The Office of EDI
We are committed to an equitable, diverse, and inclusive campus that is accessible to all and free from harassment, bullying and discrimination.
Vice-Provost and Associate Vice-President Research (Equity, Diversity and Inclusion)
Professor, Political Science, Faculty of Arts
Twitter:
Dr. Malinda S. Smith
she/her
Vice-Provost, Associate Vice-President Research (Equity, Diversity and Inclusion), and a professor of political science at the ɫ.
Dr. Smith holds a PhD in political science from the University of Alberta, an MA, MDA, and a BAmagna cum laudein political science and criminal justice, from Western Michigan University.
Dr. Smith serves on several national bodies, including SSHRC Council and Executive, Statistics Canada’s Immigration and Ethnocultural Statistics Advisory Committee, and Innovation, Science and Economic DevelopmentCanada (ISED) External EDI Advisory Board.
Dr. Smith is the recipient of numerous awards and fellowships, including a Doctor of Laws, honoris causa, from Simon Fraser University (2021), Compelling Calgarians (2021), Susan S. Northcutt Award from the International Studies Association (2020), 100 Accomplished Black Women Honouree (2020), Rosalind Smith Professional Award (2020), Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation Fellowship (2018), ISA-Canada Distinguished Scholar Award (2018-19), HSBC Community Contributor of the Year Award (2016); and the Equity Award from the Canadian Association of University Teachers (2015).
- Co-Chair, President's Task Forceon EDIA (PTF-EDIA)
- General Faculties Council, APPC
- Senior Leadership Team (SLT)
- Provost Team
- Vice President Research – Operations
- Chair, Faculty Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (FEDI) Leads
- Chair, EDI Data Group
- Chair, Dimensions EDI Executive and Steering Committee
- Member,External EDI Advisory Board, Innovation, Science and Economic Development
- Governor,
- Member,, Statistics Canada
- Member, Inter-Institutional Advisory Committee for theScarborough Charter
- Member, Education Committee,
- Chair,, Federation for the Humanities and Social Sciences(2020-2021)
- Former Member, Canada Research Chairs
- Working Group on Black Communities in Canada, Statistics Canada
- (Kome Odoko, Dr. Bukola Salami, Dr. Gregor Wolbring, Dr. Malinda Smith), July 22, 2021.
- ,REDI@WorkPodcast(Dr. Malinda Smith and Ruth A. Mojeed), May 6 2021.
- ,Pluralism Initiative(Meredith Preston McGhie and Dr. Malinda Smith), April 14 2021.
- ,(Dr. Shelia Cote-Meek and Dr. Malinda Smith), Western University, March 23 2021.
- (Dr. Malinda Smith),National Dialogues and Action for Inclusive Higher Education and Communities,University of Toronto Scarborough, October 1 2020.
- Episode 2: Unlearning racism.ɫ Podcasts, September 23 2020.
- (The Honourable Bardish Chagger, Dr. Kofi Campbell, Dr. Malinda Smith, Dr. Jasmin Zine, Jean Becker), Renison College, September 12020.
- (Dr. Malinda Smith and Dr. Imogen Coe), Canadian Science Policy Centre EDI Panel, July 20 2020.
- (Co-Chairs Coun. Gian-Carlo Carra and Dr. Malinda S. Smith),July 7-9 2020.
- (Dr. Malinda S Smith with Alex Usher),Higher Education Strategy Associates, June 12 2020.
- , (Dr. Malinda Smith, Dr. George Elliot Clarke, Dr. Afua Cooper, Idil Issa,Ras Rico,Neil Donaldson,Dr. Handel Kashope Wright,Matt Thomas,Lauren Carter), June 7 2020.
- .Ideas-Idees Blog. June 3, 2021.
- (Malinda Smith, Chair),Federation for the Humanities and Social Sciences, March 8, 2021.
- ,UAffairs Magazine, Feb, 25, 2021.
- .October 2020.UAlberta News.
- .October 2020.RonFanFair.
- .Ideas-Idees Blog, February 18, 2020.
