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University of Calgary senators

Who is the UCalgary Senate?

The University of Calgary Senate creates a bridge between the university and the wider community. Its purpose is to represent the public interest, promote the university on local, national and international levels, influence decision makers, foster student interests and promote and recognize excellence. It achieves these objectives through its regular meetings, ongoing standing committee work, special events held throughout the year and by providing a continued and highly visible contact point for all stakeholders to communicate with the University. 

The Senate comprises 62 diverse members as identified in the Post-Secondary Learning Act, including representatives of the public, alumni, students and several groups of educators and academics employed by the University.

By Title and Term of Appointment


Chancellor Jon Cornish smiling at the camera

Chancellor Jon Cornish

Community leader and Canadian Football Hall of Famer Jon Cornish was elected the 15th chancellor of the University of Calgary, effective July 1, 2022. Cornish is most known for their legendary nine years as a member of the Calgary Stampeders in the Canadian Football League where they were selected as the top Canadian player for three years consecutively. Cornish works with various non-profits and charities around Calgary, including many events as an emcee for the Alberta Children's Hospital, working directly with at-risk youth for Wood's Homes, and at the Calgary Foundation, where they serve on the Doc Seaman Hockey Fund.

Vice-Chancellor Ed McCauley

Dr. Edward McCauley has served as the University of Calgary’s ninth president and vice-chancellor since January 2019 and has subsequently been re-appointed to a second term, ending in December 2028. He was previously engaged as the Vice-President (Research), a professor in Biological Sciences, and a NSERC Tier I Canada Research Chair in Population Ecology at the University of Calgary. His academic record also includes two separate periods working at the University of California, Santa Barbara—first as a postdoctoral fellow, and later in his career as a professor in the Department of Ecology, Evolution and Marine Biology, and as the Director of the National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis.

President and Vice-Chancellor Ed McCauley

Appointed Members


Muntaha smiling at the camera

Muntaha Aamir

Muntaha is entering her fourth year of Communications and Media studies, along with political science. She is passionate about student led advocacy and is involved with many student organizations such as the Muslim Student Association, the Palestine Advocacy Club, and actively works with the Sexual and Gender Based violence support office on campus. Muntaha hopes to pursue public relations in the future. In her free time she enjoys painting and writing poetry, and she really likes cats.

Shelley Alexander with a horse smiling at the camera.

Shelley Alexander

Shelley is one of Canada's few international experts in wild canid ecology. She specializes in the conservation of coyotes and wolves, and was a pioneer in the use of geospatial analysis in conservation. Shelley received her MSc. and Ph.D. at the University of Calgary and is now a Full Professor in the Department of Geography at UofC. Most recently, she launched the Foothills Coyote Initiative, funded by SSHRC.

Kristin Baetz

Kristin Baetz

Dr. Kristin Baetz is the Dean of the Faculty of Science at the University of Calgary and an award-winning fundamental biomedical scientist, specializing in functional and chemical genomics. Dr. Baetz holds a PhD (2000) from the University of Toronto in medical genetics and microbiology and a BSc Honours (1995) from Queen’s University in biochemistry. She currently sits on the board of Research Canada, a national, broadly based alliance dedicated to advancing health research through collaborative advocacy.

Naomie Bakana smiling at the camera

Naomie Bakana

Naomie is the Vice President Internal at the Students Union. She is pursuing a Sociology degree, concentrating in gender, family, and work. She is passionate about representation and ensuring that voices from different walks of life are heard and fought for. Throughout her studies, she has been a part of the university chorus where she explored her love of music. She is also involved in a lot of clubs and different student groups.

Richard Baker smiling at the camera

Richard Baker

Richard is a project manager with over 37 years of practical experience in reservoir engineering, simulation, Enhanced Oil Recovery and thermal projects. He holds both 2 Bachelor’s degrees and a Masters degree in Petroleum Engineering from the University of Calgary. In addition to authoring and co-authoring 60+ technical papers, he has been Adjunct Professor at the University of Calgary and sat on the Faculty of Engineering Advisory Board. He helped development the 4th year Design Capstone courses for the University of Calgary.

