Board of Directors
The Board of Directors is elected by the membership of the Society to oversee the Society’s activities. The term of office for each position is normally three years. The Board is responsible for setting the Society’s general policies and achieving the said goals by planning and ensuring continuity of the Society’s activities. Most of the Board’s business is conducted by email and online video conferencing. They meet in-person at the STLHE conference (June) and once in December (pre-Covid), and each month by online video conference.
Pat Maher
Chair of the Board
Nipissing University, June 2022 - June 2025
Dr. Pat Maher is a Full Professor in the School of Physical and Health Education at Nipissing University, North Bay, Ontario. He joined the Society in 2014 after being named a 3M National Teaching Fellow and has been active ever since. Pat was elected to the executive of the Council of Fellows in 2016 and served as Chair in 2020 and 2021. He was an Associate Editor for the Canadian Journal for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning from 2016-2021 and has since transitioned to the broader Editorial Board.
Pat is also a Fellow (2020) and current Vice-President (Canada) for[...]
Dr. Pat Maher is a Full Professor in the School of Physical and Health Education at Nipissing University, North Bay, Ontario. He joined the Society in 2014 after being named a 3M National Teaching Fellow and has been active ever since. Pat was elected to the executive of the Council of Fellows in 2016 and served as Chair in 2020 and 2021. He was an Associate Editor for the Canadian Journal for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning from 2016-2021 and has since transitioned to the broader Editorial Board.
Pat is also a Fellow (2020) and current Vice-President (Canada) for the International Society for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning. He has taught and conducted research projects from Iceland to Antarctica, New Zealand to Norway and many places in between. To learn more, follow him on Twitter/X @DrPatMaher or on Instagram at dr_patmaher.
Rebecca Molly Hiebert
Vice-Chair
Red River College Polytechnic, June 2023 - June 2025
Rebecca Molly is currently the Chair of Professional and Academic Advancement in the department of Global Access and Academic Advancement at Red River College Polytechnic. In this role, she uses her passion for research, science, and language to support instructors and explore new ways of fostering an inclusive and student-focused environment at the College.
In addition to supervising instructors, Rebecca also oversees research and development projects. She is currently leading an extensive research project exploring the impact of the Thinking Classroom teaching methodology by comparing it to traditional teaching methodologies in math and science classrooms at the College. In[...]
Rebecca Molly is currently the Chair of Professional and Academic Advancement in the department of Global Access and Academic Advancement at Red River College Polytechnic. In this role, she uses her passion for research, science, and language to support instructors and explore new ways of fostering an inclusive and student-focused environment at the College.
In addition to supervising instructors, Rebecca also oversees research and development projects. She is currently leading an extensive research project exploring the impact of the Thinking Classroom teaching methodology by comparing it to traditional teaching methodologies in math and science classrooms at the College. In addition to research, Rebecca also oversees course development and renewal projects to build, update, and improve courses to better suit student needs in response to educational research as well as industry feedback.
Rebecca has a Bachelor of Science in Biological Chemistry from the University of Toronto, a Master of Education from Pepperdine University in California, and an English as an Additional Language Certificate from the University of Winnipeg. Before coming to Red River College Polytechnic, she taught high school science, ran an online sewing business, and founded and ran a non-profit organization.
Janice Miller Young
Treasurer
University of Alberta, June 2024 - June 2027
Janice Miller-Young is a Professor in Engineering at the University of Alberta, a white female settler, an active SoTL scholar, and a past Director of a Centre for Teaching and Learning. She has regularly played an active role in the society, having served as the Chair of SoTL Canada, a facilitator of the SoTL Canada collaborative writing groups, as Partnerships Chair, as a CJSoTL Associate editor, and as a conference chair. She (collaboratively) won the D2L Award for Innovation in Teaching in 2023 and is also a reviewer for CJSoTL, CELT and, most recently, the D2L award. She now brings[...]
