10th Annual Ursula Franklin Forum and Reception
The EDI Mirror: Seeing Science in Canada As It Is and As It Could Be
In recent years, EDI gained attention across various sectors: universities, funding agencies, and industries. This has been reflected in the creation of the EDI committee /EDI consideration / opportunity-related policies, and funding frameworks / Science communications.
How is Canada leading the EDI conversion, and is this the right path forward? What does the future of EDI look like, and are the systemic policies in place strong enough to protect us from future scenarios?
Join us for a timely conversation on the importance of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) in science: at a moment when awareness is high, but meaningful action remains critical. Together, we will reflect on how Canada approaches EDI through policymaking, funding distribution, and science priorities. Are the resources truly reaching where they are most needed, and how can we ensure a more equitable and inclusive future for Canadian science?
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Speakers
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Bob WattsFormer VP of Indigenous Knowledge and Communications Affairs at the Nuclear Waste Management Organization (NWMO) Robert (Bob) Watts is a much sought-after trainer and expert in Indigenous policy, negotiations, conflict resolution, and reconciliation. He is the former Interim Executive Director of Canada’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission, which examined and made recommendations regarding the Indian School era and its legacy. Bob led the process, supported by an excellent team and many organizations from across Canada and internationally, to create the policies and processes in order to firmly establish the Commission. Bob also served as the Chief of Staff to the National Chief of the Assembly of First Nations Phil Fontaine, where he was a member of the team that negotiated the Indian Residential Schools Settlement Agreement, the largest class action settlement in Canada’s history. His public service includes Assistant Deputy Minister for the Government of Canada and Senior Executive in Ontario. Bob is a graduate of the John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University, and a Fellow at the Harvard Law School, where he researched and lectured on the role culture plays in conflict. Bob has had the benefit of excellent Indigenous mentorship and Western learning, which allows him to work well in both worlds. Some of his Indigenous learning has focused on medicine plants, traditional songs, traditional environmental knowledge, and leadership. Bob has led the negotiations of co-management agreements, helped build strong corporate partnerships, and has led processes focused on strategic plans and community development.
In 2019, Bob served as Chief of Staff to National Chief Perry Bellegarde and played a key role in historic budget allocations and the passage of Bills C-91 and C-92. Currently, Bob is the Vice President of Indigenous Relations at the NWMO and an Adjunct Professor and Distinguished Fellow at Queen’s University, Kingston, Ontario, where he developed one of the first graduate-level courses on Reconciliation in the country.
Bob is a senior associate with the Consensus Building Institute, Cambridge, MA. He is also the Chair of the Downie-Wenjack Fund and Chair of Reconciliation Canada. He has taught, debated, and lectured at a number of universities in Canada and the United States. He is from the Mohawk and Ojibway Nations and resides at Six Nations Reserve, Ontario. Bob carries and honours his Ojibwe Spirit Name, Kinoozishingwak (Tall Pine), and is a member of the Bear Clan. -
Jodie Glean-Mitchell
Executive Director, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Jodie Glean-Mitchell is an award-winning anti-racism educator who has dedicated her career to developing educational programming in the field of anti-racism, equity, and inclusion. She attained her Master of Arts in Educational Studies from Concordia University and is presently completing a doctoral degree in Education at York University, with research focusing on the experiences of equity practitioners advancing racial equity and inclusion in post-secondary institutions. In 2017, Glean-Mitchell was the recipient of the Leadership in Learning Award from the Canadian Association for the Prevention of Discrimination and Harassment in Higher Education and in 2020, she received the Harry Jerome Diversity Award. She co-developed and is a course instructor of the Transformative Equity, Inclusion & Belonging Leadership Certificate Program at Humber College. She currently serves as the Executive Director, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion at the University of Toronto. Sanjana Jones
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Mark Ariba
Junior Fellow at Massey College, PhD candidate in Political Science, University of Toronto
Mark is a PhD candidate in Political Science at the University of Toronto, a Junior Fellow at Massey College, and a researcher with the Clusters of Scholarly Prominence Program’s Education and Training for the 21st Century Workforce (ET21) cluster. His research examines how practices of meritocracy shape and sustain the political legitimacy of liberal democratic states. Drawing on historical and archival research, his work explores how institutions such as the civil service and education systems in the United Kingdom and the United States came to be understood as fair, neutral, and deserving through appeals to merit. His dissertation, How Should a Liberal State Be? Meritocracy and the Production of Political Legitimacy, traces the development of merit as a political and administrative ideal from the nineteenth century. -
Ada Maxwell-Alleyne
Assistant Dean, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion, Jackman Faculty of Law, University of Toronto
Ada Maxwell-Alleyne is Assistant Dean of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion at the University of Toronto’s Jackman Faculty of Law. In this role, she works to embed EDI principles across academic and co-curricular spaces, shaping classroom experiences, supporting student success, and fostering an inclusive learning environment. An Ontario-licensed lawyer with over 18 years of experience, Ada has led initiatives that promote equity and belonging in higher education and beyond. She is passionate about creating opportunities for underrepresented communities and mentoring future leaders. Ada holds degrees from Harvard, the University of Toronto, and Dalhousie. -
Alison D'Cruz
Junior Fellow at Massey College, PhD Candidate, Higher Education (LHAE), University of Toronto
Alison is a Ph.D. student in Higher Education at the University of Toronto, specializing in educational policy and international comparative education. She holds an M.A. in Education and a bachelor’s and master’s degree in Finance. Her professional background spans leadership roles in financial consulting and education across three countries. Her area of research includes equity in higher education, internationalization of education, international and immigrant student pathways, sustainability and higher education, and private higher education. Alison is actively engaged in her community and currently serves on the Board of the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education Alumni Association and is a co-chair of the Internationalization of Student Affairs Community of Practice at the Canadian Association of College and University Student Services.
