Faculty and staff

feather logo

 

Billie Allan  joined the School of Social Work as an Assistant Professor in July 2016.

Email:
Phone: 250-472-4632

Cheryl Aro

Cheryl Aro is a Gitxsan Woman from the Gutginuxw House and the Fireweed Clan. She holds a BSW, MSW, and PhD in the Social Dimensions of Health program from the University of Victoria. Cheryl is honored and grateful to teach as a visitor on the traditional territories of the Songhees, Esquimalt and WS’ANEC’ peoples.

Cheryl's research and teaching interests are in the area of Indigenous, anti-racist education and Indigenous health; particularly Elder healthcare and dementia.

Email:
Phone: 250-721-8202

Jeannine Carriere is Métis originally from the Red River area of southern Manitoba and has been a visitor on Coast Salish Territories since 2005. Her research interests are in the areas of Indigenous child welfare particularly adoption and identity for Indigenous children.

Dr. Carriere has extensive publications including her recent book, Calling Our Families Home: Metis Peoples' Experiences with Child Welfare. She has received a number of awards for her work in Indigenous child welfare including the North American Council on Adoptable Children (NACAC)'s Adoption Advocacy Award.

Email:
Phone: 250-721-6452

Jacquie GreenKundoqk, Jacquie Green is from the Haisla Nation. She is the Director and Associate Professor in the School of Social Work and holds a BSW, MPA, and a PhD through the Faculty of Human and Social Development. Her PhD focus includes an analysis of traditional teachings (Nuyuum) implemented within leadership, practices standards and policy.

Committed to decolonization & cultural renewal, her research interests involve strategizing programs and policies that incorporate a strong Indigenous focus and analysis. She currently is a project manager for the Indigenous Child Well-Being Research Network through the faculty of Human and Social Development.

Email:
Phone: 250-721-6453

Gwendolyn Gosek  joined the School of Social Work as an Assistant Professor in January 2019.

Phone: 250-721-6298
Amanda LaVallee is a Red River Métis born and raised in Alberta and Saskatchewan in places such as Edmonton, Speers, North Battleford, and Saskatoon. She spent much of her childhood keenly attuned to the prairie landscape through the activities of hunting, trapping, fishing, gathering, and gardening. She holds a Bachelor degree of Indigenous Social Work from the First Nations University of Canada (2001), a Master’s degree in Social Work from the University of Regina (2006), and a PHD (2014) and Post Doctoral Fellowship (2018) in the department of Community Health and Epidemiology from the University of Saskatchewan.
Her past research projects examined the health, well-being, and identity of Métis people, specifically their engagement within social systems and their impact on relationships. Currently, Dr. LaVallee holds a SSHRC Race, Gender, and Diversity Initiative Grant for her project titled, Indigenous Specific Racism in the Academy: Research towards Action Oriented Change. 
Jenny Morgan (on leave)
Jenny Morgan is from the Gitxsan First Nation. Lax Gibuu (Wolf clan) from the House of Wii Muk'willixw. She joined the UVic School of Social Work in 2021. Her work experience included working directly with community in employment and health services, as well as leadership work with housing organizations and within health authorities. Dr. Morgan's latest role was with the BC Women's and Children's Hospitals as the Director for Indigenous Health. She holds a BSW (2003, UBC), an MSW with an Indigenous Specialization (UVic, 2014), and a Doctorate in Education (2019, UWO). Her research and teaching interests include addressing anti-Indigenous racism, Indigenous Health, and Evaluation.

Robina ThomasQwul'sih'yah'maht, Robina Thomas is Lyackson of the Coast Salish Nation. Vice President, Indigenous, and Associate Professor in the School of Social Work, Robina holds a BSW, MSW, and PhD in Indigenous Governance.

Robina is committed to Indigenous education and her research interests include storytelling, residential schools and Uy'skwuluwun: on being Indigenous. She is dedicated to understanding anti-racism and anti-oppression and how these can be 'lived'.

Email:
Phone: 250-472-4877

 

Kim Grzybowski
Email:

Robert Mahikwa, BSW, MSW (UVic)
Email: rmahikwa@uvic.ca

Robert holds a BSW and MSW from the University of Victoria and he is currently pursuing his Doctoral studies in Education at the University of British Columbia. He is a certified Life Skills Coach and specializes in Indigenous-rooted Social Work theory and practice. Robert's areas of interest include; Indigenous research methodologies, supporting Indigenous youth transitioning from child welfare, and Indigenous mentorship in education.

Robert is a member for the Supporting Aboriginal Graduate Enhancement (SAGE) advisory committee, as well as a Sessional Instructor in the School of Social and has taught a range of SOCW courses including 200B, 311, and 354.

Kirsten MikkelsenKirsten Mikkelsen

Kirsten has worked with various community organizations and post-secondary education programs designing and delivering on-campus, online, and blended learning courses centering on decolonizing Indigenous content.

Kirsten's primary focus is on the scholarship of teaching with innovation in transforming online education. Recently she has worked collaboratively with colleagues around building digital representations of decolonization in ePortfolios intended to spark and inspire a recognition of ongoing Indigenous and settler-colonial relations in social work education.

Email:

Todd OrmistonNaadli, Todd Ormiston

Todd (Wolf Clan) is N. Tutchone & Tlingit. He holds a BSW and MPA and is a sessional instructor with our program. In addition, he is the Program Leader and instructor for the Indigenous Studies Program at Camosun College

Todd's lengthy career as a social services worker included working with youth involved in the criminal justice system. His teaching and research interests have a strong focus on Policy Issues and Indigenous Peoples.

Email: