M. Elizabeth Cannon

M. Elizabeth Cannon
President of the University of Calgary
In office
July 1, 2010 – December 31, 2018
Preceded by Harvey Weingarten
Personal details
Born Margaret Elizabeth Cannon
Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, Canada
Spouse(s) Gerard Lachapelle
Alma mater Acadia University
University of Calgary
Occupation geomatics engineer

Elizabeth Cannon is a Canadian engineer specialising in geomatics and a university administrator. Since 2010 she has served as the eighth president and vice-chancellor of the University of Calgary, the first woman to hold that position.

Life and career

Cannon was born in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island to Elizabeth (née MacLeod) and Fred M. Cannon. Both her parents had scientific backgrounds. Her father was an entomologist at the Canada Department of Agriculture Research Station in Charlottetown. Her mother, a science graduate, was a high school science and mathematics teacher. Cannon received two Bachelor of Science degrees: the first in 1982 from Acadia University in mathematics and computer Science and the second in 1984 from the University of Calgary in geomatics engineering. After working in the GPS/geomatics industry for several years, she returned to the University of Calgary where she received her Masters degree in geomatics engineering and her PhD in the same subject in 1991. That same year she joined the University of Calgary Schulich School of Engineering faculty. In 2006 she became the school's first female dean of engineering.[1][2][3]

Cannon combined her teaching career with continued research and work in the GPS/geomatics industry and has commercialized technology to over 200 agencies worldwide.[4][5] Cannon has received the Johannes Kepler Award from the U.S. Institute of Navigation,[6] APEGA’s Centennial Leadership Award, the Gold Medal Award from Engineers Canada in 2013, and the NSERC E.W.R Steacie Fellowship from 2002 to 2004. She has served on the National Advisory Board on Earth Sciences to the Canadian Minister of Natural Resources, as past president of the U.S. Institute of Navigation, and as a past director of the Canada Foundation for Innovation. Cannon is a fellow of the Royal Society of Canada, a fellow of the Canadian Academy of Engineering, and an elected foreign associate of the National Academy of Engineering.[5]

She served as the chair of Universities Canada until October, 2017. Cannon also serves as Vice Chair of the Business-Higher Education Roundtable and a member of the Board of Governors of the Sidra Research and Medical Center in Qatar.[7] From 1997 to 2002, she held the NSERC/Petro-Canada Chair for Women in Science and Engineering for the Prairie Region. In this capacity. She also developed several programs to encourage women to explore careers in STEM fields, including the largest online mentorship program of its kind in Canada, Cybermentor. In 1998, Cannon was selected as one of Canadas Top 40 Under 40, and in 2006 she was named as one of Canada’s Top 100 Most Powerful Women by the Women’s Executive Network. She has received Honorary Doctorates from the University of Ottawa, Acadia University and the Université de Montréal.[8]

In June 2010 Cannon was appointed president and vice-chancellor of the University of Calgary, the first woman to hold that position. Four years later Cannon's contract as president was extended by the university until June 2020. However, on January 29, 2018, she announced her resignation from her role as President and Vice-chancellor, effective December 31, 2018.[9]

Cannon is married to Gérard Lachapelle who joined the engineering faculty at the University of Calgary in 1988 shortly after Cannon began her post-graduate studies there. He is currently Professor Emeritus (CRC/iCore Chair in Wireless Location) at the Schulich School of Engineering.[10] The couple met while they were working in the GPS industry and have two children, a daughter born in 1988 and a son born in 1992.[2][11]

References

  1. ↑ Bulletin - Entomological Society of Canada (1969). "This Cannon not Fired, Retired". Vols 1-4, p. 16
  2. 1 2 GCS Research Society (2015). Elizabeth Cannon Pure and Applied Mathematics
  3. ↑ Day, Jim (19 June 2010). "P.E.I. native named University of Calgary president". The Guardian
  4. ↑ Leslie, Melody Ward (November/December 2007). "Elizabeth Cannon: Geomatics Innovator". Inside GNSS, pp. 18–21
  5. 1 2 "GPS.gov: Elizabeth Cannon". www.gps.gov.
  6. ↑ "2001 Kepler Award - Dr. M. Elizabeth Cannon". www.ion.org.
  7. ↑ "Dr. Elizabeth Cannon – Sidra Medicine". www.sidra.org.
  8. ↑ "President and Vice-Chancellor - University of Calgary -". www.ucalgary.ca.
  9. ↑ Hudes, Sammy (29 January 2018). "University of Calgary president Elizabeth Cannon leaving job before contract expires". Calgary Herald.
  10. ↑ Hassanali, Lisha (23 April 2015). "Geomatics engineering pioneer Gerard Lachapelle retires". Schulich School of Engineering News.
  11. ↑ Nelson, Chris (2 October 2011). "Cannon Positions U of C for the Future". Calgary Herald.
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