University of Waterloo officially begins search for its next president
Posted Sep 17, 2025 10:40:52 AM.
Last Updated Sep 17, 2025 02:49:40 PM.
A major change on the horizon at the University of Waterloo (UW), as President Vivek Goel, is set to wrap up his time in the role next year.
Goel announced back in October of last year that he would not be seeking a second term as president, meaning the local university would need to begin its search for a replacement.
He began his first, and now only, term back in June of 2021, moving over after previously holding various senior positions with the University of Toronto. Prior to that, he served as the CEO of Public Health Ontario from 2008 to 2014.
Goel’s last day in the position is currently slated for June 30, 2026. It means a big decision is looming for the University of Waterloo, needing to find the best person to take the reins.
As part of the ongoing search, board member Murray Gamble has helped to set up a presidential nominating committee. That committee is made up of various members, including board members, school alumni, faculty and staff, senate members, as well as students at the university.
Community members in Waterloo were also able to give their own input on the process of finding a new replacement back in May through a questionnaire.
Before the committee is given names, a recruitment firm, Laverne Smith & Associates Inc., will have the first go at seeing who could be a potential fit to take over the role.
It stated that the successful candidate will focus “on enhancing the performance of the University as a leading institution of higher learning dedicated to advancing learning and knowledge through teaching, research, and scholarship, locally, nationally, and internationally, in an environment of free expression and inquiry.”
The presidential nominating committee will then go over all the potential candidates and continue filtering them down until it comes to a clear decision on who will be the next UW president.
