Meet our Researchers

Professor, Applied Research Technician

Ryan Billinger is a Professor and Principal Investigator working within George Brown College’s Product Development Exchange (PDx), an interdisciplinary design, prototyping and assessment facility for industry experimental development of new products through iterative and rapid prototyping. Ryan Billinger has been a Professor of Mechanical Engineering Technology – Design in George Brown College’s (GBC) Centre for Construction and Engineering Technologies since 2017. As a George Brown College graduate (2015), Mr. Billinger has been working on various research projects since 2013, when he was first employed by the Research and Innovation Department. In addition to Graduating from George Brown College, he completed his third-year capstone project at the University of Toronto, where he teamed up with two University of Toronto students to design and manufacture a fully function four-stroke engine. The engine was later used in an ultra fuel-efficient vehicle that competed at the Shell Eco-Marathon in Houston, Texas winning First Place (3421 MPG).

Areas of Expertise:
Electrical Design, Product Development, PCB Schematics and Layout, CNC Machining, CAM Programming, Data Acquisition and Analysis

Professor

John Caffery is a multidisciplinary artist and community worker who engages art in social change and works on creative responses to oppression. His 20-year career began on the stages of Vaseline, the legendary party thrown by Will Munro where he performed as a dancer. As a founding member of artist collective Kids on TV, he toured internationally, produced film and video, as well as published recordings. John has done project-based work with the Art Gallery of York University, Art Gallery of Ontario, National Arts Centre, and Harbourfront Centre. In 2016, John was selected to be part of the Cultural Leaders Lab, created by the Toronto Arts Council and The Banff Centre to enhance leadership capacity in Toronto’s arts and culture sectors. John worked at Supporting Our Youth (SOY) based out of the Sherbourne Health Centre for eight years. There he designed and coordinated the program HEAT (Human Rights Equity Access Team) to engage 2SLGBTQ youth using arts-based methods to develop skills and opportunities that empower them to be active citizens and advocates for social justice. A toolkit and resource guide created by members of Two-Spirit, Trans and Queer communities called Inside The Kaleidoscope was compiled by Kim Katrin Milan, Kusha Dadui, and John, and was published by Artreach. John acquired a Master’s Degree in Environmental Studies focused on arts-based social justice education from York University. As part of the requirements for completion, he coordinated a community-based project with youth to create an activist poster series titled Hall of Justice. In 2017, John became a professor at George Brown College teaching in the Community Worker program.

Areas of Expertise:
Community Development, Arts-Based Social Justice Education, Project Management, Event Planning, Public Speaking

Academic Credentials:
Masters in Environmental Studies (MES) from York University

Professor, Centre for Business

Dr. Jon Callegher is a professor and researcher in the School of Marketing. He has a Ph.D. in sociology from the University of Waterloo. As a project director, he has led research collaborations for a combined $750,000 in federal and provincial research grants, including two 3-year SSHRC-CCSIF partnership awards. Jon is the author of Pearson Canada’s new standard university and college Marketing Research textbook. He has appeared on radio, TV, and at conferences internationally, speaking about work, generational differences, and marketing.

Academic History:
Ph.D., Sociology, University of Waterloo, 2013 M.A, Sociology, University of Windsor, 2006 B.A. Hons, Sociology, University of Windsor 2004

Areas of Expertise:
Marketing Research, Generational Research, Employment Research, Skilled Trades

Professor, Technologist, Principal Investigator, Research Asst.

John-Allan Ellingson, B.Eng., has since 2017 worked in George Brown College’s Product Development Exchange (PDx), an interdisciplinary design, prototyping and assessment facility for industry experimental development of new products through iterative and rapid prototyping. Since 2007, PDx teams have delivered over 91 prototyping solutions to partners across multiple sectors, not only aiding them to develop fully validated prototypes ready for downstream manufacturing but also assisting them to integrate product design and development into their business models and develop the partnerships required to support full-scale manufacturing and commercialization.

John-Allan has been a Professor in the School of Mechanical Engineering Technology since 2018, teaching courses in the Mechanical and Electromechanical Engineering Technician and Technologist programs. His work as a researcher supports the culture of innovation at GBC and creates new avenues for industry-focused teaching, as well as employment and mentorship for student researchers. He has a Bachelor of Engineering (Mechanical) from Lakehead University.

