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Meet Our Instructors

Joseph Pasia

Critical Care Nursing & RPN Refresher certificate

With over 25 years of experience as a nurse, Joseph specializes in neurosurgery/neurology, trauma, and nephrology. Joseph has held various positions throughout his career, including medsurg nurse, ICU nurse, a member of the critical care response team, case manager, clinical leader, educator in neuro rehab, and manager. Currently, Joseph is an educator in the acute hospital sector and has also been a Program Advisor in the RPN Refresher Program at Humber College. Since 2018, Joseph has been teaching at Humber College in the RPNR (RPN Refresher Program), POST 500 (Patient Assessment for Post Grads), and High Acuity/Emergency/ICU Nursing Theory - Neuro Day. 

Lena Chamberlain

Operating Room Nursing Certificate

Lena Chamberlain, RN, BScN, CPN ©, earned her Diploma in Nursing from Humber College in 2001.  She went on to complete her Operating Room Certification with Honors from Humber College in 2002.   Lena Completed her Bachelor of Science in Nursing at Metropolitan University in 2006.  Lena has over 18 years of Surgical and Ambulatory care nursing experience and over 7 years experience as a Perioperative clinical service manager and clinical nurse educator.   

Lena facilitates continuing education, professional development and evaluation of clinical skills for nursing staff. As an educator, Lena creates opportunities for nursing staff to acquire and maintain their required skills, and believes strongly in helping others with long term learning goals.   

Lena is a long standing member of the Registered Nurses of Ontario Association as well as a member of Operating Room Nurses Association of Canada. 

Mathumesa Muhunthan

Patient Assessment course

Mathumesa Muhunthan is a Peri-operative Registered Nurse and Clinical Nurse Educator for the Operating Room at a Downtown Toronto hospital. Mathumesa completed her Master of Nursing from the University of Toronto in 2021, and joined the Humber team shortly after, as a course instructor within the Faculty of Health Sciences and Wellness.  
 
Mathumesa is involved in a variety of research projects focused on nursing policy, practice and research. Mathumesa also holds an adjunct faculty position with the University of Toronto and is involved in curriculum development for nursing courses at Humber College. 

Meaghan O'Hara

Fire Services Executive Management certificate

My name is Meaghan O’Hara and I am the instructor for FSMC 027 - Dispute Resolution Skills. Outside of teaching, I am the co-owner/operator of Foundry Kitchen & Bar in Port Perry, Ontario and Foundry Pi in Uxbridge, Ontario.  I completed a graduate certificate in Mediation – Alternative Dispute Resolution and used the skills I developed to develop FSMC 027 for Humber’s continuing education program. Studying alternative dispute resolution has provided me with advanced negotiation and conflict resolution techniques, and I have found these skills to be a welcomed addition in my business and personal relationships. I am passionate about dispute resolution and enjoy sharing these skills with others.  

Rod Harris

Fire Services Executive Management certificate

Rod Harris has been assisting the Municipal Fire Service in the acquisition of new and used fire apparatus for over 20 years. Having represented several leading brands of fire apparatus in North America, Rod has unique industry insight as to the supply side process of purchasing fire apparatus as well as the Municipal Purchase side.  

Rod has been directly involved in the sale and delivery of over 350 pieces of fire apparatus in Ontario. In addition to those deliveries was the exercise and experience to respond to over 1500 tenders, RFPs, RFQs and other procurement methods used by Municipalities today.  

Throughout his career, he has pursued value based solutions for Fire Departments across the Province. Since he was not remunerated on dollar value, he was able to focus on cost saving and functional solutions for his clients, allowing for creative design, innovation, turn-key, and cost effective vehicles to be delivered to the end user. In addition, Rod has assisted countless departments in the specification process of defining their apparatus.  

Ryan Jagoe

Fire Services Executive Management certificate

Ryan Jagoe currently serves as deputy fire chief with 30 years of emergency service experience. Ryan has worked as a paramedic and served on various specialty units, including those with law enforcement. He has completed post-secondary education in Public Administration, Adult Education and Leadership. When not dedicating his efforts to enhancing the fire service, you may find Ryan performing for audiences singing a cappella harmony or tinkering with electronics and ham radio. 

