Leadership Searches
We are excited to share the shortlist of candidates for the Dean of the Collegiate search. The University community will have the opportunity to meet the candidates throughout the final two weeks of June, when they will make a 30-minute public presentation, followed by a question-and-answer session. The candidates' short biographies are included below.
We encourage all those who attend to provide feedback by emailing Jillian Pearse, Executive Director of Human Resources, before Monday, June 30, at 12 p.m.
The schedule of presentations can be found below. The Candidates' CVs are available upon request. Please submit your request to Human Resources.
- Jason Braun
June 19 | 9:30–10:15 a.m.
Room 2C14
Zoom registration - Osaed Khan
June 20 | 1:00–1:45 p.m.
Room 2C14
Zoom registration - Jenny Wright
June 24 | 9:30–10:15 a.m.
Room 2C14
Zoom registration - Nadia Mallay
June 27 | 9:30–10:15 a.m.
Room 2C14
Zoom registration
Registration is not required for those attending in person. Those who wish to attend virtually can register to attend using the Zoom registration links above.
Candidate Biographies
Jason Braun
Jason currently serves as a Science Curriculum Consultant with Manitoba Education and Early Childhood Learning, where he is responsible for the renewal of the K-10 Science Curriculum. Prior to this, he was the Vice-Principal at Collège Sturgeon Heights Collegiate, overseeing technical-vocational programming for a student body of over 1,200. His educational background includes a Master’s of Education, Bachelor of Education, and Bachelor of Science from the University of Manitoba. He has also completed a Manitoba Certificate in School Leadership.
Osaed Khan
Osaed is currently the Acting Dean of the Collegiate at the University of Winnipeg. Previously, he served as the Associate Dean of the Collegiate. His educational background includes a Master's of Education in Administration and eLearning from the University of Calgary, a Post Baccalaureate Diploma in Education, a Bachelor of Education, and a Bachelor of Science from the University of Manitoba. Additionally, he holds technical certifications in Learning Management Systems (LMS) and Coaching. Osaed is also actively involved as a community youth camp board member and is a sports enthusiast.
Jenny Wright
Jenny is currently the Deputy Head of Academics at St. John's-Ravenscourt School, where she leads academic programming. Previously, she was the Principal at Sacred Heart School in Halifax, supporting admissions, advancement, and the parent advisory council. Jenny is currently a PhD candidate in Educational Administration at the University of Manitoba. She holds a Master of Science from Birkbeck College at the University of London, has completed Post Baccalaureate ABQ and AQ courses from Queen's University, a Bachelor of Education from the University of Ottawa, and a Bachelor of Arts Honours from Queen's University. Additionally, she holds certifications in Non-Profit Board Governance Modules from Volunteer Manitoba, a Leadership Institute Diploma from the Canadian Accredited Independent Schools, and the Principals' Qualification Program from the Ontario Principals' Council. Jenny also serves on the Board of the Prairie Theatre Exchange and the Manitoba Federation of Independent Schools.
Nadia Mallay
Nadia is the founder and principal consultant at Biophilic Consulting. Previously, she served as the Director of Research EDIA in the Research & International Office at the University of Manitoba. She has engaged in postdoctoral studies in Communities of Practice at McMaster University, the University of Toronto, and the University of Calgary. Nadia holds a Doctorate in Educational Leadership, Change Management, and Quality Assurance Mechanisms, with a focus on Critical Race Theory and Educational Leadership theories, from the Faculty of Education at Western University. She also holds a joint Master of Education in Curriculum and Leadership from the University of British Columbia (UBC), with a focus on leadership, curriculum and assessment, and intersectionality, from the Department of Educational Studies and the Department of Curriculum and Pedagogy. Nadia earned her Bachelor of Arts, Honours in Sciences and Social Sciences from Queen’s University and a teaching degree from Exeter University in England. She is currently studying for a certificate in law at Queen’s University. Nadia has over 20 years of experience in community service and has held various board positions.
The University of Winnipeg has initiated a reappointment review process for Dr. Laurie-Ann Hellsten, whose five-year term as Dean of the Faculty of Education concludes on June 30, 2025. Dr. Hellsten has expressed her interest in serving a second term, prompting the establishment of a Reappointment Review Advisory Committee to evaluate her performance and determine the suitability of renewing her appointment.
