TEDxUniversityofSaskatchewan

Speakers

Speakers may not be confirmed. Check the event website for the latest lineup.

• Alexandria Pavelich

  Alexandria Pavelich is a suicidologist and PhD candidate in Interdisciplinary Studies at the University of Saskatchewan (USask) whose approach to suicide prevention and pain management bridges health and social sciences via animal-assisted services. Her work is grounded in a “One Health” lens to emphasize the vital interconnection between humans and the natural world. Motivated by wanting to improve healthcare provision practices, she is an activist-scholar and patient advocate with lived experience who has received national and provincial funding for her innovative studies. Previously working with the Saskatchewan Pain Society, she is a professionally certified knowledge translator. Her current research role in the PAWSitive Connections Lab situates her as an expert in implementing canine-assisted service programming. Alexandria, alongside her certified therapy dog, Zola, have volunteered over 200 hours in community where they work to ensure clients know they “matter”

• Andrew Hartman

  Andrew Hartman is a queer, disabled, Métis scholar and community builder whose work centers authenticity, courage and shared humanity. As a PhD candidate in Applied Social Psychology at the University of Saskatchewan, Andrew studies how queer people move through shame toward healing and joy. They have led community-driven projects at local and national levels focused on improving the lives of 2SLGBTQ+ individuals. Andrew is also the co-founder of the Living Skies Charity, a drag-based initiative that brings people together to raise funds to support queer and trans communities. Alongside their research and advocacy, Andrew teaches a first-year psychology course in the Indigenous Student Achievement Pathways program and offers a course on Performing Masculinities in the Women’s and Gender Studies program. Their work bridges scholarship, storytelling and community action to imagine more joyful futures for queer people.

• Emily Jenkins

  Dr. Emily Jenkins (PhD, DVM) is a veterinarian and professor of Veterinary Microbiology, and head of the Zoonotic Parasite Research Unit at the Western College of Veterinary Medicine. She co-leads the University of Saskatchewan One Health Signature Area of Research, recognizing the need for collaborative, transdisciplinary approaches to minimize risks and maximize benefits at the interface of human, animal and environmental health. Dr. Jenkins and her research team have made major impacts in the fields of veterinary parasitology, food safety and One Health, focusing on globally important foodborne parasites which disproportionately affect rural, remote and Indigenous populations in Canada. She has published over 150 papers and supervised over 50 students and postdoctoral fellows. Dr. Jenkins loves parasites, cats, food, wildlife and her family, not necessarily in that order.

• Gordon Broderick

  Dr. Gordon Broderick (PhD) holds a doctorate in chemical engineering from the University of Montreal, and a master’s in chemical engineering and an undergraduate in mechanical engineering from McGill University. He received post-doctoral training in cancer genomics and computational biochemistry. He has developed large computing approaches for deciphering the immune system’s design principles and algorithmic programming, supported by the US Army, Department of Veterans Affairs and National Institutes of Health (NIH). He currently holds cross-appointments at the University of Saskatchewan (USask) in mathematics and statistics in the College of Arts and Science and pediatrics in the College of Medicine. He is a principal scientist at the USask’s Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization where he leads their initiative in mathematical immunology and immunodynamics, applying network and dynamic systems theory to design novel vaccines and immune therapies.

• Helen Baulch

  Dr. Helen Baulch (PhD) is a professor and Centennial Enhancement Chair in the School of Environment and Sustainability and Global Institute for Water Security at the University of Saskatchewan. She is an award-winning teacher, and researcher who has published more than 100 papers on water and water quality. Dr. Baulch’s research focuses on understanding impacts on water quality, and helping identify effective, pragmatic solutions in industries spanning from agriculture to water treatment to help ensure waters are swimmable and drinkable.

• Leah Ferguson

  Dr. Leah Ferguson (PhD) is a professor in the College of Kinesiology at the University of Saskatchewan. Her research, teaching and applied work focus on sport psychology and Indigenous Peoples’ wellness, where she collaboratively works with athletes, youth, girls and women to enhance sport experiences and wholistic wellness outcomes. She is particularly interested in the role of self-compassion as a resource for athletes to overcome challenges and setbacks to flourish in sport and life. Leah is also a Certified Mental Performance Consultant®, where she translates her research into practice with athletes, teams, coaches and sport groups to foster athlete well-being and performance. As a Métis woman, she brings a relational, inclusive lens to her research and consulting, helping athletes thrive under pressure while staying connected to their well-being. In 2025, Leah was awarded a King Charles III Coronation Medal for advancing knowledge in the sport and physical activity sectors.

