STU names new president

St. Thomas University has named Dawn Russell its new president and vice-chancellor.

Russell, an alumnus of the Fredericton-based liberal arts university, is currently the Purdy Crawford chair in business law at the Schulich School of Law at Dalhousie University.

Andrea Seymour, the chair of the board of governors, said Russell has been given a five-year term that starts on July 1. She replaces Dennis Cochrane, who took over the position in November 2009.

Seymour said it is a chance to bring "home" a scholar to serve as its president.

"She is the scholar, academic leader, and relationship builder that we were seeking in our national search. Her passion for liberal arts education and understanding of our history, as well as her proven ability to articulate and implement a strategic vision promise great things for St. Thomas," Seymour said in a statement.

Russell was born in Chatham Head, N.B., and earned her first degree at St. Thomas University. She has also studied at Dalhousie Law School and Cambridge University.

She has been the dean of the Dalhousie law school for a decade.

"I am very much looking forward to coming home to St. Thomas as it begins its second century. My family and I have had a longstanding connection with the university, which provided me with a wonderful educational foundation for further study," Russell said in a statement.