Emeritus Rector

2001-2008

Gilles G. Patry was President and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ottawa from 2001 to 2008. Not only is he the first locally born and educated CEO of this University established, he is also the first to have extensive private-sector experience. That experience proved invaluable throughout Dr. Patry’s tenure as President of the University of Ottawa.

Gilles G. Patry's personal website
Gilles G. Patry

Biography

Gilles Patry is a proud alumnus of the University of Ottawa, where he earned BASc and MASc degrees in civil engineering in 1971 and 1973, respectively.

In 1971, Dr. Patry began his professional life as a consulting engineer prior to becoming a civil engineering professor at l'École Polytechnique de Montréal (1978) and at McMaster University (1983-1993).

In 1983, he added a PhD in civil engineering from the University of California, Davis.

In 1985, he founded Hydromantis Inc., an international consulting firm specializing in the modelling and simulation of water and wastewater treatment facilities.

In 1993, he returned to the University of Ottawa as the Dean of the Faculty of Engineering.

He was appointed Vice-President, Academic in 1997, and President and Vice-Chancellor from 2001 to 2008.

In 2002, he was elected Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Engineering.

Gilles Patry was Associate Editor of the Journal of Environmental Engineering and Science from 2001 to 2005.

Gilles Patry specialises in the field of modelling, simulation and control of environmental systems, in general, and of wastewater treatment plants, in particular. He is the author of more than 125 peer-reviewed journal and conference papers.

His paper entitled “Dynamic Modelling of the Clarification-Thickening Process” co-authored with I. Takács and D. Nolasco, published in 1991, was recently recognized (March 2006) as one of the 10 most significant groundbreaking papers in the 40 year publication history of Water Research - the premier scientific journal in water research.

In June 2008, Dr. Patry received an Honorary Doctorate in Engineering from the University of Waterloo. In November 2008, he was appointed President Emeritus by the Board of Governors of the University of Ottawa.

In 2009, Dr. Patry received an Honorary Degree, D.Sc. (Hon.) from McMaster University; he also was the recipient of the title « Chevalier de l’Ordre de la Pléiade » from the « Assemblée parlementaire de la francophonie »

Gilles Patry is a member of a number of Boards, including the Ontario Centres of Excellence (OCE), the Canadian Merit Scholarship Foundation, and the Canadian Water Network. He is a member of the Advisory Board of the Canadian Research Knowledge Network (CRKN) and has been appointed by Treasury Board to the Audit Committee of the National Research Council of Canada.