Vice-Principal (Research) Kimberly A. Woodhouse announced on Monday the appointment of Betsy Donald as Associate Vice-Principal (Research) for a three-year term beginning Aug. 1, 2020.

Dr. Donald, a professor in the Department of Geography and Planning, is an active researcher funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC), and a seasoned administrator.

Dr. Donald teaches, does research, and consults in the field of economic geography with a particular focus on innovation and regional economic development, urban planning and governance, and sustainable food systems. She has degrees from McGill (B.A. History), York (M.E.S. Environmental Studies) and the University of Toronto (M.Sc.Pl. Planning, Ph.D. Geography).

Dr. Donald has over 60 publications including articles in the Journal of Economic Geography, Urban Studies, Regional Studies and Environment and Planning A. She has been a Visiting Scholar at Harvard University, a Visiting Fellow at Clare Hall, University of Cambridge, and was the Eccles Centre Visiting Professor in North American Studies at the British Library, London, UK. In 2016 she was the Visiting Professor in Canadian Studies at Kwansei Gakuin University in Japan. She is currently an editor of the Cambridge Journal of Regions, Economy and Society and has been Principal Investigator on many SSHRC-funded research projects and won awards for her research including the Governor General's Academic Gold Medal. 

Dr. Donald has held previous administrative positions as Associate Head in the Department of Geography and Planning, and most recently as Associate Dean (School of Graduate Studies). As Associate Vice-Principal (Research) she will, in addition to contributing to the overall strategy and direction of the Research portfolio, serve as Queen’s SSHRC delegate, an important role in supporting Queen’s outstanding scholarship in the creative arts, humanities and social sciences.