Jane Allen, B.A., M.A., ICD.D
Jane Allen is an experienced Board director, management consultant, and former utility executive. She had a distinguished 20-year career at Deloitte, where she was Partner in charge of the power and utilities management consulting practice, and led the renewable energy practice worldwide. Her expertise is in corporate strategy and transformational change, as well as governance of complex organizations. Ms. Allen served on Deloitte’s Management Committee and Board of Directors, and was Deloitte’s first Chief Diversity Officer, establishing a number of award-winning programs. After retiring from Deloitte, Jane joined Hydro One as Senior Vice-President of Strategy & Innovation, responsible for guiding the strategy of the corporation and leading its innovation agenda.

She has served on many Boards, including the National Ballet of Canada, North American Electric Reliability Corporation, Dillon Consulting, Ontario Centre of Innovation, Energy Council of Canada, and McMaster University.

Jane has received a number of honours and distinctions, including Catalyst Canada Honours Champion, YWCA Woman of Distinction for Corporate Leadership, Canada’s Top 100 Most Powerful Women, and Canada’s Top 25 Women of Influence.

Jane is a proud McMaster graduate, earning her master’s and bachelor’s degrees, summa cum laude. She has the ICD.D designation from the Rotman School of Business and also attended executive education programs at the International Institute for Management Development in Lausanne, Switzerland.

Ahmed Abdalla
Ahmed is a fourth-year undergraduate student in the Honours Life Sciences Co-op program. Within the university, he serves in various roles, such as the Faculty of Science undergraduate student representative on Senate, Co-president of Multipolar Marauder, an MSU club, and Finance Director of McMaster Cardiovascular and Resuscitation club. His involvement on the Senate extends to the Senate Board for Student Appeals and the Committee on Student Affairs. Furthermore, he is a mentor, providing guidance and support, to lower-year colleagues within the Life Sciences program.

In academia, Ahmed is a researcher in diverse research topics, such as the genetics factors underlying specific cardiovascular diseases, artificial intelligence integration into university courses, and the effects of workload and MSAF usage among students.

Beyond academia, Ahmed volunteers at the hemodialysis unit at St. Joseph’s Hospital and currently serves as a member of MP Omar Alghabra’s Mississauga-Centre Youth Council. Ahmed also volunteers at the Ottawa Community Immigrant Services Organization as a Technical Writer, guiding new immigrants through settlement processes.

Juliet Daniel, B.Sc., Ph.D.
Professor Juliet Daniel is a Cancer Biologist and the Associate Dean of Research and External Relations in the Faculty of Science at McMaster University. She received her BSc from Queen’s University, her PhD from UBC, and completed Postdoctoral studies at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and Vanderbilt University in Tennessee.

Prof. Daniel’s cancer biology research led to her discovery and naming of a new gene “Kaiso”, coined from her favorite Caribbean music “calypso”. Her research team is focused on elucidating the role of Kaiso in cancer and vertebrate development. Her team is also currently elucidating the molecular/genetic causes of the disparities in incidence and poor outcomes of triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) in Black women. Prof. Daniel partners with The Olive Branch of Hope cancer Support Service in Toronto to organize “Think Beyond ‘Love Pink’ Breast Cancer Awareness” workshops for women of African Ancestry in Ontario and the Caribbean.

Prof. Daniel co-founded the African Caribbean Faculty Association of McMaster (ACFAM) in 2010 and serves on the President’s Advisory Committee for Building an Inclusive Community (PACBIC) at McMaster. Professor Daniel also serves as faculty mentor for student members of Women in Science & Engineering (WISE) and the Black Aspiring Physicians of McMaster (BAP-MAC) student club.

In recognition of her research and community service, Prof. Daniel has received several awards including a Senior Women Academic Administrators of Canada EDI Recognition Award, the inaugural Canadian Cancer Society Inclusive Excellence Award, an Honorary Doctor of Science from the University of the West Indies (UWI) Cave Hill, a UWI Vice Chancellor’s Award, a WXN Canada’s Most Powerful Women: Top 100 Award, a 100 Accomplished Black Canadian Women Award and a Barbados National Honor Gold Crown of Merit among many others. She has also been featured in “Millennium Minds: 100 Black Canadians” and “Who’s Who in Black Canada”.

Susan Galloway, BA, CPA, CMA
Susan Galloway, Chartered Professional Accountant, Certified Management Accountant, is the executive director of finance in the Faculty of Health Sciences at McMaster. A graduate of the University of Waterloo, Susan joined McMaster in 2010 in the department of Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics (now Health Research Methods, Evidence, and Impact) before moving into a leadership role in the Faculty of Health Sciences finance office. In this position Susan manages all aspects of the Faculty’s finances, including operating, clinical, and research funds.

