The search committee for the director of the Internationalization Office has completed its work and recommended Sonja Knutson for the position. President Gary Kachanoski has accepted the recommendation for the appointment, which is effective Aug. 1.

Ms. Knutson comes to the role from the positions of acting director of the International Centre and special advisor to the president on international affairs at Memorial University. She has significant experience in administration of post-secondary education in the areas of strategic planning, change management, policy development, risk management, strategic student recruitment, international student advising and student mobility.

“Ms. Knutson’s considerable experience and expertise makes her the perfect fit for this key role,” said Dr. Noreen Golfman, provost and vice-president (academic). “I am confident that her leadership will serve the university well as we work to implement the recommendations of the Strategic Internationalization Plan, benefiting and broadening the university experience for students, faculty and staff across Memorial’s campuses.”

Reporting to the provost, Ms. Knutsonwill provide strategic and administrative leadership to the Internationalization Office. The office was created as a result of a recommendation in the Strategic Internationalization Plan 2020 to transition the International Centre and the International Student Advising Office into one unit with functional responsibility for all internationalization activities across the university. In this new role, Ms. Knutson will lead, facilitate, co-ordinate, promote and monitor all international activities and ensure the successful implementation of the Strategic Internationalization Plan 2020. She will serve as Memorial University’s senior internationalization officer and will provide vision, leadership and support to units involved in international research, teaching and engagement.

“I look forward to taking on this new role at Memorial,” said Ms. Knutson. “The International Centre and the International Student Advising Office have been working collaboratively for quite some time now, essentially functioning as one unit. I look forward to leading the team in providing a high level of service to international students, and support and guidance for individuals and units engaged in a variety of international initiatives at Memorial.”