Muriel
Agnes, MAEd, ThD, is an adult educator
with 20 years of experience working in health promotion, community
development and personal/spiritual growth. She has worked for government
and community organizations, an adult learning centre of the United
Church, Red River College and a national continuing health education
institute. Her key interests have been transformative learning and
leadership as tools of empowerment. In 2002 Muriel completed a doctorate
in spiritual counseling. She is also certified as a psychosynthesis
therapist, a qigong teacher and an acupuncturist. Besides teaching
adult education courses for the University of Manitoba, Muriel has
her own continuing education Institute teaching acupuncture and
qigong to health professionals.
Ben
Akoh, M.Ed., MSc, B.Tech, has over 20 years experience
in international development in the Information and Communication
Technology field. He has experience in project design, development,
implementation and management in research, policy analysis, capacity
building and training on ICTs, media and internet policy; in creating
open societies and in ensuring sustainable development. Ben’s
research interests are in exploring the nexus of education, culture,
and the internet for sustainable growth and development. As an instructor
at the University of Manitoba, he has designed and delivered several
technology based courses on emerging technologies, open education
resources and digital literacy; he has supported various pro-democracy
and open dialogues in media and internet initiatives globally. Ben
has worked in the private and non-profit sectors and for the United
Nations. He is widely traveled and has lived and worked in Africa
and North America.
Teresita
Chiarella, MEd, BA, has over 20 years experience in the
Human Resource field. Her career development involved concentrated
periods in several key Human Resource areas: Recruitment and Selection,
Training and Development, and Organizational Change. Her employment
experiences have been in the health care, municipal and educational
sectors. Over the years, Teresita has developed and delivered programs
and seminars to various groups and organizations. Her passion for
learning continued after her undergraduate studies when she completed
certificate programs in Human Resources, Labour Studies and Adult
and Continuing Education. Her Master’s Degree in Education
specialized in Adult Education and Teaching English as an Additional
Language. Teresita currently assists new comers to learn about the
workplace and become contributing citizens of Canada.
Marc
Renald Desrosiers, MBA, ABC (Accreditation in Business
Communication); Certificate in University Management; Post graduate
certificate in Institutional Educational Management (Harvard); and
PMgr (Professional Manager designation from the Canadian Institute
of Management). In addition to teaching in Extended Education at
the University of Manitoba, Marc teaches for The Salvation Army
Booth University College, and the Winnipeg Police Service Training
Academy. He has extensive senior management experience in several
sectors, is an award-winning marketing and philanthropy practitioner
and consultant, and - in his spare time - is an appointed Manitoba
Marriage Commissioner.
Jacie Foy, MDE, has taught for
approximately 16 years in post-secondary and secondary settings
including at Brandon University, the University of Manitoba and
Assiniboine Community College. Within the adult education field
she has taught at Sioux Valley and Canupawakpa Dakota Nations. She
has also worked as a curriculum designer, indigenizing K-12 curriculum.
As a private consultant, she develops curriculum for both face-to-face
and online delivery.
Chris
Higgins, PhD, has instructed adults in basic education,
career education and life skills in Winnipeg’s inner city
for more than 10 years. Currently she is a program facilitator who
develops curriculum and instructs single parents preparing for post
secondary studies at Taking Charge! Christine’s professional
experience also includes writing curriculum for, and instructing,
New Canadians and refugees who are transitioning into Canadian education
and employment. Christine has particular expertise in infusing curriculum
with social justice and empowerment themes through arts based and
community focused methodologies. Christine has taught in the Faculty
of Education at the University of Manitoba and developed and delivered
workshops for a variety of audiences throughout Manitoba. Her recent
research inquires into links between education and wellness, professionalism
as an ethical imperative, and education reform across North America.
Irene
E. Karpiak, PhD, is Associate Professor of Adult and Higher
Education at the University of Oklahoma. Her professional background
includes years of development of continuing education programs at
the University of Manitoba. Irene’s scholarly interests encompass
adult learning and development, the mid-life transition, the teaching/learning
environment for adult learners, and program development for adult
education. In recent years she has focused her research on student
autobiographical writing and has conducted follow-up research with
some who have written their life stories in the U.S. and Canada.
