Career
Born in Sidney,British Columbia,she received a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Toronto in 1968 and a Ph.D in sociology from Princeton University in 1972. Her doctoral dissertation was titled "Doctors who teach:an influence on health delivery in Ontario." [1] In 1972,she joined the University of Toronto where she was a professor of sociology. She was the Associate Dean of the Graduate School and the Vice-Provost (Arts and Sciences) at the University of Toronto.
She attended the founding meeting of the National Action Committee on the Status of Women in April,1972 and served as President of NAC from 1975 to 1977.She was active in the Ontario Committee on the Status of Women from 1971 and is co-author of the book about that feminist group,White Gloves Off (2018).
She joined the Liberal Party of Canada,becoming national policy chair in 1975 and vice-president in 1980. In 1984,she was appointed by Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau to the Senate representing the senatorial division of Toronto-Taddle Creek,Ontario. While serving on the senate,she chaired the Standing Committee on Social Affairs,Science and Technology from 1989 to 1991 as well as being a member of committees ranging from National Finance to a special committee on Youth. [2] She resigned in 1992 to become president and Vice-Chancellor of Wilfrid Laurier University. In 1997,she was appointed president and Vice-Chancellor of York University,serving until 2007.
Marsden was named one of "Canada's Most Powerful Women:Top 100",She became a Member of the Order of Canada in 2006 and a member of the Order of Ontario in 2009. She received the Order of Merit (First Class) of the Federal Republic of Germany in 2007. She holds honorary doctorates from the University of New Brunswick,University of Winnipeg,Queen's University,the University of Toronto,Wilfrid Laurier University and the University of Victoria. She has received the Queen Elizabeth II Silver Jubilee Medal,the Canada 125th Anniversary Medal,and the Queen Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee Medal. She was named a YWCA Women of Distinction in 2003 and was made an Honorary Alumnae of the University of Victoria in 2003. She received the Senate Medal for Canada 150 in 2017.
As President of York University,Marsden founded the university's Culture and Communications program (joint with Ryerson University) and she led a major building campaign. One outcome of the building campaign was the construction of the university's first green building:for computer engineering.
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