People

Tommy Mayberry, PhD

Executive Director
tommy.mayberry@ualberta.ca

Tommy (he/she/they) is a scholar, professional, and academic drag queen with a background in diverse teaching and instructional facilitation in academia as well as industry. As a sought-after speaker on the topics of “Gender Pronouns and Cultures of Respect” as well as visual pedagogies and LGBTQIA+ inclusivity, Tommy has presented their scholarship and research findings nationally as well as internationally, in places such as Oxford, Washington DC, Tokyo, and Honolulu. They strive to embody and model decolonial, anti-racist, and equity-driven intersectional visions and leadership.

Tommy was a SSHRC Doctoral Fellow during their PhD work and is also a recipient of the University of Waterloo’s Award for Exceptional Teaching. They are co-editor of the book RuPedagogies of Realness: Essays on Teaching and Learning with RuPaul's Drag Race (McFarland 2022), and they serve as a founding incorporator and director of a new not-for-profit organization for educational development across this nation we now call Canada.

Cosette Lemelin, PhD, MEd

Assistant Director
cosette.lemelin@ualberta.ca

Cosette has 18 years of experience in Educational Developer roles in a 20-year career in adult and post-secondary education at three universities (the University of Winnipeg, the University of Manitoba, and the University of Alberta). She has a Master of Education (2003) and PhD in Education (2016) focusing on adult and post-secondary education. Cosette’s unique specialities include teaching within health professions education (with a focus on clinical practicum teaching and learning), classroom management, and varying aspects of interpersonal communication in teaching and learning. Cosette calls herself a “Teaching Coach” for university instructors and faculty members striving to improve their teaching one class, one activity, or one interaction at a time. Cosette is the 2019 recipient of the University of Alberta Excellence in Learning Support Award, and received the award again in 2020 with the CTL Team as part of their COVID 19 Response.

Karen Seto-Wagg, BComm

Coordinator, Executive and Operations
setowagg@ualberta.ca

Karen Seto-Wagg (BComm, University of Saskatchewan) has lived in Edmonton since graduating from post-secondary education. She brings a strong knowledge of office administration and analyzing procedures to her role at CTL. Her love of learning combined with an approachable attitude contributes to a positive mark in roles that she takes on. Karen's current role at CTL is providing executive and operational support as well as assisting with CTL programming initiatives.

Lily Lai, BDes

Coordinator, Programs and Partnerships
llai@ualberta.ca

Lily Lai (BDes, University of Alberta) is responsible for the coordination of the Centre for Teaching and Learning (CTL)’s programs, initiatives, and partnerships to champion innovations in teaching and learning. As part of the CTL Leadership Team, she assists in creating visual concepts that support instructor-facing communications, she coordinates CTL’s e-newsletter and workshops, and she leverages her 9+ years of experience in our CTL to help build and sustain pedagogical partnerships of all kinds.

Andrea Menard, LL.B, LL.M 

Lead Educational Developer, Indigenizing Curricula and Pedagogies
ammenard@ualberta.ca

Andrea Menard, LL.B, LL.M (she/they/wiin) is Métis from the abolished Red River Settlement. Andrea has over twenty years of experience relationship-building with Indigenous Nations across Treaties 4, 6, 7, 8, and 10 as well as the Métis Homeland regions across Alberta, and with Indigenous Nations in the unceded lands of British Columbia. Andrea has worked for various organizations that range from academic, government, Treaty-making, and legal non-profit and legal regulatory work, and teaches Reconciliation and Lawyers at the University of Calgary, Faculty of Law as well as In Search of Reconciliation Through Dispute Resolution at Osgoode Hall Law School. As a Lead Educational Developer at CTL, Andrea focusses on situating Indigenous methodologies and centering Indigenous knowledges in epistemology, laws, and in academic research, teaching, and learning, as well as utilizing Indigenous ethics and engaging with Indigenous communities in reciprocal and respectful manners.

Instructional Design Support, Indigenizing Curricula and Pedagogies

Coming soon! Check back for the University of Alberta Careers posting.

Everett Igobwa, PhD (ABD), MA, BEd

Lead Educational Developer, Critical Pedagogies and Equity, Diversity, and Inclusivity
eigobwa@ualberta.ca

Everett Igobwa, PhD (ABD), MA, BEd has over 19 years experience as an educator in contexts ranging from K-12 to post-secondary education, including roles supporting faculty and graduate students at Queen’s University, York University, Yukon University and University of Alberta.

Everett is interested in Equity, Diversity, and Inclusivity (EDI), critical pedagogies, decolonization, indigenization, developing and co-facilitating the Instructional Skills Workshop (ISW) training, course design and redesign, student-centred pedagogy, professional development for faculty, online, hybrid and blended pedagogy.