- Co-Editor.,with Awad Ibrahim, Tamari Kitossa, and Handel K. Wright(UofT Press, 2022).
- Co-Author,T,with F. Henry, E. Dua, C. James, P. Li, and H. Ramos (UBC Press, 2017).
- Editor,. (Routledge, 2016).
- Co-Editor,,S. Razack and S. Thobani(BTL, 2010).
- Editor,(Routledge, 2006).
- Editor,,(Third World Press, 2003).
- Co-Editor,with Janine Brodie and Sandra Rein), 5/E (Pearson, 2013); 6/E (revised and updated, in-process, with Oxford University Press).
Executive Assistant to Dr. Malinda Smith
Executive Assistant to Dr. Malinda Smith - Vice-Provost and Associate Vice PresidentResearch (EDI)
Rupa Shankar, (she/her)
on leave
Ms. Rupa Shankar is the Executive Assistant (EA) to Dr. Malinda Smith, Vice Provost and Associate Vice President Research (Equity, Diversity, Inclusion) of the OEDI.
With a career spanning several countries and regions, Ms. Shankar has extensive global experience working with people from diverse backgrounds. Before joining the OEDI at the ɫ, Ms. Shankar worked as an Executive Assistant and Compliance Training Lead in the Healthcare Compliance Department at Janssen Pharmaceuticals in Toronto.
Ms. Shankar holds a Bachelor of Commerce in Administration and Communications. She completed her early schooling and graduation in the Kingdom of Bahrain, where she also started her career working with several ministerial and financial institutions. She has 19 years of experience in office administration, working with various sectors in different countries, including financial industries, aviation, construction, and pharmaceuticals.
Coordinator - Programs + Operations
Coordinator - Programs + Operations
Tracy E. Garrick, PMP, (she/her)
Tracy holds two BAs, Business Administration and Project Management (PMP™). She is certified in Being a Leader and the Effective Exercise of Leadership, Indigenous Cultural Awareness and Competency, and Canadian Certified Inclusion Professional (CCIP™).
Previously, Tracy was at Mount Royal University for 15 years, supporting Wellness Services (50%) and the former office of Campus Equity and Meaningful Inclusion (50%) under the former Student Services and Campus Life division. During her career at MRU, she had helped design and collaborate with stakeholders across Alberta and Canada a charter for the Healthy Campus Alberta community of practice - the first of its kind collaborative body that focuses on supporting mental health and well-being in Alberta campuses.
She also supported the design and implementation of MRU's Diversity and Inclusion Strategic Framework and updated policies, including Human Rights, Harassment and Discrimination, Academic Accommodation and Sexual Violence Response and Awareness. This work removed barriers for marginalized individuals to have safe learning, work and play spaces.
Tracy is also a Project Manager supporting several humanitarian refugee projects throughout North America.
Event Specialist
Event Specialist
Email: colleen.bishop@ucalgary.ca
Colleen Bishop (she/her)
Colleen's journey to the Office of EDI began in Osaka, Japan, where she taught English for nearly two years, immersing herself in the culture and creating lifelong memories. Returning to Calgary, she spent 12 years as an Event Specialist at the Calgary Stampede, orchestrating concerts, weddings, trade and consumer shows, and the Stampede Talent Search committee.
In 2019, Colleen joined the Haskayne School of Business, working with their community engagement team. She moved to the Office of Advancement in 2022, helping organize the return-to-campus celebration for Covid graduates and collaborating on many exciting events with the incredible events team.
A born and raised Calgarian, Colleen is passionate about event safety, sustainability, and bringing people and ideas together. When she’s not crafting unforgettable events, she’s active in and managing the delightful chaos of her two daughters.
Academic Directors
Academic Director - LGBTQ2S+ Equity, Inclusion and Intersectionality
Email: tdacalla@ucalgary.ca
Dr. Tonya D. Callaghan (she/they)
Dr. Tonya Callaghan is a Professor with the ɫ’s Werklund School of Education and an Academic Director for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, two-spirit+ (LGBTQ2S+) equity, inclusion, and intersectionality with ɫ Office of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion. Their second monograph, (University of Toronto Press) has been highly impactful. The overarching goal of their award-winning research is to integrate theory and practice so educational stakeholders become motivated to act as allies to members of gender and sexual minority groups in resisting religiously inspired heterosexist oppression. They specialize in critical social justice theories and anti-oppression education.
