Board of Directors

A strong advocate for the value of applied education – in Ontario, Canada and around the world – Sean Kennedy is an experienced postsecondary leader with more than 20 years of experience leading teams in all areas of higher education.

Appointed Niagara College’s sixth President in January 2020, Sean has been a member of the College’s senior leadership team since 2006 when he joined NC as Vice President of Student and External Relations, and CEO of the Niagara College Foundation. He completed an interim assignment as Vice President, Academic and served Senior Vice President, International prior to becoming the College’s President.

Prior to joining Niagara College, Sean held various senior roles at Red Deer College and the University of Alberta.

Recognized as a leader in international education and student services in Canada, Sean has served on the board of directors of the Canadian Bureau for International Education (CBIE), chaired the Colleges Ontario Student Access and Success Coordinating Committee, and co-moderated the Ontario Ministry of Colleges and Universities Summit on Mental Health and Addictions.

Active in the community, Sean has served on the boards of the Business Education Council of Niagara, Niagara Sport Commission, Greater Niagara Chamber of Commerce, St. Catharines-Thorold Chamber of Commerce, Leadership Niagara, and the Canada Summer Games 2022.

Sean holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Alberta and a Master of Public Administration from Queen’s University, and is currently completing his Doctoral studies in leadership in higher and adult education and comparative, international and development education at the University of Toronto.

Dr. Deborah Saucier was appointed President and Vice-Chancellor of Vancouver Island University in July 2019. Dr. Saucier holds a PhD in psychology from the University of Western Ontario and a BSc and MSc in psychology from the University of Victoria. She received her International Baccalaureate diploma from the Lester B. Pearson College of the Pacific in Metchosin, near Victoria.

Prior to joining VIU, Dr. Saucier was President of MacEwan University in Edmonton and Provost and Academic Vice-President of the University of Ontario Institute of Technology. Dr. Saucier is a distinguished researcher in both psychology and neuroscience. She was the Canadian Research Chair in Behavioural Neuroscience at the University of Lethbridge and Dean of Science at the University of Ontario Institute of Technology and has garnered numerous grants to support her research, including awards from Natural Science and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) and the Canadian Foundation for Innovation.

Dr. Saucier is also the author of two books in psychology and an advocate for women in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).

At Vancouver Island University, Dr. Saucier has guided the development and implementation of the institution’s first strategic plan. The plan includes three core values – People, Place and Potential – and six commitments for the next five years. Following the guidance of the plan, Dr. Saucier is working to build on the institution’s strengths and fostering the unique educational experience at VIU to be more accessible, more inclusive, and more deeply rooted in community.

Born in Saskatoon, Dr. Saucier is a member of the Métis Nation of Alberta. In 2020, she was awarded the Indigenous Women in Leadership Award from the Canadian Council for Aboriginal Business. As president of Vancouver Island University, Dr. Saucier is focused on helping to close the education gap for Indigenous youth and working to incorporate the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP), BC Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act (DRIPA), and the TRC Calls to Action into institutional decision making by implementing both policy and physical changes on campus to ensure that Indigenous cultures and knowledges are reflected in campus spaces.

Dr. Saucier is married to curator and contemporary artist Chai Duncan and has a teenage daughter.

As the current Senior International Officer (SIO) and Associate Vice-President of Enrolment Management for the University of Windsor, Dr. Busch works closely with Executive and Academic Leadership to provide strategic leadership around the University’s international programs, global presence, relationships, and reputation, along with fostering enrolment (all degree levels), mobility, and international learning opportunities across the institution.

He completed his doctorate at the University of Calgary, focusing on investigating current trends and issues within the post-secondary context encompassing higher education. His scholarly and research pursuits center on how organizational culture influences internationalization, or the integration of an international, intercultural or global dimension into higher education’s purpose, function, or delivery. In addition to his doctoral studies, his academic background includes master’s degrees in science (MSc. Molecular Biology) and Business Administration (MBA), a Baccalaureate degree in Biology (BSc.), publication of scholarly works, and over twenty years of experience in the post-secondary sector, including academic instruction, planning, program review, development, and renewal. Outside of the office, he is an avid sailor and CrossFit enthusiast.

Vinitha Gengatharan is a senior leader with over 20 years of experience in the higher education sector.  She currently serves as the Assistant Vice-President, Global Engagement & Partnerships at York University where she is responsible for advancing the University’s global engagement goals, global learning and the experience of international students.  Previously, Vinitha was at the University of Toronto for 17 years where she held several progressively senior roles and led the university’s international strategy and partnerships.  She has extensive experience in engaging in the Asia-Pacific region including building institutional collaborations with institutions, industry and government.  At the University of Toronto, she established the University’s in-country presence in China.  She has served in a leadership capacity on numerous not-for-profit boards including Agincourt Community Services Association, Indo-Canada Chamber of Commerce and the Hart House Board of Stewards.  She is the co-founder of Tamil Women Rising, a non-profit organization that empowers Tamil women and their allies in advancing their professional success.

