St. Thomas University’s board of governors has named former politician Dennis Cochrane interim president and vice chancellor.
Andrea Seymour, chair of the board of governors, released a statement Monday.
“Mr. Cochrane comes to St. Thomas with a unique combination of experience and capabilities,” she said in the statement.
“He has developed excellent relationships with the university presidents and recognizes the challenging operating context of universities”
Cochrane was mayor of Moncton from 1979-1983 . He then moved into federal politics, serving as a Progressive Conservative MP from 1984-1988. From 1991-1995 Cochrane was the leader of the provincial Progressive Conservative party. He’s also held the deputy minister of education post in both New Brunswick and Nova Scotia.
Cochrane holds a masters degree in education from Université de Moncton, as well as an honorary fellowship from STU and an honorary doctorate from the University of New Brunswick.
“Cochrane has experience in the classroom as a teacher, a principal and senior administrator, and brings both expertise and a fresh perspective,” Seymour said in her statement.
Cochrane takes over for outgoing president Michael Higgins in January.
