About 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
Email: malinda.smith@ucalgary.ca
Twitter: @MalindaSmith
Dr. Malinda S. Smith
she/her
Vice-Provost, Associate Vice-President Research (Equity, Diversity and Inclusion), and a professor of political science at the University of Calgary.
Dr. Smith holds a PhD in political science from the University of Alberta, an MA, MDA, and a BA magna cum laude in 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 Development Canada (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 Force on 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, SSHRC Governing Council and Executive
- Member, Advisory Committee on Immigration and Ethnocultural Statistics, Statistics Canada
- Member, Inter-Institutional Advisory Committee for the Scarborough Charter
- Member, Education Committee, BlackNorth Initiative
- Chair, Advisory Committee on Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Decolonization, Federation for the Humanities and Social Sciences (2020-2021)
- Former Member, Canada Research Chairs Advisory Committee on Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Policy
- Working Group on Black Communities in Canada, Statistics Canada
- Diversity in Mental Health on Post-Secondary Campuses (Kome Odoko, Dr. Bukola Salami, Dr. Gregor Wolbring, Dr. Malinda Smith), July 22, 2021.
- Racism, Gender Equity, and data-driven solutions to systemic inequalities in academia, REDI@Work Podcast (Dr. Malinda Smith and Ruth A. Mojeed), May 6 2021.
- The Power of Stories to Shape a COVID Recovery, Pluralism Initiative (Meredith Preston McGhie and Dr. Malinda Smith), April 14 2021.
- Embedding Anti-Racism and Decolonization in University Approaches to EDI, (Dr. Shelia Cote-Meek and Dr. Malinda Smith), Western University, March 23 2021.
- Identifying Opportunities for Change: Critique of Deficit Model and Critical Introspection for Black Inclusion (Dr. Malinda Smith), National Dialogues and Action for Inclusive Higher Education and Communities, University of Toronto Scarborough, October 1 2020.
- Episode 2: Unlearning racism. University of Calgary Podcasts, September 23 2020.
- Anti-Racism: The Urgency of Action (The Honourable Bardish Chagger, Dr. Kofi Campbell, Dr. Malinda Smith, Dr. Jasmin Zine, Jean Becker), Renison College, September 1 2020.
- Inclusive Excellence in Science Post-COVID19 (Dr. Malinda Smith and Dr. Imogen Coe), Canadian Science Policy Centre EDI Panel, July 20 2020.
- Hearings on Systemic Racism, City of Calgary (Co-Chairs Coun. Gian-Carlo Carra and Dr. Malinda S. Smith), July 7-9 2020.
- EDI and Canadian Postsecondary Sector (Dr. Malinda S Smith with Alex Usher), Higher Education Strategy Associates, June 12 2020.
- An African Canadian Response to the Pandemic and International Uprisings, (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.
- Deconstructing the EDI Acronym with Dr. Malinda Smith. Ideas-Idees Blog. June 3, 2021.
- Igniting Change: Final Report and Recommendations on Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Decolonization (EDID) (Malinda Smith, Chair), Federation for the Humanities and Social Sciences, March 8, 2021.
- Racial Equity Leadership in Covid Times, UAffairs Magazine, Feb, 25, 2021.
- More training, and education needed to fight systemic racism in public institutions, say Black scholars at U of A. October 2020. UAlberta News.
- Equity, Diversity & Inclusion are at the core of Dr. Malinda Smith's research. October 2020. RonFanFair.
- Beyond a Single Story: Black Lives and Hidden Figures in the Canadian Academy. Ideas-Idees Blog, February 18, 2020.
- Co-Editor. Nuances of Blackness in the Canadian Academy: Teaching, Learning, and Researching While Black, with Awad Ibrahim, Tamari Kitossa, and Handel K. Wright (UofT Press, 2022).
- Co-Author, The Equity Myth: Racialization and Indigeneity at Canadian Universities, with F. Henry, E. Dua, C. James, P. Li, and H. Ramos (UBC Press, 2017).
- Editor, Securing Africa: Post-9/11 Discourses on Terrorism. (Routledge, 2016).
- Co-Editor, States of Race: Critical Race Feminism for the Twenty-First Century, S. Razack and S. Thobani (BTL, 2010).
- Editor, Beyond the African Tragedy: Discourses on Development and the Global Economy (Routledge, 2006).
- Editor, Globalizing Africa, (Third World Press, 2003).
- Co-Editor, Critical Concepts: An Introduction to Politics, 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 President Research (EDI)
Email: rupa.shankar@ucalgary.ca
Rupa Shankar, (she/her)
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 University of Calgary, 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.
Project Manager, Presidential Task Force Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Accessibility (PTF-EDIA)
Project Manager, Presidential Task Force Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Accessibility (PTF-EDIA)
Email: jdixit@ucalgary.ca
Jaya Dixit (she/her)
Jaya Dixit is the Project Manager for the Presidential Task Force on Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Accessibility (PTF-EDIA) at the University of Calgary. Prior to taking on this role, Jaya served as the Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Advisor in the Office of Research Services. Jaya previously worked in policy and communications roles within federal Indigenous and Human Rights portfolios. She holds degrees in Sociology and Political Science and sustains research interests in the social organization of knowledge and discourses of self-improvement.
Jaya’s everyday professional practice weaves together a decade of EDI-informed advising experience at the University, intersectional lived experience, and a commitment to transformative change based on values of curiosity, creativity, excellence, and care. In her previous role as EDI Advisor in the Office of Research Services, she coached teams in developing EDI action plans for successfully funded applications in competitions ranging from NSERC Discovery Grant to Canada First Excellence Research Fund and supported the implementation of our institutional CRC EDI Action Plan. Jaya’s prior advising work with graduate students directly informs her understanding of the experiences of equity-deserving groups in our local context. She also co-chairs the UCalgary Dimensions EDI Racialized and Visible Minority Persons Equitable Pathways Working Group.
