Rhonda L. Lenton (July 2017 - December 2025)
Rhonda L. Lenton, a sociologist and academic leader, was York University’s eighth President and Vice-Chancellor from 2017 to 2025. A timeline capturing some of her achievements as President is available here.
Rhonda L. Lenton joined York University in 2002 as Dean of the Atkinson Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies, where she oversaw substantial enrolment and program diversification, as well as expanded experiential education and community-based learning. She later served as York’s inaugural Vice-Provost Academic (2009–2012) and as Vice-President Academic and Provost (2012–2017), leading major initiatives in academic planning, institutional change management, and strategic enrolment and resource alignment, including the drafting of the University’s Strategic Mandate Agreement and an Institutional Integrated Resource Plan.
On July 1, 2017, Lenton was appointed York University’s eighth President and Vice-Chancellor. Under her leadership, York secured a new School of Medicine to address the province’s critical need for family doctors and primary health-care physicians and opened a new campus in Markham focused on technology and entrepreneurship to meet the talent and innovation needs of York Region, one of the fastest-growing regions in Ontario. A timeline capturing some of her achievements as President is available here.
In addition to her roles at York, Lenton has contributed to numerous boards and professional organizations, including serving as Chair of the Council of Ontario Universities. She has been associated with the Association of Commonwealth Universities, the Hemispheric University Consortium, the U.S.-Canada Innovation Partnership, the Canada India Business Council Advisory Board, the Business and Higher Education Roundtable, and the International Board of Advisers for the India Institute at O.P. Jindal University. She has also participated in committees such as Universities Canada’s Standing Advisory International Committee and the Canada School of Public Service’s External Advisory Committee.
Her leadership has been recognized with numerous honours, including being named one of Canada’s Top 100 Most Powerful Women by the Women’s Executive Network in 2015 and receiving the Angela Hildyard Recognition Award in 2016 for innovative leadership in advancing higher education.
Lenton earned her Doctor of Philosophy in Sociology from the University of Toronto in 1989. Her research and teaching have focused on gender, family, sexual harassment and violence, research methods, and higher education. She has published peer-reviewed book chapters and articles in a broad array of academic journals and co-authored a landmark study of the Canadian Jewish community in 2019.
Mamdouh Shoukri (July 2007 - June 2017)
Mamdouh Shoukri, a mechanical engineer and academic leader, served as York University's seventh President and Vice-Chancellor from 2007 to 2017. He is a President Emeritus.
Mamdouh Shoukri began his career in academia at McMaster University, where he joined the faculty in 1984. In 1990, he was appointed chair of the Mechanical Engineering Department, and eventually became dean of the Faculty of Engineering, serving from 1994 to 2001. Shoukri then went on to serve as vice-president research & international affairs.
On July 1, 2007, Shoukri became York University’s seventh president and vice-chancellor, and ended his term as president on June 30, 2017. During his decade at the helm of the University, Shoukri was known as being a champion of innovation. Among his achievements as president were the establishment of the Lassonde School of Engineering and major capital development projects such as a new Life Sciences Building, Glendon’s Centre of Excellence, the Osgoode Hall Law School expansion, the CIBC Pan Am/Parapan Am Athletics Stadium, the Bergeron Centre for Engineering Excellence (the new home for the Lassonde School), the Lillian Meighen Wright Centre in Costa Rica and the extension of the TTC subway to York’s Keele campus. He also oversaw the advancement of York’s internationalization and social innovation agendas as well as plans for future growth in the York Region.
He has been a member of many boards and committees, including: the Ministry of Industry’s Space Advisory Board, the Board of Directors of Universities Canada, the Loran Scholars Foundation, the Government and Community Relations Committee for the Council of Ontario Universities, the Standing Advisory Committee on University Research (SACUR) for Universities Canada, and the Ontario Research and Innovation Council (ORIC). He was also a founding Board Member of the Ontario Centres of Excellence (OCE).
For his contributions as both an engineer and an administrator, he was invested into the Order of Canada and the Order of Ontario, awarded the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal, and named a Senior Fellow of Massey College and a Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Engineering and the Canadian Society for Mechanical Engineering.
Shoukri is the author and co-author of more than 120 papers that have appeared in refereed journals and symposia. He earned a Bachelor of Science with Honours in Mechanical Engineering from Cairo University, and two degrees from McMaster University: a Master of Engineering and a PhD in Mechanical Engineering.
Lorna R. Marsden (July 1997 - June 2007)
Lorna R. Marsden, a sociologist and former Canadian senator, served as York University’s sixth President and Vice-Chancellor from 1997 to 2007, later becoming a President Emerita.
Lorna R. Marsden began her academic career at the University of Toronto in 1972, serving as professor and later in key leadership roles until 1992. In 1984, she was appointed to the Senate of Canada by Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau, where she served for eight and a half years, chairing the Standing Committee on Social Affairs, Science and Technology and sitting on the Standing Committee on National Finance. She also served as Vice-Chair of the Canada-Europe Parliamentary Association.
