Thank you for joining us on Wednesday, April 23rd, 2025, from 12:00 PM – 2:00 PM (PST), for “To Bear Witness: A Meaningful Conversation about my Mom on Belonging and Perseverance.” In this Indigenous Speakers Series session, we bore witness to a meaningful conversation between Derek Thompson and Maï Yasué, Associate Director of the REDI Office, about Derek’s mom, Maude Thompson. Maude was originally scheduled to be the guest speaker, but she sadly passed away a month before the event. A Haisla First Nations woman and Survivor of the Indian Residential School system, Maude was a thoughtful, generous and loving human being —a Mom, Grandmother, Great-Grandmother, Auntie, Sister, and Daughter—who persevered in the face of incredible hardships. For nearly 40 years, Maude served as a cook for the Tsow-tun Le Lum Society – Substance Use and Trauma Treatment Centre providing nourishment, love, support, care, and inspiration to thousands of First Nations and Indigenous people.
Maude was originally scheduled to be the guest speaker, but she sadly passed away a month before the event. In her honour, we will bear witness to a meaningful conversation between Derek Thompson and Maï Yasué, Associate Director of the REDI Office, about his mother, Maude Thompson.
Derek K Thompson – ČaabaťBookwilla | Suhiltun, Proud Son & Director, Indigenous Engagement
Maï Yasué, Associate Director of the REDI Office
Description
Written by Derek K Thompson – ČaabaťBookwilla | Suhiltun, Proud Son
On June 11th, 2008, my Mom, Maude Thompson, was in the public gallery in the House of Commons in Ottawa to bear witness to the formal statement of apology to former students of the Indian Residential School experience in Canada. My Mom has always stated over the course of her life that all she ever wanted was for someone responsible to apologize for the wrongs committed against her as a little girl while she was at the Alberni Indian Residential School. She also talks about the tensions between belonging and being dispossessed of identity, culture and language, the conflict between truth and the not-so-straight-forward-ability to be truthful, the anxieties of trying to make sense of the past and to create the opportunity for your children and grandchildren to thrive, and the goodness that comes from being generous, mindful and dignified in spite of your adversities.
My Mom has told me that she has nothing to offer whenever I’ve asked her to consider speaking in this important series, and now she’s finally agreed to be here so that her and I can talk about these important issues within the context of truth, reconciliation and redress. She has a lot to offer about her experiences as survivor of the Indian residential school experience, as a First Nations – Haisla woman, as a thoughtful and generous human being, and as a Mom, a Grandmother, a Great-Grandmother, an Auntie, a Sister, a Daughter, and as a woman who has persevered in the face of incredible hardship.
My Mom has been a cook for the Tsow-tun Le Lum Society – Substance Use and Trauma Treatment Centre for nearly 40 years, and she’s been a source of love, support, care, and inspiration for thousands of First Nations and Indigenous people. Wherever I’ve worked over the years across BC, nearly every time someone comes up to me and tells me about a fond memory they have of my Mom – a favourite meal she cooked, how she listened when seemingly no one else did, a shoulder to cry on, she became the Auntie or Mom they never had, and many other touching stories. My Mom has created an enduring legacy in the lives of many people and has given so much of herself unconditionally, and she’s done so all in an effort to simply belong and in doing so to make others feel like they also belong.
Topic: To Bear Witness: A Meaningful Conversation about my Mom on Belonging and Perseverance
Date:Wednesday, April 23rd, 2025
Time: 12:00 – 2:00 PM (PST)
What Will I Learn?
You will learn about a unique perspective about the processes of truth and reconciliation.
Continue Learning
“The time to make things happen is now. The time to seek out our individual and shared power is now.”
Learn more about REDI’s Indigenous Initiatives here
Discover more about REDI’s Indigenous Initiatives Speakers Series here
April 4th marks Refugee Rights Day, a time to reflect on the challenges faced by refugees. Explore a curated collection of diverse books that capture the resilience, courage, and humanity of refugees from around the world. From personal memoirs to fictional stories inspired by real-life events, this collection offers a window into the experiences of those forced to flee their homes in search of safety and a better future.