Areas of Expertise:
Design, Prototyping, CNC, Mechanical Engineering, Electronics, Programming

Griffin Epstein is a professor in the School of Social and Community Services who has been engaged in community organizing and front-line social service provision since 2005. Griffin’s activist work began as a founding member of both the Icarus Project’s peer support model at New York City’s Fountain House, and Toronto’s Disability Action Movement Now (DAMN). Prior to joining the Social Service Worker team, Griffin developed and delivered curriculum for the Toronto Hostels Training Centre, and provided strategic planning assistance and training programs at various Toronto agencies. Griffin’s doctoral work at the University of Toronto utilized community-based research to explore the relationship between white supremacy, colonial violence and urban change in the context of social service work. Griffin also holds an MA in Curriculum, Teaching and Learning and a BA in Gender and Sexuality Studies.

Project Spotlight:
Educating for Peer Support Work (EPSW)

Areas of Expertise:
Peer Support Work in Social and Community Services, Critical Perspectives on Mental Health, Harm Reduction

Professor, Health Sciences

Taras has been a professor at George Brown College since 2002 after a 12-year career teaching mathematics in the Toronto District School Board. He teaches courses in mathematics, statistics, and research methods to students in the Health Science Division. Taras’ research has been focused on improving mathematics and statistics education for non-mathematicians, but he has also supported research in Inter-professional Education and other health sciences education research formally and informally. As part of larger research projects, Taras has led a team that evaluated the adaptation of JUMP math to the college setting (HRSDC sponsored) and created online learning tools (www.mathessentials.ca and www.statcat.ca).

Professor, School of Hospitality & Tourism Management

Gary is currently a Professor of Hospitality Management for the Bachelor of Business Administration (Hospitality) Degree program at George Brown College in Toronto. Besides a busy academic schedule, he has been active recently researching the benefits of Farm to School approaches and advocating for universal school meals for students. Gary and a host of GBC students and graduates have also been delivering cooking, food security, and food system workshops to middle and high school students in the GTA.

He has been a supporter of local farmers and organic agriculture for nearly three decades and a leading advocate for sustainable local agriculture and environmental responsibility.

Gary has enjoyed a long and successful career as a Restaurateur, Chef, and General Manager in the foodservice industry. Now, as a Professor, he imparts the responsibilities for protecting the health and well-being of society and stewarding the environment that leadership entails to a new generation of industry professionals.

Email:
ghoyer@georgebrown.ca

Chair, Community Services & Deaf, Deafblind Studies

Dr. Zeenat Janmohamed is the Academic Chair in the School of Social and Community Services and School of Deaf and Deafblind Studies at George Brown College. She has held faculty positions in the School of Early Childhood, the Atkinson Centre at the University of Toronto, Ryerson University and the Eric Jackman Institute of Child Studies at the University of Toronto. Zeenat maintains an active research portfolio in early childhood development in partnership with the University of Toronto. She is also exploring the training needs of child and youth care practitioners in supporting children and youth who have experienced human trafficking. She is engaged in ongoing reviews of professional training and includes a commitment to the implementation of diversity, equity and difference. Zeenat’s collaboration in higher education, program evaluation and strategic planning extends across Canada and in many countries across the globe. Zeenat completed her Ph.D. in the Department of Leadership, Higher and Adult Education at OISE, University of Toronto.

Areas of Expertise:
Early Childhood Development, Curriculum Development, Strategic Planning, Academic Leadership

Rusa Jeremic teaches in the Community Worker Program at George Brown College, Toronto, ON. She has a PhD in Social Justice Education, during which she was a recipient of a Joseph-Armand Bombardier Canada Graduate Scholarship (CGS), Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) Grant for her dissertation which focuses on online digital activism and social movement building as a form of critical digital pedagogy. Prior to joining GBC, Rusa worked as a campaigner, popular educator and researcher in international human rights and with economic justice global solidarity movements. 

