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We invite you to get to know the Alumni community.

 

Are you looking for our fellows ordered alphabetically? Click here

  • Michelle
  • Bailey

2023/24 Fellow

Michelle is a proud public servant and policy professional with over 10 years of experience working for the Government of Canada. She is currently a Senior Policy Advisor at the Privy Council Office, providing advice on federal-provincial-territorial issues. 

Michelle joined the federal public service through the Advanced Policy Analyst Program, a rotational development program that includes placements at the three central agencies. Over the course of her career, Michelle has had the opportunity to work on a wide range of files, including mental health, youth employment, pharmacare, and coordination of the federal Budget. In 2017, she was selected to participate in Canada Beyond 150, a Government of Canada leadership and skills development program, where she explored innovative policy tools through a project on reconciliation.

Michelle also serves as a Director on the Board of the Education Foundation of Ottawa, whose mission is to remove economic barriers to successful learning and participation in school.

Michelle holds a Bachelor of Public Affairs and Policy Management from Carleton University and a Master of Public Policy from Simon Fraser University.

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  • Alexandra
  • Nychuk

2023/24 Fellow

Alexandra Nychuk (she/her) is Michif and a Citizen of the Manitoba Métis Federation. She is a second year PhD student in the Department of Health, Aging & Society at McMaster University.

Drawing on Alexandra’s lived experience as a caretaker, her PhD research seeks to understand how colonization impacts Red River Métis health by exploring the connection between identity and Inflammatory Bowel Disease.  Alexandra draws on Body Mapping, an art-based approach whereby participants create body maps to help them tell their stories, centering a relational understanding of health.

Having worked in governmental and non-governmental sectors, Alexandra is dedicated to using a strength based, rights based,community engaged participatory methods to improve Indigenous health through addressing anti-Indigenous racism in healthcare, reforming medical education, and designing Indigenous health policy.

She is a Board Certified Athletic Trainer and graduate from Minot State University and a Masters in Development Practice from the University of Winnipeg where she graduated with highest distinction. Alexandra speaks English, German and is an advocate for the Michif language. Alexandra is the current lead on the STEM Fellowship Indigenous Advisory Circle and serves as the McMaster University Indigenous Graduate Students (MIGS) Chair.

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  • Dale
  • Arcand-Morin

2023/24 Fellow

Dale Arcand-Morin is a proud nêhiyaw iskwew from kipohtakaw (Alexander First Nation, AB) in Treaty No. 6 Territory. She will complete her Indigenous Master of Social Work (IMSW) from the University nuhelot’įne thaiyots’į nistameyimâkanak Blue Quills in St. Paul this June. She completed her BSW from MacEwan University in Edmonton. She is a passionate advocate for iyiniw children in care and is a former child in care herself.

Dale’s aspirations include the creation of an organization in Alberta which will advocate for and empower iyiniw children, families, and their communities. Dale currently works for the Indigenous Knowledge and Wisdom Centre which provides second and third-level support services for band-operated schools across Alberta ensuring that iyiniw children learn their ways, their history, their customs, and their traditions.

Outside of school and work, Dale is a newly appointed kanawemawasîwapîwin Board Member for the maskêkosak newowacistwan nâtamâkêwin society which oversees the support services for children, youth, and families in maskêkosak (Enoch Cree Nation, AB). She is also a volunteer with Weaving Threads: An Indigenous Engagement Program with Kids Help Phone which aims to increase awareness of Kids Help Phone Services amongst iyiniw children and youth.

Dale notes that her greatest and most important role is that of a wife, mother, and grandmother. In her spare time, she can either be found in the bleachers of a hockey rink or a baseball field cheering on her children.

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  • Deanna
  • Starr

2023/24 Fellow

Deanna Starr is an Occupational Therapist and Artist living in North Battleford, Saskatchewan. She is a member of Little Pine First Nation in Treaty 6 through her paternal lineage. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Sport, Health and Physical Education from Vancouver Island University, and a Master of Science in Occupational Therapy from the University of Alberta.

