AC Faculty

Samantha’s research and teaching experience includes sociology and language revitalization as well as English as a Second Language teaching and academic writing.

After graduating from Simon Fraser University, Samantha gained first-hand experience as an international student while on the Japanese government MEXT program in Okinawa, Japan.

She completed her master’s in Linguistics and Communications and doctorate in Comparative Regional Culture and Area Studies at the University of the Ryukyus in Okinawa, Japan, and continues her Foundation for Endangered Languages (FEL)-sponsored research on language reclamation in Okinawan cultural arts.

Dr. Christine Elsey received her PhD, MA and BA in Sociology and Anthropology from Simon Fraser University. Formerly, she was an Associate Professor at the University of the Fraser Valley, in the School of Culture, Media and Society, where she taught Sociology and Anthropology courses at the undergraduate level. Her main areas of expertise are anthropological and sociological theory, and BC. First Nations.

Over the years, Christine has taken special enjoyment in teaching introductory courses in Cultural Anthropology. She was covered with a blanket for her contribution to the education of one of her First Nations students, during a special First Nations graduation ceremony, at the Malloway Longhouse in Chilliwack, BC. (in 2006). In 2021, she was awarded the designation of Professor Emeritus at the University of the Fraser Valley (UFV) for her contributions to scholarship, university service and teaching.

Dr. Patino-Contreras is a Canadian researcher and an educator. As a Cultural History Enthusiast, Knowledge Builder, and Curiosity Kindler, he advocates for promoting intersocietal dialogue, critical thinking, and exchanging ideas through engaged teaching, learning, and researching.

Dr. Patino Contreras has a PhD. In Archaeology from the University of Calgary. His professional experience encompasses over a decade of research in anthropological archaeology in Guatemala, Central America, and some work in Colombia, South America. Dr. Patino-Contreras is interested in the evolution of social, economic, and political integration and segregation dynamics in pre-industrial societies. Specifically, his work addresses the roles of the creation, manipulation, and consumption of ceramics, developing cultural mechanisms of societal inclusion and exclusion. He has investigated this subject within the framework of international archaeological projects at El Mirador Basin and the sites of Naachtun, El Tigre, and La Sufricaya in Guatemala.

Dr. Patino Contreras has studied how Indigenous identities in the Eastern Andes of Colombia were asserted and reproduced in the house plans and garbage discarding practices of a small settlement before and after the Spanish invasion. He has also examined Indigenous views of societal change during this critical period by analyzing myths and descriptions of rituals and spiritual beliefs gathered by Spanish authors.

As an instructor at AC and an independent researcher, Dr. Patino-Contreras hopes to spark further curiosity for his subject of study by disseminating his research in publications and presentations. His research is featured in international peer-reviewed journals, conference presentations, and field reports.

Lindsay holds a M.A in Anthropology from Simon Fraser University.

Her thesis, Studenthood: An ethnography of post-secondary student life, explores the distinct subjectivity of students through a variety of participant action research methods with a focus on the notion of student fragility.

Using life course theory and the related concepts of tacking and vital conjunctures, Lindsay explores student navigational strategies and rethinks this demarcated period in the life course which has been traditionally perceived as a period of adolescent indecisiveness encapsulated as liminality.

Lindsay’s future research aims to better understand how higher education marketing fosters an environment of student fragility that necessitates numerous institutionally sanctioned stress-relief practices.

Lindsay is currently working with Simon Fraser University and The University of Toronto on a national workforce intergration social enterprise (WISE) longitudinal evaluation project (SSHRC Insight Grant, 2017-2022). This study follows youth graduates of social enterprise-based training programs to see to what extent they can integrate into the workforce. Lindsay’s previous experience includes working with SFU’s Urban Studies Department on an employer transit subsidy study (ETSS).

This project involved conducting experimental research on a worker transit subsidy program for downtown Vancouver hotel workers and included an examination of transit ridership levels, commuting patterns, and workplace performance.

Sharmita Paul is a dynamic instructor specializing in Anthropology and Sociology with over 4 years of teaching experience. Sharmita Paul is passionate about using anthropological and sociological frameworks to address real-world issues. She believes in creating an inclusive classroom environment where diverse perspectives are appreciated and critical discussions flourish.

She is skilled in program design and innovative teaching methodologies, successfully engaging students in various cultural anthropology and sociology courses. Notably, she has conducted anthropological research on water conservation practices, producing reports at the executive level. She is committed to fostering academic excellence and student success and is capable of enhancing curriculum development and student engagement in the fields of anthropology and sociology.

Outside the classroom, she has many years of experience working in various federal government positions, with a strong understanding of Canada’s federal, provincial, and territorial systems, as well as its political landscape, legislative processes, and government structures. Feel free to reach out to Sharmita Paul if you have any questions. Also, she is actively involved in various community programs that aim to foster social change and improve community relations.

Dr. Panahi obtained her Ph.D. degree in Biochemistry from the University of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. She was a recipient of Ph.D. award from the Genentech Pharmaceutical Company, California, USA. She was also awarded a Postdoctoral Fellowship from the Canadian Blood Services to perform research on blood coagulation proteins at the Centre for Blood Research of the University of British Columbia.

She has worked as a research associate at the University of Ottawa, University of British Columbia and Health Canada. She has many years of teaching experience teaching many biology courses in various colleges and universities in Ottawa and in Vancouver.

Dr. Panahi believes in involving students in “active learning”. That means that students will learn best if they are given the opportunity to express the concepts and ideas through discussion and experimentation.

To accomplish this goal, Dr. Panahi actively engages them in class participation and discussion in order for them to express their ideas to their peers in a professional and respectful way.

Dr. Feresten received an MSc in pharmacology from UBC and a PhD in neurodevelopment from SFU. Their PhD focused on the effects of specific genetic mutations on early brain development in C. Elegans, a microscopic roundworm, and the effect of these mutations on simple forms of learning.

Dr. Feresten has been a teacher’s assistant in a variety of neuroscience, genetics and biology courses at SFU since 2014, and joined Alexander College as a sessional instructor in winter of 2023. They teach Biol100. They love their new job.

“Each person has a unique framework connecting everything they know into an integrative understanding of reality; this is one’s worldview. When new knowledge is integrated, it can be applied in unanticipated contexts. Learning is not just the absorption of facts into your brain, but the integration of those facts into your worldview.

The deepest challenge of learning lies in understanding how to fit that new knowledge into the larger framework of what you already know. My job, as a teacher, is to help students develop this critical skill, thus giving them agency over their own learning process.

I do this by leaning into the inherent diversity of the classroom and developing an environment of creativity and bravery. At the heart of my teaching is my own deep-seated craving to integrate as much understanding of the world as I can. To model integrative learning, I myself must constantly be integrating the learning structures of every student I work with.

This is the most important part of teaching: to learn together and, by doing so, to build something new.”

Dr. Chua received his BSc (Hons) in Molecular Biology and Biochemistry from Simon Fraser University. Afterwards, he pursued his PhD in Biological Sciences from Simon Fraser University. His research focused on cellular microbiology and he published several papers on how specific bacteria like E. coli, Listeria, Salmonella and Klebsiella, changes the shape of our cells when these bacteria infect our bodies.

He then pursued teaching at various institutions in Vancouver and Burnaby where he created and taught a variety of courses from first year biology to third year microbiology. He focuses on giving students hands-on experience in the lab and is passionate about getting students curious about living organisms both in our environments and in the human body.

Dr. Milad Alizadeh is a molecular biologist with a PhD from the University of British Columbia, where his research focused on the genetic and epigenetic regulation of plant’s seed development and germination. His research explored the role of transcription factors and histone modifiers in controlling developmental programs under normal and stress conditions, using Arabidopsis thaliana as a model and using tools such as CRISPR-Cas9 genome editing andnext-generation sequencing.

Milad is interested in the application of biotechnology to various systems such as plants and microorganisms, with the goal of contributing to food safety and improving food quality. He is particularly motivated by the potential of molecular biology and genomics to address global agricultural challenges.In addition to his research, Milad is a dedicated educator and mentor. He has experience teaching molecular biology and genetics at the undergraduate level and has supervised student research projects in the lab. He values inclusive teaching practices and is passionate about inspiring curiosity and critical thinking in students.

Milad aims to integrate research, teaching, and mentorship in a way that bridges fundamental science and real-world applications, while also maintaining space for creativity in his professional life.

Dr. Saber completed her PhD in Genome Sciences and Technology at the University of British Columbia (UBC). Her research looked at how different host factors influence the maturation of transplanted stem cell-derived pancreatic beta cells. She found that cell function was enhanced in female recipients, and when the cells were encased in devices for subcutaneous transplant. Her findings further inform the clinical use of stem cell therapy for diabetes.

Throughout her graduate studies, Dr. Saber was a teaching assistant in a variety of biology, physiology, and histology courses in the Faculties of Science and Medicine. She completed the Certificate in Advanced Teaching and Learning program at UBC to further her understanding of teaching and learning theory, and course design. In 2019, she designed and taught the course ‘Systems Pathophysiology’ in the Vancouver Summer Program at UBC.

Since then, Dr. Saber has taught several courses at UBC including BIOL 112 (Biology of the Cell), BIOL 204 (Vertebrate Structure and Function), and BIOL 260 (Introduction to Physiology). She is excited to be a part of the Alexander College team and teach BIOL 100 this term. She believes in student-centred learning and creating a supportive learning environment so students can succeed.

In 2015, I began my post-secondary studies at Simon Fraser University where I eventually graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Science in the Department of Biological Sciences. While doing my undergraduate degree, I had the chance to specialize in the fields of Ecology, Evolution and Conservation which are the aspects of Biology I find most fascinating.

After finishing my undergraduate studies in late 2019, I began as a Graduate student at SFU in early 2020 where I spent the next four years studying stable flies, an agricultural pest, and how best to deal with them. During my grad studies I had the chance to present my research at several conferences and got to TA an introductory biology course. These experiences made me realize how much I love public speaking and teaching, particularly in a science-centered context. As such, I am very excited to be able to serve as an instructor here at Alexander College and look forward to meeting and working with all of the amazing students at AC.

Dr. Sandra Pena-Diaz obtained her PhD in Microbiology and Immunology from the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, BC.

During her PhD studies she discovered her passion for teaching and learned the importance of research-based teaching techniques, which she currently applies in her courses to guide students in their learning.

Sandra joined Alexander College in September of 2022, where she is committed to help students succeed in their courses. One of her main objectives as an instructor is to always try to explain complex biological concepts in a way that everyone can understand.

Prior to joining Alexander College, she taught Anatomy and Physiology at Vancouver Community College and Gene Regulation at the University of British Columbia.

Dr. Jason Mirzaei is a chemistry lecturer at Alexander College. He obtained his Ph.D. in Chemistry at the University of Manitoba, for his work on developing functional nanomaterials, followed by a postdoctoral fellowship at UBC. He has authored and co-authored more than 15 refereed publications and has received several awards and scholarships for his dedication to research and teaching excellence.

Since 2010, Dr. Mirzaei has taught and supervised first to third year students in general, physical and organic chemistry courses. He is especially interested in the use of innovative instructional techniques including online assignment systems, interactive simulations, videos, and social media for teaching chemistry. Being a passionate educator, he has been very keen to explore pedagogical principles and new teaching practices. He has completed serval certifications and workshops in teaching including the Certification in Higher Education Teaching (CHET) program delivered by the Centre for Advancement of Teaching and Learning at the University of Manitoba and Instruction Skills Workshop at Alexander College.

