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Presenters

Giselle Basanta joined the Ministry of Education as the Chief Equity Officer and Assistant Deputy Minister, Education Equity and Governance Secretariat (EEGS) on August 26, 2024. Giselle is a dynamic and experienced senior leader and public servant with a deep understanding of education at many levels in Ontario having worked in the K-12 space as well as the post-secondary sector. Giselle brings several years of senior leadership experience as an education lawyer in the areas of governance and human rights. Most recently, she served as General Legal Counsel at George Brown College and previously held positions at the Peel District School Board, Toronto Metropolitan University, and Toronto District School Board. Giselle also has Ontario Public Service experience through her previous work at the Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario and the Ministry of Correctional Services. Giselle holds a Bachelor of Laws from the University of Windsor, a Bachelor of Arts from Queen’s University, and a Certified In-house Counsel/Canada designation from the Rotman School of Management, University of Toronto.

Lisa Cole is the Director of k2i (kindergarten to industry) academy at the Lassonde School of Engineering, York University. She is a passionate educator, system leader in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) Education and committed to building equitable opportunities for students, families and community. The k2i academy is an award-winning, innovative ecosystem, committed to dismantling systemic barriers to opportunity for underrepresented students in STEM. 

Farzana Doctor is a Tkaronto-based author, activist and psychotherapist. Before going into private practice, she worked in community-based and hospital settings providing street outreach, crisis services, individual and group counselling, and program management. She currently works with individuals and couples and provides clinical consultation to other therapists and organizations. She is founding member of WeSpeakOut and the End FGM Canada Network. She has written four critically acclaimed novels, a poetry collection and a self-care workbook for helpers, 52 Weeks To A Sweeter Life. Her YA novel, The Beauty of Us, was just released in September.

Dr. Beyhan Farhadi is an assistant professor of educational policy and equity at OISE/University of Toronto. She researches K-12 EdTech policy, focusing on online education, learning and disciplinary surveillance in public schools. Her approach to policy is critically oriented, prioritizing teacher enactment and leadership, and attends to questions of power, justice, and resistance to neoliberal restructuring. Dr. Farhadi draws from extensive experience teaching in Toronto secondary schools and public education advocacy to bridge research and practice. Her book, Online Learning and the Politics of Access in Public Education, is forthcoming from University of Toronto Press.

Dr. Vidya Shah is an educator, scholar and activist committed to equity and racial justice in the service of liberatory education. She is an Associate Professor in the Faculty of Education at York University, and her research explores anti-racist and decolonial approaches to leadership in schools, communities, and school districts. She also explores educational barriers to the success and well-being of Black, Indigenous, and racialized students. Dr. Shah teaches in the Master of Leadership and Community Engagement, as well as undergraduate and graduate level courses in education. She has worked in the Model Schools for Inner Cities Program in the Toronto District School Board (TDSB) and was an elementary classroom teacher in the TDSB. Dr. Shah is committed to bridging the gaps between communities, classrooms, school districts and the academy, to re/imagine emancipatory possibilities for schooling. 

Tammy Shubat has worked in education and health promotion for more than 20 years, and specifically for the last 16 years with Ophea, advancing health and well-being in Ontario schools. Currently in the Director of Partnerships and Public Affairs role, Tammy aligns provincial, national, and equity deserving partners, business development opportunities, and strategic objectives for Ophea, and for the sector at large. With a practice in grounded in social justice and anti-oppressive approaches in education, Tammy is a proud member of the 2SLGBTQ community, an advocate, and a mum.

Dr. Kimberley Tavares is Deputy Vice Principal at UTS, where she plays a pivotal role in actualizing the school’s strategic vision through advancing anti-racism, equity, diversity, and inclusion efforts in the school. Her career is distinguished by her unwavering commitment to creating inclusive educational environments by dismantling systemic barriers. Prior to her current role, she served with the Ontario Ministry of Education’s Equity Secretariat, where she collaborated with colleagues and community to promote equity across provincial schools.

Dr. Sue Winton is the York Research Chair in Policy Analysis for Democracy and Professor in the Faculty of Education. Her research examines policy advocacy, influences, and enactment. She is the Director of the Public Education Exchange, a SSHRC-funded project designed to create and share knowledge about education privatization (www.pexnetwork.ca).