Shad Valley Carleton University 
Kate Oakley, Program Director
kathoakley@gmail.com

Kate first became involved with Shad Valley at Carleton University many years ago serving as Recreation Director when working with Juan Salinas, while she was a graduate student in Psychology.  She was really delighted to reconnect with Shad Valley in 2007 and 2008, giving workshops and guest lectures on issues pertaining to aging and dementia. Kate enjoyed working with Shads so much that in 2009 she was easily recruited as a live-in Faculty Member representative for Arts and Social Sciences. Her belief in the importance of the Shad Valley program continues to grow, and she is honoured to serve as Program Director since 2010.

Originally from England, Kate typically can be observed running parallel careers. Serving as a policy analyst, consultant, and academic researcher in psychology, she also enjoys clinical research in local hospitals as well as the local dementia and caregiver communities. Behind the scenes, she actively pursues life as a visual artist and poet. These seemingly diverse areas are often woven together as Kate searches for creative solutions to community needs that are based on sound theoretical research, including the design and development of tools for the early detection of dementia. Kate has also been known to produce short educational videos for caregivers in dementia (funded by Inukshuk Wireless), as well as serving as Producer-Director of a local variety show to raise needed funds for the local Alzheimer's community, with the support of Carleton University and transmitted live across the country using new broadband technology developed by the National Research Council. More recently, Kate has been cajoled into assisting (rather badly) with percussion for a local brass band.

Shad Valley Dalhousie University
Mike Smit, Program Director
smit@cs.dal.ca

Mike's Shad story began with the launch of Shad Valley at Dalhousie University in July 2001, where he started as a program assistant. Since then he has held various roles including PA, faculty, program manager, and now director.

Mike holds a Bachelors and a Masters degree in Computer Science from Dalhousie University, and a PhD from the University of Alberta.  He is currently a researcher at York University, with particular interest in software engineering, cloud computing, adaptive systems, and emerging technologies.  As a Shad-inspired believer in the importance of integrating science, technology, and entrepreneurship, he is involved with a research commercialization start-up company, his own software consulting company, and several industry research partners.

Mike tells us that taking one month each year to do Shad Valley is energizing and inspiring, so much so that he's even more productive the other 11 months of the year.  When he's not working hard to ensure that promise comes true, he enjoys photography and is a voracious reader.

Shad Valley Université Laval
Nicholas Clermont, Program Director
Nicholas.Clermont@dgpc.ulaval.ca

Nicholas has been a part of the Shad Valley program at Université Laval since its launch in 2006. He has since held a variety of positions within the organization and now acts as Director as well as business faculty. Within these roles, Nicholas teaches young Shads to become more entrepreneurial and inspires self confidence. He particularly enjoys challenging the Shads to overcome difficult problems and is keen to encourage them to take the lead in the organization of events throughout the program.

Nicholas is a graduate of mechanical engineering with a specialty in entrepreneurship. After gaining some experience in the private sector, Nicholas has since returned to Université Laval and completed his MBA in international development and humanitarian response. He currently works at Université Laval teaching an engineering design course. He is also spearheading a curriculum enhancement initiative to introduce sustainable development into all undergraduate programs. As well as being highly visible on the Université Laval campus, Nicholas is known for his involvement in Engineers Without Borders Canada, having founded the Université Laval chapter in 2004.

Since first becoming involved at Shad, Nicholas had been inspired to learn to play cello and guitar. Along with his interests in music, Nicholas brings a variety of talents to the program including cooking, yoga, rock climbing and more. Nicholas aspires to stay involved with Shad for many years to come and endeavours to become a university professor and entrepreneur.

Shad Valley McMaster University
Kingsley Hurlington, Program Director
khurlington@trentu.ca

Kingsley brings to Shad Valley over 15 years of educational experience of all levels from kindergarten to university.  He has a passion for teaching and for working with teens and both are focuses of his academic research.  Along with his initial career as a secondary school teacher in Ontario, Kingsley has also authored and edited several textbooks in use in schools across Canada.

With a broad academic background, Kingsley completed a B.Sc. in Computer Science and Geography.  This led to work in the area of computerized mapping and analysis using geographical information systems (GIS) and remote sensing resulting in two additional degrees in the area (including a MES from the University of Waterloo).  This work in geotechnology has afforded many opportunities to teach pre-service and in-service teachers.

Currently, Kingsley works at Trent University School of Education and Professional Learning.  His research program includes research into resilience in Canadian teens with a focus on rural places.  As the father of four children, he is perennially busy but carves out a bit of time for activities like cooking, music, martial arts, and camping.  His dream is to travel to every nook and cranny of Canada.
 

