PRESIDENTS SINCE BI-NATIONAL,2005

Prof. Chiranjib Sen (2006-07)

Bio Note

Chiranjib Sen is a professor in the economics and social sciences area at IIMB. He received his M.A and Ph.D. in Economics from Stanford University, M.A. in Economics from Delhi School of Economics, University of Delhi and B.A. (Hons.) in Economics from Presidency College, University of Calcutta.

Dr.Sen has held professional appointments in a number of leading institutions. He has been a Professor at the Centre for Development Studies, Trivandrum; Harry Reynolds International Visiting Professor at the Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania, Visiting Scholar, Institute of International Development, Harvard University; and Visiting Processor, Dept. of Economics, Vassar College, New York, among others.

Professional Activities (past and current) :

1. Member, Task Force on Faculty Shortage and Performance Appraisal Systems, Ministry of Human Resource Development, Government of India (current)
2. Member, Board of Governors, Indian Overseas Bank (current)
3. Member, Board of Governors, KIOCL (current)
4. Chairperson, Centre for Public Policy, Indian Institute of Management Bangalore (when CPP was established)
5. President (and earlier Vice-President), Shastri Indo-Canadian Institute
6. Member, Board of Governors, Centre for Development Studies, Trivandrum
7. Member, Steering Committee on Science & Technology, Kerala State Planning Board
8. Associate, Fairbank Center for East Asian Research (Harvard University)

Research & Publications:

Recent Articles:

"Regulation in Corporate Governance and Elsewhere:

The Continuing Debate", 2010, to be published in National Stock Exchange volume on Corporate Governance, co-authored by Prof. N. Balasubramanian.

"The Redesign of Government-Business Relations in India"(with Anil Suraj), final version September 2009—to be published in volume (OUP) by Centre for Law, Governance and Democracy, Stanford University, ed. by Erik Jensen and Thomas Heller.

"Are Gandhi’s Economic Precepts relevant in the Era of Globalization?" (Revised September 2009) for publication in conference volume on Gandhi, Governance and the Corporation organised by the Centre for Corporate Governance and Citizenship, Indian Institute of Management Bangalore, 2008 ed. by N. Balasubramanian.

"Trade and Industrial Policies to Strengthen Economic Reform-An Overview" in Trade Policy, Industrial Performance and Private Sector Development in India, Asian Development Bank, Oxford University Press, 2008

Contact : E-mail : sen@iimb.ernet.in

Prof. Gary vanLoon (2007-08)

Bio Note

After earning a PhD in analytical chemistry from the University of Toronto in 1966, I spent three years in India, mostly at Ahmadnagar College (Pune University) where I taught in the Biochemistry Department under the headship of Dr. John Barnabas. Upon returning to Canada in 1969, I began an academic career at Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario where I have continued to serve until the present. Two sabbatical years strengthened my connections with India – the first at the G.B. Pant University in Pantnagar (now in Uttarakhand) and the second at the University of Agricultural Science in Bengaluru.

During the more than 40 years of academic work, I have taught a wide variety of courses in chemistry; especially in the last 30 of these years, my interests studying and teaching in environmental chemistry and broad areas of environmental studies have grown. Throughout this time, research has centred on water and wastewater treatment chemistry, behaviour of xenobiotic chemicals in soil/water systems, and the meaning and assessment of sustainability. I have been research supervisor or co-supervisor for some 16 PhD and over 40 MSc students. Besides the usual specialized research papers published with these students, I am the co-author of a book – G.W. vanLoon and S.J. Duffy. Environmental Chemistry – a global perspective, Oxford University Press: 3rd ed. 2010.

Connections with India have always remained strong and indeed have grown over the years. I have had the great pleasure of working with a number of excellent colleagues in various institutions around the country, most notably Dr. S.G. Patil at UAS (Dharwad), Dr. D. Narasimhan at Madras Christian College and Dr. Mohammad Rais at NISTADS. Most of our joint work has related to issues of agricultural sustainability and how it is assessed in a comprehensive and holistic manner. Three of us coauthored a book on this subject – G.W. vanLoon, S.G. Patil and L.B. Hugar. Agricultural Sustainability – strategies for assessment, Sage Publications: 2005.