OEDI Director (Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Accessibility)
OEDI Director (Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Accessibility)
Email: sevan.beukian@ucalgary.ca
Dr. Sevan Beukian, (she/elle/ան/هي)
Dr. Sevan Beukian joined the University of Calgary after serving as the Senior Executive Advisor on Anti-Racism and Intersectionality at the City of Edmonton, where she focused on implementing the Anti-Racism Strategy. She has also worked in provincial and municipal governments to incorporate GBA+, anti-racism and intersectionality into policies, programmes, and systems change.
Her experience has spanned over a decade in teaching, research, and public policy across government, university, non-profit and community-based work. Her approach combines (non-western) intersectional feminism, queer theory, anti-racism, trauma-informed approach, and anti-oppressive framework with a strong commitment to reconciliation and decolonization.
Dr. Beukian holds a PhD in Political Science from the University of Alberta and a Master of Arts in Political Studies from the American University of Beirut. Her current research focuses on how trauma and memory shape national identity discourses. It examines the impact of intergenerational traumatic memories (of genocide) and post-war experiences on national identity constructions, focusing on the Canadian and Armenian contexts. Dr. Beukian's publications have appeared in Studies in Ethnicity and Nationalism, Armenian Review, Routledge, Demeter Press, and Palgrave Macmillan, among others.
Office Coordinator
Office Administrative Coordinator
Email: tracy.garrick@ucalgary.ca
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.
Academic Directors
Dr. Hieu Ngo, (he/him)
Hieu Van Ngo is 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
Email: ttsajobi@ucaglary.ca
Dr. Tolulope (Tolu) Sajobi, (he/him)
Dr. Sajobi is an associate professor and biostatistician in the Departments of Community Health Sciences and Clinical Neurosciences at the University of Calgary. 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 in Research and Black Futures Strategy
Email: jennifer.adams1@ucalgary.ca
Dr. Jennifer Adams, (she/her)
Jennifer D. Adams is a Tier 2 Canada Research Chair of Creativity and Science and Associate Professor at The University of Calgary, Department of Chemistry, affiliated with the Werklund School of Education.
She is the PI of the Creativity, Equity and STEM Lab, where she and her team research equity in STEM teaching and learning environments, emphasizing identity-affirming, anti-deficit, and justice-oriented approaches. In addition, she is in leadership on several national projects, including “Securing Black Futures,” which seeks to increase the visibility and support the flourishing of Black students in STEM and the Canadian Black Scientists Network, where she is involved with a national data collection project about Black students’ STEM experiences, serves the steering committee as a co-leader on STEM education Pathways and Postsecondary projects and is the PI of the STEM Beyond Borders initiative that will examine research, policy and practice in Canada and the United States around equity and justice in STEM education and careers for Black students.
Dr. Adams was recognized by the Calgary Black Chambers with an award for Black Achievement in STEM. In addition, she is an NSF Early CAREER award winner. She has served on the executive board of the National Association of Research in Science Teaching and on advisories for NSF-funded grant projects that focus on racial and gender equity in STEM. She also serves on the editorial board for Cultural Studies in Science Education, Journal of Research in Science Education and International Journal of Informal Science and Environmental Learning. Her prior appointments include Brooklyn College and The Graduate Center, City University of New York, the American Museum of Natural History, and The New York City Department of Education.
Senior Specialists/Advisors
Senior Advisor Anti-Racism and Racial Equity
Email: ghada.sfeir@ucalgary.ca
Dr. Ghada Sfeir, (she/her/elle)
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
(403) 220-4405
Email: william.yimbo@ucalgary.ca
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.
Senior Specialist, Communications, EDIA
Email: shannon.black@ucalgary.ca
Shannon Black (she/her)
Shannon possesses a passion for projects, organizations and initiatives that leave a legacy and create meaningful and tangible systematic change. She joins the University of Calgary’s OEDI after working in marketing and communications for a number of organizations over the past decade, including not-for-profit organizations and, most recently for Alberta’s first and only free workplace Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Hub, the Gateway to Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Hub.
Shannon has and continues to lend her time and talent to creating inclusive spaces and workplaces for equity-deserving groups, with a significant focus and passion on supported employment and the inclusion of folks with disability within the workforce. Since 2020, Shannon has been an active committee member on the Disability Employment Awareness Month (DEAM) Alberta Provincial Steering Committee and has been instrumental in creating a formal provincial strategy and brand and securing provincial grant funding. Shannon has also volunteered with the Calgary Stampede since 2013.
Shannon possesses a Bachelor of Arts in Communication Studies from the University of Calgary, has successfully completed Anti-Racism Organization Change (AROC) Training, and is a member of the International Association of Business Communicators (IABC).
Consultant
Accessibility Consultant
Emily English, (they/them)
Emily recently graduated from the Faculty of Kinesiology, obtaining their Bachelor’s of Kinesiology with a minor in Sociology. They are primarily interested in how the University of Calgary can work towards disability justice by deconstructing ableist practices and attitudes. They’re also interested in how academic access for students with disabilities can be facilitated through policy, programmatic support, financial assistance, and research.
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 University of Calgary 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)
Our office is located on the traditional territories of the people of the Treaty 7 region in Southern Alberta. The City of Calgary is also home to the Métis Nation of Alberta, Region 3. Learn more