Instructor Bios

Meet...

I teach Health Information Management and two courses in the Medical Transcriptionist program. I am in my sixth year at SAIT.

Life before SAIT:

After attending SAIT as a student, I began work at the hospital in Medicine Hat. Following that I worked with a company that used remote access, which allowed me to work with several hospitals across Canada. During that time I also was also able to participate in projects with the Canadian Institute for Health Information.

Favourite moments in class:

There are so many things I enjoy about being in class, but I think what I like best is developing connections with the students. I love when they ask questions that lead to discussions about their insights and life experiences.

Spare Time: 

I spend most of the summer fishing with my husband. We also like taking road trips to find quirky, out of the way places to explore. Right now most of my spare time is spent studying, as I am continuing my own education.

Best thing about teaching at SAIT: 

The best part is being able to pass on what I love about my profession. I enjoy hearing from students as they enter the field and progress in their careers.

Student or Alumni quotes on instructor:

“Stephanie is very friendly and I feel I can always go to her for any questions I have – she goes the extra mile for her students”

“Stephanie is very patient and approachable and ALWAYS does her best to help you understand something.”

“It is obvious that Stephanie enjoys teaching the subject matter, which makes the class enjoyable and the material easier to learn.”

Meet...

I have been an instructor at SAIT Polytechnic for nine years, teaching both the Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) and Emergency Medical Technology-Paramedic (EMT-P) programs.

After working with the Alberta College of Paramedics (ACP) for 17 years, I was recently elected president of the ACP. Now I lead strategic planning, create policy and help guide the direction of the College. 

For two weeks in fall, 2011, I traveled to Singapore with five EMT and paramedic students for an educational exchange. We were in classes every day, and toured hospitals and local fire/EMS stations. I am fortunate to bring the lessons learned from this experience back to my classroom here at SAIT.

Life before SAIT:

Throughout my 20 years in Emergency Medical Services (EMS), I worked for Calgary EMS, the City of Calgary, private ground and air ambulance services, Health Canada and Calgary Police Services. I worked as a contract instructor at Portage College in Lac La Biche, which really sparked my interest in education. I’m still active in the EMS field, and provide medical standby for the Calgary Flames at home games. 

Favourite moments in class:

The best moments are the “aha moments” when you can see that a student truly understands a concept they’ve been struggling with. It’s hugely rewarding when that light goes on.

Spare Time: 

I’m into reading, hiking, geocaching, and all things technology – I wear my tech-geek badge proudly!

Best thing about teaching at SAIT:  I enjoy the constant ability to grow as an instructor at SAIT. There’s always something to learn from my students and fellow faculty. If you seek them out, the opportunities for professional and personal growth here are tremendous.

Student or Alumni quotes on instructor:

“Sheldon is a unique teacher with a dynamic and effective teaching approach. He has found an excellent balance between challenging his students and reinforcing their skills through coaching.”

“Sheldon is a very good instructor and has high demands for perfection and excellence because he is passionate about EMS. He has the ability to relate to his students and the patience to explain the conceptual, theoretical and practical aspects of the course. He takes the time to engage students in good discussions about the topics he presents.”

Meet...

I’ve been an instructor for SAIT’s Diagnostic Medical Sonography (DMS) program since it began in 2001. For many years, I taught the Abdomen and Superficial Structures specialty, and played a key role in the re-design of the DMS program in 2009. Recently, I moved into the role of Practicum Instructor.

Life before SAIT: 

I have a degree in medical laboratory technology from the University of Regina, and spent 5 years working as a technologist in Regina, Weyburn and Lethbridge. In 1989, I completed the sonography program at St. Paul’s hospital in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, and worked as a sonographer at the Peter Lougheed Hospital, General Hospital and Radiology Consultants. To stay connected to industry, I continue to do casual work in the field.

Favourite moments in class:

The best part of teaching is the amount of knowledge my students absorb in such a short amount of time. I like seeing them transition from the very first day to the very last day. I really love those aha moments. A student can look at an image for several minutes with a blank stare, and then suddenly a light comes on.

Spare Time:

I love being active and spend my  free time kayaking, golfing, going to the gym, watching movies, playing pool and spending time with her dog, Gemma. In the summer, I head to my cabin on Lake Windermere.

Best thing about teaching at SAIT:

I came to SAIT for personal and professional growth, and I’m very passionate about ultrasound and sharing my knowledge with the students. I am proud to help create the standards that have an important impact on both the ultrasound program and profession. 

Students weigh in:

“Valerie allows for the perfect balance of making sure we are doing things properly, but with just enough element of fun every now and then to keep the stress levels low!”

“She is an amazingly patient instructor who knows her stuff inside and out. I feel privileged to be one of her students.”

Meet...

I teach a variety of professional practices courses to our healthcare program students, adult education principles to the nutrition students and healthcare delivery systems and communication to the rehabilitation students.

