Dean's message

Convocation is one of the most meaningful days in the life of our faculty. It’s a time to celebrate the accomplishments of our graduates, while recognizing the family and friends who have supported them along the way.

This spring’s convocation ceremony was an important milestone in the ongoing evolution of the Rady Faculty of Health Sciences, as learners from across the colleges graduated together for the first time on the Fort Garry campus.

This is not only reflective of our commitment to interprofessional education and interdisciplinary research but also speaks to our mandate as a faculty to advance collaborative health-care practice to improve the health and well-being of our populations.

It’s also significant because it comes as we are undergoing an exciting transformation of our dual-campus faculty. We are preparing to open our new building next spring, the Dr. Gerald and Reesa Niznick Centre on the corner of McDermot Avenue and Tecumseh Street. The facility will comprise state-of-the-art dental clinics, new theatres and simulation labs for our expanded medical school classes, and innovative learning and teaching environments.

The Niznick Centre will be home to Ongomiizwin-Indigenous Institute of Health and Healing, bringing together its education, health services and research arms in a shared space featuring Indigenous designs and values.

It will also house a new child-care centre, the first on Bannatyne campus, to meet the needs of students, staff and faculty. The Province of Manitoba committed $40 million to the project, the ninth UM building on the Bannatyne campus.

It’s been nearly 20 years since the last new building, Apotex Centre, opened its doors. The new building represents much more than an investment in infrastructure. It’s an investment in health education and training, in partnerships and in the future of patient care.

Exterior view of new UM dental clinic mid-build, August 2026.

Progress on the construction of the Dr. Gerald and Reesa Niznick Centre on the corner of McDermot Avenue and Tecumseh Street.

Rendering of dental work space in new dentistry college

Rendering of an operatory in the new dental clinic.

Throughout my career as a physician, researcher and dean, I’ve seen that important advances in health care do not happen in isolation. They occur when health professionals with different perspectives and expertise work together or when researchers from multiple disciplines join forces.

That has shaped our vision for the Rady Faculty of Health Sciences and is reflected in our approach to interprofessional collaborative practice, interdisciplinary research, experiential learning, social accountability and reconciliation.

And now, we will share a space that will enhance connections and collaboration. Students, faculty, researchers and staff from across Rady Faculty colleges and schools will gain new opportunities to share insights and knowledge with each other and build relationships outside of their respective colleges.

Today’s graduates are entering a health-care system that depends on collaboration. No single health profession can meet all challenges. Our health system’s future requires teams working together who will listen to and respect their colleagues’ expertise to improve health-care delivery and patient outcomes.

The connections UM alumni begin building as Rady Faculty students will remain valuable throughout their careers.

The new Niznick Centre on Bannatyne campus is a physical expression of that future. It demonstrates our steadfastness that by learning together and from one another, we’ll better serve the people of Manitoba and beyond.

It’s an investment in our students, our faculty, our research enterprise and, most importantly, the communities that place their trust in us.

Peter Nickerson [B.Sc.(Med.)/86, MD/86]
Vice-Provost (Health Sciences)
Dean, Rady Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Manitoba

Dr. Peter Nickerson

Dean's message

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