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Rector

Role:

The Rector is the chief executive officer of Saint Paul University and is responsible for managing its day-to-day operations and directing, promoting and coordinating the activities of the University community. The Rector represents the University to external organizations, both religious and secular, and ensures that the University’s mission, vision and Catholic character are observed and respected.

The Rector is appointed by the Superior of the Notre-Dame-du-Cap Province of the Congregation of the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate, with the approval of that organization’s council, on the recommendation of the SPU Council of Administration after consultation with the members of the SPU Senate.

Biography

Louis Patrick Leroux is the 7th rector of Saint Paul University.

Originally from Eastern Ontario, Dr. Leroux studied Theatre and French Literature at the University of Ottawa. He continued his studies at HEC-Montreal where he focused on arts management and completed a PhD in Theatre at the Université Sorbonne Nouvelle in Paris. He also completed the higher education Management Development Program at Harvard Graduate School of Education.

Before joining academia, Dr. Leroux was a professional playwright and director. He has published a dozen books of plays in French and in English. Some of his plays have been translated into Spanish, German and Bengali. Over the course of the 1990s, he was the Founding Artistic Director of Théâtre la Catapulte in Ottawa.

Dr. Leroux began his academic career at Concordia University in Montreal where he served as a Full Professor in both departments of English and Études françaises for 20 years. Throughout his career, his research has focused on theatre and contemporary circus. Through this area of expertise, his research has touched on research-creation, the creative process, cultural discourse analysis and socially engaged art-making within marginalized communities. Dr. Leroux’s research and research-creation projects have attracted over 6 million in grants (2.4 as principal investigator).

A prolific, award-wining author, Dr. Leroux has published more that 100 scholarly articles, chapters, industry papers and reports in both French and English. He has also collaborated with other researchers and industry professionals to co-author and edit numerous books, textbooks and anthologies. Scholarly books and collections include La culture québécoise au temps de la pandémie. Adaptation, normalisation, résistance et hybridisation, with Hervé Guay and Sandria Bouliane (PUM, Spring 2024), Contemporary Circus, with Katie Lavers and Jon Burtt (Routlege, 2019, forthcoming revised edition 2024), Estie toastée des deux bords. Les formes populaires de l’oralité chez Victor-Lévy Beaulieu with Sophie Dubois (PUM, 2022),
Cirque Global: Québec’s Expanding Circus Boundaries with Charles Batson (MQUP, 2016), Le jeu des positions. Discours du théâtre québécois with Hervé Guay (Nota Bene, 2014).

In addition to his work at Concordia University, Dr. Leroux is a seasoned lecturer and has been an active visiting professor and scholar. He has taught and researched at several international institutions, including Duke University, Charles University in Prague, the Centre national des arts du cirque in Châlons-en-Champagne, Universidad de Chile, Université de Toulouse, École normale supérieure de Lyon and University of Milan-Biccoca.

A celebrated academic, his writings won both national scholarly awards (Prix Jean-Cléo-Godin, in French, and Richard Plant Award, in English) for writing on the Performing Arts. Dr. Leroux was inducted into the College of New Scholars, Artists and Scientists of the Royal Society of Canada in 2017. There, he served on the Executive and was elected Secretary of the College. He is also an active member of the Royal Society’s International Committee.

Prior to coming to Saint Paul University, Dr. Leroux served as Associate Dean of Research in the Faculty of Arts and Science at Concordia University for nearly five years. In this role, he championed interdisciplinarity, supported faculty and research centres in their research initiatives and secured numerous grants and funding opportunities for the faculty.

Dr. Leroux began his mandate as rector in March of 2024, and has been thrilled to be reconnecting with the Ottawa community in a meaningful manner.