The committee comprises the following individuals:
- Dr. Pavlina Radia, Provost and Vice-President, Academic (Committee Chair)
- Dr. Hugh Grant, Dean, Faculty of Business & Economics
- Dr. Ken Reimer, UWFA Representative
- Dr. Narumi Taniguchi, Faculty Member, Faculty of Education
- Dr. Marc Kuly, Faculty Member, Faculty of Education
- Dr. Michael Link, Faculty Member, Faculty of Education
- Amber Chessman, Staff Representative, Faculty of Education
- Jake Bell, Student Representative, Faculty of Education
- Carrie Homeniuk, Human Resources Representative
- Ramona Hallett, Administrative Officer Support
The committee seeks written input from the University community focusing on the overall administration and operation of the Faculty of Education under Dr. Hellsten's leadership. Submissions must be sent in confidence to the Committee Chair via email at provost@uwinnipeg.ca by Friday, May 30, 2025. Anonymous submissions will not be considered.
Submissions will be accessible only to Dr. Pavlina Radia (Chair), Ramona Hallett (Administrative Support), and Carrie Homeniuk (Human Resources Representative). All feedback will be summarized to remove identifying information before being shared with the full committee and Dr. Hellsten. Original submissions will be securely destroyed upon the conclusion of the review process.
The University of Winnipeg has initiated a reappointment review process for Gabrielle Prefontaine, whose five-year term as Dean of the Library concludes on June 30, 2025. Gabrielle Prefontaine has expressed her interest in serving a third term, prompting the establishment of a Reappointment Review Advisory Committee to evaluate her performance and determine the suitability of renewing her appointment.
The committee comprises the following individuals:
- Dr. Pavlina Radia, Provost and Vice-President, Academic (Committee Chair)
- Dr. Kyle Devine, Dean of Graduate Studies
- Emma Alexander, Faculty Member, History, UWFA Representative
- Allison Da Silva, Public Services Manager, Library
- Brianne Selman, Scholarly Communications and Copyright Librarian, Library
- Jaime Orr, Research Data Management Librarian, Library
- Jillian Pearse, Executive Director, Human Resources Representative
- Alan Saji Koshy, UWSA President, Student Representative
- Ramona Hallett, Administrative Support
The committee seeks written input from the University community focusing on the overall administration and operation of the Library under Gabrielle Prefontaine's leadership. Submissions must be sent in confidence to the Committee Chair via email at provost@uwinnipeg.ca by Wednesday, June 4, 2025. Anonymous submissions will not be considered.
Submissions will be accessible only to Dr. Pavlina Radia (Chair), Ramona Hallett (Administrative Support), and Jillian Pearse (Human Resources Representative). All feedback will be summarized to remove identifying information before being shared with the full committee and Ms. Prefontaine. Original submissions will be securely destroyed upon the conclusion of the review process.
The search for a new Dean of Science commenced April 2025. The posting can be viewed here.
We are excited to share the shortlist of candidates for the Dean of Science search. The University community will have the opportunity to meet the candidates during the first week of June where they will make a 30-minute public presentation, followed by a question-and-answer session. The candidates' short biographies are included below.
We encourage all those who attend to provide feedback following the presentations. Please fill out this form before 4 p.m. on June 10.
Here is the schedule for all upcoming presentations. The Candidates' CVs are available upon request. Please submit your request to provost@uwinnipeg.ca.
- Dr. Melanie Martin
June 3 | 9:30–10:15 a.m.
Room 2C14 - Dr. Travis Fridgen
June 4 | 9:30–10:15 a.m.
Room 2C14 - Dr. Nicole Ward
June 5 | 9:30–10:15 a.m.
Room 2C14
Registration is not required for those attending in person. Those unable to attend in person can register in advance to join by Zoom.
Candidate Biographies
Dr. Melanie Martin
Dr. Melanie Martin is a medical physicist with a highly interdisciplinary research program that integrates physics, computer science, and chemistry to address complex problems in biology and neuroscience. She is a Professor of Physics at The University of Winnipeg, and co-director of The University of Winnipeg Brain and Metabolic Research Lab. Melanie is a dedicated advocate for equity, diversity, and inclusion. She founded the Pathways to Graduate Studies program for Indigenous students in science at UWinnipeg with funding from NSERC PromoScience, and co-created the Indigenous Leaders in Science program. She also serves as an Advisor for The University of Winnipeg Chapter of the Canadian Indigenous Science and Engineering Society (.caISES). Melanie has supervised postdocs, PhD and MSc graduate students, and undergraduate students across a wide range of disciplines.
Melanie has been awarded research grants from NSERC, CIHR, and CFI. Melanie’s national service includes roles such as Chair of the NSERC Physics Scholarship committee, Co-Chair of the New Frontiers in Research Exploration Fund committee, and the Alternate Medical Physics Section Chair of the NSERC Physics and Astronomy Discovery Grant Evaluation group. She has also served on CIHR Project Grant and CIHR Behavioral Sciences B review committees.
