Advisory Board
In addition to the governance and support provided by UVic, CanAssist also reports to an Advisory Board comprised of senior university-based members and individuals from the external (non-UVic) community. The Board meets three times a year.
CanAssist greatly appreciates the Board's contribution in helping define and review our strategies and plans, and the tremendous number of new ideas and enthusiasm they bring to the process.
For more information about the role of the CanAssist Advisory Board as it relates to the University, please contact the Board Chair, Dr. Catherine Mateer.
For more information about individual Board members, the Board process, or to suggest topics for discussion by the Board, please contact CanAssist.
UVic Representatives
Dr. Catherine Mateer (Board Chair)
Associate Vice President, Academic Planning
E: mateer@uvic.ca
As Associate VP Academic Planning, Catherine is responsible for overseeing a number of UVic academic elements, including institutional planning and analysis, register and enrollment services, and co-operative education. Her office is also the direct reporting line for CanAssist into the University. Catherine has been at UVic since 1994 and played a number of roles in the Department of Psychology and is well known internationally for her work in the clinical, assessment and management of cognitive and emotional difficulties following neurological injury. She has also served in many administrative capacities within the broader University, including serving on the Committee on Providing Accommodation for Students with a Disability. She is a BC Registered Psychologist and board certified Clinical Neuropsychologist. She has served as President of the American Academy of Clinical Neuropsychology and is currently President of the Association of Doctoral Education in Clinical Neuropsychology. She was elected a Fellow of the American Psychological Association in 2003.Dr. Valerie Kuehne
Vice President, External Relations
E: vkuehne@uvic.ca
Valerie Kuehne is Vice-President External Relations at the University of Victoria, responsible for the university's government relations, community relations, marketing, communications, corporate relations, ceremonies and events, art galleries, development and alumni relations. She joined the CanAssist Advisory Board in October 2008. Valerie is also a Professor in the School of Child and Youth Care, where she has had an academic appointment since 1990. With a background in pediatric nursing and professional experience working with all age groups, she has researched intergenerational relationships as they occur in families and various community contexts for more than 20 years.
Dr. Bonnie Leadbeater
Director Interdisciplinary Program in Social Dimensions of Health
E: bleadbea@uvic.ca
Bonnie joined UVic in 1997 after 9 years as a faculty member at Yale University. She is co-leader of the BC Child and Youth Health Network funded by the Michael Smith Foundation for Health Research. She was also the founding Director of UVic's Centre for Youth and Society and, also, the BC Centre for Addictions Research. With the Rock Solid Foundation and Greater Victoria School District 61, she has co-developed and evaluated the WITS Primary and WITS LEADS programs, which show promise in reducing peer victimization in elementary schools. She is currently Director of the Interdisciplinary Program in Social Dimensions of Health within UVic's Department of Psychology.Dr. Rachael Scarth
Director, Office of Research Services
E: orsdir@uvic.ca
Rachael received her PhD from Cambridge University in 1983 and became a faculty member at the University of Manitoba with a research focus in canola breeding. She then became Associate Dean (Research), Agricultural and Food Sciences, from 2001-06, where she was involved in all aspects of faculty administration. Rachael joined UVic as Director of Research Services in 2006 and is responsible for the planning, direction and overall management of the operational units within the University's research support services.
Kristi Simpson
Associate Vice-President Financial Planning and Operations
E: ksimpson@uvic.ca
Kristi joined UVic in 2003 following 4 years as Director of Finance at UNBC and 6 years as Director of Finance in School Districts 63 and 68. She is a UVic alumni, holding a BA in Economics, as well as being a certified Chartered Accountant. In her current role as Associate VP Financial Planning and Operations, she is responsible for the overall operating budget for the University, treasury (investments), pensions, risk management and insurance, capital and space planning, and campus planning and sustainability. Kristi is also Treasurer of the University of Victoria Foundation. 