When he is not working, Dr. Mirzaei enjoys spending time with his family, listening to various podcasts, travelling locally and internationally, and inventing new ideas.

Dr. Grob received her Ph.D. in Chemistry from the University of Saarbrücken in Germany for designing highly efficient and sensitive separation methods for surface-active substances using non-aqueous capillary electrophoresis.

Dr. Grob immigrated to Canada and worked as a research associate at the University of British Columbia for 10 years. Her research focus was in medicinal chemistry where she investigated the modes of action of anti-viral and anti-cancer drugs through chromatography and mass spectrometry.

Dr. Grob published her work in multiple scientific journals and cooperated closely with pharmaceutical companies that worked in joint venture with the University of British Columbia and specifically appointed her for her research.

Dr. Grob is an A+ graduate from the Provincial Instructor Diploma program granted to her by the Ministry of Advanced education and in addition earned several teaching certificates including the Instruction Skills Workshop certificate from the University of British Columbia and from Alexander College.

I am a data analytics professional with a double degree in Bachelor of Arts in Economics and Bachelor of Science in Education Major in Mathematics. I have a Master’s in Business Administration with a specialization in Operations Management. I also graduated from the Provincial Instructor’s Diploma Program of Vancouver Community College.

I am an Internet and Computer Core Certified (IC3) professional and an authorized computer and internet instructor of Certiport. Likewise, I am a Certified Microsoft Office Specialist.

My professional experiences include operations management, risk and investment analysis, portfolio management, banking and credit, e-commerce, data analytics and database development. I also conducts corporate training on planning and strategic management, and am currently pursuing my specialization in Database Development and Design.

I am a business management instructor with extensive experience in managing people and projects. Prior to teaching post-secondary in the Greater Vancouver area, I worked as a university lecturer, Program Head and office administrator in the Commerce and Master of Business Administration departments at Far Eastern University (FEU), one of the top universities in the Philippines. There, I was actively involved in new program development, campus operations, as well as in academic research which led to student and faculty exchanges with several partner international universities in Asia.

Since I joined Alexander College in Fall 2012, I have been actively involved in new Commerce instructors’ orientation and training and in curriculum development. I teach HR and Organizational Behaviour by mixing principles and theories, reflections from my personal experiences and that of others as well as encouraging students to participate extensively in the thought- learning process.

Collectively, my teaching and non-teaching career spans over 25 years.

I also have a CPHR designation from the Chartered Professionals in Human Resources BC & Yukon.

I have been teaching at Alexander College since 2008. My main subject areas are Organisational Behaviour and Human Resources Management, although I occasionally teach Marketing and Business Strategy.

As well as teaching at the College, I am also the Commerce Program Co-ordinator and an acting member of the Academic Standards Committee. I also teach part-time in the Sauder School of Business at the University of British Columbia.

I completed my studies in England, obtaining a Master’s Degree in Business Administration from the University of Leeds, and a Postgraduate Diploma in Management Studies from the University of Westminster.

I joined Alexander College in 2016 after graduating with a master’s degree from Simon Fraser University. I have particular interest in teaching introductory level Commerce and Economics courses . I believe these courses are important in developing critical skills, as well as interest in these noble subject areas. I therefore like to explore varying teaching methods both online and in-person to sustain student interest and engagement.

At Alexander College and other institutions in the lower mainland, I have taught and continue to teach: Introduction to Business, Application of Statistics in Business, Introduction to Economics and Principles of Microeconomics.

Musarrat Khan holds a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Central Arkansas, USA, and a Post-Graduate Certificate in E-Commerce from McGill University, Canada. He brings over 17 years of teaching experience at the MBA, BBA, and diploma levels, having delivered a wide range of courses in Strategic Management, Organizational Behavior, Human Resource Management, Strategic Marketing, Training & Development, Leadership, and Small Business & Entrepreneurship.

In addition to his academic experience, Musarrat has 12 years of mid-level management experience in a marketing organization, where he was involved in strategic planning, sales, and logistics management.

Musarrat joined Alexander College in January 2020, where he currently teaches Introduction to Business, Introduction to Marketing, Small Business and Entrepreneurship, and Management and Organizational Behavior. His research interests focus on leadership and the pedagogy of entrepreneurship. His widely recognized journal article, “The Effective Use of Photo-Essays in the Teaching of Leadership Courses,” was published in The International Journal of Knowledge, Culture, and Change Management: Annual Review, Volume 10, Issue 7, pages 55–68.

Pomponia Martinez has taught in the Commerce department at Alexander College for over 7 years and holds the CPHR designation. Ms. Martinez teaches a variety of Human Resources and Management courses at various institutions, including Managerial Skills, Organizational Behaviour, Human Resources Management, Recruitment and Selection, Organizational Change, Compensation, Training and Development, and HR Strategy. She enjoys teaching in both the in-class and online environments.

Ms. Martinez is also a private sector practitioner in staffing and HR consulting. Ms. Martinez brings over 25 years of experience in the private sector in information systems, strategic planning, port operations management and human resources.

Ms. Martinez currently sits on the Board of non-profit Better Environmentally Sound Transportation (BEST) providing Human Resources advisory expertise.

Simily received her Ph.D in Computer Science from Cochin University of Science and Technology, INDIA, and her Masters Degree in Computer Applications from Mahatma University, India. Simily started her career as a lecturer at Cochin University of Science and Technology and Mahatma Gandhi University. She also worked as a Project Manager at Geojit Technologies, India. After moving to Canada, she started teaching at Canadian College, and later moved to Alexander College and Kwantlen Polytechnic University. Currently, she teaches both at Alexander College and University of the Fraser Valley. Over the years she taught different programming languages like C, C++, Java, and Python, Artificial Intelligence, Networking, Database Management Systems, Management Information Systems, Elements of Computing, Project Management etc. She practices and promotes a supportive and inclusive environment where diversity and equity are honored and every learner feels valued, respected, and motivated to achieve their full potential.

Tat Leung is currently a Chartered Professional Accountant and a Certified General Accountant in Canada. He was a Fellow Chartered Accountant in England and Wales and a Certified Public Accountant in Hong Kong. He earned his Bachelor of Business Administration in Hong Kong and his Master of Business Administration in England. He has been teaching various accounting and finance courses at undergraduate and graduate levels since 1980s.

He was professionally trained in auditing by PricewaterhouseCoopers and obtained his first professional accounting designation in 1980s. He established his own accounting firm in 1990s and practiced publicly on providing audit, accounting and corporate tax services for some years. He has held various senior accounting positions in a couple of blue-chip companies and has played multiple roles in supervising teams of accounting staff to perform routine accounting work, compiling annual reports for publication, generating reports to the top management, and participating in special projects such as IPO and syndicated bank loans for over a decade.

He has been teaching at Alexander College since 2012. He teaches Economics, Business Economics, and Commerce.

He has his Diploma in Physics and Mathematics from Zhitomir Ivan Franko State University in Ukraine, Masters in Economics from Economics Education and Research Consortium, and PhD ABD (Economics) from Simon Fraser University in Burnaby , BC.

Dylan received his PhD in Communication Studies from Concordia University in Montréal, Quebec. Focussed on the discrete workings of often peripheral and overlooked media, his research adds to contemporary approaches for developing accounts of media formations beyond the dominion of functionalist explanations. Dylan is best known for his recent essay on Catherine Malabou: “Of Force? Plasticity, Annihilation and Change.”

Research Interests: media studies, technology, cinema, philosophy of communication, and new materialisms.

Henry holds a Master of Arts in English Language Studies and a Bachelor of Arts in Economics and Publishing, along with a certification in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages. He has taught over 5,000 students and developed more than 40 postsecondary courses in English, Communications, and Visual Communication Design, drawing on his industry experience in publishing, branding, and marketing.

Henry is dedicated to sharing his expertise, inspiring students, and equipping them with the skills to communicate effectively in the digital age.

Julija (she/her, pronounced Yulia) Jeremic has been teaching communications and sociology courses at Alexander College since 2022. She has a doctoral degree from Simon Fraser University, Faculty of Education, department for Educational Technology and Learning Design and master’s degree in education from University of Belgrade, Serbia.

Dr. Jeremic worked with marginalized communities in Southeast Europe and Canada on building and strengthening their individual and organizational capacities, supporting people with disabilities and disability organizations, Roma people, 2SLGBTQAI+ youth, and seniors. She participated in media and public awareness campaigns as a designer and copywriter and contributed to local newspapers and newsletters.

Her research and teaching interest is the mutual impact of technology and society, in particular media and computer technologies. She is especially interested in the education of future technology developers and how to empower them to create socially conscious technologies. Julija has also explored the interaction of older adults with computer technologies and video games and supported them in creating short video stories about their life.

As a former student and youth activist, she is a lifelong supporter of social movements that build inclusive and just societies.

Marziyeh Yousefi is an educator in the Social Sciences Department at Alexander College. She received her PhD in Applied Linguistics from the University of Victoria in 2020. Her BA and MA were focused on Teaching English as a Second Language (TESL). With a career spanning over 20 years, her research and teaching encompass diverse domains, including Communication, Linguistics, and English. She has taught various courses in institutes such as the University of Victoria, University Canada West, Alexander College, BC Institute of Technology (BCIT), Canadian College, etc. She strives to create an inclusive learning environment that fosters active learning, teamwork, and research skills. Marziyeh joined Alexander College in August 2022 and taught several Communication courses including CMNS 110, CMNS 130, CMNS 230, and CMNS 253.

Marziyeh has published several journal articles and presented her research at several conferences. She won the best paper award in 2018 for her research on L2 pragmatics. Her areas of interest include communication, TESL, educational technology, L2 pragmatics, corrective feedback, academic writing, research methods, and quantitative research.

Matthew Horrigan (he/they) is a media scholar whose teaching and research consider the intersections of production processes and digital representations. A musical multi-instrumentalist, Matt trained in electroacoustic sound at McGill University and sound art at Simon Fraser University before pursuing a career as an artist and motion picture technician. Returning to academia, Matt dissertated using ethnographic and archival research methods about the movie production cultures of Hollywood North.

Matt’s artwork has received funding from the Canada Council for the Arts and the BC Arts Council, and Matt’s writing has appeared in journals such as Game Studies, Sound Studies, Acta Ludologica, and the Comparative Media Arts Journal, and at many conferences including those of the Canadian Game Studies Association, the Canadian Sociological Association, and the Society for Literature, Science, and the Arts.

Matt currently teaches Communication and Social Change and Introduction to New Media and ICTs. Find Matt weekly at the Writing and Learning Centre, where students are welcome to come chat about research and writing techniques generally, and specifically about topics such as the dynamics of videogame communities, the birth of cyberpunk, and, relatedly, the unique communication environment of Vancouver and the Stó꞉lō valley.

Pamela Tudge is an interdisciplinary social scientist with over 15 years of academic experience, specializing in food studies, climate change education, and community-based research. Her work also explores the social and environmental impacts of emerging technologies, particularly in relation to food systems and sustainability.

She currently teaches Sociology and Geography at Alexander College and has previously taught Communication Studies. She holds an Honours double major in Geography and Environmental Studies, an Interdisciplinary Master’s in Geography from the University of British Columbia, and a Ph.D. from Concordia University, where her research focused on food-based waste through critical design and public pedagogy.

In addition to teaching, she serves as Assistant Editor of IEEE Technology and Society Magazine, supporting the publication of research on technology’s role in society. Her academic publications include the 2014 study “Evaluating climate change vulnerability assessments: a case study of research focusing on the built environment in northern Canada” and the 2012 report “Collaborating Towards Innovation,” which explored climate communication via GeoWeb tools.

