Michael MacDonald began a five-year appointment effective Jan. 9 as associate dean, graduate studies and research, in the Faculty of Education.

Dr. MacDonald comes to the University of Windsor from the School of Education and Human Services at Oakland University in Michigan, where he served as associate dean for almost seven years. Prior to this appointment he served as graduate program director and chair of the Teacher Development and Educational Studies Department.

Dean of education Ken Montgomery notes that MacDonald brings with him a wealth of knowledge and experience teaching across all levels of the education system, from the public-school boards of Windsor, Toronto, and Calgary to post-secondary institutions including Mount Royal College, the University of Regina, Edith Cowan University, Ferris State University, Central Michigan University, Western University, and Oakland University.

“Dr. MacDonald is enthusiastic about his new role, and we are all excited to see where Dr. MacDonald’s vision and leadership for our graduate program takes us,” Dr. Montgomery said.

MacDonald has published more than 20 peer-reviewed articles and book chapters over the course of his career with a scholarly focus on mental health, youth suicide prevention, and program evaluation. He has been the recipient of over $13 million in funding during this time while also teaching graduate courses related to curriculum development, counselling, educational psychology, action research, and instructional design, and supervising numerous graduate students.

Montgomery also expressed gratitude to Kara Smith, who completed her term as associate dean in June 2022 and retired Feb. 1 as associate professor emeritus.