Science Faculty
Dr. Folajinmi (Fola) Oluwasina (he/him) is a public health scholar, educator, and research leader who joined Shad as a Program Director in 2025. He brings extensive experience in post-secondary teaching, research, and academic leadership and is committed to strengthening Shad’s mission of advancing critical thinking, innovation, and social responsibility among youth. He is inspired by Shad’s belief that young people can turn bold ideas into real impact, and he is committed to creating an environment where curiosity, resilience, and innovation can thrive.
Fola brings over a decade of teaching and research experience across Canada, the United Kingdom, and Africa and has contributed to over $4 million in funded research across the countries. His work focuses on health equity, mental health, infectious diseases, and resilience among general and marginalized populations, with numerous publications and contributions to major national research projects. He has published widely in peer-reviewed journals and is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Public Health in the UK.
At Red Deer Polytechnic, Fola is known for his inclusive pedagogical approaches, evidence-informed teaching, mentorship of emerging scholars, and empowering learning spaces where students feel seen, challenged, and supported. His professional commitments extend beyond the classroom through his volunteer work with Alberta Health Services’ addiction and mental health services and through his ongoing youth mentorship. He believes that young people flourish when they are encouraged to think critically, explore their passions, and see themselves as change-makers.
Outside of his academic and professional activities, Fola enjoys reading, playing the piano, and other reflective pursuits that support creativity and well-being. He looks forward to contributing to Shad’s mandate by supporting students as they explore ideas, develop leadership skills, build resilience, and pursue innovative solutions that make a meaningful difference in the world.
Business and AI Faculty
Dr. Stephanie Powers (she/her) has degrees in economics, finance, and statistics. Before moving to Canada, Dr. Powers was a forensic economist in Texas. At Red Deer Polytechnic (RDP), she teaches coding and website design. She teaches AI to business students and business to AI students. She has published a book on Business Intelligence and Data Analytics and led the design of RDP’s AI diploma. Charts and graphs are her happy place.
Stephanie has won multiple teaching awards for her gamified course designs, including using a classroom size monopoly game to teach business cycles. Stephanie loves video games, board games, and puzzles. Classes are more fun with collaboration and competition. All learning should be active and give people a chance to live the role.
Stephanie is excited to be a part of Shad at RDP. She joined Shad in 2025 when it became the first polytechnic Shad campus. Growing up, Stephanie never had the opportunity to participate in STEM based summer camps. But she loves to learn. Given infinite lives, she would have pursued many different occupations. Shad creates the opportunity to live in a multiverse where she gets to go to university for chemistry, math, engineering, and more. Along with the Shads, she gets to learn from the fantastic instructors at RDP. Shad also allows her to share her passion exploring and photographing the beautiful nature of Alberta.