Stephanie Sant

Obstetric Nursing certificate

I am one of the course instructors for OBST 520: Essentials of Pre-Pregnancy and Prenatal Care. I have been a nurse in obstetrics for just over 10 years and am truly passionate about women’s health. There’s nothing more fulfilling than getting to play a role in one of the most special (and sometimes, hardest) days of people’s lives. I have also developed a strong desire in leadership and am currently pursuing my Master of Health Management at McMaster University.

Stephanie Pellegrini

Obstetric Nursing certificate

I started off my nursing career at Humber College, enrolling in the 2-year RPN program where I learned many skills that I use in my everyday career. After working for 3 years, I decided to challenge myself and enrolled in the Humber Bridging program offered along with the university of New Brunswick and completing the last 2 years of the RN program. Once I passed my NCLEX, I wanted to seek out other opportunities that enhanced my specialty in postpartum; in came my opportunity in the continuing professional learning (CPL) department. After instructing for the OBST certificate program, I was given the opportunity to become a program advisor for the Nephrology and Medication Administration certificate programs and more recently, our RPNR refresher program.  Thanks to Humber, I am now living my dream of not only being a nurse but teaching and helping others become expectational at what they do. 

Kinza Malik

Cardiology Nursing certificate

Kinza Malik holds a dual role as a Program Advisor and Course Instructor within the Faculty of Health Sciences and Wellness at Humber College. Kinza is also a Clinical Leader Manager (CLM) within the Interprofessional Resource Team (IRT) at St. Michael’s Hospital. In her spare time, Kinza works with the Registered Nurses’ Association of Ontario (RNAO) as the President of the Men in Nursing Interest Group (MINIG) and holds an adjunct lecturer position with the University of Toronto. Overall, Kinza is passionate about leadership, education, and mentorship of nursing students and nurses. 
 

Nima Desai

RPN Refresher certificate

My name is Nima Desai. I am a Neonatal Nurse Practitioner at the tertiary center. I am a part of the clinical faculty at Humber college with RPNR refresher program. 

Julie Kim

Cardiology Nursing certificate

Julie Kim graduated with her BScN from Laurentian University in Sudbury in 1992. Shortly after graduation she completed her Cardiac Care certification from Humber college. Between 1993-2000 she worked as a cardiovascular ICU nurse at the University Health Network and St. Michael’s hospital in Toronto. She finished her Master of Nursing/Nurse Practitioner program from the University of Toronto in 2000 and has been practicing since then as an acute care Cardiology NP in a busy regional cardiac center. 

She is very passionate about nursing education and has been teaching both formally and informally her entire career. 

 Julie developed the new CORN 509 Cardiology Nursing – Disease prevention and management course. This is a very practical course for any Nurse caring for cardiovascular patients, with a focus on primary and secondary prevention on a wide range of cardiovascular disorders.  

Deborah Lefave

Emergency Nursing certificate

Deborah Lefave is a course instructor for the Emergency and Critical Care Nursing Certificate programs at Humber College. Deborah is also the Clinical Educator in Critical Care at Cortellucci Vaughan Hospital. This role includes supporting clinical education, policy development and process improvement. She is also an instructor for Cardiac, Triage and Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS). Prior to her current role in Critical Care, Deborah was the Clinical Educator in Emergency Medicine at Mackenzie Health Hospital and clinical lead for the Canadian Triage Acuity Scale (CTAS) EMR Epic build. Deborah has also achieved the CNA Specialty certifications in Emergency and Critical Care. With more than three decades of nursing experience both domestic and international, she continues to be passionate about excellence in nursing practice and education. 

Robert Renton

Nephrology Nursing & RPN Refresher certificate

Robert has over 30 years’ clinical experience at several GTA hospitals working as a bedside nurse and educator within the Medical Surgical and Intensive Care programs. He also has 15 years experience teaching and supporting new nurses in several GTA universities and colleges.  

Robert is committed to continually evolve his  role in nursing and nursing education, and to ensure he is actively involved in developing and implementing current best practice.

I enjoy sharing an appreciation of the standards of excellence in patient centered care that promotes the role of the nurse as a professional.
 