Professor Callaghan has been recognized for outstanding commitment to equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) at UCalgary with the EDI Award (Faculty). They were also honoured with two UCalgary Curriculum Development Awards for designing and coordinating the undergraduate course Diversity in Learning and the Master of Education program Advancing Healthy & Socially Just Schools & Communities, both of which actively promote EDI principles. Their research in the field of EDI explores resistance to anti-homophobia/transprejudice education in curriculum and policy.
Since joining UCalgary, they have served as Principal Investigator on 10 funded research projects and as a Co-Investigator on 6 collaborative transdisciplinary research projects. All funded transdisciplinary projects examine LGBTQ2S+ individuals’ experiences with homophobia and cisnormativity in a variety of settings (Education, Medicine, Social Work, Psychology, ). They have served UCalgary in a myriad of ways ranging from Senator to .
Academic Director - EDI and Anti-Racism Policy and Strategy
Dr. Hieu Ngo, (he/him)
Hieu Van Ngois associate dean (teaching and learning) and associate professor in the Faculty of Social Work.As a person with intersecting identities, he has lived with and confronted many inequities facing immigrants, racialized people and LGBTQ2S+ members.
Hieu has been involved in anti-racist and equity work since 1997. To date, he has led over 15 collaborative initiatives addressing systemic discrimination in education, health, and justice.
Academic Director - EDI Data Research, Analysis, and Strategy
Dr. Tolulope (Tolu) Sajobi, (he/him)
Dr. Sajobi is a professor and biostatistician in the Departments of Community Health Sciences and Clinical Neurosciences at the ɫ. He completed his undergraduate degree (First Class Honors) in Statistics from Obafemi Awolowo University (Nigeria), a Masters's degree in Mathematical Statistics from the University of Windsor, and a PhD in Biostatistics from the University of Saskatchewan.
Dr. Sajobi is the Director of the Person-Centered Methods & Analytics Research Lab, through which he leads a methods research program that focuses on (1) measurement and analysis of behavioural/patient-reported outcomes, (2) design and analysis of randomized controlled trials, and (3) predictive analytics. He has received peer-reviewed research funds worth more than $26 million as a principal investigator and co-investigator/lead statistician and has published more than 150 papers in peer-reviewed journals.
As a biostatistician, Dr. Sajobi is a seasoned collaborator and statistical leader on several national and international health research projects. He received the 2018 Avenue Magazine’s Calgary Top 40 under 40 award.
Academic Director, EDI, Disabilities and Accessibility
Dr. Gregor Wolbring (he/him)
Dr. Gregor Wolbring is a tenured full Professor at the ɫ’s Cumming School of Medicine, Program in Community Rehabilitation and Disability Studies. He is presently also a member of the Institute for Technology Assessment and Systems Analysis (ITAS), Karlsruhe, Germany and a senior fellow of the Institute for Science, Policy and Society, University of Ottawa, Canada.
Dr. Wolbring defines himself as an ability studies, disability studies, sustainability studies and science and technology governance studies scholar.
Some of his awards include: Recipient of the ɫ’s Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Award (Faculty and Postdoctoral Scholars category) (2022); Runner up, ɫ Sustainability Award (category Faculty Sustainability Research) (2020); Tanis Doe Award from the Canadian Disability Studies Association (2017); Bachelor of Health Sciences Research Mentor Award in recognition of making undergraduate students succeed in research (2014, 2016, 2018), the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal awarded by the government of Canada in recognition of the benefit of his academic work to the greater community (2013) and the Council of Canadians with Disabilities, National Award (1998)
Some of the issues his research group works oninclude: ability studies (ability, ability expectation and ableism ethics and governance); disability studies; social, ethical, legal, economic, environmental, cultural and governance issues of existing, new and emerging sciences and technologies (S&T) such as quantum technologies, artificial intelligence/machine learning and reasoning, cognitive sciences, neurotechnologies, genetics, robotics, brain computer interfaces, human enhancement. They also explore the impact of S&T on marginalized populations, especially disabled people; sports; human security, global health; health- (technology assessment, law, care and policies); sustainability; conflict studies; peace; ecohealth; climate, water and energy issues; environmental education; environmental activism; emergency and disaster management; burnout; and equity, diversity and inclusion.
