The interim tag has finally been peeled off Dr. Geoff Payne.
Today (Tuesday), he was officially named UNBC’s sixth president.
Payne served as interim President since February of 2020, replacing Daniel Weeks who stepped down due to health reasons.
“I very much look forward to listening and learning from our students, faculty, and staff and building upon the founding community’s vision for a University in the North,” said Dr. Payne.
“In an ever-changing higher education landscape, UNBC is well-placed as one of the premier small research-intensive Universities that are globally impactful. Together we can ensure a student-centered experience that fosters a path to their destination. I am honoured and humbled to be UNBC’s next President as we embark on the next chapter of this outstanding institution.”
In addition to leading the school through the pandemic, Payne also played a major role in helping ratify a new working agreement with the UNBC Faculty Association.
A founding faculty member at UBC’s Northern Medical Program (NMP) at UNBC, Dr. Payne came to UNBC in 2004 to teach physiology following a post-doctoral fellowship at Yale University in the Department of Cellular and Molecular Physiology and John B. Pierce Laboratory.
His new contract begins on April 4th and will run until June 27th of 2025.