Marie Bountrogianni named dean of The G. Raymond Chang School of Continuing Education at Ryerson University

Former Ontario cabinet minister a prominent advocate for life long learning

TORONTO, April 23, 2014 /CNW/ - Provost and Vice President Academic Mohamed Lachemi today announced the appointment of Marie Bountrogianni as dean of The G. Raymond Chang School of Continuing Education. The five-year term is effective July 1, 2014.

Since her appointment in July 2013 as interim dean of The Chang School, Bountrogianni has increased national and international awareness of Ryerson's leadership in delivering quality online and continuing education. She has strengthened the continuing education model at Ryerson and overseen the development of two new labour-market responsive certificates. She has fostered several external partnerships and further developed Ryerson's collaboration with the Bombay Stock Exchange Institute to provide professional development education for young entrepreneurs in India.

"In the short time she has been at Ryerson, Marie Bountrogianni has become a prominent advocate for life long learning," said Lachemi. "She espouses the belief that people of any age should have access to education as a means of pursuing their career ambitions and expanding their understanding of the world around us. Her leadership of The Chang School will ensure its continued success."

Bountrogianni is the author of Partnering for Prosperity, a report that resulted from extensive consultations she conducted with private and public sector partners on mal-employment in Canada and how enhanced employment opportunities for youth, immigrants and persons with disabilities can be created. She was first appointed to The Chang School as a distinguished visiting scholar in 2011, and named a research fellow the following year. Prior to joining Ryerson, she was president and executive director of the ROM Board of Governors.

"It is an honour to be at Ryerson University where I first taught 26 years ago," said Bountrogianni. "It is a vibrant, urban university that puts students' needs first and foremost. I look forward to working with the stellar team at The Chang School in our continuing efforts to improve the lives of our adult learners."

A former cabinet minister, Bountrogianni represented the riding of Hamilton-Mountain for nearly a decade until her retirement from political life in 2007. She served as minister of a number of portfolios including Intergovernmental Affairs, Democratic Renewal, Children and Youth Services, and Citizenship and Immigration. During her time in office, she was instrumental in negotiating a number of landmark federal-provincial agreements and in introducing the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA), which established Ontario as a world leader in accessibility.

Prior to entering politics, Bountrogianni was the chief psychologist for the Hamilton Wentworth District School Board. She holds a doctorate in Applied Psychology from the University of Toronto. She is a board member of Northland Power Inc., the Canada California Business Council and Skills Connect Inc., a non-profit recruiter for Canadians aged 45 and older. She previously served a five-year term with the Child and Youth Committee for the national Mental Health Commission.

Ryerson University is Canada's leader in innovative, career-oriented education and a university clearly on the move. With a mission to serve societal need, and a long-standing commitment to engaging its community, Ryerson offers more than 100 undergraduate and graduate programs. Distinctly urban, culturally diverse and inclusive, the university is home to more than 38,000 students, including 2,300 master's and PhD students, nearly 2,700 faculty and staff, and more than 155,000 alumni worldwide. Research at Ryerson is on a trajectory of success and growth: externally funded research has doubled in the past four years. The G. Raymond Chang School of Continuing Education is Canada's leading provider of university-based adult education. For more information, visit www.ryerson.ca

With approximately 70,000 annual enrollments, The G. Raymond Chang School of Continuing Education is Canada's leading provider of university-based adult education. There are over 1500 courses, workshops and seminars and 91 career-related certificate programs and numerous course series in which 23 certificate programs can be completed entirely at a distance. The school's mission is to be a leader in innovative, quality, lifelong learning that empowers adults to reach their life and career goals.

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SOURCE: Ryerson University

MEDIA CONTACT: Johanna VanderMaas, Public Affairs, Ryerson University, Office: 416-979-5000 x4630, [email protected]