She is also active in public scholarship, contributing works such as the 2025 editorial “Research to Reality: Scholars as Agents of Change” and a 2017 article in The Conversation on redesigning food systems to reduce waste.

Dr. Yukti Seth teaches communications at Alexander college. she holds a Ph.D. in Media and Journalism and brings over nine years of teaching experience in Communication courses. With more than five years of research experience, possesses strong expertise in lifestyle journalism—particularly within magazines—and social media marketing. She is writing a book on: Relevance of active audience theory in today’s social media world. Her research work focuses on communication development, Lifestyle Journalism, and the evolving dynamics of media. She has published several Scopus-indexed research papers and has presented at both national and international academic conferences.

Dr. Cheung has been teaching at Alexander College since 2011. He received his MSc (University of British Columbia) and PhD (Simon Fraser University) in computational condensed matter physics.

In addition, he obtained his BASc in Engineering Physics: computer science stream with math honors (University of British Columbia).

Prior to teaching at Alexander College, he completed research for PMC-Sierra (now Microsemi), TRIUMF, and D-Wave Systems. His focus is always on how to make course material as easy as possible to understand and applying this knowledge in different situations.

Dr. Ahmed Malki, Adjunct Professor, holds a Ph.D. in Computer Science from New Mexico State University in the U.S.

He has taught courses at undergraduate and graduate levels such as Programming Fundamentals using C++, Java and Python, Data structures using C++ and Java, Operating systems, Computer Architecture, Concurrency and distributed systems, Computer Algorithms, Discrete Mathematics, Management Information Systems and E-Commerce Web Design and Systems Analysis and Design.

He joined the Science Department at Alexander College in September 2010.

With a Ph.D. in Mathematics from Simon Fraser University, I am deeply passionate about making math accessible and engaging for students.

My teaching style centers on fostering an inspiring classroom environment where students can explore and appreciate the beauty of mathematics. I teach a range of math courses, with a focus on simplifying complex concepts and sparking curiosity.

Outside the classroom, I enjoy writing computer programs which complements my love for problem-solving.

Dr. Lei Zhang earned his Master of Science in Electronic and Computer Technology and his Ph.D. in Industrial Technology from Indiana State University in the U.S.

He has taught undergraduate courses in areas such as Programming Fundamentals with C++ and Python, Data Structures with C++, Operating Systems, Computer Architecture, Web Servers, Windows Servers, Cloud Computing, and Data Analysis.

My name is Radwa Hammad. I hold a M. Sc. in Computer Science from University of Northern British Columbia in Canada.

I have taught courses at undergraduate, such a Systems Analysis and Design, Programming Fundamentals using C++, Java, C#, and Python, linear algebra, differential equations.

My research interests are image compression, image retrieval and indexing, digital image forgery detection, and data mining.

Seva joined our Alexander College team in 2022. He received his MCS (BGKU, Ukraine) in social computer science. Prior to Alexander College, he taught at Okanagan College, UBC (Okanagan), and various educational institutions in Ukraine. His focus is on clarity and simplicity as well as students’ involvement and self-reflection.

Simily received her Ph.D in Computer Science from Cochin University of Science and Technology, INDIA, and her Masters Degree in Computer Applications from Mahatma University, India. Simily started her career as a lecturer at Cochin University of Science and Technology and Mahatma Gandhi University. She also worked as a Project Manager at Geojit Technologies, India. After moving to Canada, she started teaching at Canadian College, and later moved to Alexander College and Kwantlen Polytechnic University. Currently, she teaches both at Alexander College and University of the Fraser Valley. Over the years she taught different programming languages like C, C++, Java, and Python, Artificial Intelligence, Networking, Database Management Systems, Management Information Systems, Elements of Computing, Project Management etc. She practices and promotes a supportive and inclusive environment where diversity and equity are honored and every learner feels valued, respected, and motivated to achieve their full potential.

Laurel Xiao holds a Doctorate of Business Administration degree in Marketing from Grenoble Ecole de Management. She obtained her Master of Arts degree in Economics from Simon Fraser University after she got her Bachelor of Arts degrees in Finance and Economic Law in China.

Laurel had worked in accounting and mortgage industries before she started to teach economics at Alexander College in January 2010.

She has taught a variety of first and second year economic courses at the college, including microeconomics, macroeconomics, labour economics and environmental economics.

Azadeh Khoshaien received her M.A. in Economics from Simon Fraser University. She has been teaching Economics at Alexander College since 2011.

Azadeh’s teaching areas are Principles of Microeconomics, Principles of Macroeconomics, Money and Banking, and Managerial Economics.

Pramod Khadka joined Alexander College in 2011. Since then, he has been teaching first-year courses as well as several second-year courses such as Money and Banking, Environmental Economics, and Canadian Macroeconomic Policy.

He received his undergraduate education from Bates College, Maine, USA and graduate education from Georgetown University, Washington DC, USA. Prior to joining Alexander College, he taught at Ajou University in South Korea for two years.

Tony Xiang has been teaching at Alexander College since 2011.

The courses that he teaches cover a wide range of fields including economic principles and policies, money and banking, labour markets, and managerial economics.

He obtained a PhD degree from Department of Economics at Simon Fraser University.

He has been teaching at Alexander College since 2012. He teaches Economics, Business Economics, and Commerce.

He has his Diploma in Physics and Mathematics from Zhitomir Ivan Franko State University in Ukraine, Masters in Economics from Economics Education and Research Consortium, and PhD ABD (Economics) from Simon Fraser University in Burnaby , BC.

Gerry Tillman received his undergraduate and graduate degrees from Laurentian University in Sudbury, Ontario.

He has been teaching ESL in the lower mainland since 1999. He joined Alexander College in 2008 as an instructor of 098 and 099 in the EAP program.

Since joining Alexander College Gerry has established himself as a direct and interactive instructor. He has a traditional yet innovative style in the classroom.

Coming soon.

Kevin Buckley holds a B.Mus from UBC and a MA TESOL from the University of Manchester. After teaching academic and business English overseas for over 20 years (mostly in corporate and academic settings in Japan and Spain), he returned to Canada in Jan 2021. He has worked at Alexander College since 2022. In addition to this, he has a small but growing English-learning YouTube channel.

Mohsen Hosseinpour Moghaddam is a PhD candidate in the Education program at Simon Fraser University, where he previously completed a Master of Education. He also holds an MA and BA in English Language Teaching. His research interests include academic writing, identity in educational contexts, and the integration experiences of immigrants in Canada. His doctoral work investigates how neoliberalism shapes immigrant employment opportunities and how limited access to social capital constrains success in the labor market.

Mohsen has extensive postsecondary teaching experience. He has taught undergraduate courses as a sessional instructor at SFU and Alexander College and has taught as a Teaching Assistant in over 20 semesters across education courses. He is also a Writing and Learning Advisor at SFU’s Student Learning Commons, where he helps students enhance their writing and learning skills.

He has presented his work at national and international conferences and published in academic journals, including a recently released book chapter.

A multilingual educator with transnational teaching experience, Mohsen brings a critical and cross-cultural perspective to his academic work. He is committed to inclusive, student-centered pedagogy and to supporting diverse learners in higher education.

With his first degree in English Language and Literature, Raheb completed his post-graduate at UBC where he studied TESL.

He has diverse teaching experience in EAP, Academic writing, Rhetoric, and communication (Capilano University, University Canada West, Fairleigh Dickinson University, Acsenda School of Management, Canadian College).

He has post-graduate certificates in Rhetoric from the Faculty of Arts & Sciences at Harvard University and varied assessment credentials from Cambridge University and Stanford Center for Professional Development.

His academic sphere of interest includes Rhetoric and Composition, Second Language Writing, English for Specific Purposes, Educational Assessment and Program Evaluation, and Research Methods.

Simon has been teaching professionally for the past fourteen years, conducting classes in India, Japan, South Korea, Germany, and Canada. He has extensive international experience teaching all age groups, developing curriculum, lecturing, editing professional materials, conducting administrative support, developing online courses, and record keeping. He currently teaches courses in two departments as a Limited-Term Instructor at Alexander College.

Simon’s educational philosophy involves a commitment to the ideology of an authentically intersectional and multicultural workplace as well as the necessity of anti- racist / anti-sexist / anti-colonial / community-based educational practices. He utilizes constructivist, student-centered pedagogies to foster a sense of educational community and encourage students to self-motivate and engage with/reflect on their educational process. His recent areas of continued study involve relational pedagogies, experiential learning, and the inclusion and privileging of Indigenous educational principles within post-secondary curricula.

Graeme Abernethy has more than ten years of university teaching experience in Britain, Canada, and Nigeria.

He has published numerous academic articles on the politics of literary and visual representation, as well as a book, The Iconography of Malcolm X (2013).

His teaching emphasizes diversity and interdisciplinarity, drawing from literary and cultural studies and encouraging the development of a broad range of communication and critical thinking skills.

He completed his PhD (English) in 2011 at University College London.

Alois Sieben completed his PhD in English at SFU in 2021, with a dissertation studying representations of search engines in contemporary fiction and film. He has published articles and reviews in Psychoanalysis, Culture & Society, Comparative Literature & Culture, and English Studies in Canada, among other academic journals and online publications, in the fields of autofiction, media theory, and psychoanalysis. He currently serves as Vice President of Corpo Freudiano Vancouver, a school for the transmission of psychoanalytic practice and theory in Vancouver.

Bethany Suvak holds Master’s degrees in both English and Education, graduating with a Master’s of Arts from Simon Fraser University and a Master’s of Education specializing in languages and diversity from the University of Calgary. She has been teaching at Alexander College since 2017.

Bethany teaches a variety of first and second year courses, particularly academic writing, introduction to fiction, and Canadian literature. She is also a certified facilitator for the Instructional Skills Workshop.

Daniel has been teaching writing and rhetoric for over two decades. He received his BA and master’s degree from Simon Fraser University. He has worked with students both at UBC and SFU from across the disciplines and at all levels of language proficiency, including international students for whom English was an additional language. An integral part of his education consisted of participation in SFU’s Centre for Research in Professional and Academic Writing (The Writing Centre) providing one-on-one consultation with hundreds of student writers at all levels of their university education. He was also Writing Support coordinator for the Faculty of Education at SFU designing and delivering writing workshops to student-teachers in the Professional Development Program (the PDP – SFU’s Teacher Training Program) and worked with student teachers and provided support and resources for faculty teaching Writing-Intensive courses. Daniel has been an instructor at Alexander College since 2022 and teaches both Academic Writing and Introduction to Literature.

Garrett Peck has been teaching English for 15 years, first in Taiwan as an ESL instructor and for the past 10 years at several post-secondary institutions in Vancouver.

He has been an instructor at Alexander College since 2009 and formerly served as the English Department Coordinator.

Garrett has received both a BA and an MA in English from SFU and spent four years working on his PhD in English at UBC. Garrett is interested in Victorian literature, travel writing, and the rhetoric of science, and has published several academic articles in these research areas.

Greg has been teaching English for almost thirty years, as a classroom instructor and tutor. Before joining the EAP department at Alexander College in 2015 and the English department in 2021, Greg taught at Vancouver Community College for four years.

He also taught workplace writing skills to the staff of various UN agencies including the UN High Commission for Refugees, the World Health Organization and the International Labour Organization.

Greg received both his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in English Literature from York University, and his Bachelor of Education from the University of Toronto. Greg is interested in African American, Indigenous and post-colonial literature and he uses an interactive, student-centered teaching approach.

