GIFT

People call Lindsay Hampson a business-minded tree hugger. She founded ThisRock Inc., an ESG and Sustainability consulting firm in 2022. ThisRock helps businesses get more sustainable in simple and profitable ways. Her firm helps busy people meet new ESG “asks” from their customers, investors or bankers. Lindsay is a communications professional turned Sustainability expert with an MBA, an FSA (Fundamentals in Sustainable Accounting) Credential from the IFRS, and a 15-year career in B2B SaaS with IBM, SAP and Jitterbit. She is a cheerleader to two hockey-playing daughters, and one awesome husband.

Alysa De Bellis has a Masters of Earth and Environmental Science from the University of Waterloo. Since 2017, Alysa has worked as Mohawk College faculty with the Environmental Technician program. She is an advocate for sustainable practices and co-signor to the Beyond Benign: Green Chemistry Commitment. Prior to working at Mohawk, Alysa held roles in industry, academia, and government with a focus on water resource management and protecting water quality.

Shelley taught in the Social Service Work Program at Mohawk College for over 24 years. She retired from full time teaching in June 2024 and currently teaches part time. Her areas of teaching, interest and study include anti-oppressive, anti-racist, anti-colonial theory and practices, political advocacy and activism, community organizing and social welfare policy, environmental social work, and field education in social work. In 2017 she published her first book - Advocacy in Practice: Creating a Culture of Social Change in the Human Services, Oxford University Press.

Prior to coming to Mohawk College, Shelley was the Executive Director of the Housing Help Centre for 11 years. The Centre is a community based not-for-profit agency that works with people who are homeless or in danger of losing their housing. In this capacity she practiced case advocacy and participated in grassroots organizing activities aimed at changing government policies and programs to better support service users.

Shelley’s formal education includes a BA in Sociology from the University of Toronto, a BSW from McMaster University, an MA in Social Welfare Policy form McMaster University and a Doctorate in Education (EdD) from the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education University of Toronto.

Allison Maxted: Allison is responsible for overseeing Mohawk’s campus sustainability and climate action initiatives. Allison works with the Sustainability Office team and partners across the college to integrate sustainability into campus operations and throughout the student experience. Allison holds a Master’s in Community and Regional Planning from the University of British Columbia and has over a decade of experience working towards inclusive and sustainable communities in a variety of settings.

Cassi Brennan: Cassi is responsible for conducting sustainability-focused student outreach, empowering students to learn about sustainability, supporting student-led initiatives that make the campus community more sustainable, and providing administrative support to the Sustainability Initiatives Fee Committee. Cassi works to collaborate with student leaders and student groups to foster sustainability initiatives. Additionally, Cassi develops and leads outreach events, oversees sustainability-focused volunteer opportunities for students, and connects students with ways they can integrate sustainable action into their academic and extracurricular experience. Cassi is a proud Mohawk College alumnus of the Environmental Technician Program.

Dawn Danko: Dawn Danko, M.S.(Ed.), is a Curriculum & Program Quality Consultant at Mohawk College. She has previously worked in health care as a Radiation Therapist, and has over 15 years of experience in teaching, facilitation, and curriculum development. Dawn recently led the collaborative curriculum planning, mapping and development for a proposed cluster of sustainability-related degrees at Mohawk College.

Usha Vivegananthan: Usha Vivegananthan, Ph.D., is a seasoned educator with 20 years of experience in curriculum development and program creation at Mohawk College. She has spearheaded innovative projects like the Biotechnology - Advanced Diploma and Applied Degrees in Sustainability. Usha is passionate about bringing innovative student-centred education to fruition and translates theory into practice throughout her work.

Dr. Athanasios (Ethan) Paschos is full professor of Biotechnology in the Chemical Engineering, Biotechnology and Environmental Department of Mohawk College with a Master’s and PhD degree from the Ludwig Maximilians University of Munich. He brings significant research experiences with a strong record of accomplishments in the interface of microbiology, biochemistry, environmental monitoring, medicine, and chemistry.

Dr. Paschos bridges as liaison between national content expertise organizations and his program to benefit the success of Mohawk graduates. While supervising several Mohawk biotech students in their research activities he has secured successfully for his trainees CIC Clean Tech & Career Launcher internship subsidies and managed recently a Canadian Bio-Cleantech Applied Research Network project in collaboration with a chemical sector industry partner.

