Shad Calgary
Program Directors
Jessica Cohen, PhD
Learner Progression Supervisor, Southern Alberta Institute of Technology
Jessica Cohen (she/her) is the Learner Progression Supervisor at the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology where she oversees the Credentials and Student Financial Account Team. Prior to this role, she was the Coordinator of Scholars Programming at the University of Calgary where she worked with high performing undergraduate students as they transition from high school to post-secondary, and principal advisor for those students considering graduate and professional school, and major awards and scholarships opportunities.
Jessica completed her Master’s and Doctorate degrees at the University of Oxford (UK), specializing in educational policy borrowing, and studies in comparative and international education. She also holds Bachelor degrees in arts and education from Queen’s University (Canada) and subsequently taught in Nunavut, France and The Gambia. While in the UK, Jessica was the Residential Director at Oxford Royale Academy and was previously Assistant Director at Camp B’nai Brith in Quebec, both residential summer programs.
Since 2014, Jessica has been the Shad Calgary Program Director (PD) and since 2019, the elected PD on the Shad Board of Directors. Each summer, she enjoys making connections with students, creating a community of learning and growth, and avoiding the question of whether we are visiting Banff that year(!) Outside of Shad, Jessica, along with fellow PD Dr. Anis Haque, is the Chair of the Association for the Advancement of Science and Engineering Education, a non-for-profit based out of Calgary. Finally, Jessica can also be found spending time with her children and cat, and (slow) distance running.
Anis Haque, PhD, PEng
Professor (Teaching), Electrical and Software Engineering Department, University of Calgary
Dr. Anis Haque (he/him) has over 30 years of university teaching and research experience. He received his undergraduate with honours, and first master’s degree in Applied Physics and Electronics and his second master’s degree in Computer Science from Cambridge University, England. Soon he found his new passion and completed Ph.D. in Nanotechnology and did postdoctoral research in Nanoengineering at Osaka University in Japan.
Anis has been a Program Director at Shad since 2013. Anis founded a registered charity named AASEE in 2010, and he served as the Chair of TISP Canada (Teachers In-Service Program) to advance STEM education across the country. Through AASEE, he has directly worked with over 14,000 pre-university students, including over 2,500 indigenous students in K-12 schools in the Northwest Territories and Alberta. Anis focuses his volunteering hours on underrepresented people in the STEM field. His model of creating passion in science and engineering among pre-university students has drawn international attention too. Anis is a long-time Director on the Board of Minerva Canada, a non-profit organization advancing health and safety education for engineering students across Canadian universities. Anis also volunteered as a member of the Board of Examiners at APEGA, and his community services go beyond his professional domain. Anis truly believes that working at Shad is a unique and rewarding opportunity where he devotes himself to cultivating the country’s brightest and most talented future leaders.
Anis received prestigious scholarships, awards, and fellowships, including the Commonwealth Scholarship, Japanese Government Scholarship, Minerva Canada Educational Award of Honour, various Teaching Excellence Awards, and Cambridge Commonwealth Trust Fellowship, patronized by the then Prince Charles. Anis loves travelling, watching nature, and studying ancient cultures.