In 1992, Marsden resigned from the Senate to become President and Vice-Chancellor of Wilfrid Laurier University, a position she held until 1997. From 1997 to 2007, she served as President and Vice-Chancellor of York University, where she founded the university's Culture and Communications program and led a major building campaign.
Marsden has also contributed to numerous boards and advisory panels, including Manulife Financial, SNC-Lavalin, Gore Mutual, the Gardiner Museum, and Massey Hall and Roy Thomson Hall. She chaired the Mayor’s Independent Fiscal Review Panel for Toronto (2007–2008) and served on the Canada-Japan Forum and the Senior Advisory Panel to the Auditor General of Canada. Earlier in her career, she was President of the National Action Committee on the Status of Women (1975–1977).
She has received numerous honours, including the Order of Canada (2006), the Order of Ontario (2009), the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany (2007), and several honorary degrees. She was named one of Canada’s 100 Most Powerful Women annually from 2003 to 2007, and was inducted into their Hall of Fame. Her other awards include the YWCA Women of Distinction Award (2003), the Queen’s Silver and Gold Jubilee Medals, and the 125th Anniversary of Confederation of Canada Medal.
She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Toronto in 1968 and a Doctor of Philosophy in Sociology from Princeton University in 1972.
Susan Mann (July 1992 - June 1997)
Susan Mann was a historian, researcher, teacher and university administrator before becoming York University's fifth President and Vice-Chancellor in 1992. She served in that role until 1997, and was later named President Emerita.
Susan Mann began her academic career at the Université de Montréal, where she taught English-Canadian History from 1966 to 1970. She later held faculty positions at the University of Calgary (1970–1972), and at the University of Ottawa (1972–1992), where she served as Chair of the Department of History from 1977 to 1980 and as Vice-Rector Academic from 1984 to 1990. She was also a co-organizer of the University of Ottawa’s Women’s Studies program, founded in 1982 by a group of cross-disciplinary feminist scholars.
In 1992, Mann became the first woman appointed President of York University, a position she held until 1997. During her tenure, she advanced academic programs and strengthened York’s commitment to equity and interdisciplinary scholarship.
Beyond York, Mann was a founding member of the Canadian Research Institute for the Advancement of Women (1976) and Senior Women Academic Administrators of Canada (1987). She served as President of the Canadian Historical Association (1984–1985), chaired the Status of Women Committee of the Council of Ontario Universities (1985–1988), and contributed to numerous national committees, including the Aid to Scholarly Publications Committee and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council.
She has received many honours over her career in recognition of her contributions. She was made a fellow of the Royal Society of Canada in 1985, became a Member of the Order of Canada in 2000, and received honorary degrees from the University of Ottawa and Concordia University.
Mann earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Modern History from the University of Toronto in 1963, a Master of Arts from the University of Western Ontario in 1965, and a Doctor of Philosophy from Université Laval in 1970.
Harry W. Arthurs (January 1985 - June 1992)
Harry William Arthurs, legal scholar and labour law expert, served as York University's fourth President and Vice-Chancellor from 1985 to 1992. He was later named President Emeritus.
Harry William Arthurs began his academic career at Osgoode Hall Law School in 1961, where he taught a broad array of legal subjects while also acting as an arbitrator and conciliator in significant labour disputes, including serving on major industry boards and review panels. From 1972 to 1977, he served as Dean of Osgoode Hall Law School.
In 1985, Arthurs was appointed President of York University, a position he held until 1992. During his tenure, he guided the university through a period of expansion and innovation, and in 1995, he was named University Professor of Law and Political Science and President Emeritus.
Beyond York, Arthurs conducted inquiries and reviews at Canadian, British and American universities, and provided advice to governments on issues ranging from higher education policy to the constitution to labour and employment law. He was the principal author of ‘Law and Learning’ (Ottawa: SSHRC, 1983), the first comprehensive review of Canadian legal education and research, and chaired reviews of federal labour standards legislation (2004-2006), Ontario pension legislation (2006-2008) and the funding of Ontario’s workplace safety and insurance system (2010-2012).
He has held leadership roles in numerous public, academic, and professional bodies, including as Chair of the Council of Ontario Universities, President of the Canadian Civil Liberties Association, Bencher of the Law Society of Upper Canada, member of the Economic Council of Canada, and Associate of the Canadian Institute for Advanced Research.
Arthurs has received many honours for his scholarship and public service, including being named a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada and the British Academy, an Officer of the Order of Canada, and a Member of the Order of Ontario. He has been awarded nine honorary degrees and several distinctions including Canada Council’s first Killam Laureate in the Social Sciences, the D.W. Mundell Medal, and the Bora Laskin Award for Distinguished Contribution to Labour Law.
He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Toronto in 1955 and a Bachelor of Laws in 1958. He obtained a Master of Laws from Harvard Law School in 1959 and was admitted to the Bar of Ontario in 1961.
