We are pleased to announce that the Agenda Committee of Academic Board has approved the extension of Professor William (Bill) Gough’s appointment as Vice-Principal (Academic) & Dean, University of Toronto Scarborough (UTSC) for a two-year period, commencing July 1, 2019 and ending June 30, 2021.

Professor Gough served as Interim Vice-Principal (Academic) & Dean in 2015 to 2016 before being appointed as Vice-Principal (Academic) & Dean in July 2016. Prior to this appointment, he held numerous administrative positions at UTSC, including Vice-Dean (Faculty), Vice-Dean (Graduate Education & Program Development), and Chair of the Department of Physical and Environmental Sciences. In addition to these roles, Professor Gough was a member of University of Toronto’s Governing Council for nine years, during which he served on its Executive Committee, chaired its Elections Committee, and was the inaugural Chair of UTSC’s Campus Council.

He directs the vibrant Climate Lab at UTSC, which studies various aspects of climate change, related to both detection and adaptation.  His research takes place mainly in the Eastern Arctic, southwestern Ontario, and Toronto, focusing on climate change impact assessment, climate modeling, and air quality.  He is the recipient of numerous awards, including the UTSC Faculty Teaching Award, the SCSU Teaching Award, and other awards from the Canadian Association of Geographers.

Professor Gough’s leadership has been instrumental in driving various important initiatives on the campus, including governance reform, the creation of combined degree programs, the establishment of the first UTSC-based doctoral program focused on Environmental Science, and U of T’s first double degree. Over the course of his term as Vice-Principal and Dean, he has championed access to education for students from diverse communities, implemented strategies to improve the academic quality of entering students, and supported Indigenous initiatives that respond to the Calls to Action from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission report.  He welcomes the opportunity to continue advancing these and other priorities at UTSC and the University of Toronto.

Please join us in congratulating Professor Gough.