Michael Bosdet

Michael Bosdet

Michael has a passion for the integration and communication of science and technology in the community, and actively seeks ways to bridge gaps and support entrepreneurs, including volunteering with the Hunter Hub for Entrepreneurship, the University of Calgary Energy New Ventures Forum, the University of Alberta DiscoveryLab series, and the University of Calgary Innovation4Health Health Hack competition. 

Ann Calvert smiling at the camera

Ann E. Calvert

Ann is a seasoned academic and community leader who has worked in the arts and education in Calgary as a senior executive (Dean, Faculty of Fine Arts, University of Calgary). As a member of the University’s leadership team, she led governance, research, budget, program design, fund-raising, and strategic planning projects over 20 years.

Anette Ceraficki's headshot

Anette Ceraficki

After graduating from the University of Calgary with a BA in Political Science, Anette worked briefly in publishing and lived abroad before returning to Calgary and embracing a career in human resources, primarily in the growing tech industry.

Max Chan's portrait

Max Chan

Max is Senior Vice President & Corporate Development Officer and a member of the Executive Leadership Team for Enbridge Inc., based in Calgary. His teams are responsibilities for M&A, capital allocation, investment review, and corporate growth objectives. 

Olive Chapman's portrait

Olive Chapman

She is a full professor at the Werklund School of Education, University of Calgary. She has a BSc (Combined Hons.) in Mathematics and Physics, BCom. in Financial Accounting, MSc in Mathematics, and PhD in Mathematics Education. 

Ali smiling at the camera while sitting on a red chair

Ali Charnek

Ali is a dedicated professional with a strong academic background and extensive experience in strategic planning. As the Director of Strategic Initiatives at Roynat Capital, Ali plays a pivotal role in driving business planning and supporting strategic objectives across all business units nationally. He oversees and directs special projects that enhance Roynat's portfolio and business initiatives. Passionate about mentorship and continuing education, Ali is committed to sharing his knowledge and experience with others.

Sarah Damberger's portrait

Sarah Damberger

Sarah is a Senior Consultant with Stack’d Consulting Inc., a boutique management consulting firm specializing in human-centric transformation. She holds a BA Honours in Communications from the University of Calgary.

Sandra Davidson smiling at the camera

Sandra Davidson

Dr. Sandra Davidson, appointed Provost effective July 1, 2024, has held pivotal roles at the University of Calgary, including Dean of the Faculty of Nursing from 2018 to 2024 and Deputy Provost from 2021 to 2023. Her distinguished career spans diverse academic and healthcare environments, encompassing private for-profit, public not-for-profit, and various public universities. Dr. Davidson is renowned for her entrepreneurial acumen and creative innovation across these sectors.

Jeff Davison's portrait

Jeff Davison

Born and raised in Calgary, Jeff Davison is best known for his skill at bringing people together, finding common ground, and building policies and programs that work for everyone. Jeff is currently Chief Executive Officer of the Prostate Cancer Centre, an innovative model for medical access and wrap-around clinical care for individuals with prostate and other urological cancer in Alberta.

Patti Dibski smiling at the camera

Patti Dibski

Patti is a distinguished business leader, has leveraged her MBA and extensive business experience to make significant contributions to Calgary's art and design community. She currently sits on the management advisory committee for Haskayne Business School and has served on the Board of Calgary Arts Development for six years. Her dedication to the arts extends to her involvement in various local arts and culture committees, reflecting her passion for fostering a vibrant community. 

Karan Chamal Singh Dullat smiling at the camera

Kamal Dullat

As part of his passion to give back to the profession and community at large, Mr. Dullat dedicate his volunteer time as an experienced Coach/preceptor for individuals preparing for various leadership roles, precept University level students nationally and internationally and provide his services to “The Pharmacy Examining Board of Canada”.

Diane field's portrait

Diane Field

Diane Field is proud to be a senator, representing the University of Calgary Alumni Association. She holds a Master of Education from the University of Calgary, and  BEd and BSc (Hons) from the University of Toronto.