In 2017, Rusa received a GBC Insight Grant as Principal Investigator for the research report Critical Digital Fluency in the Community Work Sector, co-authored with student Kelly Bouchard. Most recently in Fall 2022, as Principal Investigator and Project Director, Rusa received a 3-year CCSIF/SSHRC grant ($360,000.00) for a community-based project that brings together a team of community leaders and activists from Toronto's priority neighbourhoods with Agency Partners and GBC students to investigate how grassroots activists and community leaders experienced the shift to the digital during the pandemic. 

Rusa has published widely on critical digital literacy, activism and social movement building, social justice pedagogy and equity-based practice in higher education in academic journals, book chapters, and popular media.

Projects:

Principal Investigator on GBC supported research report, Critical Digital Fluency in the Community Work Sector: Identifying Gaps and Addressing Needs, co-authored with student Kelly Bouchard (2017-2018). CCSIF/SSCHRC 3 year research project Learning from the Pandemic: Bridging the Digital Fluency Gap for Community Leaders (2022-2025).

Areas of Expertise:
Community Empowerment, Social Justice Approaches to Community Work, Critical Digital Pedagogy, Human Rights, Digital Activism, Social Movement Building, Equity-based pedagogies, systemic injustice and social justice teaching.

Academic Credentials:
PhD, Social Justice Education, OISE/UofT

Professor, School of Early Childhood

Monica McGlynn-Stewart (Ph.D.) is a professor in the School of Early Childhood at George Brown College, Toronto, Ontario. She teaches courses in curriculum, education policy, and research methods. She is a former elementary teacher, principal, and consultant. She was the Principal Investigator on the federally funded research project, Toys or Tools? Using Tablet Applications for Open-Ended Literacy Learning (2015-2019), and is currently the Principal Investigator on the Helderleigh Foundation-funded research project, A Sensory Approach to Food Literacy (2019-2020), and the federally funded research project, Designing and implementing environmental inquiry strategies in urban early years programs in Canada (2020-2023).

Areas of Expertise:
Early Years Curriculum, Literacy Learning and Teaching, Digital Learning, Teacher Professional Development

Academic Credentials:
BA, DCS, M.Ed, Ph.D. (UofT); Professional qualifications: RECE, OTC

Professor & Principal Investigator

James McIntyre, M.Sc., leads George Brown College’s Product Development Exchange (PDx), an interdisciplinary design, prototyping and assessment facility for industry experimental development of new products through iterative and rapid prototyping. Since 2007, under Mr. McIntyre’s stewardship, PDx teams have delivered over 91 prototyping solutions to partners across multiple sectors, not only aiding them to develop fully validated prototypes ready for downstream manufacturing but also assisting them to integrate product design and development into their business models and develop the partnerships required to support full-scale manufacturing and commercialization.

Mr. McIntyre has been a Professor and Program Coordinator of Mechanical Engineering Technology – Design in George Brown College’s (GBC) Centre for Construction and Engineering Technologies since 2000. With a Master’s degree in Product Development, a Bachelor of Applied Science in Engineering Physics (Mechanical), and 8 years of industry experience in manufacturing engineering, Mr. McIntyre has distinguished himself as a leader in industry-facing innovation and in building applied research capacity at GBC, energizing research across all the College’s strategic priority areas. For 16 years, he has continued to foster and expand meaningful relationships with his industry partners, students and research teams, ultimately enhancing the knowledge base across Canada. Within his Mechanical Engineering classes, he oversees up to 18 curriculum-based student capstone projects annually, nearly all of which have an associated industry partnership.

Areas of Expertise:
Design, Product Development, Rapid Prototyping, Mechanical engineering, Electronics, Manufacturing, Management

Professor, Centre for Preparatory & Liberal Studies

Jennifer Mitsche has over 20 years of experience as an educator and, more recently, as a researcher. Her research focuses on the connection between food security, community, and student well-being. Jennifer is currently a professor of English and Communications at George Brown College. She holds a B.A. in Political Science and English Literature, and an M.A. in Theatre and Performance Studies. She is the founder of the Communal Lunch Project, a program that is grounded in both performance theory and food security theory, and which was officially launched in 2019 as part of the GBC Peerconnect student support program. Her current research project is an innovative initiative that highlights the social function of food to address the food insecurity and social isolation faced by so many post-secondary students.

