Biography

Dr. Elaine Popp is an impactful, proven and strategic post-secondary leader. With 25 years of successful and progressive post-secondary sector experience, she started her role as President of Durham College (DC) in March 2024.

Prior to serving as President, Dr. Popp led DC’s core business of teaching and learning as Executive Vice President, Academic, for more than eight years. During this time, she skillfully demonstrated her passion for student success and her rare ability to leverage higher education's emergent trends to create relevant programs meeting student needs and anticipating industry expectations.

Leading DC's high-performing teams, Dr. Popp spearheaded the launch of several successful strategic frameworks, including the Academic Plan, Enrolment Management Plan, Internationalization and Global Engagement Plan and the five-year New Program Development Plan, emphasizing how she leverages the importance of systems thinking, effective planning and thoughtful resource management.

Under Dr. Popp’s strategic leadership, with her teams, she has launched over 50 academic programs, including six degrees, to reflect our changing world, introduced new work-integrated learning opportunities, established five applied research centres supporting DC’s recognition as one of Canada’s Top Research Colleges and thoughtfully and intentionally focused on strategic enrolment management.

As a testament to her in-demand leadership and deep roots in the college sector, Dr. Popp served as Vice-Chair of the Coordinating Committee of Vice-Presidents, Academic (CCVPA), member of the executive committees for CCVPA and the Coordinating Committee of Vice-Presidents, International (CCVPI) and the College of Applied Arts and Technology (CAAT) Coordinating Committee. She is currently a member of the Chair Academy Advisory Board. Dr. Popp has also contributed provincially by serving on the Ontario Colleges Athletic Association, Ontario Colleges Library Services, Ontario Council on Articulation and Transfer, and the Ontario College Quality Assurance Service Boards for the maximum terms.

A proven lifelong learner and distinguished academic, Dr. Popp holds a Doctor of Philosophy and a Bachelor of Science, Honours Biology and Kinesiology from York University.

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