Dr. Gordon James Binsted will serve as TRU's provost and vice-president academic effective Feb. 1, 2026. (Image Credit: UBC Okanagan)

By Aaron Schulze

TRU Provost Appointment

TRU appoints former Toronto-area deputy provost as new chief academic officer

Jan 22, 2026 | 9:57 AM

KAMLOOPS — Thompson Rivers University (TRU) will have a new provost and vice-president academic as of February 1.

TRU announced that Dr. Gordon James Binsted will be the university’s chief academic officer. Binsted will be responsible for academic quality and integrity, leading teaching and research priorities, and overseeing academic planning, budgeting and resource allocation in alignment with TRU’s academic mission and fiscal realities.

“TRU’s academic mission is central to everything we do,” said TRU president Airini. “Gordon’s background as a researcher, educator and academic leader positions him well to advance our work as one university, strengthen TRU’s role as a dual-sector research university, support innovation in teaching and research, advance reconciliation and equity, diversity and inclusion, and guide the university through the decisions ahead as we build a future TRU.”

In a news release Wednesday (Jan. 21), TRU says Binsted has held senior leadership roles at the University of British Columbia (UBC), UBC Okanagan and York University. Binsted has a PhD in Experimental Psychology at the University of Alberta, a Master’s (Thesis) in Motor Behaviour at McMaster University and a Bachelor’s in Motor Learning and Control at UBC.

According to TRU, Binsted’s key research themes are applied neuroscience in real-world settings, brain activity and motor planning, exercise, health and brain functioning and human performance and learning.

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“In these times of financial constraint and global tumult, I am deeply committed to leading with candour, collaboration and care — seeking diverse voices, aligning resources with our shared mission and stewarding excellence with accountability,” Binsted says. “Together with our students, faculty, staff and communities, we will nurture transformative learning, advance scholarly impact and uphold a culture where rigorous inquiry and inclusive leadership allow us to reimagine what a university can be.”

Binsted’s arrival comes as TRU recently projected a modest surplus in the second quarter while the university continues to adjust to a cap on international student permits introduced by the federal government in 2024.

Binsted succeeds Dr. Gillian Balfour, TRU’s former provost and vice-president academic, who moved to Thunder Bay, Ont. for a similar job at Lakehead University in July. Dr. Shannon Wagner has served as TRU’s interim provost since July 2025.