Shad Valley Memorial University of Newfoundland

Leonard graduated from the University of Manitoba with a PhD in civil engineering in 1988, and is currently Professor and Associate Dean (Graduate Studies) in the Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science at Memorial University of Newfoundland (MUN). He received the President's Award for Distinguished Teaching in 2003 and was awarded the Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of Newfoundland teaching award in 2001. He was elected as a Fellow of the Canadian Society for Civil Engineering in 2002.

In addition to his academic role, Leonard is also President of Com-Adv Devices Inc., a company he formed with a former student. They invented the FootworkerTM line of products for improving footwork and fitness for squash and badminton players.  This idea was rooted in Leonard's accomplishments in both sports - from 2004-2008 he was the provincial and Atlantic Masters squash champion. He has also won gold, silver and bronze medals in doubles badminton in the early 1990s. He is level II squash coach and was a junior high school badminton and basketball coach for several years.

Leonard founded the local chapter of two national charities - the Tetra Society of North America, a charity dedicated to helping people with disabilities; and the Taoist Tai Chi Society, dedicated to the health improvement aspect of Tai Chi Chuan. He was a certified Tai Chi instructor for more than 10 years.

Leonard has been involved with Shad Valley at MUN since 2003 as the Engineering/Technology faculty and since 2007 has been the Program Director.

Shad Valley Queen's University
Jennifer Murphy, Program Co-Director
queensshad@gmail.com
shadvall@queensu.ca

Jennifer Murphy is a special education consultant who specializes in the development and implementation of differentiated instruction to support all learners K-12.   As an educational consultant, Jennifer provides information, support and coaching to teachers and schools within the Limestone District School Board. In addition to her consultative role, Jennifer coordinates Limestone’s Early Learning Intervention team and is a member of Educational Services leadership team.  Jennifer has designed and facilitated numerous special education workshops and seminars.  She has also presented at education conferences across Ontario including the Leadership Summit for the Council of Ontario Directors of Education. 

Jennifer has degrees in Life Science and Education from Queen’s University as well as her specialist qualifications in Special Education.  Jennifer also holds a certificate in reading instruction from Columbia University and SMART Notebook Certification from Advanced Education. 

Jennifer first became involved with the Shad Valley Program at Queen's as a Program Assistant in 2005.  From 2006 - 2009 Jennifer furthered her involvement with the program serving as the Program Manager before moving into the Program Director role in 2010. 

As a resident of Kingston, Jennifer enjoys spending time outdoors, local cuisines, yoga, interior design, photography and the occasional chocolate cupcake. 

Shad Valley Queen's University
Michael Kawaja, Program Co-Director
kawajam@queensu.ca

Dr. Michael D. Kawaja (PhD from UWO in 1989) is currently the Associate Dean of Life Sciences and Biochemistry at Queens’s University in Kingston Ontario.  These two undergraduate programs have approximately 950 students over a 3-year degree plan.  He is a member of the Department of Biomedical and Molecular Sciences and the Centre for Neuroscience Studies.

His research interests focus on the regenerative capacity of the mammalian nervous system in response to injury and disease, with a particular emphasis on the role of nerve growth factor to stimulate the directional growth of axons.  Dr. Kawaja is also the current codirector of QuARMS (Queen’s University’s Accelerated Route to Medical School).  Dr. Kawaja has also held the positions of the Graduate Coordinator in the Centre for Neurosciences Studies and the Chair of the Medical Admissions Committee.
 

Shad Valley University of New Brunwick

Ian has been involved with Shad Valley UNB for a number of years, ranging from teacher fellow, to faculty to numerous years as co-Director. Shad Valley is an integral part of Ian's daily life as an evangelist for 21st Learning Skills and Shad Valley in Canada and internationally. Ian spends his day growing minds and thinking about being a better cultivator.

Ian gave up designing anticancer radiopharmaceuticals and studying the explosive properties of rocket fuel foam at NASA, to teach high school chemistry and physics at Riverview High School. His students have a variety of learning activities that often employ technology to change the way that learning happens and brains grow.

He has won 2 Minister's Awards for Innovation in Education, the Prime Minister's Award for Excellence in Education and the Canadian Association of Physicists' High School Teacher Award. His Xenotransplantation project was a winner at the Partner's in Learning Global Innovative Educators Forum in Cape Town for Collaboration and Communication. His work has been referenced by P21 and David Warlick and his research published in Australia.

Over the past few years, Ian has been particularly interested in how 1:1 technology, probeware, virtual labs and SMARTBoards function in a collaborative classroom to help deeper learning and make connections to the outside world. At the moment, his students are looking at the art and science of light, where they study the physics and chemistry of photography, as well as the impact of media and appearance on self image.

