WATERLOO: Vivek Goel, a distinguished scholar with extensive achievements in research, teaching, and leadership across both public and private sectors, will become the seventh president and vice-chancellor of the University of Waterloo.
Goel, who begins his five-year term on July 1, 2021, is recognized in Canada and around the world as a leading public-health researcher, health-services evaluation expert, and champion for the use of research evidence in health policymaking.
Goel has held several senior roles at the University of Toronto, including Vice-President and Provost and most recently as Vice-President of Research and Innovation. He currently serves as a member of the federal government’s COVID-19 Immunity Task Force and Scientific Advisor for the CanCOVID Research Network.
He was previously the founding president and CEO of Public Health Ontario.
“Dr. Goel is uniquely qualified to guide the institution and to bolster our strengths at the intersection of health, society and technology,” said Cindy Forbes, Chair of the University of Waterloo’s Board of Governors.
Goel said: “A research-intensive institution like Waterloo is poised to create the change and solutions for a better future – whether it is tackling public health challenges, addressing systemic racism, dealing with the climate crisis, or spurring economic recovery and growth.”
Forbes said: “I look forward to working with Dr. Goel as he leads Waterloo on its transformational path and builds on the achievements of President Feridun Hamdullahpur.”
Hamdullahpur has served as president and vice-chancellor of the University of Waterloo since 2010 and will stay till June 2021. He has elevated Waterloo’s international profile, and set the ambitious course for the University’s 2020-2025 strategic plan.
Goel got his medical degree from McGill University. He did his post-graduate training in community medicine at the University of Toronto, and got a master’s degree (MSc) in health administration from U of T and a master’s degree (MS) in biostatistics from Harvard University’s School of Public Health.
Goel also currently serves on the boards of the Vector Institute, TRIUMF—Canada’s particle accelerator—and the Canadian Institute for Health Information.