Deanna is passionate about providing excellent Occupational Therapy Services and runs her own business. Miskihnak Occupational Therapy provides pediatric occupational therapy services to North Battleford and Northern Saskatchewan. Deanna is also the current President of the Saskatchewan Society of Occupational Therapists.

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  • Daria
  • Hobeika

2023/24 Fellow

Daria Hobeika B.C.L., LL.B., MBA enjoys working on complex societal issues and steering organizations toward sustainable models. A generalist, deep thinker and committed doer, she is known for her sound judgment, straightforwardness, calmness, and rigour. She excels in complex and high-pressure environments and stands out for her ability to communicate clearly.

A former Chief of Staff to a minister of the Government of Quebec, Daria has intimate knowledge of the workings of the highest levels of policy and decision-making, as well as of the legislative and regulatory processes. She has led work on a cross-departmental portfolio of pan-Canadian issues and was instrumental in the elaboration and implementation of a new vision for this portfolio. She also served as the content director for an outgoing Premier during a provincial electoral campaign.

Today, Daria helps corporates, investors, and public organizations understand and manage their climate risks, including setting a climate ambition and governance structure and a disclosure strategy. Before founding Clearsum, Daria completed an Executive MBA (HEC Montreal – McGill). She holds bachelor’s degrees in civil and common law (McGill) and is a member of the Quebec Bar (2006).

In her free time, she learns through reading, volunteering, and travelling.

She also loves to dance.

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  • André
  • Moreau

2023/24 Fellow

Originally from Penetanguishene, Ontario, André Moreau now proudly calls Iqaluit, Nunavut home. Currently serving as the Circumpolar Affairs Advisor in the Government of Nunavut’s department of Executive and Intergovernmental Affairs, André is an advocate for the interests of Nunavummiut at both the domestic and international levels. In his role, he acts as a policy resource to assist and advise the Government of Nunavut on a wide range of matters involving the circumpolar region.

André’s holds a B.C.L/LL.B. from McGill University’s Faculty of Law, where he earned the distinction of being selected as class valedictorian. Additionally, he holds an honours degree in Speech Communication and Business from the University of Waterloo.

Throughout his career, André’s work has largely reflected his commitment to community engagement and equity. For example, as the first-ever Indigenous Liaison Officer at the University of Waterloo, he pioneered significant changes in recruitment and admission policies to better serve Indigenous students and communities.

Presently, André actively contributes to his community as a volunteer with the Civil Air Search and Rescue Association (CASARA), where he assists in search and rescue operations in Nunavut, and as a board member and volunteer at the Niqinik Nuatsivik Nunavut Food Bank.

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  • James
  • Chan

2023/24 Fellow

James Chan was born in Hong Kong, grew up in ‘the 905’, and has been a proud resident of Calgary, Toronto, and Ottawa. He currently lives in London (the one known as the ‘Forest City’).

James works with business, government, and community partners to understand the root causes of our complex challenges, and to shift our entrenched behaviours, cultures, and policies to create long-term change. His current professional and volunteer roles are focused on changing how investment and philanthropic capital can be directed in different ways in the pursuit of social equity and justice.

Outside of work, James is an outdoors enthusiast, rec league athlete, and couch potato in roughly equal measures.

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  • Joey
  • Coleman

2023/24 Fellow

Joey Coleman is an independent journalist practicing in Hamilton, Ontario. As Canada’s first locally crowdfunded journalist, he specializes in coverage of municipal politics, civic affairs, and the Ontario Land Tribunal. Previously, he covered post-secondary education nationally. Joey was a Southam Fellow at Massey College in the University of Toronto during the 2019/2020 academic year.

A former Crown Ward, Joey’s life path has informed his journalism and community involvement. He plans to use the skills he obtains during the Action Canada Fellowship to improve his understanding of policy-making processes and solutions being implemented across Canada to the challenges he covers as a local journalist.

At one time, Joey was a member of a competitive pinball league, once ranking among the top 1000 players in Canada. He is presently rated 43720th in the world by the International Flipper Pinball Association.

Joey lives in Downtown Hamilton, Ontario, where people joke that his usual seat at the farmers’ market is his real “office.”