François Gélineau is Vice Rector, International Affairs and Sustainable Development, and EDI and Philanthropy Officer. He has been a full professor in the Department of Political Science at Université Laval since 2006, and he served as Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences from 2015 to 2022. From 2011 to 2022, he held the Research Chair in Democracy and Parliamentary Institutions. He also served as Director of the Inter-American Studies Centre, Chair of the Department of Political Science, and Associate Director of the Centre for the Study of Democratic Citizenship. Prior to his academic career, he served as Senior Policy and Research Officer at the Canada Millennium Scholarship Foundation and as Senior Public Opinion Advisor in the Intergovernmental Affairs Branch of the Privy Council Office of the Government of Canada.

As a researcher in the field of electoral studies, he has studied emerging democracies for over 25 years. He has spent several years working with various institutional players in Quebec, Canada and abroad, with the aim of translating scientific knowledge into concrete action for the benefit of democracy. He has acted as an international observer on over 20 election observation missions to various countries throughout the Americas, including Bolivia, Colombia, El Salvador, Ecuador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Paraguay and the Dominican Republic.

As President and CEO of Saskatchewan Polytechnic, Dr. Larry Rosia leads the province’s primary provider of technical education and skills training.

Dr. Rosia’s career in education spans more than 35 years, as an Instructor, Program Chair, Revenue Generating Coordinator, Marketing Manager, and Dean.  He has more than 25 years of leadership experience in educational administration and has served in advisory roles to community, provincial and municipal committees.  He is currently serving as Chair, Director, or Board Member for many Regional, National and International organizations, including: the Business/Higher Education Roundtable (BHER), the Canadian Council of Chief Executives, CANARIE, the Community Colleges for International Development (CCID), the International Mineral Innovation Institute (IMII), Polytechnics Canada, Post-Secondary International Network (PIN), the Chair Academy, the Saskatchewan Labour Market Task Force (LMTF), the University of Regina Senate, and the World Federation of Colleges & Polytechnics (WFCP).

Dr. Rosia is a well-respected ambassador for the post-secondary community and has authored a book titled “The Successful College President.”

Janaka Ruwanpura is the Vice-Provost and Associate Vice-President Research (International) at the University of Calgary, Canada. He is also the current elected Executive Chair of the Commission of International Initiatives of the Association of Public and Land-Grant Universities (APLU) as the first Canadian and Non-American to chair any of the councils and commissions of APLU. He was a full professor, Canada Research Chair in Project Management Systems and a founding director of the Centre for Project Management in the Schulich School of Engineering.

Dr. Ruwanpura earned a BSc (honors) from the University of Moratuwa, Sri Lanka, an MSc in construction management from Arizona State University, and a PhD in construction engineering and management from University of Alberta. He has been recognized with many national and international awards for teaching, research, innovation, leadership, service, distinguished alumni, graduate education and internationalization. He has brought new international initiatives to the University of Calgary including developing and implementing collaborative degree models, co-developing Global Research Initiatives and Sites and raising funding for research and infrastructure, establishing and promoting new research partnerships in number of countries and lobbying for international development grants. Because of these initiatives the University of Calgary won 6 competitive excellence and innovation awards from various organizations such as CBIE, APLU and the Association of International Educators and Administrators (AIEA). In 2020 he was recognized with the International Achievement Award from the City of Calgary.

Dr. Ruwanpura is a licensed professional engineer in Alberta, a professional quantity surveyor in Canada and a chartered member of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors.

For more than 30 years, Carole has worked in the field of education for Higher Education institutions in both Alberta and British Columbia, as well as the Ministries of Education and Advanced Education for the Government of Alberta. Carole has held administrative senior leadership roles in a Canadian national and international focus developing expertise in international activities including international partnership development, international recruitment and retention, global mobility and strategic planning.

In her current role as Associate Vice President, International, Kwantlen Polytechnic University in Metro Vancouver, Carole is responsible for providing leadership, oversight and strategic vision to KPU International. The KPU International team is made up of 60+ staff who are dedicated to the recruitment, admissions and success of international students and providing opportunities for faculty and students exchanges, business development and academic collaboration. She has recently served as Chair and Vice-Chair for BC Heads of International.

Carole holds a Bachelor of Education in Adult Education, as well as a Master of Business Administration with a specialization in Public Management. She further completed a Certificate in Immigration: Laws, Policies and Procedures with UBC and holds a Canadian Immigration Consultant (RCIC) designation.