Dec. 19, 2018
Dr. Robert I. Thompson appointed associate vice-president (research) and director of research services
Dr. Robert I. Thompson has been appointed associate vice-president and director of research.
I am pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Robert I. Thompson as associate vice-president (research) and director of research services, effective January 1, 2019.
Dr. Thompson is currently a professor of physics and astronomy in the Faculty of Science and interim head of the Graduate College at the University of Calgary. He has been a UCalgary faculty member since 1998 and was previously the department head of Physics and Astronomy, a member of the UCalgary Board of Governors, and academic co-chair of the Academic Planning and Priorities Committee.
His extensive academic leadership experience includes serving as vice-president (elect) of the Canadian Association of Physicists, chair of the Association of Canadian Universities for Research in Astronomy Board, and member of the TRIUMF Board. Additionally, Dr. Thompson has held research positions at Rice University in Houston, Texas and the Max Planck Institute for Quantum Optics outside Munich, Germany.
Dr. Thompson leads a research group in exotic atom physics and is one of the co-founders the international ALPHA (Anti-hydrogen Laser Physics Apparatus) collaboration. He was also co-recipient of the 2013 NSERC John Polanyi Award and is a nationally recognized physics educator, having earned the Canadian Association of Physicists’ Medal for Excellence in Undergraduate Physics Education, as well as the UCalgary Students' Union Teaching Excellence Award.
He holds a bachelor of science (honours) from the University of British Columbia and a PhD in physics from the University of Toronto. He is also a professional physicist (P. Phys), as granted by the Canadian Association of Physicists.
In this role, Dr. Thompson joins the research leadership team, who are all engaged in initiatives across the academy and dedicated to advancing our research priorities: Dr. André Buret, interim vice-president (research), effective Jan. 1; Dr. Susan Skone, associate vice-president (research); Dr. Penny Pexman, associate vice-president (research); Dr. Marcello Tonelli, associate vice-president (health research); Peter Garrett, associate vice-president (research and innovation); and Joelle Foster, executive director, Hunter Hub for Entrepreneurial Thinking.
Please join me in congratulating Dr. Thompson on his appointment.
Dr. Ed McCauley
Vice-President (Research)