Our Team
Dr. Nicole Johnson (Executive Director) has more than two decades of experience in the field of education, and is a leading expert in macro-level digital learning trends. As the Executive Director of the Canadian Digital Learning Research Association (CDLRA), she leads annual, longitudinal research studies exploring technologies and practices related to digital learning at post-secondary institutions. She also has an independent research and consulting practice, helping clients develop future-proof strategies and policies for technology use in teaching and learning. Along with her work on digital learning trends, Dr. Johnson’s research experience includes examining the implications of artificial intelligence in education, exploring potential futures for higher education, defining and operationalizing key terms associated with digital learning, investigating faculty experiences with technology, investigating the use of open educational resources (OER), and understanding how adults learn informally in digital contexts. She has authored and co-authored over 30 publications related to digital learning trends and digital transformation (including journal publications specific to artificial intelligence) since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.
Dr. Evan Cortens (Board Chair) is the Dean of Continuing Education at Mount Royal University in Calgary, Alberta. He has served previously as the Director of Institutional Research and Planning and the Manager of Academic Initiatives in the Office of the Provost at the same institution, and was formerly the Manager of Business Development, Associate Editor and Senior Researcher at the Academica Group in London, Ontario. He holds a PhD in Musicology from Cornell University, with a focus on eighteenth-century music. In addition to the CDLRA, he serves on the boards of several community and arts organizations.
Dr. Rajiv Jhangiani (Board Vice-Chair) is the Vice Provost, Teaching and Learning at Brock University, where he holds faculty appointments in the Departments of Educational Studies and Psychology and directs the Inclusive Education Research Lab. His scholarship focuses on open educational practices, student-centered pedagogies, and ethical approaches to educational technology. Formerly the Associate Vice President, Teaching and Learning at Kwantlen Polytechnic University where he conceived and oversaw the development of Canada’s first zero textbook cost degree programs, he has worked with post-secondary institutions across the world to help develop their capacity to support open educational practices. He has advised the BC Ministry of Post-Secondary Education and Future Skills on its BC Digital Learning Advisory Committee, Ethical Educational Technologies Working Group, and Micro-credential Advisory Group and currently serves on the Board of Directors of Open Education Global.
Dr. Charlene Van Leeuwen (Board Treasurer) is Coordinator of the Teaching and Learning Centre at the University of Prince Edward Island. She became interested in digital learning as a sessional instructor more than a decade ago and continues to integrate this into her work. Supporting faculty with projects that incorporate educational technologies is a particularly fulfilling aspect of her current role with the centre. She is also deeply involved in the development of a university-wide framework for online and digitally enhanced teaching and learning. Her other research interests are related to faculty development, the scholarship of teaching and learning (SoTL), community-based learning, and international development work in rural Kenya. Charlene also serves on boards that reflect her diverse areas of interest in evaluation, SoTL, and an NGO that works with Kenyan farm communities.
Kimberly Smith (Board Secretary)
Kimberly Smith works in the Office of Institutional Research and Planning at Mount Royal University, where she supports strategic planning, performance measurement development, and data-informed decision-making across academic and administrative units. She brings a nuanced understanding of the post-secondary landscape, with extensive experience in institutional planning and leading major initiatives such as student experience surveys and system-level accountability reporting. Her work blends analysis with a strong commitment to storytelling, helping institutions make meaning from data and navigate change with clarity.
Dr. Ilana Bayer (Research Liaison Officer)
Dr. Ilana Bayer is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Pathology & Molecular Medicine and the Director of the Learning Technologies Lab (LTL) in the Faculty of Health Sciences at McMaster University. Dr. Bayer also serves as the Academic Director of Learning Spaces and Digital Teaching & Learning in the Office of the Vice-Provost (Teaching & Learning) where she works with a project team to lead the implementation of the digital learning strategy for McMaster University. Her primary teaching areas include use of technology in education and healthcare, human-centred design, and anatomy & physiology. She teaches in several undergraduate and graduate programs and in a variety of learning environments (face-to-face, blended, online). She is also a core faculty member in the MSc Health Science Education program. In her LTL Director role, Dr. Bayer acts as the education scholarship lead for education technology-related activities and research. She has led and worked on numerous development and research projects as well as curricula that have involved the use of technology. Her research interests include learning technologies, education design, program evaluation, user experience and anatomy education.
Lucas Johnson (Director at Large)
With nearly twenty-five years of experience supporting the technical and pedagogical aspects of teaching and learning with technology, Lucas Johnson is well-versed in many aspects of teaching and learning with technology. At Lakehead University, Lucas is the Educational Technologies Facilitator in the Faculty of Education and a Contract Lecturer. Lucas’ passions, interests and research revolve around teaching and learning with technology. A family man and father in a big blended family with five children, Lucas is always busy and loves to see his children learning and growing. A lifelong learner with a BSc General, a BA Philosophy, and an MEd, Lucas is currently studying in the Joint PhD in Education Program at Lakehead University in the social cultural and political contexts of education with a research focus on the implementation of technology in Ontario K-12 schools. Lucas is a PhD Candidate. Away from screens Lucas enjoys the outdoors, running, sailing on Lake Superior, and fishing at his remote off grid cottage.
Gui Loth (Director at Large)
Gui Loth is the Senior Director of Online Learning at Crandall University in Moncton, New Brunswick. In this role, he founded and leads the university’s online learning department, integrating instructional design best practices, innovative learning technologies, and strategic program development. With over nine years of academic experience, Gui teaches courses in business, data analysis, project management, and finance at multiple Canadian and Brazilian institutions. His academic research spans diverse topics, including AI-generated educational content, innovations in blended learning, technology adoption in small and medium-sized enterprises, and the effects of ageism in workplace settings. Gui holds an M.Sc. in Operational Research, postgraduate certificates in Learning Design and College Teacher Training, an MBA, and degrees in Business Administration and Theology.
Dr. Theresa Southam (Director at Large). A 2020 PhD in Human and Organizational Development, Dr. Theresa Southam is the Department Head of the Teaching and Learning Centre (TLC) at Selkirk College and continues her research as a Fielding Institute for Social Innovation Fellow. Recently, Theresa has published articles on innovative techniques in the healthcare sector. With a long career in environmental communication, she considers her life’s work as conserving thousands of hectares of wetlands. She also worked for the federal Department of Fisheries and Oceans, coordinating a network of community educators reaching over 10,000 children. She regularly contributes blog posts and book reviews, and is a peer reviewer for many journals.
Rebecca Sweetman (Director at Large)
Rebecca Sweetman is Associate Director of Learning Environments (Digital & Physical) at Queen’s University’s Centre for Teaching and Learning. She leads institutional initiatives in digital learning environments, generative AI literacy, and open educational resources, with a focus on equity, accessibility, and pedagogical innovation. A PhD candidate in Health Sciences at Carleton University, her research explores transition design in education and the role of professional development in systemic culture change. With over two decades of experience spanning higher education and the non-profit sectors, including leadership and board governance roles, Rebecca brings expertise in digital transformation, online learning, decolonial design, and critical pedagogy to advance more just and sustainable approaches to teaching and learning.