Gaining a deeper understanding of the struggles, triumphs, and dreams of refugees can impact your clinical practice by fostering empathy and enhancing your ability to provide culturally sensitive, and trauma-informed care. It empowers you to deliver compassionate care that respects the dignity and humanity of each individual you serve. By incorporating these insights into your practice, you can create a more inclusive healthcare environment where refugees feel seen and supported.
Research Voices from the Field is a new feature that showcases cutting-edge research that breaks barriers and promotes inclusion in medicine. Each edition spotlights a research publication and includes insights directly from the authors—revealing their motivations, the significance of their findings, and why the research matters for healthcare professionals everywhere.
In this third edition, Dr. Faisal Khosa, Dr. Jeffrey Ding, and Dr. Sabeen Tiwana reflect on their edited book “Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion in Healthcare: From Knowledge to Practice” and its relevance to healthcare professionals, medical educators, leaders, and policymakers in advancing inclusion in clinical practice and medical education across disciplines.
Dr. Faisal Khosa, Dr. Jeffrey Ding, and Dr. Sabeen Tiwana reflect on their edited book “Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion in Healthcare: From Knowledge to Practice” and its relevance to healthcare professionals, medical educators, leaders, and policymakers in advancing inclusion in clinical practice and medical education across disciplines.
Healthcare is at a crossroads. Equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) have long been essential in breaking down barriers to healthcare access and professional advancement, yet today, they are increasingly caught in political debates. Now more than ever, it’s crucial to not only defend EDI but to strengthen its foundation with practical, evidence-based solutions that lead to better outcomes for everyone.
That’s where Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion in Healthcare: From Knowledge to Practice comes in. This book brings together top experts and frontline practitioners to explore key issues like anti-racism in medicine, implicit bias, intersectionality, and the structural barriers that stand in the way of true equity. More than just theory, it offers real strategies for healthcare professionals, educators, and policymakers to create more inclusive, culturally safe spaces in clinical practice, medical education, and leadership.
We put this book together because meaningful change doesn’t happen without awareness and action. By amplifying diverse voices and real-world experiences, we hope to give healthcare professionals the tools they need to challenge systemic inequities and push for lasting change.
At a time when equity in healthcare is being questioned, we need to stand firm in our commitment to inclusion. We hope this book sparks important conversations, deep reflection, and, most importantly, real action toward a more just and inclusive healthcare system.
Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion in Healthcare: From Knowledge to Practice offers a comprehensive text on the landscape of equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) in the health professions. Each chapter is dedicated to a health profession and is authored by an expert in EDI and workforce diversity in their respective discipline (such as medicine, dentistry, nursing, pharmacy, physiotherapy, and so on). Chapters characterize the present state of workforce diversity in the discipline, chronicle historical developments, provide rationale for systemic action, and include possible solutions and interventions in an evidence-based manner.
By serving as an all-in-one reference text, this resource is meant for students, healthcare professionals, and organizational leadership who wish to understand and implement EDI in the health professions.
We especially welcome submissions of research articles that explore equity, diversity, inclusion, justice, decolonization, Indigenization, or trauma-informed practices in medicine and healthcare.
Thank you for joining us on Wednesday, March 26th, 2025, from 12:00 PM – 2:00 PM (PST), for “The First Page of a New Chapter: Leading Transformative Change for Indigenous Peoples in an Era of Truth and Reconciliation.” In this Indigenous Speakers Series session, we had a conversation with Dr. Alika Lafontaine, an award-winning physician, social innovator, and the first Indigenous physician listed by the Medical Post as one of Canada’s 50 Most Powerful Doctors. Grounded in a mixed Indigenous ancestry of Métis, Oji-Cree, and Pacific Islander, Dr. Lafontaine has served in provincial and national medical leadership positions for two decades. Dr. Lafontaine was a driving force behind the Canadian Medical Association’s historic apology to First Nations, Inuit, and Métis Peoples. If you missed the session, watch the recording to gain a unique perspective on what it means to lead transformative change in the processes of truth and reconciliation in health care at both the provincial and national levels.
