Board of Visitors Membership

The Board of Visitors is an advisory body as opposed to a governing body, which allows a wider range of members to support the mission of the Humanities Digital Degrees Project and participate in the running of the projected institution without having the responsibilities of membership on the formal governing Board.

Current and upcoming HDDP priorities include:

♦ Raising the institution’s profile (traditional and digital media)

♦ Development and launch of the institution’s Capital Campaign

♦ Completion of regulatory consent processes

♦ Development of the institution’s digital infrastructure (portal and library)

♦ Faculty recruitment

♦ Diversifying the institution’s governing bodies

Applications are welcome from all quarters. In light of current priorities, the HDDP is particularly keen to welcome expressions of interest from people with:

♦ a national profile in the arts or academia

♦ experience in the administration of major cultural institutions

♦ experience in media or public relations

♦ legal experience (particularly in the areas of regulatory / governmental law and contracts)

♦ accounting experience (especially with not-for-profit corporations)

♦ experience in fundraising and advancement (especially in n-f-p / charitable, education, start-up, and digital contexts)

The Board of Visitors will hold its first regular, annual meeting in October 2023. The Board’s annual meeting may be supplemented with occasional ad hoc meetings as circumstances require. Once academic operations commence, it is anticipated that the Board of Visitors will meet semi-annually. All meetings will be virtual.

Applications to serve on the HDDP Board of Visitors should include a biographical sketch with career and educational information (the latter including subjects of study) and a brief account of how you would be able to support the HDDP in its core mission to establish and operate Canada’s first independent and digital undergraduate humanities institution.

For further information or to apply to serve on the HDDP’s Board of Visitors, please write to humanitiesddp@gmail.com placing “BoV” in the subject line.

Visitors' Biographies

Sir John Daniel, O.C.

Visitor and Chairman of the Board

Sir John Daniel, Visitor and Chairman of the Board

BA, MA, Metallurgy, Oxford University; Doctorat ès-Sciences Physiques, Université de Paris; MA, Ed.Tech., Concordia University; A. Th, Thorneloe University

John Daniel is a 50-year veteran of open and distance learning. He holds degrees from Oxford University (BA, MA, Metallurgy); the Université de Paris (Docteur ès-Sciences Physiques); Concordia University (MA, Ed.Tech.); and Thorneloe University (A. Th). His 32 honorary doctorates are from 17 countries.
His appointments have included: École Polytechnique, Montreal (Professeur assistant et agrégé); Université TÉLUQ (Directeur des études); Athabasca University (VP Learning Services); Concordia University (VP Academic); Laurentian University (President); The Open University (Vice-Chancellor); UNESCO (Assistant Director-General for Education); and Commonwealth of Learning (President). His 400+ publications include his books Mega-Universities (1996) and Mega-Schools (2010).
Three countries have recognised his contributions with national honours: France (Chevalier/Officier de l'Ordre des Palmes Académiques); the UK (Knight Bachelor 'for services to higher education'); and Canada (Officer of the Order of Canada ‘for his advancement of open learning and distance education in Canada and around the world’). He lives in Vancouver.

David Allnutt

Visitor

David Allnutt, Visitor

MPA, Université du Québec (ENAP)

David Allnutt has had a successful career in consulting, business, government and politics, as well as in the K-12, higher education and technology sectors. David has served as education editor at one of Canada’s leading dailies, Senior Advisor and Chief of Staff to three Québec Education Ministers, Executive Assistant to the Premier of Québec, an elected School Board Trustee in Montréal, and a University Executive and sessional lecturer in business and the social sciences.

David currently serves as Editor-in-Chief of the UK-based peer-review journal, “Industry & Higher Education”, where he has served on the Editorial Advisory Board for over 10 years. He was selected for this position because of his role in the founding of the Corporate-Higher Education Forum, a pan-Canadian coalition of 75 university presidents and business chief executives with an action-oriented agenda for issues of mutual interest and concern. David is passionate about education and believes that it is a national resource and requires constant nourishing and cultivation. He is based in Montreal, QC.

