Wednesday, May 13
Dr. Gina Antonacci is the Senior Vice-President, Academic at Humber. Dr. Antonacci began her career at Humber as a part-time faculty member in the Police Foundations Program. She then went on to become a program coordinator, associate dean, senior dean and associate vice-president, academic. Before joining Humber, Dr. Antonacci worked for the Ontario Ministry of Correctional Services as a probation and parole officer and a senior staff development officer.
Dr. Antonacci holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Toronto, a Master of Science in Criminal Justice from Niagara University and a PhD from the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, University of Toronto. Her dissertation entitled “The Transformation of Three Colleges to Institutes of Technology and Advanced Learning in Ontario” explores the transformation of three colleges in Ontario and how they adapted as they expanded their credentials to include baccalaureate degrees.
Anne Marie Armstrong is the Managing Director of eatbigfish, the global Challenger consultancy that helps brands unlock disproportionate growth by challenging category conventions.
A brand strategist forged client-side, Anne Marie spent 16 years inside some of the world’s most demanding marketing organisations including Colgate Palmolive, Kellogg’s, and Molson Coors, where she led Coors Light to become the #1 beer in Canada.
Anne Marie has helped a broad range of clients chart their brand strategies and solve business issues to create breakthrough opportunities for growth. From big iconic Canadian brands like Tim Hortons, Royal Bank of Canada, Joe Fresh and Four Seasons Resorts, she thrives on unearthing actionable insights and delivering strategies and solutions that get results.
Today she partners with senior leadership teams worldwide, working with global brands including Heineken, Coca-Cola and Boston Scientific, helping legacy players rediscover their edge and challenger brands scale without losing their soul. Anne Marie is a trusted advisor to CMOs navigating reinvention. She brings a rare combination of insider credibility and outsider provocation, and a firm belief that challenging convention is exactly where the magic happens.
Dr. Christine Watson believes education has the power to transform lives. As Vice-President Academic of Red River College Polytechnic in Winnipeg, she’s proud of the school’s impact across every sector in Manitoba and beyond.
Born and raised in Saskatchewan, Christine is a prairie girl at heart with a love of open skies. She majored in English and received a BA from UBC, an MA from Queens and a PhD from the University of Queensland (Australia) with a dissertation on Australian Indigenous women’s autobiographical narratives.
Her academic career began at the First Nations University of Canada. She’s since held senior teaching and academic positions at University of Regina, Kwantlen Polytechnic University and joined Red River College Polytechnic in 2013.
Creativity is central to Christine’s personal and professional life. She hosts the Winnipeg chapter of the global organization CreativeMornings, loves quilting and, during the pandemic, wrote and posted haiku poems, accompanied by photographs that inspired the text, every day for a year.
Throughout these personal and professional journeys, Christine has always approached life as a beginner – humble enough to never stop growing, curious enough to ask questions, uncomfortable enough to take risks, and supportive of others because she believes she always has something to learn.
Panos is one of Seneca’s GenAI Thought Leaders. He has also been working in sustainability for over 15 Panos is one of Seneca Polytechnic’s AI Thought Leaders and has worked in sustainability for more than 15 years, helping organizations adopt sustainable practices. He has experience across finance, agriculture, real estate, construction and retail, where he has supported the development and implementation of sustainability strategies. He is the founder of Close the Loop, a consulting firm focused on climate change, life cycle assessment and business modelling. He also co-founded Carbon One, an innovative Canadian climate tech company that helps businesses calculate the carbon footprint of their food and beverage products.
Panos holds a PhD in Corporate Sustainability from Heriot-Watt University in Scotland and has published several academic papers on sustainable business design. He is also a professor and coordinator of the Sustainable Business Management program at Seneca and teaches sustainability and business design at OCAD University.
Kent is a faculty member at Seneca Polytechnic and one of its AI Thought Leaders, appointed in 2024 within the Vice-President Academic’s area. After practicing employment law, he joined Seneca as a part-time professor and became full-time, serving as lead professor, program coordinator, Research Ethics Board member and field placement coordinator. He works with faculty and administration to embed Generative AI into workflows.