Donna Finley

Donna Finley

With over 35 years of business experience, Donna’s passion and ability to quickly synthesize information and create integrated strategies has earned her high praise from Boards and Senior Management teams struggling with competitive realities.

Wendy Fortna's portrait

Wendy Fortna

Wendy's impact extends beyond her career, as demonstrated by her five years as a mentor in the Haskayne School of Business, where she actively contributes to the development of future business leaders. Beyond her professional achievements, Wendy enjoys golf, reading and spending time with he daughter and husband.
May Han smiling a the camera

May Han

Hong (May) Han, a former University of Calgary International office staff member (Articulation Collaborative Degree & Sponsorship Specialist), a 3-time Government of Alberta Award for continuous 3 years including a Queen Elizabeth Platinum Jubilee Medal Recipient (nominated directly by the Premier), has always been a strong advocate for equity, diversity, inclusion & reconciliation in the community, with strong voices for women, children, and youth, people of color, people with disabilities, especially since the pandemic.

Crystal Hickey smiling at the camera

Crystal Hickey

With an extensive 16-year background in the education sector, Crystal stands out as a dedicated and passionate Program Specialist overseeing the Master of Science in Sustainable Energy Development program at the University of Calgary. As one of the two senators representing AUPE, she plays a crucial role in advocating for the university community.

David Holub's portrait

David M. Holub

David M. Holub, B.Sc., J.D., LL.M. is a lawyer, mediator and conflict resolution trainer who received his Bachelor of Science degree in Geology from the University of Calgary. David obtained his legal education from Osgoode Hall Law School and his Masters Degree from the London School of Economics where he specialized in mediation.

Corey Hogan smiling at the camera

Corey Hogan

Joining the University of Calgary in March 2020, Corey Hogan oversees communications and community engagement for the University of Calgary. In his work at the University and in other professional roles, Hogan has encouraged a rigorous, data-driven approach to communications and management, and the application of psychology, data science and technology to communications challenges.

Saqib Jalil's headshot

Saqib Jalil

Saqib Jalil is a CPA, CA, with over 20 years of experience, primarily in the Oil & Gas sector. He has worked for E&Y Canada and Enbridge Inc. and is currently working as Manager, Coastal GasLink, Finance, TC Energy. He has delivered lectures at The University of Calgary and serves as a Senator at the University of Calgary. Saqib is also a member of the Awards Review Committee, CPA Alberta and member of the Audit and Finance Committee at Wood’s Homes. 

Gregory John's headshot

Gregory John

Gregory John is a proud UCalgary alum who has had the pleasure of serving his university community as senator for the five of the last six years. As a proud gay and Metis entrepreneur he helps transform the business and communities around him in a way that truly highlights the importance of an inclusive workplace and society.
Doug Koroluk smiling at the camera

Doug Koroluk

Doug is an engineer and environmental professional with over 25 years of industry experience in the upstream oil, gas, bitumen, and mining sectors. Doug values mentorship, making connections and trying to seek consensus on energy development. He is currently a Senior Industrial Engineer at the Alberta Energy Regulator managing environmental approvals for oil sands and coal mines in Alberta. He volunteers as a mentor with the BMO Mentorship Program at Haskayne and the SEDV Mentorship Program at the School of Public Policy.

Melissa LaForge's headshot

Melissa LaForge

Melissa is an accomplished finance professional and leader in the energy sector in Calgary.  In her role as Senior Vice President, Chief Accounting Officer at Enbridge, Melissa is accountable for Enterprise FP&A, Financial Reporting, Internal Controls, and Accounting Research as well as FP&A and Accounting for all Enbridge Business Units.

Sheila LeBlanc

Sheila LeBlanc

The University of Calgary welcomed Dr. Sheila LeBlanc as the Director of Continuing Education in July 2015. In early 2022, Sheila became Associate Vice-President (Continuing Education). Sheila brings a wealth of both academic and industry experience to the Continuing Education team and has a self-proclaimed passion for both teaching and lifelong learning.

