Please join me in congratulating Irfan Chaudhry on his new appointment as the inaugural Vice-President, Diversity and Inclusion at Hockey Canada, effective April 12, 2023.

Over the past 12 years at MacEwan, Irfan has contributed significantly to building a diverse and inclusive environment for students, staff and faculty, with a demonstrated commitment to community safety and community inclusion. Irfan is an exceptional EDI leader and advocate, an experienced hate crimes researcher, and he has taught undergraduate courses in sociology, criminology, and race and ethnicity in Canada during his time at MacEwan. Since becoming Director in 2018, Irfan has been a key leader in the growth and development of the university’s Office of Human Rights, Diversity and Equity (OHRDE) and the Office of Sexual Violence Prevention, Education and Response (OSVPER). He has also played a crucial role in accelerating change, at an institutional level, through the work of the EDI Accelerator Team in providing advice to the administrative and academic governance bodies of the university and developing the university’s EDI Action Plan. Moreover, Irfan has made some key contributions to the broader community through his work on the Alberta Hate Crimes Committee, Edmonton Police Commission, and his involvement in addressing racism and discrimination in sport through Grow the Game.

I know that Irfan has nurtured deep connections and relationships across the university and will be missed greatly as he pursues this exciting new opportunity with Hockey Canada. Though he and his family will remain in Edmonton, we will say farewell to Irfan on his last official day at MacEwan on March 31. We will be following up and engaging with the OHRDE and OSVPER over the next several weeks to navigate this period of transition.

Dr. Annette Trimbee

President and Vice-Chancellor

Originally distributed by GlobalMail on March 20