A high-energy presenter and trainer, his external consulting through the polytechnic has led to talks at conferences for post-secondary educators and presentations for fact-finding government and banking officials. He has also delivered AI workshops in mining, software development and airport administration, as well as with business groups.
Red River College Polytechnic
Amy Jackson is an artist, entrepreneur, service designer and facilitator from Opaskwayak Cree Nation. She is the Founder of Nativelovenotes, a creative business rooted in storytelling and connection and the Director of Mittohnee Pogo’ohtah, the Indigenous Entrepreneurship Incubator at RRC Polytech.
Amy’s work focuses on supporting Indigenous entrepreneurs through culturally grounded innovation, mentorship and service design. She is passionate about creating environments where Indigenous founders can access resources, build confidence and develop sustainable businesses that reflect community values and priorities.
Kristen Kindrachuk is the Interim Director of Labs4 at RRC Polytech. She is a strategic leader in research administration and funding management, with experience in pre- and post-award support, large-scale proposal development, contract negotiation and project oversight across academic, government and industry settings. Kristen holds a BSc and MSc from the University of Manitoba and a PhD in Microbiology and Immunology from the University of British Columbia. She completed postdoctoral training at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland and later served as an Adjunct Professor teaching graduate studies in Pathogenic Microbiology at Hood College. She returned to Winnipeg in 2016 to build expertise in funding administration, managed COVID-19 response efforts at the Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization as Project Manager and Intellectual Property Manager. She is currently pursuing a part-time MBA in Leadership and Organizations at the University of Manitoba.
George Christidis is the President and CEO of the Canadian Nuclear Association. Before this role, he served as the Vice President of Government Relations & International Affairs at the same organization.
With over 20 years of experience collaborating with federal, provincial, municipal and international government stakeholders, Mr. Christidis has held diverse roles in both the public and private sectors. His expertise includes providing strategic advice and recommendations to senior government officials and corporate decision-makers.
He has held key positions within the Canadian government, including serving as a policy advisor and former chief of staff for prominent ministers.
Senior Vice-President, Human Resources & Chief Ethics Officer
Cynthia Domjancic is Senior Vice-President, Human Resources & Chief Ethics Officer at Ontario Power Generation. With more than 25 years of leadership experience — primarily in the energy sector — she brings deep expertise in human resources, labour relations, financial oversight and strategic planning. A Certified Professional Accountant by training, Cynthia is known for integrating strong financial stewardship with effective people leadership to drive performance, innovation and sustainable growth.
Francis Syms is an academic leader, independent consultant and national commentator working at the intersection of AI, cybersecurity, data centres and clean energy. As Head of the School of Clean Energy at Humber Polytechnic and Associate Dean of Information & Communications Technology, he leads strategy across AI integration, cyber operations, and clean energy workforce development. A Professional Engineer with 20+ years at BlackBerry and Rogers, he holds patents in secure communications and authored a leading Canadian cybersecurity textbook used across the country.
Dr. Vaughan is a highly distinguished senior executive with nearly 30 years of success in the post-secondary sector. She joins Humber from Loyalist College in Belleville, Ontario where she served as President and CEO since 2016, and successfully drove an ambitious growth plan that strengthened Loyalist’s financial positioning, and saw the College take on a new strategic direction Prior to that she was the president and CEO of the College of the North Atlantic, in Newfoundland and Labrador, from 2011-2016. In 2015, she was recognized as a Top 50 CEO in Atlantic Canada.
Driven by her passion to advance social and economic development through expanding access to education, Dr. Vaughan is helping to pioneer the sector’s micro-credential movement as co-Chair of eCampusOntario’s Board of Directors. In addition, she serves on the Board of Directors for Ontario Genomics, a non-profit organization that is focused on nurturing genomics innovation in Ontario, and applying these technologies across key sectors, to advance the province’s knowledge-based economy. She also serves as a Board member for Colleges and Institutes Canada.
