The University of Alberta names its 12th president
Dr. Indira Samarasekera will be the university's 12th and first female president when she succeeds Dr. Rod Fraser after his second five-year term ends next June. She will also be the university's first Asian president. She received her BSc in mechanical engineering at the University of Ceylon in 1974, a MS in mechanical engineering at the University of California in 1976 as a Hayes Fulbright Scholar and a PhD in metallurgical engineering at the University of British Columbia in 1980. Dr. Samarasekera also emphasizes the importance of the arts, humanities and the social sciences (psychology, history, political science, sociology, anthropology and the like) in university education.
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A renowned engineer, Samarasekera also bemoaned the level of research funding in the arts and humanities. "My education, being an engineer, was sadly lacking in the humanities," she said, noting that the importance of the arts, humanities and social sciences cannot be understated. Well-rounded students are conversant in many disciplines, she said. The university will educate leaders of tomorrow and will be positioned as "a global think tank."
Posted by Cat at November 6, 2004 03:09 PM