David is passionate about education and believes that it is a national resource and requires constant nourishing and cultivation. He is based in Montreal, QC.

Luke Arnason

Visitor

Luke Arnason, Visitor

Hon.B.A., University of Toronto; Maîtrise & Master, Université Paris-Sorbonne; Doctorat ès Lettres, Université Paris-Sorbonne

Luke Arnason is a professor of French at York University in Toronto where he holds a teaching stream position in First Year Experience. Holding a doctorate from the Université Paris-Sorbonne, he is specialised in seventeenth century literature with a focus on performance practice of theatre and opera. He took an early interest in the digital humanities and participated in a number of pioneering projects in Paris-Sorbonne's digital humanities platform, the CEPM (Corpus Électroniques de la Première Modernité), including the Projet Molière 21 and Les Idées du Théâtre. He also has extensive experience in online teaching and program design. Prior to his appointment at York, he was instrumental in the creation of Humber College's online French language programs and taught languages and humanities courses online for many years. As Undergraduate Program Director of York's Department of French Studies since 2021, and as the faculty member responsible for the first-year student experience in his department, he has gained proficiency in a wide range of administrative operations focusing on student services including: academic advising, recruitment and retention, placement and enrollment systems management, and coordination of student support programs in on-campus, online, and remote environments.

John Martin Gillroy

Visitor

John Martin Gillroy, Visitor

M.A., Queen’s University, A.M., Ph.D. The University of Chicago;
M.S.E.L., Vermont Law School, LL.M., Ph.D. University of Cambridge

Professor Gillroy’s background includes thirty years teaching philosophy in liberal-arts universities as well as experience analyzing law and public policy in both Canada and the United States. He is the founding director of three interdisciplinary degree programs based upon his innovative protocol that reconfigures whole philosophical arguments (e.g. Aquinas, Hume, Kant, Hegel) into policy paradigms. Specifically, Philosophical-Policy & Legal Design utilizes philosophical method to transcend conventional positivist analysis empowering each paradigm to provide an alternative logic of philosophical concepts based on a distinct definition of practical reason granting unique imperatives for moral agency that redefine an issue’s terms of judgement.

Gillroy’s scholarship includes forty articles/chapters and seven books including An Evolutionary Paradigm For International Law: Philosophical Method, David Hume & The Essence Of Sovereignty, which is part of a three-volume project Philosophical Method, Policy Design & The International Legal System. His current writing project is the second book in this series: The Ascension Of Jus Cogens Principles As Transnational Right-In-Law: Philosophical Method, G.W.F. Hegel & Authority Beyond The State. He is also the senior editor of a book series: Philosophy, Public Policy And Transnational Law.

Isaac Goodine

Visitor

Isaac Goodine, Visitor

B.Sc. B.ED. Mount Allison University

Isaac’s personal history reflects a life lived in public. He is a prime example of an educator shaped by Canada’s one-room schools that served rural areas and then were followed up with a regional high school. He secured an entrance scholarship to university and joined the Army as an officer cadet before going on to become principal of the New Brunswick Institute of Technology and commanding officer of the 8th Canadian Hussars. Subsequently he leveraged his education and military experiences to achieve national recognition and then found opportunities to help newly independent countries develop their education systems with financial and technical assistance from Canada. He served as founding principal of the Zambia Institute of Technology and then as director of the Department of Technical Education and Vocational Training and as director of the Colombo Plan Staff College. Isaac remained committed to lifelong learning while working at the leading edge of international educational projects. In 2002, in collaboration with some of the leading lights in the field, Isaac published the book, Leaders Leading Leaders: International Dimensions of Distinguished Leadership. He has accumulated experience and has archives to share on many transformational developments in education that can help create the universal knowledge worker of tomorrow.

Daniela Hampton-Davies

Visitor

Daniela Hampton-Davies, Visitor

BA, Huron College, University of Western Ontario; MBA (International), Schulich School of Business, York University; ICD, ICD.D, Rotman School of Business; Innovative Governance Program, Canadian Council for Innovators.

