Laura Mackay Email and Phone Number

Education has the power to transform the lives of those who engage in it. My career has evolved from a postdoctoral fellow and research scientist at UBC, to instructional faculty in Psychology, to academic leadership at Capilano University and Simon Fraser University. I lead with transparency; focusing on relationship-building to leverage people’s strengths.As the Director of the Centre for Teaching Excellence at Capilano University, I led the creation of the Centre to support faculty teaching and learning initiatives, as well as curricular development and renewal to enhance student learning experiences. I founded the University's inaugural Educational Technology unit, a new student peer support unit, launched British Columbia's first faculty certificate in teaching and learning in higher education, and initiated annual teaching excellence awards. Supported by a BCcampus grant, we achieved a remarkable 1723.35% increase in direct cost savings for students through the adoption of open, freely accessible textbooks in just eighteen months. As Director of Curriculum and Instruction at SFU, I led a large team of educational developers, EAL specialists, and Teaching Enhancement Specialists. Grounded in evidence-informed decision-making, I developed a comprehensive survey to assess the needs of faculty and teaching assistants, launched an inclusivity-focused review of some of our existing programs, and enhanced the transparency and oversight of our budget processes.