The Board of Regents has approved the appointment of Dr. Mark Abrahams as provost and vice-president (academic) pro tempore effective May 1, 2020.

Currently the dean of the Faculty of Science, Dr. Abrahams will serve in the role for one year or until the search for a new provost and vice-president (academic) is completed, whichever is sooner.

“After extensive consultation with vice-presidents and deans’ councils, and with the support of President Designate Vianne Timmons, I was pleased to recommend Dr. Abrahams to the Board of Regents for appointment to this senior academic position,” said President Gary Kachanoski.

“Dr. Abrahams has a deep understanding of Memorial’s academic portfolio from his work as dean of science, his leadership on various pan-university committees and initiatives such as the Core Science Facility and the Ocean Frontier Institute, and from serving for interim periods as vice-president (research) and associate vice-president (research) on three different occasions in the past decade. I thank him for stepping into the role of provost and vice-president (academic) at this time.”

The appointment comes after the announcement earlier this month that Dr. Noreen Golfman, provost and vice-president (academic), will step down from her role on April 30, 2020. In the coming weeks, work will begin to establish a committee to conduct the search process for a new provost and vice-president (academic).

Additionally, an acting dean of science will be appointed effective May 1, 2020. More details will be shared when available.

About Dr. Mark Abrahams

Dr. Abrahams is a professor in the Departments of Biology and Ocean Sciences and has been the dean of the Faculty of Science since 2008.

He served as Memorial University’s vice-president (research) pro tempore and associate vice-president (research) pro tempore between January 2017 and September 2018.

He holds a B.Sc.(Hons.) in zoology from the University of Western Ontario, a M.Sc. in biology from Queen’s University and a PhD in biology from Simon Fraser University.

Dr. Abrahams’ research focuses on non-lethal predator-prey interactions in aquatic ecosystems. Recent research has investigated how these dynamics are mediated by changes in the physical environment, and the role that sea cage aquaculture has on marine ecosystems.

Dr. Abrahams is currently a member of the executive committee of the Ocean Frontier Institute, co-chair of the Campus Master Plan Committee and a member of the Strategic Enrolment Management Working group as well as several committees related to the Core Science Facility project.

Since 2015 Dr. Abrahams has been a member of the Let’s Talk Science Advisory Panel, and he continues to supervise graduate students in the field of behavioural ecology.

Prior to joining Memorial University in 2008, he spent 18 years as a faculty member at the University of Manitoba.