The Shastri Indo-Canadian Institute has brought me in contact with university people in many other disciplines in both India and Canada, all of whom share a commitment to study together subjects that are of interest and importance to our two countries. The connections and friendships that have come from these associations will not be forgotten and continue to be a source of great pleasure for me.

Contact : E-mail : vanLoon@chem.queensu.ca

Prof. Amarjit S. Narang (2008-09)

Bio Note

Prof. Amarjit S. Narang, with more than 37 years experience as a teacher, researcher and academic administrator is well versed with various aspects of university functioning both from academic and administrative aspects and is a successful manager of Human Resources. He has taught courses from B.A. to Ph.D level, has been Chairman of the faculty, handled independent and team research projects and held the office of Registrar of the largest University in the country i.e. IGNOU. Below are brief details of his academic, research and other activities.

Present Position: Chairman and Professor of Political Science, Coordinator Human Rights Education, IGNOU, New Delhi.

Other Positions: President Shastri Indo-Canadian Institute (2008-2009)

Fellowships:

1. Fellow at Brock University, 1990
2. Indian Institute of Advanced Study, Shimla (1991-1993)
3. Fellow at McGill University, Montreal, 1996
4. Fellow at Queens University, Kingston, 2001

Research Projects:

1. Challenge to Indian Democracy - A Study of 1985 Punjab Elections (Sponsored by ICSSR) 1986.
2. Indian Society at the Turn of Century: Emerging Political Culture (Sponsored by ICSSR/IASS) 1988-89.
3. Polyethnic Societies and Federalism (At Indian Institute of Advanced Studies, Shimla 1991-1993)
4. Engaging Communities in Waste Management SHARP Project (sponsored by CIDA)

Areas of Interest:

Indian Politics, Human Rights, Comparative Politics (with special interest in Canada and Europe) and South Asia.

Contact : E-mail : asnarang7@hotmail.com

Prof. Sheila Embleton (2009-10)

Bio Note

Dr. Sheila Embleton is Distinguished Research Professor of Linguistics, York University, Toronto, and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada. She served as Vice-President Academic & Provost at York University from July 2000 to June 2009, having previously been Associate Dean of the Faculty of Arts from July 1994 to June 2000. She served as Chair of the Ontario Council of Academic Vice-Presidents from 2004-2008 and of the National Vice-Presidents Academic Council from 2006-2007. Born in Ottawa, Dr. Embleton graduated from Lisgar Collegiate Institute, then attended the University of Toronto. Her academic background and graduate work is in both mathematics (BSc 1975, MSc 1976, U of Toronto) and linguistics (PhD 1981, U of Toronto), and her areas of scholarly interest are historical linguistics, sociolinguistics, dialectology, mathematical/statistical methods in linguistics, onomastics, Peircean semiotics, and women and language; she has published extensively in all of these areas. Her areas of language specialization include English, German, Germanic, French, Romance, Russian, Slavic, Finnish and Finno-Ugric. Her current research is mostly on dialectometry (statistical methods applied to dialect study), with particular application to British, Finnish and Romanian dialects. She is deeply interested in many policy and practical issues related to contemporary post-secondary education, both in Canada and internationally (especially in the EU and India), as well as being a tireless advocate both for the internationalisation of education and for access to higher education, based on merit rather than social, financial, or geographical factors. She is a Past-President of the Canadian Society for the Study of Names, the American Name Society, the Linguistic Association of Canada and the US (LACUS), the International Quantitative Linguistics Association, and the Shastri Indo-Canadian Institute. She is currently the President of the International Council of Onomastic Sciences and of the Canadian Friends of Finland Education Foundation, as well as Executive Director of LACUS. She is a member of the Boards of the Canadian Bureau for International Education and MITACS (Mathematics of Information Technology and Complex Systems). She is associate editor, review editor, or member of the editorial board of numerous journals and book series, including many of the foremost in her fields. She has won many awards for her academic contributions, and is a Knight First Class of the Order of the White Rose of Finland (for promoting academic and cultural ties between Canada and Finland), a Fellow of the Royal Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce (RSA), London, a Senior Fellow of Massey College in the University of Toronto, and an Invited Member of Suomalaisen kirjallisuuden seura (Finnish Literature Society, Helsinki).

