Ms. Patricia Mortimer

Vice-President (Acting), Technology and Industry Support

Patricia Mortimer was appointed the National Research Council's Acting Vice-President, Technology and Industry Support in March 2006. Prior to assuming this role, she had held the position of NRC's Secretary General since 2002. She joined NRC in 1979 as a Research Council Officer for the Environmental Secretariat that published scientific criteria for environmental quality. In 1985 she moved to the corporate policy group of NRC, leading this group for many years, eventually adding responsibility for communications, government relations and public awareness, and serving on a G-8 Committee on Public Awareness of S&T. For the last 10 years she has served as Executive Assistant to the President and has carried out short-term assignments as Director General of Human Resources and Director General of Corporate Services.

A native of Ottawa, Ms. Mortimer received her B.Sc. in Biology from Carleton University and an M.Sc. in Plant Ecology from the University of Alberta, in the field of alpine synecology. She is a member of the Canadian Council on Animal Care and serves as Canada's representative for the International Council for Science (ICSU).