Dr. Alika Lafontaine, President, Canadian Medical Association (2022-23); Sir Charles Tupper Award for Political Action (2023); Maclean’s Power List – Top Health Care Innovator (2023); First Indigenous Physician | The Medical Post – 50 Most Powerful Doctors; Canada’s Top 40 Under 40 (2021); Public Policy Forum Inaugural Emerging Indigenous Leader Award (2017); National Aboriginal Achievement Award Youth Recipient (1999).
Dr. Alika Lafontaine is an award-winning physician, social innovator, and the first Indigenous physician listed by the Medical Post as one of Canada’s 50 Most Powerful Doctors. Grounded in a mixed Indigenous ancestry of Métis, Oji-Cree, and Pacific Islander, Dr. Lafontaine has served in provincial and national medical leadership positions for two decades.
From 2013 to 2017, he co-led the Indigenous Health Alliance, one of the most ambitious Indigenous health transformation projects in Canadian history. At its peak, it represented more than 150 First Nations and successfully advocated for $68 million in funding for health transformation across the traditional territories of Nishnawbe Aski Nation, Manitoba Keewatinowi Okimakanak, and the Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations.
In the summer 2022, Dr. Lafontaine became the first Indigenous doctor and youngest physician to lead the Canadian Medical Association in its 156-year history. During his presidency year (summer 2022–2023), the CMA successfully advocated for the largest federal investment in healthcare since 2004 as well as achieving breakthroughs in decades-old issues like pan-Canadian licensure, health data sharing and health human resource planning. Dr. Lafontaine was also a driving force behind the CMA’s historic apology to First Nations, Inuit, and Métis Peoples, which was delivered on September 18th 2024, speaking in its capacity as the national voice of the medical profession.
Dr. Lafontaine is a Canada’s top 40 under 40 recipient, Maclean’s Top Health Care Innovator, and the youngest recipient of an Indspire Award. He continues to write and speak frequently on the politics of healthcare, implementing and scaling equity, redesigning health systems, the mechanics of reconciliation, and effective advocacy.
Moderator
Derek K Thompson – ČaabaťBookwilla | Suhiltun, Director, Indigenous Engagement
Description
Written by Derek K Thompson – ČaabaťBookwilla | Suhiltun
There are few leaders who spark a transformative and inspiring movement for all of us to take up the charge to move from the process of becoming to that of being. If history is being written in the present, and if our stories are being told today, Dr. Alika Lafontaine has created the first page of a new chapter that changes the debate of what history was and claims it as ours. He’s moved us to create a narrative that shines a light on what it means to be Canadian in an era of truth and reconciliation.
On September 18th, 2024, the Canadian Medical Association apologized for its role, and the role of the medical profession, in past and ongoing harms to First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples in the health system. Dr. Lafontaine was instrumental in creating this historic moment, and by virtue of his leadership, he centred the priorities and aspirations of all Indigenous peoples. The cumulative effect of his work holds a new promise and a new resolve to fundamentally shift the attitudes and principles of the medical profession to commit to accountability in working with Indigenous peoples and to do better in a spirit of humility and reciprocity.
We are fortunate and honoured to welcome Dr. Alika Lafontaine to the Indigenous Speakers Series for this important and inspiring conversation. We’ll talk about the need and urgency for all of us to continue the work of reckoning with the truth and reconciling for the present day. We will also explore how to ensure that we establish a strong foundation in which Indigenous peoples can access a future healthcare system created with the best of our intentions.
Topic: The First Page of a New Chapter: Leading Transformative Change for Indigenous Peoples in an Era of Truth and Reconciliation
Date:Wednesday, March 26th, 2025
Time: 12:00 – 2:00 PM (PST)
What Will I Learn?
You will gain a unique perspective on what it means to lead transformative change in the processes of truth and reconciliation in health care at the provincial and national levels.
Continue Learning
“The time to make things happen is now. The time to seek out our individual and shared power is now.”
