Meet Maureen MacDonald, Provost and Vice-President (Academic)

Dr. Maureen J. MacDonald, PhD, is McMaster University’s Provost and Vice-President (Academic) and a professor in the Department of Kinesiology. She assumed the role on July 1, 2025, bringing with her over two decades of leadership, scholarship, and student mentorship at McMaster.

In the role, Dr. MacDonald serves as the university’s Chief Academic Officer and Chief Budget Officer, reporting to the President and Vice-Chancellor and accountable to both the President and the Senate for academic leadership and budgetary planning. She oversees a diverse portfolio that includes academic administration, budget strategy, student experience, and academic planning and finance across Faculties and support units.

Dr. MacDonald previously served as the Dean of the Faculty of Science (2017-2025), where she led the development of a strategic plan with pillars of Learning, Discovery and Engagement; supported the hiring of more than 50 new faculty members; and championed major infrastructure projects including the Teaching and Research Greenhouse and the revitalization of Science facilities. Under her leadership, the Faculty of Science created new initiatives such as the Office of Undergraduate Research, the Science Research Chairs Program, and the Office of the Associate Dean of Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Indigeneity.

A widely respected scholar in cardiovascular physiology and exercise science, Dr. MacDonald directs McMaster’s Vascular Dynamics Lab. Her research focuses on the effects of exercise and heat therapy on cardiovascular health, with a specific commitment to including women in this research. She has held continuous funding from NSERC for over 25 years and is internationally recognized for her interdisciplinary collaborations, including as a co-investigator with the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging.

Throughout her career, Dr. MacDonald has been a dedicated mentor, supervising more than 200 undergraduate and graduate students. She received the Canadian Society for Exercise Physiology’s Mentorship Award and is a member of leading international professional societies. She has also served in senior governance and leadership roles at McMaster and beyond, including as Chair of the Canadian Society for Exercise Physiology’s Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Committee and as a Global Chair at Manchester Metropolitan University.

As Provost, Dr. MacDonald is committed to advancing inclusive excellence, supporting student and faculty success, and stewarding the university’s academic and financial strategies during a time of transformational change in higher education. Her approach emphasizes collaboration, clear communication, and strategic investment guided by McMaster’s values.

Dr. MacDonald received an Honours BSc in Chemistry from Acadia University and an MSc and PhD in Kinesiology from the University of Waterloo. She joined McMaster in 2000 and has remained a champion of academic innovation, research impact, and student success ever since.