We acknowledge that the UBC Vancouver campus is situated on the traditional, ancestral, and unceded territory of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam).
REDI Committee
REDI Committee Statement
In development
Sue Mills
SPPH REDI Chair
I come to the Chair position with humility, gratitude, and profound respect for the Indigenous People who have taken care of the land and waterways for thousands of years. As a white settler, I have a significant responsibility to help address the harms caused, and still being caused by colonialism, and to acknowledge the strengths and resilience of the Indigenous People. As someone who has always worked to illuminate and address injustices, I strive to continually learn how my positionality and diverse life experiences shape my perspectives, relationships, and work.
As the Chair, I am committed to, and accountable for creating open, inclusive spaces for dialogue and action where all members of the committee have a voice and are empowered to lead SPPH forward in achieving equity, diversity, and inclusion in all our learning and work environments. I am inspired by the diverse backgrounds, experiences, and knowledge of all the members on the committee and look forward to the meaningful work we will do together in the months ahead.
REDI Commitee Members
Erica Frank
Professor
I want to share the REDI strategies, networks, and resources I have acquired professionally as the longest-standing faculty member representing Canada Research Chairs (CRCs) on UBC’s CRC EDI Action Plan (CRCEDIAP) Working Group (and with other EDI foci at UBC), and as someone personally working on recognizing, better strategizing on, and being out about her own issues around equity, disability, inclusion, respect, and privilege.
Connie Wu
Communications Specialist
As an immigrant and person of color living on unceded land, I understand the importance of representation and inclusion. In my role, I am committed to communicating messages with REDI in mind, ensuring that our messages are inclusive and supportive of all members of our community. This experience has highlighted the importance of REDI in communications and fuels my passion for supporting these efforts within the REDI Committee.
Negar Balouchestani-Asli
Graduate Student
As a first-generation daughter of immigrants to Turtle Island, colonially known as Canada, I have embarked on a journey of learning and unlearning personal biases, acknowledging my position as an uninvited guest on these lands. Over the past few years, I have come to understand the weight of my positionality and the unearned privileges I hold. This awareness has instilled in me a profound sense of responsibility, particularly towards the Indigenous Peoples whose unceded land I occupy.
Reza Afshari
Clinical Professor
Over the past thirty years, my academic and professional journey has traversed continents, offering diverse experiences across Asia, Europe, and North America. These global encounters have profoundly influenced my perspective on REDI. I’ve had the privilege of collaborating with colleagues and mentoring students from diverse backgrounds. My dedication extends to addressing social and health disparities within racial, ethnic, and minority communities, a focal point of my research endeavours. I am committed to tackling these issues with a rigorous scientific methodology and an unwavering dedication to continual improvement.
Susan M Cox
Professor
Chair in Biomedical Ethics
Director of MSc and PhD Programs
I am a big believer in the value of contemplative and other practices that support resilience and wellbeing in higher education and recognize that we still have a long way to go in creating working and learning environments that feel authentically welcoming, productive and joyful for everyone. I hope that our work on the REDI committee will help to advance this goal and encourage a stronger sense of community.
Suhail Marino
Program Manager and Privacy Officer
I consider it a privilege to be working on REDI-related issues and fostering best practices leading to inclusive and respectful environments. As an immigrant and person of colour, I see my role in this committee as assisting SPPH in building a respectful community where all diverse individuals feel safe, valued, respected, and welcomed. I am hopeful that SPPH, through the work of this committee, can make systemic changes that benefit everyone.
Chelsey Perry
Graduate Student
I am committed to creating safer and more inclusive environments for Indigenous students. As an Indigenous and queer academic, I understand the importance of addressing racism and discrimination within the academic system. My goal is to create an accountability structure within the REDI committee to ensure that issues that have arisen within SPPH are addressed, that student voices are represented, and that SPPH is accountable to implementing recommendations from the REDI committee.
Natasha Newman
Graduate Student
Amanda Versteeg
Senior Human Resources Manager