Learn more about REDI’s Indigenous Initiatives here
Discover more about REDI’s Indigenous Initiatives Speakers Series here
In the lead-up to BC Anti-Racism Awareness Week, join us for a timely conversation on how medical and health researchers can foster more reciprocal, collaborative, and inclusive research practices. How do we ensure our research environments and collaborations are culturally sensitive, anti-racist, and welcoming to communities from historically, systemically, and persistently marginalized (HSPM) backgrounds?
Join us on Friday, May 16th, 2025, from 12:00 pm – 1:30 pm (PST) for “Advancing Inclusive Research in Medicine: Anti-Racist and Decolonial Approaches.“ In this It Starts With Ussession, we will have a discussion with researchers who are actively integrating anti-racist and decolonial principles into their work. This session will explore practical strategies for building meaningful research partnerships with marginalized communities and creating inclusive lab or research group. Whether you’re a principal investigator, graduate student, clinician, or health professional, you will gain tangible skills and inspiration to create more inclusive and collaborative research.
The panel features Courtney Kohnen (Research and Project Facilitator, UBC Drone Transport Initiative), Ninan Abraham (Professor, UBC Department of Microbiology and Immunology and UBC Department of Zoology), Nitasha Puri (Clinical Associate Professor, UBC Department of Family Practice; Staff Physician, Addiction Medicine and Substance Use Services, Fraser Health Authority), Scott Ramsay (Assistant Professor, UBC School of Nursing; Nurse Clinician, The Neurological Care Centre, BC Children’s Hospital), and Michelle Montgomery (Professor, Ethnic, Gender, and Labor Studies; Assistant Director, Office of Undergraduate Education; Director, Muckleshoot Doctoral Cohort; Adjunct Professor, School of Medicine, Department of Bioethics & Humanities, University of Washington Tacoma). It is co-moderated by Maï Yasué (REDI Associate Director) and Madison Tardif (REDI Equity Advisor).
Courtney Kohnen (She/her), Research and Project Facilitator, UBC Drone Transport Initiative, FoM
Courtney Kohnen is a Research and Project Facilitator with the UBC Drone Transport Initiative, a Faculty of Medicine project working to integrate drones into our health system to improve access and equity–especially for remote and rural First Nations communities. She previously held FoM roles managing health system partnerships and supporting partnerships with Indigenous communities in BC, and before that in the Office of Research, where she supported research and researchers in a variety of ways including coordinating all early COVID research in the province and building research coalitions. Courtney holds two master’s degrees, in Health Administration and in Immigration and Settlement Studies.
Courtney is a settler with German and English heritage, and she grew up on Treaty 7 territory. She’s been living on unceded Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh land since she was 18–when someone spilled the beans to her about how Vancouver just.. stays green all year round.
Ninan Abraham (He/Him), Ph.D., Dir. EDI&I, CoVaRRNet, Professor Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Professor, Department of Zoology
Dr. Ninan Abraham is a father, immigrant settler and Professor in the UBC Department of Microbiology and Immunology and the Department of Zoology. His research focuses on the regulatory points in immune cell control in airway immunity to pathogens and in lung cancer. As the former Associate Dean, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion at the UBC Faculty of Science, he had responsibility for EDI initiatives, including the training of faculty search committees, faculty data analysis and reporting on EDI progress for the Faculty of Science. He served as Director of EDI&I for CoVaRR-Net, a national network of COVID researchers and has keen interest in health equity, racial inequities in research and how science serves society equitably.
Nitasha Puri (She/Her), MD CCFP(AM) dipl.ABAM FASAM, Clinical Associate Professor, Department of Family Practice, UBC, Staff Physician, Addiction Medicine and Substance Use Services, Fraser Health Authority
Dr. Nitasha Puri is a clinical assistant professor in the Faculty of Medicine at the University of British Columbia, and staff physician in the Department of Addiction Medicine and Substance Use Services at Fraser Health .
Her research interests broadly centre upon substance use among racialized populations, healing and recovery, and health equity. Originally trained in family medicine, she completed the clinical and research fellowships at the British Columbia Centre on Substance Use, and is currently involved in teaching, clinical research, clinical service provision, and policy and guideline development.