Janice Miller-Young is a Professor in Engineering at the University of Alberta, a white female settler, an active SoTL scholar, and a past Director of a Centre for Teaching and Learning. She has regularly played an active role in the society, having served as the Chair of SoTL Canada, a facilitator of the SoTL Canada collaborative writing groups, as Partnerships Chair, as a CJSoTL Associate editor, and as a conference chair. She (collaboratively) won the D2L Award for Innovation in Teaching in 2023 and is also a reviewer for CJSoTL, CELT and, most recently, the D2L award. She now brings her extensive knowledge of the organization and the Canadian context to her Director role.
Cynthia Korpan
Secretary
University of Victoria, June 2024 - June 2027
Dr. Cynthia Korpan is an Adjunct Professor in the department of Educational Psychology and Leadership Studies, University of Victoria, Victoria, BC, Canada. Prior to 2023, Cynthia held the position of Director of Teaching Excellence, with over 18 years experience as an educational developer. Her scholarly interests include research about the learning trajectory of early career academics as they first begin teaching in the academic workplace and the scholarship of teaching and learning. Cynthia is a longstanding member of STLHE, having joined in 2008. Since then, she has held many different positions, such as chair (and prior to chair, vice-chair) of[...]
Dr. Cynthia Korpan is an Adjunct Professor in the department of Educational Psychology and Leadership Studies, University of Victoria, Victoria, BC, Canada. Prior to 2023, Cynthia held the position of Director of Teaching Excellence, with over 18 years experience as an educational developer. Her scholarly interests include research about the learning trajectory of early career academics as they first begin teaching in the academic workplace and the scholarship of teaching and learning. Cynthia is a longstanding member of STLHE, having joined in 2008. Since then, she has held many different positions, such as chair (and prior to chair, vice-chair) of the Teaching Assistant Graduate Student Advancement (TAGSA), Coordinator for the 3M National Student Fellowship (3M NSF), which includes sitting on the Council of Fellows, Secretary for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL), Associate editor for the Canadian Journal for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (CJSoTL) (2024-2027), and member of various committees for the Educational Developers Caucus (EDC).
Cynthia continues her educational developer work and teaching, through the Graduate Student, Professional Student, and Postdoctoral Scholar Development Special Interest Group (GPPD SIG) communications and engagement committee, part of the Professional and Organizational Development (POD) Network; as a faculty member for the Institute for New Educational Developers (INED) at Temple University; as a facilitator for the POD Getting Started Online Conference; and as an active volunteer with Academics Without Borders, working with universities in Pakistan, Ghana, and Uganda.
Natasha Ramroop Singh
Director
Thompson Rivers University, June 2024 - June 2027
Dr. Natasha Ramroop Singh is an Associate Teaching Professor with the Biological Sciences Department at Thompson Rivers University (TRU) in Kamloops, BC. She has been a science educator within the areas of General Chemistry, Biology, Biochemistry and Genetics for over seventeen years.
Within the last five years or so, Natasha has been deeply involved in the creation, adaption and adoption of Open Educational Resources for her courses, as well as various Open Learning courses at TRU. She is an avid supporter of open pedagogies and is passionate about involving students as partners in the co-creation of learning resources.
Natasha is[...]
Dr. Natasha Ramroop Singh is an Associate Teaching Professor with the Biological Sciences Department at Thompson Rivers University (TRU) in Kamloops, BC. She has been a science educator within the areas of General Chemistry, Biology, Biochemistry and Genetics for over seventeen years.
Within the last five years or so, Natasha has been deeply involved in the creation, adaption and adoption of Open Educational Resources for her courses, as well as various Open Learning courses at TRU. She is an avid supporter of open pedagogies and is passionate about involving students as partners in the co-creation of learning resources.
Natasha is interested in focusing on collaborative efforts with fellow educators, administrators, and stakeholders, towards dismantling barriers to inclusive and equitable resources for Faculty as they seek to foster innovative teaching practices, promote evidence-based pedagogies, and advocate for policies that prioritize student success.
