Our instructors

Kathryn Gretsinger

Kathryn Gretsinger, MJ, is an associate professor at the UBC School of Journalism, Writing and Media where she teaches a range of journalism courses, including Integrated (Digital) Journalism, Global Reporting and Reporting in Indigenous Communities. She collaborates with professionals, faculty and students at the UBC Emerging Media Lab.

Kathryn has helped create award-winning audio and digital work at the local and national level in Canada. She’s a recipient of the UBC Killam Teaching Prize, and was named one of North America’s top innovative journalism educators in 2018.

She works as a coach and trainer with the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, and is working on a joint Canada and USA journalistic collaboration on mental health issues.

Michael Griffin

Michael Griffin, PhD, is an associate professor in the Departments of Classical, Near Eastern and Religious Studies and Philosophy at UBC. His doctoral research at the University of Oxford focused on ancient thought. He is the current producer of Ancient Sources, a series of podcasts and Internet resources showcasing UBC research into the ancient world and its modern legacy. He is also joint general editor of the Ancient Commentators translation project, and Professor-in-Residence at UBC's Totem Park residence. He is particularly interested in the practice of philosophical education (paideia) in late antiquity, and the role that philosophy – ancient and modern – can play in cultivating public citizenship and human flourishing. Professor Griffin’s personal website can be found at http://www.michaeljamesgriffin.com/#about

Imran Hakamali

Imran Hakamali, MASLED, earned a bachelor and master in American Sign Language at Gallaudet University for the Deaf and hard of hearing. He has lived and taught ASL in Montréal, Washington, DC, Toronto and Vancouver, which he now calls home. An instructor for 22 years, Imran is known for his fluency and grace in ASL, and his passion for travelling and meeting and connecting with people.

Mireille Hamel

Frieda He

Sandra Hernandez

Sandra Hernández was born and educated in Colombia, South America.

She began her career in interior design in Bogotá, and was a designer for 20 years before branching out into language translation, earning a proofreading and editing certificate from Redactores Profesionales in 2001.

In 2004, Sandra left Colombia for Canada. She continued to practise interior design and earned a Management Certificate in Interior Design from BCIT in 2007. In 2016, she added a UBC Award of Achievement in Spanish/English Translation to her credentials.

In addition to teaching in the UBC Extended Learning languages program, Sandra has a successful private translation and tutoring business specializing in teaching and advising International Baccalaureate high school students. She has also been teaching Spanish to seniors at the Wilson Centre in Port Coquitlam for more than eight years. Sandra has worked as a leader teacher to design, plan and implement a Spanish program for adults at Europa Language School in Coquitlam, and has hosted Spanish classes for local businesses.

Her students regard her as a resourceful, compassionate, patient, creative and dedicated instructor who draws on culture and life experiences, injected with healthy doses of humour, to teach Spanish.

Analise Hofmann

Analise Hofmann (she/her), PhD in Genome Science and Technology from UBC is a postdoctoral fellow with the Canadian Consortium of Science Equity Scholars and UBC Data Science Institute. She facilitates Data Visualization and The Data Science Toolbox courses at UBC-ExL, and is also an instructor for UBC Science Communication. She is also experienced in coding (R, Python), quantitative and qualitative data analysis, and structural equation modelling. She is a member of Society for Canadian Women in Science & Technology (SCWIST).

Keum Tae Hwang

Lena Ignatovich

Roma Ilnyckyj

Roma Ilnyckyj, MA, is a Certified Professional Editor with extensive experience in all levels of editing and proofreading. She works for Chartered Professional Accountants of Canada, where she edits the coursework and exams that people take to become accountants. In the past, she’s also edited material for non-profit organizations, government, small presses, independent authors and academics. Roma has held a number of roles with the Editors’ Association of Canada (Editors Canada), at both the national and local levels, including planning and facilitating study groups for professional certification exams.