OCAD University’s Board of Governors welcomed three new members at its October 2 meeting: Luciana Gomes Da Silva, Ernesto Ramirez and b.h. Yael. Heather Robson has also been elected for another term.
Meet the new board members
Luciana Gomes Da Silva
Luciana Gomes Da Silva is a third-year Digital Futures student, elected to the Board by the undergraduate student body. Her studies focus on animation and interactive design, reflecting her passion for fine arts and design. During her first year as an international student, she could empathize and provide support to many international students who had questions and issues; voicing their concerns to the faculty. Possessing a personal trait in leadership, she fosters responsibility and proactivity among teams.
Ernesto Ramirez
Ernesto Ramirez is a current Industrial Design student at OCAD U. He was elected to the Board by the undergraduate student body. Ramirez implements practices in design strategy and service design, product design, visual design and usability to his work. His upbringing and various travels have given him the opportunity to be immersed in different cultures. His interest in the betterment of his university has led him to serve on OCAD U’s Board of Governors, where he takes an active role in the institution’s decision making. Ramirez has been part of various research projects, such as StudentMoveTO, WebXR and DESIGNwith. He has also participated in exhibitions during DesignTO and Berlin Design Week.
b.h. Yael
Appointed by the Senate, b.h. Yael is a Toronto-based filmmaker and installation artist. She is Professor of Integrated Media at OCAD University, past Chair of Senate, and past Assistant Dean. Currently, Yael is Interim Chair of Integrated Media, Sculpture Installation and LIFE. Yael also teaches in the Art & Social Change Minor and has programmed arts lectures and media screenings including Art Creates Change. In 2021 she was Visiting Scholar at Massey College, University of Toronto.
Yael’s work has been exhibited nationally and internationally and has been shown in various settings, from festivals to galleries to community and activist groups, as well as at various educational venues. Her work has been purchased by many universities and she is a recipient of numerous arts grants including the Chalmers Fellowship award. Yael's films and installations have dealt with the many intersections of identity and family; it has focused on activist initiatives in Palestine/Israel, as well as apocalypse, geopolitical and environmental urgencies. Yael is currently working on two projects, Letter to my Tribe and Hirsute Pursuit, both funded by the Canada Council for the Arts.
A book about her work, Family States, released in 2021, edited by Mike Hoolboom and published by ConverSalon is available for download at bhyael.ca. Her films are distributed by Vtape and a collection of them stream online through Cinema Politica.
Returning - Heather Robson
Heather Robson is the director of Research Services at OCAD U. She has been re-elected to the Board by managers and staff. A proud OCAD U graduate, Robson has more than 10 years of experience in research administration and project management in the post-secondary education sector. An effective grants and awards facilitator with a passion for supporting arts and culture, she is a trusted relationship builder and advocate for creative thinkers, artists and designers. Prior to taking on the role of director, Research Services, Robson held administrative positions at OCAD U, York University, the Department of Canadian Heritage and the Ontario Arts Council.
Thank you to outgoing board members!
OCAD U thanks outgoing board members for their service on the Board of Governors. All strong advocates for the University and its students, these members served on the board until June 12, 2023: Leanna Barwick, Simone Jones, Mehnaz Lamia and Colleen McLeery.
Leanna Barwick
OCAD U thanks outgoing board member Leanna Barwick for her service on the Board of Governors since October 2021. Barwick is a multidisciplinary creative practitioner and fourth-year undergraduate student in the Digital Futures program who was elected to serve a two-year term.
Simone Jones
OCAD U thanks outgoing board member Simone Jones, who is a past Senate Chair, and an associate professor in the Faculty of Art. She was elected to the Board by faculty and appointed by the Senate, and her term began on July 1, 2019. Jones’s work has been exhibited at national and international venues, she has also served on the boards of InterAccess Electronic Media Centre and the Liaison of Independent Filmmakers of Toronto (LIFT) and is a currently serving on the board of Charles Street Video.
Mehnaz Lamia
Mehnaz Lamia is a third-year undergraduate student in the Creative Writing Program and the first international student to be elected to serve a two-year term on the Board, since October 2021. She is also the director of Academic Affairs at the OCAD Student Union and a former student Senator representing the Faculty of Arts and Sciences. Since joining OCAD U, she has been engaged in community work, advocating for the student body. She believes in the power of student voices and their power to shape the University for the better. OCAD U thanks Mehnaz for her service on the Board.
Colleen McLeery
OCAD U thanks outgoing board member Colleen McLeery, who was appointed to the Board by the Government of Ontario. McLeery, whose term began on May 9, 2019, is a management consultant with experience in the public and private sector conducting strategic planning and reengineering assignments, has worked in high tech, directing Marketing and Communications for an optical component and a VPN product developer, and in manufacturing, in management for detergent processing, for Procter and Gamble. She has been an active volunteer with the Izaak Walton Killam Hospital for Children, the Toronto Hospital for Sick Children and as a ski instructor for the visually impaired. She has also coached girls in the Kanata Community Soccer League.
About the Board of Governors
The 28-member OCAD U Board of Governors is responsible for governing and managing the affairs of the University, including approving the budget and establishing policies and institutional priorities.
The Board’s 18 external members include six appointees from the Government of Ontario, 10 elected by the Board and two elected by the OCAD U Alumni Association.
The remaining eight members are drawn from the OCAD U internal community, including three faculty members who are cross appointed by Senate; one staff and manager who are elected from their respective constituencies; and three students (two undergraduate and one graduate). The President and Chancellor are ex-officio members of the Board.
The Board meets five times per academic year.