Wendy Rodgers, BA, MA, PhD
President and Vice-Chancellor
University of Prince Edward Island

Dr. Wendy Rodgers (she/her) began her appointment as the University of Prince Edward Island’s seventh President and Vice-Chancellor on June 1, 2024.

Dr. Rodgers’ academic background is rooted in health sciences and kinesiology. She earned her BA from York University, MA from Western University, and PhD in Kinesiology from the University of Waterloo. She began her professorial career as an assistant professor in the Faculty of Human Kinetics at the University of Windsor before moving to the University of Alberta, where she was a full professor for almost 20 years.

With an extensive publication and funding record, Dr. Rodgers is a high achieving researcher whose interest lies in studying social cognitive theories as they relate to behaviour change in varying contexts with a particular focus on exercise rehabilitation settings. Her work concerns how individual level motivational characteristics relate to intentions to increase exercise behaviour in consideration of contextual influences that might both impede or support translating those intentions into behaviour.

Dr. Rodgers has a long history of administrative and governance roles within the academy. She most recently served as Vice-President Academic and Provost at the University of Northern British Columbia where she led numerous initiatives including leadership development, and implementation of academic priorities such as increasing focus on strategic enrolment, revitalizing quality assurance, and equity in hiring. Prior to that appointment, she served in a number of roles at the University of Alberta, including seven years as Deputy Provost. In this position, she led key strategic projects such as leadership development, developing the university’s equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) strategic plan, faculty relations, and oversight of the Canada Research Chair program, and advised on key academic issues.

A respected leader in post-secondary education, Dr. Rodgers has a deep commitment to EDI and Indigenization in the post-secondary sector. Over her career, she has led institutional initiatives in these areas as well as issues management; faculty workload and evaluation; and oversight and leadership of the academic mission of the university. Dr. Rodgers has also been active in research ethics review and related administration. In 2023, she was named chair of the Council of Canadian Academies’ multidisciplinary expert panel to examine best practices for EDI in the post-secondary research ecosystem.

Dr. Rodgers is only the second woman to hold the position of President and Vice-Chancellor at UPEI. Dr. Elizabeth “Betsy” Epperly was the first (1995–1998).