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  • Japman
  • Bajaj

2023/24 Fellow

Japman Bajaj is a modern, innovative, and experienced corporate and entrepreneurial executive, driven by society’s big opportunities and challenges.

Japman is passionate about learning and applying new skills, technologies, and frameworks to create more resilient, innovative, and valuable products, organizations, and systems. He is a past Board Member of the Trans Canada Trail and serves on a number of global committees related to education and skills development.

Driven by a more equitable, more accessible, and a higher quality of education, Japman focuses on enabling and empowering individuals through skills validation. Currently, Japman serves as Executive Vice President of Vametric Corporation, and is responsible for the overall growth and operationalization of the business.

Born and raised in Ottawa, Japman spent seven years living in Alberta, and now lives in Toronto. Outside of his work with Vametric, he facilitates real estate financing for large commercial projects, focusing on multi-residential housing amidst Canada’s current housing crisis. Outside of work, he’s most likely to be found on his bike, at a coffee shop, at a stand-up comedy show, or with family and friends.

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  • Justine
  • Lalande

2023/24 Fellow

Justine Lalande is currently a PhD candidate and lecturer in the Department of Social and Public Communication at the Université du Québec à Montréal.

Her thesis focuses on social representations of the ecological transition and their effects on the social acceptability of proposals related to this transition. Justine is the recipient of a doctoral research grant from the Fonds de recherche du Québec, société et culture (FRQSC). She also holds a Master’s degree in Administration (MSc), a DESS in International Development and Humanitarian Action Management and a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science from Université Laval.

Before embarking on her doctoral adventure, Justine obtained the Jean-Charles-Bonenfant Foundation scholarship in 2017-2018, allowing her to complete a parliamentary internship at the Quebec National Assembly. She then worked until 2022 as a senior consultant in a public relations and government relations agency, working with clients in various sectors.

In addition to her work, Justine is involved in her community, as a member of various boards of directors in the past, she is now the general secretary of the Academy of Controversy and Sensitive Communication. She is also a member of the first cohort of the Natural Resources Canada’s Youth Council.

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  • Madison
  • Rilling

2023/24 Fellow

Madison is Executive Director of Optonique, a nonprofit dedicated to growing Québec’s and Canada’s photonics community and leveraging the enabling capabilities of light-based technologies. She is a knowledge-broker between industry, academia and government, being involved in innovation, trade and workforce policy development, as well as diplomatic efforts at both the provincial and federal levels.

Madison holds a Joint Honours in Math and Physics (McGill University, 2014), Master’s in Medical Physics (ULaval, 2016) and a PhD in Physics (ULaval, 2020), after which she worked as a clinical medical physicist in radiation oncology. She was a student advisor to Québec’s Chief Scientist (2016-2019) and a member of Canada’s Chief Science Advisor’s inaugural Youth Council (2020-2023), acting as a strong advocate at the science-policy interface for the next generation of scientists.

As an Optica Pivoting Fellow, Madison pursues her commitment to building bridges between science & society. She contributes her expertise as board member, mentor, and dedicated volunteer within local and international scientific and policy-focused organizations. Over the years, Madison co-led several initiatives for girls and women in STEM within her community as well as creative science outreach projects like La Terrasse Optique. Born and raised in Québec City, Madison loves to be outdoors – either (ultra)trail running, playing beach volleyball, or cycling.

Read More
  • Megan
  • Johnson

2023/24 Fellow

Dr. Megan Johnson (she/her) is a researcher, program manager, and arts practitioner based in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Her community-based research aims to mitigate the infrastructural barriers that prevent people from accessing artistic and cultural experiences and to mobilize innovations from disability culture to address issues of social inequality.

Megan is an outspoken ally and a strong advocate for disabled artists and has published and presented internationally on topics related to disability art and culture, critical access studies, infrastructural politics, public and cultural policy, and environmental studies.

Megan holds a PhD in Theatre & Performance Studies from York University. Currently, she is the Research Facilitator in the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences at Dalhousie University. She is also Reviews Editor for Performing Ethos: International Journal of Ethics in Theatre & Performance and a member of the Research Working Group with Mass Culture, an organization and network that seeks to enhance the equitable mobilization of arts and culture research.