Scott Ramsay (He/Him), PhD, RN, Assistant Professor, School of Nursing, Faculty of Applied Science, UBC Nurse Clinician, The Neurological Care Centre, BC Children’s Hospital, Investigator, BC Children’s Hospital Research Institute, Health Professional-Investigator, Michael Smith Health Research BC
Dr. Scott Ramsay is Métis, an Assistant Professor in the School of Nursing at the University of British Columbia, and a nurse clinician scientist within BC Children’s Hospital. He uses his lived experience having sustained multiple concussions and clinical experience providing care to children and their families to guide research, policy, care, and education for children with brain injury in British Columbia. Scott is committed to community-based research principles through active engagement of individuals, clinicians, service providers, and organizations. Dr. Ramsay directs a research programme on health care delivery and nursing practice with children and adolescents experiencing mild traumatic brain injury, or concussion. His focus is on preventing and reducing injury. As a specific interest within that he aims to measure the impact of concussions on children and youth, their families, and the health care system. He has expertise in population data, health services, and clinical research studies.
Michelle Montgomery (She/Her), MA, MPP PhD, Haliwa Saponi/Eastern Band Cherokee Professor, Ethnic, Gender & Labor Studies; Assistant Director, Office of Undergraduate Education; Cohort Director for Muckleshoot Program; Adjunct Professor, School of Education, University of Washington Tacoma; Adjunct Professor, School of Medicine, Department of Bioethics & Humanities; External Indigenous Advisor, UMN Morris Sustainable Leadership Program
Dr. Michelle Montgomery (enrolled Haliwa Saponi/descendant Eastern Band Cherokee) is a Professor at the University of Washington Tacoma, School of Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences in American Indian Studies and Ethnic, Gender and Labor Studies. She is also the Assistant Director for the Office of Undergraduate Education, the Director for the Muckleshoot Doctoral Cohort and Adjunct Professor in the School of Education. Dr. Montgomery’s research focuses on Indigenizing and decolonizing the climate justice narrative, environmental ethics connected to Indigenous Peoples’ place-based identities and eco-critical race theory to eliminate racial and environmental oppression.
Dr. Montgomery held the role of interim Director of Undergraduate Studies at the University of Washington Seattle Department of Bioethics and Humanities through Spring 2024.
Moderators
Maï Yasué (She/Her), Associate Director, REDI
Dr. Maï is the Associate Director of the Office of Respectful Environments, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (REDI) in the Faculty of Medicine. She provides leadership to the REDI team in the development and delivery of our education and training programming. She collaborates 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). Previously, she worked at the Equity & Inclusion Office at UBC, where she led initiatives such as the JEDII STEM Series and the IBPOC STEM Network and supported the integration of the JEDII principles into teaching, research, and faculty and staff recruitment. Prior to her work at UBC, she was a faculty member at Quest University Canada for over a decade, teaching interdisciplinary courses in conservation and geography and advocating for transparency, equity, and inclusion through various leadership roles.
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. She is grateful for having spent most of her life on the traditional, ancestral, and unceded territories of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw (Squamish), səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh), and Stó:lō Nations.
Madison Tardif (She/her), Equity Advisor, REDI
Madison Tardif is an Equity Advisor at the Office of Respectful Environments, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (REDI) within the Faculty of Medicine. In her capacity at REDI, she offers strategic guidance and supports capacity-building for department heads, faculty, staff, and students who are dedicated to implementing decolonization, anti-racism, and inclusive practices.
Description
How can medical and health researchers foster more reciprocal, collaborative, and inclusive research practices? How do we ensure our research environments and collaborations are culturally sensitive, anti-racist, and welcoming to communities from historically, systemically, and persistently marginalized (HSPM) backgrounds?
In this It Starts With Ussession, we will have a discussion with researchers who are actively integrating anti-racist and decolonial principles into their work. This session will explore practical strategies for building meaningful research partnerships with marginalized communities and creating inclusive lab or research group.
Together, we’ll explore practical strategies for creating meaningful, mutually beneficial partnerships with marginalized communities, ensuring diverse representation in studies, and fostering inclusive research environments. Our discussion will cover critical topics, including:
Building trust and bridging historical gaps between universities and racialized communities.
