From: Trevor Young, Vice-President and Provost
Date: May 6, 2026
Re: Appointment of Professor Heather Boon as Deputy Provost (PDAD&C #37)

I am pleased to announce that the Executive Committee of the Governing Council has approved the appointment of Professor Heather Boon as Deputy Provost, for a term of three years, effective July 1, 2026. Professor Boon will retain her role as Vice-Provost, Faculty & Academic Life.

The recently announced changes to the portfolios of the Vice-President, People Strategy, Equity & Culture (VP, PSEC) and the Vice-President, Operations and Real Estate Partnerships & Vice-Provost, Academic Operations, will have important implications for Division of the Vice-President & Provost (DVPP). Notably, several areas are moving fully or partially to the DVPP including the Office of Planning & Budget, the Office of Indigenous Initiatives, the Institutional Equity Office, and the new Office of Human Rights, as well as oversight of both academic labour relations and non-faculty academic matters.

While the role of Deputy Provost is not new, it has not been filled in several years.  The renewal of this position, coupled with Professor Boon’s leadership and experience, will greatly benefit the DVPP as we expand our responsibilities. As Vice-Provost, Faculty & Academic Life, a role she has held since 2018, Professor Boon has had responsibility for academic personnel issues, academic integrity, and oversight of bargaining with UTFA (in partnership with VP, PSEC) She has been excellent in this role and is a widely respected academic leader who provides invaluable advice and support to me and other colleagues on countless sensitive faculty and academic issues.

As Deputy Provost, she will assume a number of additional responsibilities, including the establishment and oversight of the new Office of Human Rights, providing policy and strategic advice, and acting on my behalf, as appropriate, with respect to academic planning, policy implementation, and institutional initiatives. 

Professor Boon, who received her BScPhm and PhD at the University of Toronto, is a current faculty member and former Dean of the Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy. She is a licensed pharmacist and holds a cross-appointment with the Institute of Health Policy, Management, and Evaluation at the Dalla Lana School of Public Health. Her research focuses on the safety and efficacy of natural health products, and related regulatory and policy issues. Her research has been supported by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council, the SickKids Foundation, the National Centres of Excellence program, and the World Health Organization among others. Professor Boon has published more than 180 peer-reviewed articles, as well as numerous book chapters, policy reports, and textbooks.  She is also a respected teacher and graduate supervisor.

Please join me in thanking Professor Boon for taking on this important role, and for her ongoing commitment to the success and well-being of the University of Toronto community.