Before joining McMaster Susan spent 20 years in broadcasting. She was most recently the regional director of labour relations for eastern Canada at Canwest Global Communications Corporation, at the time Canada’s largest media company. Before moving into labour relations she managed finance and human resources at CHCH Television, a division of Canwest Media.

In her time in Health Sciences finance Susan has led operational improvements such as the implementation of the Faculty of Health Sciences budget model and
the innovative Finance 2 Go efficiency project. She has also been an advocate for positive change through committee work on projects like the Mosaic, MacBill, and MacBuy implementations and working groups formed in response to the recent Finance and HR reviews.

James LeMoine, B.Eng., M.A.Sc.
James is an Anishinaabe PhD student at McMaster University. His research is on electro-hydrodynamics, a method of improving heat transfer in the hopes of increasing system efficiency in various components which can, in turn, reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The entire lab is focused on reduced greenhouse gas emissions and reducing the carbon footprint. By researching how to increase transfer and by designing more efficient systems, we hope to reduce our global impact.

James notes that it means a lot to be recognized as one of the minority groups on a university campus.  “Of my Indigenous friends, few went into academia and those who did, did not choose STEM paths,” said James. “It really felt isolating, so seeing an award that aims to encourage more Indigenous people to follow the path really means a lot.”

James volunteers at the Hamilton Regional Indian Center, also known as the Friendship Center. They provide tech support for Indigenous people in the Hamilton community. At the onset of the pandemic, he worked to move some of the elders onto the Zoom video conferencing platform to ensure they could continue having meetings throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.

Jennifer Rowe, B.Com.
Jennifer Rowe is an independent director, having spent a successful career as an executive in the financial services, health and energy sectors. Her most recent role was as Chief Brand and Reputation Officer for Medavie Inc, where she was responsible for brand, communications, social impact and diversity, equity and inclusion. Jennifer retired from Medavie in the Spring of 2022.

Jennifer holds a Bachelor of Commerce from McMaster University, as well as the Institute of Corporate Directors’ ICD designation and is on McMaster’s Board of Governors and Alumni Association Board. She has served on the boards of Canadian Nuclear Association, Ontario Chamber of Commerce, Canadian Stage Company and Toronto Region Immigrant Employment Council.

Heather Sheardown, B.Eng., Ph.D.
Heather Sheardown is a faculty member in the Department of Chemical Engineering and currently serves as Dean as the Faculty of Engineering. As Dean, she is currently the Vice Chair of Engineering Deans Ontario and serves as the treasurer for Engineering Deans Canada.

She has been at McMaster for more than 25 years. She has previously served as Associate Dean of the School of Graduate Studies. She has broad university experience and service, including serving as a member of the University Planning Committee, as a member and as chair of the budget committee, serving on multiple bargaining teams and on numerous previous senior leadership search committees (Dean of Engineering twice, Dean of Health Sciences, Provost, Vice President Research, AVP Finance, Dean of Humanities). In addition, she is an active researcher. She has run several large research initiatives including serving as the Scientific Director of the NSERC 20/20 Ophthalmic Materials Research Network, Scientific Director of the ORF funded C20/20 Innovation Hub and currently as Scientific Director of ORF funded C20/20+. Her team in these initiatives was recently honoured with a Brockhouse Prize from NSERC.

Mamdouh Shoukri, C.M., O.Ont., D.Sc. (Hon), FCAE, Ph.D., P.Eng.
A McMaster University graduate, Dr. Shoukri was the President and Vice- Chancellor of York University (2007-2017). A champion of innovation, Dr. Shoukri has guided York’s transformation into a comprehensive and research-intensive university. Dr. Shoukri began his career in academia in 1984 in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at McMaster, serving as Department Chair (1990-94), Faculty Dean (1994-2001) and Vice-President Research & International (2001- 2007). Under his guidance, the Faculty of Engineering enjoyed unprecedented growth and the development of the McMaster Innovation Park was initiated and implemented. Prior to joining McMaster, he held progressive roles in the Research Division of Ontario Hydro, where he was responsible for industrial research.

Dr. Shoukri was a founding Board Member of the Ontario Centres of Excellence (OCE) and a member of the Ontario Research and Innovation Council (ORIC). He continues to serve on several public and private Boards and advisory groups including the Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI).