In 2018, Dr. Vaughan was appointed to serve as an Honorary Colonel in the Royal Canadian Air Force, affiliated with the 426 Training Squadron, 8 Wing, CFB Trenton. Dr. Vaughan is actively engaged in the college sector and currently also serves as Chair of the Management Board for College Employers Council.
Dr. Vaughan is proud of her early roots in student leadership which sparked her interest and career in higher education. She holds a Bachelor of Arts and a Bachelor of Education from Memorial University; certificates in Public Administration and Business from Memorial University; a Master of Arts in Higher Education from the University of British Columbia, and a Masters Certificate in Project Management from York University/Memorial University. Continuing her lifelong learning journey, in 2015 Dr. Vaughan received her doctorate in higher education leadership from the University of Calgary.
Instructor, Forest & Natural Areas Management, School of Construction & the Environment
Justin is a member of the Métis Nation and resides in Squamish, British Columbia. Justin teaches a variety of courses related to wildfire, ecology and Indigenous perspectives in land management. Justin is passionate about “two-eyed seeing” and works to weave technology and culture together to address real-word issues holistically.
Faculty, Director, BCIT RPAS Hub, School of Transportation
Born in Poland, Eric resides in Vancouver with his wife, two daughters and a fluffy ragdoll named Theo. With a PhD in natural hazards and remote sensing, he has taught and conducted research at BCIT since 2003 and served as the Director of the BCIT RPAS Hub since 2018. Eric is also the Chief Pilot and Flight Operations Lead with InDro Robotics. Having flown drones on six continents and visited all seven, Eric is passionate about travel, photography and making meaningful, personal connections.
George Brown Polytechnic
Dean, Faculty of Applied Science, Construction & Engineering Technology
Dr. Adel Esayed brings more than 30 years of leadership and industry‑focused innovation to his role as Dean of the Faculty of Applied Science, Construction and Engineering Technology at George Brown Polytechnic. Over the past decade, he has led program development aligned with the evolving needs of the construction and engineering sectors.
His career includes senior leadership roles as Associate Dean at Niagara College and Academic Chair at St. Clair College, along with a strong academic foundation in research and teaching. He completed a postdoctoral fellowship in Materials Science and Engineering at the University of Toronto.
Miyoko Oikawa is a strategic leader with over a decade worth of experience bridging the gap between policy, research and industry execution within the residential construction sector. A graduate of George Brown College with a Bachelor of Applied Technology in Construction Management, she is recognized as both a visionary strategist and a pragmatic “doer.” Her work in collaborative research continues to inform her leadership in market transformation and high-performance building standards.
Currently serving as the Director of Training and Strategic Initiatives at the Ontario Home Builders’ Association (OHBA), Miyoko oversees education and training programs, and specialized initiatives. This includes directing the Skills Development Fund, promoting industry growth through mentorship and micro-credentialing. Beyond her work at the OHBA, she is a dedicated advocate for housing resiliency, technical innovation and the strategic partnerships necessary to advance high performance construction.
Senior Manager, Institutional AI Strategy, Development and Support
Shehroze Saharan is the inaugural Senior Manager, Institutional AI Strategy Development and Support at George Brown Polytechnic, where he leads the development and implementation of an institution‑wide artificial intelligence strategy focused on ethical, human‑centred and responsible AI integration across academic and operational environments. He also chairs the institutional AI Advisory Committee.
A higher education technology leader, Shehroze specializes in institutional AI strategy, digital transformation and emerging technology governance. Prior to joining George Brown, he served as the lead consultant on AI and generative AI in education at the University of Guelph, where he contributed to institutional AI policy development and helped establish the nationally recognized Teaching with Artificial Intelligence Conference, now the largest AI‑in‑education event in Canada.
Shehroze is the Managing Director and Co‑Founder of The Matilda Project, an award‑winning open education initiative advancing equity and representation in science. He is currently completing his PhD at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, University of Toronto, with research focused on generative AI in curriculum and pedagogy.
As Director, Polytechnic Transformation, Dr. Margrit Talpalaru leads strategic initiatives that highlight George Brown’s strengths in experiential teaching and learning, industry-informed research and innovation, student experience and community engagement. With more than two decades of experience in Canadian and international higher education, Margrit brings deep expertise in institutional leadership and innovation.