Effective practices to ensure research directly benefits communities involved.
Strategies for inclusive recruitment, especially from communities facing access barriers.
Decolonizing and Indigenizing research methodologies, particularly in relation to Indigenous communities.
Supporting emerging researchers from marginalized identities through mentorship and inclusive practices.
Ensuring culturally sensitive interpretation and dissemination of research findings.
Whether you’re a principal investigator, graduate student, clinician, or health professional, this session offers tangible strategies and inspiration to embed justice, equity, and inclusion into your research practice.
Topic: Advancing Inclusive Research in Medicine: Anti-Racist and Decolonial Approaches
Join REDI’s Fourth Annual Symposium on Tuesday, June 10th, 2025, from 9:00 am – 1:00 pm, to meet health care professionals, researchers, EDI experts, and educators who are drawing on evidence-based approaches in psychology, social change, and transformative education as we explore new pathways for creating lasting, inclusive change—grounded in science, compassion, and care. This is an invitation to reflect on what motivates real cultural change. How can we create movements that feel hopeful and actionable? How do we foster resilience in ourselves and others while working towards environments where inclusivity is not just a goal but a part of the practice of creating change? (Read the full description.)
Introductory Remarks and Land Acknowledgment (Arig al Shaibah, Associate Vice-President, Equity and Inclusion, and Maï Yasué, Associate Director, REDI)
Presentation by Shakil Choudhury Topic: How to Be a Non-Polarized Leader During Politically Divisive Times
A conversation with Shakil Choudhury and Loretta J. Ross Topic: Unlikely Allies: The Power of Calling–In
11:00 AM – 1:00 PM
Presentation by Katie Lee Bunting Topic: Pedagogies of Love
Presentation by Netta Weinstein, and Nicole Legate Topic: Can we motivate people to care about DEI?
Presentation by Saleem Razack Topic: The Critically Conscious Healthcare Professional: Equity, Advocacy, and Professional Voice
Panel Discussion with Gä̀gala-ƛ̓iƛ̓ətko Nadia Joe, Netta Weinstein, Katie Lee Bunting, Nicole Legate, and Saleem Razack
Shakil (Sha-KEEL) is an author, co-founder, and CVO of Anima Leadership, a global-reaching, socially innovative boutique firm that has continued to revolutionize EDI (equity, diversity, and inclusion) work in organizations and communities since 2006. Teaching, consulting, and coaching transformative change with a compassionate yet scientific approach. Over the last twenty-five years, Shakil has inspired, educated, and coached thousands of individuals and hundreds of organizations in the field of racial justice, diversity, and inclusion. He coaches executive teams and has worked with thousands of leaders across sectors in Canada and the United States to help improve their equity outcomes. Shakil also facilitates dialogue processes to resolve inter-group conflict, having led projects internationally as well as with organizations locally. He is the author of Deep Diversity: A Compassionate, Scientific Approach to Achieving Racial Justice (2021). Written in an accessible, storytelling manner, many have called it a “breakthrough” book on issues of systemic racial discrimination due to its non-judgmental approach that integrates human psychology with critical race perspectives. Shakil’s most challenging and rewarding management experience, however, involves his two high-spirited children repeatedly teaching him the humble lessons of fatherhood. To clear his head during the week, Shakil loves to run the beautiful ravine trails near his home in Toronto.
Loretta is an activist, professor, and public intellectual. In her five decades in the human rights movement, she’s deprogramed white supremacists, taught convicted rapists the principles of feminism, and, as National Co-Director, organized the second-largest march on Washington (in April 25, 2004, March for Women’s Lives in Washington D.C., surpassed in size only by the 2017 Women’s March).
A cofounder of the National Center for Human Rights Education and the SisterSong Women of Color Reproductive Justice Collective, her many accolades and honors include a 2022 MacArthur Fellowship and a 2024 induction into the National Women’s Hall of Fame. She is the author of Calling In: How to Start Making Change with Those You’d Rather Cancel. Today, Ross is an associate professor at Smith College in Northampton, Massachusetts, and is the founder of LoRossta Consulting, with which she runs “Calling In” training sessions online and for organizations around the country.