Professor, Department of English and Communication

Sarika Narinesingh is a Professor in the Department of English and Communication who teaches Communication courses across the college, specifically the Assaulted Women and Children’s Counsellor/ Advocate (AWCCA) program, the Special Event Management program, and various programs in the School of Design. Her current research project investigates the impact of learner-generated podcasting on students’ intellectual humility. Her research aims to arrive at innovative ways of teaching and learning human skills to prepare learners for the future of work.

Areas of Expertise:
Project Design, Strategic Thinking, and Data Analysis

Food Science Technologist, FIRST

Bruna Nastaro has combined her passion for food with a deep wealth of scientific knowledge with her career as a Food Scientist. Her career to date has a special focus on R&D of baked goods and healthy allergen-free snacks in Brazil and Canada. During her B.Sc. (Food Science) at the University of São Paulo, she worked mostly on projects based on the post-harvest conservation of fruit and vegetables.

Email:
Bruna.Nastaro@georgebrown.ca

Areas of Expertise:
Product Development, Nutrition, Food Analysis, Research and Development, Food Production

Professor, PI

Paul O’Brien, B.Tech., B.Sc., has been a Professor of Engineering Technology in GBC’s CCET since 2011. With a Bachelor of Technology degree in Electronics Engineering Technology, a Bachelor of Science in Biology, and over 20 years of experience in electronic instrumentation and rehabilitation engineering, Paul has worked in research across all of the College’s strategic priority areas. For the last 3 years, he has fostered meaningful relationships with his industry partners, students and research teams.

His applied research contributions offer a range of collaboration with industry and community partners, providing a cost-effective way for SMEs to develop innovative products and services. His work in applied research supports the culture of innovation at GBC and helps develop new avenues for experiential student learning. As a Principal Investigator or Co-Investigator Paul O’Brien has developed, scoped and planned new research projects between college researchers, students and our industry partners.

Areas of Expertise:
Electrical Engineering, Interaction, Sensors, Instrumentation, Digital Electronics, Educational Informatics, Building Automation, Medical Rehabilitation Technology, Micro-Controller Programming

Professor, Centre for Arts, Design & Information Technology

Przemyslaw Pawluk is a professor in the School of Technology at George Brown College teaching mobile, web and game development. Since 2011 he is also CTO and VP of Mobi-Learning Inc. providing consulting services. Przemyslaw enjoys mixing theory and practice. He has industry experience in building telecommunication, GIS, and banking systems. He's leading several applied research projects at GBC and presented his work at various conferences. His research interests are applications of IT in education and cloud computing. Przemyslaw graduated from Wroclaw University of Technology and Blekinge Institute of Technology and holds a Master of Science degree in Software Engineering.

Areas of Expertise:
Software Engineering, Mobile App Development, Database Design, Cloud Computing, Information Systems for Education

Academic Credentials:
M.Sc in Software Engineering, a double diploma from Wroclaw University of Technology (Poland) and Blekinge University of Technology (Sweden)

Lab Operations Manager

From learning family recipes to working in hotels around the world, Candace’s passion for food has been her driving force. With over 16 years of culinary and foodservice experience, she has proven skills in recipe and product development. Candace values building strong client relationships at FIRSt and has a proven track record of meeting the demands of FIRSt’s diverse and dynamic clients, who are often at the cutting edge of the foodservice and the consumer package goods industry. By collaborating with food scientists and culinary students at FIRSt, she applies her culinary and sensory science experience to meet the needs of FIRSt’s diverse clients to produce best-selling products. Her product roaster includes ready-to-drink beverages, sauces, healthy snacks and nutrition-focused recipes which help in the recovery of certain medical conditions. Since starting her career at FIRSt, she has seen first-hand how innovation continues to push the boundaries when developing unique products, and how food continues to bring people together. Candace holds a BA from the University of Windsor and is an alumnus of both the George Brown College Culinary Management and Italian postgraduate programs. Candace is a member of the Research Chef Association and is also a past recipient of the prestigious Ontario Hostelry Institute’s ‘Top 30 Under 30’ award.