Margrit served as Academic Convenor for the 94th Congress of the Humanities and Social Sciences — the first time the Congress was hosted by a college. Under the theme, Reframing Togetherness, the event explored how diverse perspectives can strengthen collaboration and inspire new approaches to complex challenges.
Prior to joining George Brown, Margrit held leadership, research, and teaching roles at Sheridan, NorQuest College, and the University of Alberta. Their work is informed by creative critique methodology developed through SSHRC-funded doctoral research, alongside longstanding commitments to community leadership, publishing, and institutional development. An engaged community-builder, Margrit has also served on the editorial board of latitude53 and as Chair of the Board of Directors for SUCELC Edmonton. Across a varied career spanning journalism, translation, accounting, entrepreneurship and research, Margrit has remained committed to building stronger institutions and communities.
Kevin is the Founder of the Social Innovation Lab at Algonquin. He is passionate about community and leveraging the significant public trust held within our post-secondary institutions towards the greater public good. Established in the summer of 2018, the Social Innovation Lab has a mission of empowering community by sharing student creativity and technological knowledge to drive social change. The foundation of the work of the Lab revolves around the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals for 2030. Kevin also leads the AI Accelerator Hub, a new Applied Research initiative intended to help local businesses and community organizations adopt cloud and artificial intelligence technologies.
Candi Jeronimo has almost 25 years of experience helping organizations get to the core of their message. Starting her career in journalism and working as a producer and writer for years, Candi helps organizations uncover their mission and communicate it to their audience. Having spent the last 15 years working in technology, Candi has been at the forefront of digital innovation and witnessed the impact cloud adoption has had across all sectors including higher education. From EdTechs to post-secondary institutions, Candi has helped craft stories of transformation working. Since joining AWS in 2017, Candi has been helping usher in the next wave of change in the education sector. From enabling researchers to shorten their time to science to helping IT teams modernize critical systems that impact student experience, Candi gets to the core of what organizations need.
Southern Alberta Institute of Technology
Research Chair, Centre for Innovation & Research in Unmanned Systems
Wade Hawkins is an accomplished leader in geospatial technologies and Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (RPAS), with more than 30 years of experience across applied research, education and technology innovation. He has led and supported pioneering research and development initiatives in close collaboration with industry partners, governmental and non-governmental organizations, consistently bridging emerging technology with real-world application to deliver practical solutions to complex challenges.
Wade currently serves as Research Chair for the Centre for Innovation & Research in Unmanned Systems (CIRUS) at SAIT. Under his direction, CIRUS advances integrated air, land and marine autonomous systems, advanced sensors and data analytics to support applied research and innovation across diverse sectors. He also volunteers as a board member with the Fernie Trails Alliance and the Western Sky Land Trust, supporting conservation and community-driven land stewardship.
Director & Research Chair, Digital Integration Centre of Excellence
Dr. Terry Peckham is the Director and Research Chair of DICE, an NSERC-funded Technology Access Centre specializing in data stewardship and applied artificial intelligence (AI). His expertise focuses on the practical application of AI and machine learning to solve complex, real-world industrial challenges.
Under Dr. Peckham’s leadership, DICE delivers industry-driven applied research in areas including sensor integration, data analysis, secure storage, transmission, governance and integrity across diverse operational environments. The centre works with partners across Canada, with a strong regional focus on the Prairie provinces, supporting innovation across various sectors.
Dr. Peckham holds a PhD in applied artificial intelligence from the University of Saskatchewan. He currently serves on the Researcher Council of the Digital Research Alliance of Canada and sits on the boards of AiSK and Legacy One. In addition to his research and governance roles, he actively volunteers with local economic development organizations, helping attract and scale technology-driven companies in Saskatchewan.
