Professor Ulrich Krull appointed vice-president, University of Toronto, and principal, U of T Mississauga

Professor Ulrich Krull, currently serving as interim vice-president and principal, has been appointed the new vice-president & principal of the University of Toronto Mississauga, U of T announced today.

The appointment, a three-year term, begins July 1, 2017.

“I am absolutely delighted by the appointment of Professor Ulrich Krull as vice-president and principal, University of Toronto Mississauga,” said Meric Gertler, president of the University of Toronto. “In addition to his record as a distinguished scientist and celebrated teacher, he is also a gifted administrator who is building on UTM’s accomplishments in preparation for its next 50 years of success. At the same time he is continuing UTM’s very effective partnership with the City of Mississauga, helping to foster innovation and long-term prosperity in the region and well beyond. Professor Krull is a tremendous asset to UTM and to U of T, and I look forward to our continued collaboration in this next phase of his leadership.”

Krull has been serving as interim vice-president and principal since Sept. 1, 2016. In an appointment notice to the U of T community, Gertler and Provost Cheryl Regehr note that Krull has “demonstrated his deep passion for and commitment to the UTM campus” over the past year. “His visionary, strategic and innovative thinking has inspired the UTM community and are the precise qualities that make him exceptionally well suited to lead UTM over the next several years.”

“This is an exciting time at UTM, given the visioning and strategic planning process that will shape our destiny,” said Krull. “There is momentum and enthusiasm in all quarters to explore new areas of academic growth and research excellence. But we need to be quite deliberate in our decision-making – choosing smart, strategic directions so our growth both supports and helps lead U of T’s global mission.

“For the present, smart growth at UTM means suspending undergraduate enrolment increases while continuing to hire additional faculty and staff. It means investing in space that will support outstanding research opportunities and internationally recognized scholarship. And it means building robust links between academic programs and hands-on research so we enrich the academic experience for our students.  

“Over the past number of years, UTM has invested wisely in supporting our established colleagues, hiring remarkable faculty and staff, and building award-winning facilities,” Krull noted. “We are now ready to embark on our next stage. And we will do so with our extraordinarily committed community of faculty, staff, students and senior executive team, engaged alumni and supportive community members in the City of Mississauga and Region of Peel. Working together, we will support excellence, encourage creativity and innovation, and explore new directions. I feel truly privileged to serve as principal of UTM and vice-president of U of T at such a pivotal time in our history.”

Before assuming the role of interim vice-president and principal, Krull served as vice-principal, special initiatives at UTM. In 2015, he served for six months as acting vice-president and principal during his predecessor’s administrative leave. Over his career, he served in a number of academic administrative roles at UTM: associate dean of sciences (1994-99); vice-dean, graduate (2006-08); and vice-principal, research (2003-13).

In addition to demonstrating a long-standing commitment to university service, Krull is also an active member of the community, both locally and internationally. Past leadership roles include chair of the Healthy City Stewardship Centre and vice-chair of Advantage Mississauga. He continues to serve on the Scientific Advisory Board for the Europtrode Conference series, the Board of Directors of the Research Innovation Commercialization Centre, and as a member of the Mississauga Innovation and Entrepreneurship Committee at the invitation of Mississauga Mayor Bonnie Crombie. 

Past awards and honours have included the Faculty Teaching Excellence Award at UTM, the Paul W. Fox Alumni Award at UTM, the University of Toronto Faculty Award, the Life Sciences Ontario Community Service Award, the inaugural Outstanding Contributor Award from U of T’s School of Continuing Studies, and the McBryde Medal and the Maxxam Lecture Award from the Canadian Society of Chemistry.

A professor of analytical chemistry, Krull holds the AstraZeneca Chair in Biotechnology, and is recognized as one of the leading analytical chemists in Canada. His scholarship focuses on bioanalytical research and the development of molecular diagnostics technologies for biomedical and environmental applications. He received his PhD from U of T in 1983, and has over 200 refereed publications and eight patents.