Harman Uppal graduated from UBC & McMaster University where he studied both English literature and creative writing. His interests include post-colonial, queer and Asian-Canadian literature. He is currently pursuing a PhD at SFU, researching metropolitan fallacies of home and identity in Canadian diasporic fiction.

Harman’s master’s thesis involved writing poetry and integrating Indigenous traditions of storytelling as a way to confront neoliberal modes of marginalization, such as the rapid gentrification of the Punjabi Market in Vancouver and its subsequent effects on local communities. His poem “Pink Paraphernalia” from this work was named one of the runner-ups for the 2025 Central Avenue Poetry Prize.

Harman previously taught at McMaster University. At Alexander College, Harman instructs the following courses: Strategies for University Writing, Introduction to Fiction, and Introduction to Poetry. Outside of academics, Harman enjoys films, fashion, painting, and writing novels in his spare time.

John’s research focuses on rhetorical strategies in writing and speech, with an emphasis on speech act theory and its intersections with performed drama. He has lectured at Kwantlen University and Simon Fraser University on both theatre and literature, and has presented research on Restoration drama at McGill University, and on Shakespeare at Northumbria University for the British Shakespeare Association. His publications include “Manufactured Memory and the Staging of Two Toms: The Relevance of Tom Wingfield’s Absence in Scene Seven of The Glass Menagerie” for the Tennessee Williams Annual Review and “Honesty through Structure: AI-Resistant Templates in the Instruction of Academic Writing” for the ACCUTE periodical Angle.

His teaching centres around the “demystifying” of academic processes, and encourages students to keep their writing simple, clear, and direct as they work towards crafting argument-driven compositions expressive of their points of view. His classes explore persuasive techniques and ideas related to the objectives of writing and what language does in the world.

He has an educational background in English Literature, Rhetoric and Composition, Academic and Professional Writing, Genre Theory, and Indigenous-informed Teaching Pedagogies. He has over 25 years of teaching experience at post-secondary institutions in Canada and the United States, offering instruction in Academic and Professional Writing and in English and Indigenous Literatures. During all these years, he has remained professionally active, engaging with students and colleagues, attending numerous academic workshops and conferences in various fields of study. In recent years, he has developed new types of writing pedagogies for asynchronous and virtual learning environments; most students have adapted well to these types of blended learning. He will continue developing courses and curriculum that include both on-line and in-person methods of teaching and learning to best accommodate the needs of our international and domestic students.

Neha has been working around the English language for more than ten years, supporting diverse learner groups, including corporate sectors and young learners. She has been facilitating academic skills classrooms at Alexander College for three years and started working with short fiction about a year ago.

She is currently pursuing a doctoral degree in education and completed her Master’s in Education specializing in Teaching English as an Additional Language (TEAL), both from SFU. Additionally, Neha holds master’s degrees in Literature, Linguistics and History, respectively from India. Neha is also a certified TESL instructor.

Neha believes teaching is a meaning-making, interactive process where the facilitator and learners participate equally to pose questions, seek answers and take action. Her teaching philosophy involves supporting the learners through love, care, mutual trust and knowledge, facilitating activities that encourage interaction and respectful participation.

Her facilitating methods focus on approaching learning as a process, drawing from knowledge not just from books but from the diversity carried by people and cultures.

Reetika Khanna has more than 27 years of teaching experience in mostly in India and Canada. She has been the recipient of the Fulbright Award in Teaching Program in 2012. This took her to the University of Maryland (USA) to study and explore teaching critical thinking in US schools. Her focus was also to initiate collaborations between schools in the United States and India.

She completed her Master’s in Education (Curriculum Studies) at University of British Columbia (UBC) with a focus on the intersection of subjectivity and practice.

Her teaching draws from mindfulness and critical thinking using diversity as a center piece. She is committed to the exploration of the ways in which teacher presence and lived experiences affect practice.

Sarah received her M.A. in English and Creative Writing from Concordia University. She teaches literature, composition, and creative writing and is interested in themes of gender, posthumanism, and the body. Sarah’s creative work has been supported by the Canada Council of the Arts and the Writers’ Trust of Canada. She has published her fiction in Prism International, Room, EVENT, Grain, The Dalhousie Review, carte blanche, and the anthologies Through the Portal: Tales from a Hopeful Dystopia and The Journey Prize Anthology, among others.

Simon has been teaching professionally for the past fourteen years, conducting classes in India, Japan, South Korea, Germany, and Canada. He has extensive international experience teaching all age groups, developing curriculum, lecturing, editing professional materials, conducting administrative support, developing online courses, and record keeping. He currently teaches courses in two departments as a Limited-Term Instructor at Alexander College.

Simon’s educational philosophy involves a commitment to the ideology of an authentically intersectional and multicultural workplace as well as the necessity of anti- racist / anti-sexist / anti-colonial / community-based educational practices. He utilizes constructivist, student-centered pedagogies to foster a sense of educational community and encourage students to self-motivate and engage with/reflect on their educational process. His recent areas of continued study involve relational pedagogies, experiential learning, and the inclusion and privileging of Indigenous educational principles within post-secondary curricula.

Swati Mishra has over 10 years of university teaching experience in Canada and India. She completed her PhD in English from Rashtrasant Tukdodi Maharaj Nagpur University (RTMNU) in India.

The corpus of her research concerns itself with the postmodernist theory of ‘Multiculturalism’ and this has lent her an extensive understanding of multiculturalism, fostering cross-cultural understanding of a diverse student body.

Her research papers have been published in reputed peer-reviewed journals under the scope of Culture Studies.

Before joining Alexander College, she was an Assistant Professor at the University of Mumbai, India. Her philosophy of teaching centers around the Multiliteracies Approach, an approach designed to engage learners by focusing on their backgrounds, interests and real-life applications. Her classroom features activities designed to use creative and cognitive skills with an emphasis on close reading, peer review, annotation skills and targeted discussion that reinforce the stated learning outcomes.

Tamar has taught English composition and literature in Vancouver for five years, focusing on students who are not native English speakers.

Having studied and worked in five countries, she is multilingual and attuned to cultural differences. She enjoys teaching students to express themselves clearly and to experience literary art as fully as possible.

Tamar’s writing projects include fiction and creative non-fiction. In addition, she has 15 years of experience in corporate communications.Tamar earned BA and MA degrees in English Literature from Swarthmore College and Yale University. She also holds an MFA in Creative Writing from the University of British Columbia.

He was born and raised in Poland and briefly studied Philosophy at the University of Warsaw. He migrated to Canada in 1989 and became a permanent resident in 1991, residing in Vancouver ever since. He currently holds a dual citizenship in Poland and Canada.

In the 1990s, he attended Langara College and later transferred to SFU, where he completed a BA with Honors and subsequently a MA in English. From 2004 – 2014, he pursued graduate studies in English at UBC, earning a PhD in 2014.

His research interests focus on auditory text and the relationship between text and sound, particularly how the contemporary literature is influenced by various media of communication such as radio, television, gramophone, magnetic tape, and digital formats like CD and digital files. His research explores the ways in which these new media technologies affect the functioning and interpretation of literary texts. More broadly, his area of inquiry lies at the intersection of literature and media.

He has been a member of the English Department at Alexander College since 2009. He enjoys teaching Academic Writing, a course that approaches literature in a broad sense – examining writing as it engages with a range of social, cultural, political, and philosophical issues of the world.

Gerry Tillman received his undergraduate and graduate degrees from Laurentian University in Sudbury, Ontario.

He has been teaching ESL in the lower mainland since 1999. He joined Alexander College in 2008 as an instructor of 098 and 099 in the EAP program.

Since joining Alexander College Gerry has established himself as a direct and interactive instructor. He has a traditional yet innovative style in the classroom.

Cheryl has a BA in Contemporary English Literature from Thompson Rivers University and an MA in TESOL from Trinity Western University. She has taught English at multiple institutions across China and Western Canada since 2008. Cheryl has been at Alexander College since 2020, teaching in the EAP department and tutoring in the WLC. Her literary interests include poetry and post-colonial literature. As an instructor, her desire is to help students build academic skills that will help them succeed in their future studies.

Greg has been teaching English for almost thirty years, as a classroom instructor and tutor. Before joining the EAP department at Alexander College in 2015 and the English department in 2021, Greg taught at Vancouver Community College for four years.

He also taught workplace writing skills to the staff of various UN agencies including the UN High Commission for Refugees, the World Health Organization and the International Labour Organization.

Greg received both his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in English Literature from York University, and his Bachelor of Education from the University of Toronto. Greg is interested in African American, Indigenous and post-colonial literature and he uses an interactive, student-centered teaching approach.

Neha has been working around the English language for more than ten years, supporting diverse learner groups, including corporate sectors and young learners. She has been facilitating academic skills classrooms at Alexander College for three years and started working with short fiction about a year ago.

She is currently pursuing a doctoral degree in education and completed her Master’s in Education specializing in Teaching English as an Additional Language (TEAL), both from SFU. Additionally, Neha holds master’s degrees in Literature, Linguistics and History, respectively from India. Neha is also a certified TESL instructor.

Neha believes teaching is a meaning-making, interactive process where the facilitator and learners participate equally to pose questions, seek answers and take action.

Her teaching philosophy involves supporting the learners through love, care, mutual trust and knowledge, facilitating activities that encourage interaction and respectful participation. Her facilitating methods focus on approaching learning as a process, drawing from knowledge not just from books but from the diversity carried by people and cultures.

Simon has been teaching professionally for the past fourteen years, conducting classes in India, Japan, South Korea, Germany, and Canada. He has extensive international experience teaching all age groups, developing curriculum, lecturing, editing professional materials, conducting administrative support, developing online courses, and record keeping. He currently teaches courses in two departments as a Limited-Term Instructor at Alexander College.

Simon’s educational philosophy involves a commitment to the ideology of an authentically intersectional and multicultural workplace as well as the necessity of anti- racist / anti-sexist / anti-colonial / community-based educational practices. He utilizes constructivist, student-centered pedagogies to foster a sense of educational community and encourage students to self-motivate and engage with/reflect on their educational process. His recent areas of continued study involve relational pedagogies, experiential learning, and the inclusion and privileging of Indigenous educational principles within post-secondary curricula.

Ashley is originally from Dublin, Ireland. He is an experienced instructor. He is also a professional actor, having performed in Film, TV, Theatre and Voice roles many times. He has been nominated for Jessie Richardson professional theatre awards four times (winning once, in 2017), and won the Bard on the Beach Edmund Kean Sword Award in 2022. He loves gaming of all kinds (especially Warhammer), films, and reading. He loves soccer and rugby and is a huge Manchester United and Ireland fan. He is married and has three bratty little boys. Cheers.

Molly received her Master of Arts degree in Film Studies from the University of British Columbia in 2015.

Her thesis explored evocations of Henri Bergson’s philosophy of memory in the notorious AMC series Mad Men.

As a passionate academic interested in historical dramas, child/youth cinema, and literary adaptations, she has been invited to speak on the radio as well as at media studies conferences across North America.

Her first academic article on Rumble Fish, Francis Ford Coppola’s 1983 film adaptation of the young adult novel by S.E. Hinton, was recently published in Boyhood Studies: An Interdisciplinary Journal.

Nick was born and raised in southwestern Ontario on the traditional territories of the Anishnawbe, Haudenosaunee, Attawandaron, and Ojibway/Chippewa peoples, and has been living, working and studying in Vancouver on the traditional, ancestral and unceded territories of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), and Sel̓íl̓witulh (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations since 2010.

Nick is currently a fifth-year PhD candidate at the University of British Columbia, where his research interests include romance philology, queer theory, and travel writing – specifically the Voyages of Jean de Mandeville.

