Dr Gilles Patry has been appointed executive director of the U15 Group of Canadian Research Universities effective this week, replacing inaugural executive director Suzanne Corbeil, who is stepping down after five years. Patry recently completed seven years as president and CEO of the Canada Foundation for Innovation. He was previously president and vice-chancellor of the Univ of Ottawa where he also served as dean of the faculty of engineering and vice-rector academic. Patry holds a BSc and MSc in civil engineering from the U of O and a PhD from the Univ of California, Davis.