"¿ì²¥ÊÓƵ is a place where people come together with a shared commitment to learning, discovery, and making a meaningful difference in the world. I am continually inspired by the creativity, resilience, and purpose that define our students, faculty, instructors, and staff. As Interim President, I look forward to supporting this extraordinary community as we continue to expand opportunity, strengthen our research and partnerships, and build a more inclusive and sustainable future for all."
— Lisa Philipps
Biography
Lisa Philipps is the Interim President and Vice-Chancellor of ¿ì²¥ÊÓƵ.
Philipps has been a member of the York community for nearly three decades and served in a number of senior academic and administrative roles including over seven years as Provost and Vice-President Academic.
Her leadership at York focuses on strengthening academic quality, expanding research and innovation, advancing transformative educational opportunities for one of Canada’s largest and most diverse student bodies, and deepening the University’s engagement with local and global communities.
As an expert in taxation law and fiscal policy, Philipps’ scholarship explores the values and interests shaping budgets and tax systems. In addition to practicing law early in her career, she has contributed her expertise to many public and non-profit organizations including the Ontario Ministry of Finance, the Federation for the Humanities and Social Sciences, the Provincial Judges Pension Board, and National Association of Women and the Law.
Biography
Lisa Philipps became the Interim President and Vice-Chancellor of ¿ì²¥ÊÓƵ on January 1, 2026, following more than seven highly successful years as Provost and Vice-President Academic.
A proud alumna and long-standing member of the York community, she joined the faculty of Osgoode Hall Law School in 1996. Philipps is recognized for her expertise in taxation law, fiscal policy, and the role of public institutions in advancing equity and social well-being, with more than three dozen publications across these areas and research projects funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada, the Canadian Tax Foundation, and others
Her university leadership experience is extensive. As Provost, she led York’s Academic Division through a period of significant growth in academic quality, research capacity, and academic programming. She advanced strategic faculty hiring, oversaw major capital and program development initiatives, expanded experiential education and online learning opportunities for students, and championed initiatives that advanced the University Academic Plan 2020-2025, including the School of Continuing Studies, Markham Campus and the School of Medicine.
Before serving as Provost, Philipps held several key leadership roles at York, including Associate Vice-President Research (2011–2014), and Senior Policy Advisor to the President (October 2024- July 2025). She has also served as Chair of the (then) Senate Academic Policy and Planning Committee (2005-2006), and as Associate Dean, Research, Graduate Studies and Institutional Relations at Osgoode Hall Law School.
Beyond ¿ì²¥ÊÓƵ, Philipps has provided expert legal advice to a range of bodies, including the Ontario Ministry of Finance as Special Counsel in 2015. In 2015-16, she served as Interim Dean of the Bora Laskin Faculty of Law at Lakehead University, a new law school with a mandate to strengthen the Indigenous bar and prepare lawyers to practice in northern and rural communities.
Philipps has provided volunteer service over her career to a number of public and non-profit organizations including eCampus Ontario, the Federation for the Humanities and Social Sciences, the Provincial Judges Pension Board, and National Association of Women and the Law.
She holds an LLB from the University of Toronto and an LLM from ¿ì²¥ÊÓƵ and was called to the Bar of Ontario in 1988. She practiced with a large law firm based in Toronto, before launching her academic career at the University of Victoria Faculty of Law.
Image Gallery
A selection of images available for download (all rights reserved). Right click on each image to save it. If a higher-resolution image is needed, please send a request to pocomms@yorku.ca.
