November 17, 2005 Source: Brock University:
http://www.brocku.ca/webnews/displaystory.phtml?TEMPLATE=template.html&sid=1389 Dr. Jack Lightstone appointed new President and Vice-Chancellor of Brock University The Board of Trustees is pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Jack Lightstone as the new President and Vice-Chancellor of Brock University. The Board ratified the appointment during a special meeting held November 16. The appointment concludes a 10-month national search. Lightstone is a Professor of Religion and Associate Chair in Quebec and Canadian Jewish Studies at Concordia University, in Montreal. He recently completed nearly a decade of service as Provost and Vice Rector (Vice-President) at Concordia. Serving as Brock's fifth President, he will take office effective July 1, 2006, for a five-year term. He will succeed Dr. Terry Boak, who will continue to serve as Acting President and Vice-Chancellor until June 30, 2006. "He is an outstanding scholar and an exceptional leader and administrator with a highly collegial style and a focus on students," says Dr. Norris Walker, Chair of the Board of Trustees. "He brings close to 30 years of post-secondary administrative and academic experience to Brock and shares our vision as an institution of research and teaching excellence. He is a team builder with strong interpersonal skills who has a genuine enthusiasm to advance the University's ambitious agenda for the future and to be actively involved with the local community." Lightstone says he was attracted by the opportunity of providing leadership to Brock as it continues on its bold transformation to becoming a more comprehensive university offering more graduate programs and developing a greater research capacity. "It gives me great pleasure to be part of the Brock University community as it moves forward as a centre of undergraduate and graduate teaching and learning and as a centre of research at the national and international levels," says Lightstone. "I share many of the ideals and values of this University. In particular, I strongly support its direction of comprehensiveness. As the University looks to its future, it does not want to lose the many positive aspects of its historic mission. These include its connection to the local community and its strong tradition of being student centred. "I look forward to working with many dedicated individuals and groups to continue Brock's proud tradition and to serve as an agent of change toward greater achievements." A longtime Professor of Religion at Concordia, Lightstone was Chair of his department (1979-85) and graduate program director for the MA in Judaic Studies and PhD in Religion. From 1989 to 1992, he served as Associate Vice-Rector, Academic (Research). He began his first term as Provost and Vice- Rector in June 1995, and led the academic sector through an extensive, ongoing academic planning process and a difficult period of budget restrictions. He graduated with a BA from Carleton University in 1972, and went on to complete an MA (1974) and PhD (1977) at Brown University in Rhode Island. He was a Visiting Research Graduate Fellow at Hebrew University in Jerusalem in 1974-75. An expert on ancient and contemporary North American Judaism, he has written and lectured extensively. He remains an active scholar funded by external peer-reviewed grants. He is the author of six books and is widely published in scholarly and professional journals. He is fluent in English, French and Hebrew. Lightstone has broad administrative experience demonstrated throughout his nine years as Concordia's Provost and Vice-Rector and other administrative assignments. He was involved in almost all bodies of the University's central governance - chair of the Senate Committee on Academic Plans and Priorities, Senate Research Committee, Senate Academic Programs Committee; member ex officio of Senate and the Senate's Steering Committee as well as the Board of Governors. Lightstone has made valuable contributions to post-secondary education in Quebec. He served on, and for a two-year period chaired, the Academic Affairs Committee of the Conference des Recteurs et Principaux des Universites de Quebec (CREPUQ, the Quebec parallel of the Ontario Council of Universities). Lightstone, 54, was born and raised in Ottawa, Ont. He is married to Dorothy Markiewicz, PhD. They have two children. Established in 1964, Brock University offers strong undergraduate, graduate and interdisciplinary degree programs that include co-op and other experiential learning opportunities to a student population of more than 17,000. Located at the centre of Canada's beautiful Niagara Peninsula in St. Catharines, Ont., the University comprises six Faculties: Applied Health Sciences, Business, Education, Humanities, Mathematics and Science, and Social Sciences. There are more than 50,000 Brock graduates and they continue to enjoy one of the highest employment rates of all Ontario universities at 96.5 per cent. For more information please contact: Dr. Jack Lightstone, 514-848-2424, ext. 5734; Jack.Lightstone@concordia.ca Dr. Norris Walker - interviews with Norris Walker can be arranged by contacting Heather Junke, Acting Director, Office of University Communications, Brock University, 905-688-5550, ext. 3248; hjunke@brocku.ca or Jeff Sinibaldi, Media Relations Officer, 905-688-5550, ext. 4687; jsinibal@brocku.ca A photo of Dr. Jack Lightstone is available by contacting Jeff Sinibaldi, Media Relations Officer, 905 -688-5550, ext. 4687; jsinibal@brocku.ca
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