Dr Elizabeth Theriault has been appointed VP education at the British Columbia Institute of Technology (BCIT), effective July 20. She will be responsible for ensuring that the polytechnic's programming remains vibrant, innovative and responsive to industry and student needs. Duties also include increasing applied research activities and addressing skilled trades shortages. Theriault comes to BCIT from a three-year secondment to the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade where she served as S&T counsellor at the Canadian Embassy in Tokyo, replacing Dr Philip Hicks (R$, May 6/03). Prior to that, she was dean of science and technology at Sheridan College Institute of Technology and Applied Learning. Theriault is trained as a neuroscientist specializing in spinal cord injuries and ran a research laboratory at the Univ of Toronto for more than 10 years before joining Sheridan….