Mount Royal University Changemaker Profiles
What is a changemaker?
A changemaker is someone who envisions a better world and works with others to bring that vision to life. Changemaking happens in both big and small ways. You don’t have to be a hero or a leader or a founder to be a changemaker. Changemaking is not just about what you do, but how you do it — the attention to relationships, empathy, curiosity, inclusion, humility and equity. We need to turn toward one another and co-create our future together. More than ever, the world needs more people who embody and work from these values and qualities.
Join us on October 10, 2024 at 4:00PM in the Ideas Lounge at the Riddell Library & Learning Centre to Celebrate Campus Changemakers. In 2023, Mount Royal University renewed its designation as an Ashoka Changemaker Campus. This designation highlights the university’s commitment to campus-wide changemaking activities and social innovation education. Speakers for the event will include Connie van der Byl, AVP of Research, Scholarship and Community Engagement; Lena Soots-Haley, Executive Director of the Institute for Community Prosperity; John Fischer, AVP of Office of Indigenization and Decolonization; and Dr. Natalie Meisner, Director of Changemaking. In addition, there will be an opportunity to learn about the incredible changemaking work that is being taken on by Mount Royal faculty, staff, students, and alumni.
We believe Everyone is a Changemaker. This event is open to the entire Mount Royal community, including faculty, staff, students, and alumni. We ask that anyone interested in attending please RSVP at the Eventbrite page. Food and beverages will be provided.
Learn more and register here.
Mount Royal University is designated as a Changemaker Campus by Ashoka Canada - a designation awarded to less than 50 post-secondary institutions worldwide. The Changemaker Campus designation recognizes MRU’s commitment to social and ecological justice, social innovation education, and commitment to building the capacity, skills and knowledge to launch the changemakers of tomorrow.
This year we have had the privilege of interviewing folks across campus - MRU alumni, staff, students, and faculty - all who embody the values of a changemaker. These incredible folks come from a breadth of departments and their work covers many disciplines; but these folks all embody the characteristics of a changemaker: they prioritize empathy, embrace humility, and are committed to making a positive difference.
Do you know a changemaker on campus? Please feel free to email Brit Nickerson, the Changemaker Engagement Strategist at bnickerson@mtroyal.ca to make a recommendation.
Cindy Nguyen, MRU Alumni
Bachelor of Business Administration, 2018
Majd Daqqa, MRU Student & Staff
Bachelor of Science and SCN Student Coordinator
Moussa Magassa, MRU Staff
Associate Vice-President, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion
Dr. Moussa Magassa -
“As we say back home in Senegal and specially in South Africa “Umuntu ngumuntu ngabantu” - you are a person because of other people.”
Cindy Nguyen -
“As an alumni, I think Mount Royal does a really good job with creating this culture of changemaking. Even if students are coming in without thinking about social change or their identity as a changemaker, Mount Royal does live up to that status of being an Ashoka Campus.”
Ranjan Datta, MRU Faculty
Assistant Professor, Humanities and Canada Reasearch Chair in Community Disaster Research
Haley Hartos, MRU Alumni
Bachelor of Communications, 2015
AnneMarie Dorland, MRU Faculty
Associate Professor, Marketing
“More often, institutional education is separated from land and land-based practice. So that's why the decolonial and critical anti-racist perspective became so important to me to reconnect with land and land-based spirituality. For me, decolonial education is a process of lifelong learning, unlearning, and relearning responsibilities.”
— Rajan Datta
Israel Dunmade, MRU Faculty
Professor, Earth & Environmental Sciences
Ashley Dion, MRU Alumni & Staff
Bachelor of Business Administration, 2021 and Systems Learning Lead at ICP
Hallie Vermette, MRU Student
Bachelor of Policy Studies
“Changemaking is being intentional about solving problems. It’s about taking action and active steps towards ensuring that we address social, environmental, and engineering problems that affect our environment as well as human beings.”
— Israel Dunmade
“The whole experience at Mount Royal has been very transformational. I don't think I'd be who I am today without having been a student and staff member at Mount Royal University.”
— Ashley Dion
“Changemaking is about really intentional collaboration. When I say this, I mean, having conversations with as many people as we can to try and understand the issues, and how to make things better for as many people as we can.”
— Hallie Vermette
Felix Nwaishi, MRU Faculty
Associate Professor, Earth & Environmental Sciences
Vicki Bouvier, MRU Faculty
Associate Professor, Humanities