Megan is also a classically-trained mezzo-soprano. She sings across a wide range of genres with particular expertise in new music and expanded vocal techniques. She is an active community volunteer and serves as a board member with Independent Living Nova Scotia and a member of the Canadian Caregivers Advisory Network (Caregivers CAN) with the Canadian Centre for Caregiving Excellence.

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  • Melissa
  • O'Rourke

2023/24 Fellow

Melissa is a community builder who is curious about people and passionate about sustainable development. Since 2019, Melissa has managed a series of collaborative innovation projects with a combined total value of $27 million (CAD). Melissa currently works at the Frank McKenna Institute for Digital Transformation in New Brunswick as a Strategic Program Director. Projects in her portfolio range from allocating funding for digital health research to building a public-private data trust.

Before joining the McKenna Institute, Melissa oversaw a portfolio of national ocean impact projects with Canada’s Ocean Supercluster and supported the growth of 40+ new ventures through the management of a business accelerator program. In 2017, she was a Global Accelerator Network Managing Director-in-Residence and spent three months working with ABC Accelerator in Ljubljana, Slovenia.

Melissa holds a Master of Public Administration from Dalhousie University and a Bachelor of Arts in International Relations from Mount Allison University. During her undergraduate studies, Melissa served as President of the Mount Allison Students’ Union and lobbied all levels of government on issues facing Canada’s post-secondary students.

Melissa lives in her hometown of Saint John, New Brunswick with her partner and their cat. In her spare time, Melissa enjoys connecting with nature through gardening, camping, and trips to the beautiful beaches throughout Atlantic Canada.

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  • Paul
  • Bailey

2023/24 Fellow

Paul is a strategist, urban planner and Executive Director at the Black Health Alliance.

Paul has spent the last decade designing interventions focused on improving outcomes for Black children, youth and families as it relates to: health and well-being, community violence, mental health and addictions, and the social service sector. His work is currently focused on social planning, health equity, and addressing the causes of neighbourhood distress and inequality.

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  • Merryn
  • Maynard

2022/23 Fellow

Merryn Maynard is a social researcher, systems thinker, and communicator. Since 2019, she has worked with Maple Leaf Foods and the Maple Leaf Centre for Food Security, leading efforts to track social impact, learning, and evaluation.

Merryn’s career has been focused on alleviating food insecurity in Canada through work in public, academic and non-profit organizations, including the national youth charity Meal Exchange. She currently serves on the board of directors of Community Share Food Bank in the Don Mills neighbourhood. She is a believer in cross-sectoral collaboration to address complex problems and public policy as a key lever for change.

Born and raised in Hamilton, Ontario, Merryn currently lives in Toronto with her partner and their dog, Joni. She holds a Master of Science degree from the School of Public Health and Health Systems at the University of Waterloo and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Social Psychology from McMaster University.

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  • Benjamin
  • Sanders

2022/23 Fellow

From the Canadarm to the BlackBerry to CERN, as a Waterloo engineer, Ben has contributed to some of Canada’s most advanced technology both at home and abroad. As a seasoned Silicon Valley entrepreneur, Ben has also helped build 4 venture-backed tech startups.

And as a government geek, he’s helped advance policy within 3 government space agencies, 2 divisions of the UN, the Canadian Urban Institute, Banff Forum, and the Yukon Government. Thrilled to be a new dad, Ben and his family live together in an off-grid home (100% solar) near Whitehorse.

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  • Scott
  • Stirrett

2022/23 Fellow

Scott is the Founder/CEO of Venture for Canada (VFC), a national charity that fosters the development of entrepreneurial skills and mindset in young Canadians. In 2021, VFC had an annual operating budget of over $14 million, 35 full-time employees, and 2,600 students and recent grads participated in its programs. VFC’s donors include Employment and Social Development Canada, The RBC Foundation, TD Bank, The Hunter Family Foundation, The Future Skills Centre, Fasken, and The Donald R. Sobey Foundation.

