How do you describe your work to people who don’t work in your field?
Instructional design is a very tech-driven space. So much of the work we do in online learning relies on our access to sound digital tools, platforms and infrastructure. For me, it isn’t about what’s new or flashy — it’s about helping academics and subject-matter experts critically examine and reimagine how they share their knowledge in today’s fast-paced, information-rich world.
Sometimes it means translating a traditional lecture into something more varied, multimodal and digestible. Other times, it’s about gently surfacing the assumptions behind certain ideas and shifting them toward more inclusive ends by introducing diverse voices, elevating marginalized perspectives and creating space for learners of all backgrounds to see themselves reflected and empowered.
The work is a deeply creative and collaborative process, rooted in the relationship between instructor and instructional designer. While I spend a lot of time refining content and activities, just as much of the work lies in discovering what makes a subject matter exciting and helping that shine through. Trust and mutual respect are key. Listening closely and understanding what an instructor loves about their field often unlocks the most meaningful opportunities for learning.
What’s one big problem you want to solve through your work?
I believe that ideas matter and that the work of scholars and researchers play an important role in shaping how we make sense of things. Ideas are also tools we use to understand, interpret and act within the world, so helping to interpret ideas comes with both power and responsibility.
Through my work, I want to help create spaces where anyone can access and confidently use these tools. That means, at times, challenging any lingering elitism or exceptionalism by delivering complex ideas in a manner that is clear and meaningful, especially when they are not simple.
There is deep egalitarianism in making knowledge not just available but truly accessible, by clarifying complex ideas, showing their origins and impacts, and surfacing the broader ecosystems through which knowledge is constructed.
What does the word “innovation” mean to you?
I find the word innovation tricky. It often places emphasis on what is new or novel, creating pressure to come up with something distinct or revolutionary, without thought towards unintended impacts.
Because of this, I try to focus less on what is new and more on what is expansive. How do we open up an idea to unexplored possibilities? What shifts when we approach a thought or idea from a different angle? Whose perspectives, talents or lived experiences might enliven a story, add conceptual nuance or bring something vital to the surface?
With this approach, we often arrive at something that feels fresh and distinct — not by severing ties with what came before but by drawing it forward in a new light. Innovation, then, becomes not a break from what has come before, but a deeper engagement with it.
What’s been your biggest a-ha moment — in life or work — so far?
I often think back to a moment as a young instructor when I was leading a seminar in visual anthropology. I was preparing to launch into a detailed explanation of surveillance from a very theoretical perspective when a student shared a personal anecdote that reframed the whole conversation. At that moment, I was struck by the depth of knowledge and lived experience each and every one of those students had carried into that room. I realized that what they had to say was far more immediate and relevant than anything I could offer.
That moment shifted my understanding of what it means to provide instruction. More often than not, our role is not to hold the floor, but to create safe, accountable spaces for experiences to be shared and conversations to unfold.
How do you or your team come up with your best ideas?
I have been lucky to work with some incredibly passionate and creative people. Developing purpose-built online learning is a team sport — it draws on the skills and expertise of instructional designers, academic experts, learning experience developers, project managers, accessibility specialists and more. The big ideas are often already in the room and the challenge is creating a space where they can emerge. For me, that happens through conversation — by bringing different voices and perspectives into a project early on and creating space for open, thoughtful collaboration.
On one project, our initial planning sessions brought the whole team together, allowing us to align our vision across all aspects of course design — from enduring learning objectives to assessment strategies, to the overall look and feel of the course. The in-person time helped create a sense of informality that helped us build trust, which, in turn, made it easier to navigate feedback with honesty, curiosity and even vulnerability — conditions that are essential for creative thinking.
What’s your favourite thing about working at the U of A?
I was born and raised in Edmonton and was the second generation in my family to attend the 91³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏÍø for my undergraduate degree. I was surprised by just how much coming back to the U of A — after more than a decade and a half away — felt like a real homecoming. Every time I visit campus, I am struck by a wave of nostalgia.
It reminded me how formative my time here really was — how so much of my thinking and skills were shaped not only by my courses and professors, but also by the extracurricular activities and broader campus culture.
Today, I love seeing efforts across the university to make campus life more accessible and welcoming for all students. I am proud to play even a small role in shaping that experience for the U of A students of today and tomorrow.
Do you have a role model at the U of A? How have they influenced you?
I have worked and studied with so many thoughtful people during my journey at the U of A — it is hard to narrow it down to just one. That said, I’ll always be grateful to my unit director, Kristin Mulligan (Director, Online Learning, Online Learning & Continuing Education), for inviting me to join this wild ride. Her ability to navigate these uncharted waters we have found ourselves in with such class, openness and sense of adventure never ceases to amaze me.
In Shape: The University Strategic Plan 2023-33, the 91³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏÍø commits to having a positive impact on our students and staff, our communities and the communities we serve here in Alberta and around the world. How does the work you do create impact?
I like to think that the work we do in Online Learning creates impact at a few different levels. Most of my day-to-day work is with instructors and I get a lot of energy from helping them translate their passion and expertise into something that feels purposeful, inclusive and effective online. It is about revisiting materials, sure, but it is also about uncovering new ways to design learning experiences where students see themselves reflected and feel confident engaging with complex ideas and building new skills.
This naturally impacts students, especially when we are intentional about improving accessibility, expanding representation and dismantling the inherited systems and assumptions that shape whose knowledge counts, whose voices are heard and who feels they belong in academic spaces.
This work also intersects with broader institutional efforts to work across silos and build more inclusive, responsive learning environments. It is work that is both deeply practical and quietly transformative — and I feel lucky to play a small part in it.
What’s next for you? Do you have any new projects on the horizon?
There are always projects looming on the horizon. Currently, our team is engaged in the modularization of graduate programming through the development of new, interdisciplinary online graduate certificates. This flexible approach will enable learners — particularly working professionals and mature students — to engage in short-form learning with the potential to stack or ladder into course-based master’s degrees.
It has been a great opportunity for me and my counterpart, Shereen Seoudi (Sr. Instructional Designer, Online Learning & Continuing Education), who I learn so much from every time we work together, to work more closely and intentionally as we navigate the early stages of planning and design.
I am also training as a facilitator in digital storytelling, supporting others in sharing their life stories through audiovisual means. Mostly, I’m just trying to stay curious about what is possible when people come together to share knowledge and stories.
Lastly, can you talk about the Online Learning Consortium (OLC) award that you recently received?
I was part of a team from the 91³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏÍø, along with Alexander Gainer, Sam Walker and Tanya McPherson, that received the Innovate 2025 Award of Excellence in Design Practice from the OLC, which sets global standards for online, blended and digital learning. The awards are regarded as the “Oscars” for our field and recipients hail from distinguished learning institutions across the world.
Our dynamic collaboration in designing ECON 102 (Online) was the reason for the honour. The OLC recognized that, through our design, “foundational economics concepts become accessible, engaging and playful” and that the course “leverages inclusive design, meaningful student engagement and innovative practices.”
I am so proud to have contributed to this award-winning project, and this team has helped put the U of A on the map when it comes to excellence in online learning.
