Jerry Zdril President (zdrilj@macewan.ca)
Jerry is an accountant (CGA) and biological science major (U of A). He was an accountant at Doane, Raymond and Associates (now Grant Thornton, CA’s). He also has a background in professional pharmaceutical sales and has owned two small business enterprises in B.C.
Jerry has been involved with education and training since 1980. He taught in the Information Technology program, Help Desk program (as program coordinator), and in the Accounting program at MacEwan. He is active in program specific activities such as course leader and previously as curriculum coordinator.
College committees on which Jerry has participated include Academic Governance Task Team, Academic Council, College Budget Planning Advisory Committee, Technology Council, Teaching, Learning, Technology Subcommittee, Aquatic Task Force, and Pandemic Planning Group.
Jerry has held the FA positions of Treasurer, VP Executive, VP Negotiations, and now President. He has been a member of the following FA Committees: Negotiations, Finance, Grievance, Governance, and Ethics.
This involvement with both College and FA committees and positions provides Jerry with an understanding of faculty and College perspectives. He will use that understanding to work collaboratively on issues of interest that affect the overall College/University community.
Aimee Skye BA, PhD Vice President Executive (skyea2@macewan.ca)
Two years ago, Aimee joined the Psychology faculty at MacEwan. In relocating here, she was attracted by MacEwan’s focus on teaching excellence, the supportive climate for research, the collegiality at the institution, and the growth and development being realized at MacEwan. When Aimee’s not teaching, her research interests include studying how people learn about patterns or contingencies in their environment, understanding the formation of personal beliefs and how and why people make the decisions they do, as well as dabbling in various issues related to the education and evaluation of medical professionals. With all the new transitions and developments at MacEwan, Aimee says she sees great opportunities to contribute to the university’s growth over the coming years.
Aimee has been an active member in her department and in the Faculty of Arts and Science. She sits on the Arts Council, the Faculty of Arts and Science Sabbatical Committee, and the Bachelor of Arts Self Study Review Team. In the past year, she became involved in the issue of academic titling at MacEwan, and now sits on the AGC Faculty Standards Committee that is working towards an interim solution on that issue. Through all of these activities, Aimee has had the opportunity to learn a good deal about the history of MacEwan and to get to know many faculty members across several departments on campus.
As Vice-President Executive of the Faculty Association, Aimee sees her role as largely two-fold. She says it is important to work closely with Jerry Zdril, the President of the FA, to support and assist him wherever she can. She adds that it is also important to connect with the faculty members, as widely and frequently as possible. Aimee intends to actively seek out and foster those connections, and invites you to contact her anytime so that you might get to know one another, chat, touch base, or discuss any concerns or questions you might have.
Shahidul Islam Vice President Faculty Welfare (islams@macewan.ca)
Shahidul is an instructor of Economics in the Department of Anthropology, Economics, and Political Science (AEPS). He received his Ph.D. in Agricultural and Resource Economics from Oregon State University. In addition to teaching, Shahidul is also involved in research, and periodically presents papers at professional society meetings. His principal areas of research are urban and spatial economics, economic education, and resource and environmental economics.
Outside of teaching and research, Shahidul is active in providing services to the Department, Faculty, and College. He is currently the Coordinator of the Economics discipline within the AEPS Department, as well as a member of the Arts Council and the Divisional Research Fund Allocation Committee. Shahidul is also a member of the Academic Governance Council.
Prior to taking on the role of Vice President Faculty Welfare with the Faculty Association, he was Treasurer for three years and a member of the Finance Committee for three years before that. In his position as Vice President Faculty Welfare, Shahidul plans to deal with all grievances in a manner consistent with the Collective Agreement.
