MEMORIAL UNIVERSITY
Jennifer Lokash appointed provost

Dr. Jennifer Lokash has been appointed provost and vice-president (academic) of Memorial University.  

The appointment was approved on Jan. 16 by the Board of Regents, following the unanimous decision of the search committee.  

Dr. Neil Bose, president and vice-chancellor pro tempore, welcomes the appointment. 

Dr. Jennifer Lokash has been appointed provost and vice-president (academic)

"Dr. Lokash has been a valued member of the Memorial community for 20 years. She has a solid understanding of the university's core mission informed by her experience as both a faculty member and an administrative leader," said Dr. Bose.  

"Stepping into the role of provost pro tempore at a critical time for Memorial, Dr. Lokash has provided strong, reliable and strategic leadership. Her collaborative, yet decisive, approach and her unwavering commitment to delivering a better, brighter and more stable future for Memorial make her the ideal choice as provost." 

About Dr. Lokash

Dr. Lokash holds a bachelor of arts (honours) and a doctorate in English literature from McGill University. After serving as a lecturer at McGill University, she came to Memorial in 2004 as an assistant professor in the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences (HSS).  

"Memorial, like this magnificent province, is a robust and resilient entity. I'm proud and honoured to have been given the opportunity to help lead this university we all love towards a brighter horizon." Dr. Jennifer Lokash

She served three terms as a senator and has actively served on many committees within her department, her faculty and the wider university. In particular, she chaired the HSS Planning and Research Committee; co-chaired the university's first Advisory Committee on Sustainability; and served as the director of the SPARKS Literary Festival for five years. Dr. Lokash has been a university orator since 2012 and public orator since 2018. 

In 2019, she was appointed to the Joint Gender Equity Salary Adjustment Committee, which resulted in over 300 women faculty members receiving salary adjustments. This important equity work was an example of successful collegial governance between MUNFA and administration, and it was recognized nationally by the Canadian Association of University Teachers with the Sarah Shorten Award for outstanding achievements in the promotion of the advancement of women in Canadian universities and colleges. 

Dr. Lokash began her academic administrative career in 2014 as head of the Department of English, a position she held until 2022. At that time, she stepped into the role of interim associate vice-president (academic), chairing the conflict-of-interest committee, overseeing the promotion and tenure process for faculty, managing the academic unit planning process and serving on the complement advisory committee.  

In April 2023, Dr. Lokash took on the role of provost and vice president (academic) pro tempore. One of her key priorities has been stabilizing the senior academic leadership team, and to that end she has chaired searches for multiple dean roles. Eight positions have been filled, with three other searches underway. As a part of that process, she formed a new Advisory Committee on Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Anti-Racism to ensure these principles are centered in leadership hiring processes. Other key accomplishments include overseeing the creation of a new onboarding and performance review process for academic leaders, championing the development of the Student Enrolment and Retention Plan and working collaboratively with academic leaders on budgeting processes. 

In 2024 she was a recipient of the Angela Hildyard Recognition Award in the emerging leader category, presented by Senior Women Academic Administrators of Canada. This award recognizes influential and emerging women leaders who have continually demonstrated innovative and impactful leadership in advancing the mission of their institution. 

Dr. Lokash says she is keen to continue putting her energy to work for the betterment of Memorial.  

"I know that the work ahead is multifaceted and demanding, but I am motivated to meet this challenge," she said. "I look forward to working with the president, the Board of Regents, vice-presidents, deans, Senate, our dedicated student leaders and faculty and our incredible support staff to chart a more positive and optimistic course together.

"Memorial, like this magnificent province, is a robust and resilient entity," Dr. Lokash added. "I'm proud and honoured to have been given the opportunity to help lead this university we all love towards a brighter horizon." 

About the role of provost

Reporting to the president, the provost and vice-president (academic) is the chief academic officer of the university and is responsible for all academic programming to a diverse population of undergraduate and graduate students across a wide range of disciplines.  

The five-year appointment is effective Jan. 20, 2025, and is renewable.

A copy of the employment contract is available online. 

About the search process

The provost search was managed internally by staff within the Office of Human Resources.  

Five virtual town halls were held, including one specifically for students, as well as consultation sessions with key advisory groups including the deans and the advisory committee to the vice-president (Indigenous). A university-wide survey was also conducted. These were held to help inform the process, including details of the job advertisement. 

A 12-person search committee, with student, faculty and leadership representatives, developed the position profile, considered more than 50 applications and conducted interviews.

The search committee included the below. 

• Neil Bose, president and vice-chancellor pro tempore (chair)
• Kirk Anderson, Faculty of Education
• Devon Budden, Memorial University of Newfoundland Students' Union
• Bev Fitzpatrick, School of Pharmacy
• Ashrafee Hossain, Faculty of Business Administration
• Amy Hurford, Faculty of Science
• Lee Ann McKivor, university registrar
• Michelle Porter, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences
• Md Shaheen Shah, Graduate Students' Union
• Anne-Marie Sullivan, dean, School of Human Kinetics and Recreation
• Ken Jacobsen, acting vice-president (Grenfell Campus)
• Sylvia Moore, interim dean, School of Arctic and Subarctic Studies, Labrador Campus

"One of my priorities is building a strong leadership team, and the provost is a critically important role," said Dr. Bose. "I'm deeply grateful to the members of the search committee who offered their time and expertise. The committee unanimously agreed in its selection of Dr. Lokash."