Katrina Parent

Emergency Nursing certificate

Katrina is a Program Advisor with the Faculty of Health Sciences and Wellness Continuous Professional Learning team. She has previously worked in both CCU and Level II ICU, however her experience has largely centered upon emergency nursing, where she particularly enjoys trauma nursing. She has worked at various hospitals throughout the land colonially referred to as North America - also known as Turtle Island. She has held a formal position as an Emergency Department Patient Care Coordinator, as well as various nurse educator roles for undergraduate nursing students, paramedic students, and emergency nurses. She is deeply committed to ensuring nurses develop the skills and knowledge they need to excel within the ever-changing complexities of the healthcare system, especially in the fields of emergency, cardiac and critical care nursing.   

Jessica Ackerman

Cardiology & Emergency Nursing certificate

Jessica teaches in the Continuing Education program at Humber College primarily in the Emergency Nursing and Cardiology streams. She also teaches at the University of Toronto and McMaster University in the undergraduate programs. Jessica graduated with a BScN from McMaster University in 2015 and is currently completing her Masters of Science degree at McMaster University with research interests in virtual care, digital health care technologies and telemedicine. Jessica works in the Emergency Department (ED) at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Center and has also worked in other ED's in both Toronto and Kitchener, Ontario since graduation. 

Shyalini Jeevakaran

Nephrology Nursing certificate

Shyalini Jeevakaran has 18 years of experience as a nurse in Medical and Surgical Oncology, Peritoneal, Hemodialysis, Pediatric Acquired Brain Injury Rehabilitation, Alzheimer's and Dementia, General Internal Medicine, and Multi-Organ Transplant. She has a passion for teaching and lifelong learning, and demonstrates this commitment to excellence in teaching by creating a positive learning environment that accommodates learners' diverse cultural and educational backgrounds, experiences and individual learning styles. In addition, she ensures the use of best practices in adult education to create an engaging teaching and learning environment for learners through tailoring effective teaching and learning strategies. 

Her hobbies are painting and listening to music.

Gillian Gravely

Operating Room Nursing Certificate

Gillian has been a Perioperative nurse for over 30 years.  She did her nursing and OR training in Ireland and the UK.  She worked in multiple roles in the Operating Room at Toronto General Hospital for over 28 years which culminated in her being the OR Manager for both operating rooms at Toronto General and Princess Margaret Hospitals for over 10 years.  Gillian is passionate about teaching and has been a Clinical Instructor for the Operating Room Certificate at Humber since its reintroduction in 2020.  She is delighted to be able to share her experience with nurses who are keen to develop their knowledge and skills as perioperative nurses. 
 

Claire Latto-Hall

Nephrology Nursing certificate

Claire is a Registered Nurse in an acute care community hospital with experience in diabetes, medicine and nursing education. She started teaching POST 500 and NEPH 510 with the Continuous and Professional Learning department in 2016. In 2021, Claire facilitated the curriculum redevelopment of the RPNR Refresher helping to create a refreshed, more interactive sets courses for RPN students. Claire feels privileged to help students meet their learning goals and ultimately be successful in landing their dream job! 

Sarah Traynor

Emergency Nursing certificate

Sarah graduated with a nursing diploma in 1993 and later graduated in 2014 with a Master’s of Nursing/Nurse Practitioner Post Graduate Certificate. She also spent 6 years in the United States working on the acute medicine floors and in supervisor roles. During this time, Sarah spent 18 years in emergency medicine and now specializes in geriatric medicine working with seniors outreach program. Sarah is an associate professor of nursing at Humber College teaching introduction to emergency medicine and special populations in the emergency room.  Sarah currently plays an integral role in the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion THP Circle developing staff training for anti-black racism.  

Janett Black

Nephrology Nursing certificate

Janett has been a registered nurse fore over 30 years. Janett holds a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from York Univer and a Masters in Health Studies from Athabasca University. She has a wide range of nursing experience in Med/Sugr, Operating Room, Community, OBGYN, Long term care, Corrections and Nephrology. She is a certified in both Nephrology and Gerontology through the Canadian Nurses’ Association.  

Janet also has over 16 years’ experience in Nephrology and have vast experiences as a renal Nurse Educator and Patient Care Manager in many renal units in the GTA. 

One of my greatest passions is teaching, especially as it relates to Renal Nursing. Janett has been teaching Nephrology at Humber since 2013 nd currently works as a Patient Care Manager in a medical/renal unit.  

