October 8, 2026

OCAD U welcomes new Board members

Photo of man with glasses wearing white shirt and blue blazer
Christopher Dachuna is the newest external member of the Board, appointed by the Government of Ontario.

OCAD University’s Board of Governors has five new members, including external Board member Christopher Dacunha appointed by the Government of Ontario for a three-year term and four internal members, which include two student representatives, and two faculty members appointed by Senate.

In September 2026, two new student representatives joined the Board for two-year terms: Izzah Dar, who was acclaimed as the undergraduate student representative and Yaser Ibrahim, who was acclaimed as the graduate student representative. 

Two representatives from Senate have been appointed to the Board for a two-year term: Associate Professor Kate Hartman and Associate Professor Dr. Helmut Reichenbächer.

OCAD U’s 28-member Board of Governors is responsible for governing the affairs of the University, including approving the budget and establishing policies and institutional priorities. Its members include 18 external members, which include six appointees from the Government of Ontario, 10 elected by the Board and two elected by the OCAD U Alumni Association.

The remaining 10 members are drawn from the OCAD U internal community, including three faculty members who are appointed by Senate, two staff members elected by permanent managers and staff, respectively, and three students (two undergraduate and one graduate). The President and Chancellor are ex-officio members of the Board.
 

MEET THE NEW BOARD MEMBERS

EXTERNAL MEMBER, APPOINTED BY THE GOVERNMENT OF ONTARIO

CHRISTOPHER DACUNHA
Three-year term: July 30, 2026 to July 29, 2029
 

Christopher Dacunha is an executive leader with more than a decade of experience in strategic communications, government relations, public policy, stakeholder engagement, and reputation management. He has advised CEOs, Ministers, and Boards on complex, high-profile issues and has led major strategic, policy, and communications initiatives across government and healthcare.

He is currently director of Strategy, Corporate Communications & Engagement at Michael Garron Hospital, where he leads strategic planning, executive communications, stakeholder engagement, and reputation management. Previously, he held senior leadership roles in the Ontario government, including executive director of Policy in the Office of the Deputy Premier and Minister of Health and deputy chief of staff and director of Policy in the Office of the Solicitor General. His work has included major health, public safety, legislative, and policy initiatives.

He holds an Honours Bachelor of Arts in Political Science, Philosophy and History from the University of Toronto.

INTERNAL MEMBERS

Photo of Izzah Dar

 

IZZAH DAR
Undergraduate Student Representative
Two-year term: October 2026 to June 30, 2028

Izzah Dar is an undergraduate student in OCAD U’s Environmental Design program. Her work explores how design can create inclusive, accessible, and meaningful spaces that support community, connection, and belonging.

She is passionate about creating a university environment where students feel heard, represented, and supported throughout their academic experience.

She is actively involved in the OCAD U community and currently serve as the fourth-year student representative for the Rendered ED Club. Through her involvement in student initiatives and academic projects, she has developed a strong interest in student advocacy and collaborative leadership.

As an Undergraduate Student Representative on the Board of Governors, she hopes to bring forward student perspectives and contribute to decisions that positively shape the OCAD U community and student experience.

Photo of Yaser Ibrahim

 

YASER IBRAHIM
Graduate Student Representative
Two-year term: October 2026 to June 30, 2028

Yaser Ibrahim is pursuing a Master of Design in Strategic Foresight & Innovation and also serves as the president of OCAD U’s Almeda Collective, which supports Black student flourishing at the University.

Ibrahim investigates the systemic, ethical, and cultural implications of emerging technologies, with a focus on responsible AI governance.

His work bridges high-level institutional strategy with community-grounded practice, translating complex systems theory into equitable policy, operational accountability, and resilient organizational oversight.

Photo of Kate Hartman

 

KATE HARTMAN
Faculty Member, Senate Appointment
Two-year term: September 2026 to June 30, 2028

Kate Hartman is an associate professor and founding director of Social Body Lab, a research and development team dedicated to exploring body-centric technologies in the social context, at OCAD U. She is also an adjunct instructor and director of ITP Camp at the Interactive Telecommunications Program at New York University. 

She is the author of the book, Make: Wearable Electronics, was an artist‐in‐residence at Autodesk’s Pier 9, and has work included in the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art in New York. 

Hartman is interested in people and the nuances and awkward bits of their social interactions. Her research and practice sit at the intersection of physical computing, participatory art, design research, and human-computer interaction.

Through the use of wearable technologies, electronic textiles, and digital fabrication techniques she explores new possibilities for expressive, tactile, and embodied interactions.

Photo of Helmut Reichenbächer

 

DR. HELMUT REICHENBÄCHER
Faculty Member, Senate Appointment 
Two-year term, September 2026 to June 30, 2028   

Dr. Helmut Reichenbächer is an associate professor in the Faculty of Arts and Sciences at OCAD U and director of the Digital Humanities and Music-Theatre Research Lab. From 2010 to 2016, he served as dean of Graduate Studies and Associate Vice President, Research, where he advanced OCAD U’s research capacity and strengthened its graduate education mandate. He is also a Senior Fellow at Massey College in the University of Toronto.

A scholar of music theatre, cultural history, and digital humanities, Dr. Reichenbächer’s research, supported by multiple Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council grants, examines shifts in music‑theatre programming from the Weimar Republic to the Third Reich, integrating methodologies from digital humanities, musicology, theatre studies, and archival research.

His recent article, “From Dreams to Nightmares: The Nazi Suppression of Mendelssohn’s Incidental Music to A Midsummer Night’s Dream” in the Journal of the American Musicological Society, has been nominated for the American Musicological Society’s 2026 H. Colin Slim Award. His broader scholarship appears in University of Toronto Quarterly, Opera Quarterly, Essays in Theatre, and The Oxford Companion to Music.

At OCAD U, Dr. Reichenbächer teaches courses in cultural history, popular culture, and theatre. Beyond his academic work, he is an avid supporter of live performance, with interests spanning theatre, opera, and dance.

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