Dr. Sara Diamond, C.M. (Order of Canada), Order of Ontario, ICD.D, President Emerita OCAD University has led institutional transformation within arts, digital media/ICT, government and post-secondary institutions for over three decades. Diamond was President and Vice-Chancellor of OCAD University between 2005 – 202o and before that was founding Director of the Banff New Media Institute. Diamond began her career as a media artist and was honored with a retrospective at the National Gallery of Canada. As an artist, designer, computer scientist and historian, she brings a deep interest in the relationships of human practices, cultures, and technologies. As director of OCAD U’s Visual Analytics Lab she continues funded research in data visualization applied to urban, transportation and cultural analytics, wellness and wearable technologies.

Diamond led an early research network in creative applications of IoT and another in mobile networks. Her current scholarship includes the critical adoption of AI tools such as generative design as co-PI of the iCity2.0 project and collaborative researcher with SalesChoice. Diamond publishes in peer-reviewed venues, provides book chapters and co-authors books and reports on media history and policy. She has supervised thirteen postdoctoral fellows since 2009.

She is an Expert Panelist with the Canadian Centre for the Purpose of the Corporation and Thought Leader with Lord Cultural Resources. She co-chairs ArtworxTO, Year of Public Art and is chair of the Toronto Arts Foundation and the Baycrest Academy for Research and Education, having served on the Baycrest board for eight years. Recognition includes a Doctor of Science, honoris causa, Simon Fraser University, 2020; the 2020 Exceptional Women of Excellence, Women’s Economic Forum; Advancement of Diversity in STEM Senate of Canada and the Netherland; and two Digital Pioneer awards.