Carleton University has hired a neuroscientist who has held senior academic posts at several Canadian post-secondary schools to be its next leader.
The university announced Tuesday that Benoit-Antoine Bacon will officially assume the roles of president and vice-chancellor on July 1. Bacon comes to Carleton from Queen’s University in Kingston, where he has served as provost and academic vice-principal since August 2016.
Chris Carruthers, chair of Carleton’s board of governors, called Bacon an “experienced leader” who will bring “energy and vision” to his new assignment.
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“As Carleton positions itself to respond to a changing university sector and increased competition, Benoit will play a critical leadership role in leading the organization and supporting our students, faculty and staff,” he said in a statement.
An accomplished teacher, researcher and academic administrator, Bacon will be Carleton’s 15th president. He earned his bachelor’s degree in psychology from Concordia University in his hometown of Montreal in 1995 before pursuing a master’s degree and PhD in neuropsychology at the University of Montreal.
Before his tenure at Queen’s, he served as provost and vice-president of academic affairs at Concordia for three years. His first academic appointment was at Bishop’s University, where he served in several leadership positions, including dean of arts and science and associate vice-principal of research.
Bacon will also assume a tenured appointment as a professor in Carleton’s department of psychology. His research has focused on the links between brain activity and perception in the visual and auditory systems, as well as on multisensory integration.
“I look forward to working with the whole community to leverage Carleton’s many outstanding strengths and to further enhance the institution’s relevance and impact nationally and internationally,” he said in a statement.
Bacon succeeds Alastair Summerlee, who was appointed Carleton’s interim president and vice-chancellor last July. Summerlee replaced longtime president Roseann Runte, who resigned in March 2017 to become the president and CEO of the Canada Foundation for Innovation.