Life before SAIT: 

I completed a BEd at the University of Alberta, taught for 5 years with Edmonton Public Schools, taught ESL for 1 year in Japan, then worked as an educator specializing in travel vaccines for 6 years in the pharmaceutical industry.  Recently I completed my MEd in Workplace and Adult Learning at the University of Calgary.

Favourite moments in class:

My favourite moments in class happen when I have been able to create and instill a safe place for students to share and reflect upon their experiences.  This creates an authentic dialogue and allows students to relate to course content through various real perspectives, and encourages the fostering of relationships with me and their peers. 

Spare Time:

In my spare time I love to travel. I also spend a lot of time in the mountains hiking with my dog, golfing, kayaking, camping and snowboarding in the winter.

Best thing about teaching at SAIT:

The best part about SAIT the ability to develop relationships with students and staff!  It is a thrill to hear from students after they have graduated and moved on with their professional lives.

Students weigh in:

“Lisa has a great teaching style, she knows how to command a class and is always willing to help.  She has a great positive attitude and it is a joy to come to such an environment.”

“I loved learning from Lisa.  She is passionate about what she teaches.  She is confident, yet open to learning from her students and I really appreciate how she gets everyone involved.  Lisa used very good strategies for learning which gave me useful tools to use in the future in my profession and career.”

Meet...

Gary has been an instructor at SAIT in the Emergency Medical Technician and Emergency Medical Technology-Paramedic programs for 10 years. Gary prepares students for practicum and monitors them at clinical sites. He also oversees a community integration program.

Life before SAIT: 

Gary graduated SAIT’s paramedic program in 1981, after which he worked as a paramedic/administrator for 20 years with the Fort McMurray Fire Department and the Calgary Health Region. In 2001, Gary returned to SAIT as an instructor. In 2008, Gary received an Alberta Emergency Services medal in recognition of 12 years of loyal service to the people of Alberta.

Favourite moments in class:

Gary thrives on keeping up with current trends and practices, connecting with industry and ensuring our students meet industry’s expectations.  Gary is a strong believer in mentorship, and created the Nickie Do Award for second-year EMT-Paramedic students to recognize mentoring leaders.

Spare Time:

In his spare time, Gary likes to compete in power lifting events, boasting a 210kg (464 Pounds) record dead lift at the Alberta Provincial Championships in July 2008. He also recently broke Canadian power lifting records in the Master 2 Division 105 kg, lifting a total of 407.5 kg for 3 combined lifts in the Western Canadian Championships in November 2011.

Gary is also an avid fisherman and enjoys annual fishing trips to Northern Saskatchewan.

Best thing about teaching at SAIT: 

Gary enjoys watching students progress and is glad to be a part of that process.  He believes it is rewarding to see students progress from Emergency Medical Responder to Emergency Medical Technician to Emergency Medical Technology-Paramedic and is proud of the education SAIT provides.

Students weigh in:

“Gary was great. He got right down to business during class and helped in any areas we were not proficient. He was available outside of class and genuinely cared about how students did in the course.”

“I find Gary’s teaching methods very effective. He puts pressure on you to perform at a high level which simulates a real working environment. Getting the opportunity to practice our skills on live patients is one of the most valuable parts of this program. He demands maximum effort and preparation for every class day. His teaching is one of the main reasons I have chose to pursue my EMT-P at SAIT.”

“Gary is a very good teacher and is obviously very passionate about the class he teaches.”

Meet...

I  teach in the Respiratory Therapy diploma program and have been a faculty member with SAIT for over five years.

Life before SAIT: 

Calgary Health Region: Registered Respiratory Therapist working in neonatal intensive care (NICU) and a member of the NICU transport team. I continue to work there as a casual employee.

Participated in paediatric research as a study investigator for croup.

Regina Health District: Registered Respiratory Therapist working in adult/paediatric and neonatal respiratory care.  Also a member of NICU and PICU transport teams.

Favourite moments in class:

Sharing funny clinical stories with students and expanding the pronunciation of medical terms into my own vocabulary.

Spare Time: 

I like to spend my spare time playing golf, riding my Harley, and working clinically in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit because I enjoy it so much.

Best thing about teaching at SAIT:

 The best thing about teaching is when a student has solved a problem on his or her own and states, “Oh, that’s how that works.Now I get it.”  One thing I enjoy is when I am working in the hospital and I am able to preceptor our practicum students. Watching them develop from theory learners to clinicians is very rewarding.

A student weighs in:

"Derek’s advice is, 'When in doubt, go with ’C’ or ’shunt’!”

Meet…

I started working at SAIT in January of 2004. I am a part-time instructor with the Pharmacy Assistant program. The courses I teach include Prescription Terminology for how to read a prescription and Body Systems and Basic Implications on drug product knowledge.

