Welcome to this first edition of LEEF Update. In this and future issues, we’ll introduce our BC Leadership Chairs, world-class researchers who have made British Columbia their home. You will meet three of them here.

The Chairs are chosen through a stringent review process conducted by our International Review Committee chaired by Dr. Bernard Shapiro, former Principal of McGill University in Montreal, and involving external peer review by the Canada Research Chairs program. I’d like to thank Dr. Shapiro and his Committee for their hard work. I’d also like to thank the Canada Research Chairs staff who provided additional input and assistance along the way.

We live in a competitive academic world, and researchers of Laurie Chan, John Reynolds and John Steeves’ calibre are in great demand everywhere. Fortunately, our BC universities can attract and retain them thanks to their excellent facilities, talented faculty and overall reputations. By providing our institutions with additional resources, we at the Leading Edge Endowment Fund can give them a further “edge” in this regard so they can recruit the best.

Eventually, we will endow 20 BC Leadership and nine Regional Innovation Chairs around the province. So watch for our announcements of newly-appointed Chairs and for updates on their research achievements. Check our website regularly and - - when you do - - please sign up for future issues of LEEF Update.

Finally, I want to extend our thanks to the Premier, the Minister of Advanced Education  and the BC government for their extraordinary vision in establishing the Leading Edge Endowment Fund, and to the many individuals, companies and foundations who have contributed to make these BC Leadership Chairs a dynamic reality.

Martha Salcudean
Chair,
LEEF Board