Contact: E-mail: embleton@yorku.ca

Prof. Sunaina Singh (2010 - 2011)

Bio Note

Dr. Sunaina Singh, a distinguished academic, is a senior Professor of English at Osmania University. She has over 27 years of teaching experience with expertise in the field of Commonwealth Comparative literatures. She has supervised 21 scholars at Ph.D. and M.Phil level on diverse areas of Comparative Literature. She has a Ph.D (1988) on Women’s Writing and an M.Phil on Indian Culture. She has done her Postdoctoral research on Diasporic Gender Identities, Motherhood in Mahasweta Devi’s writings and Jacques Derrida’s contribution to Feminism/Women’s writing. Her ongoing work is on South Asian Women writers. She has seven (7) books and several research papers to her credit. A gold medalist at Master’s level, she has been awarded the Commonwealth Academic Staff Scholarship for doctoral research and a Shastri fellowship at University of Toronto funded by DFAIT. In the year 2003-04 the Government of Andhra Pradesh invited her to edit four (4) books for State Level undergraduate English courses, which are taught all over the state.

Apart from her extensive achievements academically, she has been holding important administrative positions: she is nominated by Ministry of Human Resource Development, (MHRD), and Government of India (GOI) to the Executive Board of several Central Universities; is a subject expert on various committees of UGC such as Professor Emeritus, Major Research Projects, and SAP. She is also a visitor’s nominee – nominated by the Honorable President of India to the Academic Council of Assam, Haryana and Allahabad Central Universities. She has been a visiting professor at various International Universities across the globe speaking on Women’s Writing in India, Indian Culture, and Postcolonial Comparative Literatures. She has recently been nominated by the ICCR, GOI as the ‘India Studies National Chair to China.’ She has been honored by Indo-Canadian Chamber of Commerce (ICCC) Family for her contribution to Canadian Studies and for promoting the Bi-national ethos (India and Canada) on 8th October 2010.

She has been invited to the Educational Roundtable with Honorable Prime Minister of Canada Stephen Harper during his visit to India. She was also invited by our Honorable Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh for a Networking Dinner. Currently, she is the President of Shastri Indo-Canadian Institute – a bi-national research organization funded by the Indian and Canadian Governments with offices in Delhi and Calgary.

Added to credit are the two (2) international conferences that she has organized, one at McGill University as national chair from India on Women & Development, May 10-12 2007. The other she convened at Osmania University on Society, Environment and Technology: India & Canada, Feb 24-26, 2005, apart from convening national level symposiums and conferences. She has been a visiting professor at various international universities.

Contact: E-mail: prof.sunaina@gmail.com

Prof. Braj Sinha, President (2011 – 2012)

Bio Note

Dr. Braj M Sinha, President of the Shastri Indo-Canadian Institute is Professor and Head of the Department of Religion and Culture at the University of Saskatchewan, a premier Canadian University. Recipient of the George Ivany internationalisation Award Dr. Braj M. Sinha has been a major catalyst for internationalisation at several institutions in India, U.S.A, and Canada. Professor Sinha has served on the Board of the Shastri Indo-Canadian Institute for several years, has chaired most of the standing committees of the Institute, and was the first Secretary-Treasurer of the bi-national Shsatri Indo-Canadian Institute.

A well known scholar in the field of Indological Studies with national and international repute , Dr. Sinha has authored and presented numerous scholarly papers at national and international conventions/conferences held in several countries including Germany, France, Holland, Italy, Sweden, Ireland, England, U.S.A., Mexico, New Zealand, Canada, India and South Africa. His invited lectures and conference presentations have been delivered at several prominent universities including Oxford, Upsala, Heidelberg, Ohio , Miami , Florida International University, Alberta, McMaster, Toronto, Benaras Hindu University, Madras, Jammu, Delhi, IIM-Banglore etc.

Dr. Sinha’s research and writing in the field of Indological studies have resulted in publications from distinguished national and international publication houses including Mouton, MacMillan, Munshiram Manoharlal, and Sage, among others. Co-founder of the International Society for Indo-Judaic Studies and co-editor of the Journal of Indo-Judaic Studies, Dr. Sinha has been a pioneer in this nascent field. He has held eminent positions in the organisational structures of several national and international academic organisations and professional societies.

