Meet the Team

As the Director of the Centre for Healthcare Simulation and Research, Julia brings a diverse background that blends over two decades of expertise in planning and design with a deep commitment to advancing healthcare education. Before stepping into this role, Julia served as the Manager of Planning at the college, where she spearheaded the campus master planning initiative for the college’s campuses.

Her professional career began in the architectural design industry, where she led the planning team for a major architectural firm, specializing in creating innovative academic environments. Julia’s passion for healthcare education and simulation has been a consistent thread throughout her professional journey, guiding efforts to create state-of-the-art learning spaces that bridge the gap between theoretical knowledge and practical skills.

In her free time, Julia loves cooking, especially for friends and family. She loves gardening and hiking and is in the process of completing the Bruce Trail together with her husband, daughter, son-in-law and oldest granddaughter.

Barb emigrated from England in 2005, completing Business Studies at college. She has worked in the Simulation Centre since 2007 and has seen huge growth in the development and integration of various modalities of simulation in the School of Health programs, primarily Nursing and Personal Support Worker.

Working with academic program areas to plan and schedule academic labs, simulations and special events, Barb will book space, arrange staffing and order supplies and equipment to ensure the activities within the simulation centre, including external events have sufficient resources and the best environment in which to meet their specific learning objectives.

More recently Barb has been working with the Director of Simulation, Business Development and Inter-Professional Learning on the submission of proposals for a number of collaborative income-generating initiatives within the community.  
Barb prefers a quiet life, spending time with her family and loves to hike and travel.

Jessica has 10+ years of diverse healthcare experience working as a nurse at Hamilton Health Sciences and within simulation at Mohawk College. Her journey began as an RPN and evolved into an RN at HHS, working in surgical oncology, spinal cord/amputee rehab and pediatric surgery.

She completed her BScN degree at McMaster University and has worked at Mohawk College for 3 years in simulation. She has received her certification as a Certified Healthcare Simulation Educator (CHSE) from the Society of Simulation in Healthcare (SSH).

Jess loves diving into simulation best practices and exploring innovative simulation pedagogy. 

Jess believes learning should be engaging and enjoyable – after all, who said education cant be a bit of fun?

Nate is a registered nurse with over five years of hands-on experience in paediatric medicine. He earned his BScN and Master’s in Nursing from the University of Toronto, where he honed his skills and deepened his commitment to leadership, and high-functioning teams.

A passionate advocate for equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI), Nate actively works to create a supportive environment for all learners. He believes in the power of mentorship and is deeply committed to capacity-building for new learners, ensuring they have the resources and guidance needed to thrive in their nursing careers.

Outside of work, Nate is an avid Toronto Maple Leafs fan. He also enjoys playing tennis and capturing moments through photography, blending his love for science and art, just like nursing! Whether on the court, behind the lens, or voicing a simulator, he finds joy in exploring new perspectives and spreading positivity with others. 

His favourite colour is Pantone 17-4123.

Lucky hails from a science and nursing background, prior to joining the CHSR.

Having attained his RPN and RN designations as a Mohawk College alumnus, he is glad to have been able to return to the School of Health, where he has also had opportunities to instruct in both the clinical and lab settings.

He enjoys all things simulation and is ever eager to incorporate his knowledge and lived experience towards helping mould future generations of healthcare practitioners. For example, one of his ongoing projects entails an eMAR system he built (and continues to develop) through Microsoft Excel for use within some of the CHSR's high fidelity simulations. Lucky takes joy in creating things, and finds that simulation-based education provides a nice outlet for his creativity.

He holds further designations as a Canada Certified Simulation Nurse Educator (CCSNE) and a Canada Certified Clinical Instructor (CCCI). He believes that we are all forever learning, and is a strong advocate for the CHSR and the School of Health to continue striving towards higher standards.

Fun-fact: Since he mostly worked in adult-medicine when he was at the bedside, he often finds himself with the older simulators- keeping them updated on global events and new anime shows, whilst also trying to pique their interests in arts and crafts.

To end his bio, here is one of Lucky's favourite quotes that relate to simulation and experiential learning: "Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn."- Benjamin Franklin.

Amanda is a Digital Learning Technician with the Centre for Healthcare Simulation and Research (CHSR) at Mohawk College, where she has worked for the past four years. In that time, she has supported the development of over 30 virtual simulations, 20 virtual escape rooms, and numerous other projects designed to help faculty create engaging course experiences for learners. Amanda continues to support faculty in this work while also overseeing both the virtual simulations and VR technology within the CHSR.

Amanda holds an MSc in Occupational Therapy, bringing a unique perspective to her work. She is also skilled in filming and video editing and is dedicated to creating accessible, inclusive assets that align with equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) principles. 

Amanda spends her free time with her family, including her young son, who loves dinosaurs almost as much as Lucky. She also enjoys watching The Office, taking to heart Michael Scott’s wisdom: “Would I rather be feared or loved? Easy. Both. I want people to be afraid of how much they love me.”

Miguel Aguirre

Miguel joined the team as a Simulation Lab Technologist in Spring 2023. He is an International Medical Graduate and practiced as an MD in his home country, Colombia, for 7 years before coming to Canada in 2019 to attend the CHC Certificate at Mohawk College. As a Mohawk College student, he was recognized with several awards, including the President's Award of Student Excellence. He enjoys sci-fi and fantasy topics, video games and all things tech-related. 

Kushnanan Harnarine

Kush joined the team as a Simulation Lab Technologist in Fall 2023. He brought 5+ years of extensive experience teaching and practicing in Medical Imaging at the primary healthcare facility in Guyana. Outside of the healthcare, he is a huge cricket fan and active runner. Team West Indies forever!