Keynote Speakers
Dr. Alastair J. S. Summerlee
President & Vice-Chancellor
University of Guelph – Guelph, Ontario, Canada
Alastair J. S. Summerlee became the 7th President of the University of Guelph on July 15, 2003.
President Summerlee, whose career as a scholar, professor, researcher and administrator spans nearly 30 years, joined the University of Guelph faculty in 1988 as a professor in the Department of Biomedical Sciences. He was named an associate dean of the Ontario Veterinary College in 1992, dean of graduate studies in 1995, associate vice-president (academic) in 1999, and provost and vice-president (academic) in 2000.
He has continued teaching while holding administrative positions and was awarded a prestigious 3M Teaching Fellowship in June, 2003 for outstanding leadership in teaching, education and academic program development. He is the only University of Guelph professor to earn the honour while serving as an administrator and is the first president-elect in Canada to be named a 3M Fellow. He was also recognized with a Distinguished Professorial Teaching Award from the U of G Faculty Association in 1991.
In 2006, Dr. Summerlee was named as the chair of the board of directors of World University Service of Canada (WUSC), one of the country's leading international development agencies. WUSC teams with students, faculty and institutions to internationalize Canada’s universities, increase knowledge of global issues and foster human development through education and training.
His research in biomedical sciences is acclaimed internationally and he has attracted significant money to support his research, published extensively and been an invited lecturer at universities and colleges around the world. He holds a B.Sc., B.V.Sc. and Ph.D. from the University of Bristol in the United Kingdom and is a member of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons. In 2004 Dr. Summerlee received the Doctor of Laws (Honoris causa) from the University of Bristol.
Dr. Saundra Yancy McGuire
Assistant Vice-Chancellor for Learning & Teaching
Louisiana State University – Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA
After serving as Director of the Center for Academic Success and Adjunct Professor of Chemistry at Louisiana State University for ten years, Dr. Saundra Yancy McGuire was promoted to Assistant Vice Chancellor for Learning and Teaching and Professor of Chemistry in 2009. She received her B.S. degree, magna cum laude, from Southern University, Baton Rouge, LA; her Master’s degree from Cornell University, Ithaca, NY; and her Ph.D. in Chemical Education from the University of Tennessee at Knoxville, where she received the Chancellor’s Citation for Exceptional Professional Promise. Prior to joining LSU in August 1999, she spent eleven years at Cornell University, where she served as Director of the Center for Learning and Teaching and Senior Lecturer in the Department of Chemistry, and received the coveted Clark Distinguished Teaching Award.
Dr. McGuire has worked actively with administrators, faculty, and students to promote the application of cognitive science theories to improve teaching and learning. Her current interests include improving learning strategies used by students at all levels, reform of pre-college science and college science teaching methods, and increasing the number of underrepresented minority students who are interested in and prepared to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. She is a much sought-after consultant who has presented workshops or keynote addresses at such institutions as The University of California at Davis, Virginia Union University, Cornell University, Morgan State University, Amherst College, and the University of Maryland.
She is the author of numerous publications, including the Problem Solving Guide and Workbook, Study Guide, and Instructor's Teaching Guide for Russo/Silver's Introductory Chemistry, Third Edition.
Dr. McGuire has been nationally recognized for her teaching, presentations, and mentoring of students. Her most recent awards include a 2008 Distinguished Alumna designation by the Department of Chemistry at Southern University; the 2007 Diversity Award from the Council on Chemical Research; the 2006 Presidential Award for Excellence in Science, Mathematics, and Engineering Mentoring, awarded by President Bush in an Oval Office Ceremony; the 2002 Dr. Henry C. McBay Outstanding Chemistry Teacher Award, presented by the National Organization for the Professional Advancement of Black Chemists and Chemical Engineers; and the 2003, 2004, 2005, and 2007 Teaching in Higher Education Conference Outstanding Presentation Award. She is an active member of several professional organizations, including the National College Learning Center Association and the American Chemical Society.
Dr. McGuire is actively involved in community and volunteer activities, and was designated a 2003 YWCA Woman of Achievement in the City of Baton Rouge, Louisiana. She is married to Dr. Stephen C. McGuire, and they are the parents of Dr. Carla McGuire Davis and Dr. Stephanie McGuire, and the grandparents of Joshua, Ruth, Daniel, and Joseph Davis.