The Green College Advisory Board advises the Principal on all aspects of the College’s organization, membership, programming and development. The current members of the Advisory Board are:
Chair of the Advisory Board
ARNIE GUHA, Ph.D., M.A., B.A.
Arnie Guha is the multidisciplinary creative behind Acid4Yuppies, which focuses on experiential art works – from illuminated light boxes and electric murals, to psychedelics-inspired scarves and fine art prints. His 'trippy' works are complemented by an extensive body of minimalist photography and portraiture. From vivid colours to subdued hues, his practice explores both realms of the visual experience from extreme intensity to soft suggestion.
Born and raised in Jadavpur, a fabled neighbourhood at the southern edge of Calcutta, India, Arnie spent much of his childhood in neighbourhood printing shops, and at the local portrait photographer’s studio, where he became fascinated by the intersection of painting and photography as he watched the photo-artist manually touch up pictures with brush and pencil.
Educated at Jadavpur University, Calcutta, and then at Cambridge University, UK, Arnie fell in love with medieval manuscripts: the unapologetic vibrance of the colours and the power of the image to communicate what remains ineffable in the verbal realm. This would later inform his doctoral work on secondary orality and information visualization in digital, hypertextual environments at the University of British Columbia, where he was also a Resident Member of Green College.
Since then, Arnie has built a leading Canadian Experience Design practice at Phase 5, where his clients include the London Stock Exchange Group, media companies and several of Canada’s largest banks. When COVID-19 put a halt to traveling, he found himself meditating in his garden in downtown Toronto. Acid4Yuppies is his collection of transformative art, born out of meditation during the forced stillness of COVID-19.
Arnie splits his time between Toronto and Montreal, and enjoys collaborating with DJs and other visual artists to create experiential, accessible art. His last solo exhibit, “Northern Borealis,” was held at the John B. Aird Gallery in Toronto, in the summer of 2022. In October 2022, Arnie’s experimental video, “Entropy: A Walk in the Woods” was exhibited as part of NOCTURE: ART AT NIGHT in Dartmouth, N.S.
Ex Officio Members
BENOIT-ANTOINE BACON, Ph.D.
President and Vice-Chancellor, University of British Columbia
Dr. Benoit-Antoine Bacon joins UBC from Carleton University in Ottawa where he has been serving as President and Vice-Chancellor since 2018. For the past several years, he has also been serving on the Board of Directors of Universities Canada and on the Executive Committee of the Council of Ontario Universities. He has previously served as Provost and Vice-Principal (Academic) at Queen’s University in Kingston and as Provost and Vice-President (Academic Affairs) at Concordia University in his hometown of Montreal, where he was recognized with an award as Sustainability Champion. His first academic appointment was at Bishop’s University, where he served in a number of leadership roles including Dean of Arts and Science and chief negotiator for the Association of Professors of Bishop’s University. He is a three-time recipient of Bishop’s Merit Award for exceptional performance in teaching and research. Dr. Bacon holds a PhD in neuropsychology from the University of Montreal, after which he undertook a post-doctoral fellowship at the University of Glasgow, Scotland. His research in the field of cognitive neuroscience focuses on the links between brain activity and perception in the visual, auditory and vestibular systems, as well as on multisensory integration.
GAGE AVERILL, Ph.D., B.A.
Provost and Vice-President Academic, University of British Columbia
Dr. Gage Averill is Provost and Vice-President Academic, at UBC Vancouver, and Professor in the UBC School of Music. From 2010 to 2022, Dr. Averill served as the Dean of the Faculty of Arts at UBC. Dr. Averill, a renowned ethnomusicologist whose research in Haitian popular music has earned him several awards, joined UBC in 2010 after holding positions as Vice-Principal, Academic, and Dean for the University of Toronto, Mississauga campus, and also Dean of Music at the University of Toronto. Prior to that, he served as Chair of the Department of Music at New York University.
MICHAEL ANTHONY HUNT, Ph.D.
