University of Niagara Falls Canada (UNF) is excited to announce the appointment of Dr. David Gray as its new Provost and Vice-President, Academic, effective November 6, 2023. An academician with a rich history of leadership, Dr. Gray brings a wealth of experience to UNF, further strengthening the university’s commitment to academic excellence.
Dr. Gray completed his undergraduate degree in Marine Biology at University College of North Wales in Bangor, United Kingdom, in 1993 and then pursued his Ph.D. in Zoology at Rhodes University in South Africa. Over the years, he has served in several distinguished roles, including at the University of the Western Cape, Hartpury College, and the University of Derby. Most recently, he served as the Dean of the Faculty of Agriculture at Dalhousie University, where he played a pivotal role in the development of the Agricultural Campus. In these positions, Dr. Gray has been responsible for overseeing extensive budgets, managing large staff contingents, and developing innovative educational programs.
Upon accepting the role at UNF, Dr. Gray expressed his excitement for his new role, “I always find starting something new is exciting! The opportunity to join the UNF team and help shape a modern university that meets the needs of modern students is a chance of a lifetime. Creating academic programs focused on the needs of our students and ensuring that they have the necessary skills for the modern world of work is truly fantastic.”
Dr. Gray further added, “UNF is committed to developing and delivering student-centric academic programs that directly meet the skills needs of the modern workplace. Ensuring that every single student has digital literacy and competency will give our graduates a huge advantage when seeking employment. UNF is building a team of exceptional academics to ensure that the curriculum is ground-breaking.”
Regarding the work that lies ahead, Dr. Gray is looking forward to the challenge and feels inspired by the idea of providing students with a clear pathway to success, “I want to contribute to helping our students’ learning, to reach their goals and their aspirations. That’s why I got into education in the first place. I love interacting with students and seeing their achievements”.
Dr. Gray will be relocating to Niagara Falls prior to his appointment and is looking forward to playing a role in the city’s revitalization of the historic downtown core, “the University will play a significant role as an economic driver for the local community. It will be wonderful to see historic downtown Niagara Falls come alive again as a thriving centre of learning for students from all over the world.”
Beyond his professional commitments, Dr. Gray enjoys spending time his family. He is married to Janine, and they have three daughters, Rebecca, Emma and Bethan.
The UNF community is looking forward to welcoming Dr. David Gray and is excited for the period of significant growth and innovation that his leadership promises to bring.
