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News Release

April 20, 2006

New College of Arts Dean Named

After an extensive search, the University of Guelph has appointed Donald Bruce, chair of the Department of Modern Languages and Cultural Studies at the University of Alberta, the new dean of the College of Arts.

The announcement was made today by provost and vice-president (academic) Maureen Mancuso, who chaired the search committee.

“Dr. Bruce is an experienced and respected leader and administrator, and I am delighted he is joining the faculty,” she said. “He has an appreciation for the full spectrum of the arts, ranging from the visual and performing arts to the humanities. I know the University community will join me in welcoming him to campus.”

A faculty member at Alberta since 1987, Bruce was named the first chair of the newly created languages and cultural studies department in 1998.

He was also elected chair of the Chairs’ Council (representing 65 departments) and is known for his efforts to promote the liberal arts, including their contribution to social and economic capital. Previously, he was an assistant professor at Mount Allison University in New Brunswick.

Bruce’s teaching and research expertise lies in 19th-century French literature, literary theory and cultural studies and, most recently, the interrelationship of different forms of knowledge and modes of discovery and their representations, specifically science and literature.

He has published numerous reviews, book chapters, journal articles, papers and translations. His current research includes a monograph on Jules Vallès, work on Jules Verne and Max Nordau, and a collaborative book project with a colleague at the University of Waterloo on the impact of science on French cultural production.

“I am very pleased that this opportunity has arisen to become part of the University of Guelph and the College of Arts,” said Bruce. “Both the University and the college have earned well-deserved national reputations for high quality. My recent campus visits certainly confirmed this for me. The new challenge is an exciting one, and I look forward to working closely with my many new colleagues to realize and enhance the goals of the College of Arts.”

Bruce holds a bachelor’s degree in French and German from the University of Alberta and a master’s degree in French from Queen’s University. He spent three years teaching English and French in private language schools in France and Germany before returning to Canada to earn a PhD in French from the University of Toronto.

The father of a 22-year-old McGill student, Bruce is an amateur astronomer who also enjoys travel, photography, reading and swimming. His five-year term begins Aug. 1, 2006.