Arig al Shaibah (She/her), Associate Vice-President, Equity and Inclusion, Honorary Associate Professor, Educational Studies
Dr. Arig al Shaibah is UBC’s Associate Vice-President, Equity & Inclusion (AVPEI). As a member of the Provosts’ and President’s leadership teams, Dr. al Shaibah works across all Executive portfolios to champion strategic equity and anti-racism priorities and advance inclusive excellence at UBC. She also oversees the university’s Equity & Inclusion Office, with teams on the Vancouver and Okanagan campuses.
Dr. al Shaibah completed a Bachelor of Science (Life Sciences), a Master of Public Administration, and a Doctorate in Education (Cultural and Policy Studies). In addition to her administrative appointment at UBC, she holds an Honorary Associate Professor role with the Department of Educational Studies in UBC’s Faculty of Education, and teaching courses in the Higher Education (HIED) and Educational Administration and Leadership (EDAL) Programs. Prior to joining UBC, Dr. al Shaibah served as McMaster University’s inaugural Associate Vice-President Equity & Inclusion and was an Adjunct Associate Professor with the Department of Sociology and and Instructor in the Arts & Science Program. At Dalhousie University she was Vice-Provost of Student Affairs and Interim Executive Director for the Human Rights & Equity Services, and was Adjunct Professor with cross appointments in Sociology & Anthropology, Gender & Women’s Studies, and Public Administration. And, at Queen’s University, her alma mater, she held leadership roles as Manager of Faculty Advancement and Assistant Dean of Student Affairs, and she was an Adjunct faculty member and instructor cross appointed to Gender Studies and Interdisciplinary Studies.
Dr. al Shaibah describes herself as a scholar-practitioner. Her academic and profession work has been grounded in a deep interest in the study and practice of policymaking, viewed through a critical-oriented and globally-engaged lens. Her interdisciplinary scholarly works, teaching and professional practice have focused broadly on examining policy-based structural inequities (primarily gender and racial inequities) and specifically on higher education policy, politics and practices as they relate to educational access and success, international mobility and internationalization at home (I@H), equality and human rights, intercultural and intergroup relations, as well as equitable leadership, administration, governance, and organizational change paradigms and practices.
In 2021, Dr. al Shaibah received the Angela Hildyard Recognition Award in Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion granted by the Senior Women Academic Administrators of Canada, recognizing exceptional leadership in fostering and furthering institutional equity, diversity, and inclusion.
Katie Lee Bunting (She/her), MScOT, Reg. OT (BC), PhD (student), Associate Professor of Teaching & MOT; Curriculum Chair, Department of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy
I feel very fortunate and deeply grateful to have worked with a diversity of folks across practice contexts for over 10 years as an occupational therapist. I transitioned to education in 2014 and am an Associate Professor of Teaching with the Department of Occupational Therapy and Occupational Science in the Faculty of Medicine at the University of British Columbia. My teaching is rooted in a critical and relational approach (you can read more about my approach to teaching here). I am currently completing my PhD with the School of Health Professions Education at Maastricht University under the supervision of Dr. Anja Krumeich and Dr. Laura Nimmon. My doctoral research is on developing our understanding of love as an educational approach in Health Professions Education.
Outside of work, I value the time I spend with my partner and kids, our dog, and my friends and extended family. I find meaning in cooking, resting, reading poetry, spending time in nature, and am a nascent embroiderer.
I am indebted and deeply grateful to the Stó:lō Nation, the səl̓ilwətaɁɬ təməxʷ (Tsleil-Waututh) Nation, and the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam) Nation, who are, and have been since time immemorial (see Dr. Paulette Steeves’ work), stewards to the lands that now nourish me and my family. My ancestry is mostly Irish, and my ancestors were settlers.
Nadia Joe-Gä̀gala-ƛ̓iƛ̓ətko (She/her), Member of the Crow Clan from the Champagne & Aishihik First Nations, Former AVP Indigenous Engagement and Partnerships, Yukon University
Gä̀gala is a member of the Crow Clan from the Champagne & Aishihik First Nations and the daughter of Dä Ké (Dave Joe) and Niketko (Mary Jane Joe).
