Manager, Educational Initiatives and Assessment. McMaster Housing and Conference Services
John Maclachlan (he/him) joined Shad in 2012 as a member of the Shad faculty, where he spent many summers leading workshops in game theory and Geographic Information Systems. Since that time, John has valued the opportunity Shad provides for students to experience the curiosity, independence, and excitement of university life. He especially enjoys helping participants explore new perspectives on problem solving and analytical thinking through hands-on activities.
John holds a PhD in Earth and Environmental Sciences from McMaster University, where his research focused on glacial landforms and sedimentary processes. He also earned an MA in Geography and Health and a BSc in Geology from McMaster. Over his career, John has taught more than sixty university courses across geography, earth sciences, climate studies, inquiry, sustainability, and geomatics. His academic work has also included significant contributions to course development, program design, and educational innovation.
In addition to his teaching experience, John has held several leadership roles at McMaster University that focused on improving learning opportunities for students. These roles have included Director of the Intersession Program, Associate Director at the MacPherson Institute for Leadership, Innovation and Excellence in Teaching, and Manager of Educational Initiatives and Assessment. In each of these positions, John has worked to create meaningful and engaging learning environments for students.
John looks forward to continuing his involvement with Shad and supporting students as they explore new challenges and discover what is possible during their time on campus.
Elementary Occasional Teacher
Krisanne (she/her) was thrilled to join the Shad McMaster team in 2013 and has never looked back. Over the years she has been Teaching Fellow and Program Manager, and is excited to take on the new challenge of Assistant Program Director. At Shad, she looks forward to the fun she has meeting and learning from the diverse experiences and passions of exceptional youth.
Krisanne has more than 15 years of experience educating in different sectors, including in education, retail marketing, publication, and entertainment. She is a graduate of the University of Western Ontario where she holds a Bachelor of Education and degrees in English and music. As an elementary occasional teacher with the Thames Valley District School Board, Krisanne loves working with a wide variety of ages, and especially Kindergarten. When it comes to enabling and sharing exceptional learning experiences, she believes there are many connections between young children and teens and considers it a privilege that she gets to experience it at many levels and ages.
Krisanne loves to celebrate kindness and beauty in all things and is passionate about music and the arts: she sings and is an active solo, choral, and church accompanist (piano), has stage-managed plays from London, ON to off-Broadway in New York City, and volunteers as manager for a small London-based community choir. Outside of teaching and music, Krisanne also works as a technical writer and copy editor. In her spare time, Krisanne is an unapologetic lover of books, particularly fantasy, and is a serial crafter: she knits, designs quilts, paints, and creates with various paper crafts.