Life before SAIT: 

I graduated with a B.Sc. in Pharmacy from the University of Alberta in 1991. Most of my career has been in community-based practice, so I felt comfortable that my experience would seamlessly translate to SAIT.

Favourite moments in class:

One of my proudest moments came from an email I received from one of my former students. This young man, who was the Undergraduate Pharmacy Society Past-President at the University of Toronto, sent me a copy of a speech he delivered to Pharmacy Alumni where he included me as one of his mentors:

“Betty is a pharmacist with endless stores of energy – her youthfulness is contrasted by her vast knowledge and endless experience as an educator. She taught me how pharmacists can be educators.”

Spare Time:

I enjoy golf and gardening as much as I can in our short summer season. In the winter, I enjoy bundling up, taking the dog for a walk and then curling up on the couch and re-watching a Nancy Meyer’s film.

Best thing about teaching at SAIT: 

Overall, I receive a great sense of satisfaction from building relationships with my students. When they show enthusiasm for the subject matter and express their gratitude for my skills as an instructor, I know I have made a connection.

I have been at SAIT since May 1996. I currently teach a first-year Patient Assessment course and  a second-year Neonatal and Pediatric Respiratory Care course.  I’m also midway through a three- year process to redesign the program, which is very busy and exciting. 

Life before SAIT:

I was bartending before I was accepted to the Respiratory Therapy program here at SAIT;  I graduated in 1990 when it was a two- year program. I have worked in Calgary, Edmonton, St. Louis and Kansas City as a practicing therapist in pediatrics and neonatology and became an educator while in Kansas.

Favourite moments in class:

I believe in using humour as well as clinical stories, in tandem with lecture, to get students to absorb clinical information.  Jokes and funny videos go a long way to keep the students engaged when you are covering difficult or emotionally-charged topics.

I love it when students tell me, "I’ll never forget when you said...."

Spare time:

I have no spare time. I work, I breathe, I sleep and I have a 10-year-old. Cooking is good. I am also currently taking the post-diploma Bachelor of Healthcare Administration from Athabasca University. 

Best thing about teaching at SAIT:

From Day One, I’ve been in love with the program and the people I work with. I feel honoured to be part of the students’ lives here and then welcome them as peers in my field after graduation, knowing that I helped just a little - or maybe a lot. There is a whole community of practicing Respiratory Therapists here that I’m proud to have had a part in shaping.

A student weighs in:

"Juanita is one of the most beloved teachers here at SAIT."

Meet…

I teach in the Medical Laboratory Technology and Medical Laboratory Assistant  programs with a focus on Accessioning labs with the Medical Laboratory Assistant students and Immunology and Transfusion Medicine with the Medical Laboratory Technology students.

Life before SAIT:

I graduated from the SAIT Polytechnic  Medical Laboratory Technology program in 1988, and previously worked as an animal health technologist in a variety of small animal practices and as a zoo keeper at the Calgary Zoo, working primarily with birds of prey. I have returned to school as a student and will complete my BSc through distance learning at the University of Windsor in 2012.

Favourite moments in class:

Those moments are when students contribute their stories and bring forward their past experiences that tie in with the course material. Learning is about recognizing patterns; connecting what you already know with new material. When students make those connections on their own (or with a little prompting), that is when learning really happens.

Spare time:

Studying(!), curling, painting (watercolours), working out – that is about it right now!

Best thing about teaching at SAIT:

Meeting a new bunch of students every year!

Students weigh in:

“It’s as if she really enjoys teaching and is passionate about her job.”

“She is very enthusiastic about teaching us, which actually makes learning the material fun!”

Meet...

Life before SAIT:

Kim graduated from the Bellingham Technical College Dental Assisting program in 1990 and from the Saskatchewan Institute of Applied Science and Technology (SIAST) Dental Hygiene program in 1995. She worked in a number of private dental clinics as a dental hygienist prior to becoming an instructor at SAIT.

Favourite moments in class:

Those unplanned moments …when a face lights up and you can see that the student finally understands a concept they have struggled with. Teaching is about making a difference in someone’s life.

Spare time:

In her spare time, Kim can be found golfing, downhill skiing or reading a good book. Most holidays are spent in developing countries, providing dental hygiene treatment to those in need.

Best thing about teaching at SAIT:

The best part of teaching is seeing the students achieve their goals at the end of the year, and knowing that you had a small part in it.

A student weighs in:

“Kim is one of the best teachers I’ve had! She is very hands-on, explains concepts well, and is compassionate and overall very helpful. I learned a great deal in her class and always strove to achieve better grades. I hope Kim continues to teach for years to come!”

Meet...

