We are delighted to announce the successful appointment of Estefanía Toledo as a full-time faculty member in our Pathways Programs in the Faculty of Liberal Arts and Sciences. Estefanía brings a wealth of experience and a strong commitment to fostering inclusive and transformative learning environments and we are delighted that she will be joining our team this fall.
As an educator, Estefanía has a strong track record of employing learner-centred and evidence-based teaching practices to create spaces of belonging for learners from equity-deserving communities. Estefaní’s dedication is evident in her inclusive lesson plans and assessments, active learning strategies, and assignments designed to cultivate critical thinking skills and meet course learning outcomes. In her previous roles as an instructor at the University of Toronto and Ontario Tech University, Estefanía developed curricula that introduced students to essential academic strategies, supporting them in developing metacognition skills, applying learning strategies, cultivating help-seeking behaviours, and strengthening self-advocacy.
During her tenure at Humber, Estefanía has designed and delivered transformational learning experiences that align with our Mission and Vision, particularly in reducing mental health stigma and adopting Humber’s Learning Outcomes in co-curricular programs and service design. As the lead curriculum developer for Well-being at Humber and Recognize, Respond and Support Learners in Distress (RRS), she has provided crucial training to faculty, staff and students, promoting values of empathy, radical healing, and inclusive education.
Estefanía also played a significant role in developing the Student Wellness and Equitable Learning Co-curricular Framework, integrating local and national frameworks to enhance learner well-being at the institute. Her contributions have been recognized with prestigious awards, including the President’s Extra Mile award and the Canadian Association of College & University Student Services’ Innovation Award.
As an emerging critical scholar, Estefanía is dedicated to disrupting systemic barriers and building culturally-sustaining and life-affirming spaces in higher education. Her dissertation on the experiences of Latinx/a/o in higher education, recognized with the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council Doctoral award, highlights her commitment to using culturally-relevant frameworks and methods for social impact. At Humber, she has led various research and assessment activities, employing arts-based methods to understand and improve student mental health and well-being.
Estefanía’s extensive knowledge in student development, strengths-based frameworks, and critical pedagogies will undoubtedly contribute to the success and retention of students in our Pathways Programs. Estefanía’s passion for justice, commitment to access, and academic expertise makes her an ideal addition to our faculty.
Please join us in welcoming Estefanía to her new role.
Christina Meredith, MSW, PhD (she/her)
Associate Dean, Pathways Programs
Faculty of Liberal Arts & Sciences