Patricia Demers


Dr. Patricia A. Demers, is a Canadian humanist and academic. She was the first female president of the Royal Society of Canada serving from 2005 to 2007.

Early life and education

Demers grew up in Hamilton, Ontario and received a Bachelor of Arts degree in English and French and a Master of Arts degree from McMaster University. She received a Ph.D. from the University of Ottawa.

Career

After receiving her Ph.D. she taught for three years as a sessional instructor at the University of Alberta. She then became an assistant professor and is now a professor of English and Film Studies. Her research includes Elizabethan and Jacobean drama, 17th-century poetry, children's literature, and contemporary Canadian women's writing.
From 1991 to 1993, she was Associate Dean of Graduate Studies and from 1995 to 1998 she was Department Chair. From 1998 to 2002, she was Vice-President of the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada. She was made a Fellow of Royal Society of Canada in 2000 and served as its first female president from 2005 to 2007.

Selected Publications

She is the author and editor of a number of scholarly publications including:
She was awarded the University of Alberta Rutherford Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching, the Arts Faculty Teaching Award, the McCalla Research Professorship Award, and the University Cup. On June 30, 2016, Demers was made a Member of the Order of Canada by Governor General David Johnston for "her insightful contributions to the study of early works of English literature and for her service to the academic community."