Originally from Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, Scott is a graduate of Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service. Immediately after graduating from Georgetown, Scott worked at Goldman Sachs Inc. in New York City. Scott was recognized as the 2018 Telus LGBTQ Innovator of The Year by The Inspire Awards, a 2019 Young Impact Leader by Future of Good, and a 2022 Changemaker by The Globe and Mail. Scott has contributed to or been featured in The Washington Post, The Globe and Mail, The National Post, Forbes, Future of Good, The Chronicle Herald, and The Georgia Straight. He has also appeared as a commentator on CBC News Network and BNN Bloomberg.

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  • Trevor
  • Tessier

2022/23 Fellow

Trevor Tessier lives with his wife Grecia and new son Aiden in Weyburn, Saskatchewan, as the Director of Primary Health Care with the Saskatchewan Health Authority. In addition to his work for Saskatchewan Health Authority, he is an owner of Allied Exams Corporation and a low-income rental business. Trevor was also a former reserve military medic and now gives back by supporting the local Royal Canadian Army Cadets as a leader.

His work has roots in where he grew up, supporting underserved rural and remote communities, building teams, and connecting groups to focus on a common purpose through intersecting community partnerships, population health, and business efficiencies.

Trevor holds a Master’s in Business Administration and a Diploma in Respiratory Therapy from Thompson Rivers University and a Bachelor’s of Science in Chemistry with a Minor in Kinesiology from the University of Regina. Additionally, he is a Certified Health Executive with the Canadian College of Health Leaders and has recently completed his Certificate in Population Health Management through Johns Hopkins.

As the Vice-Chair of Southeast College, the co-chair of the Policy and Bylaw Committee, and previous chair of the professional conduct committee for the Saskatchewan College of Respiratory Therapy, as well as the co-founder of the Dr. Mulder Health foundation; he strives to bring teams together in health and education. Born in Saskatchewan, he is proud to continually share knowledge in presentations and support the community he serves through purposeful partnerships.

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  • Anh-Khoi
  • Trinh

2022/23 Fellow

Anh-Khoi Trinh is a PhD candidate passionate about bridging the gap between science and society. Originally from Gatineau, QC, Anh-Khoi moved to Montreal in the pursuit of an education that would lead to a R&D career. His path led him to a PhD in theoretical physics at McGill University after he learned and marveled at the mysteries of quantum gravity and the elegance of mathematics; supported by a scholarship from NSERC, his research aims to decipher the properties of spacetime at infinitesimally small scales.

Throughout his postgraduate studies, Anh-Khoi’s commitment to drive positive impact through science remained undaunted as he engaged in science communication, science education, and science policy initiatives. With a focus on equity, diversity, and inclusion, his work aimed to make science and research more accessible by inspiring the next generation to pursue science careers, improving physics educational curriculums, and improving policies in support of the next generation of researchers.

Anh-Khoi is a recipient of McGill’s Clark Science Executive Leadership Fund in 2020 which financed his enrollment in McGill’s mini-MBA program, and he is a past-President (2021) and current member of the Board of Directors for the student-led non-profit Science & Policy Exchange. In his spare time, he enjoys playing sports and exercising.

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  • Ian
  • Van Haren

2022/23 Fellow

Ian Van Haren is a PhD Candidate and course lecturer in sociology at McGill University. His research focuses on civic engagement, migration policy, refugee resettlement, and the experiences of newcomers of diverse backgrounds as they adjust to life in Canada. Before his doctoral studies, he worked as a diplomat for the Canadian government, with assignments as a migration officer in London, England; Beirut, Lebanon; and Pretoria, South Africa.

Ian grew up in a farming community in central Alberta: for the first ten years of his life his parents had a dairy farm and since then they have farmed bison. His grandparents immigrated to Alberta from the Netherlands.

Ian now lives in Montreal. In addition to his overseas experience, he has also lived, worked and studied in Moncton, New Brunswick; Gatineau, Quebec; and in Ottawa and Toronto. He is a board member at Citizens for Public Justice, a faith-based public policy and advocacy organization, and has also been involved in refugee sponsorship initiatives in Ontario and Quebec.

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