Our team is deeply grateful to the many people who have shared their learnings with us, in particular members of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam) community whose ancestral and unceded territory our learning, teaching, and collaborations take place.
We provide a breadth of support to the UBC community, you can see some examples in the “Ask Me About” sections in the profiles below. Please don’t hesitate to reach out for support, if we aren’t the best fit, we are happy to connect you with resources and people elsewhere at UBC.
- Amy Perreault (Associate Director)
- Carissa Block (Educational Programs Coordinator)
- Emily Bridge (Information Systems and Special Projects Coordinator)
- Erin Yun (Senior Educational Consultant)
- Hannah Coderre (Educational Consultant, Curriculum and Student Development)
- Janelle Kasperski (Educational Consulant, Strategic Projects)
- Janey Lew (Senior Strategist)
- Kyle Shaughnessy (Educational Consultant, Staff Training)
- Lauren Casey (Educational Consultant: Anti-Racist and Indigenous Initiatives)
- Paulina Semenec (Evaluation Consultant)
- Renata Hall (Educational Consultant, Anti-Racist Teaching and Learning)
- Samantha Nock (Educational Resources Developer)
Amy Perreault
Associate Director; Indigenous Initiatives
She/Her
Taanishi kiiaywow. I am Red River Métis and Irish on my paternal side, and Belgian and German on my maternal side. I am a citizen of the Métis Nation of British Columbia. My Dad’s family is originally from St. Boniface and St. Francois Xavier, with ties also to Lebret and Fort Qu’appelle, Saskatchewan. I am originally from Treaty 5 (Thompson, Manitoba) but grew up in Southern BC, on homelands of the Ktunaxa Nation. My husband and I live in Richmond in an area recognized and named by xʷməθkʷəy̓əm as Spul’u’kwuks, “place of bubbling water.” In my work and daily life, I continue to practice and commit to expanding my knowledge of the history, contemporary relationships and important contexts of the places I now call home.
Ask Me About
- UBC Institutional history and engagement with Indigenous priorities and initiatives
- Musqueam and UBC history, partnerships and initiatives
- Knowledge organization, Information design and architecture in relation to curricular support for Indigenous engagement and pedagogies
Carissa Block
Educational Programs Coordinator
She/Her
My first home was on a boat anchored in the waters of the Taíno people (St. John, USVI), but I spent most of my childhood on the lands and waters of the Suquamish people (Bainbridge Island, WA). After high school I moved north to xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam) territory in 2014 to study at UBC. I, a settler of mixed European ancestry, am a sister, daughter, stepdaughter, niece, granddaughter and friend. My biological and chosen families have shaped who I am today, encouraging me to value; learning, curiosity, silliness, friendship and meaningful work.
Ask Me About
- Engaging with the Indigenous Strategic Plan (ISP) Toolkit
- Ethical dimensions of AI
- Land acknowledgements
Emily Bridge
Information Systems and Special Projects Coordinator
She/Her
I am a white, cisgender settler of British and Scottish descent living on the ancestral, shared, and unceded territories of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam people), the Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw (Squamish Nation), and the səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh Nation). I strive to be accountable to the peoples who have stewarded these lands and waters since time immemorial, learning my responsibilities as a guest, and understanding that this journey is a lifelong one. My approach includes practicing humility, community care, and honouring lived expertise.
Ask Me About
- The Musqueam-UBC Development Committee
- Musqueam-UBC collaboration and engagement
- Information governance and systems, including Indigenous data sovereignty
Erin Yun
Senior Educational Consultant
She/Her
I am first generation Korean Canadian and grew up and spent most of my young adult years on the traditional territory of the Iroquois, Haudenosaunee, and Anishinaabe people, which is now known as London, Ontario. I moved to the shared, ancestral, and unceded territory of the Musqueam, Squamish, Tsleil-Waututh, people in 2012 to pursue a Master’s degree in Education at UBC. I am guided by, and strive to be, accountable to the people who have stewarded the lands and waters which I occupy and continuing the lifelong learning in decolonial and community-centered work.
Ask Me About
- Faculty Development
- Classroom Climate
- Our team’s programming, resources and services
Hannah Coderre
Educational Consultant, Curriculum and Student Development
She/Her
I was born and raised in Treaty 8, in Northern Alberta and I am of Métis and mixed European settler heritage. My paternal Métis family is originally from Lac La Biche, Treaty 6. I now live on the ancestral and unceded territories of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm, Sḵwx̱wú7mesh and səl̓ilwətaɬ Nations with my little family. I am citizen of the Otipemisiwak Métis government and honour my time spent in Mohkinstsis (Calgary), where I became deeply grounded in values of community, responsibility, and continued learning.
