Executive Team

Ted Hewitt, SSHRC President

Ted Hewitt was appointed president of SSHRC in March 2015. He served as the inaugural chair of the Canada Research Coordinating Committee from 2017 to 2019 and was the first to serve a second term as chair in 2023. Ted was vice-president, research and international relations, at Western University in London, Ontario, from 2004 to 2011, where he had been a professor of sociology since 1989. He was also a public policy scholar at the Brazil Institute of the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars in Washington, D.C. A leading authority on Brazil, Ted has published in monographs, edited works and a range of academic journals. In 2018, Brazil’s Ministry of Foreign Relations named him Grand Officer of the Order of Rio Branco—one of the highest levels of merit—for the many years he has fostered bilateral business and research partnerships between Brazil and Canada.

Ted’s current research focuses on national and international innovation systems, with emphasis on the roles of universities, industry and government in promoting economic prosperity in Latin America and beyond. He is co-chair of the Canada-Brazil Joint Committee for Cooperation on Science, Technology and Innovation, and a member of the board of the Brazil-Canada Chamber of Commerce.

Ted holds a PhD in sociology from McMaster University.

Sylvie A. Lamoureux, Vice-President, Research

Sylvie A. Lamoureux (Order of Ontario), joined SSHRC as vice-president, Research, in January 2023. In this role, she provides strategic leadership for the development, implementation and promotion of the vision and direction of social sciences and humanities and tri-agency federal research funding programming.

Sylvie served as associate vice-provost, Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies, at the University of Ottawa, and held various vice-dean portfolios in the Faculty of Arts there. She also served on the university’s senate and board of governors. An accomplished scholar and educator, she was named to the second cohort of the Royal Society of Canada’s College of New Scholars, Artists and Scientists in 2015, the same year she was elected to the Order of Ontario. Her consulting work with governments, commissions and school boards has also informed language policy and planning throughout Canada. Her current research focuses on students’ transition to and through university, at all levels, and on academic literacy and student experience.

A SSHRC Postdoctoral Fellow at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education at the University of Toronto (2008), she holds a PhD in Curriculum, Teaching and Learning, and a master of education from the same institution. She holds a bachelor of education (intermediate/senior, history and chemistry) from the University of Ottawa, as well as an honours BA and a BSc (lib) from Laurentian University.

Tara Lapointe, Vice-President, Stakeholder Engagement and Advancement of Society

Tara Lapointe joined SSHRC as vice-president, Stakeholder Engagement and Advancement of Society, in March 2024. She provides strategic leadership to advance and mobilize social sciences and humanities research, and guides a dynamic team responsible for communications, strategic foresight, partnership development, and engagement with stakeholders.

Tara was previously executive director of the Michaëlle Jean Foundation. She has held senior roles at the Canada Council for the Arts and the National Arts Centre, among other organizations, and taught in Algonquin College’s Museum Studies program. She was recognized for her leadership with Ottawa’s 40 Under 40 Award and the International Association of Business Communicators Distinguished Service Award.

Tara is a strong advocate for social issues, including those related to identity, community and social justice, and for using community-engaged and data and research-based approaches to address complex issues. She has extensive experience in strategic communications and in fostering innovation and building partnerships. Tara holds a bachelor’s degree in communications from the University of Ottawa.

Valérie La Traverse, Vice-President, Corporate Affairs

Valérie La Traverse was appointed vice-president, Corporate Affairs, effective November 2021. She is responsible for overseeing corporate policy and strategy, performance, evaluation and audit functions, as well as international engagement.

She joins SSHRC from Global Affairs Canada (GAC), where she spent most of her professional career, recently returning to Ottawa after four years as head of the commercial section at the Canadian Consulate in Boston. Prior to her role there, Valérie held several key positions as part of Canada’s science and technology community, serving as science and technology counsellor at the Canadian Embassy in Washington from 2005 to 2010; deputy and executive director in GAC’s international science, technology and innovation partnerships and agreements group; and head of policy research and outreach at GAC, where she co-launched the International Policy Ideas Challenge with SSHRC in 2015. She also served as a key member of the secretariat for the Fundamental Science Review in 2016. Earlier in her career, Valérie was the executive director of the New England-Canada Business Council.

Valérie holds a bachelor’s degree in international relations from McGill University and a master’s in business administration in international business from Concordia University.

Dominique Osterrath, Chief Financial Officer and Vice-President, Common Administrative Services Directorate

Dominique Osterrath joined SSHRC’s Common Administrative Services Directorate (CASD) in July 2021, where she leads a team of professionals who work to support both SSHRC and NSERC in delivering human resources, finance and awards administration, security, and information and innovation solutions. As the lead CASD executive, Dominique supports the accountability of the agency presidents by ensuring CASD’s effectiveness as a strategic partner, business enabler, steward and service provider.

Prior to her appointment, Dominique was chief financial officer, chief security officer, and vice-president, Corporate Management Branch, at the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA). In previous appointments, she was deputy chief financial officer and executive director, Financial Services, at CFIA; deputy chief financial officer and director general, Finance and Awards Administration, for SSHRC and NSERC; and director, Financial Planning, Budgeting and Advisory Services, at the National Research Council Canada.

Dominique is a Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA, CA). She holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from the Université du Québec en Outaouais, and is a graduate of the Public Sector Leadership and Governance executive program at the University of Ottawa.

Date modified:

2024-03-18