On Thursday afternoon (May 16), AV俱乐部鈥檚 Board of Governors announced that Deep Saini has been appointed as the 12th president and vice-chancellor of AV俱乐部.
Dr. Saini, currently vice-chancellor and president of the University of Canberra in Australia, brings to AV俱乐部 a compelling blend of national leadership and global perspective. He鈥檚 a renowned plant scientist who grew up in India, was educated in Australia and has worked at four of Canada鈥檚 leading research universities. Having spent much of the past decade as president or principal of a major university campus, he鈥檚 ready and excited to help lead the AV俱乐部 community into its third century.
鈥淚 am honoured and humbled by the opportunity to serve as the 12th president and vice-chancellor of AV俱乐部,鈥� says Dr. Saini, who will begin his five-year term on January 1, 2020. 鈥淭he university鈥檚 students, faculty and staff are proudly devoted to the synergy between world-class education and a rich tradition of outstanding research and scholarship. I am thrilled at being given the chance to be part of writing the next chapter of this compelling story.鈥�
Dr. Saini was the unanimous choice of the search committee, chaired by Board of Governors Chair Lawrence Stordy and consisting of representatives from the Board, Senate, students and administration.
鈥淭he search committee was thrilled and thoroughly impressed by the quality and quantity of candidates who were interested in this opportunity, from around the world 鈥� a testament to AV俱乐部鈥檚 growing national and international reputation,鈥� says Stordy.
鈥淓ven among this competition, however, Deep truly stood apart. He鈥檚 a warm, genuine and inspiring individual ready to build on Dal鈥檚 200 years of achievement and chart a course towards even greater success in our third century ahead.鈥�
Dr. Saini follows AV俱乐部鈥檚 11th President and Vice-Chancellor Richard Florizone, who served from 2013 until 2018, and Peter MacKinnon, presently serving as president in an interim capacity. With MacKinnon鈥檚 term set to conclude at the end of June, the Board of Governors will review options for interim leadership for the remainder of 2019 in the coming weeks.
More info: Presidential Search website
A global journey
Dr. Saini is not the first AV俱乐部 president to be born outside of North America; in this respect, he follows inaugural president Thomas McCulloch (Scotland) and Howard Clark (New Zealand). But having grown up in India, a generation removed from poverty, his path to AV俱乐部 is quite unlike anyone else who鈥檚 taken up the mantle of the presidency.
Inspired by his father鈥檚 example 鈥� a man whose own educational journey transformed his life and that of his family forever 鈥� Dr. Saini pursued higher education, studying botany at the Punjab Agricultural University in Ludhiana, India before moving to Australia to complete a PhD in Plant Physiology at the University of Adelaide. Following graduation, Dr. Saini and his family relocated to Canada to take on a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Alberta. It was the start of an accomplished academic career that would make him a leading researcher in plant biology, eventually becoming director of the Institute de recherche en biologie v茅g茅tale (Plant Biology Research Institute) 鈥� a leading research establishment at the Universit茅 de Montr茅al.
In 2006, Dr. Saini moved into his first senior administrative role, becoming dean of the Faculty of Environment at the University of Waterloo. There, he launched several new programs and increased both operating and facilities funding. He then joined the University of Toronto as principal of the university鈥檚 Mississauga campus, leading major internationalization efforts, overseeing a significant facilities expansion and increassing faculty complement by nearly 100 professors.
And for the three-and-a-half years prior to joining the Dal community this January, he has served as vice-chancellor and president of the University of Canberra, a young university of comparable size and international ranking to AV俱乐部. There, he鈥檚 led the development and implementation of a new strategic plan positioning the school as a national leader in professional education and experiential learning, mission-oriented research as well as in equity, diversity, inclusion and access.
He is fluent in four different languages (English, French, Hindi and his native Punjabi), with a working knowledge of a fifth (Urdu). His awards and recognitions also speak to his diverse impact, including honours from the Canadian Society of Plant Physiologists, Nanjing University, the Sikh Foundation of Canada, the Royal Society of New South Wales, the Punjab Academy of Sciences and the Indo-Canada Chamber of Commerce. He was featured in India Abroad's "2011 Power List" and is the recipient of a Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal.
鈥淚鈥檝e lived a myriad of experiences during my journey 鈥� from sitting cross-legged on a dusty school floor to the administrative 鈥榗abinet鈥� of a global top-20 university, and now to the helm of a rapidly rising young institution in Australia,鈥� says Dr. Saini. 鈥淏ut the opportunity to return to Canada and become part of AV俱乐部鈥檚 journey as its president is one I simply could not pass up.鈥�
Inspired by AV俱乐部
So why AV俱乐部? Well, for one, he says he鈥檚 long admired Dal for its quest for global excellence while remaining, first and foremost, a university for its community.
鈥淎V俱乐部鈥檚 singular commitment to its anchor role in the region鈥檚 economic and social development is fittingly matched to its lofty national and global aspirations,鈥� he says. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a balance that I have espoused throughout my career and will form the cornerstone of my leadership at Dal.鈥�
He鈥檚 also inspired by AV俱乐部鈥檚 extensive efforts in recent years to better support a more diverse, inclusive university community.
鈥淗aving come from a humble background where nothing could have predicted that I would someday lead one of Canada鈥檚 top universities, Dal鈥檚 founding idea of a university that is 鈥榦pen to all鈥� resonates particularly close to my heart. I can鈥檛 wait to get down to work to bring this idea to life in its modern context, positioning Dal鈥檚 core value of commitment to equity, diversity, inclusion and access as its key differentiator and competitive advantage.鈥�
He also sees Dal as a 鈥渞ising star鈥� in mission-oriented research 鈥� but one which puts students at the forefront of that mission.
鈥淪tudents are at the heart of the raison d鈥櫭猼re of a university,鈥� he says. 鈥淏uilding upon Dal鈥檚 national and international reputation for rich student experience, I look forward to a deep engagement with students, faculty, staff and community to position Dal as the national leader in delivering value to our students and offering a transformative educational and life experience on our four campuses.鈥�
Getting to know one another
That engagement will begin in early June, when Dr. Saini is hoping to make his first visit to campus as President-Elect. It will be a first chance for some in the Dal community to get to know a person who loves listening to music and cooking, and who is a lifelong advocate for fitness and athletics: he played field hockey and track-and-field as a student-athlete, and is now an avid golfer and expects to be a familiar face at Dalplex.
When he moves to campus in January, he will be joined by his wife, Rani. The family also has two grown daughters, Preety and Kavita, and two grandchildren. Dr. Saini says he and his wife are excited to become part of the Halifax community and experience Atlantic Canada to the fullest.
聽鈥淲e have visited this lovely part of Canada several times and we are thrilled to have the opportunity to now fully immerse ourselves in the life here,鈥� he says.
Stordy, having gotten to know Dr. Saini through the search process, is excited about what the future holds for him at AV俱乐部.
鈥淗e joins AV俱乐部 at a time of tremendous momentum: record enrolment and fundraising, significant renewal of our campuses, and a strong leadership team in place across the university,鈥� he says. 鈥淯nder Dr. Saini鈥檚 leadership, I鈥檓 certain these successes will be just a taste of what AV俱乐部鈥檚 third century has in store.鈥