Cory Searcy appointed assistant vice-president, international

I am pleased to announce the appointment of Cory Searcy as Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU)’s assistant vice-president (AVP), international, beginning February 5, 2024. Working with a broad range of stakeholders to foster collaboration, he will build international learning opportunities and drive the recruitment and success of international students based on an understanding of the global landscape and cultural diversity.

Reporting to the provost and vice-president, academic, Cory will advise senior academic leaders on matters related to internationalization in policies, procedures, best practices, risk management, and emerging trends. He will support internationally focused activities in faculties and advance academic, research and social partnerships that align with TMU’s values while driving a strategy to strengthen the university’s global presence and reputation. 

An accomplished post-secondary leader, Cory has been with TMU for more than 15 years. In his current role as vice-provost and dean, Yeates School of Graduate Studies (YSGS), he oversees and supports graduate expansion, enrolment management, university-wide graduate scholarships, policy development, and other matters related to more than 60 graduate programs. He has advocated for and implemented TMU graduate scholarships and fourth year PhD funding, and contributed to a new framework for financially supporting international graduate students.

In 2021, Cory also co-chaired an internal review of what is now TMU Global. This included a key focus on increased enrolment of international students and accompanying supports. He has worked closely with teams to strengthen international collaborations, global learning opportunities for domestic students and the university’s international rankings and profile. 

With a well-established international research reputation, in the last year alone Cory has published with researchers from the United States, Denmark, New Zealand, Australia, Turkey, and Pakistan. In his current role Cory oversees many international graduate student recruitment activities. He has supervised more than 25 graduate students, many of whom had international backgrounds, and served as program director of undergraduate and graduate programs.

An active researcher, Cory has explored corporate sustainability, performance measurement, and supply chain management. With degrees in industrial, civil and mechanical engineering, he has almost 20 years of experience as a professor and has contributed to nearly 100 journal publications, including California Management Review, the European Journal of Operational Research,  and the International Journal of Production Economics. He has also published dozens of articles in newspapers, magazines, and online outlets, including the Globe and Mail, The Guardian, and Corporate Knights. He has been a section editor of the corporate sustainability section at the Journal of Business Ethics since 2015.

Prior to taking on the role of vice-provost and dean, Cory served as associate dean, programs, YSGS, where he oversaw the graduate component of the institutional quality assurance process. This included supporting graduate programs through cyclical reviews, new program development, curriculum modifications, and other strategic initiatives. He has also held the positions of program director, environmental applied science and management as well as program director, industrial engineering. He is also the past chair of the Ontario Council on Graduate Studies. 

Thank you to the committee members for your participation in this important search:

Naomi Adelson
Associate Vice-President, Research and Innovation

Jonathon Anderson
Director of Design + Technology Lab, The Creative School; Associate Professor of Interior Design

Amirhossein Eisapour 
PhD Student, Mechanical Engineering

Darren Finlay
Associate Director, Transnational Education Partnerships, TMU Global

Jen Gonzales
Executive Director, Student Affairs

Cynthia Holmes
Dean, Ted Rogers School of Management

Michael Kolios 
Associate Dean, Research and Graduate Studies, Faculty of Science

Carl Kumaradas
Associate Dean, Programs, Yeates School of Graduate Studies

Salisha Randel
Associate Director, International Recruitment, International Student Enrolment, Education & Inclusion

Please join me in welcoming Cory to his new role.

Roberta Iannacito-Provenzano
Provost and Vice-President, Academic