Dr. Jane Goodyer is Dean of the Lassonde School of Engineering at York University in Toronto, Canada. As chief academic and administrative officer, Jane leads an inclusive community of engineers, scientists, and entrepreneurs towards achieving Lassonde’s strategic academic goals.

Prior to joining Lassonde in 2018, she worked for 12 years at Massey University in New Zealand where she served as Head of the School of Engineering and Advanced Technology, 2017-18. Having led New Zealand’s first Degree Apprenticeship pilot program, she’s now introducing this extraordinary first in Canada. Launching Fall 2023, the Integrated Program in Digital Technologies removes financial barriers to degree education for learners who work full-time for four years, earning a salary while devoting 20 per cent of their working hours to studying for a Bachelor of Applied Science (BASc). This uniquely flexible, cost-effective alternative to traditional university study allows learners to be fully employed and gain a qualification, without going into debt.

Jane is driven to make education more accessible, advancing women and other underrepresented groups in engineering. In 2016, she launched engineering outreach programs for girls across New Zealand. Today, she continues this work through Lassonde’s k2i (kindergarten to industry) academy, engaging youth and K-12 educators in hands-on, free STEM programs. Since 2020, k2i has reached 5,000+ individuals in 150,000+ hours of engagement and generated $3.4M in funding. They design their work alongside some of the largest and most diverse public-school boards in Canada, collaborating to dismantle systemic barriers to opportunities in STEM.

Jane is passionate about opening doors for others, in part because she knows what it’s like to be ‘new’ or seen as the ‘outsider.’ Growing up in the UK, she lived below the poverty line and faced many personal struggles, including losing her mother when she was ten, followed by her stepmother and father before she turned 20. Although her lived experiences have been challenging, they’ve inspired her to look at the world through an empathetic lens and draw newcomers in. She’s proud to be a first-generation learner.