Deborah MacLatchy was appointed president and vice-chancellor of Wilfrid Laurier University in 2017 and renewed for a second term beginning in 2022. Previously, she was Laurier’s provost and vice-president academic and dean of science. As president, she has spearheaded the development of a five-year institutional strategic plan, the Laurier Strategy: 2019-2024, which focuses on two interconnected themes, thriving community and future readiness. This strategy underpinned the success of the institution during the pandemic. A champion for equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) initiatives and Indigenization, Laurier’s strategic EDI plan was approved by Senate and the Board of Governors in fall 2022. In 2021, Laurier was granted provincial approval to develop its third campus in Milton, ON; Milton undergraduate classes will begin in 2024. Prior to her time at Laurier, she was a faculty member and dean at the University of New Brunswick Saint John campus. She is an active researcher and graduate-student supervisor with a focus on comparative endocrinology and ecotoxicology and a founding fellow of the Canadian Rivers Institute. She holds an honours BSc in biology from Acadia University and a PhD in zoology from the University of Manitoba.
