Gilles G. Patry, C.M., O.Ont., FCAE

Dr. Gilles G. Patry is the appointed Executive Director of the U15 Group of Canadian Research Universities. Following a long and distinguished career as a consultant, a researcher, and a university administrator, Dr. Patry brings to the U15 a wealth of experience from the private, public, and academic sectors.

Dr. Patry holds a B.A.Sc. and M.A.Sc. in civil engineering from the University of Ottawa, and a PhD from the University of California, Davis in environmental engineering. He was an environmental engineering consultant from 1971 to 1978 before becoming professor of civil engineering at École Polytechnique de Montréal from 1978 to 1983 and then at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ont. from 1983 to 1993. Dr. Patry’s research program at McMaster led him to develop an innovative modelling concept for the simulation of wastewater treatment plant dynamics, and ultimately, to launch a Hamilton-based consulting company, Hydromantis, Inc.

Returning to the University of Ottawa as Dean of Engineering in 1993, Dr. Patry became Vice-President (Academic) in 1997 and President and Vice-Chancellor between 2001 and 2008. He is now Professor and President Emeriti at the University of Ottawa. In 2010, Dr. Patry was appointed President and CEO of the Canada Foundation for Innovation, a position he held until July 2017.

Dr. Patry is a Member of the Order of Canada, a recipient of the Order of Ontario and a Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Engineering. He has received honorary doctorates from the University of Waterloo (2008), McMaster University (2009), the University of Lyon (INSA-LYON) (2016) Western University (2017) and Carleton University (2018). He was named Executive of the Year in 2004 by the Regroupement des gens d’affaires of the National Capital Region. In 2009, he was named Chevalier de l’Ordre de la Pléiade of the Assemblée parlementaire de la Francophonie.