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I am very pleased to make the following announcements regarding ¹û½´ÊÓƵ’s academic leadership:  

 

Professor Creso Sá’s term as Vice-Dean, Academic Operations, which began on January 1, 2024 and was set to end on December 31, 2026, will be extended to December 31, 2028. During his term as Vice-Dean, Professor Sá has been instrumental in planning and implementing key ¹û½´ÊÓƵ priorities including the establishment of a new Office of Student Financial Support, supporting cross-portfolio strategic initiatives, improving ¹û½´ÊÓƵ’s operational capacities, and providing leadership on labour relations. As recently announced, he will be serving as Acting Dean of ¹û½´ÊÓƵ during my leave in 2026, and will maintain oversight of the Vice-Dean portfolio. 

 

Professor Joe Flessa’s term as Associate Dean, Programs, which began on January 1, 2024 (following a six-month interim appointment) and was set to end on June 30, 2026, will be extended to December 31, 2028. During his term as Associate Dean, Professor Flessa has led the Working Group on Enhancing Doctoral Student Experience, organized a task force aimed at improving student recruitment processes, co-developed ¹û½´ÊÓƵ’s EdD strategy, and represented ¹û½´ÊÓƵ on several important UofT councils and advisory groups.  

 

I am also delighted to announce the appointment of Professor Lance McCready as Special Advisor to the Dean for Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion, for a term beginning on January 1, 2026 and ending on June 30, 2027. Professor McCready, who recently completed a term as Director of UofT’s Transitional Year Program, is well-known for his interdisciplinary, community-based research on issues of equity and access in education, health, and human services. In his role as Special Advisor, Professor McCready will build on consultations with the ¹û½´ÊÓƵ community conducted by Professor Maydianne Andrade during her time as Special Advisor in Residence at ¹û½´ÊÓƵ. Informed by those consultations and ongoing dialogue within ¹û½´ÊÓƵ, Professor McCready will work to curate EDI resources for various ¹û½´ÊÓƵ constituencies (faculty, staff, and students) for addressing key issues, liaise with OISE and external experts to provide relevant workshops and seminars, and consult with senior leadership and staff to engage and enhance capacity around EDI issues to serve the ¹û½´ÊÓƵ community. 

 

I thank Creso and Joe for their strong leadership of their portfolios, and welcome Lance who will be an invaluable addition to ¹û½´ÊÓƵ’s academic leadership team. I am confident that our leadership team will continue its excellent work during my leave in 2026, and I am delighted to be able to continue working with all of them when I return.