Dean pro tem of the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies, University of British Columbia
He has led several new initiatives that have enhanced collaboration and engagement between G+PS and graduate programs, as well as professional development for graduate program administrators across campus. Prior to this, he held the role of Associate Dean, Graduate and Postdoctoral Education in the Faculty of Medicine, which saw the implementation of a graduate student well-being strategy, a Faculty-wide peer mentorship program, a dedicated graduate program review process, and programs for supervisors and trainees to foster and maintain healthy and respectful working environments. Dr. Michael Hunt's academic appointment is as a Professor in the Department of Physical Therapy. His research is at the intersection of human movement, pain and health, and is currently funded by a number of funding bodies, including CIHR and NSERC. He completed degrees at UBC and the University of Western Ontario as well as a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Melbourne. He has had the great fortune of working with many outstanding graduate students and postdoctoral fellows over the past 15 years.
NATHALIE DES ROSIERS, Ph.D., L.L.M., L.L.B., C.M., O.Ont.
Principal, Massey College at University of Toronto
Nathalie Des Rosiers is the Principal of Massey College, Distinguished Visiting Professor at the University of Toronto Faculty of Law, Senior Fellow of Trinity College and Professor of Law at the University of Ottawa (Common Law). From 2016 -2019, she was the MPP representing the riding of Ottawa-Vanier and Minister of Natural Resources and Forestry (2018). Prior to politics, she was Dean of Law, Common Law, University of Ottawa (2013-2016), General Counsel of the Canadian Civil Liberties Association (2009-2013), Vice-President, Governance, University of Ottawa (2008-2009), Dean of Law, Civil Law (2004-2008) and President of the Law Commission of Canada (2000-2004). With Peter Oliver and Patrick Macklem, she co-edited the Oxford Handbook of Canadian Constitutional Law (2017). She has written extensively on civil liberties, human rights and law reform, focusing her work on the right to protest and freedom of expression. Her early work on limitations of action for sexual violence has transformed Canadian law in the 1990s. With Louise Langevin and Marie-Pier Nadeau, she has also written L’indemnisation des victimes de violence sexuelle et conjugale (Prix Walter Owen, 2014). She has received the Order of Canada, the Order of Ontario, honorary doctorates from Université UCL (Belgium) and the Law Society of Ontario, le Prix Christine Tourigny (Barreau du Québec) and is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada.
SIR MICHAEL DIXSON
Principal, Green Templeton College, Oxford
Sir Michael Dixon is Principal of Green Templeton College, University of Oxford. In this role he is the central figure promoting the College’s life and work, championing its interests, ensuring collegial decision making and developing ambitious strategic plans. He trained as a zoologist at Imperial College, London and then completed doctoral studies at the University of York, working on host location mechanisms in larval trematode parasites, most notably Schistosoma mansoni, causative organism of Bilharzia. Michael was awarded a knighthood for services to museums in the Queen’s Birthday Honours 2014.
AIRINI, Ph.D.
Vice-Principal, Green College
Prof Airini is the Provost and Vice-President Academic at the University of Saskatchewan (USask). Airini joined the USask in February 2021 and holds a professorial appointment in the College of Education. Her three-decade career is defined by her leadership internationally and domestically in areas of equity in higher education, Indigenous advancement, and converting research and policy into improved education outcomes. Airini has more than 20 years experience in senior academic administration at world-class universities internationally, and most recently, Airini was Dean of the interdisciplinary Faculty of Education and Social Work at Thompson Rivers University (BC, Canada). Airini holds academic appointments in three countries – Australia, Canada, and New Zealand (NZ).
NICOLA HODGES, Ph.D.