Dr. Tom Tiedje
Dean of Engineering
E: engrdean@uvic.ca
Community Representatives
Shelley Morris
CEO, The Cridge Centre for the Family
E: smorris@cridge.org
Shelley is a home grown Victorian, born and raised here with only a two-year detour to the Kootenays. She has spent the majority of her working career with The Cridge Centre for the Family, serving since 1981 in a variety of administrative, program and management roles, before being appointed as Chief Executive Officer in 2006. Shelley also has extensive non-profit experience in program development, brain injury, and finance and growth.Scott Phillips
President, StarFish Medical
E: sphillips@starfishmedical.com
Scott is the founder and president of StarFish Medical, the largest medical device development services company in Canada with 50 staff. The company focuses on developing devices with technology innovation and human-centric design aspects for entrepreneurial companies around North America. In 2010 the company won international recognition in Germany and the U.S. for its designs. Also as the CEO of the StarFish group of companies he oversees ViVitro Labs, a leading prosthetic heart valve testing equipment and services company with customers around the world. Scott graduated in engineering physics from UBC in 1989. Prior to starting StarFish he spent 10 years in B.C. and Alberta working at Moli Energy, Alberta Research Council and independently on a variety of technology-focused projects such as lithium batteries, spectroscopy instrumentation and planar magnetic audio speakers. He is currently Vice-chair of the Viatec board and was a former long-time board member of the BC Medical Technology Industry Association. Sandra Richardson
Executive Director and CEO, Victoria Foundation
E: sandra@victoriafoundation.bc.ca
Sandra has been the CEO of the Victoria Foundation since 2001. Prior to joining the Foundation, she had a five-year tenure as Director of Development and Planned Giving with the Victoria Hospice & Palliative Care Foundation and held the position of Director of Development for the Cleveland Playhouse and, subsequently, the Cleveland Opera. In 2007, Sandra was invited to enter the Order of Saint John in recognition for her achievements and contributions to the Greater Victoria community, and in June 2008 she was honored by Royal Roads University with the Community Leadership Award.Rachael Ross
Director, Disability Strategy, Ministry of Housing & Social Development
E: rachael.ross@gov.bc.ca
Prior to her current position, Rachael was the Manager of the Minister's Council on Employment for Persons with Disabilities. She also has 8 years experience in disability policy and project management. Rachael has worked internationally as a researcher for the Centre for International Rehabilitation and was involved in the development of the United Nations Convention on the Rights and Dignity of Persons with Disabilities. Dr. Pam Steeves
Parent/Narrative Researcher in Education
E: psteeves@ualberta.ca
Pam was an elementary school teacher, special needs resource teacher, and teacher librarian for many years with the Edmonton Public Schools and, before that, in Halifax, Nova Scotia. More recently and after obtaining her PhD, she has taught courses and engaged in research with the Centre for Research for Teacher Education and Development at the University of Alberta. Since moving to Victoria, Pam has continued this association as an assistant adjunct professor with the Centre. Pam's life has been profoundly shaped by her son, who lives with multiple disabilities, such that her personal and professional lives intertwine. Ex Officio Board Members
Dr. Howard Brunt
Executive Director, CanAssist
E: vpr@uvic.ca
Dr. Brunt, a professor in the Faculty of
Human and Social Development, has been the Vice President Research at the
University of Victoria since 2007. Prior to that, he served as the Provost and
Vice President Academic at the University of Northern British Columbia
(2004-07) and as the Associate Vice President Research at UVic (1997-2004). His
academic background is in cardiovascular epidemiology and cardiovascular
nursing. His degrees are from the University of Calgary (PhD, 1990), Yale
University (MScN, 1983), University of Vermont (ADN, 1978), and the University
of Florida (BA, 1974). He is (or has recently been) the chair of a number of
research-related boards, has served on a wide range
of other research and health-related boards and committees and is a member of the Ocean Networks Canada board. Finally, he has responsibility for overseeing the
preparation of ONC's CFI-Major Science Initiative proposal. Dr. Brunt holds the positions of VP Research at UVic and Executive Director of CanAssist concurrently.
Dr. Nigel Livingston
Director - Research and Development/Academic Liaison, CanAssist
E: njl@uvic.ca
Nigel Livingston was born and raised in London, UK and moved to Canada in 1977. He completed his Ph.D. (Biometeorology) at UBC in 1986. Following three years at the University of Saskatchewan, he moved to Victoria in 1990 to take up a faculty position in the Department of Biology. In 1999, Nigel created the first steps in what was to become UVATT (the predecessor to CanAssist). In 2006, in recognition of his efforts and the significant development of UVATT, the University of Victoria formally appointed him as Director of UVATT/CanAssist.
Robin Syme
Director - Partnerships, CanAssist
E: rsyme@uvic.ca
Dr. Michael Hayes
Director, Health Education and Research, School of Public Health and Social Policy
E: mhayes@uvic.ca
Dr. Hayes is a professor in the newly established School of Public
Health and Social Policy at the University of Victoria, where he is also
the inaugural Director of Health Education and Research. Prior to
taking up this appointment, he was Associate Dean and co-founder of the
Faculty of Health Sciences at SFU. Dr. Hayes' research interests involve
social geographies of health, health inequities, disability and public
policy. He has published more than 60 academic papers and reports and
co-edited three books. He and Professor Graham Moon founded the journal
Health and Place (Elsevier) and he was its North American editor until
the end of 2003. Dr. Hayes was a non-governmental representative on the
Federal/Provincial/Territorial Advisory Committee on Population Health
from 2001 until 2006 and a non-governmental representative on the Public
Health Agency of Canada's Expert Group on Population Health Promotion
until 2008. He is a regular key-note speaker at public health
conferences and workshops across Canada. Go to Top