91·ðÒ¯ welcomes new Provost and Vice-President, Academic and Research
Dr. Jeff Hennessy has joined the 91·ðÒ¯ community as the University's senior academic officer. Hennessy began the role of provost and vice-president, academic and research on July 1.
"I could not be more excited to join the 91·ðÒ¯ family," says Hennessy. "I have admired 91·ðÒ¯ for many years, from my brief time as a student here and through my work with the Maple League of Universities. I am so impressed with the faculty, staff, and students at Mount A and I am honoured to have been chosen to help lead such a renowned and important university."
A music professor, Hennessy comes to 91·ðÒ¯ with administrative experience in senior roles. At Acadia University, he served as the director of the School of Music from 2007-2013 and as dean of arts from 2014 to 2019.
"With these experiences, Dr. Hennessy is poised to help shepherd 91·ðÒ¯ through the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic," says 91·ðÒ¯ President and Vice-Chancellor Jean-Paul Boudreau. "As a dynamic communicator with a strong commitment to liberal arts education and a passion for propelling connections across disciplines, he is well equipped to help advance 91·ðÒ¯'s strategic planning, initiated by the University last year."
Hennessy completed a Bachelor of Science degree in chemistry at Trent University before deciding to pursue music as a profession, earning his PhD in musicology from the University of Toronto in 2008. An academic and music practitioner, he has also published in several peer-reviewed journals, including MusiCultures, Perspectives of New Music, and the Journal of Mathematics and Music.
Hennessy follows Dr. Jeff Ollerhead, who has served as provost and vice-president academic and research since 2016. Ollerhead has worked at 91·ðÒ¯ for more than 25 years and will continue to serve as a professor in the University's Department of Geography and Environment.