Paul Mazerolle, a pro vice-chancellor at an Australian University, will serve as the University of New Brunswick’s next president and vice-chancellor, the UNB Board of Governors announced today.
Mazerolle, a New Brunswick local, graduated from UNB with a bachelor of arts in sociology in 1989.
“We are very pleased to be welcoming Dr. Mazerolle back to our UNB community,” Larry Hachey, chair of the Board of Governors, said in a news release. “He possesses a strong track record in both academia and management, with proven experience leading growth-oriented change and restructuring in a multi-campus environment at Griffith – a well-respected, publicly funded Australian university.”
Mazerolle currently serves as pro vice-chancellor of arts, education and law and is the director of the violence research and prevention program at Griffith University in Queensland, Australia. He has held this role since 2009, which includes overseeing more than 400 faculty, 13,000 students, the Queensland College of Art, the Griffith Film School, the Queensland Conservatorium of Music and seven research centres.
In his current role, Mazerolle has developed experience in matters of reconciliation with Aboriginal communities in Australia and has led community efforts for employment expansion opportunities.
“As the landscape in post-secondary education becomes more competitive than ever, we are thrilled as we know he has the expertise and energy to take UNB to the next level,” Hachey said.
Following his undergraduate degree at UNB, Mazerolle went on to complete his master’s degree in criminal justice at Northeastern University in 1990 and his doctorate in criminology at the University of Maryland College Park in 1995.
The search process for the next UNB president began over a year ago. UNB’s joint nominating committee, tasked with hiring the new president, determined Mazerolle as its finalist to recommend to the Board of Governors.
The process sparked some criticism when the joint nominating committee decided to hold closed sessions with the candidates and selected community members in order to respect their privacy. Historically, UNB has held open town halls where any student or faculty member could pose questions to candidates.
“From the perspective of most candidates, being required to publicly declare their interest in the position has implications for their relationships at their current institution; their concern is significant enough that some well-qualified candidates consider withdrawing from consideration,” Jane Fritz, the committee’s chair, wrote in an email to the UNB community. “This decision was not taken lightly; it is one that carefully balances the need for further consultation with the committee’s responsibility to find the best candidate.”
Mazerolle will rejoin the UNB community in July, after current president and vice-chancellor Eddy Campbell steps down at the end of June after a decade in the position.