James Mandigo has taken the reins at the University of the Fraser Valley and officially became the school's seventh president on Tuesday (July 1).
He replaced the recently retired Joanne MacLean and has been involved at UFV since 2019.
Over the last six years at UFV, he has played a role in the development of excellence in teaching, learning, scholarship, and service and has been a champion of UFV’s One Health initiative. The new position isn't unfamiliar to him, as he served as UFV’s interim president for one year while MacLean was managing health issues.
“I am leading an exceptional team of faculty and staff, and together we’re going to continue building on the foundation that Joanne put in place,” Mandigo stated in a press release. "It’s in the DNA of UFV to be a change making institution, and I’m truly struck by how well the university fosters collaborative relationships within the communities that we serve. Our students, faculty, staff, alumni and volunteers have so many gifts to share. Collectively, we have great potential to be agents of change positively impacting the socio-cultural and economic development of our communities.”
He spent nearly 20 years at Ontario’s Brock University before joining UFV. During that time, he conducted research exploring ways to use sport and physical education to develop life skills to prevent violence amongst children and youth in El Salvador and Guatemala. His collaborative work with Universidad Pedagogica earned him formal recognition by the government of El Salvador.
He’s also been a visiting scholar at the University of Tsukuba’s International Academy for Sports Studies in Japan and provided a leadership role with the Scotiabank Champions for Health Promoting Schools in the Caribbean islands of St. Vincent, Antigua, and British Virgin Islands.
In 2015, Mandigo received Canada’s Physical and Health Education’s most prestigious award, the R. Tait McKenzie Award.
Mandigo has published 43 peer-reviewed articles and several book chapters, along with one book. His work has been funded by organizations including the Social Science and Humanities Research Council, the International Olympic Committee’s Olympic Studies Centre, and Scotiabank International.
Mandigo holds a PhD from the University of Alberta in Physical Education and Recreation, a Master of Arts in Child and Development Studies from Laurentian University, and a Bachelor of Arts in Physical Education from Wilfrid Laurier University.
According to the school's press release, Mandigo has shown a desire to address social issues, and he’s been a champion of UFV’s community-focused approach since arriving as provost and vice-president, academic in 2019.
“Our faculty, employees, and students have unlimited potential to change the world,” he says. “As we pursue excellence in the coming years, I’m excited to see what we’ll accomplish together. I have every confidence that we will continue to engage learners, transform lives, and build community 50 years forward.”
