Sandy Hill resident and legal scholar Marie-Eve Sylvestre installed as uOtawa president

Noah Leafloor

Marie-Eve Sylvestre held a meet-and-greet with students and colleagues on December 3 to celebrate her installation as uOttawa President and Vice-Chancellor. The event was celebrated with snacks and refreshments first in the main hall of the Faculty of Social Sciences building and later in the Jock Turcot University Centre.

Dr. Sylvestre, who obtained degrees from the University of Montréal and Harvard Law School, is a distinguished interdisciplinary scholar in criminal law, with a particular interest in discriminatory practices that impact marginalized populations.

She was also awarded the Advocatus Emeritus by the Quebec Bar in 2022, and co-authored a book titled Criminal Law and the Territorial Governance of Marginalized People. The book won the 2021 W. Wesley Pue Prize by the Canadian Law and Society association.

IMAGE spoke with Dr. Sylvestre, who has lived in Sandy Hill for many years and has been involved with schools, community groups, and various events. She acknowledged how important this community is to her and looks forward to continuing to contribute in this new role. With her installation she becomes the first woman to lead uOttawa since the university was founded in 1848.