Email: CRambert@georgebrown.ca

Lead Food Scientist, FIRST

Pere Ramel joins FIRSt as a versatile food scientist with research and development experience in the food, cosmetics and natural health products industries. His career has applied industry experience and knowledge to the development of innovative products and solutions. He has extensive experience in product scale-up (bench to pilot to industrial scale), product analysis, quality systems design, and regulatory affairs. Pere has a Ph.D. in Food Science from the University of Guelph, Canada; an MSc in Food Technology with a specialization in Dairy Science and Technology from Wageningen University, The Netherlands; a BSc in Food Technology from the University of the Philippines.

Areas of Expertise:
Food Product Development, Dairy Science and Technology, Lipids and Emulsions, Food Structure (Microscopy/Rheology), Cosmetics and Topical Natural Health Products Formulation

Email:
Pere.Ramel@georgebrown.ca

Professor/Chef, Centre for Hospitality & Culinary Arts

Amy Symington, MSc. is a nutrition professor, research associate and plant-based chef at George Brown College in Toronto, Canada. She runs the culinary nutrition programming at Gilda’s Club Greater Toronto, a not-for-profit organization for those touched by cancer and does recipe development and food writing for various publications in Toronto. Amy believes in the evidence-based health and environmental benefits of plant-based diets and is the recent author of The Long Table Cookbook: Plant-based recipes for optimal health. Her research tends to be focused on functional foods and disease prevention and management.

Areas of Expertise:
Functional Foods, Disease Prevention and Management, Culinary Nutrition and Plant-Based Cuisine

Professor, School of Fashion Studies

Milan Shahani holds a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and Sociology from Bombay University. She also holds a Master in Fine Arts Degree specializing in Costume Design for Theatre, from the University of North Carolina’s School of The Arts. Milan has worked as a Costume Designer for various theatre and film productions in Toronto, New York and India. She has taught designers, mentored students through industry commissioned projects and provided apprenticeships for graduates. Her applied research interests lie in designing garments for healthcare and particularly the differently able community. She is actively involved in bettering the lives of stroke survivors. Milan joined the faculty of George Brown College in 1999 and has been teaching here ever since.

Industrial Designer, Professor & Principal Investigator

As a part-time faculty member teaching in both the engineering and architecture streams at George Brown College (GBC), Shayva Steinberg brings an unusual combination of skills to the table. In addition to a Master of Education in Guidance Counselling, and a wealth of experience in the field of employment, Shayva also holds an advanced diploma from the Ontario College of Art and Design in Industrial Design, and has managed her own (product, environment and lighting) design business for several years.

In her work as a Principal Investigator, Shayva Steinberg leads and plans applied research projects between college researchers, students and Industry Partners. With an extensive background in industrial design, Shayva creates the ergonomic, interface and aesthetic aspects of the prototypes engineered by students and faculty. As a researcher, writer and editor, Shayva sources a broad range of relevant and tertiary information to deeply understand concepts and coalesce information from many sources for comparative analysis.

Areas of Expertise:
Human Factors, Engineering Design, Materials Processing/Fabrication, Cognitive Science, Graphics, Social sciences and humanities, Industrial Design

Professor, Social & Community Services

Melissa Teles has worked in the child and youth sector for nearly 20 years as a practitioner, supervisor and, most recently, as a GBC Professor of CYC. She holds a Master of Arts and is currently completing her Ph.D. at the University of Toronto, with a focus on higher learning and sexual diversity studies. Melissa is currently working on a project that explores the commercial sexual exploitation of young people, and a project in Regent Park which aims to build the capacity of young people to conduct research in their communities. She has supervised over two dozen emerging practitioners and supported over 400 students in field education in the Child and Youth Care Program. She is actively involved in the CYC Educational Accreditation Board of Canada, which is focused on the education, training and regulation of child and youth care practitioners. Melissa has extensive experience building and navigating community partnerships, having worked with agencies in Canada and the United States, such as child protection agencies, hospitals, and school boards. Her direct and relational approach has proven successful in navigating partnership challenges and ensuring the long-term sustainability of research projects.