Daniela Hampton-Davies is a widely respected and experienced executive with an extensive background in Governance, Global Capital Markets, Investments, Investor Relations, Sales, Business Development, Problem Solving and Strategic Planning. Daniela’s strong leadership skills are founded in collaboration and consensus building, as well as excellent analytic, communication and critical thinking skills. Daniela has extensive experience in Institutional Market both on the Canadian and International level. She is currently a consultant and executive coach at Teal & CO and a member of the independent review committee at Lincluden Investment Management. Over her career, Daniela’s knowledge and experience have led her to chair or serve on the Boards of several educational institutions from primary to tertiary levels. She has chaired the Board of Sheridan College as it has expanded its programs, campuses and digital offerings, while implementing significant improvements in governance. Daniela also serves on the Board of Governors of the College Employers Council of Ontario. Her extensive community involvement ranges from working with Start2Finish, a charity aiming at ending the cycle of poverty and chairing the Board of Director of a senior citizen residence, to helping with the Oakville Community Foundation, and volunteering for children, women and refugees.

David Jopling

Visitor

Cave of Hands, Argentina (7300 BC-700 AD), photo by Reinhard Jahn, Mannheim (detail)

D.Phil., Philosophy, University of Oxford

David A. Jopling is Professor of philosophy at York University, in Toronto, Canada. After receiving his doctorate in philosophy from the University of Oxford, he pursued post-doctoral studies at the Department of Psychology at Emory University, and at the Humanities Research Centre at the Australian National University.

He is the author of Self-Knowledge and the Self (2000), and Talking Cures and Placebo Effects (2008); co-editor with Ulric Neisser of The Conceptual Self in Context (1997); co-author of two high school philosophy textbooks; and author of journal articles in philosophy of mind, cognitive science, and phenomenology. His current research, on human origins and human evolution, and spanning disciplines such as paleo-anthropology and evolutionary anthropology, is focused on the origins and early evolution of medicine. Among his interests in pedagogy are curriculum design and undergraduate course development - and Socrates' enduring question of whether wisdom can be taught at all.

He was instrumental in introducing the grade 11 and 12 philosophy courses into the Ontario secondary school curriculum, and in the founding of the Ontario Philosophy Teachers' Association; and he has designed and developed new undergraduate philosophy courses at York University, including ever-popular introductory and advanced courses on the meaning of life.

Alain Landry

Visitor

Alain Landry, Visitor

Officer’s Certificate (Army), B.A., University of Moncton, B.A. (Comparative Linguistics), Laval University; Graduate of the École Normale Supérieure, St-Cloud, France; M.A., École Nationale d'Administration Publique

Alain Landry held a number of positions at the Secretary of State of Canada (Official Languages). He was appointed Director General of Terminology and Documentation at the Canadian Government Translation Bureau, then Assistant Deputy Minister (Official Languages and Translation), before becoming Assistant Deputy Minister at the Ministry of Citizenship (Naturalization, Literacy, Human Rights). He acted as advisor to the new Department of Canadian Heritage (promotion and marketing of Canadian cultural products and services abroad). He became a consultant in international relations and Francophonie, working for the International Assembly of French-speaking Parliamentarians (AIPLF) and the Agence de la Francophonie (ACCT). Appointed Project Director at the International Summit Management Organization, he directed the project for the Canadian government's contribution to the preparatory work for the VIIth Francophonie Summit in Hanoi and acted as an advisor to the Vietnamese government for this Summit. Mr. Landry served as Deputy to Senator Serge Joyal and was appointed Executive Director of the Canadian Secretariat for the IVth Francophonie Games. He then devoted himself to establishing the Baxter & Alma Ricard Foundation's graduate scholarship program, and served as Executive Director of the Foundation.

Gregory Levey

Visitor

Gregory Levey, Visitor

B.A., University of Toronto; M.A., N.Y.U.; J.D, Fordham University; M.B.A., Columbia Business School; Ph.D. University of St. Andrews

Dr. Gregory Levey is an associate professor of Professional Communication at Toronto Metropolitan University (formerly Ryerson University), where he has been on faculty for almost two decades. He is the author of two books, published by Simon & Schuster, and has also written for The New Yorker, Newsweek, The Globe and Mail, and many others.

