Ānako Indigenous Research Institute presents:

A Virtual Fireside Chat with Henry Lickers on Indigenous and Western Science.

Henry is Seneca from the Six Nations Reserve and has spent his career dedicated to bridging Indigenous and Western science in the field of biology. This fireside chat will be an informal discussion between Henry Lickers and Biology professors from Carleton University and the University of Ottawa on the connections and relations between Western Science and Indigenous Science. This meaningful discussion is meant to reframe thinking regarding Indigenous Science and help to promote dialogue between Universities and local Indigenous Nations. It was through the support of the Shared Online Projects Initiative (SOPI) grant that the Assistant Vice-President of Indigenous Initiatives and professors in Biology were able to come together for this important event. Please join us virtually on January 6th for this chat.

The event poster, and information about the guest panelists, can be found below.

Registration

Registration closes on January 6th, 2022. To register, please click here or email naomibird@cunet.carleton.ca.

Full poster

Dr. Shelley Hepworth, PhD (she/her)

Professor, Biology and Biochemistry, Carleton University

Dr. Shelley Hepworth is a plant biologist and full professor in the Biology Department and Institute of Biochemistry at Carleton University. She received her Ph.D. from the University of Toronto and completed post-doctoral work at the John Innes Centre in England and the University of British Columbia. Her research discovers how genes control plant architecture traits important for crop yield. Application of this knowledge is used to improve agriculture. Dr. Hepworth is an associate editor of the academic journal “Botany”. She has been teaching university students for 15+ years.

Dr. Marina Cvetkovska

Assistant Professor, University of Ottawa

Dr. Marina Cvetkovska is an Assistant Professor at the Department of Biology, University of Ottawa and leads an active research lab since 2019. She obtained her PhD at the University of Toronto (2006-2012) specializing in plant responses to stress, followed by an NSERC-funded Postdoctoral position at University of Western Biology centered on algal adaptation to extreme environments (2014-2018). The Cvetkovska group is examining the mechanisms behind stress tolerance and adaptation in plants and algae using a combination of physiology, molecular biology and bioinformatics. Her group is particularly interested in cold-adapted species from Arctic and Antarctic environments, and uses polar aquatic algae as models for studying stress resilience. These algae are a key component of polar ecosystems but are becoming increasingly endangered due to recent climate change trends. The long-term goal of her lab is to apply the insights obtained from cold adapted species to improve stress tolerance in economically important algae and plants.

Dr. Allyson M. MacLean (she/her)

Assistant Professor, University of Ottawa

Dr. Allyson MacLean is an Assistant Professor at the University of Ottawa. Equal parts plant biologist and microbiologist, she has long been fascinated by the symbiotic interactions that occur between land plants and the bacteria, fungi, and other microorganisms that determine plant health. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, she has extended her research to include a focus on the development of plant-based vaccines. Dr. MacLean obtained her doctoral degree at McMaster University and completed post-doctoral fellowships at the John Innes Centre (Norwich, England) and Boyce Thompson Institute (Ithaca, New York).

Dr. Martha Mullally

Instructor II, Coordinator of Biotechnology Program, Biology Department & Institute of Biochemistry, Carleton University

Martha Mullally is an instructor in the Biology Department and Institute of Biochemistry. Trained in plant biology and science education, she is committed to understanding ways that undergraduate science education can be improved, including with the use of inclusive teaching practices. Recently named the Carleton Chair in Teaching Innovation, Martha looks forward to continuing to contribute to science education at Carleton.

Mona Tolley

Ottawa University Indigenous Curriculum Specialist, University of Ottawa

Mona Tolley (B.A., B.Ed., M.Ed., Rez Raised) is an Anishinabe woman, who grew up in the Kitigan Zibi First Nation, on Algonquin unceded traditional territory. She practices and values her people’s wholistic ways of knowing, by integrating them into her twenty years of professional work in the areas of social work and education. As an Indigenous Education Consultant, she has presented for teacher professional development, has worked with First Nation’s educational programs, has taught post secondary courses for Canadore College and Ottawa University, and has done curriculum writing and reviewing. Her goal is to support and encourage the Indigenization of all aspects of education to lift the spirit of our youth.