I am pleased to announce that Dr. Chantal Fiola will be appointed as Associate Vice-President, Indigenous Engagement, effective August 1, 2024. She will maintain her tenured Associate Professor appointment in the Urban and Inner-City Studies Department, Faculty of Arts.
Dr. Fiola has served as the Interim Associate Vice-President, Indigenous Engagement since July 1, 2023. During that time, her office helped establish new UW Indigenous Community Awards, created a new Director of Indigenous Community Relations position, launched an Indigenous Identity Working Group, facilitated an inaugural sweat lodge ceremony for 2SLGBTQ+ and gender diverse UWinnipeg community members, and is part of the initiative to hire nine new Indigenous faculty members.
Dr. Fiola is Michif (Red River Métis), a registered citizen of the Manitoba Métis Federation (MMF) and a founding member of the Two-Spirit Michif Local of the MMF. She is an award-winning author, is an active member of her Indigenous communities, has been consistently funded by Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC), and has won multiple awards.
Dr. Fiola joined The University of Winnipeg with an Assistant Professor tenure track appointment in 2016 in the Department of Urban and Inner-City Studies; she was granted tenure and promoted to Associate Professor in 2021. She was named UWinnipeg’s Distinguished Indigenous Scholar’s Chair in 2021(-2024). She is also an adjunct professor with the University of Manitoba’s Faculty of Social Work.
She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Women’s Studies (University of Manitoba), a Collaborative Master of Arts in Sociology and Equity Studies in Education and Women’s Studies (OISE/University of Toronto), and a PhD in Indigenous Studies (Trent University).
I am confident that Dr. Fiola will continue to excel in her role supporting Indigenous students, staff, and faculty, and fostering a respectful, inclusive and supportive learning and working environment.
Please join me in congratulating Dr. Fiola on her appointment.
Dr. Todd Mondor
President and Vice-Chancellor