Allan teaches first and second year Respiratory Therapy students in the classroom and laboratory settings. He loves all his classes but one of his favourites is “Introduction to Mechanical Ventilation” because this is where students are introduced to his favourite topic and passion. He has developed an interactive Virtual Ventilator for use in his class and is a confessed “Ventilator Nerd.”

Life before SAIT:

Before teaching, Allan worked in geology for the Alberta Research Council and PanCanadian Petroleum. He got tired of rocks and went back to school to become a respiratory therapist, graduating in Edmonton in 1990. He worked on the adult, paediatric, and neonatal transport teams out of the University of Alberta Hospital in Edmonton and then moved to the Foothills Medical Centre in Calgary where he became involved in clinical teaching. Allan’s passion for teaching soon brought him to SAIT as a Neonatal and Mechanical Ventilation Specialist.

Favourite moments in class:

Allan’s best moments are when debriefing with students in the SAIT Human Patient Simulation Centre. He says it’s a fabulous moment when students demonstrate knowledge, skill and decision-making with a newly discovered dawning confidence. “That is what teaching is all about!” he says.

Spare time:

Allan loves the outdoors – from the mountains to the sea. He likes to do at least one climbing expedition and ocean trip every year. He has climbed on almost every continent except South America with western Canada being his favourite place on earth. His most recent vacations include climbing in the Italian Dolomites and using his Zodiac to go beach camping/whale watching in the Broken Islands. Allan can often be seen around town on his bike and paddling on the Glenmore Reservoir in an OC-1. His goal this year is to visit with the Orca in Robson’s Bight in British Columbia.

Best thing about teaching at SAIT:

SAIT to me is about working with the vibrant enthusiastic faculty who are impassioned about their jobs and students.  I think the only thing better than being with the faculty is being with a group of enthusiastic students.

A Student weighs in:

"Students often comment about the enthusiasm and the passion Allan brings to class and labs every day."

Meet...

Life before SAIT:

Before becoming a SAIT Instructor, Shane worked as a sonographer in both hospital and clinical settings in Ontario.  He scanned a variety of exams that included general, vascular, interventional, and musculoskeletal ultrasounds and had the opportunity to work closely with students as a preceptor. It was then that Shane developed a passion for teaching.

Favourite moments in class:

Some of Shane’s favourite moments in class are the ones when he gets to tell a funny story from his own experiences.  Teaching a subject like physics, he uses every opportunity to make the learning fun.

Spare time:

Shane spends most of his spare time with his wife and two boys.  He helps coach his oldest son’s football team and keeps busy with their other sporting activities throughout the year.

Best thing about teaching at SAIT:

“The best part about teaching at SAIT is the chance to watch the students grow throughout the program.  I am very passionate about what I teach and to see that reflected in my students is personally and professionally fulfilling.”

Students weigh in:

“I was a little scared when I found out I had to take a physics course, but the way that Shane explains everything makes physics a lot easier to understand.  He is one of the best teachers I’ve had.”

Meet...

Life before SAIT:

Blair grew up in Montreal and moved to Alberta where he took the SAIT EMT and Paramedic program. He worked as a firefighter / paramedic for nearly 20 years in Airdrie before finding his way back to SAIT.

Favourite moments in class:

Blair helped a lot of people as a paramedic, but he didn’t realize what a positive force a teacher can be in a student’s life, too. His first year here, a student waited outside his office one morning who wanted to quit. The student didn’t think he could handle it all, but Blair talked him into staying in the program and he graduated the next year.

Spare time:

Blair is a self-professed “running addict” and is often spotted running from SAIT’s main campus down through Eau Claire and back again. While his favourite movie is Casablanca, films featuring space ships, monsters or homicidal robots from the future are more commonly spinning in his DVD player.

Best thing about teaching at SAIT:

“The best part of teaching is that you actually get to see people have moments of profound learning, and know you’ve been a part of it. I had no idea I would love teaching as much as I do.”

Students weigh in:

“Blair is constantly challenging us in labs to better ourselves.” 

“Very interesting, obviously passionate about the subject he teaches.”

Meet...

I have been teaching at SAIT for six years – Electrocardiography for Medical Laboratory Assistant students and Microbiology in the Medical Laboratory Technology program. I have a Bachelor of Science in Microbiology from the University of Calgary and a Medical Laboratory Technologist diploma from SAIT.

Life before SAIT:

I worked for 22 years as a medical laboratory technologist for Calgary Laboratory Services in the Microbiology department.

Favourite moments in class:

Seeing a student who struggled at the beginning of the year and then really put it all together and excel by the end of June makes all the time and effort worth it.

Telling great stories about cool and weird bacteria – and also the interesting smells that occur in the medical laboratory!

I love listening to the students pronounce the names of bacteria; it is quite humorous!

Spare time:

I love to make beaded jewellery for craft sales (including the SAIT sales every year), cross stitch, have played ladies soccer for 25 years, love bike riding, rollerblading, running and reading.