Conestoga College
Christine is a graduate of the University of Western Ontario, where she earned a degree in Mechanical Engineering and Computer Science. She brings over 10 years of experience in the automation industry, having worked across all stages of the process — from PLC and robot programming to project management — before joining Conestoga. Since starting at Conestoga, Christine has been deeply involved in teaching and student support, as well as in modernizing curriculum and laboratory equipment to strengthen the Robotics and Automation stream. Her most recent lab upgrade features a small-scale assembly line incorporating the latest industry technologies.
Chris Maltby is the Senior Manager of Manufacturing Systems at Toyota Motor Manufacturing Canada (TMMC), where he oversees the development of skilled trades and engineering team members and leads the standardization of engineering and maintenance systems. With 18 years of experience at TMMC, Chris has held leadership roles in the plastics and paint departments, with responsibility for both maintenance and engineering operations. Chris is a member of the Canadian Manufacturers & Exporters Regional Industry Council for Skilled Trades and holds a Bachelor of Applied Science in Chemical Engineering from the University of Waterloo.
Dean, Engineering & Technology and Computer Science & IT
Dr. Marilyn Powers has spent more than two decades advancing the use of emerging technologies to enhance education and training. Her career spans immersive simulation, digital transformation and academic innovation, with applications across healthcare, aviation and higher education.
Dr. Powers is currently Dean of the Schools of Engineering and Technology, and Computer Science and IT at Conestoga, where she oversees a broad portfolio of diploma, degree and graduate programs. She is committed to fostering student success and cultivating inclusive, future-focused learning environments.
Thursday, May 14
Peter Devlin was appointed Fanshawe College’s fifth President effective September 2013.
Prior to joining Fanshawe, Mr. Devlin served 35 years in the Canadian Armed Forces and retired commanding the Canadian Army at the rank of Lieutenant General. He has several UN, NATO and Coalition tours and his awards include Orders of Military Merit from the United States, Brazil and Colombia as well as the Canadian Meritorious Service Cross, France’s National Order of the Legion of Honour and Commander of the Canadian Order of Military Merit.
Mr. Devlin serves as a member of the Colleges Ontario Committee of Presidents and Committee of Presidents Executive. He also serves on the London Economic Development Corporation’s Board of Directors and was recently appointed the Chair of Polytechnics Canada’s Board of Directors. Mr. Devlin was also recently appointed the Honorary Colonel of The Royal Canadian Regiment. Mr. Devlin received an undergraduate degree in Honours Economics from Western University, a graduate degree in Strategic Studies from the US Army War College and a certificate in Advanced Executive Management from Queen’s University. He has also studied at Command and Staff Colleges of the Canadian Defence Academy. He is a graduate of the Institute of Corporate Directors and of the Competent Boards ESG Program. He received an Honorary Doctorate from the Royal Military College of Canada.
Peter has been married for 40 years, and together he and his wife Judy have four children.
Dr. Vaughan is a highly distinguished senior executive with nearly 30 years of success in the post-secondary sector. She joins Humber from Loyalist College in Belleville, Ontario where she served as President and CEO since 2016, and successfully drove an ambitious growth plan that strengthened Loyalist’s financial positioning, and saw the College take on a new strategic direction Prior to that she was the president and CEO of the College of the North Atlantic, in Newfoundland and Labrador, from 2011-2016. In 2015, she was recognized as a Top 50 CEO in Atlantic Canada.
Driven by her passion to advance social and economic development through expanding access to education, Dr. Vaughan is helping to pioneer the sector’s micro-credential movement as co-Chair of eCampusOntario’s Board of Directors. In addition, she serves on the Board of Directors for Ontario Genomics, a non-profit organization that is focused on nurturing genomics innovation in Ontario, and applying these technologies across key sectors, to advance the province’s knowledge-based economy. She also serves as a Board member for Colleges and Institutes Canada.
In 2018, Dr. Vaughan was appointed to serve as an Honorary Colonel in the Royal Canadian Air Force, affiliated with the 426 Training Squadron, 8 Wing, CFB Trenton. Dr. Vaughan is actively engaged in the college sector and currently also serves as Chair of the Management Board for College Employers Council.
