At today’s commitment polishing ceremony, associate vice-president Indigenous relations Jean Becker announced that John Lewis, current director, Indigenous faculty relations, will be the interim associate vice-president of the Office of Indigenous Relations (OIR) effective Jan. 1, 2026, for an 18 month term. Becker is set to retire at the end of the year.

Lewis, associate professor in the School of Planning, was named director, Indigenous faculty relations in November 2023. “While I look forward to serving the Office of Indigenous Relations in a new capacity, I’d really like to take this time to recognize that this is Jean’s last commitment ceremony,” Lewis said at the ceremony. He highlighted work championed by Becker including the creation of the Indigenous Outdoor Gathering Space and tuition waivers for local Indigenous students, as well as the recent integration of the Waterloo Indigenous Student Centre with OIR.

Lewis also spoke of his commitment to continuing work started by the OIR like a recent memorandum of understanding signed with the Chippewas of the Thames First Nation and the Land of Knowledge Project on the Columbia Lake land-based learning site.