Vice President, Academic Administration

Dr. Paula F. Gouveia joined Conestoga College in October 2023 as the Vice President, Academic Administration, and moved into the role of Vice President, Academic in May of 2024.  Prior to joining Conestoga, she served as Vice-President, Academic at Cambrian College in Sudbury, Ontario where she focused on teaching and learning excellence, strategic enrolment management, program quality, and institutional research. During her tenure, the College reached record enrolment levels by evolving its credentials and launched its first degrees in Health and in Business. It was also under her leadership that Cambrian launched the first 3-year degree in the public college system and championed hyflex learning to promote student choice and access. Prior to joining Cambrian, she held progressive academic positions at Humber College and Seneca College where she began her career as a faculty member in the School of English and Liberal Studies teaching in French and Spanish in the Liberal Arts Transfer program.

Fluent in four languages, she completed her PhD in French literature at the University of Toronto in 2013 and TESL Canada Certification in 2014, which has allowed her to more effectively support the needs of diverse learners by focusing on teaching and learning excellence. 

Given her lived experience as an immigrant to Canada and first-generation learner, she has volunteered as a mentor to internationally trained professionals and promoted student success working with organizations like Big Brothers, Big Sisters.  As a strong community advocate, she has served on the Board of Directors for the United Way Centreaide of Northeastern Ontario and is Chair of the Board of Directors for the Art Gallery of Sudbury.