Dr. Vaughan is proud of her early roots in student leadership which sparked her interest and career in higher education. She holds a Bachelor of Arts and a Bachelor of Education from Memorial University; certificates in Public Administration and Business from Memorial University; a Master of Arts in Higher Education from the University of British Columbia, and a Masters Certificate in Project Management from York University/Memorial University. Continuing her lifelong learning journey, in 2015 Dr. Vaughan received her doctorate in higher education leadership from the University of Calgary.
Darlene began her career with the Department of National Defence, where she spent 21 years in progressive roles, including seven years as Senior Human Resources Business Manager for the civilian workforce supporting the East Coast Navy.
Before joining Fanshawe in 2011, she worked at Nova Scotia Community College as a career practitioner and project manager focused on essential skills development. In 2017, Darlene currently serves as Lead Administrator for Fanshawe’s Military Connected Campus initiative.
Darlene holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology, a Master of Education in Adult Education, and a post‑graduate certificate in Career Development Practice. Her leadership has been recognized with several awards, including Fanshawe’s President’s Distinguished Administrator Award and the Student Services Art King Award.
Lieutenant-Colonel Carlo Tittarelli joined the Canadian Armed Forces in 1999, first serving as a radio operator with 705 Communications Squadron in Hamilton before transferring to The Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders of Canada (Princess Louise’s) as an infantryman. While completing an Honours Bachelor of Business Administration at the University of Ottawa, he served with The Cameron Highlanders of Ottawa, was promoted to Corporal and was selected for officer training. He later returned to the Argylls and was promoted to Captain.
He deployed to Afghanistan in 2006–2007, mentoring the Afghan National Army with Joint Task Force Phoenix during Operation ENDURING FREEDOM, and later served domestically on Operation CADENCE supporting G8 Summit security. Promoted to Lieutenant-Colonel in 2020, he commanded the Argylls and later served as Assistant Chief of Staff, overseeing recruiting and training, including major cold weather exercises. He holds the Canadian Forces Decoration with Bar and the South-West Asia Service Medal with Afghanistan Bar.
Lieutenant-Colonel Tittarelli earned his law degree at Western University and is a partner at Mackesy Smye, where he leads a personal injury practice.
Kwantlen Polytechnic University
Dr. David Burns is the Provost and Vice-President, Academic, pro tem at KPU. He is an education policy scholar, with publications on university admissions, educational technology, moral education, ethics in teaching, leadership in education, environmental education, educational governance and science education. Before becoming Associate Vice-President, Academic, he taught educational studies at the University of Alberta, University of British Columbia and Polytechnic University.
Laura McDonald is the Dean of the Faculty of Trades and Technology at KPU, providing strategic leadership for a wide range of applied, technical and trades programs and initiatives. Laura is an elected member of the executive for the British Columbia Association of Trades and Technical Administrators as well as the National Council of Deans of Apprenticeship, Trades and Technology. Laura is a doctoral candidate, with her dissertation focused on parity of esteem in post-secondary education.
Associate Vice-President, Academic Quality & Operational Excellence Operations
Patti Hergott is Associate Vice President, Academic Quality & Operational Excellence at NAIT, with 25 years of senior academic leadership experience. Her role focuses on program quality, new program development and the advancement of centralized academic and operational supports across NAIT’s seven schools. Patti’s career highlights include a strong record in learner success, faculty engagement, quality assurance, program innovation and partnership development. With 14 years in multiple Dean portfolios within the community college sector, Patti has led applied research growth, domestic enrolment expansion and the establishment of centralized units supporting teaching and learning, work-integrated learning and institutional effectiveness. Patti remains committed to developing future leaders through teaching and mentorship.
Peter Leclaire is NAIT’s Vice-President, Academic, bringing nearly 30 years of experience across Alberta’s post-secondary system. Before joining NAIT, he spent seven years with the Government of Alberta, most recently as Assistant Deputy Minister (ADM) of Insight, Transformation and Innovation in the Ministry of Advanced Education. From 2014 onward, he held several ADM roles overseeing apprenticeship and student aid, post-secondary policy and legislation, capital and infrastructure planning, research and analysis, grant management, system accountability, transformation and change management, and digital transformation. Alongside his academic career, Peter built a successful consultancy focused on leadership development, program and service sustainability, change management and organizational effectiveness, with project experience in India, Japan, China and South Africa. As Vice-President, Academic, he prioritizes an outstanding student experience, programs aligned with industry needs and expanded access for learners, helping NAIT prepare graduates for meaningful employment and lifelong learning throughout their careers.
