I am pleased to announce that Dr. Kristin Baetz, PhD, has been renewed for a second term as dean of the Faculty of Science, through to Dec. 31, 2032.
Dr. Baetz has served as dean since January 2022, and in that time has led the Faculty of Science through a period of remarkable growth and transformation. Her Get Science Done strategic plan built around four pillars: Radical Research Collaboration, Activating Science Education, Destination Science District, and A Thriving Culture has set a clear and ambitious direction for research excellence, innovation and student success.
One of the most significant achievements of Dr. Baetz's first term has been the $220M investment from the Government of Alberta toward the Multidisciplinary Science Hub (MDSH).
Under Dr. Baetz's leadership, the faculty introduced Canada's first Energy Science BSc a cross-disciplinary program training students in energy generation, transmission and storage, alongside policy, regulation and communications. It is the kind of forward-looking program-building that defines her approach: meeting Alberta's economy where it is today, while equipping students for where it is going.
Research has also flourished. With continued increases and diversification of research revenue, more than 50 new faculty members have joined the team, including prestigious research chairs that are elevating the faculty's national and international profile. In her second term, Dr. Baetz will continue building academic programs that position the Faculty of Science as the destination for STEM talent in the province.
Beyond UCalgary, Dr. Baetz's expertise and thought leadership in science policy are increasingly sought at the national level. She has recently been appointed to the Governing Council of the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) and to the Science and Industry Advisory Committee of Genome Canada, and she continues to serve on the Board of Research Canada ensuring that the University of Calgary has a strong voice in the conversations shaping Canada's research and innovation ecosystem.
I would like to thank the members of the Advisory Decanal Review Committee for their thoughtful contributions to this process: Stephanie Borgland (vice-president research designate), tenured academic staff representatives Sean Rogers, Marina Gavrilova, Rachel Lauer and Jennifer Adams, Denis Onen (TUCFA representative), Dianne Gereluk (decanal representative), Violet Baron (MaPS representative), Marni Fieldberg (AUPE representative), Gabriela Dziegielewska (SU representative), Allan Lyons (GSA representative), GFC representatives Artem Korobenko and Brent Else, and Joy Romero (community representative).
I thank Dr. Baetz for her strong and ongoing leadership and invite you to join me in congratulating her on the renewal of her appointment.
Dr. Sandra Davidson, PhD, MSN, RN, FAAN, FCAN
Provost and Vice-President (Academic)