Sana Khan

Nephrology Nursing certificate & Medication Administration 

Sana holds a BScN and Master’s degree in Nursing Education & Leadership and brings over 10 years of clinical, operations, human resource leadership experience from multiple clinical areas/programs of acute care.  Sana has extensive experience teaching in academia in various continuing education RPN/RN bridging programs, as well as teaching courses within the Nephrology certification program.  Sana co-lead curriculum development for Medication Administration in 2022, and continues to teach courses within the Medication Administration certification as well.  Sana has also held a leadership position in clinical practice and education, as the Advanced Practice Nurse Educator for corporate and program level clinical priorities in the acute care setting. 

Sandra McKenzie

Fire Services Executive Management certificate

Sandra McKenzie is a senior Human Resources leader (CHRL) with an Honours Bachelor of Science in Psychology, a Master’s degree in Workplace Learning and Change (Adult Education), and a Diploma in Public Administration and Leadership.   She has extensive experience in human resources and strategic leadership, having worked in the private, public and not-for-profit sectors. Sandra is a highly skilled and sought after instructor, speaker and facilitator with a passion for continuous learning and development.  

Sherine Mahrous

Patient Assessment course

Doctor Sherine Mahrous is a 2004 Medical School graduate. Passionate about teaching,she has taught many courses across various Canadian colleges, including Patient Assessment and PSW to PN Chemistry. Mahrous has been teaching at Humber College since 2020.

Stella Salamat

Nephrology Nursing certificate

Stella Salamat has been a part-time nephrology instructor at Humber College since 2017. She is also an Advance Practice Nurse (APN) at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre. She is responsible for providing leadership in the development, implementation, and evaluation of education programs in Nephrology.  

Stella is a Registered Nurse, with a Bachelor and Master of Science in Nursing (major in nursing education), and nephrology certified. She has more than 29 years of expertise in clinical, education, management, and administrative domains of professional practice.  

As a transformational leader and teacher, Stella led and integrated quality improvement initiatives, such as the development of policies and procedures, and clinical standards in nephrology. 

Adriana Vacaroaia

Cardiology Nursing, RPN Refresher certificate & Patient Assessment course

Adriana is an experienced nurse-educator/instructor who is passionate about preparing nurses to be successful in any healthcare environment. Her area of expertise includes medical/surgical, emergency, medical/surgical critical care and cardiac/cardiac surgery critical care.

She has a Bachelor of Nursing degree from Toronto Metropolitan University and certification in critical care nursing, psychiatry, coronary care nursing, infection control and prevention, as well as in teaching effectiveness. Adriana is also a member of the Canadian Association of Critical Care Nurses.

In addition to her classroom/clinical instructor position at Humber College, Adriana held a variety of positions in clinical practice most recently as nurse educator and nurse manager. In her free time, she enjoys volunteering with the Canadian National Institute for the Blind and having a good laugh with family and friends. 

Andy MacDonald

Fire Services Executive Management certificate

Andy MacDonald is the Principal Partner of a consulting firm located in Toronto Ontario.  Andy retired from a career in the Emergency Services in 2017.   His roles incuded Fire Chief in the City of Brampton, General Manager of Emergency Services for the City of Guelph and the Director of Fire Management Studies at Humber College.

Prior to joining the ranks of senior management, Andy was a member of the executive of the Brampton Professional Fire Fighters Association (BPFFA), IAFF Local 1068, for many years. While a member of the BPFFA executive, Andy participated in collective agreement negotiations and gained the union's perspective. As a member of the negotiating team on the other side of the table, Andy played a key role as a chief spokesperson of the Corporation's bargaining team. Andy's insight into negotiations from both sides of the negotiation table gives him an interesting perspective into the dynamics of collective bargaining.

Andy holds Queen’s IRC Certificates in Labour Relations, Advanced Labour Relations, and Organization Development Fundamentals, and he participated in the Program on Negotiations at Harvard Law School.  Andy holds a Bachelor of Science degree from McMaster University and an Honorary Bachelor of Applied Studies from Humber College.  He has also studied at York University and the Ontario Fire College. Andy is a member of the Canadian Critical Incident Stress Foundation’s Conference Board and is also a founding member of the Camp F.A.C.E.S. Advisory Board.

He spends much of his remaining free time aiding in many charitable causes and was the driving force behind the construction of his dream, the world's first Fire/Life Safety Education Centre in Brampton. Andy's other charitable exploits include rappelling off the CN Tower in 1985 to raise money for a Toronto burn unit, earning him a spot in the Guinness Book of Records.

