CCUBC Executive
The Canadian Council of University Biology Chairs is comprised of the Chairs, or Heads of Biology Departments from most universities in Canada. Chairs play a key role in the leadership of Biology Departments and the improvement of Biology research and teaching in Canada. We strive to provide a forum for exchange of information between Chairs for improving Biology teaching and research in Canada.
CCUBC Executive 2023 - 2024
Dr. Kirsten Müller
President
Dr. Kirsten Müller Dr. Kirsten Müller (she/her) is a Professor and Chair of Biology at the University of Waterloo. Her research focuses on the ecology, biogeography and evolution of the red algal order, Bangiales. In addition, she studies the impact of climate exacerbated disturbances in forested watersheds and the resulting algal blooms that occur after such a disturbance. Kirsten completed her PhD at the University of Guelph and has been at the University of Waterloo since 2000. More recently, she has become the managing editor for the Journal of Phycology.
Professor and Chair
University of Waterloo
Faculty of Science, Department of Biology,
200 University Ave,
Waterloo, ON, N2L 3G1
Email: kmmuller@uwaterloo.ca
Dr. Tony Williams
Treasurer
Dr. Tony Williams has been Chair of Biology at Simon Fraser University since January 2022, and was Chair (2003-2008) and Acting Chair (2018) previously. His research focuses on evolutionary physiology (of reproduction in birds), ecotoxicology and conservation physiology. Tony obtained his BSc from the University of Exeter and his PhD from the University of Bristol, both in the UK, and completed post-doctoral work with the British Antarctic Survey, on South Georgia, and in the Arctic with Queen’s University (at their tundra biology station in Churchill). He has been at Simon Fraser since 1994.
Department of Biological Sciencesy
Simon Fraser University
8888 University Drive,
Burnaby, BC, V5A 1S6
Email: tdwillia@sfu.ca
Dr. David Coltman
Past President
Dr. David Coltman is a Professor and Chair of the Biology Department at Western University. His research is in wildlife genetics and molecular ecology. More specifically, his lab develops and applies genomic tools to long-term studies of handsome critters including bighorn sheep, red squirrels, grey seals and the occasional sasquatch. Dave graduated with a B.Sc. (Honour's) from Queen's University, completed his Ph.D. at Dalhousie University, and post-doctoral fellowships at the University of Edinburgh and the University of Alberta. After spending a few years in his first academic appointment at the University of Sheffield, he joined the University of Alberta in 2004. At the University of Alberta, he served as Acting Chair and Associate Dean (Research) for the Faculty of Science, and Chair of the Department of Biological Sciences from 2019 to 2021. Dave joined Western University as the Chair of Biology in July 2021.
Professor and Chair
Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Western University
2025E Biological & Geological Sciences Building
1151 Richmond Street,
London, ON, N6A 5B7
Email: biochair@uwo.ca
Dr. Shawn Mansfield, FRSC
Vice President
Dr. Shawn Mansfield is a Professor and Canada Research Chair (term expired) in Wood in the Department of Wood Science, and current Head of Botany (since 2022) at The University of British Columbia. He received his BSc (Honours) from Mount Allison University, MSc from Dalhousie University (1994) and PhD from University of British Columbia (1997). He then did a PDF at the Forest Research (New Zealand) from 1998-2000 and concurrently held a visiting scholar position at the University of Waikato, and returned to UBC as a faculty member in 2000. Mansfield’s long-term research program focuses on the molecular, functional biochemical and ultrastructural characterization of plant cell wall biosynthesis, with an emphasis on cellulose and lignin. His research employs a unique combination of genomics, molecular biology, functional genomics, biochemistry, analytical chemistry, and plant cell wall characterization techniques to elucidate the influence of various biosynthetic pathways on the growth and development of secondary xylem formation in plants.
University of British Columbia
Department of Botany
3156-6270 University Blvd
Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4
Email: shawn.mansfield@ubc.ca
Dr. W. Gary Anderson
Member At Large
Dr. W. Gary Anderson graduated with a BSc and PhD from the University of St. Andrews in 1995. After a period as an environmental consultant and a post-doctoral fellow he joined the Department of Biological Sciences at the University of Manitoba as an Assistant Professor in 2004 and began life as the Department Head in April of 2022. He teaches at the graduate and undergraduate level and maintains an active research lab in comparative physiology/endocrinology working on Lake Sturgeon in Manitoba and elasmobranchs at the Bamfield Marine Sciences centre in British Columbia.
University of Manitoba
Department of Biological Sciences
50 Sifton Road
Winnipeg, MB R3T2N2
Email: gary.anderson@umanitoba.ca
Dr. Matthew Smith
Member at Large
Dr. Matt Smith is Professor and Chair in the Department of Biology at Wilfrid Laurier University in Waterloo, ON. His primary research area is intracellular protein trafficking, and uses protein targeting to chloroplasts as a model system. Other projects include structure-function studies of mitochondrial uncoupling proteins. Before arriving at Laurier in 2004 he completed a PhD in Biology at the University of Waterloo, and did a postdoc at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. He has been Chair of Biology since 2018, and prior to that was an Associate Dean in the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies for several years.
Wilfrid Laurier University
Department of Biology
75 University Ave W
Waterloo, ON N2L 3C5
Email: msmith@wlu.ca
Dr. Gregory Schmaltz
Member At Large
Dr. Gregory Schmaltz is an Associate Professor and Head of the Department of Biology at the University of the Fraser Valley. His research focusses on the proximate and ultimate causes of behavior in birds. Specifically, he studies avian foraging behavior from a physiological (stress hormones) and evolutionary (optimal foraging theory) perspective. His research also investigates how disturbances at colonies impact nesting success in Great Blue Herons. Greg holds a MSc in animal Behavior from Concordia University and a PhD in Ecological Physiology from McMaster University. In 2009, he was appointed as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Biology at the University of the Fraser Valley. He has been the Head since 2021.
Department of Biology
University of the Fraser Valley,
33844 King Road,
Abbotsford, BC, V2S 7M8
Email: Gregory.Schmaltz@ufv.ca
Mrs. Wafaa H. Antonious
Secretariat
Wafaa Antonious has been providing secretariat services for CCUBC since 1998 first through the Canadian Federation of Biological Socieites (CFBS). When CFBS folded at the end of 2008, Wafaa resumed providing secretariat services through her own company "Rofail Conference and Management Services (RCMS) as of January 2009. Wafaa's services for CCUBC includes providing support to CCUBC Executive (services and consultation), organizing the annual meeting, maintaining the website, book keeping, dealing with inquiries from members and others related to CCUBC activities. Through RCMS, Wafaa provides secretariat services to other organizations and organizes scientific workshops, meetings and conferences from 20 - 800 attendees.
Rofail Conference and Management Services (RCMS)
17 Dossetter Way
Ottawa, ON K1G 4S3
Tel: 613-421-7229
Email: Info@CCUBC.ca