H. Ian Macdonald (July 1974 - August 1984)
Hugh Ian Macdonald, economist and public policy leader, served as York University's third President and Vice-Chancellor from 1974 to 1984, later becoming President Emeritus.
Hugh Ian Macdonald began teaching at the University of Toronto in 1955 and became an assistant professor of economics in 1962. In 1965, he entered the Ontario public service as Chief Economist and later assumed a number of increasingly important ministerial positions in economics and intergovernmental affairs.
In 1974, Macdonald was appointed President of York University, a role he held for a decade, guiding the institution through a period of significant growth and innovation. After stepping down in 1984, he became President Emeritus and continued to teach public policy and economics. From 1984 to 1994, he was the Director of York International, which administered projects in Kenya and other countries and sought to widen York University's international involvement.
Throughout his career, Macdonald contributed to numerous organizations in Canada and internationally. He chaired the Ontario Advisory Committee on Confederation, led IDEA Corporation, and served as President of the Couchiching Institute on Public Affairs, Chairman of Hockey Canada, and Director of the International Association of Universities, among many others. He also sat on corporate boards and advisory councils, including AGF Companies, McGraw-Hill Ryerson Ltd., and the Canadian Rhodes Scholars Foundation.
Macdonald’s contributions have been widely recognized. He was named an Officer of the Order of Canada in 1977 and a Knight of Grace of the Order of St. Lazarus of Jerusalem in 1978. His honours include the Governor General’s Medal, the Centennial Medal, the Queen’s Silver Jubilee Medal, the Canada 125th Medal, the Vanier Medal, and numerous honorary degrees. In 2005, the Government of Ontario established the H. Ian Macdonald Visiting Economist position in the Ministry of Finance in his honour, and York University presented him with the George Tatham Award for lifetime teaching excellence.
He earned a Bachelor of Commerce degree from the University of Toronto in 1952 and went on to Oxford University as a Rhodes Scholar, completing a Master of Arts in 1954 and a Bachelor of Philosophy in Economics in 1955.
David W. Slater (July 1970 - January 22, 1973)
David Walker Slater, economist, veteran, and public servant, served as York University's second President and Vice-Chancellor from 1970 to 1973 after a distinguished academic career at Queen’s University.
Following military service in the Royal Canadian Army Service Corps during the Second World War, David Walker Slater began his academic career by teaching at Queen’s University in 1952 as a sessional lecturer, later becoming Assistant Professor and contributing to the development of its graduate program in economics. He also served as Dean of the School of Graduate Studies from 1968 to 1970. In 1970, he left Queen’s to become President of York University.
Following the end of his tenure as President in 1973, Slater joined the Department of Finance as Director of Economic Analysis, later becoming General Director of Fiscal Policy and Economic Analysis. He represented Canada on OECD working parties and contributed to federal budgets under three finance ministers. In 1978 he was appointed Vice-Chairman of the Economic Council of Canada, becoming Chairman in 1980 and serving until 1984.
Slater served on numerous boards and committees, including the Canada Council, the Bank of Canada, and the Ontario Committee on University Affairs. He was instrumental in establishing Canada’s first art bank and remained active in public policy and community service throughout his career.
He earned a Bachelor of Commerce (1942) from the University of Manitoba, a Bachelor of Arts in Economics (1947) from Queen’s University, and both a Master of Arts (1950) and Ph.D. (1957) from the University of Chicago. He was awarded an honorary LL.D. from Queen’s University in 1989 and continued to contribute to economic policy well into his later years.
Murray G. Ross (December 1959 - June 1970)
Murray George Ross, educator, author, and sociologist, was York University's founding President and Vice-Chancellor. He served the university from 1959 to 1970, leading York through a period of rapid growth and expansion. He is a President Emeritus.
Murray George Ross (1910-2000) was born in Canada and educated there and in the United States, receiving a Doctor of Education from Columbia University in 1949. He returned to Canada to teach in the School of Social Work, University of Toronto and he served as vice-president of that school from 1957-1960.
In 1960, Ross was appointed founding President of York University, guiding the institution through its formative decade and shaping its distinctive vision of accessibility and community engagement. He stepped down in 1970 to become Professor of Social Science and was later named President Emeritus.
Ross authored several works dealing with community organizations and higher education including, Community Organization: Theory and Principles (1955), Canadian Corporate Directors on the Firing Line (1980), The New University (1960), The University: The Anatomy of Academe (1976), and a memoir, The Way Must Be Tried: Memoir of a University Man (1992).
Ross also served on the board of directors of several charitable and corporate bodies and has been awarded several honorary degrees from Canadian universities. He was made an Officer of the Order of Canada (1979), and of the Order of Ontario (1988), and was awarded the 125th Anniversary of Confederation of Canada Medal (1992).
| Acting Presidents | |
|---|---|
| Richard J. Storr | January 22, 1973 - January 24, 1973 |
| John W. Yolton | January 24, 1973 - June 1974 |
| William C. Found | September 1984 - December 1984 |