Vice-Principal, Green College
Nicola holds a PhD from UBC in Human Kinetics, as well as an MSc in Human Biodynamics and a BSc in Psychology. She is a Professor in the School of Kinesiology and the Associate Director Graduate Affairs in the Faculty of Education. Nicola currently runs the Motor Skills Lab in Kinesiology at UBC, which examines how and why various practice variables (such as instruction, demonstrations, feedback and order of practice) impact motor learning and transfer. Nicola has a keen sense of the interdisciplinarity of the College. “I’m almost like a prototypical multidisciplinary researcher,” she says, noting that her research has been funded by all three Tri-Agencies in Canada. Currently, she is doing work that straddles the social sciences and natural sciences. Nicola has remained a part of the Green College community since moving out, often going to talks which she says she finds invigorating: “I’ve been teaching all day and dealing with lots of things, and I walk over to the College, there’s a sort of physical distance. You walk over to the Coach House and you listen to a talk that’s not in your area, so you can put your pen down. You don’t have to worry about taking notes and can just listen to something that reminds you why you’re a scholar, and how privileged you are to have time to think and listen and engage in ideas and friendship.” Nicola is a member of the common room and a Society member, and a former resident (1999-2000), when Richard Ericsson was the principal.
Ex Officio Members – Residents' Council/Green College Dining Society
LAYLA HADDAD (Co-chair of the Green College Residents' Council)
Master's Student, Public Policy and Global Affairs, University of British Columbia
Layla Haddad (she/they) is a sister, daughter, aunt, student, and activist. She is in her second year of the Master of Public Policy and Global Affairs program and is extremely motivated by social justice and human rights work within and beyond the spaces she occupies. They enjoy spending time with friends, exploring nature, listening to music, learning about people and their experiences, and creating spaces where people can thrive and be themselves.
KYLA MCCALLUM (Co-chair of the Green College Residents' Council)
Master's Student, Library and Information Studies, University of British Columbia
Kyla is in her second year of the Library and Information Studies program in the School of Information at UBC. She graduated from Fordham University with a Bachelor of Arts in New Media and Digital Design in 2023. In her various positions as a Student Librarian, Kyla enjoys answering complex reference questions and digging into business research databases. Her master's thesis will explore the persuasive user engagement strategies deployed by Canadian nation branding accounts on Instagram. In addition to volunteering for Green College, she is also the Social Media Coordinator for the Canadian Association of Law Libraries (CALL/ACBD).
AMANDA SEARS (President of the Green College Dining Society)
PhD Student, Centre for Health Services and Policy Research, University of British Columbia
Amanda Sears is a PhD student in the School of Population and Public Health at UBC, working within the Centre for Health Services and Policy Research (CHSPR). Her previous affiliations include McGill University, where she completed a Master of Arts in Philosophy with a concentration in Bioethics. As an interdisciplinary researcher, Amanda blends traditional philosophical bioethics with contemporary public health research to develop policy solutions for emerging bioethical issues.
Board Members at Large
MURRAY MCCUTCHEON, Ph.D.
Senior Vice President, AbCellera
Murray McCutcheon is a Senior Vice President and member of the executive team at AbCellera. As a leader in the discovery and development of antibody medicines, AbCellera has partnered with 40+ companies, including many global pharma, to bring new medicines to patients. Murray and his team are responsible for identifying new strategic partners, negotiating the agreements, and managing the collaborations. Prior to AbCellera, Murray was part of the Office of Technology Development at Harvard University, where he worked to manage and commercialize intellectual property arising from Harvard research labs. He started his career post academia as a consultant at Lux Research, an advisory firm specializing in science-driven innovation. Murray completed a postdoctoral fellowship at Harvard University in 2011 and attained Ph.D., M.Sc., and B.Sc. degrees in physics from the University of British Columbia, where he specialized in the field of nano-photonics under the supervision of Prof. Jeff Young. He also earned a BA in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics at Trinity College in Oxford, where he studied as a Rhodes Scholar. Murray is an active contributor to his community and was an elected Director on the Board of the University Neighbourhoods Association at UBC from 2019 to 2024. He has also served on the Board of Triathlon BC.
MARGARET MACMILLAN, Ph.D., B.A., C.C., C.H., F.R.S.L., Hon.F.B.A., Hon.F.L.S.W.
