Ralph Nilson | Board Member
President Emeritus, Vancouver Island University/2021 Appointee to the Order of Canada
Dr. Ralph Nilson is a member of the Order of Canada, awarded this honour in 2021 “for his exemplary leadership as a university administrator, and for his student advocacy and commitment to the process of reconciliation.” He won the B.C. Achievement Award in 2017 for his dedication to helping former youth-in-care pursue post-secondary education. He served as President and Vice-Chancellor at Vancouver Island University for 12 years and is the institution’s first President Emeritus. Under his leadership, Malaspina College was transformed into an award-winning university, and VIU became internationally recognized for its commitments to the Truth and Reconciliation calls to action. Before this, he served as Dean at the Faculty of Kinesiology at the University of Regina for ten years, where he helped to expand the sports program from six to 14 teams while ensuring the principle of gender equity throughout. He helped to establish the Indigenous People’s Health Research Centre in Saskatchewan. Dr. Nilson joined Fulbright Canada in 2021 in a newly established role of President Emeritus in Residence, where he serves as senior advisor to the President and CEO. He also sits on the board of directors for the Nanaimo Museum. Ralph is recognized for his values-based leadership approach and his dedication to higher education, of which he gave 40 years of service. He is dedicated to building capacity for Indigenous youth and the reduction of systemic barriers.
