Dale Keefe has been appointed vice-president academic and provost of Cape Breton University following the completion of an international search process.
Keefe joined CBU in 1996 as a professor of physical chemistry. His new position begins July 1.
“The board has worked with Dale on an interim basis and was impressed by his strong leadership abilities. We look forward to working with him on a permanent basis to provide the best education possible for all CBU students,” Ambrose White, chair, CBU board of governors, said in a news release.
Keefe’s commitment to research excellence in vibrational spectroscopy resulted in a Tier II Canada Research Chair from 2006-11 and his 2012 induction into the hall of fame for Science Atlantic. As an educational leader, Keefe championed the development of CBU’s Chemistry Society of Canada accredited bachelor of science (chemistry) four-year degree. In 2009, he was awarded both the CBU Instructional Leadership Award and the CBU Alumni Award for excellence in teaching.
“I know that this announcement will be popular with everyone in our community who has had the privilege of working with Dale and knows of his deep commitment to our university and to Cape Breton Island,” CBU president David Wheeler said in the release.
Recently, Keefe held the positon of dean of research and graduate studies ,where he helped to facilitate and administrate faculty and student research, and celebrated the various research programs at CBU. Since July, Keefe has been the interim vice-president academic and research.
“This is a very exciting time at CBU. I am very proud of our commitment to deliver a high quality education for all our students,” Keefe said in the release. “I have always been a strong believer in experiential learning and engaging students as part of my own research team. In the coming years, I will be leading our academic renewal including increasing opportunities for experiential learning.”