Emeritus Professor, International History, University of Oxford | Professor of History, University of Toronto
I am an historian who was educated at the universities of Toronto and Oxford and I specialize in the history of the British empire and the international relations of the 19th and 20th centuries. My publications include Paris, 1919, Nixon and Mao and The War that Ended Peace and War: How Conflict Shaped Us. I also contribute to print and electronic media. I gave the CBC’s Massey lectures in 2015 and the BBC’s Reith Lectures in 2018. I taught at Ryerson University for 25 years and then was Provost of Trinity College, Toronto from 2002-2007 and Warden of St Antony’s College, Oxford from 2007-2017. I am a trustee of the Imperial War Museum and sit on a number of non-profit advisory boards. I have visited Green College several times over the years and look forward to my new connection with it.
MATTHEW WHITE
CEO, Victoria Symphony Orchestra
Matthew White spent his early career as an international vocal soloist; a countertenor performing with opera companies and symphonies around the world. He then became an administrator and driver of classical music in the Lower Mainland providing strategic oversight and direction as the Executive and Artistic Director of the Early Music Vancouver (EMV). Since 2012, Matthew has played a central part in more than doubling EMV’s budget and administrative capacity as well as in dramatically growing EMV’s audience. EMV now offers one of the most ambitious programs of its type in North America, presenting and producing between 40-50 concerts per year featuring internationally renowned local, regional and guest artists. Other highlights of his administrative career include establishing the Vancouver Bach Festival and the Pacific Baroque Series in Victoria.
Green College Society Members
AJAY AGRAWAL, Ph.D., M.Eng., M.B.A, B.Sc., C.M.
Geoffrey Taber Chair in Entrepreneurship and Innovation, Rotman School of Management, University of Toronto
I am the Geoffrey Taber Chair in Entrepreneurship and Innovation at the University of Toronto’s Rotman School of Management, Research Associate at the National Bureau of Economic Research in Cambridge, MA, Faculty Affiliate at the Vector Institute for Artificial Intelligence in Toronto, and Board Member at Carnegie Mellon University’s Block Center for Technology and Society in Pittsburgh, PA. I have published many scholarly articles on the economics of innovation and am co-author of Prediction Machines: The Simple Economics of Artificial Intelligence and co-editor of The Economics of Artificial Intelligence: An Agenda. I serve on the editorial boards of Management Science and the Strategic Management Journal. I am founder of the Creative Destruction Lab and co-founder of Next Canada, both of which are not-for-profit programs to support entrepreneurs. I am a proud alumnus of UBC and former Resident Member of Green College and served as chauffeur for Sir Cecil Green during one of his visits to the College.
DARLENE SETO, M.A., B.A.
Lead, Policy and Partnerships, Foundry BC
I originally came to UBC for graduate studies after growing up with big blue prairie skies. Over a decade later, I’ve been fortunate enough to continue settling here and call these beautiful Coast Salish lands and waters home. My personal and professional life has spanned the social sector, including the anti-poverty, food security, and mental health and substance use fields. The core values of my work are embedding equity and justice-oriented principles into policy, research and decision-making processes to reduce systemic harms and support human wellbeing. Currently, I work at Foundry BC as Lead, Policy and Partnerships, to support health and wellness for young people across the province. I am a Green College Society Member, former Residents’ Council Chair and hold many fond memories and dear friendships struck in the Great Hall.
MAKOTO FUJIWARA
Senior Scientist, Particle Physics, TRUIMF
Makoto Fujiwara is a particle physicist and senior scientist at TRIUMF—Canada’s particle accelerator center on the UBC campus. A native of Japan, he earned his Ph.D. from UBC and has held positions at the University of Tokyo, CERN (Geneva), and RIKEN (Tokyo). Since joining TRIUMF, he has served as the head of the Particle Physics Department and as Deputy Associate Director. In 2005, Makoto co-founded the international antimatter project ALPHA at the CERN laboratory and has since led its Canadian group. His contributions to antimatter research have been recognized with numerous awards internationally, including the Outstanding Young Scientist by the Nuclear Physics Forum in Japan, the John Dawson Award from the American Physical Society, and the NSERC John C. Polanyi Award in Canada. Makoto was a dynamic resident member in the early days of Green College (1995–97), engaging with peers over the mysteries of the Universe by day and occasionally testing the laws of gravity on the dance floor by night.
