Daniel Robert Woolf will become the 20th Principal and Vice-Chancellor of Queen’s University on September 1, 2009.

Dr. Woolf is currently the Dean, Faculty of Arts and Professor, Department of History and Classics, at the University of Alberta in Edmonton. He is a proud Queen’s alumnus and Queen’s parent.

 “On behalf of the Board of Trustees, I am delighted to welcome Dr. Woolf back to Queen’s,” said Chair William Young. “He is a noted scholar with significant leadership and management credentials that will serve the university well.”

Dr. Woolf was appointed by the Board on the unanimous recommendation of a Joint Board/Senate Advisory Committee to select the next principal. The Committee began its work in May 2008 chaired by University Chancellor David Dodge.

“Dr. Woolf is perfectly positioned to ensure Queen’s meets the challenges ahead in this critical time in Canadian post secondary education,” said Chancellor Dodge.

Dr Woolf’s academic career includes time at Queen’s, Bishop’s University, Dalhousie University and McMaster University. He is a specialist in early modern British cultural history and in the history of historical thought and writing both in Britain and globally. He will begin an academic appointment in the Department of History at Queen’s on July 1.

“I am thrilled to be returning to Queen’s and to Kingston,” said Dr. Woolf. “Queen’s has remained my intellectual home and I credit my career achievements in large measure to the education I received here. I have a firm knowledge of Queen’s and its traditions and look forward to contributing further in my new capacity.”

Dr. Woolf will succeed Principal Tom Williams, who has led the University since May 2008.

“It’s been a very rewarding experience serving as Principal of this wonderful institution,” said Williams. “I will be working with Dr. Woolf in the months to come, and will do everything I can to make the transition seamless for him and the entire Queen’s community.”

“This is an exciting moment for Queen’s,” said student Rector Leora Jackson. “Dr. Woolf’s involvement as a Queen’s student and parent and his long-standing commitment to academia give him a solid understanding of the Queen’s experience.”

One of Canada's leading universities, Queen's has a reputation for scholarship, research and public service, shaping Canadian values and policies and educating many of the country's most notable political and cultural figures for over 165 years.

Daniel Woolf’s biography

Daniel Woolf’s curriculum vitae