Provost and Vice-President (Academic)

Dr. Sandra Davidson, appointed Provost effective July 1, 2024, has held pivotal roles at the University of Calgary, including Dean of the Faculty of Nursing from 2018 to 2024 and Deputy Provost from 2021 to 2023. Her distinguished career spans diverse academic and healthcare environments, encompassing private for-profit, public not-for-profit, and various public universities. Dr. Davidson is renowned for her entrepreneurial acumen and creative innovation across these sectors.

During her tenure as Dean of the Faculty of Nursing, Dr. Davidson spearheaded a significant expansion of graduate enrollment, introducing eight graduate certificates and a pathway leading to a master’s degree in nursing. Under her leadership, the faculty launched Canada’s second Doctor of Nursing (DN) program in 2023, focusing on health systems transformation. Additionally, she championed the development of pathways tailored for rural/remote and Indigenous communities within the undergraduate nursing program, enabling students to study as UCalgary nursing students while remaining in their home communities.

Her research concentrates on health systems leadership and healthcare innovation, driving scholarship and leadership across community, professional organizations, academic institutions, and practice settings. Dr. Davidson collaborates extensively to co-create innovative models of learning and health systems leadership. She is a prolific author, contributing texts, chapters, and journal articles, and has mentored numerous nurse leaders, influencing leadership paradigms within complex adaptive health networks.

Internationally recognized as a thought leader and futurist, Dr. Davidson regularly presents pioneering advancements in learning, leadership, and practice technologies at global forums attended by academic and practice leaders.

Dr. Davidson received her Nursing Diploma from Lethbridge College and completed her BN at the University of Lethbridge in Alberta, Canada. She pursued her graduate studies at Gonzaga University, earning an MSN and a PhD in Leadership Studies.