With a deep understanding of the complex environmental global issues and challenges facing our planet, Dr. Paschos uses science to offer practical solutions and inspiring insights that empower students inside and outside of the classroom to adopt more sustainable lifestyles.

Michael Dean: Michael Dean leads the Energy, Carbon, and Sustainability Office at Mohawk College and the implementation of the College’s Climate Action Plan and climate action plan roadmap. Michael supports the development and implementation of Mohawk’s long-term sustainability goals, aligning goals with post-secondary sector, global trends and local needs and oversees engagement, operations, and community relations related to sustainability.. Michael holds a Masters Urban Planning from the University of Toronto and has more than a decade of experience in climate change initiatives and local sustainability planning, mostly in the municipal government sector.

Miranda Floreano: Miranda is responsible for supporting the college-wide implementation of the Climate Action Plan (CAP) through communications, awareness strategies, capacity building, data collection and reporting. Miranda provides support to the CAP Steering Group and working groups and builds opportunities for both students and staff to get involved. Miranda is a proud alumnus of the CityLAB Hamilton Semester In Residence Program. Her expertise focuses on project management, community engagement and sustainability best practices. Miranda holds an HBSc. in Life Sciences from McMaster University, and an Advanced Diploma in Ecosystem Management Technology from Fleming College.

Sarah Dimick: Sarah provides strategic oversight for Ideaworks operational planning, budget and project management and communications, working across all Ideaworks applied research centres to assure quality, regulatory compliance and financial sustainability. Prior to Mohawk College, Sarah served as Project Manager for the Southern Ontario Network for Advanced Manufacturing Innovation (SONAMI) at Niagara College, responsible for network operations and program management. Sarah has extensive experience at the intersection of analytics, innovation, information services and public policy through her past roles including as Director of Research at rel8ed.to, a data analytics firm, and at the Conference Board of Canada within the Technology and Innovation group. She holds a Bachelor’s degree (Law and Political Science) and a Master’s degree in Legal Studies, both from Carleton University in Ottawa and has earned her designation as Project Management Professional (PMP). In addition, Sarah currently sits on the Board of Directors of the St Catharines Public Library as the Vice-Chair and has contributed as Committee Member and Speaker for past Niagara Leadership Summits for Women. 

Julie Florio: A skilled manager, project leader and communicator, Julie thrives on delivering impactful solutions for complex challenges. With an impressive record of accomplishment at Mohawk College, Julie has managed over 20 Applied Research projects, co-authored several research and investment fund submissions, led teams in the development and launch of institutional policy, employee tools, templates and resources, and devised communications and training resources on several subjects.   Previously within the Ontario Government, Julie led numerous projects and initiatives within the Ministries of the Attorney General, Government Services, Culture, and Treasury Board Secretariat. Julie has an interdisciplinary background, graduating from both the University of Toronto and Sheridan College, and believes strongly in new ideas, creative collaboration, and fostering strong communities. 

Allison Maxted: Allison is responsible for overseeing Mohawk’s campus sustainability and climate action initiatives. Allison works with the Sustainability Office team and partners across the college to integrate sustainability into campus operations and throughout the student experience. Allison holds a Master’s in Community and Regional Planning from the University of British Columbia and has over a decade of experience working towards inclusive and sustainable communities in a variety of settings.

Ashley Packer: Ashley is responsible for the coordination of sustainability programs and services at Mohawk College. Ashley works to both align current campus operations with the College’s Climate Action goals and works with students, employees, and community members to support Mohawk's sustainability programs, helping to connect people to programs based on waste, local food systems, and sustainable transportation to demonstrate the importance of healthy and sustainable lifestyles. Ashley is a proud Mohawk College alumnus of the Architectural Technology Program.

Kelley Hoyt: Kelley Hoyt has been a post-secondary educator at Mohawk College for over 23 years with a specific focus on inter-cultural competency development for the last several years. She is a Qualified Administrator of the Inter-Cultural Development Inventory®, a restorative justice trainer, and Instructional Skills Workshop (ISW) and Facilitator Development Workshop (FDW) trainer, and a strong advocate for immersive educational experiences for personal growth and cultural awareness. Kelley has led short-term abroad student and faculty experiences to Costa Rica, Guatemala, India, Greece and Ecuador. During these experiences, Kelley has deepened her understanding of the urgency of climate action through learning about food justice and equity, bee health, and direct trade coffee. Kelley also volunteers her time as a Kids Help Phone Crisis Responder and is mum to 3 wonderful children.

