Wood assumes role of U of L interim Vice-President (Research)
By Yoos, Cam on June 30, 2020.
Greg Bobinec
Lethbridge Herald
Robert Wood is the University of Lethbridge’s new Vice-President of Research, as he takes over the lead role in expanding the research footprint of one of the country’s top research institutions.
Wood has served at the U of L for nearly two decades starting in the role as Dean of Graduate Studies and Postdoctoral Affairs, and more recently as the Dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences.
“I have been at the U of L for 20 years, and over that time it has been truly remarkable to see the trajectory of growth we have experienced with respect to the scope, quality and impact of our creative activity and research,” said Wood in a recent news release. “This trajectory of research elevation is supported by talented colleagues, students and postdoctoral fellows spanning every academic discipline. In my capacity as the Interim Vice-President (Research), I look forward to cultivating and mobilizing research success in every faculty, school and campus in our vibrant university.”
Wood’s own research interest span the areas of social problems, youth culture, addiction and the sociocultural aspects of problem gambling. Wood went to the University of Alberta and earned a BA Honours, an MA from the University of Toronto, and his PhD at the University of Alberta, all in sociology.
“Dr. Wood has a great breadth of experience that will serve him extremely well in this role,” says Erasmus Okine, provost and vice-president (academic). “As an accomplished educator, researcher, and now administrator, he has the broad perspective this is essential in guiding a complex research portfolio at a comprehensive institution such as the U of L.”
Wood’s experience goes beyond the walls of the university as he has represented the U of L in a number of external roles such as president of the Western Canadian Deans of Graduate Studies, secretary-treasurer for the Canadian Association for Graduate Studies and as Western Regional representative on the board of directors for the Canadian Association of Postdoctoral Administrators.
“I have always maintained that graduate students and postdoctoral fellows are the engines of research at a comprehensive university,” says Wood. “They advance the frontiers of knowledge through their creative activity and their research. My external administrative service allowed me to gain a deep and a nuanced perspective on how graduate student and post-doctoral researchers are supported at other Canadian universities, as well as best practices for creating an overall university experience that allows them to thrive.”
Wood’s role as Interim Vice-President (Research) began on June 1 and is for 13 months.
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