By Leva Lee and Gwen Nguyen, Advisors, Learning + Teaching
BCcampus is excited to announce the launch of the 2025-2027 Research Fellows cohort. Our next group of Fellows, who started their fellowships in September 2025, will explore a wide range of topics, including pedagogical innovation, student well-being and agency, equity, sustainability, and decolonial and Indigenous-led learning.
The cohort includes:
- Darryn DiFrancesco, University of Northern British Columbia — The Art of Death: Graphic Memoirs as Pedagogical Tools in Nursing Education
- Sophia Jaworski, Capilano University — Reshaping Anthropology: Indigenous-Led Teaching Modules for Decolonial Learning in B.C.
- Glory Ovie and Joann Anokwuru, University of British Columbia — Exploring Black International Graduate Students’ Development of Learner Agency
- Harroop Sharda, British Coulmbia Institute of Technology — Flourishing in Formation: A Mixed Methods Study of Self-Care in Undergraduate Nursing Education
- Christine Webster, University of Victoria — Exploring Pathways for Mobilizing Nuu-chah-nulth Leadership Knowledge in Higher Education
- Alison Yakusawa, Emily Carr University of Art + Design — Critical Critique Praxis: Co-Creating Student-Centered Feedback Methods for Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Accessibility in the Art and Design Classroom
As part of the review process, we continued to engage scholars from our sector to advise us in selecting the next cohort of Fellows. The thoughtful expertise of Elle Ting, Heather Saranczak, and Afsaneh Sharif added invaluable depth and perspective to our selection process. We would like to thank them for their continued contribution to the program, and we are delighted to shine a light on them and their research work:
Elle Ting, PhD, is the Research and Projects Officer for the British Columbia Council on Admissions & Transfer (BCCAT). A recovering English instructor, she has also worked in roles supporting curriculum design, academic governance, and research ethics. Her engagement with diverse projects, ideas, and organizations complements her zeal for meaningful knowledge mobilization. Elle’s non-academic interests include eating, The Simpsons, and terrible wordplay.
Heather Saranczak (Simpson), MA, is a Program Manager – Specialized Caregiver Homes | Adult Services with PLEA Community Services and a former member of the 2021–2022 BCcampus Research Fellows cohort. Her project, Thrivival: The Fire Within—Forming Strong Cultural Identities in an Intersecting Space of Indigeneity and Autism, explores the complexities of identity formation at this intersection, advancing equity-driven and neuroaffirming approaches to education and community care. This work has been published in AlterNative: An International Journal of Indigenous Peoples (2021, 2023), and she presented the research as a speaker for BCcampus, the Disability Resource Network of BC for Post Secondary Education, and the Global and Regional Autism Spectrum Partnership. As a human services leader with over 20 years of experience in education, health, and social services, specializing in cultural safety, trauma-informed practice, and inclusive system transformation, Heather strives to share education and build safer spaces where cultural knowledge, lived experience, and systemic change lead to sustainable, improved outcomes for all our relations.
Afsaneh Sharif, PhD, is a Senior Project Manager and Faculty Liaison at UBC’s Centre for Teaching, Learning and Technology (CTLT). Her work focuses on advancing Universal Design for Learning (UDL), accessibility, and the ethical use of generative AI in higher education. With expertise in instructional design, research, and the integration of educational technologies, Afsaneh supports faculty in re-imagining assessment, course design, and student engagement. She co-chairs the BC Digital Learning Advisory Committee (DLAC) and leads the UDL Fellows Program, fostering inclusive and innovative teaching practices across disciplines. Drawing on more than 25 years of experience in educational leadership and project management, she is dedicated to creating equitable, research-informed, and technology-enabled learning environments.
As we eagerly anticipate the diverse explorations of our 2025-2027 Research Fellows, we extend our appreciation to everyone who has contributed to the program’s success. The collective efforts and passion for advancing education showcased over the course of these seven years inspire confidence in the continued growth and positive influence of the BCcampus Research Fellows Program.