Conference Schedule 2025

See the full 2025 EDIAR Conference Schedule

	EDI-AR CONFERENCE SCHEDULE - Thursday, May 22, 2025
8:00 a.m. - 8:45 a.m.	Registration & Breakfast
8:46 a.m. - 8:59 a.m.	Welcome
9:00 a.m. - 10:00 a.m.	Plenary - Showcasing EDI-AR Growth and Opportunities
	Carey Majid KC - Executive Director, Newfoundland and Labrador Human Rights Commission
	Dr. Paul Banahene Adjei - Associate Vice-President (Indigenous Research)
	Tanya Finlay - Vice President, People and Culture, Fortis Inc.
10:05 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.	CONCURRENT SESSION A
	Education & Training (Presentation)
Session 1	Svetlana Barkanova & Kevin Hewitt - Breaking Barriers in STEM: The Inaugural Chairs for Inclusion in Science and Engineering Program in Atlantic Canada
	Diana Mackay - From Simply Fitting-In to Proper Belonging: Rethinking Neurodiversity Supports in Academia
	Aziza Taylor - "Storytelling: A Tool for Youth-led Social Change & Community Transformation"
Session 2	Education & Training (Workshop)
	Amanda Watson -  Using Teacher and Student Clarity to Design Better Experiences for Diverse Learners
Session 3	Building Institutional & Organizational Capacity (Presentation)
	Michelle Goodridge - Supporting EDI-AR Through Library Gaming Collections and Services
	Julie Glaser & Roxanne Pereira - “A Welcoming, Inclusive Community Approach to Advancing Equity in Municipalities with Legislated Plans to Dismantle Racism and Hate, and Support Accessibility.”
	Nicole Cammaert - Multi-Generational Workplaces and Disability: Navigating Mindsets, Disclosure, and Accessibility Across Generations: A Practitioner’s Perspective on Inclusive Leadership
Session 4	Building Community (Workshop)
	Ema Shiroma-Chao - Beneath the Surface: Constructive Conversations Beyond the Cultural Iceberg
11:01 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.	Networking
11:31 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.	Lunch
12:31 p.m. - 1:50 p.m.	Dr. Sara Thompson & Canadian Race Relations Foundation - Building Bridges: Dialogue and Knowledge Sharing on Hate Crimes and Incidents
1:51 p.m. - 2:30 p.m.	Nutrition Break
2:35 p.m. - 3:35 p.m.	CONCURRENT SESSION B
Session 5	Research & Ethics (Presentation)
	Andy Lee - Comparative Outcome of Surgical, Non-Surgical, and Combination Treatments for Keloids and Hypertrophic Scars in Skin of Color
	Tolulope Lawal - Towards Becoming an Antiracist Researcher: An Autoethnography of My Journey Conducting an Antiracist Master's Thesis
	Hilary Hennessey -  Advancing Inclusion in Clinical Trials for Neurodiverse Communities
Session 6	Policy & Strategic Planning (Presentation)
	Cassbreea Dewis & Paloma Ponti - Systemic Discrimination: New Policy Approaches
	Rubie Clarke - From Randon Activities to Measurable Strategy: Crafting a DEI Theory of Change
	Andrina Cockerham - Voices for Change: What Newcomer Voices Teach Us About Equity in Hiring
Session 7	Education & Training (Workshop)
	Kerri Deir - The ROI of Inclusion: Building Accessible Workplaces That Work
Session 8	Building Community (Presentation)
	Kevin Hewitt - "Dismantling the SySTEM"
	Anne Pickard & Kate Wolforth - Opening the Door: Welcoming New Audiences Through Cultural Literacy
	Elaine Brown Spencer - Mental Health is the Church’s Business: Forging New Pathways
3:40 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.	Closing Remarks
5:00 p.m. - 6:30 p.m.	Evening Reception

	EDI-AR CONFERENCE SCHEDULE - Friday, May 23, 2025
8:00 a.m. - 8:45 a.m.	Registration & Breakfast
9:00 a.m. - 9:05 a.m.	Welcome
9:06 a.m. - 9:45 a.m.	Plenary  - Showcasing EDI-AR Growth and Opportunities
	Senator Judy A. White
	Senator Wanda Thomas Bernard
9:50 a.m. - 10:50 a.m.	CONCURRENT SESSION A
	Building Institutional & Organizational Capacity (Workshop)
Session 1	Paloma Ponti - UVic Equity Lens Tool: Building capacity to embed equity into institutional systems
	Building Community (Workshop)
Session 2	Moashella Michelle Shortte - Charting A Course Towards True Allyship
	Building Community (Presentation)
Session 3	Ema Shiroma-Chao & Laura Aguirre – Breaking Barriers: Newcomer Workforce Integration
	Devine Prince - Fighting for Inclusion in Trump's America
	Policy, Research & Ethics (TBC)
Session 4	TBC
	Details Coming Soon
Session 5
	Details Coming Soon
Session 6
10:55 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.	Networking
11:31 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.	Closing Remarks

Presenter Bios

Svetlana Barkanova
Svetlana Barkanova is a professor of physics at Grenfell Campus, MUN. She began her career at the Nuclear Research Center in Latvia in 1994, moved to Canada in 1998 to expand her expertise, and earned a PhD in Theoretical Subatomic Physics from the University of Manitoba in 2004. An internationally-recognized researcher, Dr. Barkanova seeks to uncover the fundamental building blocks of the universe and their interactions, with emphasis on hadron structure and multi-loop calculations for precision experiments. Throughout her career, Dr. Barkanova has been committed to improving diversity, equity, and inclusion in research and education, and developed a wide coast-to-coast-to-coast professional network. She has served on Boards such as WISE NL and Science Atlantic, held leadership roles within CAP, including chairing the Division of Theoretical Physics and the Division for Gender Equity in Physics, organized national and international conferences, and contributed her expertise to grant and prize selection committees. An award-winning teacher and dynamic public speaker, she is passionate about science outreach and enjoys sharing her love for physics with audiences of all ages.

Kevin Hewitt
Kevin Hewitt, Full Professor of Physics, Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada Chair for Inclusion in Science and Engineering, and Associate Dean at Dalhousie University, runs an interdisciplinary research program that integrates optical and spectroscopic instrumentation development with biomedical and materials science applications. He co-founded the Imhotep Legacy Academy, a STEM bridge program that has been running at Dalhousie University for 21 years and has been replicated at other institutions across Canada. He has been a guest on Canada's national flagship CBC Ideas program, featured in the series Cool Black North, and recognized with top provincial and national awards for science promotion. He has been recognized for his community engagement with Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee medal in Nova Scotia and a Youth Community Service Award in British Columbia, and the national Harry Jerome Award for Professional Excellence. In 2025, Kevin joined the Cottrell Scholar community as a recipient of the Research Corporation for Science Advancement’s Robert Holland Jr. Award, which honours exemplary work in research, leadership, and mentoring, breaking down barriers in STEM education.

Diana MacKay
Day MacKay is a Saint Mary’s University student who’s enthusiastically learning how to advocate for herself and the people around her who struggle to do it for themselves. She is a regular explorer for ways to express her passion for neurodiversity awareness and education and nothing lights her up more than when people come to her with questions about different neuro-abilities. She’s thrilled at any opportunity to collaborate with local neurodivergent-lead businesses, community-development advocates, and any kindred spirits looking to kick-start new adventures to sow joy.

Amanda Watson
Amanda began her career teaching high school English, mathematics, and drama. She taught for twenty years before becoming a curriculum coordinator with my school board.  Her current portfolio includes Universal Design for Learning, Interdisciplinary Literacy, and Assessment & Evaluation. Part of her role involves researching evidence-based practices, and then partnering with teachers and students in classrooms to figure out how to improve learning experiences. Amanda also learn alongside system leaders and educators through workshops, procedural writing, and collaborative projects. She is currently writing a Master’s thesis about the de-streamed English curriculum in Ontario with my incredible supervisor at MUN, and have presented at conferences and events held in Europe, Africa, and North America. 

Michelle Goodridge
Michelle Goodridge holds a Master of Arts in History (2011) and a Master of Library and Information Science (2014) – both from The University of Western Ontario – and has over a decade of experience working in academic libraries with over three years of experience as a Contract Teaching Faculty member in Game Design and Development. Michelle focuses a large amount of her time and energy on outreach and teaching both on-campus and off and seeks to create unique and non-traditional partnerships such as her work with bringing together academic and public libraries. Michelle’s other academic interests include accessibility in gaming, objective assessment, non-traditional library collections, game-based teaching and learning, SoTL, user experience, and using technology in information literacy instruction.

