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When winter sets in, every McGillian has special shortcuts that reduce time spent in the cold. Rima Rozen took one of her shortcuts earlier this week, just as she did as an undergraduate in the early 70s. This time she was not a biology major tromping down to Lower Campus from the McIntyre Medical Sciences building but a world renowned geneticist walking to meet her new colleagues at James Administration building.
"I looked at the Arts Building in a way I didn't use to as a student, when you have, perhaps, a more transient sense of the university. I looked at the importance of it as an institution," she recalled.
Rozen has been appointed Associate Vice-Principal (Research and International Relations) effective Feb. 1, 2007. Her appointment was one of two appointments announced last week. Lynne B. Gervais will take over the newly created position of Associate Vice-Principal (Human Resources) effective Dec. 4, 2006.
Rozen will work with Denis Thérien, Vice-Principal (Research and International Relations), and Richard Levin, Vice-Principal (Health Affairs) and Dean of Medicine, as well as other deans, to advance unified research policies and practices, research collaboration and research impact with the hospitals. Her unique background also makes her singularly qualified to advance the quality, impact and synergies of life-sciences and biomedical-sciences research at McGill and its research institutes.
She began her career under the tutelage of McGill's Charles Scriver, one of the world's genetics pioneers. A professor in the Human Genetics, Pediatrics and Biology departments and a James McGill Professor, Rozen is Scientific Director of the Montreal Children's Hospital of the McGill University Health Centre (MUHC) and Deputy Director of the MUHC Research Institute. She established the Montreal Children's Hospital's Molecular Genetics Diagnostics Service, a pre-eminent DNA analysis centre.
Gervais' appointment promises to strengthen another critical part of the university. In the context of the reorganization of the Administration and Finance portfolios, the new position of Associate Vice- Principal (Human Resources) replaces the executive director of Human Resources and will report to both Provost Anthony Masi and Morty Yalovsky, vice-principal (Administration and Finance).
Gervais will develop and implement strategies, policies and practices reflecting McGill's academic and human resource objectives. One of her first tasks will be integrating human resources functions for academic, administrative and support staff, including consolidating certain functions of the Academic Personnel Office into the Human Resources Department.
In addition to her impressive experience in global compensation, international management mobility and change management, Gervais has a proven record as a team builder and project manager. Starting in 2003, she was the National General Manager, Human Resources and Internal Communications at international law firm Ogilvy Renault.