Dr. Shoukri is a Member of the Order of Canada and the Order of Ontario and was awarded the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee medal. He is a Fellow of the
Canadian Academy of Engineering, the Canadian Society for Mechanical Engineering and senior Fellow of Massey College. Dr. Shoukri’s scholarly interests are in thermo-fluid science, and he is the author or co-author of more than 120 papers that have appeared in refereed journals and symposia. As a senior academic, community and thought leader, Dr. Shoukri’s interests are in post-secondary education, innovation and human rights and equity.

Brenda Vrkljan, Ph.D., O.T. Reg. (Ont.)
Dr. Brenda Vrkljan is a Professor in the School of Rehabilitation Science and the inaugural Director of the Integrated Rehabilitation and Humanities undergraduate program. Clinically trained as an Occupational Therapist, her research focuses on leveraging technology to support healthy aging and mobility that ensures older adults can engage in activities (‘occupations’) they identify as meaningful and important. Dr. Vrkljan is recognized for her innovative and interdisciplinary approach to examining driving and community mobility in later life. She is the Editor-in-Chief of the Canadian Journal of Occupational Therapy.

Within Hamilton, Dr. Vrkljan volunteers as a board member with Thrive group that supports older adults and other vulnerable groups living in their own homes as well as in long-term care and other residential facilities. Dr. Vrkljan is the scientific co-lead of the McMaster Collaborative for Health and Aging where she is committed to advancing inclusive excellence at McMaster and beyond.

Eugenia Zuroski, B.A., M.A., Ph.D.
I am Professor of English and Cultural Studies, a department I joined in 2009. My research areas are eighteenth-century British literature and culture, orientalism and imperialism, and anticolonial theory and practice. I serve as Editor-in-Chief of the journal Eighteenth-Century Fiction, and as of January 5, 2024 will be President of the Council of Editors of Learned Journals. My scholarly books include A Taste for China: English Subjectivity and the Prehistory of Orientalism (Oxford University Press, 2013) and A Funny Thing: Eighteenth-Century Literature Undisciplined (forthcoming 2024 from Cambridge University Press). I have published numerous articles and essays in scholarly and public-facing publications, as well as two chapbooks of poetry and individual poems in major literary journals, one of which was selected for Best Canadian Poetry 2021.

In my time at McMaster, I have served on two faculty search committees in my department, the most recent one as part of the 2021 Black Excellence targeted hires. I also served on the 2019 search committee at the Faculty level to select our current Dean of Humanities. From 2019–2021 I served as the Faculty Co-Chair of PACBIC, and in that role I was active on the EIO Strategic Planning Committee as well as in numerous events and initiatives brought forth by PACBIC’s working groups to improve equity, diversity, inclusivity, and accessibility at McMaster at the levels of institutional structure, systemic practices and relations, and everyday personal experience.

I would be honoured to bring these ongoing institutional commitments to the committee tasked with appointing the University President, a role that demands the visionary ability to imagine McMaster’s place in future worlds, and the practical skills of synthesizing the needs and knowledges of our diverse community of students, staff, and faculty to bring us all into that future together.

Barrington Walker, Ph.D.
Barrington Walker is the Vice Provost (Equity and Inclusion) and Professor of History at McMaster. Dr. Walker holds a doctoral degree in Canadian History from the University of Toronto (Canada). Before arriving at McMaster, he was the inaugural Associate Vice-President Equity, Diversity and Inclusion and Professor of History at Wilfrid Laurier University in Waterloo, Ontario. His research and teaching interests are in histories of Black Canada, race, immigration, and the law. From 2001-2019, he was member of the History Department at Queen’s University, Kingston. During those years he taught both at the undergraduate and graduate levels and supervised and mentored over 40 graduate students in topics related to his research specialties. He is also often consulted for national television, print and radio media. He has published three books. Race On Trial: Black Defendants in Ontario’s Criminal Courts, 1858-1958 (University of Toronto Press and the Osgoode Society for Canadian Legal History, 2010); The African Canadian Legal Odyssey: Historical Essays (University of Toronto Press and the Osgoode Society for Canadian Legal History, 2012) and The History of Immigration and Racism in Canada: Essential Readings (Canadian Scholars Press, 2008). He also currently working on two book projects: Colonizing Nation: Blackness and Citizenship in Canada and Dark Threats: Blacks and Violence in Canada’s Urban Landscapes (Wilfrid Laurier University Press). In 2012 Race on Trial was shortlisted for the Ontario Speaker’s Book Prize. He is also currently a member of the Board of the Federation for the Social Sciences and Humanities and Chair of its standing committee on Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Decolonization. He is also a member of the Inter-Institutional Advisory Committee for the Scarborough Charter on Anti-Black Racism and Black Inclusion.