Under the supervision of Dr. Anne Salamon, Nick’s doctoral research focuses on the intersections between medieval travel writing and queer theory, with the goal of using this queered perspective as a tool to interpret and reassess non-heteronormative bodies and cultural phenomena in such texts, and as a means of re-examining heterocentric assumptions in their interpretations. In recognition of this research, Nick received the prestigious SSHRC Doctoral Fellowship in 2024.

When he’s not studying or teaching, Nick is most likely to be hanging out with his dog, Moira, or in his kitchen, trying to create the perfect croissant.

Samantha’s research and teaching experience includes sociology and language revitalization as well as English as a Second Language teaching and academic writing.

After graduating from Simon Fraser University, Samantha gained first-hand experience as an international student while on the Japanese government MEXT program in Okinawa, Japan.

She completed her master’s in Linguistics and Communications and doctorate in Comparative Regional Culture and Area Studies at the University of the Ryukyus in Okinawa, Japan, and continues her Foundation for Endangered Languages (FEL)-sponsored research on language reclamation in Okinawan cultural arts.

Coming Soon

Jillian Deri has earned a BA in Geography, MA in Women’s Studies and a PhD in Sociology. She also instructs online through Yukon University. Jillian researches sociology of emotions, and has written a book, Love’s Refraction on jealousy and compersion in polyamorous relationships. Her interests include art, fashion design, hiking, calisthenics and dance.

Craig received his PhD in Social and Political Thought from York University in Toronto.

His dissertation research was on arrhythmic experiences of sleep, naturalized cultural and scientific logics of sleep, modalities of gendered interventions into sleep, and the racialized appropriations of sleeplessness in white supremacist ideology.

He has a broad teaching background in the social sciences, including courses taught in gender relations & feminist theory, classical and contemporary theory, social inequality, criminology, globalization, citizenship, consumer society, environmental sociology, urban studies, and visual culture.

He has been teaching at Alexander College since 2019, and also teaches in criminology at Kwantlen Polytechnic University and sociology at University of British Columbia.

He has received student nominated awards for teaching excellence at Alexander College and for accessibility at University of British Columbia.

Since the fall of 2019, John has taught introductory human geography at Alexander College. He earned a PhD in Resource Management and Environmental Studies from the University of British Columbia in 2004. Earlier, John attained a Bachelor of Arts with First Class Honors in Political Science at the University of Alberta. His doctoral thesis focused on land use planning in urban geography in the City of Vancouver’s sustainable community in Southeast False Creek. This thesis analyzed the public participation process, and the sustainable development policy for this process.

From 2005, John taught at Simon Fraser University. From 2011 to 2019, he was a limited term lecturer in Geography and Resource and Environmental Management where he taught a full array of courses at all levels in the Arts undergraduate program. John also taught geography at the University of British Columbia, Kwantlen Polytechnic University (2016 to 2019); and Douglas College (summer 2016 and 2017). The students he has worked with over the years have participated in many field schools: to the Southeast False Creek area, the Port of Vancouver, a bicycle field school, Brittania Mine and water treatment plant, and to the Koma Gata Maru memorial.

John was also an elected Vancouver Park Board Commissioner (2018-2022).

Coming Soon.

Sara Vieira holds a PhD from the University of British Columbia in Interdisciplinary Studies and has published articles on transnationalism, community, and ethno-cultural spaces in Canada. Sara has taught at AC since Spring of 2021 in the Social Sciences, often teaching Sociology or Geography courses. She thoroughly enjoys teaching and blending theory with practice. Sara also has experience in program quality and best practices for student learning. She brings this knowledge into her classes where students are encouraged to go beyond memorization and develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills. When she is not teaching, Sara enjoys reading and writing, as well as gardening.

Dr. Panahi obtained her Ph.D. degree in Biochemistry from the University of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. She was a recipient of Ph.D. award from the Genentech Pharmaceutical Company, California, USA. She was also awarded a Postdoctoral Fellowship from the Canadian Blood Services to perform research on blood coagulation proteins at the Centre for Blood Research of the University of British Columbia.

She has worked as a research associate at the University of Ottawa, University of British Columbia and Health Canada. She has many years of teaching experience teaching many biology courses in various colleges and universities in Ottawa and in Vancouver.

Dr. Panahi believes in involving students in “active learning”. That means that students will learn best if they are given the opportunity to express the concepts and ideas through discussion and experimentation.

To accomplish this goal, Dr. Panahi actively engages them in class participation and discussion in order for them to express their ideas to their peers in a professional and respectful way.

Dr. Chua received his BSc (Hons) in Molecular Biology and Biochemistry from Simon Fraser University. Afterwards, he pursued his PhD in Biological Sciences from Simon Fraser University. His research focused on cellular microbiology and he published several papers on how specific bacteria like E. coli, Listeria, Salmonella and Klebsiella, change the shape of our cells when these bacteria infect our bodies. He also mentored several undergraduate students in doing research and several of them either published their work or presented their work at international conferences.

He then pursued teaching at various institutions in Vancouver and Burnaby where he created and taught a variety of courses from first year biology to third year microbiology. He focuses on giving students hands-on experience in the lab and is passionate about getting students curious about living organisms both in our environments and in the human body.

Dr. Chris Hyland joined the History Department at Alexander College in 2019.

Dr. Hyland’s research focus is on the intersection of higher education, Canadian foreign affairs, and war and society. In particular, he examines the English-Canadian professoriate’s relationship with the Canadian state in the sphere of external affairs and international development.

His latest work on academic secondments to the Department of External Affairs appears in the International Journal of Canadian Studies, published in Volume 56, 2017. He has also published a number of articles on how Canadian universities have contributed to the state’s war effort during the First and Second World Wars.

In addition to his research, Dr. Hyland is a frequent book reviewer for subjects connected to the history of higher education in Canada and has been published in the journals: “Historical Studies in Education” and the “Alberta Journal of Educational Research”.

Dr. Hyland also serves as the managing editor of the online journal, History of Intellectual Culture, based at the University of Calgary.

Anjali Malhotra resides in Vancouver, BC, a worldwide traveler and an independent researcher with international teaching experience, she completed her graduate studies from New York University in History and Interdisciplinary Humanities with a specialization in the colonial/post-colonial literature and histories of South Asia during the 19th and 20th centuries, and is now currently teaching as a continuing term lecturer in the History Department at Alexander College where she teaches a wide variety of first and second year courses on Canadian history, Modern India, and early and modern Europe. She primarily focuses on interdisciplinary perspectives to engage with students, and experiential learning to foster creative and critical thinking. Anjali has also been a recipient of the Faculty of Excellence in teaching awards on several occasions. She has presented at numerous conferences in the United States and India. Most recently, she presented her paper on Romantic Satanism at a conference at Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia where she has been invited for publication. Anjali’s particular passion in taking on new research interests on the Romantic movement (1797-1838) which she uses to further inspire her students.

Coming soon.

Iain O’Shea has been a history instructor in the Department of Humanities at Alexander College since 2018. He holds a PhD from the University of Victoria and specializes in civil-military relations in late nineteenth century Britain, with a focus on mass media, navalism and the public discourse on naval policy at a time of significant expansion and technological innovation in the Royal Navy. Iain teaches almost all of the first- and second-year history courses offered by Alexander College, including Classical Greece and Rome, Early Modern and Modern Europe, to indigenous world history. His teaching style emphasizes independent original research work and student engagement with primary source historical evidence.

As a lifelong resident of the Lower Mainland, Samantha Rushowic received both her undergraduate and graduate degrees from local universities. She obtained her B.A. with a double major in History and Philosophy from Kwantlen Polytechnic University and completed her M.A. in History from Simon Fraser University. Samantha’s areas of research interest include second-wave feminism, local history, social history, intersectionality, and 20th-century history. Samantha’s M.A. thesis encapsulates all of her research interests by analyzing a local second-wave feminist organization through a lens of intersectionality.

Samantha has presented at and helped organize a yearly history conference for graduate students called “Shifting Tides.”

Dr. Sebastian Huebel completed his PhD at UBC in 2017, specializing in modern European history. 

At Alexander College, Sebastian teaches European and Canadian history. Between 2019 and 2025, Sebastian served as the head of the Humanities department. 

In December 2021, Sebastian published his first book “Fighter, Worker, Family Man: German-Jewish Men and their Gendered Experiences in Nazi Germany, 1933-1941” (University of Toronto Press). 

Colter Louwerse is a researcher and lecturer focusing on the transnational history and politics of Palestine and the Middle East. A graduate of the University of Exeter’s European Centre for Palestine Studies and the Institute for Arab and Islamic Studies in the United Kingdom, he was awarded a Master of Arts degree in Middle East and Islamic Studies at Exeter in 2018, and in 2022 was awarded a doctorate in Palestine Studies.

Louwerse’s ongoing research addresses the diplomatic history of Canadian, American, and British foreign policy in the Middle East, Palestinian nationalism on the global stage, the role of the United Nations in negotiating self-determination, sovereignty and human rights claims in the context of the Palestine Question, and the interrelationship between asymmetrical warfare, political violence and conflict resolution in Israel/Palestine and the broader Middle East region.

Grace Miura-Wong holds a B.A. (UBC) and M.A. (SFU) in Political Science with specializations in Comparative Politics and Canadian Politics. She is currently a PhD candidate at Carleton University, where she is conducting mixed methods research on the political participation of racialized voters in Canada.

As a lecturer and researcher, she is interested in studying democratic attitudes, exploring questions surrounding diversity and integration, and examining the barriers and motivations behind political engagement. Grace has taught courses in Political Science, International Studies, and Law and Legal Studies.

After graduating from Peking University with a Ph.D. in history and a master’s degree from UBC in education, Lewis has been proudly teaching at AC since 2016. Before coming to Vancouver, he also taught at several universities and colleges in China, the U.S., and Canada, such as the University of South Carolina, Beijing Normal University Langara College, Columbia College, and Coquitla College. His major is “Historical Geography,” a interdisciplinary field on how geography asserts its influence on human activities in history.

Richard holds a Master of Development Studies from the Geneva Graduate Institute, a Master of Public Policy from the KDI School of Public Policy & Management, an MA International Affairs – Legon Centre for International Affairs and Diplomacy (LECIAD), and a BA Political Science with Sociology, University of Ghana.

He has worked with multiple organizations, including the International Telecommunications Union (ITU), GAN-Global and the Government of Ghana. Richard is currently pursuing his PhD at the Simon Fraser University.

His research centers around Security Sector Reform and Governance (SSR/G). He has taught multiple courses in Political Science and International Studies.

Shiva is a Peter Allard School of Law alumni with a doctoral degree from UBC. Prior to joining Alexander College, she taught at the department of political science as an adjunct professor at Simon Fraser University. Shiva also serves her community as a certified life and leadership coach and as an accredited judicial translator and interpreter.

Shiva enjoys teaching in academia and proudly translates enthusiasm for the subjects she teaches into the skills that can be portable across disciplines and careers for her students.

Amir Amiraslani holds a BSc and an MSc in Control Systems, and a PhD in Applied Mathematics. His main research areas are numerical linear algebra and operator theory in which he has published many journal papers and co-advised several graduate students. He is also interested in research in teaching and learning with particular emphasis on non-traditional, learner-centred methods.

From 2017 to 2019, he was the co-PI of a $1.2M National Science Foundation grant on “Problem-Based Learning in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics”.

Hiking, the real football (aka soccer), and board games are among his hobbies.