Julie Glaser 
Julie has a 25-year career supporting communities to become more inclusive and welcoming places to live, work, create and participate – places where belonging is paramount to tackling complex needs and challenges. Julie brings both rural and urban perspectives to the work, uses culture and heritage to facilitate engagement, and loves nothing more than to celebrate our diversity as the greatest strength in our humanity. Julie is also a published author of creative non-fiction and fiction, most recently with 1989 in This Wasn't on the Syllabus: Stories from the Frontlines of Campus Activism Against Sexualized Violence (Simon & Schuster). Julie remains hopeful that peace and unity will be achieved in her lifetime. Julie is a Municipal Equity, Anti-Racism and Accessibility Program Manager at Association for Municipal Administrators of Nova Scotia (AMANS).

Roxanne Pereira
Roxanne oversees the coordination, promotion, and provision of accessibility, equity, anti-racism, and capacity-building support for municipalities and villages throughout the province. Her responsibilities include developing and implementing capacity-building initiatives, advising municipal accessibility, equity, and anti-racism leads on project implementation and community engagement.

Roxanne's personal experiences with systemic inequalities have fueled her lifelong dedication to understanding and addressing systemic racism and inequity, advocating for underserved and underrepresented communities. She holds a master's degree in international development studies from Dalhousie University, with a research focus on the rehabilitation and reintegration of sex workers in India. Roxanne has contributed to various organizations across Nova Scotia and worked at the Office of Equity and Anti-Racism. Additionally, she works part-time as a program coordinator for a research study on Preventing and Addressing Family Violence in rural Atlantic Canada. Roxanne is a Municipal Accessibility, Equity, and Anti-Racism Program Coordinator at Association for Municipal Administrators of Nova Scotia (AMANS).

Nicole Cammaert
Nicole (she/her) is the Engagement and Impact Lead at Sea Change CoLab, where she leads innovative learning programs that foster inclusion, accessibility, and systems change. As a seasoned facilitator and community engagement specialist, Nicole brings over two decades of experience across the nonprofit and private sectors, with a focus on equity-driven organizational development and social innovation.

Nicole currently stewards the Accessibility Confident Employers (ACE) project, a province-wide initiative funded by the Government of Canada, which supports employers in Nova Scotia to build accessible and inclusive workplaces. Outside of this work, Nicole also works as a Consultant with Canadian Women & Sport supporting gender-equity in sport organizations across the country.

Nicole holds a BA in Communications, a postgraduate certificate in Leadership, and is an MBA candidate in Community Economic Development. Nicole is an active community volunteer and serves on the Board of Directors for the YMCA of Cape Breton, Coxheath Hills Wilderness Recreation Association, and is a veteran hockey coach. She lives in Unama’ki/Cape Breton, where she enjoys hiking, kayaking, and spending time with her family, pets, and community.

Ema Shiroma Chao
Currently based in Ktaqmkuk, the unceded traditional lands of the Beothuk and Mi'kmaq, Ema Shiroma-Chao (she/they) is a certified career development practitioner, educator, musician, and EDI-AR (Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, Anti-Racism) advocate. With a passion for interconnected teaching and lifelong learning, Ema has diverse experience serving international students, youth, and refugee populations in the nonprofit, public, and private sectors spanning BC, Québec, Ontario, and Newfoundland. 

Presently working as the International Student Career Advisor at Memorial University, Ema plays an active role in connecting students to the workforce, facilitating career development workshops, providing targeted advising services, and fostering collaborative employer partnerships. Ema also oversees the Professional Skills Development Program (PSDP), a key offering purposefully designed to equip international students with the skills and knowledge needed to prepare for professional employment in Canada. 

Andy Lee
Andy Lee is a second-year medical student at the University of Toronto focused on healthcare equity and addressing racial disparities in medicine. His research examined treatment options for keloids—a condition disproportionately affecting Black, Asian, and Indigenous communities that remains understudied in dermatological literature. This work aims to provide evidence-based guidance for clinicians serving diverse patient populations.

Beyond his research, Andy collaborates with the Ted Rogers Centre for Heart Research's Medly Program to transform cardiac care delivery in Northern Ontario. Working with the Weeneebayko Area Health Authority, he helps implement remote monitoring systems that bring specialized care to Indigenous communities facing higher rates of cardiovascular disease. He also demonstrates his commitment to mentorship through roles with the Rural Outreach and Mentorship Initiative and the iLEAD Program, drawing from his own experiences as an immigrant to create inclusive pathways for underrepresented individuals in medicine.

