Lynette H. Ong is Professor of Political Science, jointly appointed at the department and the Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy. She is an expert on China, having conducted on-the-ground research in the country since the late 1990s. In addition, she has also published on the broader Indo-Pacific region, including Southeast Asia and India.

Karla joined NACTATR in 2021 after a 33-year career in education in the western region of the province of New Brunswick. She is passionate about supporting multidisciplinary teams in the area of violence prevention and intervention, as well as responding in the aftermath of traumatic events. Karla is a member of both The New Brunswick College of Counselling Therapists (licensed) and The Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association (certified). She holds a Master’s Degree in Education (Counselling Psychology), with a particular focus in Crisis and Trauma. Karla’s engaging presentation style, combined with her knowledge of human systems and expertise in traumatic events and crisis response, ensures a meaningful and practical session.

Amber Wardell is the Learning & Development Coordinator for the Ontario Association of Interval and Transition Houses (OAITH). OAITH is a coalition of first stage emergency women's shelters, 2nd stage housing organizations and community-based women organizations who work towards ending violence against all women. Amber has worked for over 15 years as a community educator, coordinator, advocate and counsellor for survivors of gender-based violence in rural communities.

With more than 15 years of experience in the international education field both in Canada and the U.S., Elena Shik currently serves as the Associate Director, International Services at Sheridan College. She is a Regulated International Student Immigration Advisor (RISIA) with a Master of Education in Higher Education Leadership. Fueled by her firsthand experiences as both an international and exchange student, Elena harbors an unwavering passion for enhancing the international student experience within the post-secondary sector.

Jackie Pichette is the Director of Research, Policy and Partnerships at the Higher Education Quality Council of Ontario (HEQCO), where she guides research projects and works with external partners to explore innovations and improvements in higher education. Prior to joining HEQCO, Jackie worked as a consultant at an Indigenous advisory services firm, as community-based researcher at Simon Fraser University, and as a government policy analyst. She has a M.P.P from Simon Fraser University and a B.A.H from Queen’s University.

Julia Colyar is the Vice President, Research and Policy at HEQCO, where she works with team members to support the development of research-based policies and practices in Ontario’s postsecondary education sector. Julia joined HEQCO with more than two decades of experience in higher education policy and research. Prior to joining HEQCO, Julia was Director of Policy and Sector Collaboration at the Council of Ontario Universities, and she was a faculty member in educational leadership and policy at Southern Illinois University Carbondale and the University at Buffalo.

Shannon Howes is the Director, High Risk, Community Safety and Crisis & Emergency Preparedness at the University of Toronto. She has been with the University since 2006, initially working in facility management and programming before beginning her current career trajectory, supporting the senior administration of the University, in 2011. She completed her Master of Education in Theory and Policy Studies of Higher Education in 2013. Currently Shannon works in the University of Toronto's Office of Safety and High Risk managing complex safety, policy, and liability related issues for the University. She oversees the operations of the Community Safety Office, a front-line service that supports members of the University community who have experienced violence and/or personal or workplace safety concerns, and also leads the University's Crisis & Emergency Preparedness portfolio. When not at work Shannon enjoys getting outside and exploring provincial parks by canoe with her partner and three children.

Shelley Gilbert has worked at Legal Assistance of Windsor since 1993 and is currently the Coordinator of Social Work Services. Ms. Gilbert is a founding member and supervises the Windsor Essex Counter Exploitation Network (WECEN) providing support and advocacy to survivors of domestic and international human trafficking of forced labour/debt bondage, forced marriage and women trafficked into the sex industry. She has conducted training and workshops for both NGOs and law enforcement as to the identification and provision of service to survivors across the country. She was awarded the Inspirational Leader Award by the Ontario Association of Social Workers in 2014, the Attorney General Victim Services Award of Distinction in 2016 as well as the Department of Justice Excellence in Victim Services Award in 2022.

Harjoban Arraich is a Mental Health Case Manager with Punjabi Community Health Services. In his role he works with Individuals who face acute mental illness concerns and works with them to navigate the system to address their everyday practical needs such as housing, finances, and food security. His passion for community work has allowed him to work as a Housing Program Coordinator in his previous role with PCHS, where he had the opportunity to work with vulnerable members of the community and explore their housing needs. In his time working as a Program Coordinator, he was able to reach out to individuals from all communities and backgrounds and understand their difficulties in navigating the housing needs. Alongside his colleague, Khadija, he worked extensively to highlight and navigate the needs of International Students through complex circumstances. Using PCHS’s holistic service model, he has connected with families, service providers, health care professionals and emergency services to deliver the best outcomes for his clients.

Khadija Mohamed is a dedicated Program Coordinator with a wealth of experience in community health centers and social service organizations. She is also the chair of PCHS’s ARAO Committee. Holding an Honours Bachelor of Science in Biology and Sociology from the University of Toronto, as well as a background in Workplace Wellness and Health Promotion from Centennial College, Khadija brings a unique blend of knowledge and hands on experience to her role. Her expertise spans critical areas such as housing, homelessness, poverty reduction, social determinants of health, advocacy, and ARAO/DEI. She works directly with clients who are either homeless or at-risk of homelessness at the intersection of several marginalized identities (race, non-status, age, etc.) that affect their housing. Khadija is a regular contributor, authoring the Housing Issues column in the PCHS Health Magazine, and has spoken at events like "Our Peel is A Better Peel Town Hall" hosted by the Justice for Peel Coalition highlighting the lack of supports for International Students within the Region of Peel.

Rahila brings over 30 years of experience in project management in international development, with a focus on girls' education and social services. She currently resides and works in Canada as an uninvited guest on the traditional land of Mississaugas of the Credit, Anishnabeg (ah-nish-naw-bek): the Chippewa, the Wendat peoples. Rahila deeply values Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion in her personal and professional life. At COSTI, Rahila is responsible for the Orientation to Ontario (O2O) and, in 2013, initiated a flagship program for international students (ISC). This role provides an opportunity to collaborate with a network of 70 partners, including universities, colleges, and settlement agencies across the province. Rahila joined COSTI in 2012 to align her passions with her career, utilizing her skills and talents to enhance the lives of others. She holds an MBA and a graduate degree in commerce.

Vince Pietropaolo, M.A., is the General Manager of COSTI Family and Mental Health Services. In his current position, he has works with ethno cultural communities in program design, development, research and implementation in the areas of mental health, domestic violence and problem gambling and dementia. Vince currently sits on the York Region Violence Against Women Coordinating Committee, Ontario Resource Group on Gambling, Ethnicity and Culture, The North York Specialized Courts Advisory Committee, National Trauma-Informed Care Project National Advisory Committee and is a member of the Canadian Dementia Learning and Resource Network. Vince is a Subject Matter Expert on the Immigrant and Refugee Mental Health Project. Recently Vince designed and implemented the Refugee Mental Health program and the Senior’s day program at COSTI. Vince has presented extensively on the issue of Gender Based Violence, Mental Health Caregiver stress, Trauma Informed Practice and Problem Gambling and at conferences in the United States and Canada. He has guest lectured at York University and Ryerson University, University of Toronto and is a part time faculty member ay Seneca at York.