On November 8, 2018, Dr. Edward McCauley was announced as the ninth president and vice-chancellor of the University of Calgary and began his term on January 1, 2019. McCauley has deep roots across the campus community spanning 30 years — as a professor, researcher and president. He began his UCalgary career as a professor in the Department of Biological Sciences in 1985, before moving on in 2009 to serve as director of the prestigious National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis and Professor of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at the University of California, Santa Barbara. In 2011, McCauley returned to the University of Calgary to take on an expanded role as the vice-president (research) during a time of rapid growth on campus.

An internationally-recognized scholar and researcher, Dr. McCauley has established a distinguished career developing innovative, interdisciplinary research centres, partnerships and projects. He is a world-renowned researcher in population ecology, blending theory and research to understand aquatic ecosystems and the impact of water issues for communities around the world. This international expertise has made him a highly sought-after external peer reviewer across North America, Europe and Asia. In addition, Dr. McCauley has served on several national panels, including the Canada Research Chairs program and NSERC grant selection committees.