Cosette has 20+ of experience in adult and post-secondary education at three universities (the University of Winnipeg, the University of Manitoba, and the University of Alberta). She has a Master of Education (2003) and PhD in Education (2016) focusing on adult and post-secondary education. Cosette’s unique specialities include educational leadership in higher education, teaching within health professions education (with a focus on clinical practicum teaching and learning), and varying aspects of interpersonal communication in teaching and learning. Cosette calls herself a “Teaching Coach” for university instructors and faculty members striving to improve their teaching one class, one activity, or one interaction at a time. She is the Chair of the Educational Developer Network of Alberta (EDNA). Cosette is the 2019 recipient of the University of Alberta Excellence in Learning Support Award, and received the award again in 2020 with the CTL Team as part of their COVID 19 Response.

Brad brings to his role with the CTL team over 15 years of experience working as a lecturer in four post-secondaries (the University of British Columbia, the University of Colorado at Boulder, the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, and the University of Alberta). Brad also has 8 years of direct experience working as a Lead Educational Developer at a polytechnic (NAIT) where he undertook a wide range of project work that included both curriculum development and faculty support. His expertise and experience is in building teaching and learning resources, exploring issues related to Writing-Across-the Curriculum, and leading academic program (and course) mapping projects, including their design and development. As a Lead ED with CTL, Brad’s principle areas of interest include (but are not limited to): finding impactful ways to better align curriculum outcomes with meaningful assessment practices; supporting the development of assessment practices to enhance students' learning experiences; and collaborating with faculty to weave relevant assessment processes and practices into the contexts of individual programs and courses.

An award-winning instructor with over 20 years of experience across multiple fields, Dalbir Sehmby (PhD, Comparative Literature and Film/Media Studies) views teaching as a skill that requires continual practice and classrooms as spaces that alter with each cohort. As an Educational Developer, Dr. Sehmby does not adhere to one methodology but mixes established and contemporary approaches while seeking insights from instructors, guidance from learning outcomes, and advice from students. A TEDx speaker and the University of Alberta’s 2016 Last Lecturer, Dalbir values clear communication as a common denominator in composing across curricula and multimodal media. Dalbir has innovated learning via the “Stresstival” methodology, which privileges student-centred skill building, emotional self-awareness, and life-work balance. Dalbir believes it is possible for instructors and students to be a responsible team of holistic learners who can laugh and learn while cooperating to create a healthy campus community of champions.

Everett Igobwa, PhD (ABD), MA, BEd has over 19 years experience as an educator in contexts ranging from K-12 to post-secondary education, including roles supporting faculty and graduate students at Queen’s University, York University, Yukon University and University of Alberta.

Everett is interested in Equity, Diversity, and Inclusivity (EDI), critical pedagogies, decolonization, Indigenization, developing and co-facilitating the Instructional Skills Workshop (ISW) training, course design and redesign, student-centred pedagogy, professional development for faculty, online, hybrid and blended pedagogy.

Collaborating with instructors to demystify teaching and learning is rewarding and meaningful to Everett.

Mandy (she/her) is a queer settler and scholar and an experienced educator originally from Newfoundland. Holding degrees in both the sciences and the humanities (BSc, BA(Hon), and MA), she is passionate about digital pedagogies, writing instruction, accessibility, and communities of practice/care. She has worked as both faculty and academic staff (i.e., parafaculty), including as a coordinator of a writing and learning centre. Mandy advocates for equitable, values-driven, and relationship-based practices in teaching and learning: practices that can be approached through digital and writing-based community-building. She is an active member of the Canadian Writing Centres Association and the International Writing Centres Association, as well as a co-editor of a special conference edition of Discourse and Writing / Rédactologie. Mandy aims to collaborate with the University of Alberta community toward (re)imagining teaching and learning possibilities at this important and challenging global moment.

Abenanes - Greetings! Lori Ireland (she/they) is from Xeni Gwet’in First Nation and grew up in Tŝilhqot'in and Secwepemc territory in the interior of what is now colonially called British Columbia. The lands in which Lori calls home (Xeni Gwet’in) did not enter into Treaty negotiations, and their Aboriginal Title was federally acknowledged in 2014. Lori has been a guest on Treaty 6 territory and the homelands of the Métis peoples for more than 10 years. Lori has 15 years experience working with various Indigenous peoples within numerous capacities, including for the purposes of building community as well as for supporting and sustaining Indigenous ways of knowing, teaching, learning, and being. As an Educational Developer at the Centre for Teaching and Learning, Lori focuses on the development and integration of Indigenous ways of knowing into teaching resources, strategies, and academic, personal, and professional development of instructors and instructional teams at the University of Alberta. Sechanalyagh - thank you.

Graeme has over 30 years of experience integrating effective teaching methodologies and educational technology with impactful course design. He has been an Educational Developer at the Centre for Teaching and Learning for 5 years and was instrumental in our Centre’s response to pandemic needs in teaching development, particularly in self-directed online resources, events, and course development.

He spent 28 years in Scotland in education, eighteen of which were at the University of Glasgow (School of Education and School of Interdisciplinary Studies), where he was the Programme Director for the B.Ed (Hons.) and MA Primary Education degree programmes. Graeme was presented with three Excellence in Teaching awards by the University of Glasgow for course design, implementation of teaching methods and the use of technology to enhance learning and teaching. He also received the University of Alberta Excellence in Learning Support Award in 2020 with the CTL Team as part of their COVID-19 response.

Graeme’s experiences and expertise will allow the CTL Leadership to explore the possibilities of planned and scaffolded approaches to instructional practice and academic development at the University of Alberta.

Anita brings two decades of science teaching in in-person, online, and hybrid secondary and post-secondary classrooms to her educational development portfolio at CTL. She is also experienced in leading professional development workshops and individual coaching for instructors with a focus on maximizing student engagement with authentic activities and assessments. Since 2015, Anita has worked closely with instructor teams from across the University with their blended and online learning resources and projects. This includes helping build course frameworks on eClass, planning student-centred learning experiences, and storyboard creation for pre-recorded lecture video content.

Anita enjoys being part of a team that supports teaching and learning excellence in online, hybrid, blended, and face-to-face environments.

Dr. Deanna Davis is an alumnus of the Augustana and North campuses and has a longstanding affiliation with the University of Alberta. She is known as a “convenor” of people, bringing together faculty and staff from every corner of campus to develop award-winning educational initiatives. Her leadership roles have spanned many aspects of U of A’s teaching and research enterprise, including in the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies and Organizational Development, HRHSE. She was pivotal in implementing Canada’s first Professional Development Requirement, which supported career planning and readiness for U of A’s graduate students. Dr. Davis also led the development of numerous institutional and educational initiatives, including the curricular redesign of the Ethics and Academic Citizenship Requirement, integrating EDI and Indigenous perspectives. She led the structural and curricular redesign of the multi-tier Graduate Teaching and Learning Program, where she also taught pedagogy and course design. With more than two decades of teaching experience across different levels and departments, including the Department of Music, Dr. Davis brings a multifaceted perspective to the Centre for Teaching and Learning and expertise in pedagogical strategies and curriculum design. Her certifications in EQi 2.0/360, Serious Lego Play, and coaching add further to her diverse skill set. Dr. Davis has received numerous awards, including the APO Recognition Award (2023), highlighting her contributions to the U of A community.