(Chilliwack) June 30, 2025 –The University of the Fraser Valley (UFV) has a new president who brings a passion for changemaking to his new leadership role. Dr. James Mandigo has championed innovative initiatives such as One Health at UFV over the last six years. His leadership has encouraged UFV faculty, staff and students to make a difference in the eastern Fraser Valley of BC, across Canada, and beyond.

As Mandigo takes the reins from recently retired Dr. Joanne MacLean and becomes UFV’s seventh president, he brings a wealth of relevant experience gleaned from his time in administration at UFV: five years as provost and vice-president, academic, and one year as interim president.

“I am leading an exceptional team of faculty and staff, and together we’re going to continue building on the foundation that Joanne put in place,” Mandigo said.

Throughout his career, Mandigo has shown a desire to address social issues, and he’s been a champion of UFV’s community-focused approach since arriving as provost and vice-president, academic in 2019.

“It’s in the DNA of UFV to be a changemaking institution, and I’m truly struck by how well the university fosters collaborative relationships within the communities that we serve,” Mandigo says. “Our students, faculty, staff, alumni and volunteers have so many gifts to share. Collectively, we have great potential to be agents of change positively impacting the socio-cultural and economic development of our communities.”

While Mandigo encourages changemaking across all UFV disciplines, his own work has often focused on the benefits of active living among youth.

He spent nearly 20 years at Ontario’s Brock University before joining UFV. During that time, he conducted vital research exploring ways to use sport and physical education to develop life skills to prevent violence amongst children and youth in El Salvador and Guatemala. His collaborative work with Universidad Pedagogica earned him formal recognition by the government of El Salvador.

He’s also been a visiting scholar at the University of Tsukuba’s International Academy for Sports Studies in Japan and provided a leadership role with the Scotiabank Champions for Health Promoting Schools in the Caribbean islands of St. Vincent, Antigua, and British Virgin Islands.

In 2015, Mandigo received Canada’s Physical and Health Education’s most prestigious award, the R. Tait McKenzie Award.

“Sports are one way to effect meaningful change, and our students and faculty at UFV prove every day that there are many, many more ways to do so,” he says. “I love the creativity that we bring to address issues like food and housing security, climate change resilience, and other pressing concerns. Part of my new role is to encourage innovation and foster an environment where our researchers are free to think outside the box and become changemakers.”

Mandigo has published 43 peer-reviewed articles and several book chapters, along with a full book titled Healthy Schools, Healthy Futures. His work has been funded by organizations including the Social Science and Humanities Research Council, the International Olympic Committee’s Olympic Studies Centre, and Scotiabank International.

Mandigo holds a PhD from the University of Alberta in Physical Education and Recreation, a Master of Arts in Child and Development Studies from Laurentian University, and a Bachelor of Arts in Physical Education from Wilfrid Laurier University.

Before joining UFV in 2019, he held leadership roles at Brock University, including vice-provost, interim dean, and associate dean. He was also co-director for the Faculty of Health Sciences’ Research Centre for Healthy Development through Sport and Physical Activity and held a faculty appointment in the Kinesiology department.

He served as UFV’s interim president for one year while MacLean was managing health issues.

Over the last six years at UFV, he has played a pivotal role in the development of excellence in teaching, learning, scholarship, and service and has been a champion of UFV’s One Health initiative.

Known for his warm and approachable leadership style, Mandigo looks forward to connecting with the university community in the days to come.

“Our faculty, employees, and students have unlimited potential to change the world,” he says. “As we pursue excellence in the coming years, I’m excited to see what we’ll accomplish together. I have every confidence that we will continue to engage learners, transform lives, and build community 50 years forward.”

Mandigo’s first day in his new role is July 1.