Early in his career, he was a United Nations and political speechwriter. More recently, he was the founding CEO of Figure 1, a medical technology startup funded by some of the world’s leading venture capitalists, and used by students at every medical school in the United States, as well as millions of physicians and other healthcare professionals globally. Since then he has become an investor or advisor to dozens of other startups and later stage companies.

Dr. Levey holds a B.A. from the University of Toronto, an M.A. from N.Y.U., a J.D from Fordham University, an M.B.A. from Columbia Business School, and a Ph.D. from the University of St. Andrews.

Fanny Macé

Visitor

Fanny Macé, Visitor

B.A., M.A., D.E.A., Université Paris – Sorbonne; Ph.D., University of Calgary

Fanny Macé is an applied linguist at Concordia University, where her research focuses on the development of lexical, communicative, intercultural, and transversal competences in L2/additional French (FSL+), mono-/plurilingual identity construction, the impact of artificial intelligence on language education, and alternative assessment. She has spent over fifteen years designing innovative research, teaching, and assessment initiatives grounded in scientific rigour and linguistic and social justice. She has served as director of international language testing centres (DELF-DALF, TCF) and contributed to curriculum redesigns at the University of Calgary and McMaster University. With training in nonprofit governance (Collège des administrateurs; Université Laval) and a strong humanistic academic foundation developed in France and expanded through doctoral and postdoctoral studies in Canada, Fanny has served as President of the Board of Directors of Alliance Française de Montréal since 2024. Through her service on the Board of Visitors, she seeks to bring combined expertise in research, assessment, pedagogy, and governance, offering a strategic perspective rooted in her humanistic formation and oriented toward academic excellence and sustainable innovation.

Michael Ocampo

Visitor

Michael Ocampo, Visitor

B.A., English Literature and Creative Writing, Athabasca University

In his youth, Mr. Ocampo always thought his passion for learning would lead him to pursue a life in academics. His first year at the University of Manitoba found him majoring in French with the intention of teaching. However, his second passion in life, gymnastics, brought him in another direction. Since 1993, he has been working with Cirque du Soleil: the first ten years as a performer and the remaining time as a coach and mentor. At the time, when he started with Cirque du Soleil, he had yet to finish his studies. It wasn’t until many years after touring the globe that he decided to return to his studies online with Athabasca University. From 2011 to 2016, he finished up his B.A. in English Literature and Creative Writing (while keeping a minor in French). He hopes that by participating in the Humanities Digital Degrees Project he can help others to share in his extremely enriching experience of distance learning.

Kelly O’Neill

Visitor

Kelly O'Neill, Visitor

B.A., University of Alberta, M.Ed., Athabasca University, EdD. University of Calgary

Kelly O’Neill has worked in post-secondary academic administration, particularly in the area of program quality. She has been responsible for many program designations in several jurisdictions including degree programs in Ontario. Her formal education dovetails with her professional experience with online learning and higher education leadership, public policy studies and innovation management science. Having spent almost 20 years in higher education and in workforce development, Kelly O’Neill has planned, directed and managed many strategic projects involving multiple stakeholder groups with complex agendas, and has been accountable for high-stakes priorities. Kelly’s work focuses on extending the reach of learning and development, including knowledge dissemination and, ultimately, social progress. She is keen to support the development of digital modalities and to help extend access to digital humanities programs. She is based in the Toronto area.

Karen Pike

Visitor

Karen Pike, Visitor

B.A. French, University of Calgary; M.A. English, University of Victoria; PhD Comparative Literature, The Centre for Comparative Literature, University of Toronto

Karen Pike is a professor of literature in the School of Interdisciplinary Studies at Conestoga College in Kitchener, Ontario. Her experience in curriculum design includes courses in academic research and writing, professional communications, postmodern literature and theory, and world literatures. Her publications explore narratives of the fantastic and the uncanny, a subject area much enjoyed by her students. As a visual artist, she is also interested in the intersection of information tracks as the visual and the textual collide in the digital narrative space.