With a Ph.D. in Mathematics from Simon Fraser University, I am deeply passionate about making math accessible and engaging for students.

My teaching style centers on fostering an inspiring classroom environment where students can explore and appreciate the beauty of mathematics. I teach a range of math courses, with a focus on simplifying complex concepts and sparking curiosity.

Outside the classroom, I enjoy writing computer programs which complements my love for problem-solving.

Kamran Fakhar is a Mathematics Instructor at Alexander College, since 2016.

He received his Ph.D. in applied mathematics in 2005 from USTC, post doctorate at ICTS from 2005-2007 and a research associate position in UBC since 2014.

He has published over 40 research articles in international referred journals. He also supervised two PhD and five master’s students.

Kamran has more than 12 years of teaching experience which includes teaching mathematics at different levels at different universities and colleges inside and outside Canada.

He also has won several scholarships, academic awards, medals and distinctions certificates during his academic carrier.

Dr. Subedi joined Alexander College in 2009 as an instructor in the mathematics department and has been teaching various mathematics courses ever since.

He received his MA (mathematics) from Tribhuvan University, Nepal; an MEd (mathematics emphasis) from Endicott College, USA, and a PhD from Simon Fraser University, Canada.

His research interests are in the field of theories and pedagogical practices in teaching and learning mathematics.

He is particularly interested in exploring how teachers and students deal with mathematical abstraction in teaching and learning in an attempt to translate abstract mathematical concepts into understandable ideas.

Luc Lapierre obtained an M.Sc. in pure mathematics from Simon Fraser University in 2016. He joined Alexander College in January 2017, and has enjoyed teaching there ever since.

Luc’s research portfolio centers on cryptographic primitives arising from finite fields of characteristic two, and algebraic graph theory.

Aside from learning and sharing mathematics, Luc enjoys olympic weightlifting, ice hockey, and caring for his five rabbits.

I have taught at the University of the Fraser Valley, Vancouver Community College, Thompson Rivers University, and Champlain Regional College.

I hold an M.Sc. in Pure Mathematics from McGill University, a B.A. (honours) in Mathematics and Philosophy from Queen’s University, and a Provincial Instructor’s Diploma from Vancouver Community College.

I take a teaching approach which is technology-intense and learner-centred, and I ensure that students in my classes are encouraged to participate.

In my studies, I took an interest in Foundations of Mathematics, but my more recent research interests lie in Teaching and Learning.

I like getting a chance to meet students, colleagues, and others interested in my work. Contact me at t.kusalik@alexandercollege.ca or stop by my office hours.

Lindsey has over 20 years of teaching experience in a variety of settings, ranging from pre- school through to Adult Education. For the past 18 years, she has been teaching in undergraduate settings, first as a Teaching Assistant (SFU) and then as a faculty member at Alexander College.

Lindsey has been directly involved in the development of 2 undergraduate courses at AC, PHIL215, which she teaches regularly, and PHIL 315, which was co-created with colleague Laurel Xiao for the forthcoming BBA program. She also co-developed the in- house Teaching Online certification program with colleague, Ivan Vander Deen.

While teaching at AC, Lindsey has continued to teach in various community settings, both in person and online. She created courses and taught for the SFU Lifelong Learning Program for over a decade.

As a Philosophy instructor, her key areas of interest are ethics, metaphysics and the global community, including sustainability and responding to our current environmental crisis.

Coming Soon

Lyle has a Ph.D in philosophy from Simon Fraser University and B.A and M.A. degrees in philosophy from the University of Victoria. Lyle has taught at Simon Fraser University. He has taught at Alexander College since 2012.

His Ph.D dissertation was on critical thinking pedagogy, and his primary philosophical interests are philosophy of science and philosophy of mind. He has published in the journal Ratio, arguing that we are probably not living in a computer simulation.

When he has time, Lyle visits high schools in the lower mainland to discuss philosophy with high school students. He also regularly serves as a judge and moderator for the BC Ethics Bowl.

Richard holds a PhD (Philosophy) from the University of Connecticut, an MA (Philosophy) from Simon Fraser University, and a BA (Philosophy and Pure Mathematics) from the University of Calgary.

Prior to teaching at Alexander College, Richard taught philosophy at the University of Connecticut and at the University of Saint Joseph.

His current research interests are in philosophical logic and the foundations of mathematics, in particular proof theory and its applications. In his spare time he enjoys riding his bicycle.

Dr. Cheung has been teaching at Alexander College since 2011. He received his MSc (University of British Columbia) and PhD (Simon Fraser University) in computational condensed matter physics.

In addition, he obtained his BASc in Engineering Physics: computer science stream with math honors (University of British Columbia).

Prior to teaching at Alexander College, he completed research for PMC-Sierra (now Microsemi), TRIUMF, and D-Wave Systems. His focus is always on how to make course material as easy as possible to understand and applying this knowledge in different situations.

Reza Siavashi, Ph.D., is a dedicated physics educator and researcher with over a decade of teaching experience across multiple post-secondary institutions in Canada. He holds a Ph.D. in Biophysics from Simon Fraser University, where his doctoral research focused on lipid membrane phase behavior using 2H NMR spectroscopy. His earlier academic training includes M.Sc. degrees in both Biophysics and Elementary Particle Physics, and a B.Sc. in Physics.

Dr. Siavashi’s teaching philosophy emphasizes inclusive curriculum design, hands-on experimentation, and student engagement across diverse educational backgrounds. His research interests span membrane biophysics, photosynthetic reaction centers, and thermodynamic systems, with multiple peer-reviewed publications in high-impact journals such as Biophysical Journal and The Journal of Physical Chemistry B. In addition to his teaching and research, Dr. Siavashi actively mentors undergraduate students and participates in community science outreach initiatives, including programs that promote physics to high school students.

Colter Louwerse is a researcher and lecturer focusing on the transnational history and politics of Palestine and the Middle East. A graduate of the University of Exeter’s European Centre for Palestine Studies and the Institute for Arab and Islamic Studies in the United Kingdom, he was awarded a Master of Arts degree in Middle East and Islamic Studies at Exeter in 2018, and in 2022 was awarded a doctorate in Palestine Studies.

Louwerse’s ongoing research addresses the diplomatic history of Canadian, American, and British foreign policy in the Middle East, Palestinian nationalism on the global stage, the role of the United Nations in negotiating self-determination, sovereignty and human rights claims in the context of the Palestine Question, and the interrelationship between asymmetrical warfare, political violence and conflict resolution in Israel/Palestine and the broader Middle East region.

Grace Miura-Wong holds a B.A. (UBC) and M.A. (SFU) in Political Science with specializations in Comparative Politics and Canadian Politics. She is currently a PhD candidate at Carleton University, where she is conducting mixed methods research on the political participation of racialized voters in Canada.

As a lecturer and researcher, she is interested in studying democratic attitudes, exploring questions surrounding diversity and integration, and examining the barriers and motivations behind political engagement. Grace has taught courses in Political Science, International Studies, and Law and Legal Studies.

Richard holds a Master of Development Studies from the Geneva Graduate Institute, a Master of Public Policy from the KDI School of Public Policy & Management, an MA International Affairs – Legon Centre for International Affairs and Diplomacy (LECIAD), and a BA Political Science with Sociology, University of Ghana.

He has worked with multiple organizations, including the International Telecommunications Union (ITU), GAN-Global and the Government of Ghana. Richard is currently pursuing his PhD at the Simon Fraser University.

His research centers around Security Sector Reform and Governance (SSR/G). He has taught multiple courses in Political Science and International Studies.

Samantha’s research and teaching experience includes sociology and language revitalization as well as English as a Second Language teaching and academic writing.

After graduating from Simon Fraser University, Samantha gained first-hand experience as an international student while on the Japanese government MEXT program in Okinawa, Japan.

She completed her master’s in Linguistics and Communications and doctorate in Comparative Regional Culture and Area Studies at the University of the Ryukyus in Okinawa, Japan, and continues her Foundation for Endangered Languages (FEL)-sponsored research on language reclamation in Okinawan cultural arts.

Fairuz is a Ph.D. candidate at the University of Ottawa, majoring in Feminist and Gender Studies. Her dissertation focuses on Garo women, a small matrilineal indigenous community in Bangladesh, examining their work in Dhaka’s beauty parlors, exploring the ethnic conflict, and investigating their migration and mobility within the capital city and the beauty industry.

Fairuz is also passionate about the pedagogical exploration of Canadian academic spaces in the post-pandemic era. She has published extensively and presented at conferences on the discrimination against racialized bodies and minds during the COVID-19 pandemic. Additionally, she has proposed solutions for reconstructing educational institutions using a model of pedagogy centered on care and inclusion.

Dr. Panahi obtained her Ph.D. degree in Biochemistry from the University of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. She was a recipient of Ph.D. award from the Genentech Pharmaceutical Company, California, USA. She was also awarded a Postdoctoral Fellowship from the Canadian Blood Services to perform research on blood coagulation proteins at the Centre for Blood Research of the University of British Columbia.

She has worked as a research associate at the University of Ottawa, University of British Columbia and Health Canada. She has many years of teaching experience teaching many biology courses in various colleges and universities in Ottawa and in Vancouver.

Dr. Panahi believes in involving students in “active learning”. That means that students will learn best if they are given the opportunity to express the concepts and ideas through discussion and experimentation.

To accomplish this goal, Dr. Panahi actively engages them in class participation and discussion in order for them to express their ideas to their peers in a professional and respectful way.

Rosalyn is an accomplished educator and social work professional with over a decade of experience in healthcare, education, and social services. She holds a Master of Social Work in Leadership in Human Services from the University of Calgary, alongside a Bachelor of Social Work and a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and Education.

As a part-time contract instructor at Douglas College, Rosalyn teaches Continuing Education and Bachelor of Arts courses, emphasizing trauma-informed, culturally safe practices. Her approach integrates extensive clinical expertise, ensuring an enriching and practical learning experience for her students.

In addition to teaching, Rosalyn has held leadership roles such as Clinical Informatics Specialist and Professional Practice Leader. She has successfully led healthcare transformation initiatives, developed training programs, and supported interdisciplinary teams. Her expertise in mental health, social work, and evidence-based care has significantly contributed to improving outcomes for vulnerable populations.

Rosalyn is passionate about fostering inclusive and engaging learning environments that empower students to address real-world challenges with confidence and compassion.

I am interested in the relationship between the brain and our behavior, ultimately asking the question of why we behave the way that we do.

Educational Background: B.A. (Psychology- Honours at Okanagan University College – transferred to University of British Columbia B.A. degree); MSc. (Psychology/Neuroscience: University of Lethbridge, CCBN); PhD. (Neuroscience: University of Lethbridge, CCBN); Postdoc (Neuroscience, Physiology and Behaviour, UBC); Research Associate (Neuroscience, Physiology and Behaviour, UBC); Instructor: Department of Psychology University of British Columbia; Instructor: Psychology Department Thompson Rivers University, Instructor: Corpus Christi College, Instructor: Alexander College.

