Our instructors

Shadi Rezaei

Alexandra Richmond

Alexandra Richmond has an MSc in International Marketing Communication Strategy, an MEd, and 13 years of experience in organizational administration and education. She is very involved with public and private sector organizations and teaches extensively both in the classroom and in the boardroom.

Heather Robertson

Mirta Roncagalli

Mirta Roncagalli, MA, is a doctoral candidate of Hispanic studies at UBC. She studied at Ca’ Foscari University of Venice (Italy) where she earned a bachelor’s degree in languages and linguistics with a minor in international relations, and a master’s degree in comparative literatures. She also earned a master’s degree from University of Huelva (Spain).

Mirta has studied and conducted research at University of Bristol (UK), University of Zaragoza (Spain) and Georgia State University (US). Her current research is at the crossroads of ethics and politics, specifically within the 20th and 21st-century Spanish essay.

Chantale Roy

Chantale Roy is passionate about words and language. With over 30 years of experience in teaching French and translation, she combines precision and creativity to bring language to life. She holds degrees in health sciences and education from the Université du Québec en Abitibi-Témiscamingue and is currently completing her studies in translation at the Université de Saint-Boniface to further refine her linguistic expertise.

A specialist in interactive and engaging online learning, she designs courses that captivate students and foster meaningful learning experiences. She has developed and led multiple online reading and writing courses, as well as in-person and online language training for the University of British Columbia’s Extended Learning program, the Government of Canada and the Government of Québec. A published author and proofreader for a publishing house, she dedicates her expertise to the art of words with ever-renewed passion.

Rita Santillan

Rita Santillan holds a Master's degree in Educational Technology, and a BEd with a specialization in teaching foreign languages. She has also earned a Spanish Teaching Certificate from the Instituto Cervantes in Spain, and a Certificate in Translation and Interpretation from the University of California. Originally from Peru, Rita came to UBC in 2008.

Cristina Schaurich

Kelly Shiohira

Kelly Shiohira, BA, MA, MSc, is a Director of the Global Science of Learning Education Network and a prominent strategist recognized for her work in areas of literacy, connecting education to the world of work, and the use of AI and Technology in Education.

Kelly has worked on large-scale projects and works across the value chain of planning, implementation and monitoring, and evaluation to design, deliver and evaluate educational interventions. She particularly works in the areas of literacy, connecting education to the world of work and the use of AI and Technology in Education. Her past projects include several blended learning programs for teachers and learners, including the Bridges to the Future South Africa 2 initiative, a literacy through technology program in four African languages that won the UNESCO Confucius Prize for Literacy.

Kelly is one of the authors of the UNESCO AI Competency Framework for Students and leads an international working group focusing on its implementation. Her publications include Understanding the Implications of AI on Skills Development, K-12 AI Curricula: A mapping of government-endorsed AI curricula and Proceed with Caution: The Pitfalls and Potential of AI and Education.

Deborah Shukyn-Plageman

Ellen Siu