In Photos: Presidential Installation of Dr. Cindy Gouveia

Sheridan welcomed its ninth President and Vice Chancellor, Dr. Cindy Gouveia, in a joyful installation ceremony on March 10, 2026, at the Embassy Grand Convention Centre and Banquet Hall in Brampton, Ont. 

Over 500 staff, faculty, students, family, friends, postsecondary colleagues, community partners and local, provincial and federal dignitaries attended the milestone celebration. Notably, Henry Lee, Honorary Consul of Malaysia, was also in attendance as a special guest of Dr. Gouveia. 

Sheridan Board of Governors Chair Mary E. Hofstetter spoke of the experience and insight that Dr. Gouveia will bring to her new role. “Her journey to this role reflects resilience, perspective, and an experience-based understanding of the transformative power of a college education,” Dr. Hofstetter said. “She is well prepared to meet and master the challenges facing Sheridan.” 

Following the installation ceremony, Dr. Gouveia presided over seven convocation ceremonies across three days for over 3,800 new Sheridan graduates. 

Here is a selection of highlights from the installation ceremony. 

Al Ramsay, a Business Administration – Marketing ‘97 graduate, and renowned business and community leader, served as emcee for the presidential installation. Looking back on his career, he said, “I am most proud of the moments when I was championing a cause beyond myself, and when I could connect that passion to my professional role.” 

“Ontario’s world-class colleges play an integral role in protecting and strengthening the province’s workforce and global competitiveness. I look forward to working alongside Dr. Cindy Gouveia to ensure that students at Sheridan College are equipped with the skills they need to meaningfully contribute to the economy and drive Ontario’s key sectors to new heights,” said the Honourable Nolan Quinn, Minister of Colleges, Universities, Research Excellence and Security. 

Dr. Gouveia delivered an impactful and heartfelt keynote address from the podium, sharing how her college education was the starting point that changed her life and showed her that she belonged. “When I say I understand the transformative power of colleges, I’m not speaking theoretically. I’m speaking from experience,” she said. “I know what it means to be that student who doesn’t fit the traditional mould. I know what access looks and feels like - and what it represents not just for individual students, but for our country. That is our shared purpose.” 

Dr. Gouveia entered the ceremony wearing her robes from the University of Toronto, where she earned her PhD. The changing of the robes symbolizes the President’s transition from representing their own academic background to embodying the authority, identity and responsibilities of the college they now lead. During the installation, she was presented with Sheridan’s Presidential Robe by Board members Dr. Sara Cumming, Teresa Sanderson, Darko Radman, and Haquikat Bains, and Samiya Khan, Director of the Sheridan Student Union (SSU). 

Board of Governors Chair Mary E. Hofstetter conducted the Oath of Office for Dr. Cindy Gouveia. The Oath of Office is the most meaningful moment in a college president’s installation, as it turns a leadership appointment into a public promise. When a new President takes the oath, they accept stewardship of a public institution that belongs to the community – to serve students, employers, families and the broader public. 

The Sunny Tang Performance Troupe – Wushu by Storm showcased a memorable and energetic lion dance performance to honour Dr. Gouveia’s installation and new beginning as Sheridan’s President and Vice Chancellor. The purpose of the dance is to bring good luck and prosperity to individuals or groups and ward off evil spirits and bad luck. 

Ariana Bonifaz and Emma Reynolds, Honours Bachelor of Music Theatre Performance ‘25, performed Golden, the popular hit song from the wildly successful K-Pop Demon Hunters, co-directed and created by Sheridan alum Maggie Kang. The animated film was the most-streamed movie of 2025. Golden recently made history as the first K-Pop song to ever win a Grammy. 

Dr. Katherine Janzen, a respected scholar who has taught master’s and doctoral students in both college and university programs for more than 40 years, shared an inspiring keynote with the audience. Dr. Janzen was Dr. Gouveia’s PhD supervisor at the University of Toronto, where she witnessed the curiosity, determination and passion that continue to define Dr. Gouveia’s leadership today. She spoke about Dr. Gouveia's unique pathway through education and the power of goal-setting without limits. 

The Honourable Marvin Zuker, a former professor of Dr. Gouveia’s, also shared a keynote address, speaking about his time with Dr. Gouveia and how education has enriched her life. He shares a passion for empowering others and championing the next generation with Dr. Gouveia. Professor Zuker has taught at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education for 44 years and served as a full-time Justice of the Ontario Court of Justice from 1978 to 2016. 

Sheridan Board of Governors (L to R): Simone Harrington, Jill Walker, Kerry Mann, Steve de Eyre, Chair Mary E. Hofstetter, Amit Kapur, Dr. Cindy Gouveia, Avi Grewal, Chuks Ezeokafor, Lauren Tedesco, Dr. Sara Cumming, Haquikat Bains, Darko Radman and Teresa Sanderson. 

Learn more about Dr. Cindy Gouveia's Presidential installation, and watch or read Dr. Gouveia's installation address.