2010-2011

News Release

REF NO.: 43

SUBJECT: New president of Memorial University ceremonially Installed

DATE: October 22, 2010

Dr. Gary Kachanoski, Memorial University’s new president and vice chancellor, was ceremonially installed in his post at a special session of convocation held on Thursday, Oct. 21.
Dr. Kachanoski started in his position on July 1, 2010.
Members of the community, university leaders, faculty, staff and graduating students, together with Premier Danny Williams and other government leaders, joined Dr. Kachanoski for this installation ceremony.
During the special convocation, held at the Arts and Culture Centre in St. John’s, honorary degrees were awarded to Dr. Michael Asch, anthropologist and professor emeritus at the University of Alberta, and Peter MacKinnon, president and vice-chancellor of the University of Saskatchewan and a noted legal scholar.
In his address to convocation, Dr. Kachanoski said he was drawn to and is still inspired by Memorial’s mission and its special obligation to the people of Newfoundland and Labrador.
“I like that the faculty, staff, students, and alumni are proud of this obligation, and that the people of this place, this great province, expect the
 university to live up to its obligations,” he said. “Many other Canadian universities struggle with the challenge of connecting their activities to their communities. But at Memorial, it is not just a standard aspiration; it’s a core value – and not only on paper.”
Memorial’s success has not been by accident, Dr. Kachanoski told the convocation, but has been shaped by a collaborative effort involving every segment of Newfoundland and Labrador society.
“All sectors, joining hand-in-hand, contributed to the birth and development of this institution, a university that is, as has been said many times before, intricately woven in the social, economic, scientific and cultural fabric of Newfoundland and Labrador.”
Dr. Kachanoski concluded his address by speaking directly to Memorial’s new graduates.
“Today is our time for celebration,” he said. “Tomorrow we get down to the challenges that lie ahead. I will meet these challenges bolstered by the tremendous support I can expect from the faculty, staff, students and alumni of Memorial, and from the people of this great province.
“In meeting your challenges, you will be bolstered by your education, your knowledge, your family, and your university. You will be part of the 70,000-strong family of Memorial University alumni – that means your university will always be there for you.”
            Both the special convocation and regular sessions of convocation will be aired on Rogers Cable in the weeks ahead and videos of the sessions will be made available on DVD for sale at the University Bookstore.

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