Contact Us Faculty of Student Development

Dr. Kyra GarsonInstructional Support II, Senior Intercultural Coordinator

BA (UBC), MAEd (StFX), EdD (SFU)
Coordinates intercultural learning for students, faculty, and staff.

As Senior Intercultural Coordinator, Kyra leads the creation of resources and training for intercultural understanding to support the institution’s strategic efforts to enhance inclusion, value diversity, and develop intercultural capacities. She offers extensive experience in intercultural development, inclusive pedagogies, critical internationalization, and global engagement. Kyra’s ’s research and expertise has been recognized at TRU, provincially, nationally, and internationally. She is regularly invited to provide professional development or present her work in interculturalizing the curriculum as critical approach to preparing students as professionals and citizens in increasingly diverse and globally connected contexts.

Jenna GoddardSenior Writing Centre Coordinator

Jenna (she/her) is a white settler who lives, writes, teaches, and plays on the traditional lands of the Tk'emlúps te Secwépemc within Secwépemc'ulucw, the traditional and unceded territory of the Secwépemc. She coordinates the writing centre, working with undergraduate and graduate student tutors to encourage students to develop and value their authentic voice; she also teaches writing, learning sciences, and research-related courses. Her work-related passions include writing assessment, academic integrity, and social justice education; her writing passions include poetry and creative non-fiction. Jenna has been privileged to be part of the CWCA/ACCR Board for the past six years as Secretary. She is intensely uncomfortable writing about herself in the third person.

Chelsea CorsiSenior Wellness Coordinator

Oversees and leads the TRU Wellness Centre, including the health promotion and illness prevention outreach, education, and advocacy for students and the campus community at large.

In my role as Senior Wellness Coordinator, I work on the ancestral and stolen lands of the Tk'emlúps te Secwépemc people within Secwépemcúl’ecw. My name is Chelsea (she/her), and it has been my privilege to lead and collaborate on campus wellness initiatives at the local, provincial, and national level for over 20 years. My practice and pedagogy are rooted in intersectional-feminist, anti-oppressive, anti-violence, trauma-informed, and survivor/person-centered theories, and is influenced by health promotion, social determinants of health, community development, relational, and harm reduction frameworks.

I have made it a priority to increase my learning and unlearning about how oppressive colonial structures create disparities in health and well-being, and work to embed the principles of decolonization, Indigenization, truth, reconciliation, equity, diversity, and inclusion into my practice and the work of the Wellness Centre team. I am proud to be a Registered Nurse and am committed to upholding the Standards of Practice and Code of Ethics outlined by the British Columbia College of Nurses and Midwives (BCCNM). I am also a wife and mom to two boys who practices self-care by hiking, x-country skiing, participating in yoga, dancing, listening to music, styling (and re-styling) my home, thrifting, and connecting with family and friends.

Dr. Amie McLean Intercultural Coordinator

BA, MA (British Columbia), PhD (British Columbia)
Coordinates intercultural learning opportunities for faculty, staff and students.

Amie is a parent, sociologist, writer, and educator whose academic interests are on equity and social justice issues in Canadian post-secondary education and work.

Amie works pan-institutionally to lead and support intercultural and inclusive learning programs and initiatives. Her perspective is rooted in anti-racist, anti-colonial feminist thought, with an expanding focus on disability studies. Amie has taken a lead role in the design, implementation and assessment of innovative educational initiatives focused on fostering just relations at institutional, provincial, and national levels. Her research foci are on operations of power in post-secondary education and work in Canada, with a specific focus on neoliberalism, neocolonialism, patriarchal white supremacy and globalization. Her SSHRC-funded PhD dissertation was an ethnographic investigation of how gender, class and racialization operate in the BC-based long haul trucking industry, focusing on the social, embodied, and labour-market implications of those operations.

Elizabeth TemplemanSupplemental Learning Coordinator

BA (Cornell), MA (Central Washington)

Elizabeth coordinates Supplemental Learning (SL) and co-leads Peer Academic Coaching (PAC), both student-led support services. She stays current and informed about evidence-based learning strategies. The leadership model she espouses is a near-peer, respectful model that recognizes the contributions and perspectives of others. She is proud to have brought SL to TRU in 2004, and then to have collaborated with the three other Canadian coordinators to promote the program across Canada.

Cindy JamesPrincipal Coordinator, Assessment Centre

PhD (UBC), MA (UVic), BEd (UVic)

Research Interests: Assessment in higher education, Student experiences in higher education, Emotional Intelligence of university students, Mathematics education.