Ask Me About
- Curriculum design centering Indigenous student needs and experiences
- Building a safer classroom environment
- Creative ways to use What I Learned in Class Today
Janelle Kasperski
Educational Consultant, Strategic Projects
She/Her
I belong to the Nisga’a Nation located in northern, so-called, “British Columbia.” I also carry Polish/Ukrainian heritage on my father’s side. Terrace, Prince Rupert, Kitimat and my home community of Lax̱g̱alts’ap are places that have informed my growth and knowledge over the years. I come from a long line of strong Matriarchal teachings. These were the beginnings of my understanding of positionality within a community. I also spent time living in the Kanien’kehà:ka Mohawk territory of Kahnawà:ke where my growth and knowledge expanded in beautiful ways. The urban Indigenous & BIPOC communities in Tiohtià:ke, Tkoronto, and “Vancouver”, have also been largely impactful in my learning through the sharing of histories, perspectives, knowledge & meals around the table.
Ask Me About
- Indigenous Strategic Plan
- Storytelling & Kinship
- Indigenous joy, queer joy,strengths-based approaches to Indigenous education
Janey Lew
Senior Strategist
She/They/ 她
I’m a second-generation Chinese-Canadian, born and raised on the unceded, ancestral lands of Musqueam, Squamish, and Tseil-watuth peoples. My family is from the Sze Yup (四邑)/Four Counties region of Guangdong Province in Southern China. We are descendants of sojourner grandfathers and uncles who paid the Chinese Head Tax and laboured on the Canadian Pacific Railroad. I grew up at the intersections of three culturally and historically significant East Vancouver neighbourhoods: Chinatown, Strathcona, and the Downtown Eastside. Legacies of community cultural activism that surrounded me and lifted me up continue to light my fire today.
Ask Me About
- II team’s core programs, services, and educational resources
- Strategic anti-racist and Indigenous educational development, facilitation, and curricular support initiatives
- in/relation: Supporting new learners to Indigenous topics at UBC
Kyle Shaughnessy
Educational Consultant: Staff Training
He/Him
On my mother’s side I’m Tłı̨chǫ Dene, Ukrainian, and French. Our family names are Camsell, Lafferty, and Koyczan, we’re originally from Behchokǫ̀. On my father’s side I‘m Irish. I was born in Yellowknife, NWT and raised in Nunavut and rural BC. I’ve lived on unceded Coast Salish lands for most of my life and my connection to the north is integral to my work and identity. I’m also queer, trans, and Two-Spirit/Indigiqueer. My roots and sense of belonging in liberatory queer spaces runs deep and shapes how I relate and carry myself in the world.
Ask Me About
- Staff training & professional development (such as Indigenous Learning Pathways)
- Land based knowledge and learning
- Two-Spirit/Indigiqueer (2SIQ) topics
Lauren Casey
Educational Consultant: Anti-Racist and Indigenous Initiatives
Any Pronouns
Haala ḵaats’ii, I am Haida and Cree-Metis. My paternal family is registered with Skidegate of the Haida Nation, of the Juus Clan from the Youngs and Collinsons. My maternal family are of mixed settler and Red River Metis descent. Our family names include Desmarais, Clermont, and Delorme. My involvement in the MMIWG movement has forged deep connections with urban Indigenous community particularly in the DTES where I continue to volunteer. I am a strong advocate for liberatory justice that centers harm reduction, intersectional feminism and abolitionist teachings. Haawa.
Ask Me About
- Systemic trauma informed classroom climate
- Intersectional approaches to pedagogy
- Community-centred teaching and learning
Paulina Semenec
Evaluation Consultant
She/Her
I am a first-generation immigrant of European (Czech) ancestry and came to Canada in the late 1980’s with my family at the age of 6. I grew up in various places in Ontario but spent the majority of my childhood living in Mississauga, Ontario. After completing my B.A, I decided that a change of scenery was needed, so I drove across Canada to BC, where I now work and live with my family. I currently live in Squamish (located on the ancestral and unceded territory of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh Nations.
Ask Me About
- Evaluation and research
- ISP engagement work across campus
- Teaching at UBC
Renata Hall
Educational and Evaluation Consultant
She/Her
I am a second-generation cis-gendered Black, and queer, Toronto Born settler with Ghanian and Indigenous Guyanese (Amerindian-Akawaio) ancestry. I have lived most of my life in the Greater Toronto Area, the unceded land and territory of the Mississauga’s, Haudenosaunee and Anishinaabeg. I am honored to join the team and further grateful for the opportunity to explore my passions and make connections on the ancestral and unceded territory of the Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh Nations.
Ask Me About
- Social Work & Social Justice
- Anti-Racist Pedagogies & Black Feminisms
- Arts Based Teaching and Research
Samantha Nock
Educational Resources Developer
She/Her
Tân’si, I am Cree-Métis and grew up in Treaty 8 territory in the BC Peace Region. My maternal family is from Ile-a-la-Crosse, Saskatchewan, Treaty 10. My family names are Morin, Bouvier, and Gardner. I am of mixed European settler and Métis heritage on my father’s side. I released my first collection of poetry with Talonbooks in 2025: A Family of Dreamers. I live in East Van with my partner and our cat (Betty). I am a strong advocate for harm reduction, abolition, and liberatory healing in our communities.
Ask Me About
- Systemic trauma informed classroom climate
- Developing community centered educational resources
- Indigenous critiques and conversations around AI