Prof. Ranbir Singh, President (2012 - 2013)

Bio Note

Prof. (Dr.) Ranbir Singh is the Founder Vice-Chancellor of National Law University, Delhi established by the Delhi Government in 2008. He was the Founder Vice-Chancellor of NALSAR, University of Law, established by the Andhra Pradesh Government in 1998. He has been there for ten years as the Vice-Chancellor of the well-known premier institution for legal education and research in the country which was rated as one of the Best University in the Country in the year 2008 in ‘India Today’. He has been a Vice-Chancellor for over 13 years now.

Born in September 1949 in a reputed and well educated family in Atta Village, Panipat District, Haryana, Prof. Singh on completion of his schooling joined Kurukshetra University for his collegiate education, wherefrom he obtained B.Sc, LL.B and LL.M and Ph.D Degrees. He belongs to the first batch of the Law Faculty. After his Ph.D. Degree he continued at Kurukshetra University as a Faculty member till 1978. He then moved to Maharshi Dayanand University at Rohtak as the founding Faculty and continued there till 1996 in various capacities as Professor, Head, Dean and Proctor. On invitation from the National Law School of India University, Bangalore, he served as Professor of Law at NLSIU during 1996-97.

Prof. Singh’s contribution in redesigning legal education in the country has been significant while he was a member of the Legal Education Committee of the Bar Council of India. His legal writings span the areas of Jurisprudence, Human Rights, Legal Education, Legal Aid, Personal Laws and Justice Education and has more than 50 research publications to his credit. He has edited two publications one on “Human Rights Education, Law and Society” and the other on “Cyber Space and the Law – Issues and Challenges”. He has also authored along with Prof. A. Lakshminath two scholarly publications one on ‘Fiscal Federalism – Constitutional Conspectus’ and the other on Constitutional Law. Under his guidance several scholars have been awarded Ph.D. Degree and his rich teaching / research experience enabled him to visit and participate in several International Conferences and Seminars and present papers in several countries which include Australia, Brazil, Bhutan, China, Taiwan, South Africa Cyprus, Canada, France, Hong Kong, Israel, Italy, Pakistan, Switzerland, Sri Lanka, Singapore, Thailand, USSR, U.K. and United States of America,. He has visited best of law schools in U.K. and USA and interacted with leading legal academics and functionaries of higher judiciary in these countries.

He has association with several national and international organisations in advisory capacities - more important among them being Executive Committee of the National Legal Services Authority, Indian Law Institute, National Police Academy, National Committee in IPR (Confederation of Indian Industries), Indian Society of International Law, Committee of Experts on Law, National Commission for Women, National Institute of Criminology and Forensic Science, DNA Profiling Advisory Committee (D-PAC), SAARCLAW India Chapter, Commonwealth Legal Education Association. Under his Chairmanship a Committee with the assistance of ILO, Regional Office prepared a draft bill for the “Abolition of the Child Labour” and submitted to the State Government. He served as a member of the DNA Profiling Advisory Committee constituted by the Department of Bio-technology, Government of India to recommend a draft legislation for enactment by the Parliament. Related to this he also served as Chairperson of the Sub-Committee on Legal Issues and prepared the DNA Profiling Bill. He was also a member of the Shri Soli Sorabjee Committee appointed by the Ministry of Home Affairs, to draft the New Police Act which was submitted to the Ministry. He is also interested in issues like Corporate Law and Governance and Corporate Social Responsibilities.

He is a Member of National Committee to administer the “Rajiv Gandhi Advocate’s Training Scheme” recently constituted by Ministry of Law and Justice, Govt. of India. He is also a Member (part-time) of The 19th Law Commission of India. He was a member of Committee for Consultations on the situation in Andhra Pradesh. He is also a member for the Governing Council of Association of Indian Universities (AIU) New Delhi. He is the Visitor’s nominee in the Academic Council of the Indian Law Institute, New Delhi. He is also very closely associated with the Shastri Indo-Canadian Institute, Delhi. He has also been nominated by the Hon’ble President of India as a member of the Executive Council of Jawahar Lal Nehru University, New Delhi.

His achievements and accomplishments while at Rohtak as a Law teacher and researcher earned him the prestigious ‘Excellence Award’ by the Governor of Haryana.

At a Golden Jubilee Commemorative Special Convocation of Kurukshetra University Prof. Singh was awarded the Alumnus of Distinction for his outstanding achievements in his professional Career by Dr. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam, former President of India.

The British Council portrayed him as one of the 12 talented, creative and generous spirits who are making an effort personally and through their institutions to ensure their engagement with the U.K, works to mutual benefit. His services to Legal Education has been acknowledged and commemorated by many institutions and educational bodies.

