Adjudicators

Sheryl Armstrong

Councillor Armstrong served 35 years with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and became a City Councillor in 2017. She was born and raised in Saskatchewan but since joining the RCMP has lived in different parts of British Columbia including two postings in Nanaimo. She chose to retire here, because not only her parents lived here but also in her opinion, it is the best place in Canada for many reasons.

Councillor Armstrong's experience includes strategic planning and training in conflict mediation and resolution. While employed with the Force/ she was awarded the Queen's Jubilee medal for community service as well as the Commanding Officer's commendation for her work with the First Nations communities she has served. The Tsleil Waututh Nation in North Vancouver honoured her with a naming ceremony where she was given a First Nations name. Upon returning to Nanaimo in 2010, she was the non-commissioned officer in charge of Community Policing where she worked with many organizations and communities/ which gave her a better understanding of many issues facing Nanaimo. Councillor Armstrong was first elected to Nanaimo City Council in a by-election in July 2017 and re-elected again in 2018 for a 4-year term.

Harlan Pruden

Harlan Pruden (nēhiyo/First Nations Cree Nation), works with and for the Two-Spirit community locally, nationally and internationally. Currently, Harlan is Knowledge Translation Lead at Chee Mamuk, an Indigenous health program at British Columbia Centre for Disease Control and is also a co-founder of the Two-Spirit Dry Lab, Turtle Island's first research group/lab that exclusively focuses on Two-Spirit people, communities and/or experiences. Harlan is also the Managing Editor of the Two Spirit Journal and an Advisory Member for the Canadian Institutes of Health Research’s Institute of Gender and Health. Before relocating to Vancouver in 2015, Harlan was co-founder and a Director of NYC community based organization, the NorthEast Two-Spirit Society and was a President Obama appointee to the US Presidential Advisory Council on HIV/AIDS (PACHA) and provided advice, information, and recommendations to the Secretary of Health and Human Services and the White House. (In December 2018, Harlan was (happily) fired/dismissed from PACHA by Mr. Trump via Fedex.)

Carol Stuart

Dr. Stuart is VIU's Provost and Vice-President Academic. She holds degrees from Queen’s University (BPHE Physical and Health Education and BA Psychology); the University of Alberta (MEd Counselling Psychology); and the University of Victoria (PhD in Psychological Foundations). She has dedicated her career to working in higher education, having been with VIU since 2011 as Dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences and Human Services before taking on the role of Associate Vice-President, Academic. Previously, she held academic appointments at MacEwan University, the University of Victoria and at Ryerson University. She has an extensive background in human services, with particular interest in the concerns and challenges of young people and Indigenous peoples; and has maintained an active research agenda focused on applied, community-engaged research which enhances service quality and the personal, relational approach to change.  When not working Carol can be found on the water paddling, or in the forest camping or running the trails.

Irlanda Price

Irlanda is VIU's Associate Vice-President, Student Affairs. As the chief student affairs officer for the University, Price holds the responsibility for managing programs and services that enhance student health and wellness to support student engagement, retention, and success. Irlanda received her Master’s degree in Social Work with a focus on Rural, Remote Leadership and her Bachelor’s degree in Social Work from the University of Northern British Columbia. Prior to coming to VIU, Irlanda served as Associate Vice-President of Student Development at Medicine Hat College in Medicine Hat, Alberta, and she also worked at Coast Mountain College (formerly Northwest Community College) in Terrace and Kitimat/Kitamaat where her roles included Educational Advisor, Campus Manager and Manager of Student Development. A trained social worker, Price has led several major campus initiatives resulting in improved access for under-represented and diverse groups. These initiatives include a Strategic Enrolment Management plan, the creation of the Indigenous Student Support Centre and establishing several bursaries to increase student retention.