Lisa Philipps

Lisa Philipps became the Interim President and Vice-Chancellor of York University on January 1, 2026, following more than seven highly successful years  as Provost and Vice-President Academic.  

A proud alumna and long-standing member of the York community, she joined the faculty of Osgoode Hall Law School in 1996. Philipps is recognized for her expertise in taxation law, fiscal policy, and the role of public institutions in advancing equity and social well-being, with more than three dozen publications across these areas and research projects funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada, the Canadian Tax Foundation, and others 

Her university leadership experience is extensive. As Provost, she led York’s Academic Division through a period of significant growth in academic quality, research capacity, and academic programming. She advanced strategic faculty hiring, oversaw major capital and program development initiatives, expanded experiential education and online learning opportunities for students, and championed initiatives that advanced the University Academic Plan 2020-2025, including the School of Continuing Studies, Markham Campus and the School of Medicine. 

Before serving as Provost, Philipps held several key leadership roles at York, including Associate Vice-President Research (2011–2014), and Senior Policy Advisor to the President (October 2024- July 2025). She has also served as Chair of the (then) Senate Academic Policy and Planning Committee (2005-2006), and as Associate Dean, Research, Graduate Studies and Institutional Relations at Osgoode Hall Law School.   

Beyond York University, Philipps has provided expert legal advice to a range of bodies, including the Ontario Ministry of Finance as Special Counsel in 2015. In 2015-16, she served as Interim Dean of the Bora Laskin Faculty of Law at Lakehead University, a new law school with a mandate to strengthen the Indigenous bar and prepare lawyers to practice in northern and rural communities. 

Philipps has provided volunteer service over her career to a number of public and non-profit organizations including eCampus Ontario, the Federation for the Humanities and Social Sciences, the Provincial Judges Pension Board, and National Association of Women and the Law. 

She holds an LLB from the University of Toronto and an LLM from York University and was called to the Bar of Ontario in 1988.  She practiced with a large law firm based in Toronto, before launching her academic career at the University of Victoria Faculty of Law.