vice-President (Academic).
“I would like to take this opportunity to express my sincere gratitude to Jerry Tomberlin who is completing his role as Provost and Vice-President (Academic),” said President Bacon. “Since taking on the role in 2017, Jerry has made tremendous contributions to Carleton’s academic mission. Among his many accomplishments, he has played a key role in the development and implementation university’s Strategic Integrated Plan, Kinàmàgawin Indigenous Strategy and EDI Action Plan. He has also built transparency into the budgeting and planning process and steered the university through both a challenging fiscal context and a worldwide pandemic.”
An announcement will follow in the next few weeks about the appointment of an Interim Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences.