I am pleased to announce the following changes made recently in Applied Research and Innovation (ARI):
Tanya Perdikoulias has accepted the position of Operations Manager in ARI. Tanya had been serving as the acting Operations Manager during Candice Watson’s maternity leave. Candice decided not to return from maternity leave and has accepted an exciting position with Mohawk College, which will allow her to be closer to her family. Tanya brings a diverse set of experiences in post-secondary education, provincial government, international government and financial operations. Tanya also brings a unique interest in policies and procedures and over the last year she has excelled in meeting key funder reporting requirements including those of the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC), as well as Ontario Centre of Excellence (OCE) and Polytechnics Canada.
Jennifer Larson has accepted the position of Strategic Communications & Innovation Manager in ARI. This position was created following the departure of Crystal Williams, who left Humber to join York University. Jennifer joined Humber from KPMG in 2017 as the Partnership Development Manager and has since assumed responsibility for ARI’s marketing and communications portfolio. She has also been instrumental in the development and communication of ARI’s workshop series designed to foster a strong culture of innovation and applied research excellence. In her new role, Jennifer will develop and implement a multi-year communications strategy to build awareness and increase participation in applied research. Jennifer will also be responsible for advancing a culture of innovation, partially through the facilitation of a suite of specialized innovation services. Jennifer is an accomplished marketing and communications professional with experience in both the public and private sector. She is also an accredited design thinking and change management facilitator and is a certified Innovation Strategist with Innovation360 Group AB.
Raeshelle Morris has agreed to accept the position of Acting Innovation Program Manager in ARI. This position became available when Amanda Brown moved to Durham College. Raeshelle’s role will include proposal development, preparation of grant applications, project planning and execution, along with the oversight of project progress. She will also promote an awareness of Humber’s applied research expertise and capacity to the internal community as well as among local industry, related organizations and economic development agencies. Prior to working with ARI, Raeshelle managed Humber’s Centre for Entrepreneurship (CfE), where she was responsible for implementing the operational and strategic mandate of the CfE, managing CfE programs and activities and engaging in opportunities to support the ideas and ventures of CfE members. Raeshelle is also an accredited design thinking and change management facilitator and is a certified Innovation Strategist with Innovation360 Group AB.
Darren Lawless, Ph.D.
Dean, Applied Research and Innovation