Dr. Travis Fridgen
Dr. Travis Fridgen is currently Associate Dean (Undergraduate and Administration) in the Faculty of Science at Memorial University, where he has also served Dean of Science (interim) for five years, and as Head of the Department of Chemistry for three years. With nearly a decade of administrative leadership experience, he has guided faculty-level strategic planning, led initiatives in equity and reconciliation, supported the development of new and reimagined academic programs, and overseen complex budgetary processes.
Dr. Fridgen is a physical chemist whose research focuses on non-covalent interactions in biomolecules, combining mass spectrometry, spectroscopy, and computational chemistry. He has supervised numerous graduate and undergraduate students and maintains an active, collaborative, and internationally recognized research program.
In addition to his research, Dr. Fridgen is an experimentalist in the classroom, a co-author of a widely used first-year chemistry textbook, and a recipient of the Inaugural Faculty of Science Distinguished Teacher Award and the President’s Award for Distinguished Teaching at Memorial.
He holds a B.Sc. in Chemistry from Trent University and both a B.Ed. and Ph.D. from Queen’s University through the Trent–Queen’s cooperative programs. He is passionate about creating inclusive, student-focused academic environments that support both research excellence and community engagement
Dr. Nicole Ward
Dr. Nicole Ward is a Tenured Professor in the Departments of Dermatology and Pathology, Microbiology, and Immunology and is Vice-Chair for Basic Research in the Dermatology Department at Vanderbilt University Medical Center and Vanderbilt University. Her research focuses on understanding the cellular mechanisms underlying autoimmunity and inflammatory skin diseases. Since 2004, Dr. Ward has secured more than $26M dollars in research funding to support her lab’s work. She has published several seminal findings including being the first to show that chronic skin-initiated inflammation can drive the development of cardiovascular disease and that suppressing it reverses disease; and that cutaneous sensory nerve interactions with dendritic cells are critical for eliciting and sustaining psoriasis pathogenesis, thus explaining the cellular mechanisms underlying psoriasis disease remission following skin denervation. Her paradigm shifting work in psoriasis resulted in her being awarded the Eugene M. Farber Lecture at the 2016 Society for Investigative Dermatology meeting, the American Skin Association Research Achievement Award in Psoriasis in 2019, and in 2022 she was honored by the National Psoriasis Foundation at their Commit to Cure: Women Who Lead gala. Dr. Ward has served in many leadership roles within her university, and on several National and International committees. She is an elected member of the International Psoriasis Council and served as the Secretary-Treasurer and Board of Directors member for the Society for Investigative Dermatology (SID) and Board of Directors member for the International Society for Investigative Dermatology (ISID) between 2017-2023. She was elected Faculty Council Chairperson by her colleagues at Case Western Reserve University (CWRU) School of Medicine, representing clinical and basic science faculty across the university, Cleveland Clinic, Metro Health Hospitals and University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center. She is currently a Section Editor for the Journal of Investigative Dermatology (JID).
Dr. Ward completed her BSc at the University of Winnipeg in 1995 and believes her experiences as a student at the U of W set her up for success in all aspects of her academic and scientific career. In 2022 Dr. Ward relocated her lab from CWRU in Cleveland, Ohio to Vanderbilt University and Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville. Dr. Ward trains, teaches, and mentors undergraduate, graduate, and medical students, residents, post-doctoral fellows, and junior faculty. At any given time, Dr. Ward’s lab is usually found to be surprisingly small. However, it is also often referred to as “small but mighty”.
Dean of Arts Appointment
Congratulations to Dr. Tracy Whalen for being appointed as Dean, Faculty of Arts, for a five-year term beginning in 2025. For more information, read: Dr. Tracy Whalen appointed Dean of the Faculty of Arts.
The Provost extends her thanks to the Dean of Arts Search Advisory Committee for their service.
Dean of Business and Economics Reappointment
Congratulations to Dr. Hugh Grant for being reappointed as Dean, Faculty of Business and Economics, for another five-year term in 2024.
The Provost extends her thanks to the Reappointment Review Advisory Committee for their service.
Dean of Graduate Studies Appointment
The University of Winnipeg is pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Kyle Devine as Dean of Graduate Studies, effective January 1, 2025. He will also hold a tenured appointment as Professor in the Department of Environmental Studies and Environmental Sciences. For more information read: Dr. Kyle Devine appointed Dean of Graduate Studies.
The Provost extends her thanks to Dr. Manish Pandey’s service and contributions as Acting Dean of Graduate Studies. The Provost also thanks the search committee for their service.