To our dear Canadian Studies community:
It is with mixed emotions that I am writing to inform you of the impending end of my term as director of the Canadian Studies Program, effective July 1.
After ten years directing the program, it is strange to step back from this position, which has occupied so much of my energies and been such an important place of community. Nevertheless, I believe it is time to pass the baton. New leadership will help us bring new perspectives to Canadian Studies, and help us grow in exciting and unexpected ways.
I am thus delighted to announce that my longtime co-director, Professor Richard A. Rhodes, has agreed to succeed me as the program’s interim director. Professor Rhodes is a professor emeritus of linguistics, specializing in North American Indigenous languages. He received his Ph.D. in from the University of Michigan, where he also taught for ten years. He joined the faculty at UC Berkeley in 1986, and taught in the Department of Linguistics until his recent retirement.
Rich has been involved with Canadian Studies since its early days, and has been a great support during my tenure as director, including running the program while I was on sabbatical in 2016-17. He brings significant experience in campus administration to his new role, having served as Associate Dean of Undergraduate Studies in the College of Letters & Science for many years. I believe that he will provide important continuity as we search for a new permanent director, and I feel very confident leaving the program in his capable hands.
It has been an absolute privilege to serve as director of Canadian Studies for the last decade. I’m proud to say that I'm ending my term knowing that this program is not only a national leader in our field, but also poised for additional growth. And, of course, I will continue to stay engaged with the program, so I have no doubt that we will see each other again soon!
Sincerely,
Irene Bloemraad
Program Director
Thomas G. Barnes Chair in Canadian Studies