• Maryellen Gibson

  Maryellen Gibson is a PhD candidate in Sociology at the University of Saskatchewan. Her research focuses on harm reduction, substance use, stigma and health inequities through community-based approaches. She holds a Master of Public Health, graduate certificates in Substance Use Health & Wellbeing and Teaching Preparation, and a bachelor’s degree in International Studies. Her work examines how systemic stigma and policy shape the lives of people who use drugs, with projects on opioid response, supervised consumption sites, cannabis harm reduction and veterans’ health. She advocates for harm reduction, housing-first approaches and equitable care. Beyond academia, Maryellen has served on boards including Quint Development Corporation, Station 20 West, Saskatoon Sexual Health and Yorkton Veterans Foundation. Her doctoral research explores relationships between people who use drugs, drug houses and health and social systems in Saskatchewan.

• Mita Manna

  Dr. Mita Manna (MD) is a Medical Oncologist at the Saskatoon Cancer Centre and associate professor within the Department of Oncology in the College of Medicine at the University of Saskatchewan (USask). She is the former Provincial Disease Site Lead for Breast Malignancies and Chair for the Research Excellence and Active Leadership Alliance Breast Cancer Canada (REAL Alliance). Dr. Manna’s research interests include quality improvement and real-world evidence. She is the 2025 recipient of the College of Medicine Annual Excellence in Research Award at USask and is also actively involved in medical education. In her spare time, she enjoys cycling—often with a scenic route that ends at a cozy coffee shop or bakery.

• Paul Suchan

  Paul Suchan is a composer, performer, educator and alumnus of the University of Saskatchewan (USask), graduating with a Bachelor of Music/Bachelor of Music Education in 2007. He received a Master of Music in composition in 2012 from the Université de Montréal where he studied with composer Alan Belkin. He lives in Saskatoon with his wife Naomi, daughter Evelyn and son Isaac. His body of work includes over 85 commissions that have been performed across Canada, the United States and Europe by leading university ensembles, symphony orchestras, community groups, choirs, small ensembles and others. He is frequently commissioned by groups across Canada of various sizes and abilities.

• Rachel Engler-Stringer

  Dr. Rachel Engler-Stringer (PhD) is a professor in the Department of Community Health and Epidemiology in the College of Medicine at the University of Saskatchewan and a researcher with the Saskatchewan Population Health and Evaluation Research Unit. She is one of Canada’s leading experts on school food programs. Dr. Engler-Stringer has a doctorate in nutrition, and her research interests include school food programming, community food security, food environments and food access, health promotion and community-based and participatory research. She has two (almost grown up) children, is an avid cook and takes great satisfaction from growing some of her own food in her inner-city front and back yards.

• Shaina Lynden

  Shaina Lynden is a Ukrainian and Anishinaabe scholar, educator and changemaker dedicated to advancing reconciliation through educational innovation and institutional transformation. A proud member of Yellow Quill First Nation and a doctoral student in Educational Leadership at the University of Saskatchewan, Shaina’s twenty years of experience as a Saskatoon Police officer informs her efforts in reimagining the relationship between law enforcement and Indigenous communities. She is the creator of Indigenous cultural competency curricula for police recruits, special constables and civilian personnel in Saskatoon, as well as a nationally offered course at the Canadian Police College in Ottawa. Shaina has redefined public service education by centring lived experience, cultural humility and relational accountability. Through her research, pedagogy and advocacy, her leadership is grounded in courage, compassion and an unwavering commitment to systemic change and Indigenous sovereignty.

• Steve Shirtliffe

  Dr. Steve Shirtliffe (PhD) is the director of the Nutrien Digital and Sustainable Agriculture Centre and a professor of agronomy at the University of Saskatchewan. Raised on a farm in southern Manitoba, he brings practical experience to his research on crop imaging, precision agriculture, and sustainable production systems. Dr. Shirtliffe has led projects on Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) and satellite-based crop monitoring, herbicide-resistant weed management and pulse agronomy. He developed the university’s Precision Agriculture Certificate and collaborates widely across disciplines to advance digital tools for crop management.

• Tianqi Xie

  Dr. Tianqi Xie (PhD) is an assistant professor at the Department of Geological Sciences in the College of Arts and Science at the University of Saskatchewan (USask). Her research focuses on the behavior of common minerals under high pressure high temperature conditions relevant to the evolution of rocky planetary bodies in our solar system. Dr. Xie received her bachelor’s degree in gemology and master’s degree in mineralogy at China University of Geosciences (Beijing) and earned her PhD degree in Geophysics at University of Western Ontario. She then moved to Stony Brook University for a postdoctoral fellowship at the Mineral Physics Institute. Her work uses synchrotron facilities around the world, including Advanced Photon Source, Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron (DESY), European X-Ray Free-Electron Laser Facility (European XFEL), and our Canadian Light Source. She is also a certified gemologist who loves antiques.