Cynthia Zutter Vice President Professional Affairs (zutterc@macewan.ca)
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Cynthia has been at MacEwan since 1996 and the lead Anthropologist at the University since then. She is an instructor in the Anthropology, Economics and Political Science (AEPS) department and was the inaugural chair of the same from 2000-2006. Her focus at the university has always been to assist instructors in their professional development, either through membership on the Faculty Development Committee, facilitating Instructional Skills Workshops (ISW) or through creating and coordinating the Faculty Mentoring program. Recently, she was the director of the Faculty Commons and lead to its establishment as a single access centre for faculty and their development needs.
She is currently involved in SSHRC sponsored archaeological research in Labrador focused on historic Inuit cultural changes. If you have any needs, questions or concerns regarding your professional development, please feel free to contact her.
Dr. Shannon Digweed Treasurer (digweeds2@macewan.ca)
Shannon is a joint faculty member in the Departments of Psychology and Biological Sciences. She received her PhD in Evolution and Behaviour from the University of Lethbridge in 2009. Shannon teaches a variety of courses, including Animal Behaviour, Principles of Learning, and Introductory Psychology. In addition to teaching, Shannon is also involved in research, specifically in the areas of animal communication and behaviour. Her research explores how the acoustic or physical structure of animal sounds are shaped in important ways by their function in white-faced capuchin monkeys and North American red squirrels. She is also developing a new line of research in collaboration with several colleagues on bird song and how the structure and organization of song influences its function.
In addition to teaching, Shannon is active in service for the University. Currently she sits as a committee member on the Arts and Science Faculty Development Committee and is the faculty liaison for the undergraduate Psychology student group, Students’ Psychology Network.
Jonathan Withey Vice President Negotiations (witheyj@macewan.ca)
Jonathan received an M.A. (2000) and D.Phil. (2004) from the University of Oxford. He began working as a term instructor in the chemistry department at MacEwan in 2004, becoming a full-time faculty member in 2005. He was actively involved in the development, and now implementation, of the new B.Sc. degree program. Jonathan currently serves on the Science Council, Undergraduate Research Committee and the Graduate Schools Connections working group. He has been a leader in undergraduate research, actively involving students in grant-funded projects, both at MacEwan and in private-sector organizations.
He believes the key roles for any negotiating committee are to attempt to find balance/priority in the diverse needs and concerns of all faculty; to sift through rhetoric, propaganda and spin at the bargaining table, in addition to actively trying to minimize it; and to endeavor to negotiate a collective agreement that is fair, realistic and appropriate for the current environment at MacEwan.
Chaldeans Mensah Representative on Board of Governors (mensahc@macewan.ca)
Chaldeans is the Chair of the Department of Anthropology, Economics, and Political Science at MacEwan. He received his doctorate in Political Science from the University of Alberta in 1990, and has been a faculty member with MacEwan since 1991.
A graduate of the Academy for Leadership Training and Development (Chair Academy, 2001), Chaldeans has received several awards, including the Canadian Immigration Award (1996), MacEwan Distinguished Instructor Award (1996), MacEwan Medallion (2005), Alberta Centennial Medal (2006), and Award of Distinction for Internationalizing Teaching and Learning Practice (2007).
He is a keen observer of politics at all levels, and is periodically called upon by the media to offer reflections on political developments. In his spare time, Chaldeans enjoys his work with civil society, including service on the board of the United Nations Association in Canada (UNAC – Edmonton Branch), and as Vice President (Prairies) on the national board of UNAC. As well, he serves as Treasurer on the board of the US-based National Collegiate Conference Association, a non-governmental organization associated with the United Nations Department of Public Information.
Karen Zypchyn Vice President Communications and Research (zypchynk@macewan.ca)
Karen Zypchyn is a full-time instructor in MacEwan’s Journalism program and has been teaching at the University since 2004. She possesses a M.A. in Journalism along with a M.A. in history and B.A. in history and French. During her career as a journalist, Karen reported for CBC Radio in various locations across Canada, including Sudbury, Yellowknife, Regina, and Edmonton. She also helped CTV Calgary launch the network’s first local news website.
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