President's Welcome

Welcome to the Canadian Council of Biology Chairs! This organization, which was established in 1971, is an amazing forum that connects Chairs and Heads of Biology (and other biological disciplines) Departments across Canada. I joined CCUBC at the beginning of my term as Head of Biological Sciences (U Manitoba) four years ago, and I have found it to be an incredibly important venue to connect with my peers from across Canada. At each of the four annual meetings I have left with valuable information and comfort knowing that we share collective challenges in the job we do regardless of institution.  As a resource the CCUBC is unparalleled. The collective wisdom of the membership and the interaction with peers that this forum affords has helped to inform and shape the way I conduct the many facets of my work as a Department Head.

CCUBC hosts an annual meeting in the fall of each year where we gather to discuss a variety of timely issues impacting our units and the delivery of our undergraduate and graduate programs.  The annual meeting is an excellent forum to network among peers, and is a highly supportive, open, and inclusive. Shawn Mansfield, University of British Columbia, hosted the 2025 CCUBC Annual Meeting in Montreal which was a huge success! Moreover, it was extremely well attended. It was a pleasure to both meet new/incoming chairs of departments, as well as reconnect with those that have been in their role for multiple years. At the recent annual meeting in Montreal, we had a presentation from NSERC on the state of affairs for research and graduate funding, insight into the responsible use of AI in the classroom from professionals working at the forefront of contemporary teaching methodologies, and discussion around care and use of animals in research and teaching.  I once again left the annual meeting feeling well-informed and fresh with ideas on how to approach new initiatives in my own department, and I look forward to the 2026 meeting already.  This fall , we will be meeting in Winnipeg from Thursday, November 12 to Saturday, November 14, 2026. The conference will be held at the Inn at the Forks and there are numerous cultural and historical sites to visit within walking distance of this location. We hope to see you there. The agenda for the meeting has not yet been set, and therefore I welcome thoughts and ideas on topics for discussion. I am confident the annual meeting will offer a place to discuss strategies to overcome the new and ongoing challenges that we all face.  I can think of no better group of colleagues to discuss the critical issues that affect all of us and the students we are responsible for.

If you are not yet a member and have questions, please feel to reach out to me for more information and I would be happy to have a conversation with you about the benefits that CCUBC provides.

Warmest Regards,

Gary Anderson
Professor & Head
University of Manitoba
Department of Biological Sciences
50 Sifton Road
Winnipeg, MB R3T2N2

Email: gary.anderson@umanitoba.ca