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Florentine Strzelczyk is an internationally recognized scholar and university leader. Currently the Provost and Vice-President (Academic) at Western University, Strzelczyk’s impact on Canadian higher education is underscored by her dedication to enabling student success, strengthening inclusivity, and deepening global connection.
After obtaining her MA in Germany and PhD at University of British Columbia as an international student, Strzelczyk joined Queen’s University in 1995 as an assistant professor, and in 1997 moved to the University of Calgary where she was promoted to associate and then full professor. She is widely recognized for her scholarship in film and cultural studies, having been funded by Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council, the German Academic Exchange Service, and received a prestigious Killam Award.
Strzelczyk assumed increasing leadership responsibilities throughout her years at Calgary, culminating in her role as Deputy Provost in 2018 where she successfully negotiated several collective agreements, oversaw the renewal of the university’s Internationalization Strategy, developed new policies for academic appointments, tenure, and merit, and chaired the tri-council sponsored national Dimensions EDI pilot. Before her arrival at Western, Strzelczyk served as Provost, Vice-President Academic and Pro-Vice Chancellor at Memorial University (2021-22). In this role she set the financial and governance foundations for launching a new campus in Labrador, completed a reorganization of the Registrar’s Office, and began the groundwork for a new budget model.