Marilyn Morson

Operating Room & Obstetric Nursing certificate

Marilyn graduated from Queen's University and started working in perinatal nursing, an area of passion even as a nursing student. She gained experience working in labour & birth, antepartum & postpartum, teaching prenatal classes then transitioned to work in the emergency department.  

Family brought new opportunities to assist in teaching health to middle school classes before she resumed formal nursing employment. New work interests included teaching Humber College nursing students in clinical placements then a return to perinatal nursing. This led to studying for her MSN and qualitative research on the topic of, Experiences of Women in Early Labour Sent Home Following Hospital Assessment (2013)In hospital, Marilyn transitioned to a perinatal educator role and worked closely with the main OR educator to assess opportunities for change and lead initiatives such as the WHO Surgical Safety Checklist. Other initiatives included the Baby Friendly Hospital Initiative where hospital and community partners worked together to focus on improving health of newborns and mothers. 

Next on the journey was a role in Operational Readiness leading a Maternal-Child program to prepare for changes to come in a new hospital build. Along the way Marilyn had begun to teach courses online at Humber College. This led to a role as a Program Advisor and then a full-time faculty member in Continuous Professional Learning (CPL). Currently Marilyn oversees the Obstetrics Nursing, Operating Room Nursing programs, and students in diverse clinical settings. It may be obvious that Marilyn's passions lie in nursing and in education, including coaching instructors and students, which are well supported by her work at Humber College. 

Elaine Cook

Power of Persuasion: Mastering Communication Literacy for Humanistic Leaders

Elaine Cook has a PhD in applied behavioural psychology from the University of Toronto. Dr. Cook worked with elite athletes and coaches for many years before transitioning into health care. As a certified solution-focused health care coach and facilitator, she works with individuals, families and organizations to facilitate conversations and implement humanistic programs that guide people toward development and personal wisdom.

Currently, she is the Manager and Principal of Humanistic Education and Training at Holland Bloorview Kid’s Rehabilitation Hospital and is responsible for the creation and implementation of a suite of humanistic, solution-focused education and training opportunities. These programs are transforming systems and workplace cultures for staff and clients in healthcare and beyond. She is mother to three children and two fur-babies, and when she isn’t mothering or working, you’ll find her on the agility field with her puppies.
 

Annemarie Sweeney

Emergency, Cardiology & Critical Care Nursing certificate


Annemarie is a dedicated Nurse Practitioner (NP) with a passion for education. With experience working in a variety of settings from remote to urban, Annemarie has honed her skills in providing exceptional healthcare. Annemarie is an instructor in the Faculty of Health Science and Wellness, continuous professional learning. Annemarie's commitment to nursing education is evident through her teaching of various courses, including ACLS, PALS, NRP, TNCC, and ENPC, as well as her online courses at Humber. Her goal is to make nursing work life better by equipping nurses with the necessary skills and knowledge to excel in their roles.

Janet Latremouille

Fire Services Executive Management certificate

An experienced hospitality and education professional with over 20 years of instructional experience at the post-secondary level, Janet is a long-term Professor with Humber’s Faculty of Business. In this role she has developed and delivered courses for Diploma and Post-Graduate students, has lead student groups for “study abroad” semesters in Europe and designed and delivered corporate programs for her own and the College’s corporate clients in Canada, the Caribbean, Asia, Western and Eastern Europe.

In addition to her role with the Faculty of Business Janet is also part of the Continuous Professional Learning Team with Humbers’s Faculty of Health Sciences & Wellness – designing and delivering courses for Humber’s Fire Services Executive Management Certification. A seasoned consultant with over 30 years of experience in hotel operations and human resources, she has held senior HR positions with Delta Hotels & Resorts and Fairmont Hotels & Resorts as well as co-owning and operating a successful British Style Pub in North Toronto.

With extensive experience in opening new properties and re-branding existing properties, Janet has developed and delivered leadership, customer service and labor relations workshops for the Greater Toronto Hotel Association and clients including private member clubs and hotel properties representing the Hilton, Sheraton, Westin, Marriott, Travelodge and Holiday Inn brands. In addition, Janet has played an integral role in opening cutting edge, boutique properties such as the Drake Hotel and Hotel le Germain.