CCA Appoints an Expert Panel on the Labour Market Transition of PhD Graduates

The Council of Canadian Academies (CCA) has appointed a distinguished group to the Expert Panel on the Labour Market Transition of PhD Graduates. The Expert Panel will be chaired by Dr. Elizabeth Cannon, FRSC, FCAE, Emerita President and Vice-Chancellor at the University of Calgary.

“I’m thrilled to accept the role of Chair on this assessment,” said Dr. Cannon, FRSC, FCAE. “I look forward to working with my colleagues to develop a comprehensive portrait of the challenges facing graduates as they transition into the labour market.”

As Chair, Dr. Cannon will lead the multidisciplinary, multisectoral panel of individuals with expertise, experience, and demonstrated leadership in labour market economics, statistics, education, sociology, academic administration, public policy, and industry. The Panel will also include members with recent experience transitioning into the labour market following completion of their PhD. The Expert Panel will address the following question:

What are the main challenges that PhD students in Canada face in transitioning to the labour market, and how do these differ by field of study?

“We are delighted that Dr. Cannon has accepted the role of Chair,” said Eric M. Meslin, PhD, FCAHS, President and CEO of the CCA. “Dr. Cannon is an internationally recognized scholar and I know she will enrich the Panel’s deliberation process in her role.”

CCA was asked by Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED) to undertake this project. More information about this project can be found here.

The Expert Panel:

Elizabeth Cannon, FRSC, FCAE (Chair), Emerita President and Vice-Chancellor, University of Calgary.

Marcelline Bangali, Associate Professor, Department of Foundations and Practices in Education, Faculty of Education, Université Laval.

Dwayne Benjamin, Professor, Department of Economics; Vice Dean, Graduate Education, Faculty of Arts & Science, University of Toronto.

John (Jay) Doering, FCAE, Associate Vice-President (Partnerships), University of Manitoba.

Bryan Gopaul, Assistant Professor, Warner School of Education and Human Development, University of Rochester.

Diane Gray, Founding President and CEO, CentrePort Canada; Chair, Mitacs Board of Directors.

Tina Gruosso, Scientist, Translational Research, Forbius.

Jennifer Polk, Co-founder, Beyond the Professoriate.

Susan Porter, Clinical Professor, Faculty of Medicine; Dean and Vice-Provost, Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies, University of British Columbia; President, Canadian Association of Graduate Studies.

Reinhart Reithmeier, FCAHS, Professor, Department of Biochemistry; Director for Professional Development and Alumni Engagement, Institute of Medical Science, University of Toronto.

David Walters, Associate Professor, Department of Sociology and Anthropology, University of Guelph.

Paul Yachnin, Tomlinson Professor of Shakespeare Studies, Department of English, McGill University.