NSCAD University appoints new president

NSCAD University in Halifax has named Peggy Shannon as its new president, more than a year after the previous president of the art and design school was fired.

Shannon has served as a professor and administrator at universities in the U.S. and Canada, including the University of California – Davis, Ryerson University and San Diego State University, where she currently works as the dean of the College of Professional Studies and Fine Arts.

Shannon's appointment comes after the previous president, Aoife Mac Namara, was fired last year just one year into her term. At the time, the faculty union called on the board of governors to reverse its decision. 

Shannon will begin her five-year term on July 1.

"In Dr. Shannon, we have found an artistic and scholarly leader whose inclusive approach and entrepreneurial mindset will position NSCAD well for continued innovation and sustainable growth, and will ensure its graduates are significant contributors to the cultural landscape of contemporary society," said Maggie Marwah, the chair of the board of governors, in a news release Wednesday.

Shannon said she is honoured to lead NSCAD through a "new era full of promise and potential."

"I'm excited to be able to help the university leverage its unique strengths, and am also deeply humbled to lead and serve the university and its renowned faculty, dedicated staff and highly talented students," she said in the news release.

The board has been searching for a new president since January 2021.

After Mac Namara's departure, Sarah McKinnon, an administrator at the Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto, was appointed interim president. She will continue to serve in that role until Shannon begins her employment.