NOSM University, formerly the Northern Ontario School of Medicine, has announced Céline Larivière as its inaugural Provost and Vice President Academic for a five-year term beginning Feb. 1, 2023.
In this role, Larivière is responsible for institutional planning and academic administration of all education programs involving students, members of Senate, governance and academic committees, and academic programs.
She will lead the conceptualization, development, implementation, and continuous improvement of academic programs and services, said a news release from NOSM.
Dr. Sarita Verma, NOSM University President, Vice Chancellor, Dean and CEO, was happy with the announcement.
“We are all very pleased with the appointment of this outstanding and inspiring senior educator and Francophone leader, and we look forward with great excitement to Dr. Larivière’s contributions in building NOSM University,” Verma said.
Larivière said she was honoured to be joining NOSM U at this special time in its history.
“The opportunities for innovation, discovery and academic and clinical excellence are truly inspiring, and I look forward to championing these initiatives as we work to improve health equity in Canada," said Larivière.
NOSM University’s Senate unanimously supported the appointment following an extensive search led by a 14-person committee, said the release.
NOSM U further outlined that Larivière is a Laurentian University Alumna and has a long-standing interest in the area of exercise science and human physiology.
She pursued doctoral studies in Physiology at the University of Ottawa between 1994 and 1999 then completed post-doctoral training for a period of two years at the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute.
She has extensive administrative and educational leadership. While at Laurentian University, she served as the Dean of the Faculty of Health from 2017 to 2021 and the Dean of the Faculty of Education and Health between 2021 and 2022.
Larivière was the Vice-Dean Francophone Affairs of the Faculty of Professional Schools (2003-2005), the Interim Director of Research (2011), and the Director of the School of Human Kinetics (2012-2017).
Larivière also briefly served as interim provost and vice-president, academic at Laurentian in 2022 following the departure of provost Marie-Josée Berger, who left as part of the terms of Laurentian’s plan of arrangement through the Companies’ Creditors Arrangement Act.
NOSM University is Canada’s first independent medical university and one of the greatest education and physician workforce strategy success stories of Northern Ontario. It has campuses in Sudbury and Thunder Bay.
