PROVOST’S LEADERSHIP ACADEMY

2027 Cohort

Program Overview

The Provost’s Leadership Academy (PLA) is a program intended to identify, engage, and support mid-career faculty members in the tenure stream and continuing stream teaching stream with interests and capacities for future University leadership.

The program offers a cohort-based leadership curriculum to approximately 24 fellows selected from across the six multi-department and eleven single-department Faculties

Key Learning Outcomes

• To develop an awareness of your personal values and strengths, how you might use them in a leadership role, and how they may inform the leadership opportunities you pursue
• To deepen your understanding of the University’s governance and structure and where you can make an impact
• To learn practical tips for navigating an administrative role
• To engage with senior university leaders and hear about why and how they moved from traditional faculty roles into leadership positions
• To connect with fellows from across the University in collegial and social contexts, to allow for shared reflection on what you are learning and on your career plans

Time Commitment

Fellows are appointed for a one-year term and will participate in four in-person sessions throughout 2027, tentatively scheduled for January, March, May, and October, on the St. George campus. Each session will be three hours in length, with dates confirmed well in advance.

2027 Program Schedule (DRAFT)

Eligibility

This program is intended for faculty members in the tenure stream and continuing stream teaching stream who are mid-career (i.e., post-tenure or continuing status) who have yet to hold an academic administrative appointment under the Policy on Appointment of Academic Administrators (i.e., not yet served as Chair, Director, or Dean). We are seeking candidates who are interested in learning more about the University while exploring pathways to various forms of academic leadership.

This program is intended to further the University’s goal to support and increase recruitment of a wide range of faculty and academic leadership candidates. We strongly encourage applications from Indigenous Peoples, Black and racialized persons, women, persons with disabilities, and people of diverse sexual and gender identities.

How to Apply

Applicants should submit

• a current CV,
• a statement of interest (approximately one page),
• and a signed letter of support from their Chair or Dean

Via email to the VPFAL Office at vpfal.prof.dev@utoronto.ca, no later than 5:00pm on October 30, 2026.

Please use the subject line: LastName_2027LeadershipAcademy.

Ania Harlick

Associate Professor, Teaching Stream
Dept of History, Faculty of Arts & Science

Arlo Kempf

Associate Professor. Dept of Curriculum, Teaching, and Learning, OISE

Catherine Evans 

Associate Professor, Centre for Criminology and Sociolegal Studies, Faculty of Arts & Science 

Celine Levesque

Professor, Faculty of Dentistry

Cillian O’Hogan 

Associate Professor, Centre for Medieval Studies, Faculty of Arts & Science  

Claire Tsai

Professor, Rotman School of Management  

David Liu

Associate Professor, Teaching Stream, Dept of Computer Science, Faculty of Arts & Science

Elizabeth Buckner

Associate Professor, Dept of Leadership, Higher and Adult Education, OISE

Emma Master

Professor, Dept of Chemical Engineering and Applied Chemistry, Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering

Euson Yeung

Associate Professor, Teaching Stream, Dept of Physical Therapy, Temerty Faculty of Medicine

Evan Light

Associate Professor, Faculty of Information

Iacopo Cioffi

Associate Professor, Faculty of Dentistry

Ing-Haw Cheng

Professor, Rotman School of Management

Jessica Dere

Associate Professor, Teaching Stream, Dept of Psychology, University of Toronto Scarborough

Kelly Arbour-Nicitopoulos

Professor. Faculty of Kinesiology & Physical Education

Kelly O’Brien

Professor, Dept of Physical Therapy, Temerty Faculty of Medicine

Lisa McCarthy

Associate Professor, Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy

Lisa Romkey

Associate Professor, Teaching Stream, Institute for Studies in Transdisciplinary Engineering Education & Practice, Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering

Michelle Arnot

Professor, Teaching Stream, Dept of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Temerty Faculty of Medicine

Mina Tadrous

Associate Professor, Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy

Monika Molnar

Associate Professor, Dept of Speech-Language Pathology, Temerty Faculty of Medicine

Negin Dahya

Associate Professor, Institute of Communication, Culture, Information & Technology, University of Toronto Mississauga

Nick Reed

Associate Professor, Dept of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy, Temerty Faculty of Medicine

Roberta Timothy

Associate Professor, Teaching Stream, Dalla Lana School of Public Health

Shan Mohammed

Associate Professor, Teaching Stream, Lawrence Bloomberg Faculty of Nursing

Shauna Sweeney

Associate Professor, Women and Gender Studies Institute, Faculty of Arts & Science

Tara Vinodrai

Professor, Institute for Management & Innovation, University of Toronto Mississauga

Teresa Lobalsamo

Associate Professor, Teaching Stream, Dept of Language Studies, University of Toronto Mississauga

Xiaolin Wei

Professor, Dalla Lana School of Public Health