Prince George, B.C.- With all the pomp and ceremony one would expect at a coronation, George Iwama has been installed as the fourth President of UNBC.

 

The Charles Jago Northern Sports Centre was filled with hundreds of on lookers as the first Japanese born Canadian to ever become the president of a Canadian University was officially installed.

 

The day began with a traditional First Nations smudging, then progressed to the formal event at the Northern Sport Centre where all in attendance were entertained with music and traditional performances from First Nations, and Japanese dancers.

 

For the second time in just 3 years, Dr. Charles Jago has handed the reins of UNBC to another.  It was October of 2006 when Dr. Don Cozetto  was officially installed as President. That posting didn;t last long, and Charles Jago stepped  back into the role of President ( on an interim basis) until a successor could be found, and Dr. George Iwama took over the role on July 1^st of this year.

 

Dr. Iwama had been with the Faculty of Science at Carleton University, where he spent the past two years as Dean of the Faculty of Science. He previously held the same position at Acadia University, where he also served for a year as Vice-President Academic.

 

Dr. Iwama holds a PhD in Zoology from the University of British Columbia and was a professor there for 15 years.

 

The Japanese Consul General, Hideki Ito attended today’s ceremony, offering greetings from Japan.