Panel of equity, diversity, and inclusion experts conduct review of UPEI EDI and Human Rights department
A panel of equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) experts made up of three external and one internal reviewer is on the UPEI campus from November 26–28, meeting with key stakeholders and conducting a review of the UPEI Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Human Rights (EDIHR) department.
Together the panel brings decades of experience leading equity, diversity, inclusion and human rights functions in post-secondary institutions as well as leading the Canadian Association for Harassment and Discrimination in Higher Education.
The group was established with a mandate to consult with select stakeholders and the staff of the EDIHR department on the development of recommendations for the structure and staffing of the unit when fully staffed. The panel has been asked to produce a report that will include recommendations for a structural framework, leadership roles and reporting structure, and staff roles required to meet the needs of the University, prioritizing those identified in the consultation process, as well as the UPEI Action Plan and the Rubin Thomlinson Report.
The comprehensive report will guide UPEI as the EDIHR department is being further developed to ensure that it has the capacity and expertise to lead the University in systemic and cultural change.
Panel members:
Lisa DeLong is the Director of Human Rights and Equity Services for Dalhousie University. Her office oversees university policies regarding discrimination, harassment, and sexualized violence. Prior to coming to Dalhousie, Lisa worked with the Nova Scotia Human Rights Commission, the Nova Scotia Office of the Ombudsman, and the Commission for Public Complaints against the RCMP. She taught the Alternate Dispute Resolution (ADR) course for the Schulich School of Law.
Lisa holds a LL.M. from Dalhousie University, with a thesis focused on restorative approaches in human rights cases. She also holds a LL.B. from the University of Ottawa and a BA (hons.) in Theatre and English from Dalhousie University. She has completed numerous certificates in conflict resolution, human rights, administrative fairness and investigations.
Dr. Tanya (Toni) De Mello has a background in finance, management consulting, and law. She has spent much of her career focusing on and researching equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI). She is a human rights lawyer and a certified coach and mediator. She has taught at the University of Toronto, Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU), and several colleges. At TMU, she was the Director of Human Rights and then was the founding Assistant Dean of Students at Lincoln Alexander School of Law, Canada’s newest law school. She is currently Vice-President, Equity and Community Inclusion at TMU. She has worked with several hundred organizations in training, consulting, and supporting them in the EDI journey and is a leading EDI expert in Canada. She focuses on leadership, relationship building, conflict resolution and creating more inclusive spaces.
In addition to founding two NGOs, she has served in the United Nations High Commission for Refugees and the World Food Programme in Geneva (Switzerland), Senegal (West Africa), and Columbia (South America). She holds a dual Bachelor of Economics and Political Science from the University of Waterloo; a double Master’s in Public Policy and Urban and Regional Planning from Princeton University; a dual law degree from McGill University; and a Master of Law from Osgoode Law at York University. She completed her doctorate at the University of Toronto, where she was looking at bias in hiring in Canada.
Milé Komlen is a human rights lawyer, mediator, and workplace investigator, working primarily in the post-secondary sector. He regularly provides guidance to colleges and universities across Canada on administration practices for human rights and equity offices. He is also the Managing Director of Ethical Associates Inc., where he advises institutional clients on conflict resolution strategies and maintains a roster of diverse mediators, adjudicators, and investigators. He has also pioneered the ethical use of AI platforms in conducting investigations and adjudications for institutional clients.
He is formerly the Director of Human Rights and Equity Services at McMaster University and former Senior Advisor on Human Rights and Equity at Brock University. In his other public roles, he was the President of the Canadian Association for the Prevention of Discrimination and Harassment in Higher Education (CAPDHHE) and has served as the Chair of the Equity Advisory Group with the Law Society of Ontario. He holds a Certificate in Workplace Investigations from the Association of Workplace Investigators and an Advanced Certificate in Adjudication for Administrative Agencies, Boards, and Tribunals from Osgoode Hall Professional Development.
Nola Etkin is the Dean of Science at UPEI and is currently serving as the Special Advisor on EDI and Human Rights to the University’s VP, People and Culture. She has served on a number of national EDI committees, including the Canadian Society for Chemistry’s (CSC) Committee Working for Inclusion, Diversity, and Equity (WIDE), the Tri-agency Institutional Programs Secretariat’s Advisory Committee on Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Policy, and she chaired the Canada First Research Excellence Fund EDI Action Plan Review Committee.
Her involvement in equity work began when she was a PhD student at the University of Alberta where she was involved in the local Women in Science and Engineering group and co-chaired the campus LGBTQ group then known as Gays and Lesbians on Campus (GALOC). This involvement has continued throughout her career—she was a founding co-chair of Abegweit Rainbow Collective, which was formed to provide support and advocacy to PEI’s 2SLGBTQ+ community. She is currently a member of the UPEI Joint Equity Committee and the UPEI EDI Steering Committee. Prior to her appointment as Dean, she served as the President of the UPEI Faculty Association and has served on the Canadian Association of University Teachers (CAUT) Equity Committee. In 2016 she edited the book Making Chemistry Inclusive: Proceedings of the CSC Symposium on Equity and Diversity in Chemistry, and in 2020 she was awarded the Chemical Institute of Canada’s Chemistry Education Award, recognizing in part her contributions to EDI within chemistry education.