Tolulope Lawal
Tolu is a K-12 teacher with experience in Nigeria, England, and St. John's, Newfoundland. She is currently a doctoral student in the Faculty of Education at MUN, focusing her research on antiracist children's literature and the role of teachers in Racial and Ethnic Socialization (RES). 

Recently, she has been exploring the role of identity and free spaces, as well as the emotions involved in conducting antiracist research. Her autoethnographic study emphasizes the journey of engaging in this work and the importance of sharing stories about the obstacles we may face, which can be beneficial in developing identity narratives for antiracist researchers. This awareness can ultimately enhance our ability to produce actionable research that drives change. Despite her academic pursuits, Tolu enjoys spending time with her family, dancing, and singing her heart out, albeit not perfectly.

Hilary P. Hennessey
Hilary is a Registered Social Worker and a Master of Health Ethics student at Memorial University of Newfoundland and Labrador. She is currently employed as the Public Relations Specialist with the Newfoundland and Labrador Human Rights Commission where she is responsible for promoting human rights in the province through education and community engagement. Additionally, Hilary is a dedicated advocate for disability justice as she actively works to advance accessibility and inclusion for people who are neurodiverse at both provincial and international levels. 

Cassbreea Dewis
Cassbreea Dewis is the Executive Director of Equity and Human Rights (EQHR) at the University of Victoria, where she leads institution-wide efforts to advance equity, diversity, inclusion, and human rights. With over 20 years of experience in higher education, Cassbreea brings strategic leadership, deep institutional knowledge, and a trauma-informed, intersectional lens to her work. She has led transformative initiatives such as the creation of UVic’s Sexualized Violence Resource Office, the implementation of a campus-wide Equity Action Plan, and the development of coordinated response protocols for complex and high-risk issues.

Cassbreea is a sought-after advisor on equity strategy and policy, and a committed advocate for meaningful institutional change grounded in compassion, collaboration, and accountability.

Paloma Ponti
Paloma Ponti (she/her) is the Equity Action Planning and Policy Project Coordinator at the University of Victoria (UVic). Over the past 4 years, Paloma has worked to support the development and implementation of UVic’s Equity Action Plan and conducted reviews of the Discrimination and Harassment and Sexualized Violence policies. A UVic alum, Paloma comes to EDI-AR work with a background in student advocacy and anti-oppression education.

Rubie Clarke
Rubie is of Jewish and Irish heritage and is based in her hometown of London. As Senior Director of Consultancy at Fearless Futures, Rubie supports ambitious organizations to diagnose inequity in their ecosystems and design, implement and evaluate innovative anti-oppression solutions. Her expertise lies in critical social theory and research, policy analysis and organizational change strategy. 

She holds a B.A. in Sociology and Anthropology from Goldsmiths University, London and a M.A. in Global Political Economy from the University of Sussex, with a focus on social and economic policy, Race critical theory, decoloniality and intersectional feminism. Rubie is also an expert facilitator who is skilled at leaning into nuance, complexity and discomfort with curiosity and compassion. In 2024 Rubie led the research and authorship of the White Paper DEI Disrupted: The Blueprint for DEI Worth Doing which has been described as a “clarifying” “bold” and “deeply practical resource”.

Andrina Cockerham
Andrina is a 1st year master’s student in ethnomusicology at Memorial University of Newfoundland. Originally from the small town of Gananoque in Ontario, Andrina holds a Bachelor of Music, where she specialized in clarinet performance and later developed a passion for music research. During that time, she did research on Indigenous musicians, focusing especially on the use of music as a form of resistance and ways of understanding music as something other than a material commodity. 

Her current research examines the role of music, movement, and sound in protests and demonstrations, including music as a means for healing or processing trauma in these settings. Beyond music, her research interests include politics, geo-economics, and the environment and society. 

Anne Pickard 
Anne (she/her) is an interdisciplinary artist, educator, scholar, and activist living on the unceded traditional territories of the Beothuk and Mi’kmaq in Ktaqmkuk (Newfoundland). Anne develops accessible programs in the arts, aesthetic education, and cultural literacy for schools, families, and equity-deserving groups at The Rooms. Her practice is rooted in equity, diversity, inclusion, and anti-racism and she is informed through community engagement and her lived experience as an Autistic person with a hearing disability.

