Biography
Dr. Deborah Saucier was appointed President and Vice-Chancellor of Vancouver Island University in July 2019. Dr. Saucier holds a PhD in psychology from the University of Western Ontario and a BA and MSc in psychology from the University of Victoria. She received her International Baccalaureate diploma from the Lester B. Pearson College of the Pacific in Metchosin, near Victoria.
Prior to joining VIU, Dr. Saucier was President of MacEwan University in Edmonton and Provost and Academic Vice-President of the University of Ontario Institute of Technology. Dr. Saucier is a distinguished researcher in both psychology and neuroscience. She was the Canadian Research Chair in Behavioural Neuroscience at the University of Lethbridge and Dean of Science at the University of Ontario Institute of Technology and has garnered numerous grants to support her research, including awards from Natural Science and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) and the Canadian Foundation for Innovation.
Dr. Saucier is also the author of two books in psychology and an advocate for women in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).
At Vancouver Island University, Dr. Saucier has guided the development and implementation of the institution’s first strategic plan. The plan includes three core values – People, Place and Potential – and six commitments for the next five years. Following the guidance of the plan, Dr. Saucier is working to build on the institution’s strengths and fostering the unique educational experience at VIU to be more accessible, more inclusive, and more deeply rooted in community.
Born in Saskatoon, Dr. Saucier is a member of the Métis Nation of Alberta. In 2020, she was awarded the Indigenous Women in Leadership Award from the Canadian Council for Aboriginal Business. As president of Vancouver Island University, Dr. Saucier is focused on helping to close the education gap for Indigenous youth and working to incorporate the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP), BC Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act (DRIPA), and the TRC Calls to Action into institutional decision making by implementing both policy and physical changes on campus to ensure that Indigenous cultures and knowledges are reflected in campus spaces.
Dr. Saucier is married to curator and contemporary artist Chai Duncan and has a teenage daughter.
Dr. Deborah Saucier
Vancouver Island University's President Dr. Deb Saucier says her first hello to the community.
Three Things
A blog for December
Thinking about the state of the world these days, it is easy to think of Dicken’s quote from the Tale of Two Cities, “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief
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October thoughts
Pumpkin spice season is in full gear. The sun is coming up noticeably later, and the colour of the light has changed. And the semester is well underway. September flew by in the blink of an eye.
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Statement on the murder of a Muslim family in Ontario
When I learned the news that a Muslim family in London, Ontario, had been intentionally targeted and attacked because of their faith, I was horrified and deeply saddened.
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March Blog Post
Welcome to March! March is a time of change and transition. The vernal equinox is on Saturday, March 20, which is officially the start of spring. The days are not only getting longer, they are also getting milder and warmer.
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January Blog
January is a strange month. Perhaps it is because it is on the other side of many holidays. Perhaps it is because the days are finally getting longer and things are starting to sprout in the garden. Perhaps it is the start of a new term.
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Engage in the next phase of VIU's strategic planning process
Dear VIU Community, I'm excited to announce that the next phase of VIU’s strategic planning process has arrived.
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October/November Blog
I’ve been spending some time on campus since the start of term and noticed, when wandering around, that I’ve been running into more people.
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