Having worked extensively with online modalities, both designing and teaching asynchronous courses, she is excited to bring this knowledge and experience to the Humanities Digital Degrees Project, which has the capacity to maximize for students the benefits of digital learning.

Stephen Pincus

Visitor

Stephen Pincus, Visitor

B.A. Hons. (English and Philosophy), University of the Witwatersrand; MBA, York University; LLB (Gold Medalist), Osgoode Hall Law School; ICD.D, Institute of Corporate Directors

Stephen Pincus is one of Canada’s leading business lawyers, well-known for his leadership and creativity on many complex transactions, domestic and international, including several Canadian “firsts”. He is Chair of Capital Markets at Goodmans LLP, where he is a Partner and Executive Committee Member. He was selected by the International Financial Law Review as its inaugural Canadian Capital Markets Lawyer of the Year. He was the founding Chair of the Canada Africa Chamber of Business and is Chair of its Senior Council of Advisors; is a member of the Board of Governors of the Jewish Agency for Israel and former Board Chair of its Education Laboratory; is a member of the Advisory Board of the Canadian General Counsel Awards; is a member of the Corporate and Securities Advisory Board of Practical Law – Canada; and has served on several other boards, including International Business Schools, a North American public company.

Michael Sinding

Visitor

Michael Sinding, Visitor

Ph.D., English, McMaster University

Michael Sinding studies cognitive approaches to literary and cultural forms, particularly genre, metaphor and narrative, and particularly in 18th century culture. He is a Senior Analyst in Deloitte Canada’s Global Investment and Innovation Incentives department. He holds a Ph.D. in English from McMaster University, and has held research and teaching fellowships in Canada, Germany, and The Netherlands, including the Erlangen Center for Literature and Natural Science (ELINAS) at Friedrich-Alexander Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, and the University of Giessen’s Graduate Centre for the Study of Culture. He is the author of Body of Vision: Northrop Frye and the Poetics of Mind (2014), and numerous articles and chapters in journals and essay collections.

David Swail

Visitor

David Swail, Visitor

Master of Arts (M.A.), English Language and Literature/Letters, University of Toronto; MBA, Ivey Business School at Western University; ICD designation, Rotman School of Business, University of Toronto

David Swail is a senior publishing executive with 25 years of multi-faceted experience in major Global and Canadian media organizations, with direct leadership of digital and print verticals in News and Information, Consumer Special Interest and Education. He is highly experienced in leading digital transformation and global business units. As a publishing executive and through his consultancy, Core Communications, Mr. Swail provides leadership and advice on publishing and technology, and in particular on leading digital transformation. As President and C.E.O. of McGraw-Hill Ryerson, Mr. Swail drove industry-leading growth in digital transformation in the education space, including platform and product development (regional and global), channel expansion, and technology support. Mr. Swail’s work has also focused on advocating for copyright reform. Since 2015, Mr. Swail has served as President of the Canadian Publishers' Council.

Cynthia Weldon

Visitor

Cynthia Weldon, Visitor

B.A (English and History), University of Toronto; B.Ed. University of Ottawa; M.A., Liberal Studies, Simon Fraser University; Leadership Development Program, Langley S.D., B.C.

A BC educator in public education for over thirty years, Cynthia has taught in a variety of settings, communities, and contexts. She has mentored student teachers from five BC universities, and has spent the last half of her career in educational leadership as a secondary school administrator. Throughout her career, Cynthia has developed considerable expertise in the design and implementation of programs to meet the needs of diverse students. Cynthia taught Western Teaching Pedagogy at Chaoyang University (China), and has participated in PA-MOJA, an educational charity which supports schools in Nayuki, Kenya. She is deeply passionate about a broad-based education in western literature, philosophy, history and fine art. She is also deeply interested in professional development and mentorship. Cynthia has always worked with Indigenous writers, leaders, teachers, and students to support Indigenous cultures within BC’s education system. Cynthia believes that the Humanities are instrumental in creating reasoned, insightful, and well-informed citizens, capable of thinking philosophically and ethically about life and societal issues which extend far beyond academic settings.