Appointment of Derek Thompson – Thlaapkiituup as Director, Indigenous Engagement
It is with a mixture of joy and sadness that we share the news of the appointment of Derek Thompson – Thlaapkiituup as the Director of Indigenous Engagement. Derek is from the diitiidʔaaʔtx̣ – Ditidaht First Nation, one of fourteen Nuuchahnulth Nations on the west coast of Vancouver Island. He has worked for two years with the Office of Respectful Environments, Equity, Diversity & Inclusion (REDI) as the first Indigenous Advisor. As the REDI Indigenous Advisor, Derek provided leadership and support across the Faculty to help create and sustain learning and work environments that incorporate standards of cultural safety and humility, and that are free from Indigenous-specific racism and discrimination. Derek spearheaded the Indigenous Speaker Series, one of the most widely attended series in the REDI office, which aims to continue and advance the conversation about truth-telling and reconciliation. Derek will continue collaboration with the REDI office on multiple fronts, including the Indigenous Speaker Series for the upcoming academic year 2023-2024.
We are very excited about the important work ahead that Derek will lead as the Director of Indigenous Engagement. In describing this new role, Dr. Mike Allard, Vice Dean of Health Engagement, writes that Derek “will provide vision, strategic leadership and diplomacy in advancing the Faculty’s efforts to establish meaningful, mutually beneficial relationships with Indigenous Peoples, nations, communities and organizations. Doing so is a key priority and necessity in supporting the implementation of the UBC Faculty of Medicine Response to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada Calls to Action (the Response) — and equally important, the work of reckoning with the truth and working together for a better future.” Read the full message by Dr. Mike Allard.
We take this opportunity to extend our heartfelt congratulations to Derek on his well-deserved appointment. His exemplary dedication and tireless efforts to advance the work of truth telling and reconciliation are an inspiration to us all. We have every confidence that his leadership will continue to support transforming the culture in the Faculty of Medicine. We would like to express our deepest gratitude for Derek’s unwavering commitment and congratulate him once again on his new role as the Director of Indigenous Engagement.
Announcement: Dr. Neila Miled, Antiracism Advisor
It is with sadness that we announce the departure of Dr. Neila Miled, the Antiracism Advisor for the Office of Respectful Environments, Equity, Diversity & Inclusion (REDI). Dr. Miled has been an invaluable member of our team, and we are grateful for the contributions she has made during her time with us. Dr. Miled will start a new role as a DEI Manager at the Provincial Health Services Authority (PHSA) in July 2023.
Dr. Miled has been an integral part of the REDI team for over two years. With unwavering dedication, she has tirelessly provided advising, delivered training sessions, and facilitated workshops in equity, diversity, inclusion, and anti-racism education. Through her exceptional work, Dr. Miled has played a pivotal role in supporting multiple committees within the Faculty of Medicine, aiding in the development, implementation, and sustenance of strategic best practices that promote equity, diversity, and inclusion. Her commitment to fostering a respectful, safe, equitable, and inclusive learning and working environment has left an indelible mark on the entire REDI community.
As Dr. Miled embarks on her new role as the DEI Manager at the PHSA, we extend our warmest wishes for great success in this exciting new chapter in her career.
While we bid farewell to Dr. Miled as a member of the REDI team, we are excited at the prospect of future partnerships and collaborations with her in her new capacity at the PHSA.
REDI will be hiring an equity advisor to continue the important work of supporting the Faculty’s Strategic Plan and transforming our culture through respectful and inclusive learning and work environments that are anti-racist and promote equity at a systems and individual level.
Welcome Maï Yasué!
Maï Yasué has been appointed as the Associate Director of the REDI office.
We are excited to announce that Maï Yasué has been appointed as the Associate Director of the Office of Respectful Environments, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion. Mai will provide leadership to the REDI team in the development and delivery of our education and training programming. She will collaborate with leaders in departments, centres, and administration units, and staff, and faculty to identify institutional and individual barriers to inclusion and to foster long-term socio-cultural change towards justice, equity, decolonization, indigenization, and inclusion (JEDII). Her role involves connecting with senior leadership, staff, and faculty in the Faculty of Medicine to collaboratively work towards creating long-term socio-cultural change in the areas of justice, equity, decolonization, indigenization, and inclusion (JEDII).
Prior to joining REDI, Maï spent two years as a strategist and interim Director in the Equity & Inclusion Office at UBC. During her time there, she spearheaded the JEDII STEM Series and the IBPOC STEM Network and worked to support capacity-building to embed JEDII principles into teaching, research, and faculty and staff recruitment and review processes (including merit, tenure and promotion).
Previously, Maï served as a faculty member and administrative leader at Quest University Canada for 13 years. She taught and developed over 50 interdisciplinary courses in conservation and geography and held various leadership roles, including head of social sciences and chair of the university’s equity and diversity committee, faculty review, admissions, and financial aid committees. Her efforts focused on revising processes and procedures to enhance transparency, equity, and inclusion.
Maï, a second-generation immigrant from Japan, holds an MSc in Zoology from the University of Oxford and a PhD in Geography from the University of Victoria. As an interdisciplinary scholar, she has published over 40 articles in academic fields such as conservation, geography, zoology, education, behavioral ecology, economics, and psychology. Her recent research utilizes Self-Determination Theory to design inclusive and equitable practices and policies that foster autonomous motivation for sociocultural change.
Maï is grateful for having spent most of her life on the traditional territories of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw (Squamish), səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh), and Stó:lō Nations. On a personal level, Maï is a parent to an 11-year-old daughter, a partner to a psychology instructor, and enjoys cooking, spending time in nature, and snuggling with her pet bunnies.