Courses taught at AC: Psyc 101: Introductory Psychology (basic processes and applications), Psyc 102: Introductory Psychology (Areas of Application), Psyc 217: Thinking Clearly about Psychology (Research Methods)

I am interested in a broad range of topics in applied psychology which fall under the general themes of Human Factors, Ergonomics and Environmental Psychology Educational background: B.A. (Philosophy / Psychology-Honours: University of Prince Edward Island); M.E.S (Environmental Studies: York University); Ph.D. (Expt. Human Factors Psychology-York University), Postdoc (NSERC-Defence Canada – Toronto). Professor: Department of Psychology Kwantlen Polytechnic University

Adjunct Professor: Department of Psychology University of British Columbia

Adjunct Professor: Royal Roads University

Member: Standing Academic Standards Committee Alexander College

Courses Taught at AC: PSYC 101: Introductory Psychology (basic processes and applications), PSYC 102: Introductory Psychology (Areas of Application), PSYC 218 Analysis of Behavioural Data

Andrea’s main background includes cognitive and experimental psychology and neuropsychology. Their teaching interests include biopsychology, neuropsychology, sensation and perception, and statistics. Andrea enjoys conducting research in psychology, and their main research interests focus on visual perception, particularly visual word recognition and face processing in typically developed individuals and in individuals with prosopagnosia, which is the inability to recognize the identity of faces.

Angus holds a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology (2009) and a Master of Education in Educational Psychology (2012) from Simon Fraser University. Along with previously working his second Masters Degree in Divinity at Trinity Western University and his Provincial Instructor Diploma at Vancouver Community College, Angus has also completed his TESOL Standard II at Douglas College, Instructional Skills Workshop at Alexander College, Facilitator Development Workshop at the University of British Columbia, and Instructor Development (Standard First Aid) at St. John Ambulance.

Angus loves to keep on learning and working with others to build people, projects, and programs in growing teams, organizations, and communities. As a holistic educator, Angus continues to engage in a refining process where he is teaching how students can learn effectively while also learning how instructors can teach effectively, where every lesson, workshop, training session, and learning module reflects and records whether all learners have demonstrated that they know what they need to show and they show what they have come to know in academics, research, and career development

Azar started her teaching career from 1999 at IAU. She finished her Ph.D. in Educational Psychology in 2008, during which she was awarded a scholarship to go to Australia as a visiting scholar at Deakin University, Melbourne. In 2016 she was awarded a research grant to work with Simon Fraser University (SFU) as visiting scholar. She has been a member of research team at SFU since then. Azar teaches psychology at different colleges and universities in Vancouver since 2018. Azar has published several articles and has presented at international conferences. She has more than 20 years of teaching experience and during this time she taught in many different universities and institutions and worked in different countries and with different students from different nationalities. In her teaching philosophy she focusses on “learning how to learn” rather than memorizing the materials and students know her as a very kind and knowledgeable person.

Benjamin Wong has been a Registered Clinical Counsellor in BC since 2005. A doctoral student at the University of Illinois, and holder of degrees from the University of British Columbia and Colorado Christian University, Benjamin held clinical positions in sectors including vocational rehabilitation, school counselling, education consultancy, and addictions.

A sought-after advocate in the mindful use of digital technologies, he has spoken at professional conferences throughout North America on the prevention and treatment of Gaming Disorder. Over the past several years, Benjamin has focused his efforts on clinical supervision and teaching, with ongoing appointments at Alexander College. He is also a contractor of outreach services with the BC Government’s Responsible Gambling Program.

Emre earned his bachelor’s degree in Psychology and a master’s degree in Psychology with a Comprehensive scholarship from Bilkent University. He has participated in more than two hundred testing sessions as an experimenter and coordinated quantitative and qualitative research projects focusing on cognitive and social development. Emre is currently conducting research in the psychology department at Simon Fraser University, focusing on the intersection between artificial intelligence and language development. Emre joined Alexander College in 2019 and has been teaching various courses.

Istvan brings a diverse academic background and a deep passion for exploring the intersection of biology and psychology. With a strong foundation in science—holding a biology-chemistry teaching degree—he has conducted experimental research with both animals (M.Sc. in animal associative learning) and humans (Ph.D. research using EEG to study attentional processes).

Over the past three decades, Istvan has taught a wide range of psychology courses at post-secondary institutions in his native Hungary and Canada. His primary teaching interests include Introduction to Psychology, Brain and Behavior, and Cognitive Psychology, areas where he combines scientific rigor with a student-centered approach.

While his main focus has been on teaching, Istvan has also contributed to research projects in neuroscience and youth health, and is a co-author of five peer-reviewed scientific articles. In his free time, Istvan enjoys jogging and walking in nature.

Jame Batara has over a decade of teaching experience in university and organizational settings. His academic credentials are a Bachelor of Science in Psychology and a Master of Arts in Social Psychology from the University of San Carlos, a Provincial Instructor Diploma from Vancouver Community College, and a Master of Education in Post-Secondary Curriculum and Instruction. He is pursuing his PhD in Educational Research specializing in Adult Learning. He has taught a broad range of psychology courses, combining social psychology and applied psychology expertise with a passion for fostering inclusivity and encouraging student experimentation and growth.

His academic leadership includes serving as Curriculum Coordinator, where he pioneered outcomes-based syllabi and led the development of a student-centred, internationally aligned psychology curriculum. As Research Coordinator, he organized the first national Psychology Research Congress for undergraduates and significantly boosted faculty research engagement through mentorship and collaborative initiatives. Jame co-led research and ethics review at the department, college, and university levels.

Beyond academia, Jame integrates research with community service, applying social psychology theories to address real-world issues. He documents his research and academic journey in his blog (www.flowjame.com). His commitment to impactful teaching, research innovation, and community engagement defines his professional journey.

In addition to my passion for teaching, I enjoy doing research in psychology. When I am not teaching, I run my own consulting business where I use my research skills to assist organizations with their research needs.

Educational background: B.A. (Psychology; Justice Studies – Honours: Northeastern Illinois University); M.A. (Social Sciences / Human Development: University of Chicago); Ph.D. (Educational Psychology: University of British Columbia).

Instructor: School of Computing and Academic Studies: Psychology at British Columbia Institute of Technology (BCIT)

Instructor: Psychology at Alexander College

Courses Taught at AC: PSYC 101: Introductory Psychology (Basic Processes and Applications), PSYC 102: Introductory Psychology (Areas of Application)

Pocholo has been teaching psychology since 2007 and plans to continue teaching psychology for as long as he is able to.

He holds a PhD in Clinical Psychology from Ateneo de Manila University in the Philippines. He finished his Masters in Counseling Psychology and Bachelor of Science degrees from the same university. He has published studies in international journals and serves as a reviewer for some of them. He is a licensed psychologist in the Philippines.

He teaches Abnormal Psychology, human development, and introductory psychology classes at Alexander College. He is also an adjunct faculty in Adler University-Vancouver and serves as a member of the research ethics board of Adler. He has previously taught in other institutions in the Vancouver area.

He likes turtles.

As a sociocultural educator, I am committed to fostering inclusive, relationship-centered, and collaborative learning environments that honor the diverse experiences of all students. Grounded in principles of relational pedagogy, social learning, and personal connection to knowledge, my teaching practice centers student voices, encourages active participation, and integrates culturally responsive strategies to make learning meaningful and relevant. My research interests relate to student learning, discourses that position students in specific ways, and the use of large language models in educational settings. Whether through community-building activities, collaborative dialogue, or responsive curriculum design, I strive to create spaces where learners feel seen, valued, and empowered to succeed.

Samantha’s research and teaching experience includes sociology and language revitalization as well as English as a Second Language teaching and academic writing.

After graduating from Simon Fraser University, Samantha gained first-hand experience as an international student while on the Japanese government MEXT program in Okinawa, Japan.

She completed her master’s in Linguistics and Communications and doctorate in Comparative Regional Culture and Area Studies at the University of the Ryukyus in Okinawa, Japan, and continues her Foundation for Endangered Languages (FEL)-sponsored research on language reclamation in Okinawan cultural arts.

Chris Hay has a BA and MA Sociology from the University of Alberta and Carleton University. Chris has taught Sociology and Criminology courses for a number of Universities and Colleges for the past 22 years. Further, he has worked as a Social Worker for an Indigenous community, a Probation Officer, as a Civilian Member of the Edmonton Police Service, and as the Executive Director of a criminological non-profit organization over the past 36 years. Last, Chris wrote a Criminology text book entitled: Criminology in Canada: Its Mechanisms, Theories and Failings (2022) published through Kendall-Hunt Publishing.

Craig received his PhD in Social and Political Thought from York University in Toronto. His dissertation research was on arrhythmic experiences of sleep, naturalized cultural and scientific logics of sleep, modalities of gendered interventions into sleep, and the racialized appropriations of sleeplessness in white supremacist ideology.

He has a broad teaching background in the social sciences, including courses taught in gender relations & feminist theory, classical and contemporary theory, social inequality, criminology, globalization, citizenship, consumer society, environmental sociology, urban studies, and visual culture. He has been teaching at Alexander College since 2019, and also teaches in criminology at Kwantlen Polytechnic University and sociology at University of British Columbia.

He has received student nominated awards for teaching excellence at Alexander College and for accessibility at University of British Columbia.

Coming soon.

Dr. Emily Cheung is a sociologist whose research and teaching focus on inequality, social policy, and community resilience. She holds a PhD and BA (Honours) in Sociology from the University of British Columbia and an MA in Sociology from the University of Toronto. Her doctoral research examined the lived experiences of food bank users in Canada, investigating how structural barriers such as poverty, housing insecurity, and stigma shape access to essential resources. Dr. Cheung’s work draws attention to how charitable food systems can obscure the root causes of inequality, which deeply informs her teaching approach.

In the classroom, Dr. Cheung encourages students to make meaningful connections between sociological theory and current social issues. She uses her research on food insecurity to help students critically examine the role of institutions, policies, and social norms in everyday life. Her teaching is grounded in empathy, inclusion, and a strong commitment to student engagement.

In 2020, Dr. Cheung received the Killam Teaching Award for excellence in undergraduate instruction at the University of British Columbia. In 2024, she was honored with the Instructor Appreciation Award at Alexander College in recognition of her commitment to inclusive and engaging teaching. Her goal is to empower students to think critically about the world around them and to see themselves as active participants in shaping a more just and equitable society.

Jillian Deri has earned a BA in Geography, MA in Women’s Studies and a PhD in Sociology. She also instructs online through Yukon University. Jillian researches sociology of emotions, and has written a book, Love’s Refraction on jealousy and compersion in polyamorous relationships. Her interests include art, fashion design, hiking, calisthenics and dance.

Dr. Jing Zhao received her PhD in sociology from the University of British Columbia. Her research and teaching interests include sociological theories, immigration, life course, education, culture and knowledge. She also shares academic life with the public through settlement workshops, bilingual reading groups, and immigration forums.

Joe Munsterman is a sociology instructor. As a member of the Regional Leaders of Open Education (RLOE) Network, he authored the Alexander College Strategic Plan, which aims to integrate open educational resources (OER), pedagogy, and practices across all levels of the institution. In addition, he is developing an open-access textbook, A Journey Through the Human-Shaped Structure: An Introduction to Sociology, designed to make sociology more accessible to students.

Julija (she/her, pronounced Yulia) Jeremic has been teaching communications and sociology courses at Alexander College since 2022. She has a doctoral degree from Simon Fraser University, Faculty of Education, department for Educational Technology and Learning Design and master’s degree in education from University of Belgrade, Serbia.

Dr. Jeremic worked with marginalized communities in Southeast Europe and Canada on building and strengthening their individual and organizational capacities, supporting people with disabilities and disability organizations, Roma people, 2SLGBTQAI+ youth, and seniors. She participated in media and public awareness campaigns as a designer and copywriter and contributed to local newspapers and newsletters.

Her research and teaching interest is the mutual impact of technology and society, in particular media and computer technologies. She is especially interested in the education of future technology developers and how to empower them to create socially conscious technologies. Julija has also explored the interaction of older adults with computer technologies and video games and supported them in creating short video stories about their life.