JOANNE KIENHOLZ
Senior Advisor, Institutional Strategic Awards, Simon Fraser University
Joanne Kienholz is an applied anthropologist, dedicated to fostering connections among communities, people and organizations through expert grant facilitation, research advising and compelling storytelling. She developed a passion for sharing knowledge through story during her time as an interpreter at various museums and heritage sites in her home province of Alberta. Her studies brought her to Vancouver in 2007, where she became an active Resident Member of Green College. After completing her MA in Anthropology in 2009, she served as a community liaison for UBC’s Museum of Anthropology, and later spent several years living and working in the Musqueam community as a grant writer and facilitator. She currently works at Simon Fraser University as a Senior Advisor in Research Development, specializing in the Social Sciences and Humanities. Her diverse career underscores her continued commitment to interdisciplinary scholarship and community engagement.
UBC Faculty Members of the Common Room
ALISON WYLIE, Ph.D, B.A., F.R.S.C., F.A.H.A.
Professor of Philosophy and Canada Research Chair (Tier 1), University of British Columbia
I am a feminist philosopher of the social and historical sciences with particular interest in archaeological research practice. What intrigues me are questions about how inquiry succeeds when evidence is sparse and uncertain, and how significantly it can be enhanced by bringing to bear a diversity of situated experience, knowledge and interests. Since joining UBC in 2017 I have worked with the Indigenous/Science research cluster and in that connection, I co-convened a Green College Interdisciplinary Series on Indigenous-led partnerships, “Exploring Histories and Environments” (2019-2020). I also assisted with “Working Tools: Community-Facing Data Management Platforms for Indigenous-University Partnerships” (2020). I have a longstanding commitment to equity, diversity, and inclusiveness in research and activism in the academy and beyond. I am currently working with a UBC-based philosophy collective on the “Philosophy Exception” website project.
GAOHENG ZHANG,
Associate Professor, Italian Studies, University of British Columbia
章杲恆 Gaoheng Zhang is Associate Professor of Italian Studies at the University of British Columbia. He is a humanities scholar of migration, mobilities, multiculturalism, media, rhetoric, ethics, and masculinity. His recent research seeks to provide a road map for analyzing cultural mobilities concerning contemporary Italy’s and Europe’s global networks with Asia, America, and Africa, which are created through migration, colonialism, exile, tourism, business travel, and other forms of human mobility. Gaoheng is a leading cultural critic of Chinese migration to Italy, which has generated considerable debate in the Italian, Chinese migrant, and international media because of migrants’ economic clout. At UBC, he is a member of the executive committee of the Centre for Migration Studies, a member at the Centre for European Studies, and an affiliated faculty with the Asian Canadian and Asian Migration Studies program.
SUZANNE HUOT, Ph.D
Assistant Professor, Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy, University of British Columbia
Suzanne obtained her PhD in Occupational Science in 2011 as part of an interdisciplinary graduate program in the Health and Rehabilitation Sciences at the University of Western Ontario, where she previously completed her Masters in Geography. Suzanne's doctoral work examining the integration of racialized French-speaking immigrants and refugees. She was an Assistant Professor in the School of Occupational Therapy at the University of Western Ontario (2011-2016) prior to joining the Department of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy at UBC in July of 2017. Suzanne worked as the Executive Director of the Canadian Society of Occupational Scientists, and later served as an elected executive board member for two consecutive terms. I have more recently served as an elected board member of the International Society for Occupational Science, including two consecutive terms as Chair.