Photo of Banu Ormeci

Banu Ormeci

Academic Staff Candidate

Position: Full Professor, Civil and Environmental Engineering

Question 1: I believe that I would be an excellent candidate to be considered as a Academic Staff Governor because:

First, I would like to introduce myself to my colleagues. I am a Canada Research Professor and Jarislowsky Chair in Water and Global Health in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Director of the Global Water Institute at Carleton. I have been a faculty member at Carleton since 2005 and served in several administrative roles and on important committees over the years (some are listed below). As a result, I have a very good understanding of the university governance and more importantly the needs of this university and its members. I previously served on the Senate for 3 years and Board of Governors (BOG) for 2 years as the Senate Representative so I also understand how the BOG operates and how our faculty can be represented effectively.

Carleton University is going through a transitional time and it is important to have an effective Academic Staff Governor who can successfully communicate with the Board, higher administration, gather support, and achieve results. I am a proud member of Carleton University and I would be honoured to represent the Academic Staff on the Board of Governors. I also believe that I do represent the views of the majority of the faculty. As the Director of the interdisciplinary Global Water Institute, I have reached out and worked with faculty members from all departments and Faculties.

My recent/current professional and service experience on various boards and committees include:

  • Member, International Water Association (IWA) Strategic Council (2017-current)
  • Chairperson, IWA Specialist Group on Sludge Management (2012-current)
  • President (2008-2010, 2012-2014) and Board Member (2006-current), Women in Science and Engineering Ottawa Chapter.
  • Board Member and Regional Director, Canadian Association on Water Quality (2015-current)
  • Canadian Focal Point and Royal Society of Canada representative, Inter-American Network of Academies of Science (IANAS) Water Program (2015-current)
  • Member, Residuals and Biosolids Committee, Water Environment Association of Ontario (2012-current)
  • Governor, Carleton University Board of Governors (2015-2017)
  • Senator, Carleton University Senate (2014-2017)

I am a dedicated educator, mentor, and volunteer at Carleton, and my efforts have been recognized with the following awards:

  • Faculty of Engineering and Design Teaching Excellence Award (2018)
  • Professional Engineers of Ontario Ottawa Chapter Citizenship Award (2018)
  • Engineering Ambassador Award (Partners in Research National Awards) (2016)
  • 30 Inspiring Women in Engineering (CWSE-ON) (2013)
  • Faculty Graduate Mentoring Award (Carleton University) (2011)
  • Carleton University Students’ Association (CUSA) Teaching Excellence Award (Carleton University) (2006)

My research recognitions include:

  • Jarislowsky Chair in Water and Health (Carleton University) (2017)
  • Canada Research Professor (Carleton University) (2017)
  • Carleton University Research Achievement Award (2015)
  • ESSO University Research Award (2014)
  • Canada Research Chair (Tier 2) in Wastewater Treatment Engineering (2012)
  • OCRI Research Award Finalist (Ottawa Centre for Research and Innovation) (2010)
  • Global Young Academy (The Royal Society of Canada and the InterAcademy Panel) (2008)
  • Ontario Early Researcher Award (2007)
  • Canada Research Chair (Tier 2) in Wastewater and Public Health Engineering (2007)
  • Carty Research Fellowship (2006)
  • Research Achievement Award (2006)

I believe that all of the above experience will help me to successfully and fairly represent my fellow academic colleagues on BOG if I am given the privilege to do so.

Question 2: I have the following skills and experiences which would be beneficial in my role as Academic Staff Governor:

I currently serve on various boards and management committees of international organizations in my research field (these are all non-profit organizations that focus on water safety, sanitation, and health issues). This has provided me with experience in working with a broad range of stakeholders, governance of organizations, strategic planning, networking, fund raising, budgets and financial statements, community outreach, and event organization. On Carleton’s BOG, I previously served on the Governance, Building Program, and Nominating Committees.

Question 3: If elected to the Board, what would you like to gain from the experience and/or what skills would you like to further develop?

I am interested in serving because I would like to contribute and be involved in decision making. I have served on other boards and management committees, understand the requirements and expectations of this position, and have experience. I would particularly welcome the opportunity to network with board members and broader community.