Shad Valley University of New Brunwick
Melissa Dawe, Program Co-Director
mdawe@unb.ca

Melissa Dawe is the Director of Strategic Projects in the President’s Office at the University of New Brunswick. Melissa holds a BScE and MScE in Civil Engineering from the University of New Brunswick.  After graduating, she worked as a hydro-geologist for four years where she was part of a team responsible for locating and installing hydro-test wells and cleaning up contaminated sites across the Atlantic Provinces.

Melissa joined the UNB team in 2009 as project manager for the UNB strategic planning initiative. Her responsibilities included the development of techniques to engage students, faculty, and staff in the overall university planning process. In this capacity, relationship building is used to strengthen and energize communication and bonding between the two distinct campus cultures and their interrelationship with the student community. The process involved forming a steering committee, developing questionnaires, organizing internal conferences and external stakeholder sessions, and analysis and compilation of all data collected. 
 
Currently, Melissa is responsible for overseeing and motivating towards implementation of the strategic plan on the Saint John and Fredericton campuses. She has also actively contributed to the development of the UNB Pond-Deshpande Centre for Innovation and Entrepreneurship which focuses on fostering economic and social innovation.
 
Melissa lives in Fredericton with her husband and young son. In her spare time, she enjoys running, bicycling, hiking, cross-country skiing, reading and analyzing novels, and spending quality time with her family.

Shad Valley University of British Columbia
Daan Maijer,  Program Director
daan.maijer@ubc.ca

Daan received his B.A.Sc. and Ph.D. in Metals and Materials Engineering from The University of British Columbia (UBC) in 1994 and 1999, respectively.  He is currently the Director of the Integrated Engineering Program and an Associate Professor in the Department of Materials Engineering at UBC.

His undergraduate teaching is focused on engineering design taught through project-based learning where groups of 3 - 5 students propose, design, build, and test multi-disciplinary projects. As one of the principal researchers in the Materials Processing Group, his research aims to develop insight into the industrial processes used to transform metals; in particular, casting processes, to improve product quality and process productivity. This research often involves the development of mathematical models that capture the complex physical phenomena active in these processes and relies on laboratory experiments andor plant trials to provide the data necessary for model development and validation. This research is industrially oriented and has led to collaborations with companies within Canada (Alcan International Ltd., Canadian Autoparts Toyota Inc., and Timminco Ltd.) and abroad (Corus, Titanium Metals Corp. and The Timken Co.).

Shad Valley University of British Columbia
Patrick Crawford, Assistant Director
patrick.james.crawford@gmail.com

Patrick’s experience with the Shad Valley program began as a participant in the 2008 Shad Valley Université Laval program. Patrick joined the Shad Valley UBC staff team in 2010 as the Program Manager, and served again in this role in 2011 and 2012. He is now the Assistant Director of the Shad Valley UBC program.

Originally from the interior of BC, Patrick grew up skiing, exploring and enjoying the great outdoors. After his first year in the Bachelor of Commerce program at UBC, Patrick spent a year climbing some of the largest mountains on earth, including Mount McKinley. Patrick went on to use his stories of climbing and reaching for his dreams to support his fellow youth. Inspired by his fellow youth, Patrick enjoys helping students realize their potential. He is very excited to continue to help Shad Valley students to innovate and build their entrepreneurial capacity, and to pursue the incredible opportunities in front of them.

Patrick is currently studying Integrated Engineering at the University of British Columbia, a program focused on entrepreneurship and design engineering. Patrick is a recipient of the Gold Duke of Edinburgh’s award, and is a recipient of UBC’s most distinguished scholarship, The Chancellor’s Entrance Scholarship. Patrick currently serves on the Student Board of Advisors of entrepreneurship@UBC and he is also a proud alumnus of the Royal Canadian Air Cadets.

Patrick enjoys flying gliders and small powered aircraft, bicycling, hiking, launching and evaluating new business opportunities, enjoying good company, travelling and generally enjoying pursuing life’s opportunities.

Shad Valley University of Calgary
Michael Mappin, Program Co-Director
mmappin@ucalgary.ca

Michael is the Coordinator of Experiential Education Programs at the University of Calgary Biogeoscience Institute. Education programs include field trips for high school IB/AP students, teacher education courses, community outreach, and biogeoscience education research. The programs take place year round at the Barrier Lake Field Station in Kananaskis Country (www.bgs.ucalgary.ca).

Michael is also an Adjunct Assistant Professor with the University of Alberta Department of Secondary Education.

