By Dan Rubinstein
When Nikita (Nik) Nanos was installed as Carleton’s 13th chancellor at a convocation ceremony on June 20, the university not only anointed a new ceremonial leader, it also renewed a longstanding relationship with an individual motivated by a steadfast desire to serve the community.
“I consider myself part of the Carleton team and I’m here to help in whatever capacity is best for the school,” says Nanos, who officially begins his new role on July 1. This follows his time serving on the university’s Board of Governors from 2014 to 2022, including two years as chair.
Nikita (Nik) Nanos is installed as Carleton University’s 13th chancellor (Photo by Terence Ho)
“If President Wisdom Tettey and Carleton’s leadership need me to help with fundraising, I’d be happy to participate. If they want me to help with anything related to the academic mission of the university, or with enhancing our reputation, I’m ready for that too.
“The way I look at it, I’ll be serving as one of the university’s ambassadors. I can help build partnerships with government and other organizations. A chancellor doesn’t get involved with the nuts-and-bolts of an institution but is available to support people, and I can bring my network of contacts to the table.
“For me, this is a natural fit.”
An Agile and Forward-Looking University
Nanos’ relationship with Carleton began more than 30 years ago, when his work as a public opinion researcher and media commentator brought the founder of the Nanos Research Group of Companies from Kingston to Ottawa. He had long admired the university and several professor friends asked him to speak to their business, economics and political science classes.
“I was always really impressed with the students,” Nanos recalls, “and I was stuck by how agile and innovative Carleton is. There’s always something exciting going on. This is a big part of the university’s culture. We’re not stuck in the past.”
Those initial experiences led to collaborations with faculty members and, eventually, the resident of the close-to-campus Glebe neighbourhood volunteered to join the Board of Governors. More recently, when Nanos wanted to transition from his role as an associate research professor at the State University of New York in Buffalo to a Canadian school, he became an adjunct research professor at Carleton’s Norman Paterson School of International Affairs.
Carleton University students congregating outside of the Nicol Building (Photo by Jason Jones)
While on the board, Nanos was part of the team that brought the Nicol Building to life and approved the new student residence project. He also helped install former president Benoit-Antoine Bacon and outgoing chancellor Yaprak Baltacioğlu, who has served in the role since 2018 and has been a tireless advocate for students, faculty and staff.
“Everyone was bound by a common sense of purpose,” Nanos says about his time on the board.
“We didn’t always agree, but that was okay, because when people disagreed it was with the best of intentions. People had opinions they thought were in the best interest of the school and they advanced those ideas.”
A New Level of Success
Carleton has had five presidents since Nanos joined the board — Roseann O’Reilly Runte, interim president Alastair Summerlee, Bacon, interim president Jerry Tomberlin and Tettey — and he has respect and admiration for all of the presidents he’s worked with.
Runte established the solid financial foundation that’s helping the university weather the current economic storm, he says, and was an incredible team builder. Bacon was dynamic and driven and connected extremely well with young people, taking Carleton to a new level of success. Tettey brings insight and an international perspective that will support Carleton’s continued evolution into a global institution rooted in an increasingly multicultural country.
Baltacioğlu, who built an impressive career in the federal civil service after immigrating to Canada, also embodies this international outlook.
Carleton University President and Vice-Chancellor Wisdom Tettey, Chancellor Nik Nanos, Chair of the Board Beth Creary, and Clerk of Senate Elinor Sloan (Photo by Mike Pinder)
“She’s an amazing role model,” says Nanos.
“She’s open and welcoming, and when I was board chair and we did convocation together, I could see how students really responded to her. Yaprak is leaving big shoes for me to fill. I’m eternally grateful for her service over the last number of years and for making this journey so much fun.”
Perhaps the biggest role model in Nanos’ life, however, was his father, who passed away suddenly of a heart attack when Nik was just 13.
“As a kid, you rarely talk to your parents about anything serious,” Nanos says. “But the one serious thing he told me — something I carry with me every day — is that his greatest gift to me was my name. It took me a long time to sort through what that meant, and my interpretation is that to honour your name, to honour your family, you need to serve.
“As chancellor, I want to honour the Carleton name. I want to help the school continue its tradition of success and remain a place where people have exceptional transformational experiences. And that’s the message I have for everyone in the Carleton community: we all have to get involved. Whether you’re alumni, faculty, staff or a student, you’re part of something special. When you’re a member of the Carleton community, it’s forever.”
Monday, June 23, 2025 in Chancellor, Events
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