Dean’s Community Engagement Series
Join Dr. Jan Hare, Dean and Professor, Canada Research Chair (Tier 1), Indigenous Pedagogy, for the fifth annual speaker series putting a spotlight on important questions and significant priorities that are engaging educators today.
This virtual session will feature Lee Gunderson (University of British Columbia), Maria Yioldassis (SD 45 West Van), Caz Davidson (SD 43 Coquitlam), Ann Stewart Hunter (SD 39 Vancouver), Janis Sawatzky (SD 35 Langley) and Katerina Vakakis (SD 41 Burnaby).
Event Details
Format: Online via Zoom
Time: 4:30-6:00pm PT
Date: March 5, 2026
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Learn more about the 2026 Dean’s Community Engagement Series
About our Guest Speakers
About Caz Davidson
Caz Davidson is an experienced educator and leader in English Language Learning with over 30 years of service in education. Her career spans roles as a secondary English, ELL, and Drama teacher, and she currently serves as the district ELL Coordinator for School District 43 in Coquitlam.
With formal training in Arts and Education and advanced graduate studies in English Language Learning, she brings a robust scholarly foundation to her work. Caz possesses extensive expertise in language acquisition and instructional methodology. She is passionate about the English language—its history, structure, nuances (and silliness)—and is committed to fostering linguistic competence and confidence in diverse learners.
As a member of the B.C. ELL Audit Advisory Committee, Caz contributes to provincial initiatives that support equitable and effective language learning practices.
Her hopes are that her work empowers students with opportunities to access global opportunities in communication, business, and higher education, ensuring they thrive in an interconnected world.
About Lee Gunderson
Lee Gunderson (Ph.D., Berkeley) is a Professor in the Department of Language and Literacy Education at the University of British Columbia where he teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in second language reading, language acquisition, literacy acquisition, and teacher education. He has served as a pre-school teacher, a primary-level elementary teacher, a reading specialist in a Spanish-English Bilingual elementary school, a teacher of primary gifted students, a primary learning disabilities teacher, a principal, and a vice-principal in two Cantonese-English bilingual schools. At UBC he has served as Head of the Language and Literacy Education Department and the Department of Educational and Counselling Psychology and Special Education. He received the David Russell Award for Research, the Killam Teaching Prize at the University of British Columbia and the Kingston Prize for contributions to the National Reading Conference. In 2008 he was granted the British Columbia Deans of Education Media Contributor of the Year Award and in 2009 he received the UBC President's Award for Education through the Media and the BC TEAL Lifetime Contributors Award and in 2010 an Honorary Life Membership in the Learning Disabilities Association of Vancouver. He was President of the Lower Mainland Council of the International Reading Association (LOMCIRA). He served as Publications Chair for IRA, NRC secretary from 1991 to 2000, vice-president elect, conference chair, and NRC president and Past-President from 2000 to 2004 (now Literacy Research Association). In 2008 he founded the BC ESL Assessment Consortium (www.eslassess.ca) that includes participants from 12 local school districts. Consortium members have developed 4 secondary-, 3 elementary-, and 3 primary-level reading assessments. He has designed norming studies for each of these assessments and an oral English (ESL) assessment for the Consortium.
About Janis Sawatzky
Biography will be available soon.
About Ann Stewart Hunter
Ann Stewart Hunter has over thirty years of experience working as a classroom teacher and English Language Learners (ELL) specialist with both elementary and secondary students. In her current role as District ELL Resource Teacher, for the Vancouver School District, she supports teacher colleagues in developing and advancing their professional practice working with English Language Learners from K-12. At the provincial level, she contributed to the development of the BC Ministry ELL Standards and the My Education BC Annual Instructional Plan. Ann draws upon her graduate studies at UBC, in Language and Literacy Education and Educational Administration and Leadership, in her district work.
Ann has been very active in professional development giving numerous presentations on instructional strategies as well as tools and techniques at local schools, district, provincial, and international conferences and has also served as a guest speaker for teacher candidates at UBC through the Faculty of Education, Department of Language and Literacy. She has supported K-12 educators as a certified teacher trainer in SIOP (Sheltered Instruction Observation Protocol).
Ann is also a member of the ESL Assessment Consortium and is honoured to be joining the panel to discuss the members’ work in the UBC Dean’s Community Engagement Series.
About Katerina Vakakis
Katerina Vakakis is the Program Consultant for English Language Learners and Learning Lead for Staff Development in the Burnaby School District, where she facilitates district-wide work in equitable, research-informed ELL programming. She supports in-service educators in strengthening inclusive, linguistically and culturally responsive practices, and has contributed to teacher preparation as an adjunct professor in UBC’s Faculty of Education. With over 23 years of public-school teaching experience—and lived experience as an English learner—her work is grounded in classroom practice, graduate studies in Language and Literacy Education (UBC), along with professional training in Systemic Functional Linguistics, the SIOP Model, and Universal Design for Learning in service of newcomer and ELL students.
About Maria Yioldassis
Maria Yioldassis is the District ELL Coordinator for West Vancouver Schools, where she leads the development of English Language Learning guidelines, policies, and pedagogy. With more than 30 years of teaching experience, she brings extensive expertise in language acquisition, literacy, and assessment, supported by graduate studies at the University of British Columbia (UBC), where she is a proud alumna.
She continues to contribute to UBC as a guest lecturer for teacher candidates and through collaborative projects within the Faculty of Education through the Department of Language and Literacy. Her work has also extended to provincial initiatives, including participation in Ministry of Education working groups for the development of the ELL Standards and the My Education Annual Instructional Plan. As a certified SIOP (Sheltered Instruction Observation Protocol) teacher trainer, Maria empowers educators to design lessons that integrate language and content instruction, creating more accessible learning experiences for English Language Learners (ELLs) and all students.
In her current role, Maria provides professional learning opportunities and support for both ELL and classroom teachers. She is deeply committed to fostering equitable and inclusive learning environments that empower all students to thrive.
