Dr. Jacquie Ripat assumed role of dean on July 1, 2026.
Three-time UM alum Dr. Jacquie Ripat began her five-year term as dean of the College of Rehabilitation Sciences at the University of Manitoba on July 1, 2026.
For the last three years, Ripat has served as the Rady Faculty of Health Sciences’ vice-dean (academic affairs). She has also served as the college’s associate dean (research) for five years.
In 2023, the college named her endowed chair in technology for assisted living, which is aimed at creating research opportunities and testing new innovations in the growing field of technology-assisted living.
UM Today recently spoke to Ripat about her career and vision for the college.
I grew up in Winnipeg, for the most part, but as a child I moved around a fair amount. We moved every couple of years from the time I was born until about age 11, which shaped part of who I am. We lived in South America in Bolivia and near Saudi Arabia in Oman. We lived in a variety of places in Manitoba too, like Killarney, Thompson and Carmen.
I was always interested in health care. I learned about occupational therapy a little later, when I was in university. I babysat for an occupational therapist and she had her occupational therapy journals laying around, and when the kids were in bed, I would pick them up and peruse them. I was really fascinated by the profession.
After I completed my first degree I worked clinically for a few years and then I decided to go back to school, to complete my master’s degree. After that, I worked as a clinical specialist in assistive technology. Together with my director, we started the assistive technology clinic at the Health Science Centre.
And then I was pulled into academia. I started teaching and ended up with a faculty position in 2003. I started taking on more of the administrative roles after I completed my PhD.
Honestly, I'm really proud to have been so engaged in this college for so long. We don't have to stay in places – we choose to stay in places. I have such a strong commitment to the college and the growth of the college. I've seen it through many years of growth, moving from a school to a college. And the increasing recognition of rehabilitation sciences as a valuable component of health systems has been really rewarding.
I’m also really proud of my program of research, which allows me to address real-world problems and real-world issues. To mentor students and to see when they’re excited by the same kinds of research that I am, when they see a role for themselves in contributing, hopefully I am able to be a role model for them.
Definitely Dr. Juliette (Archie) Cooper (professor emeritus at the College of Rehabilitation Sciences). She's just been such a such an inspiration in so many ways. She's so multi-talented, but also she brings humanity and humility to everything she does. She certainly has been a mentor of mine for a very long time.
Another important mentor is Dr. Mary Law from McMaster University, who was very much a professional mentor. She demonstrated a holistic approach to academic leadership, integrating excellence in research and administration with a deep commitment to relationships, collaboration and caring for others.
I draw from multiple different people as mentors, and I really like to look at people who are in leadership positions and try to emulate aspects of their approach. There’s always something to learn. I'm a lifelong learner, and I’m always looking for ways to continue to learn and grow.
I really want it to be a place where people feel welcomed, that this is a place that they want to grow and develop – whether that's as a student or as a staff or faculty member. I want us to really be grounded in what’s happening in the real world so that we can contribute in ways that are meaningful.
I want to ensure that we stay very connected to our communities. I want to see that we are advancing the use of technology in a variety of ways and see how we can optimize the use of technology as a means of growth.
And I think we have a very strong focus on equity and how we address that equity in our teaching, research and service. I’m really excited about being able to continue to advance that.
Learn more about the College of Rehabilitation Sciences:
Creating space for everyone to thrive is more than a goal—it’s who we are. Fostering a vibrant community is among the commitments you’ll find in MomentUM: Leading change together, the University of Manitoba’s 2024–2029 strategic plan.
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