Prof. Shanthi Jonhson, President (2013 – 14)

Bio Note

Shanthi Johnson, Ph.D., professor and dean of the University of Alberta’s School of Public Health is a leader in the fields of health promotion and healthy aging. Johnson has dedicated her research career to falls prevention in seniors, aging in place in rural communities, and social isolation especially among immigrant and refugee seniors.

An internationally renowned researcher with multidisciplinary perspective, she has led significant research and has secured notable grants, including CIHR, CFI and others. She has delivered more than 300 presentations and is the author of over 150 peer reviewed articles and reports in prestigious journals such as the Lancet. She appeared before the Canadian Senate Committee as an expert witness, and served on many grant adjudicating panels nationally and internationally including the European Commission, United Kingdom-Joint Call for Research on Ageing, Luxembourg National Research Fund, and South Africa — National Research Foundation.

Johnson has significant leadership experiences. She played a key leadership role as associate dean in the Faculty of Kinesiology and Health Studies at the University of Regina (2008–2014). She has served on various boards such as the Eastern Kings Community Health Board and Annapolis Valley Health in Nova Scotia, Saskatchewan Health Research Foundation, and president of Shastri Indo-Canadian Institute. As a member of the National Seniors Council (2012-2018), she advised the Government of Canada on aging issues.

Johnson was a Fulbright Scholar in the U.S., Endeavour Executive Fellow in Australia, Global Initiative of Academic Networks visiting professor in India, Deutscher Akademischer Austaussch Dienst Scholar in Germany, and Understanding China fellow in China. She is the recipient of numerous honours and awards, including the fellow status with Dietitians of Canada, the American College of Sports Medicine and the Gerontological Society of America. In 2014, Johnson was named the Female Professional of the Year by the India Canada Chamber of Commerce and, in 2016, received the Award of Innovation by the Regina Chamber of Commerce. Recently in 2020, she was named RBC’s Top 25 Canadian Immigrants.

Johnson’s work has spanned many communities and groups around the globe, fostered by her values of international cooperation, social justice, equity and inclusive diversity, which underpin her worldview. She is deeply committed to addressing issues that elevate the human condition, such as education, health equity, health research, and international dialogue and exchange.

Prof. Biju Abraham, President (2014 – 15)

Bio Note

Biju Paul Abraham is Professor of Public Policy in the Public Policy & Management Group of the Indian Institute of Management Calcutta. He did his B.A and M.A. from the University of Kerala, his M.Phil. in International Relations from Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, and his Ph.D. in Public Policy from King’s College London. He was UGC Junior Research Fellow at Jawaharlal Nehru University from 1988 to 1990 and Nehru Centenary Fellow at King's College London between 1991 and 1995. His teaching and research interests include international governance issues, and assessment of risks affecting firms as a consequence of changes in the socio-political and regulatory environments. He teaches courses on ‘Country Risk Analysis’ and ‘The Environment for International Business’ at IIM Calcutta. He was co-editor of the book Good Governance, Democratic Societies and Globalization published by Sage in 2004 and co-author of the book The Intelligent Person’s Guide to Good Governance published by Sage in 2009. He is at present a member of the Board of Governors of IIM Calcutta.

Prof. Girish Shah , President (2015– 2016)

Bio Note

Dr. Girish Shah is a Full Professor of the Faculty of Medicine at Université Laval in Québec City (QC) Canada. He is also a senior researcher of the CHU-Q Research Centre of the Quebec Hospitals and Chief of the Laboratory for Skin Cancer Research at the CHUL campus of CHU-Q Research Centre. Dr. Shah has been a representative of Université Laval in the Canadian Member’s Council of the Shastri Indo-Canadian Institute (SICI) since 2011, and served as executive council member and secretary-Treasurer of SICI since June 2014. Dr. Shah is also on the board of directors of the Carcinoid NeuroEndocrine Tumor Society of Canada (CNETS Canada) and is also serving as President of the Scientific and Medical Advisory Board of CNETS Canada since 2014. Dr. Shah’s research is focused on cellular and molecular biological aspects of responses of mammalian cells to DNA damage in terms of DNA repair and cell death, and their influence on the formation of cancerous cells or in therapy of cancers. Dr. Shah has received an award for the “Outstanding Achievement in Carcinoid/Neuroendocrine Tumor Research” in 2006 from the Carcinoid Cancer Foundation Inc. USA. Dr. Shah has also been a recipient of the Junior and Senior Research Scholar awards from the Quebec Heath Research Fund (FRSQ).