As a former student and youth activist, she is a lifelong supporter of social movements that build inclusive and just societies.

Lindsay holds a M.A in Anthropology from Simon Fraser University.

Her thesis, Studenthood: An ethnography of post-secondary student life, explores the distinct subjectivity of students through a variety of participant action research methods with a focus on the notion of student fragility. Using life course theory and the related concepts of tacking and vital conjunctures, Lindsay explores student navigational strategies and rethinks this demarcated period in the life course which has been traditionally perceived as a period of adolescent indecisiveness encapsulated as liminality.

Lindsay’s future research aims to better understand how higher education marketing fosters an environment of student fragility that necessitates numerous institutionally sanctioned stress-relief practices.

Lindsay is currently working with Simon Fraser University and The University of Toronto on a national workforce intergration social enterprise (WISE) longitudinal evaluation project (SSHRC Insight Grant, 2017-2022).

This study follows youth graduates of social enterprise-based training programs to see to what extent they can integrate into the workforce. Lindsay’s previous experience includes working with SFU’s Urban Studies Department on an employer transit subsidy study (ETSS). This project involved conducting experimental research on a worker transit subsidy program for downtown Vancouver hotel workers and included an examination of transit ridership levels, commuting patterns, and workplace performance.

Mahdokht is a PhD candidate in Social and Cultural Analysis at Concordia University, where her research explores school-based drug prevention programs as a form of governance. Her work critically examines how such initiatives function not only as educational tools but also as mechanisms for shaping behavior and citizenship through subtle forms of control.

Mahdokht joined Alexander College in January 2024 and with a strong foundation in qualitative research, she encourages students to develop and apply their sociological imagination. Mahdokht’s academic interests lie at the intersection of governmentality, drug politics, political economy, and the discourse of responsibility. She also explores themes related to law enforcement and its role in the regulation of marginalized communities. Her approach is informed by critical theory and tries to reveal how power operates through institutions that are often taken for granted.

Besides teaching at Alexander College, she also teaches law enforcement courses at Justice Institute British Columbia (JIBC).

Masayuki Iwase is a Japanese-born, Vancouver-based educator, scholar, and multimedia artist. He holds a BA in Sociology and a MA in Communication from Simon Fraser University, as well as a PhD in Educational Studies from the University of British Columbia. Through a multidisciplinary lens that spans these academic backgrounds, his teaching and scholarly research engage with media-based pedagogy and explore issues and potentials of popular and commercial culture, new media and technologies, and human memories and temporalities. As a multimedia artist, he blends sociopolitical and philosophical inquiry with his filmic and sound creation. For further information about his work, visit https://masayukiiwase.com/

Coming soon.

Pamela Tudge is an interdisciplinary social scientist with over 15 years of academic experience, specializing in food studies, climate change education, and community-based research. Her work also explores the social and environmental impacts of emerging technologies, particularly in relation to food systems and sustainability.

She currently teaches Sociology and Geography at Alexander College and has previously taught Communication Studies. She holds an Honours double major in Geography and Environmental Studies, an Interdisciplinary Master’s in Geography from the University of British Columbia, and a Ph.D. from Concordia University, where her research focused on food-based waste through critical design and public pedagogy.

In addition to teaching, she serves as Assistant Editor of IEEE Technology and Society Magazine, supporting the publication of research on technology’s role in society. Her academic publications include the 2014 study “Evaluating climate change vulnerability assessments: a case study of research focusing on the built environment in northern Canada” and the 2012 report “Collaborating Towards Innovation,” which explored climate communication via GeoWeb tools.

She is also active in public scholarship, contributing works such as the 2025 editorial “Research to Reality: Scholars as Agents of Change” and a 2017 article in The Conversation on redesigning food systems to reduce waste.

Ran is a postdoctoral research fellow at the University of British Columbia, where his current research focuses on the role of political comedy and satire in the public sphere. He studies media, popular culture, theory, and the sociology of humor and comedy.

Ran earned his master’s in sociology from UMass Boston, with a thesis examining aspects of gender in the international relocation of scholars and professionals. His PhD dissertation, written at Northeastern University, Boston, seeks to understand how political comedy and satire intervene in public discourse, public opinion, and processes of political polarization. Ran has also studied stand-up comedy as a unique comedic form, looking at how sociological dispositions like class, race, and gender are negotiated with the audience in live performance.

Before joining Alexander College, Ran taught introductory sociology and sociological theory courses at Northeastern University.

Sara Vieira holds a PhD from the University of British Columbia in Interdisciplinary Studies and has published articles on transnationalism, community, and ethno-cultural spaces in Canada. Sara has taught at AC since Spring of 2021 in the Social Sciences, often teaching Sociology or Geography courses. She thoroughly enjoys teaching and blending theory with practice. Sara also has experience in program quality and best practices for student learning. She brings this knowledge into her classes where students are encouraged to go beyond memorization and develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills. When she is not teaching, Sara enjoys reading and writing, as well as gardening.

Coming Soon

Sara completed her MA in Hispanic Studies at UBC in 2021. Since then, she has had teaching experiences at the University of British Columbia, the University of the Fraser Valley and now, Alexander College.

Sara has a passion for storytelling. Specifically, focusing on the stories of first-generation immigrant Latinos. However, her passion for storytelling expands beyond the everyday novel and she strives to be able to share people’s stories through media platforms to reach a more diverse audience.

Kailyn has been teaching at Alexander College since January 2024. She works closely with her students, encouraging curiosity and collaboration.

Kailyn completed her BASc at Quest University Canada, where her studies were guided by the question, “How can curiosity motivate mathematical exploration?” She went on to graduate studies at SFU, where she completed an MSc in mathematics and is currently pursuing a PhD in mathematics education.

Kailyn’s research studies the history of trigonometry in 15th/16th century Europe. She is interested in using historical perspectives to teach math through narratives and storytelling.

Kamran Fakhar is a Mathematics Instructor at Alexander College, since 2016.

He received his Ph.D. in applied mathematics in 2005 from USTC, post doctorate at ICTS from 2005-2007 and a research associate position in UBC since 2014.

He has published over 40 research articles in international referred journals. He also supervised two PhD and five master’s students.

Kamran has more than 12 years of teaching experience which includes teaching mathematics at different levels at different universities and colleges inside and outside Canada.

He also has won several scholarships, academic awards, medals and distinctions certificates during his academic carrier.

I joined Alexander college in 2009 as a mathematics instructor in mathematics department and has been teaching various mathematics courses ever since.

I hold several degrees in Mathematics and Mathematics education; an M.A. (Mathematics) from Tribhuvan University, Nepal; an M.Ed. (Mathematics emphasis) from Endicott College, USA, and a Ph.D. from Simon Fraser University, Canada.

My research interests are in the field of theories and pedagogical practices in mathematics education.

I am interested at exploring how teachers and students deal with mathematical abstraction in teaching and learning in an attempt to translate abstract mathematical concepts into understandable ideas.

Luc Lapierre obtained an M.Sc. in pure mathematics from Simon Fraser University in 2016. He joined Alexander College in January 2017, and has enjoyed teaching there ever since.

Luc’s research portfolio centers on cryptographic primitives arising from finite fields of characteristic two, and algebraic graph theory.

Aside from learning and sharing mathematics, Luc enjoys olympic weightlifting, ice hockey, and caring for his five rabbits.

Mengdi Hua received her Honors BSc (mathematics) from University of Toronto and MSc (mathematics) from University of British Columbia. She joined Alexander College in January 2023 as a statistics and mathematics instructor and has been teaching various STAT and MATH courses ever since.

Outside the classroom, she loves watching anime and playing games with friends. Her recent favorite game is Overcooked 2.

She can be reached at m.hua@alexandercollege.ca. Alternatively, stop by her office hours!

I have taught at the University of the Fraser Valley, Vancouver Community College, Thompson Rivers University, and Champlain Regional College.

I hold an M.Sc. in Pure Mathematics from McGill University, a B.A. (honours) in Mathematics and Philosophy from Queen’s University, and a Provincial Instructor’s Diploma from Vancouver Community College.

I take a teaching approach which is technology-intense and learner-centred, and I ensure that students in my classes are encouraged to participate.

In my studies, I took an interest in Foundations of Mathematics, but my more recent research interests lie in Teaching and Learning.

I like getting a chance to meet students, colleagues, and others interested in my work. Contact me at t.kusalik@alexandercollege.ca or stop by my office hours.

Gerry Tillman received his undergraduate and graduate degrees from Laurentian University in Sudbury, Ontario.

He has been teaching ESL in the lower mainland since 1999. He joined Alexander College in 2008 as an instructor of 098 and 099 in the EAP program.

Since joining Alexander College Gerry has established himself as a direct and interactive instructor. He has a traditional yet innovative style in the classroom.

Cheryl has a BA in Contemporary English Literature from Thompson Rivers University and an MA in TESOL from Trinity Western University. She has taught English at multiple institutions across China and Western Canada since 2008. Cheryl has been at Alexander College since 2020, teaching in the EAP department and tutoring in the WLC. Her literary interests include poetry and post-colonial literature. As an instructor, her desire is to help students build academic skills that will help them succeed in their future studies.

Greg has been teaching English for almost thirty years, as a classroom instructor and tutor. Before joining the EAP department at Alexander College in 2015 and the English department in 2021, Greg taught at Vancouver Community College for four years.

He also taught workplace writing skills to the staff of various UN agencies including the UN High Commission for Refugees, the World Health Organization and the International Labour Organization.

Greg received both his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in English Literature from York University, and his Bachelor of Education from the University of Toronto. Greg is interested in African American, Indigenous and post-colonial literature and he uses an interactive, student-centered teaching approach.

Kevin Buckley holds a B.Mus from UBC and a MA TESOL from the University of Manchester. After teaching academic and business English overseas for over 20 years (mostly in corporate and academic settings in Japan and Spain), he returned to Canada in Jan 2021. He has worked at Alexander College since 2022. In addition to this, he has a small but growing English-learning YouTube channel.

Mohsen Hosseinpour Moghaddam is a PhD candidate in the Education program at Simon Fraser University, where he previously completed a Master of Education. He also holds an MA and BA in English Language Teaching. His research interests include academic writing, identity in educational contexts, and the integration experiences of immigrants in Canada. His doctoral work investigates how neoliberalism shapes immigrant employment opportunities and how limited access to social capital constrains success in the labor market.

Mohsen has extensive postsecondary teaching experience. He has taught undergraduate courses as a sessional instructor at SFU and Alexander College and has taught as a Teaching Assistant in over 20 semesters across education courses. He is also a Writing and Learning Advisor at SFU’s Student Learning Commons, where he helps students enhance their writing and learning skills.

He has presented his work at national and international conferences and published in academic journals, including a recently released book chapter.

A multilingual educator with transnational teaching experience, Mohsen brings a critical and cross-cultural perspective to his academic work. He is committed to inclusive, student-centered pedagogy and to supporting diverse learners in higher education.

With his first degree in English Language and Literature, Raheb completed his post-graduate at UBC where he studied TESL.

He has diverse teaching experience in EAP, Academic writing, Rhetoric, and communication (Capilano University, University Canada West, Fairleigh Dickinson University, Acsenda School of Management, Canadian College).

He has post-graduate certificates in Rhetoric from the Faculty of Arts & Sciences at Harvard University and varied assessment credentials from Cambridge University and Stanford Center for Professional Development.

His academic sphere of interest includes Rhetoric and Composition, Second Language Writing, English for Specific Purposes, Educational Assessment and Program Evaluation, and Research Methods.