Jessica Riddell
Director
Bishop's University, June 2024 - June 2027
Dr. Jessica Riddell is the founder of Hope Circuits Institute, a think tank dedicated to systems re-wiring and renewal in the post-secondary sector. She is a Full Professor of Early Modern Literature in the English Department at Bishop’s University (Quebec, Canada). She holds the Stephen A. Jarislowsky Chair of Undergraduate Teaching Excellence at Bishop’s University; in this capacity, she leads conversations about systems-change in higher education that shifts the focus from resilience to human flourishing. In her research, teaching, leadership, and administration, she participates in a wide range of interchanges at the national and international levels about how universities fulfil[...]
Dr. Jessica Riddell is the founder of Hope Circuits Institute, a think tank dedicated to systems re-wiring and renewal in the post-secondary sector. She is a Full Professor of Early Modern Literature in the English Department at Bishop’s University (Quebec, Canada). She holds the Stephen A. Jarislowsky Chair of Undergraduate Teaching Excellence at Bishop’s University; in this capacity, she leads conversations about systems-change in higher education that shifts the focus from resilience to human flourishing. In her research, teaching, leadership, and administration, she participates in a wide range of interchanges at the national and international levels about how universities fulfil the social contract to a broader society.
Juan Carlos López
Director
Acadia University, June 2024 - June 2027
Dr. Juan Carlos López is a soil microbial ecologist who has worked and trained in Europe, and North and South America. Over the years, working in collaboration with students and colleagues, Juan Carlos has addressed aspects of education that deal with pedagogy, inclusion and student success.
In 2023, Juan Carlos became the inaugural Director of the Virtual Maple League Teaching and Learning Centre. In this leadership role, Juan Carlos develops new programming and continues with existing initiatives to showcase pedagogical practices and strategies, always infused with social justice practices in higher education.
Juan Carlos has worked in advancing EDIAR principles[...]
Dr. Juan Carlos López is a soil microbial ecologist who has worked and trained in Europe, and North and South America. Over the years, working in collaboration with students and colleagues, Juan Carlos has addressed aspects of education that deal with pedagogy, inclusion and student success.
In 2023, Juan Carlos became the inaugural Director of the Virtual Maple League Teaching and Learning Centre. In this leadership role, Juan Carlos develops new programming and continues with existing initiatives to showcase pedagogical practices and strategies, always infused with social justice practices in higher education.
Juan Carlos has worked in advancing EDIAR principles in the way our academic systems function. Joining working groups with incremental responsibilities through the Acadia University Faculty Association, Juan Carlos was appointed as co-chair of the joint Employment Equity Committee and became, in 2024, the inaugural Associate Dean of Equity Diversity and Inclusion for the Faculty of Pure and Applied Science at Acadia University.
Anita Acai
Director
George Brown College, June 2022 - June 2025
Dr. Anita Acai is the inaugural Director, Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) at George Brown College in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. She also holds a part-time faculty appointment in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neurosciences at McMaster University. Dr. Acai first became a member of the Society in 2013, when she was named a 3M National Student Fellow (3MNSF). Throughout her time as a student and now as a faculty member, she has remained engaged in the Society in various capacities, most recently as the coordinator of the 3MNSF Program. To learn more about Dr. Acai, please visit https://anitaacai.com/ or[...]
Dr. Anita Acai is the inaugural Director, Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) at George Brown College in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. She also holds a part-time faculty appointment in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neurosciences at McMaster University. Dr. Acai first became a member of the Society in 2013, when she was named a 3M National Student Fellow (3MNSF). Throughout her time as a student and now as a faculty member, she has remained engaged in the Society in various capacities, most recently as the coordinator of the 3MNSF Program. To learn more about Dr. Acai, please visit https://anitaacai.com/ or find her on X (formerly Twitter) at @anita_acai or Bluesky at @anitaaphd.bsky.social.
Tari Ajadi
McGill University, June 2022 - June 2025
Tari Ajadi is a PhD candidate in Political Science at Dalhousie University, and a Pre-Doctoral Fellow in Black Studies at Queen’s University. His dissertation research analyses how Black activists in mid-sized cities strategize to prompt change in policing and in health policy. A British-Nigerian immigrant to Canada, Tari aims to produce research that supports and engages with Black communities across the country. He is a co-founder of the Nova Scotia Policing Policy Working Group, a member of the Board of Directors of the Health Association of African Canadians, as well as a Board Member with the East Coast Prison Justice[...]