Sheridan
Professor, Applied Computing, Faculty of Applied Science & Technology
Dr. El Sayed Mahmoud is a Professor of Applied Computing and Program Coordinator for Sheridan’s Honours Bachelor of Computer Science. He brings 15 years of industry experience in applied computing and earned his PhD in Computer Science in 2013 from the University of Guelph. His research focuses on AI-driven solutions for healthcare, business and manufacturing applications, drawing on Large Language Models (generative AI), Natural Language Processing, Machine Learning, Big Data and computer vision.
At Sheridan, Dr. Mahmoud has taught undergraduate computer science courses, authored 18 peer-reviewed papers, delivered 12 conference talks, and supervised 15+ student thesis and 20+ applied research projects as a principal investigator at the Centre of Applied Artificial Intelligence, including interdisciplinary research projects with Centre for Intelligent Manufacturing. He also led the collaborative development of Sheridan’s computer science degree with specializations in artificial intelligence, cloud computing, data analytics and game engineering.
Student Research Assistant, School of Mechanical & Electrical Engineering
Madushen Paramanathan is an Electromechanical Engineering Technology student at Sheridan with research experience spanning mechanical design, robotic simulation and industrial automation. As a Research Assistant at the Centre for Intelligent Manufacturing, he developed automated solutions that integrated mechanical systems, robotics and machine vision to support transformer manufacturing applications. He also contributed to the Centre for Elder Research, assisting with a clinical trial exploring the impact of therapeutic music on adults living with Alzheimer’s and their caregivers.
Beyond research, Madushen is an active student leader with multiple leadership roles at Sheridan and in the broader community. He is also a varsity rugby athlete and a member of Sheridan’s powerlifting team. Currently, he is completing a co-op term at Kinectrics, where he conducts mechanical testing on overhead line conductors.
Dr. Ethan Shen is the Manager of the Centre for Intelligent Manufacturing at Sheridan, where he provides project management and technical leadership to support applied research and strategic initiatives. He holds a BEng and a PhD in Electrical and Computer Engineering, along with a BSc in Computer Science from Western University. Dr. Shen brings extensive expertise in electronics integration, software development, Internet of Things (IoT) applications and medical imaging. With over seven years of industry experience, he has worked across diverse domains including printed electronics, smart packaging, 3D printing, robotics and IoT system integration. His contributions have led to the development of 12 patents, reflecting a strong track record of innovation and commercialization.
Alex Usher is the President of Higher Education Strategy Associates. He is an internationally recognized expert on a range of fields within higher education, including student financial aid, quality measurement, rankings and public financing. He also has wide experience in strategic planning at both the institutional and system level.
Alex is the lead author of the annual higher education almanac The State of Post-Secondary Education in Canada and the co-author of the premier statistical handbook on global tertiary education World Higher Education: Institutions, Students and Funding. His internationally read daily intelligence newsletter, One Thought to Start Your Day, has over 17,000 subscribers.
Prior to founding Higher Education Strategy Associates in 2009, Alex served as the Director of Educational Policy Institute Canada and prior to that he was the Director of Research and Program Development at the Canada Millennium Scholarship Foundation. He holds degrees from McGill University and Carleton University. When Alex is not thinking about post-secondary systems and outcomes, he can be found raiding used bookstores for their most eccentric titles, cheering for Toronto FC, or obsessing about sumo.
With extensive experience in the public, private and non-profit sectors, David Agnew became the fifth president of Seneca Polytechnic in July 2009.
Under his leadership, Seneca Polytechnic has continued to strengthen its reputation at home and abroad, forging new partnerships in industry and higher education, developing new programs, growing enrolment and making substantial investments in technology, teaching and spaces.