Jennifer Lee's headshot

Jennifer Lee

Jennifer currently serves as the President of the Alberta College of Occupational Therapists (ACOT) Board of Directors. She holds a Bachelor of Science and Masters of Science in Occupational Therapy from the University of Alberta, and an MBA from Queen's University. 

Kate Light

Kate Light

Kate is a proud Calgarian and graduate of the University of Calgary. She has been active for over twenty five years in the Public, Private and Non For Profit sectors within the Human Resources realm. Her most recent Committee experience was with the Federal Judicial Advisory Committee, where assessing and recommending candidates for the Judiciary in Alberta was the mandate

Nidhi smiling at the camera

Nidhi Lodha

Nidhi Lodha completed her medical degree in India with a specialization in Ophthalmology. Since 2013, she has been actively involved in a community organization named RANA Calgary currently serving as President. She has helped raise funds for various health and education-related initiatives in Calgary and India. At UCalgary, she mentors students and has started a Hindu lunch initiative where participants discuss the relevance of religion in daily life over lunch which aims to support students experiencing food insecurity and homesickness, particularly international students.

Teri McKinnon smiling at the camera for their headshot

Teri McKinnon

Recently Teri completed a 2 year contract with BASF Canada Agricultural Solutions, responsible for voice of the customer initiatives and customer experience excellence. She is a voice for community; leading with heart, guided with empathy and sound in wisdom.

Duane Monea staring at the camera

Duane Monea

With over 30 years of public affairs and business expertise, Duane has worked in a breadth of industries encompassing real estate, energy, the environment, technology, and education. Recently Duane had been the Administrator-CEO and Principal Advisor to the Chair for the regulatory body governing Alberta Real Estate.

Emmanuel Owusu

Emmanuel Owusu

Emmanuel Owusu is a senior leader with experience working in academia and in the field of Human Rights, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. In his current role, Emmanuel is part of the senior leadership of an independent government organization thathas a mandate of reducing descrimination in Albera. Currently, Emmanuel serves as the co-chair of the Citof Calgary's Anti-Racism Action Committe where he leads a group of community experts to support the City's efforsts to make Calgary an anti-racist city.

William O’Yeung

William O'Yeung

William O’Yeung is a Chartered Professional Accountant with an MBA from Nova Southeastern University in addition to his UCalgary degree. During his thirty-year career at Shell Canada, he held various positions including accounting, planning, project management and leadership roles. He is currently on connectFirst Credit Union’s Board of Directors.

Josh Pentland smiling at the camera wiht the city as the background

Josh Pentland

Currently, Josh serves as the Manager of Policy and Government Relations with the Calgary Chamber, where he and his team develop, enhance, and advocate for policy that benefits the unique needs of Calgary’s vibrant business community. He also serves on the Board of Directors at Learning City. 

Ellen Perrault smiling at the camera

Ellen Perrault

Ellen Perrault, Teaching Professor, is Dean at the Faculty of Social Work, University of Calgary in Alberta, Canada. She brings over 25 years’ experience in educational leadership, research, evaluation, social work practice, coordination, organizational leadership, online education, and post-secondary educational development. Ellen’s passion lies in organizational improvement and supporting people to maximize their potential. Dr. Perrault is interested in determining the organizational, technical, and process success factors involved in improving strategic outcomes.

Photo of Victoria Person.

Victoria Person

Victoria Person is a strategic communications leader with over 20 years of experience in the energy, homebuilding, and government sectors. A proud Calgarian and UCalgary alumna, Victoria is also an active volunteer and board member in the city’s recreation and sports communities.
Jeffrey Priest

Jeffrey Priest

Dr. Jeffrey Priest, PhD, is a Professor (Geotechnical) within the Dept of Civil Engineering within the Schulich School of Engineering. He is the Associate Dean, Graduate Studies and MEng within the school. Since his arrival at the University of Calgary, he has also collaborated with colleagues in Geoscience and Physics to improve our understanding of hydraulic fracturing of shale reservoir rocks and their link to induced seismicity.
Satish Raj