Prof. Suchorita Chattopadhyay , President (2016– 2017)

Bio Note

Prof.Chattopadhyay is the founder and coordinator of the Centre for Canadian Studies at Jadavpur University. She is also a member of the Indian Members' Council, Shastri Indo-Canadian Institute since 2005. She has organized 12 national and international seminars and conferences on Canadian Studies and has edited 5 volumes on Canadian Studies. Chattopadhyay also teaches regularly at the Centre for Translations of Indian Literatures at Jadavpur University and also serves on their Academic /Advisory Committee. Chattopadhyay is also an Executive Committee member of the Comparative Literature Association of India.She was the joint co-ordinator of the XIth Biennial International Conference of the Comparative Literature Association of India held at Jadavpur University, Kolkata in January 2013.

Prof. Girish Shah , President (2017– 2018)

Bio Note

Dr. Girish Shah is a Full Professor of the Faculty of Medicine at Université Laval in Québec City (QC) Canada. He is also a senior researcher of the CHU-Q Research Centre of the Quebec Hospitals and Chief of the Laboratory for Skin Cancer Research at the CHUL campus of CHU-Q Research Centre. Dr. Shah has been a representative of Université Laval in the Canadian Member’s Council of the Shastri Indo-Canadian Institute (SICI) since 2011, and served as executive council member and secretary-Treasurer of SICI since June 2014. Dr. Shah is also on the board of directors of the Carcinoid NeuroEndocrine Tumor Society of Canada (CNETS Canada) and is also serving as President of the Scientific and Medical Advisory Board of CNETS Canada since 2014. Dr. Shah’s research is focused on cellular and molecular biological aspects of responses of mammalian cells to DNA damage in terms of DNA repair and cell death, and their influence on the formation of cancerous cells or in therapy of cancers. Dr. Shah has received an award for the “Outstanding Achievement in Carcinoid/Neuroendocrine Tumor Research” in 2006 from the Carcinoid Cancer Foundation Inc. USA. Dr. Shah has also been a recipient of the Junior and Senior Research Scholar awards from the Quebec Heath Research Fund (FRSQ).

Prof. Faizan Mustafa , President (2018– 2019)

Bio Note

Prof. (Dr) Faizan Mustafa is the Vice-Chancellor of NALSAR University of Law, Hyderabad. He was the founder Vice-Chancellor of National Law University, Orissa. He has also served as Dean, Faculty of Law, Aligarh Muslim University and also as its Registrar. He is the founder Director of KIIT Law School. He is the Advisor to National Law School & Judicial Academy, Assam. He is known for his institution building abilities and democratic leadership. He is also visiting faculty to several reputed institutions in India and abroad. He has visited and lectured in several countries of the world. He was awarded the prestigious SAARC’s Best Law Teacher Award in 2014. As a keen researcher and avid academician, Dr. Mustafa has authored 8 books and has about 180 national and International papers to his credit. Supreme Court of India has also quoted him. He has worked in unexplored areas like Copyright Law, HIV Law, Art.356, Strict Liability Law, Freedom of Information Law, Religious Conversion Laws, Trade Union Law etc. He has written in new areas such as HIV Law, Freedom of Information Law, Right to Die, Mandatory Death Sentence etc. much before the Indian Parliament legislated on these issues or Indian Judiciary delivered landmark decisions on these subjects. He regularly writes for the reputed National Dailies. He was the member of several search committees for the appointment of Vice-Chancellors of National Law Universities. He is also member of Governing Bodies, Academic Councils and Executive Councils of various leading universities of India. He was also Member of several University Grants Commission Committees.