David
Kirby, PhD, is the former Director of the Centre for Higher Education Research and Development at the University of Manitoba. Previously he has worked at Memorial University, The University of Calgary, Royal Roads University and Queen’s University, holding a variety of academic and administrative appointments. Dr. Kirby has considerable experience in the field of distance and online education, having conducted research and evaluation in both national and international contexts, as well as consulting for a number of government agencies. His current research interests include online learning communities, and institutional communities. Over the course of his career he has taught in teacher preparation programs as well as adult education and higher education programs, and has supervised graduate students in all these areas.
Genella Macintyre, MA, is the president of Partners in Discovery Ltd, a training, coaching and consulting company committed to improving the quality of personal and professional living. Genella has over 20 years experience in management, coaching, counseling and training. Her background includes working and training in a variety of settings including the Manitoba Government, DND, non-profit centres, health authorities, universities and colleges, as well as local, interprovincial and Fortune 500 companies. Genella holds a Bachelor of Arts (Specialist) degree from Brandon University and a Master of Arts degree in Applied Psychology from the University of Saskatchewan.
Carol Paul, MEd, is the Director of Training at the Manitoba Construction Sector Council (MCSC). She holds a Masters in Adult Education from the University of Manitoba and is a certified Essential Skills profiler. Carol is past chair of the Manitoba Prior Learning Assessment Network. She facilitates courses for the University of Manitoba, Certificate in Adult and Continuing Education Program and has taught courses for the University of Winnipeg, Faculty of Education. At MCSC, Carol is responsible for research, curriculum development and coordination of program delivery. She develops and facilitates interactive blended learning experiences using digital media platforms such as the Articulate E-learning Software Tool. Carol regularly speaks at national conferences and industry training events on adult education, facilitation, coaching for industry leaders and leveraging differences in the workplace.
Anne
Poonwassie, MAEd, has 25 years of experience in the field
of adult education as a program administrator, planner and facilitator.
Her work experience includes 9 years at Continuing Education, U
of M, as Program Director. Currently, Anne is the Director of Continuing
Education and Development, an independent firm that provides
community and agency- based educational and training programs in
the areas of social services, counseling and psychotherapy. Anne
has published extensively in the field of adult education and specializes
in participatory program planning and implementation.
Anna
Schmidt, MAdEd, has been an educator for over 20 years.
Anna is Director of Organization and Staff Development with the
Manitoba Civil Service Commission. Previously, she spent seven years
with the Adult Learning and Literacy branch of Manitoba Advanced
Education and Literacy, where she helped to develop and implement
legislation governing the operation of Adult Learning Centres and
Adult Literacy Programs in Manitoba. Anna was the first President
and founding member of the Adult Secondary Education Council (ASEC),
an association that has provided quality professional development
to Manitoba’s adult educators for over a decade. Anna participated
in the development of Prior Learning Assessment and Recognition
(PLAR) initiatives at both the University of Winnipeg and University
of Manitoba. She has a particular interest in transformational learning
and the development of learning organizations.
Kathy Snow, M.A., BEd, BSc, has been working with students, teachers and technology for over 10 years. She has worked in all areas of technology impacting schools including network administration, curriculum and program design, staff training and support as well as instructional design. She is currently employed at the University of Manitoba as an Instructional Designer for the Distance Education area. Kathy started her career working with SOS children’s villages in Ghana and travelled extensively throughout Europe, the Middle East, Africa and North America supporting teachers in the improvement of their approach to technology implementation. This included the use and development of Open Educational Resources and capacity building through critical pedagogy. Currently a student herself, Kathy’s doctorial research includes the application of blended-learning models for marginalised student populations in Higher Education as a means to support persistence.
Jacqueline Warrell, BA Psych, MEd in Adult and
Workplace Learning, has worked as an adult educator in a variety
of settings and roles, including workplace, government, post-secondary,
and community learning. Currently, she works in Accessibility Services
at Mount Royal University in Calgary, Alberta, does research at
the University of Calgary, and enjoys consulting for businesses
to develop their social media and learning strategy. Before discovering
her passion for the adult learning field, she worked social services
in the City of Toronto for a number of years.