Satish R. Raj

Satish R Raj MD MSCI is a heart rhythm cardiologist After moving back to Calgary in 2014, he founded the Calgary Autonomic Investigation & Management Clinic. He is currently the Director of Education at the Libin Cardiovascular Institute and Professor of Cardiac Sciences at the University of Calgary’s Cumming School of Medicine. He currently serves on the General Faculties Council and the GFC Executive Council. He runs an active Human Autonomic Physiology research program. His primary research interests relate to understanding and better treating postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS), vasovagal syncope, and orthostatic hypotension.
Ali Rakka

Ali Rakka

Ali is a Lead Admission Advisor and Community Liaison Coordinator at Columbia College. He supports more than 300 students annually in achieving their academic and career goals and oversees the entire admission process. In addition, Ali plays a crucial role in connecting the organization with its community and stakeholders. He is a recipient of the Queen Elizabeth II Platinum Jubilee Medal and an Alberta Premier’s Advisory Council member.

Carmelina Riccio smiling at the camera with a grey background

Carmelina Riccio

Carmelina has worked in roles across Canada and most recently was based in The Hague leading various initiatives for Shell’s global capital projects. She is interested in sharing her skills and experience with Corporate boards and is currently on the boards of ABC Life Literacy, Prosper Canada and World Heart Caregivers. She was on the CPA Energy Advisory Board and recently served as VIP Liaison Officer to the Energy Minister for Romania at the World Petroleum Congress. 

Mateusz Salmassi smiling at the camera with a white backdrop

Mateusz Salmassi

Mateusz is studying Psychology under the Faculty of Arts, completing a certificate in Sustainability Studies. He has aspirations to complete a Masters in Social Work. While he originally wanted to become a counselling therapist, the love he developed for advocacy and grassroots organizing has pushed him towards a path where he can pursue both. That being said, he is open to following the journey of life, which often takes us on unpredictable paths.

Wilma Shim

Wilma Shim, BSc'07, JD'10

Wilma Shim is a lawyer with Alberta Justice and Solicitor General. In 2003, she was awarded the Chancellor's Club Scholarship.  In 2010, she received the President's Award for Excellence in Student Leadership and was also inducted into The Order of the University of Calgary. Currently, Wilma is chair of the Board of Directors for Special Olympics Alberta and is a director on the Board of the Association of Women Lawyers. She is a volunteer coach with Special Olympics Calgary. Wilma is an instructor with the Law School’s Trial Advocacy Course and volunteers as a guest judge. She is a member of Avenue Magazine’s Top 40 under 40 Class of 2015.

Amanjot smiling at the camera

Amanjot Singh Pannu

Amanjot holds a Master's degree in English from Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar & has worked in roles varying from Banking to Media industries. Currently, he works as Director Operations for Canada's Shadow Minister of Finance. He is also a recipient of Queen Elizabeth II Platinum Jubilee Medal for his continued service to the province of Alberta.

Elsa smiling at the camera

Elsa Stokes

Elsa Stokes is a concurrent French/Education student who is dedicated to improving the quality of life and education for fellow Werklund students and students from other faculties alike. Throughout her time at the University of Calgary, Elsa has been involved in Calgary campus community in numerous capacities; holding various positions with her faculty club, the Education Students’ Association, representing the Werklund School of Education within the Calgary Students’ Union, and most recently as a member of the University of Calgary Scholars’ Academy.

Graham Sucha

Graham Sucha

Graham is a born and raised Calgarian with close connections to UCalgary. He has a diverse professional background, managing people and projects in complex and fast-paced environments. He has frontline experience through senior roles in industry, not for profit, and government. Graham now provides outreach and stakeholder relations support for the tech not-for-profit Cybera, which operates the research and education network for Alberta’s post secondary institutions. In his role Graham curates the annual Cyber Summit and fosters strong relationships with startups and tech entrepreneurs.