In his spare time, Michael provides race service for national-level cross country and biathlon ski teams, most recently at the 2012 Alberta World Cup Cross Country in Canmore, Alberta and 2012 Winter Youth Olympic Games in Innsbruck, Austria.

Shad Valley University of Calgary
Anis Haque, Program Co-Director
anis@ucalgary.ca

Anis Haque has about 20 years of university teaching experience in science and engineering. Anis has a true passion for teaching, so he makes time to work with pre-university students to develop their love of science and engineering. To further this passion, he became involved with the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers educational outreach Teacher In-Service Program (TISP) in Canada, and he is currently the Chair of TISP Southern Alberta Section.

Anis founded the not-for-profit organization, Association for the Advancement of Science and Engineering Education, to advance science and engineering among pre-university students. He continues to serve as the founder Chair. Through this organization, Anis focuses particularly on rural communities, First Nations peoples and girls. He works directly with pre-university students in their classrooms.

Anis is a director on the Board of Minerva Canada, a not-for-profit organization promoting health and safety education for business and engineering students at universities across Canada. He is also a member of the Board of Examiners of the Association of Professional Engineers and Geophysicists of Alberta.

Apart from these voluntary activities, Anis has a full-time faculty position with the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Calgary, and is Associate Director of Students in that department. His primary research interests are engineering education and renewable energy, although nanotechnology remains dear to him. Anis received his PhD from the Japan Advanced Institute of Science and Technology. He completed a postgraduate Diploma in Computer Science at the University of Cambridge, U.K. after completing his MSc.

Shad Valley University of Saskatchewan
Rick Retzlaff, Program Director
Rick.Retzlaff@usask.ca

Rick is new to the Shad Valley program, having spent a memorable month as a guest faculty at the Queen's program in July of 2012. He is looking forward to the challenge of starting a new program at the University of Saskatchewan in 2013.  He hopes that his experience in both engineering and entrepreneurship  will bring value to our new Shad's.

Rick completed a Master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering at the University of Saskatchewan.  After working as a mechanical Engineer in various positions in Canada, the USA and Britain, he co-founded and operated a software development company, specializing in engineering design.  He is currently with the University of Saskatchewan Department of Mechanical Engineering teaching undergraduate courses in design.  He hopes he can bring his industrial and practical experience to enhance the professional development of students.

Rick currently resides in Saskatoon with his wife, family and dog.  If he has any spare time, he enjoys sailing, flying small aircraft, bicycling and designing/building boats and bicycles.

Shad Valley University of Saskatchewan
Stephanie Yong, Assistant Director
yong@edwards.usask.ca

Stephanie Yong is the Director of the W. Brett Wilson Centre for Entrepreneurial Excellence at the University of Saskatchewan, a university Centre designed to help grow the next generation of entrepreneurs.

Originally from Saskatoon, Stephanie has both a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and an MBA from the University of Saskatchewan. Stephanie has used her experience as a business strategist, an entrepreneur and a University lecturer to build her enterprise networks, stimulate awareness and recognition of the current entrepreneurial trends, and develop experiential programs to further enhance the entrepreneurship agenda. An entrepreneur herself, she currently works at the Wilson Centre, offering programs to help students create feasible and sustainable businesses. Stephanie is also a lecturer at the Edwards School of Business, with a strong focus on entrepreneurship and evaluation of business ventures.

Stephanie is committed to supporting the innovation and growth in the entrepreneurial sector of the economy.
 

Shad Valley University of Waterloo
Ed Jernigan, Program Director
jernigan@uwaterloo.ca

Ed has been involved with Shad Valley Waterloo since 1984. He was program director from 1985-1987 and again from 1992 until the present. At Shad Valley, in addition to being Program Director, he is also the Mathematics Faculty member. He teaches a series of lectures on mathematics as the language for understanding and solving problems. His lectures and workshops reflect his research interests in machine vision, image and signal processing, pattern recognition and machine intelligence. He has also introduced hundreds of Shads to the delights of juggling.

Ed is a Professor and Director of the Centre for Knowledge Integration at the University of Waterloo. He is also a Professor of Systems Design Engineering. He joined Waterloo in 1976 after completing his BS, MS and PhD degrees at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Ed is a dedicated teacher and was recognized with the Distinguished Teacher Award of the University of Waterloo as well as the Teaching Excellence Award for the Faculty of Engineering. He has served as the Chair of Systems Design Engineering, and as the Director of Admissions for the Faculty of Engineering from 1994-1998.

Ed enjoys basketball, canoeing, kayaking and the outdoors in general. He is married with three children. The oldest, Amanda, attended Shad Valley UBC in 1996.