Collaborating with instructors to demystify teaching and learning is rewarding and meaningful to Everett.

Brad Ambury, PhD (ABD), MA, BA (Special), BA

Lead Educational Developer, Assessment and Evaluation
bjambury@ualberta.ca

Brad brings to his role with the CTL team over 15 years of experience working as a lecturer in four post-secondaries (the University of British Columbia, the University of Colorado at Boulder, the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, and the University of Alberta). Brad also has 8 years of direct experience working as a Lead Educational Developer at a polytechnic (NAIT) where he undertook a wide range of project work that included both curriculum development and faculty support. His expertise and experience is in building teaching and learning resources, exploring issues related to Writing-Across-the Curriculum, and leading academic program (and course) mapping projects, including their design and development. As a Lead ED with CTL, Brad’s principle areas of interest include (but are not limited to): finding impactful ways to better align curriculum outcomes with meaningful assessment practices; supporting the development of assessment practices to enhance students' learning experiences; and collaborating with faculty to weave relevant assessment processes and practices into the contexts of individual programs and courses.

Bradon Valgardson, MA

Data Analyst

Bradon Valgardson (MA, University of Southern Mississippi) is a data analyst for the CTL. Bradon analyzes institutional data and prepares educational resources, documentation, and reports related to teaching and learning. His past work has focused on the influence of adverse conditions on health and well-being. His research has involved examining data from nationally representative samples and collecting data from various groups including university students, prison inmates, correctional officers, and domestic violence service providers.

Mandy Penney, MA, BSc, BA (Hon)

Lead Educational Developer, Digital Pedagogies and Access
argeorge@ualberta.ca

Mandy (she/her) is a queer settler and scholar and an experienced educator originally from Newfoundland. Holding degrees in both the sciences and the humanities (BSc, BA(Hon), and MA), she is passionate about digital pedagogies, writing instruction, accessibility, and communities of practice/care. She has worked as both faculty and academic staff (i.e., parafaculty), including as a coordinator of a writing and learning centre. Mandy advocates for equitable, values-driven, and relationship-based practices in teaching and learning: practices that can be approached through digital and writing-based community-building. She is an active member of the Canadian Writing Centres Association and the International Writing Centres Association, as well as a co-editor of a special conference edition of Discourse and Writing / Rédactologie. Mandy aims to collaborate with the University of Alberta community toward (re)imagining teaching and learning possibilities at this important and challenging global moment.

Dalbir Sehmby, PhD

Educational Developer, Writing and Multimodal Communication Pedagogies
dsehmby@ualberta.ca

An award-winning instructor with over 20 years of experience across multiple fields, Dalbir Sehmby (PhD, Comparative Literature and Film/Media Studies) views teaching as a skill that requires continual practice and classrooms as spaces that alter with each cohort. As an Educational Developer, Dr. Sehmby does not adhere to one methodology but mixes established and contemporary approaches while seeking insights from instructors, guidance from learning outcomes, and advice from students. A TEDx speaker and the University of Alberta’s 2016 Last Lecturer, Dalbir values clear communication as a common denominator in composing across curricula and multimodal media. Dalbir has innovated learning via the “Stresstival” methodology, which privileges student-centred skill building, emotional self-awareness, and life-work balance. Dalbir believes it is possible for instructors and students to be a responsible team of holistic learners who can laugh and learn while cooperating to create a healthy campus community of champions.

Bryan Braul, MEd, BPE, BEd

Lead Educational Developer, Educational Technology Instruction and Strategy
bbraul@ualberta.ca

Bryan joins CTL from the Faculty of Extension where he worked for 22 years in roles ranging from English Language Instructor, eLearning Developer, Educational Administrator, and Team Lead at the Learning Engagement Office.

While at Extension, I was given opportunities in a number of different roles but perhaps the ones listed above are representative of my experience there. For example, my official title when I started at LEO was eLearning Developer but when our instructional designer positions were cut, I filled that role when needed. I've also worked on curriculum/program design, served on several committees, ran an ESL summer program and was part of the Micro Credential/Digital Badging pilot project at the U of A.

Amanda Magnan, BSc

Senior Instructional Designer

Amanda brings 12 years of experience collaborating across the University of Alberta campuses and colleges to improve the facilitation and implementation of teaching and learning. Amanda has been deeply involved in the development of teaching materials and leading workshops and events for instructors in the pedagogy of educational technologies. She has also developed, implemented, and supported a range of educational tools for teaching and learning. She has a unique understanding of both student and instructor experiences of an online course. Amanda holds a Bachelor of Science with a Specialization in Psychology, and is dedicated to supporting the creation of exceptional teaching and learning experiences. 

