ELITE President Rhonda McEwen shares her ambitious plans By Sally Szuster Photos by Minh Truong and Horst Herget
T
BUT NOT ELITIST
he words “Because she who dares, wins” do not just adorn Dr. Rhonda N. McEwen’s website—they underpin every part of her decision-making process as president and vice-chancellor of Victoria University in the University of Toronto. She is the first Black woman to lead any university in Canada. As the Canadian Research Chair in Tactile Interfaces, Communication and Cognition, she is also the first president at Vic U with an academic focus on
STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics). McEwen is among a rare breed of academics who have worked in industry prior to assuming leadership roles in a university. For over 15 years, she worked as a management consultant in telecommunications for Cable and Wireless, IBM and Deloitte, in Europe, the U.S. and Canada. Known for her bionic-level work ethic, her outstanding academic credentials and her charismatic
VIC REPORT AUTUMN 2023
4