Prof. John G. Reid, President (2019– 2020)

Bio Note

John G. Reid holds degrees from Oxford University (BA), Memorial University (MA), and the University of New Brunswick (PhD). He has been a member of the History department at Saint Mary's University since 1985, and has held the rank of Professor since 1989. He is also a former Coordinator of Atlantic Canada Studies at Saint Mary’s, and is currently Senior Research Fellow at the Gorsebrook Research Institute. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada, elected in 2004. Reid’s principal teaching and research interests include the history of early modern northeastern North America (focusing especially on imperial-Indigenous relations), the history of Atlantic Canada, the history of higher education, and the history of sport. He has published books and articles in these areas, as well as writing two historical novels for teenage readers and two plays for radio. Reid has served on the Council of the Canadian Historical Association and on the editorial board of the Canadian Historical Review. A current board member of three historical journals, in 2015 he completed a six-year term as Co-editor of Acadiensis: Journal of the History of the Atlantic Region. He is also founding Co-editor of the University of Toronto Press monograph series on the History of Atlantic Canada. Among other international activities, in 2008 he held the Shastri Indo-Canadian Institute (SICI) Visiting Lectureship in India. Subsequently appointed as the Saint Mary’s representative to the Canadian Member Council of SICI, he became the organization’s Vice-President in 2018.

Prof. Mini Shaji Thomas, President (2020– 2021)

Bio Note

Dr. Mini Shaji Thomas is the Director of National Institute of Technology, Tiruchirappalli, an Institution of National Importance, one of the top Technical Institutions in India, offering 10 UG, 28 PG and Ph.D. programmes with around 6400 students in the campus. Under her leadership NIT Tiruchirappalli developed a 5 years strategic plan to be among the top 500 institutions in the world, with specific goals and targets. As part of the implementation, a 190 crore Centre of Excellence in manufacturing, with Siemens as the industry partner is setup in 2018. The Institute is ranked among the Top 10 in Engineering in the NIRF India ranking 2019. Before joining NIT, Dr. Thomas was the Founder Director of the Centre for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (CIE) and Professor in the Department of Electrical Engineering, Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi. Dr. Thomas was a faculty member at Delhi College of Engineering, Delhi (now DTU), and at the REC (now NIT), Calicut, Kerala before joining Jamia. She graduated from University of Kerala (Gold Medalist), completed her M. Tech from IIT Madras (Gold Medalist, Siemen’s prize) & Ph.D. from IIT Delhi, India, all in Electrical Engineering. Dr. Thomas has set up the first of its kind SCADA laboratory and Substation Automation (SA) Laboratory at JMI, with Industry involvement. She, as the founder coordinator, drafted the curriculum, started a unique, first full-time, M Tech program in the Faculty of Engineering & Technology, JMI, in 2003 in Electrical Power System Management, with industry participation. For these contributions, Dr. Thomas won the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) Educational Activities Board (EAB) Meritorious Achievement Award 2015 for 'Design and Development of curriculum and laboratory facilities for professionals and students in the electric utility industry". She is the author of the text book 'Power System SCADA and Smart Grids' by CRC Press, Taylor and Francis, USA. She is a 'Distinguished Lecturer' of IEEE Power & Energy Society and has 140 Research publications to her credit. She is a certified trainer for ‘Capacity building of Women managers in higher education’, by UGC and has conducted many training sessions for Women empowerment. Dr. Thomas has travelled extensively, delivered lectures in prestigious universities and has interacted with technical experts from all over the world.

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Prof. John A. Kershaw, President (2021– 2022)

Bio Note

John joined the Faculty of Forestry and Environmental Management at the University of New Brunswick in 1991. Prior to moving to New Brunswick, he worked in forestry in Indiana, Wisconsin, and Washington State. John’s speciality is forest mensuration, forest inventory design and analysis, and growth and yield modeling. John has pioneered the application of copulas, a special class of multivariate distributions, in forest inventory, LiDAR analysis, and growth modeling. He currently has research projects in New Brunswick, Newfoundland, Maine, Florida, Oregon, Malaysia, Taiwan, Indonesia, and India. He is the lead author on the 5th Edition of Forest Mensuration (Wiley-Blackwell, 2016). John is currently the Assistant Vice President Academic (Partnerships) at UNB. Prior to becoming the AVP, John spent 5 years as Associate Dean of Graduate Studies. Since becoming AVP, his focus on partnership development has been India, SE Asia, and South America. He teaches Research Methods for Forest and Biology graduate students at UNB and in special workshops for the International Union of Forest Research Organizations and for UN Development Projects. He enjoys world travel and forging new partnership opportunities for UNB. He is a member of the editorial board for Forest Ecosystems. When he is not being a forester or assistant VP, he is an avid hiker, canoeist, and mountain climber.