TORONTO, April 20, 2010 -- York University has appointed Janusz Kozinski as dean of the Faculty of Science & Engineering.

 

Kozinski will begin a five-year term at York on July 1, 2010. He has been dean of the College of Engineering at the University of Saskatchewan since 2007 but spent much of his career at McGill University.

 

A widely-acknowledged expert in sustainable energy systems and immune building concepts (focused on anti-bioterrorism), Kozinski has created and led multi-disciplinary teams throughout his career, linking research on energy, environmental issues, public health and security.

 

“I’m looking forward to welcoming Dean Kozinski to our Faculty of Science and Engineering,” said York University President and Vice-Chancellor Mamdouh Shoukri. “His research achievements and leadership skills will help to ensure that students receive an excellent education and will enhance York’s reputation for innovation.”

 

Educated in Poland, Kozinski earned MEng and PhD degrees from AGH-University of Science & Technology, in Krakow, and did postdoctoral work at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) before joining McGill University’s Faculty of Engineering in 1994. He was appointed associate vice-principal research & international relations at McGill in 2005. He has also completed the Oxford Advanced Management & Leadership Programme at Oxford University and the Executive Education Program on Crisis Leadership in Higher Education, at Harvard University.

 

Kozinski’s research includes projects related to sustainable energy systems, the next generation of nuclear reactors, environmental impact of energy technology, greenhouse gas mitigation, and many other topics, including Mars exploration. In 2006, he was named International Chair in Bioenergy for the Institute for Advanced Studies and Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) in France. While at the CNRS in 2002-03, Kozinski researched how to mix metals from Mars’ crust and CO2 from its atmosphere to generate enough energy for a return trip from Mars − a project that took him to space on a series of zero-gravity parabolic flights organized by the European Space Agency.

 

“Being asked to lead a Faculty that includes both scientific research and engineering expertise, at a major university in Canada, is a unique opportunity” said Kozinski. “I would characterize York as ‘i-squared’ − a very interdisciplinary and very international university. Those are among the key things that are going to be the driving force in science and engineering in the 21st Century.”

 

Kozinski will succeed interim dean Walter Tholen.

 

York University is the leading interdisciplinary research and teaching university in Canada. York offers a modern, academic experience at the undergraduate and graduate level in Toronto, Canada’s most international city. The third largest university in the country, York is host to a dynamic academic community of 50,000 students and 7,000 faculty and staff, as well as 200,000 alumni worldwide. York’s 10 Faculties and 28 research centres conduct ambitious, groundbreaking research that is interdisciplinary, cutting across traditional academic boundaries. This distinctive and collaborative approach is preparing students for the future and bringing fresh insights and solutions to real-world challenges. York University is an autonomous, not-for-profit corporation.

Media Contact:

Janice Walls, Media Relations, York University, 416 736 2100 x22101 / wallsj@yorku.ca