Christopher Borger, BEd

Instructional Designer

Chris Borger (BEd, University of Alberta) is an educator and performer based in Edmonton. Joining the CTL team in 2020, Chris is a driving force behind CTL's website content. Combining his passions for performance and education, Chris has worked for both the Telus World of Science (Edmonton) as well as Science World (Vancouver) in roles that ranged from performing in Science Shows to managing teams. He has also worked for Rapid Fire Theatre as a professional improviser and educator since 2011, and as well produces video content for the CBC Comedy website in addition to the Nation Network (Oilersnation) media group.

Alex Lomas, BEd, BSc

Educational Technologist

Alex (he/him) has been working at the University of Alberta since 2016 and holds a Bachelor of Science (BSc) with a major in Computing Science and a Bachelor of Education (BEd) with a focus on secondary Computing Science education. In his previous role at the Faculty of Extension, he assisted both instructors and students to maximize the educational value of eClass and other online learning applications. His passions focus on making education and technology beneficial and accessible at the post-secondary level. At CTL, he works closely with educational developers and instructional designers to create multimedia content.

Mike Robertson, FMS

Multimedia Content Designer

Mike Robertson (Bachelor of Film and Media Studies, University of Alberta) is a filmmaker and performer based in Edmonton. Mike works with CTL as a multidisciplinary media editor, creating most of the videos, graphics and podcasts that the Center for Teaching and Learning creates. His previous employment entailed creating MOOCs for the University of Alberta, including shooting and editing on Indigenous Canada, Mountains 101 and Black Holes.

A. Graeme Pate

Lead Educational Developer, Instructional Practice and Academic Development
graeme.pate@ualberta.ca

Graeme has over 30 years of experience integrating effective teaching methodologies and educational technology with impactful course design. He has been an Educational Developer at the Centre for Teaching and Learning for 5 years and was instrumental in our Centre’s response to pandemic needs in teaching development., particularly in self-directed online resources, events, and course development.

He spent 28 years in Scotland in education, eighteen of which were at the University of Glasgow (School of Education and School of Interdisciplinary Studies), where he was the Programme Director for the B.Ed (Hons.) and MA Primary Education degree programmes. Graeme was presented with three Excellence in Teaching awards by the University of Glasgow for course design, implementation of teaching methods and the use of technology to enhance learning and teaching. He also received the University of Alberta Excellence in Learning Support Award in 2020 with the CTL Team as part of their COVID-19 response.

Graeme’s experiences and expertise will allow the CTL Leadership to explore the possibilities of planned and scaffolded approaches to instructional practice and academic development at the University of Alberta.

Anita Parker, MEd, BSc, BEd

Lead Educational Developer, Online and Hybrid Instruction and Strategy
aparker@ualberta.ca

Anita brings two decades of science teaching in in-person, online, and hybrid secondary and post-secondary classrooms to her educational development portfolio at CTL. She is also experienced in leading professional development workshops and individual coaching for instructors with a focus on maximizing student engagement with authentic activities and assessments. Since 2015, Anita has worked closely with instructor teams from across the University with their blended and online learning resources and projects. This includes helping build course frameworks on eClass, planning student-centred learning experiences, and storyboard creation for pre-recorded lecture video content.

Anita enjoys being part of a team that supports teaching and learning excellence in online, hybrid, blended, and face-to-face environments.

Mauricio Rivera-Quijano, MET, BA

Educational Developer, Online Design and Delivery

Born and raised in El Salvador, Mauricio brings to CTL more than 30 years of experience working in Education. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Public Education (French) and a Master of Educational Technology (MET). His early work encompasses adult education and K-12 schools in Saskatchewan, as well as Keyano College in Fort McMurray. Mauricio’s experiences with online teaching began in his years with Northern Arizona University and the Learning Technology Branch at Alberta Education.

From right here at the U of A, Mauricio brings robust experiences from his work and projects with many different units: IST as a Senior Professional Development Specialist, and, at the moment of CTL's named creation in the early 2000s, he was part of that first CTL team as a Senior eLearning and Professional Development Specialist. In 2016, Mauricio was appointed Senior Educational Developer at the Faculty of Science, and in 2020, as Education Program Coordinator at the School of Public Health. Now, as CTL’s Educational Developer for Online Design and Delivery, Mauricio responds without hesitation to partnering with instructors toward sustainable, trusting relationships guided by always putting our learners as a core of the educational process.

Katelyn Lindmark

Educational Technologist

Katelyn Lindmark brings experience in consumer and industrial graphic design. Her current interests include leveraging her graphic design experience in the online environment. Katelyn is part of the Online and Hybrid Instruction and Strategy Team and provides design support for CTL's blending learning projects.