At the start of July Pamela Sugiman will become Ryerson’s new Dean of the Faculty of Arts, and she’s looking forward to it. Photo courtesy: Pamela Sugiman
TORONTO – On July 1, 2016, Pamela Sugiman will be appointed as the Dean of the Faculty of Arts at Ryerson University.
Sugiman joined the university in 2006 and became chair of the Sociology Department in 2012.
Previous to that she held a tenure-stream position at McMaster University for over 15 years.
“I never set out to become a university administrator,” Pamela Sugiman told Nikkei Voice. ” But my colleagues strongly encouraged me to apply for Chair of the Sociology Department and they gave me the confidence and support that were needed.”
When the posting for Dean of the Faculty of Arts went up, her colleagues encouraged her to apply. For her, accepting the role is also important for students at the university to see an Asian-Canadian woman in a leadership position.
Her goals as the new dean of the faculty is to nurture a culture of respect in the 11 academic units while promoting student engagement.
Sugiman credits the guidance of her professional mentor Dr. Lorna Marsden, President-Emerita, York University, and her mother, Ritsuko Sugiman, who she said taught her the value of perseverance, to her success.
Outside of the university, Sugiman has held number of positions including being the president of the Canadian Sociologist Association and former Director of the National Executive Board of the National Association of Japanese Canadians.
She is also a part of the Executive Committee of the Landscapes of Injustice Project based out of Victoria, B.C.
The project is focused on the events surrounding the Japanese Canadian Interment and Sugiman is helping to steer it with her background in research gender and race.
“Pam Sugiman brings to the role of dean a demonstrated commitment to Ryerson values, in her teaching, research, community engagement and relationships with students and colleagues,” Chris Evans, interim provost and vice president academic, said in a statement.
Sugiman takes over the position from Jean-Paul Bourdreau who led the department since 2011.
***
1 Comment
[…] off with world-renowned architect Raymond Moriyama on Nov. 3. Other speakers include dean of arts, Pam Sugiman at Ryerson University; authors Kerri Sakamoto and Lynne Kutsukake and pianist Jamie Parker among […]