Anne taught at the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design (NSCAD) University from 2002-11 and has been studying American Sign Language (ASL) since 2019. She will complete her Master of Education at Memorial University in May 2025. Anne received the 2024 Canadian Society for Education through Art (CSEA) Provincial Affiliate Award for Newfoundland and Labrador and the 2023 ArtsNL Arts in Education Award. She was nominated for the 2023 YWCA Circle of Distinction Award for Inspired Innovation.

Kate Wolforth
Kate Wolforth (she/her) holds a BFA from Concordia University and Masters in Museum Studies from the University of Toronto. Since 2019, she has been the Director of the Art Gallery, Museums and Visitor Experience Dept at The Rooms, the province of Newfoundland and Labrador’s largest cultural facility. She has worked in the cultural sector for over 25 years. With a background in museum and arts education, Kate’s professional passion is ensuring that museums and art galleries are welcoming, inclusive spaces. She has facilitated numerous new partnerships for The Rooms, working collaboratively with her wonderful team of education professionals to build new initiatives and audiences.

Moashella Shortte
Moashella is a celebrated author, educator, and community advocate based in Halifax, Nova Scotia. She currently serves as Faculty at the Nova Scotia Community College for the Africentric Learning Option of the Adult Learning Program at Akerley and supports the Africentric ECE programs at both Akerley and eCampus. 

Moashella received her formal training in Child and Youth Studies at Mount Saint Vincent University and earned an Early Childhood Management Certificate from Saint Mary's University. Her teaching practices emphasize Ubuntu principles, which focus on community, interconnectedness, and mutual respect. This philosophy, meaning "I am because we are," underscores the importance of collective well-being and shared humanity. Her Africentric pedagogy fosters a sense of community and belonging among students, promoting empathy, social justice, and inclusion, helping students develop a strong sense of identity and community.

Kerri Deir
Kerri Deir is an Impact Consultant with over 20 years of experience in accessibility, disability inclusion, and workforce development. She is a graduate of Memorial University and is known for building authentic relationships and transforming complex equity challenges into practical, human-centered solutions. Her work focuses on dismantling barriers, fostering inclusive workplace culture, and supporting organizations to embrace accessibility as a catalyst for innovation and sustainability. Drawing on deep expertise in physical rehabilitation and DEI strategy, she brings a compassionate, results-driven approach to every collaboration. She also holds an Equity seat as a board member of the Canadian Apprenticeship Forum, where she champions systemic change across skilled trades in Canada.

Aziza Taylor
Aziza Taylor is a global storyteller, strategist, and founder of Own Your Narrative 54, dedicated to amplifying untold stories from marginalized communities and cultivating youth as future leaders. Aziza has built a multifaceted career spanning branding, marketing, social media, television, film, nonprofit, and corporate communications. As the inaugural Communications and Marketing Manager for the American Medical Association’s Center for Health Equity, she launched digital tools and campaigns that fostered racial healing and transformation. She also served as Interim Press Information Officer and Director of Social Media for NYC’s Department of Finance and was the first Senior Talent Branding Specialist for the Talent and Acquisitions division at NBC Universal.

Her storytelling credits include Emmy Award-winning programs for PBS, Telepictures, 20th Century Fox, and CBS Paramount. Her documentary work includes “Black America Since MLK: And Still I Rise” and “The Capital Buzz”, which won honors at the DC Shorts and La Jolla Film Festivals. In 2023, she was honored by MIPAD and the UN as a “Global Top 100 Under 40” changemaker.

Aziza holds an M.S. in Global Affairs from New York University, a B.A. in Broadcast Journalism and Mass Media from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, and a graduate certificate in Documentary Filmmaking from The George Washington University.

Elaine Brown Spencer
Elaine A Brown Spencer, Ph.D., public speaker, scholar, counsellor, senior policy analyst, educator and trainer, critically acclaimed author and playwright and Founder and President of Kaleo Inc. A scholar of spiritual-religious experiences, Dr. Spencer earned her MSW & Doctorate degree at the University of Toronto. Elaine bridges the academic and religious community in her writings to emphasize the need for persons to remain anchored in their faith. She has centred social concerns of poverty, patriarchy, gender based violence and mental health as central to spiritualty

Devine Prince
Devine Prince is a community advocate, an activist and an American Freedmen Reparationist. He hails from a family of multigenerational NYers by way of GA and NC that survived enslavement in the US. He is committed to restorative, reparative and remedial justice for his ancestors and all other emancipated persons in the U.S. He is the current president of The US Freedmen Project