She has spent the past 14+ years working as an environmental professional and supporting Indigenous communities across Canada advancing their rights and interests in water security through various water co-management initiatives. A Gordon Foundation Jane Glassco Northern Fellow and Trudeau Foundation mentor, Gä̀gala has dedicated her professional career to applying respectful and practical ways to protect Indigenous knowledge and heritage. As a child of the Yukon land claims movement, she was raised by a river and loved into leadership by the many elders, leaders, mentors of the nłe?kepmx and southern Tutchone-Tlingit peoples.
Netta Weinstein (She/her), Social Psychologist; Professor of Psychology, University of Reading, UK
Netta Weinstein is a social psychologist and a professor of Psychology at the University of Reading in the UK. Her research identifies the social conditions that motivate deep buy-in for promoting inclusion.
Nikki Legate (She/her), Licensed Clinical Psychologist; Associate Professor, Department of Psychology, Illinois Institute of Technology
Nikki Legate is a clinical psychologist and an associate professor in the Department of Psychology at Illinois Institute of Technology. Her research focuses on the conditions that promote resilience and reduce health disparities in marginalized individuals, and the conditions that motivate greater inclusivity in the general population.
Dr. Razack is a Senior Faculty Advisor in the Office of Respectful Environments, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (REDI) in the Faculty of Medicine. In his role, Dr. Razack advises on strategy related to the implementation of a comprehensive anti-racism plan for the Faculty. He aims to serve in and contribute to the vibrant and diverse community within the Faculty of Medicine and its associated clinical and research sites. He is the recipient of the AFMC President’s Award for Exemplary National Leadership in Academic Medicine.
Moderators
Maï Yasué (She/her), Associate Director, REDI
Dr. Maï is the Associate Director of the Office of Respectful Environments, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (REDI) in the Faculty of Medicine. She provides leadership to the REDI team in the development and delivery of our education and training programming. She collaborates 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). Previously, she worked at the Equity & Inclusion Office at UBC, where she led initiatives such as the JEDII STEM Series and the IBPOC STEM Network and supported the integration of the JEDII principles into teaching, research, and faculty and staff recruitment. Prior to her work at UBC, she was a faculty member at Quest University Canada for over a decade, teaching interdisciplinary courses in conservation and geography and advocating for transparency, equity, and inclusion through various leadership roles.
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. She is grateful for having spent most of her life on the traditional, ancestral, and unceded territories of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw (Squamish), səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh), and Stó:lō Nations.
Madison Tardif (She/her), Equity Advisor, REDI
Madison Tardif is an Equity Advisor at the Office of Respectful Environments, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (REDI) within the Faculty of Medicine. In her capacity at REDI, she offers strategic guidance and supports capacity-building for department heads, faculty, staff, and students who are dedicated to implementing decolonization, anti-racism, and inclusive practices.
Description
In today’s climate, some EDI efforts may seem stuck—perceived as punitive, compliance-driven, or relying too heavily on calling-out. What can we do to create a movement that can welcome all of the diverse clinicians, learners and staff who are deeply committed to the key goals of equity and inclusion?
Key topics include:
Creating Inclusive Movements and Bridging Polarization: How can we build inclusive movements that allow for disagreement, complexity, and diverse perspectives, while still working toward shared goals?
The Science of Motivation and Cultural Change: How can we move beyond compliance and fear to build genuine commitment and inspiration for EDI? What does research tell us about how to motivate lasting change?
Calling In vs. Calling Out: What skills and practices help us foster growth, relationships and accountability while reducing fear and defensiveness? How can we build movements that embrace mistakes and encourage learning?
Wellbeing and Pro-Social Behaviour: How can EDI work be a source of meaning, connection, and personal wellbeing, especially for those feeling burned out or disillusioned? How can we find meaning, joy, and hope, even when the path feels long and uncertain?
Inclusive Leadership: What competencies do institutional leaders and EDI actors need to support deeper commitments, enduring culture change—beyond checklists and compliance?
Topic: Building a More Welcoming Movement Toward a Just Culture