Mr. Agnew was Secretary to the Cabinet and head of the public service in the Government of Ontario from 1992 to 1995 after serving as Principal Secretary to the Premier. In 1995, he led the Public-Private Partnerships Project and was seconded to Massey College at the University of Toronto where he was a Senior Resident.
He was the President and CEO of UNICEF Canada, the first head of the organization recruited from outside the international development sector. As Principal for the consulting firm Digital 4Sight, he led the firm’s global research initiative on the impact of technology on government and democracy. In the co-operative sector, he was the Executive Vice-President and Corporate Secretary for the Credit Union Central of Ontario. Mr. Agnew was the Ombudsman for Banking Services and Investments, the national dispute resolution service for consumers and small businesses.
Mr. Agnew serves on the Board of the Conference Board of Canada, ventureLAB and Mitacs. He has also chaired the boards of Polytechnics Canada, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre and Colleges Ontario. His other board and committee service has included: former Vice Chair of the Education Quality and Accountability Office (EQAO); the Canadian Ditchley Foundation Advisory Board; Sichuan University’s International Advisory Board; Colleges and Institutes Canada; the Canadian government’s Science, Technology and Innovation Council; the Toronto Region Immigrant Employment Council; the Empire Club of Canada; the Council on Foreign Relations Higher Education Working Group; and campaign cabinets of the United Way in Toronto and Peel.
He is a recipient of the Queen’s Diamond and Platinum Jubilee medals in recognition of his community and public service. Mr. Agnew holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Memorial University in Newfoundland.
Sarah Watts-Rynard assumed the role of Chief Executive Officer at Polytechnics Canada in July 2018. Prior to this role, she served as Executive Director of the Canadian Apprenticeship Forum, supporting Canada’s apprenticeship community with research, promotion and by connecting stakeholders across trades, across sectors and across Canada.
Sarah has a degree in Journalism and English from Carleton University. Since graduating, she has built a career that includes time in government, the private sector and at skills-focused non-profit organizations. She has experience related to non-profit governance, fundraising, advocacy and marketing. She leads a team of passionate and dedicated employees committed to high-quality skills and innovation policy, reflecting the strengths of polytechnic education in Canada. In 2018, Sarah was awarded an honorary diploma in the Skilled Trades by Niagara College.
Sarah is Chair of the CWB Welding Foundation and Vice-Chair of the Canadian Centre for Women in Science, Engineering, Trades and Technology (WinSETT Centre).
Dr. Jeff Zabudsky has over 30 years of experience within post-secondary and polytechnic leadership roles, both in Canada and internationally. Throughout his career, he has championed applied education as a transformative instrument to enrich lives and contribute to thriving communities.
Prior to his appointment as President of the British Columbia Institute of Technology (BCIT) in 2023, Dr. Zabudsky was Provost for the American University of Bahrain, having also served as CEO for Bahrain Polytechnic. Before his career took him to the Middle East, Dr. Zabudsky was President and Vice Chancellor for Sheridan College Institute of Technology and Advanced Learning. He has also served as President and CEO of Red River College Polytechnic and Vice President, Academic at Sault College of Applied Arts and Technology.
Dr. Zabudsky is Chair of the Board of Directors for the British Columbia Association of Institutes and Universities (BCAIU) and Treasurer of the Board of Directors for the Skilled Trades Training Consortium. In addition, he is active on the boards for the Greater Vancouver Board of Trade, the Post Secondary Employers’ Association and Invest Vancouver. Previously, he chaired municipal United Way campaigns for both Oakville and Winnipeg.
Dr. Zabudsky has been honoured with distinguished alumni awards from Toronto Metropolitan University and Athabasca University. He has also received an award for the employment of Indigenous people from the InterProvincial Association for Native Employment (IANE) and is a Paul Harris Fellow of Rotary International.
Dr. Zabudsky holds a Ph.D. in Educational Policy Studies from the University of Alberta, a Master’s degree in Distance Education from Athabasca University and a Bachelor of Applied Arts in Broadcast Journalism from Toronto Metropolitan University.