Dr Suzanne Fortier

Dr Suzanne Fortier has been appointed president of Science and Engineering Research Canada (NSERC), following her confirmation by the Standing Committee on Industry, Natural Resources, Science and Technology. Fortier replaces Dr Tom Brzustowski, who completed his second five-year term in October. Fortier is currently on sabbatical in Italy and is expected to take up the position in mid-January, relieving acting president Dr Nigel Lloyd, NSERC’s executive VP. Fortier is VP academic at Queen’s Univ and previously served in several other positions including VP research. She holds a BSc and PhD from McGill Univ….

Several new appointments have been made to the Prime Minister’s Advisory Council on Science and Technology (ACST), bring its membership total to 12. Dr Suezone Chow is a scientific advisor to Forestry Innovation Investment Ltd. He is the former president of the International Academy of Wood Science and VP R&D with Canadian Forest Products Ltd. Dr Jean Nicholas, a professor of mechanical engineering at the Univ of Sherbrooke and its former VP research, is spearheading the formation of the university’s Institut des matériaux et systems intelligents. Gerry Protti is executive VP, corporate relations, for EnCana Corp. He serves on the board of the Public Policy Forum and the advisory council to the Univ of Alberta’s faculty of business. Dr Indira Samarasekera is the recently appointed president of the Univ of Alberta. Previously VP research at the Univ of British Columbia, Samarasekera is a member of Industry Canada’s commercialization task force. Carol Stephenson is dean of the Richard Ivey School of Business at the Univ of Toronto and former president of Lucent Technologies Canada. Dr Emoke Szathmary is president and vice-chancellor of the Univ of Manitoba and a noted anthropological researcher….