Senior Specialists/Advisors
Senior Advisor Anti-Racism and Racial Equity
Dr. Ghada Sfeir, (she/her/elle)
Ghada Sfeir, PhD, is the inaugural Senior Advisor, Anti-Racism and Racial Equity with the Office of EDI at the ɫ. Dr. Ghada Sfeir holds a Ph.D. in Interdisciplinary Graduate Studies from the University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon. Her research interests focus on Cosmopolitanism, Multiculturalism, Justice, Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, Decolonization, Anti-Racism, and Global Citizenship Education. Using the cosmopolitan lens, which entails the “equal moral worth” of every individual across all categories of difference, Dr. Sfeir advocates for implementing the fundamentals of EDI and anti-racism to identify and remove systemic barriers facing underrepresented and racialized groups educationally, socially, and politically.
In her previous role at Concordia University, Montreal, she taught her graduate and undergraduate courses from a social justice perspective. She has recently co-edited the International Journal of Talent Development and Creativity (2022) special issue to promote cosmopolitan pathways for Canada’s growing diversity from coast to coast to coast and beyond. Her advocacy is not limited to her publications and teaching from a social justice perspective but also includes various academic initiatives to advance collective public understanding of the principles of justice, diversity, equity, inclusion, and decolonization.
Senior Advisor, EDI Literacy, Education, and Training
Dr. William Yimbo, (he/him)
William Yimbo is a Senior Advisor, EDI Literacy, Education, and Training in the Office of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion. He holds a BA in Political Science and Economics from the University of Nairobi, Kenya, a graduate diploma in International Relations from the Institute of Social Studies in the Netherlands, an MA in Public Affairs, and a Ph.D. in Mass Communication from the University of Minnesota, USA.
As a Senior Advisor, Dr. Yimbo develops and delivers equity, diversity, and inclusion workshops to staff, faculty, and students across the university. He previously worked as a diversity advisor in immigration and settlement services. In this role, he delivered diversity education and advocated for equity and inclusivity in government services for Canada’s newcomer communities.
Dr. Yimbo has an extensive career background and experience in public and foreign policy administration in Kenya, Africa.
Equity and Inclusive Leadership (EIL) Intern
Mojtaba Rostami (he/him)
Mojtaba Rostami is a dedicated PhD candidate in the Department of Sociology at the ɫ, specializing in the social psychology of identity and intergroup relations. His educational background includes a BA in English Language and Literature, a master’s degree in Applied Linguistics, and a second master's degree in Sociology.
A lifelong fascination with cultural diversity and a commitment to fostering positive intercultural contact among diverse social identity groups are the driving forces in Mojtaba’s academic pursuits. His research is centred on elucidating the factors that shape perceptions of social inclusion or exclusion and their consequent impact on mental well-being, social participation, and professional productivity in culturally diverse urban environments.
At the PhD level, Mojtaba's research specifically addresses the challenges confronting multiculturalism in Canadian post-secondary education. His goal is to identify the factors that either contribute to or undermine initiatives aimed at creating an inclusive, culturally rich, and emotionally safe space for all members of the campus community.
Our location
The Office of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion is located at:
AD116, Administration Building
2500 University Dr. NW
Calgary, Alberta T2N 1N4
In 2019 the ɫ created the position of Vice Provost Equity, Diversity and Inclusion to oversee a new Office of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion. The OEDI builds on and extends the work of the Office of Diversity, Equity and Protected Disclosure (ODEPD), which was established in February 2014 to advance the core values that underlie the university's strategic direction,Eyes High.
Designed to deal with both individual and systemic issues, the OEDI reports to the Provost and Vice-President (Academic)