Linda Thomas smiling at the camera

Linda Thomas

Linda is a seasoned executive and corporate director who has spent over 30 years living, working and volunteering in Calgary, in a variety of industries including consumer packaged goods, technology, education & telecommunications. Her leadership roles span finance, product management, marketing, sales & supply chain; most recently as Senior Vice President, Finance, at Shaw/Rogers Communications.

Sangeetha V

Sangeetha Varghese

Throughout her career, Sangeetha has played leadership roles in significant organizational transformations. Using a highly collaborative approach, augmented by her diverse toolkit, she is known to deliver business value in challenging environments consistently. By effectively blending theory with practicality, she envisions and implements "fit-for-purpose" solutions to various organizational challenges.

Katherine Wagner smiling at the camera with a white backdrop

Katherine Wagner

Katherine is excited to continue her ongoing contributions to the University of Calgary as a member of the Senate. She is an alumnus and has maintained her commitment to the institution and the Faculty of Environmental Design since her graduation as; a member of the Advisory Selection Committee for Dean, a member of the Faculty Council, scholarship adjudicator, architecture studio guest critic as well as sessional instructor for five years. 

Cynthia Watson smiling at the camera

Cynthia Watson

Cynthia Watson is Chief Evolution Officer of the charity Vivo for Healthier Generations Society. She brings perspectives from the spectrum of healthcare, health promotion and chronic disease prevention, grassroots to Olympian-level sport, and community wellbeing, recreation and active living. She is dedicated to championing diverse communities of belonging to have their voices in leadership roles.

Keely Willment smiling at the camera with a painting in the background

Keely Willment

Keely is a UCalgary alum, with strong ties to the Dinos Women’s Rugby program. She spends her days connecting people with the information they are seeking through her role in The City of Calgary’s Chief Administration’s Office, and her evenings on the rugby pitch coaching her kiddos.

Kate Wong smiling at the camera

Kate Wong

Kate has been a registered nurse in pediatrics with Alberta Health Services since 2012. She is currently a Doctoral Candidate in Nursing at UCalgary studying children’s experiences of serious illness with support from a UCalgary Eye’s High Doctoral Recruitment Scholarship and a Doctoral Fellowship from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada. 

Timothy wun smiling at the camera

Timothy Wun

Timothy is a Federal Crown Prosecutor with the Public Prosecution Service of Canada. He also serves as a reserve naval officer with the Cadet Instructor Cadre Branch of the Canadian Armed Forces. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in History and a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Calgary. He also holds a Master of Laws from the University of Toronto. Timothy is a proud alumnus of the University of Calgary. During law school, he volunteered extensively with Student Legal Assistance and later completed his articles of clerkship there.
Photo of Hunter Yaworski

Hunter Yaworski

Hunter is a MA student and political geographer from the Department of Geography. Hunter's Tri-Council (SSHRC) funded research focuses on public participation in post-decision phases of environmental impact assessment in Alberta, in the context of the Athabasca tar-sands. He is also interested in research regarding the commodification of environmental science and consultation in the context of fossil fuel development in Alberta. Previously, Hunter also served as chair of the Graduate Labour Union, and continues to advocate for all graduate students as VP External for the Graduate Student's Association.

Mohamud smling at the camera

Mohamud Zaver

Mohamud has called Calgary home for almost 45 years. During that time, he has worked in a wide variety of technical and leadership roles in the oil and gas industry with Cenovus Energy and its predecessor companies. He has a Bachelor's degree in Chemical Engineering from the University of Alberta and is registered as a Professional Engineer and has his Project Management Professional (PMP) designation. Mohamud is very passionate about community and voluntary service and has also served in voluntary and leadership capacity for over 30 years in various faith based and non-profit organizations locally, nationally and internationally. 

Gary Zhang

Gary Zhang

Gary Zhang received his B.Sc. from Wuhan University in 1983 and his M.Sc. from University of Calgary in 1989. He is the founder and President of MRF Geosystems Corporation. He is also the President of Silver Valley Development Inc. and Westpeaks Properties Inc. Gary is the winner of 2013 ASTech (Alberta Science and Technology Foundation) Awards and the 2014 TechRev Awards.