Leadership and Staff

Andrea Herrera

Senior Program Assistant
Andrea (she/her) is our working on a variety of projects for CIS. Her family is originally from Chile but she was born and raised in Edmonton, AB, making her the first in her family to have been born in Canada.

Bernard Perley

Director of CIS & Associate Professor
Bernard C. Perley is Maliseet from Tobique First Nation, New Brunswick. He holds Bachelor of Fine Arts (studio arts) and Master of Architecture (architectural design) degrees from the University of Texas, Austin. His PhD is in Social Anthropology from Harvard. His academic training is interdisciplinary and aims to transcend disciplinary boundaries to serve his commitment to Indigenous community-based research and advocacy.

Connie Wintels

Administrator
Connie Wintels is the Administrator of the Institute for Critical Indigenous Studies (CIS) and is responsible for the daily operation of the Institute.

Dante Cerron

CEDaR Lab Supervisor
Dante is a software engineer by trade with a focus on emerging media. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science from UBC, and is passionate about user centered design and computer graphics. He aims to use his knowledge to facilitate the pursuit of software projects at and beyond the University though the CEDaR space.

Davison Donnelly

Outreach and Engagement Specialist
Davison (he/him) is the Outreach and Engagement Specialist at the Institute for Critical Indigenous Studies. Davison grew up in Vancouver and is a member of the Métis Nation of British Columbia. He previously enjoyed working closely with UBC Indigenous communities at the First Nations House of Learning on the Vancouver campus.

Jade Wang

(On leave)
Student Programs Coordinator
Jade coordinates the student programs at the Institute of Critical Indigenous Studies (CIS). She holds a Master’s degree in art history from UBC with research interests in Canadian institutional policies towards ethnic and Indigenous populations.

Jalen Faddick

Work Learn Program Outreach Project Assistant
Jalen (He/Him/His) is an undergraduate student studying sociology and urban studies. He grew up as a settler on the traditional land of the Cheyenne, Arapaho, and Ute.

Jennifer Esmeria

(On leave)
Administrative Assistant
Jennifer is the Administrative assistant and assistant to the Director for the Institute for Critical Indigenous Studies. Jennifer was raised on sq̓əc̓iy̓aɁɬ təməxʷ (Katzie) and S’ólh Téméxw (Stó:lō) territory and is of mixed European and Metis ancestry.

Josh McKenna

Communications Assistant
Josh (he/him) works as the Communications Assistant with CIS. He is Métis with Cree and Anishinaabe ancestry on his mother’s side and European on his father’s side. He holds a Bachelor's Degree from UBC in Media Studies with a Minor in First Nations & Indigenous Studies and is currently working on his Master’s Degree in Interdisciplinary Studies.

Mariana Mota

Communications Assistant
Mariana (she/her) is a third year undergraduate student studying Cognitive Systems in the Faculty of Arts. She is originally from Portugal and has been living in Vancouver for the past three years.