Appointment of Professor Salvatore Spadafora as Special Advisor to the President and Provost on COVID-19

From: Cheryl Regehr, Vice-President & Provost
Date: November 19, 2020
Re: Appointment of Professor Salvatore Spadafora as Special Advisor to the President and Provost on COVID-19

I am writing to let you know that Professor Sal Spadafora has been appointed Special Advisor to the President and Provost on COVID-19, in light of Professor Vivek Goel’s appointment as President of the University of Waterloo, announced Tuesday. Professor Spadafora will take on this role part-time from January 1 to June 30, 2021, in addition to his responsibilities in the Temerty Faculty of Medicine.

Professor Spadafora will chair the tri-campus Response and Adaptation Committee (RAC), and supervise the work of the Response and Adaptation Unit (RAU) within the Provost’s Office. The RAC and RAU will continue to assist all portfolios across the institution with COVID-related issues, projects, and other matters.   

Professor Spadafora recently completed several terms as Vice-Dean in the Temerty Faculty, with a special focus on strategy and operations, including the recovery and adaptation of academic operations during the COVID-19 pandemic. Professor Spadafora has been recognized for his superb leadership and administrative skills. Under his guidance, the Temerty Faculty excelled in the areas of academic oversight, program governance, and financial management, including clinical fellowships and training agreements to expand the Faculty’s network of international trainees.

Professor Spadafora joined the Department of Anesthesia in 2010 and is also a member of the Governing Council of the University of Toronto. Professor Spadafora received his MD from the University of Toronto, completed his FRCPC anesthesia training at the University of Western Ontario, and his master’s degree in Health Professions Education at the University of Illinois at Chicago.

On behalf of the entire University, the President and I would like to thank Vivek Goel for his extraordinary service as Presidential and Provostial Advisor, and to welcome Professor Spadafora to this new role at the University.