Tari Ajadi is a PhD candidate in Political Science at Dalhousie University, and a Pre-Doctoral Fellow in Black Studies at Queen’s University. His dissertation research analyses how Black activists in mid-sized cities strategize to prompt change in policing and in health policy. A British-Nigerian immigrant to Canada, Tari aims to produce research that supports and engages with Black communities across the country. He is a co-founder of the Nova Scotia Policing Policy Working Group, a member of the Board of Directors of the Health Association of African Canadians, as well as a Board Member with the East Coast Prison Justice Society. In January 2023, Tari will begin as an Assistant Professor in Black Politics at McGill University. He holds a MA in Political Science from Dalhousie University.
Ann Braithwaite
Director
University of Prince Edward Island, June 2024 - June 2027
Dr. Ann Braithwaite is a professor and coordinator of Diversity and Social Justice Studies at the University of Prince Edward Island, where she has taught since 1998. She teaches a wide variety of courses at every level, on topics such as Identities and Place; Monsters, Freaks, Zombies, and Cyborgs; Disability Studies; Race and Whiteness; and Theorizing Social Justice.
The co-author or co-editor of four books (with a fifth under contract), Dr. Braithwaite’s scholarly work examines how disciplines—such as Women’s and Gender Studies—are constructed through languages and narratives that reflect a set of citational practices and embedded ways of knowing, asking[...]
Dr. Ann Braithwaite is a professor and coordinator of Diversity and Social Justice Studies at the University of Prince Edward Island, where she has taught since 1998. She teaches a wide variety of courses at every level, on topics such as Identities and Place; Monsters, Freaks, Zombies, and Cyborgs; Disability Studies; Race and Whiteness; and Theorizing Social Justice.
The co-author or co-editor of four books (with a fifth under contract), Dr. Braithwaite’s scholarly work examines how disciplines—such as Women’s and Gender Studies—are constructed through languages and narratives that reflect a set of citational practices and embedded ways of knowing, asking what versions of a discipline these assumptions make possible, what possibilities they shut down, and how attending to those questions matters.
Dr. Braithwaite is the former chair of the Society for Teaching and Learning in Higher Education (STLHE / SAPES) Equity Committee, in addition to serving on several EDI committees at UPEI and on the UPEIFA; both at UPEI and beyond, her passion is to engage others in exploring how to bring questions of inclusion and justice to the classroom and curricular programming. She is the recipient of numerous teaching, educational leadership, and service awards at UPEI was awarded the 2014 AAU Anne Marie MacKinnon Educational Leadership award and is a 2021 3M National Teaching Fellow.
Matthew Dunleavy
Director
Yorkville University, June 2024 - June 2027
Matthew Dunleavy (he/him) is a Senior Educational Developer at the Centre for Teaching Excellence and Innovation at Yorkville University and Toronto Film School. Before entering that role, he was an Educational Developer at the Teaching Commons at York University. Previously, he served as the Program Director of the Online Learning and Technology Consultants (OLTC) Program at the Maple League of Universities (Acadia, Bishop’s, Mount Allison, & St. Francis Xavier). In 2022, he was awarded the D2L Innovation Award in Teaching and Learning by the Society for Teaching and Learning in Higher Education for this work.
Matthew Dunleavy (he/him) is a Senior Educational Developer at the Centre for Teaching Excellence and Innovation at Yorkville University and Toronto Film School. Before entering that role, he was an Educational Developer at the Teaching Commons at York University. Previously, he served as the Program Director of the Online Learning and Technology Consultants (OLTC) Program at the Maple League of Universities (Acadia, Bishop’s, Mount Allison, & St. Francis Xavier). In 2022, he was awarded the D2L Innovation Award in Teaching and Learning by the Society for Teaching and Learning in Higher Education for this work.