More speaker profiles will be posted as they confirm their schedules. Stay tuned.

LINDA HAWKINS

Co-founder of the Institute for Community Engaged Scholarship at the University of Guelph

Linda Hawkins is the co-founder of the Institute for Community Engaged Scholarship at the University of Guelph, which builds capacity for engagement among community, faculty and students.

Linda is known for creating deep linkages between the academy and community benefit organizations through the Research Shop – an innovative interdisciplinary response that operates around and between university and community silos. Her knowledge brokering fits in the context of designing and facilitating community-university partnerships around the complex issues of civil society.

Linda was previously executive director of the Centre for Families, Work and Well-being, a highly successful centre attracting 2 community-university research alliances focusing on issues around gender work and care (father involvement and rural women’s livelihoods).

She currently serves as part of the national team for a collaboration of 8 Canadian universities and Community Campus Partnerships for Health focusing on building rewards and development opportunities for engaged scholars.

PETER LEVESQUE

President & CEO, Knowledge Mobilization Works

Peter is based in Ottawa, Canada. He has been described as the “godfather” of knowledge mobilization. His practice is focused on serving clients and building capacity in Canada, the USA, and the EU.  Peter has over twelve years of experience working with governments, research institutes, and professional associations on issues of knowledge mobilization, including exchange, management, social media, transfer and translation.

His career has included serving as Deputy-Director of Knowledge Products and Mobilization at the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada, as Knowledge Exchange Specialist at the Provincial Centre of Excellence for Child and Youth Mental Health at the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario, and as Chair of KMb at Ontario Neurotrauma Foundation.  His early career included success as an entrepreneur and community developer.

He holds a MA in Sociology and is all but dissertation for a PhD in Population Health from the University of Ottawa.

Dr. DAVID PHIPPS

Director, Office of Research Services, York University

Dr. Phipps is the Director of Research Services and Knowledge Exchange at York University where he manages all research grants and contracts including and knowledge and technology transfer.

Dr. Phipps authored the first grant offered by the tri-council Intellectual Property Mobilization program funding knowledge mobilization in partnership with the University of Victoria to build the infrastructure for a KM network.  He also authored York’s Knowledge Impact in Society grant piloting local KM operations.

As Principal Investigator on these 2 grants funding York’s knowledge mobilization activities Dr. Phipps is leading York’s Knowledge Mobilization Unit that provides services to researchers, community organizations and government agencies who wish to use policy and practice related research to inform public policy and social programming.  Dr. Phipps has also been awarded a SSHRC grant to evaluate the utility of research summaries to communicate the outcomes of social sciences and humanities research to research users.

DARYL ROCK

Chairman, World Accessibility Enterprises, Inc & Former Chairman, Rick Hansen Institute

He is a recognized expert in social development, disability rights, knowledge mobilization, research funding and policy development and has presented at workshops and as a keynote speaker throughout North America. His work has been profiled in the Wall Street Journal and Forbes Magazine.

Daryl retired from the Federal Public Service in the fall of 2008 where he spent the majority of his career working in the areas of research and development and social policy. He subsequently held the positions of Associate Director of Knowledge Exchange at the Canadian Council on Learning and Director of Strategic Programs at the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council. In 2000 he wrote the book Making a Difference, profiling several Canadians who had made a significant contribution to their community.

In addition to his corporate responsibilities, Daryl has participated on several boards of directors including Chair of the Ontario Neurotrauma Foundation, an applied research organization addressing Spinal Cord Injury and acquired brain injury health and quality of life issues and Chair of Freedom at Depth Canada, a scuba training organization.

He holds a Masters degree in Public Administration, and a BA in political science both from Carleton University as well as a CEGEP certificate in engineering from College Militaire Royale de St. Jean.

MICHAEL TAMBLYN

EVP Content, Sales & Merchandising, Kobo Inc.

At Kobo Michael is responsible for sales, publisher and industry relations, content acquisition, and the merchandising experience across all of Kobo’s web and mobile services. He co-founded Canada’s first online bookstore Bookshelf.ca, which was purchased by Indigo Books & Music in 1998, where he served as vice president of online operations. Most recently, Michael was the founding CEO of the supply chain agency BookNet Canada, where he launched the national sales reporting service BNC SalesData and authored the publishing technology call-to-arms, “Six Projects That Could Change Publishing for the Better.”

Michael has a Masters in Business Administration from University of Western Ontario.