University of Waterloo starts search for new president

WATERLOO, Ont. – A major change on the horizon at the University of Waterloo (UW), as president Vivek Goel (pictured), is set to wrap up his time in the role next year. He began his first, and now only, term back in June of 2021, moving over after previously holding various senior positions with the University of Toronto. Prior to that, he served as the CEO of Public Health Ontario from 2008 to 2014.

Goel’s last day in the position is currently slated for June 30, 2026. It means a big decision is looming for the University of Waterloo, needing to find the best person to take the reins.

As part of the ongoing search, board member Murray Gamble has helped to set up a presidential nominating committee. That committee is made up of various members, including board members, school alumni, faculty and staff, senate members, as well as students at the university.

Community members in Waterloo were also able to give their own input on the process of finding a new replacement back in May through a questionnaire.

Before the committee is given names, a recruitment firm, Laverne Smith & Associates Inc., will have the first go at seeing who could be a potential fit to take over the role.

It stated that the successful candidate will focus “on enhancing the performance of the University as a leading institution of higher learning dedicated to advancing learning and knowledge through teaching, research, and scholarship, locally, nationally, and internationally, in an environment of free expression and inquiry.”

The presidential nominating committee will then go over all the potential candidates and continue filtering them down until it comes to a clear decision on who will be the next UW president.

The UW president has a direct relationship with the delivery of healthcare in Kitchener-Waterloo, as the region’s new hospital will be built on the university’s property.

The new acute care facility, located on the University of Waterloo’s north campus, will bring an additional 400 acute care beds to the region, ensuring more patients have access to the care they need when they need it. When complete, Waterloo Region Health Network will still have three hospital sites (Midtown, Chicopee, and University), with numerous outpatient locations, community clinics and services throughout Waterloo-Wellington.

Each year, over 700,000 patients receive care at WRHN, and this number continues to grow.