Sarah GibsonCooperative Education Coordinator

BA (SFU), MA (RRU), TESL (TRU)

Passionate Career Educator guiding student journeys to create authentic career paths.

Sarah has over 25 years of professional experience in public, private, and non-profit sectors. She has worked in BC post-secondary education since 2005.

Sarah spends her free time enjoying the outdoors and on her hobby farm where she and her family care for and nurture many animals and pets including alpacas, goats, turkeys, chickens, cats, a dog, and a snake.

Shawn ReadInstructional Support Faculty II: Business Co-op Coordinator

BA (St. Thomas), Public Administration (Dalhousie), MA (Royal Roads)
Business Co-op Coordinator overseeing 200 business students in the Co-op program.

Shawn Read is a tenured faculty member in the Career & Experiential Learning Department at Thompson Rivers University in Kamloops, British Columbia. With over 30 years of experience in career development, work-integrated learning, and experiential education, he has held national leadership roles, including President and National Board Member of the Canadian Association of Career Educators and Employers (CACEE) and a member of the Accreditation Council for Co-operative Education and Work-Integrated Learning. Shawn actively supports post-secondary institutions by developing accreditation standards for Work Integrated Learning, advancing best practices in career education, and fostering partnerships that enhance student success and employability.

Harshita DhimanEngineering Co-op Coordinator

Harshita Dhiman has been a Co-op Coordinator with TRU’s Career and Experiential Learning department since 2021, supporting students in gaining work experience through co-operative education. She holds a Master of Education from TRU and a Master of Industrial Psychology from Panjab University, India. With experience in career coaching, counseling, and instructional support, she has worked with diverse populations at Open Door Group and the Academy of Learning Career College. She also worked as a Graduate Research Assistant, supporting peer mentoring for Early Childhood Educators across BC. Passionate about student success, Harshita aims to enhance career development opportunities at TRU while fostering strong connections between students and industry partners.

Leanne MihaliczCo-operative Education Coordinator

BRS (University of Manitoba), BED (Brandon University), M.ED (Thompson Rivers University)

Career education and experiential learning have been integral in my work as an educator. I have over 22 years of teaching experience within both secondary and I am passionate about connecting students and community through a variety of experiential learning opportunities. My aim is to build positive relationships and facilitate learning through strength-based approaches.

I have worked with diverse groups of students, including those who have faced barriers to employment and education. My students have always taught me just as much as I have taught them. I have learned that many of the greatest teachable moments are unpredictable and can be truly transformational for both learner and educator.

Corinna BartucciTourism Co-op Coordinator

Facilitates the Tourism Co-op program by supporting student career development, employer partnerships and other work-integrated learning initiatives.

Corinna supports the Tourism Co-op program at TRU, focusing on connecting students with valuable work experiences in the tourism industry. She works to support student career development by providing guidance on job searching, applications, and interviews while maintaining strong partnerships with employers. Corinna brings expertise in work-integrated learning, student engagement, and industry collaboration. Her leadership has been key in increasing student success, expanding co-op positions, and creating meaningful connections between students and employers.

Larry IlesTenured Faculty Member, Experiential Learning Coordinator/Associate Teaching Professor

Expert in teaching, student career development, experiential learning, and workforce development

Larry Iles is a tenured faculty member at Thompson Rivers University specializing in experiential learning and career development. With 30 years of teaching experience, he has been instrumental in developing career education programs, mentoring students, and integrating work-integrated learning into university curricula. Larry has led initiatives such as developing the first Coop for Academic Credit system at TRU, the Experience More program, Faculty Toolkits for Experiential Learning, and new Co-op Education Programs, ensuring students gain real-world experience before graduation. His leadership has contributed to innovative career resources, experiential learning opportunities, student mentorship programs, and partnerships with industry leaders.

Katelin PietrusinskiCareer Education Coordinator

BA (SFU), MA (Laurier), CDP (SFU)
Engages with students, alumni, faculty, and community stakeholders to provide education and support for career development.

Katelin is the Career Educator within the Career and Experiential Learning department. She primarily works with students and alumni on all career development-related topics, such as career exploration, job applications (resumes, cover letters, interviews), networking and job search strategies, LinkedIn, and more. Katelin has been working in the field of work-integrated learning, career development, and experiential education since 2019. Also a Canadian Certified Counsellor, Katelin believes that experiential learning and mental wellness go hand-in-hand. She aspires to mentor students on their journeys to build their best potential into dream careers through thoughtful decision-making, intentional development, and continued direction checks and re-mapping.