Leadership Searches
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 Collegiate Appointment
Congratulations to Osaed Khan for being appointed as Dean, The Collegiate, for a five-year term beginning in 2025. For more information read: Osaed Khan appointed Dean of the University of Winnipeg Collegiate.
Dean of Education Reappointment
Congratulations to Dr. Laurie-Ann Hellsten for being reappointed as Dean, Education, for another five-year term in 2025.
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.
Dean of Library Reappointment
Congratulations to Gabrielle Prefontaine for being reappointed as Dean, Library, for another five-year term in 2025.
The Provost extends her thanks to the Reappointment Review Advisory Committee for their service.