On March 22, 2016—this year’s World Water Day—the Jarislowsky Foundation announced that it chose Carleton University as the home for a $2M investment to establish a chair in Water and Global Health. With this support, Carleton researchers will be able to contribute significantly to combating the world’s serious environmental issues pertaining to water and public health.

The Jarislowsky Chair in Water and Global Health is an academic position that will help provide safe drinking water and improved sanitation to communities across Canada and around the globe.

“With approximately 1.1 billion people worldwide lacking access to clean drinking water—and 2.4 billion lacking access to sanitation—we see a clear and urgent need for innovation and practical solutions,” said Carleton President and Vice Chancellor Dr. Roseann O’Reilly Runte. “We’re honoured to partner with Mr. Jarislowsky to lead research, train engineers and scientists, galvanize policy decisions and make a real difference.”

The Jarislowsky foundation’s mission is the promotion, support and advancement of excellence in education, medicine and the arts. The foundation fulfills its mission by creating Chairs that bring international excellence to the university/organization on a permanent basis.

The Jarislowsky Chair in Water and Global Health builds on Carleton’s existing academic and research leadership in water issues—particularly in wastewater treatment. Faculty members lead promising applied water-related research from various disciplines, including engineering, public policy, environmental monitoring and health.

“Water is one of the most critical health and environmental issues of our time, and as such it requires a multidisciplinary approach,” said Foundation President Stephen Jarislowsky, CEO of one of Canada’s largest and most successful investment management firms.

“The Foundation recognized Carleton’s expertise in this field, and we are pleased to partner with the university, its faculty and its students in tackling this critical challenge.”

The Chair will be situated in the research-intensive Faculty of Engineering and Design (FED), specifically the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, but all activities will be interdisciplinary and pan-university. The faculty has launched an international recruitment effort to identify a scholar with interdisciplinary experience, collaborative approach and commitment to the protection of public health and the environment.

“The Jarislowsky Chair will propose innovative solutions to address a universal need,” said FED Dean Rafik Goubran. “By considering the engineering, environmental, public policy, and health implications of developing new processes and technology, this scholar will ensure that they are serving the global community in the best possible manner.”