Ryerson University congratulates David Johnston on appointment as
Governor-General

It's a proud moment for all in the post-secondary community: Sheldon Levy

TORONTO, July 8 /CNW/ - The selection of David Johnston, president of the University of Waterloo, as the next Governor-General is great news for the country and a moment of particular pride for everyone in the post-secondary community in Canada, said Sheldon Levy, president of Ryerson University and chair of the Council of Ontario Universities.

"On behalf of the Ryerson community I extend our sincerest congratulations to David on his appointment as Governor-General," Levy said.

"David's energy, passion and remarkable accomplishments have for many years been outstanding assets to post-secondary education and research, benefitting all Canadians. It is great news for Canada that David will bring all of this to his new role and we in the post-secondary community, as colleagues of David, share particular pride in today's announcement," Levy said.

Phyllis Yaffe, chair of the Ryerson Board of Governors, said the appointment reflects the strength of academic leadership in Canada and is recognition of Johnston's gifts as a leader and builder of partnerships.

"In addition to David's list of accomplishments, he is a tremendous leader, a master at building partnerships and has a rare depth of knowledge in public policy and the workings of government. I am thrilled the country's next Governor-General was chosen from the academic community, and I congratulate the Prime Minister on his announcement today," Yaffe said.

Johnston studied at Harvard and Queen's University and served as principal and vice-chancellor at McGill University, before taking his current post as president of the University of Waterloo in 1999. A prolific author, Johnston has honorary doctorates from more than a dozen universities and was named to the Order of Canada in 1988. Johnston is a highly respected legal expert, particularly in the area of public policy, constitutional law and information technology law. He was the founding chair of the National Round Table on the Environment and Economy, chair of the Canadian Institute for Advanced Research, and in the mid-1990s chaired the advisory council to the federal government on the information highway.

Johnston will be installed as Governor-General October 1.

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 close to 100 undergraduate and graduate programs. Distinctly urban, culturally diverse and inclusive, the university is home to 28,000 students, including 2,000 master's and PhD students, nearly 2,700 tenured and tenure-track faculty and staff, and more than 130,000 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

For further information: MEDIA CONTACT: Suelan Toye, Public Affairs, Ryerson University, Office: 416-979-5000 x 7161, [email protected]