Patrick Cross: Patrick is in his 24th year as an Academic Upgrading professor at Mohawk College. He also teaches a General Education elective course titled, “The Holocaust: Perspectives of the Deaf and the Disabled” in ASL with interpreters to an all-hearing audience. Patrick is a strong advocate for equity, diversity and inclusion, with a passion to ensure all people have an equal playing field to succeed with their goals. In addition to taking part in Guatemala’s Seed to Shelf program, Patrick also took part in two other Mohawk faculty trips to Ecuador and is already hard at work planning his next adventure. An experienced traveler, Patrick has been to 53 (so far) countries with the ultimate goal to visit all 197 recognized countries. At home, Patrick is hard at work giving wings to his four children as they navigate through young adulthood and create their own thriving lives. He is also a zookeeper with two cats, two dogs and a rabbit in the house, with the hope of adding a llama and a sloth in the near future to the menagerie.

Kate Dunn (she/her) is a Professor with over 13 years of post-secondary teaching experience. She earned her M.A. in Sociology from Western University and an Hons. B.A. in Sociology and Women's Studies from McMaster University. She obtained her certification in Unified Mindfulness (2022) and is a positive psychology enthusiast.

Sarah Dimick: Sarah provides strategic oversight for Ideaworks operational planning, budget and project management and communications, working across all Ideaworks applied research centres to assure quality, regulatory compliance and financial sustainability. Prior to Mohawk College, Sarah served as Project Manager for the Southern Ontario Network for Advanced Manufacturing Innovation (SONAMI) at Niagara College, responsible for network operations and program management. Sarah has extensive experience at the intersection of analytics, innovation, information services and public policy through her past roles including as Director of Research at rel8ed.to, a data analytics firm, and at the Conference Board of Canada within the Technology and Innovation group. She holds a Bachelor’s degree (Law and Political Science) and a Master’s degree in Legal Studies, both from Carleton University in Ottawa and has earned her designation as Project Management Professional (PMP). In addition, Sarah currently sits on the Board of Directors of the St Catharines Public Library as the Vice-Chair and has contributed as Committee Member and Speaker for past Niagara Leadership Summits for Women. 

Julie Florio: A skilled manager, project leader and communicator, Julie thrives on delivering impactful solutions for complex challenges. With an impressive record of accomplishment at Mohawk College, Julie has managed over 20 Applied Research projects, co-authored several research and investment fund submissions, led teams in the development and launch of institutional policy, employee tools, templates and resources, and devised communications and training resources on several subjects.   Previously within the Ontario Government, Julie led numerous projects and initiatives within the Ministries of the Attorney General, Government Services, Culture, and Treasury Board Secretariat. Julie has an interdisciplinary background, graduating from both the University of Toronto and Sheridan College, and believes strongly in new ideas, creative collaboration, and fostering strong communities. 

Amanda Malkiewich: Amanda Malkiewich is the Director of Co-operative Education and Experiential Learning at Mohawk College. Her role connects community partners and students, to co-create quality learning experiences and strengthen communities. Over the past 19 years, Amanda has worked for several Canadian post-secondary institutions including; Mohawk College, Brock University (Goodman School of Business), the University of Victoria, Royal Roads University, and Bow Valley College. With a Master of Education in Administration and Leadership, Amanda’s diverse background in post-secondary includes roles in curriculum development, student leadership, student affairs, and experiential learning.

Jason Peng: Jason is the Manager of Experiential Learning within Mohawk College’s Centre for Experiential Learning. His team is responsible for enabling the college’s placement strategy and supporting faculty who embed experiential learning into their courses and programs. Jason has been involved in experiential learning within higher education for over 8 years. Early in his career, he travelled coast-to-coast to supply pedagogical lab equipment to colleges and universities across Canada. Jason has since supported co-op education and other forms of work-integrated learning, managing portfolios ranging from business to math and science programs, supporting partnership development, student coaching, and quality assurance through accreditation.