Pierre Lapointe
Board Chair
FPInnovations, Former President and CEO
From 2008 to 2017, Pierre Lapointe was Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of FPInnovations, a not-for-profit, world-leading research and development institute specializing in scientific solutions that support of the Canadian forest sector’s global competitiveness. Previously, he led the l’Institut National de la Recherche Scientifique (INRS) and managed its integration with l’Institut Armand-Frappier. Pierre also initiated numerous agreements and partnerships with the global scientific community.
As Chairman of the Board of NanoQuébec, he directed the merger of NanoQuébec and Consortium Innovation Polymères (CIP) into a single entity – PRIMA QUÉBEC. The new organization, an advanced materials research and innovation hub, ensures that research projects and activities related to the advanced materials sector are carried out. Pierre has also served as Chairman of PRIMA QUÉBEC’s Board of Directors for the past five years, and is currently a Council member of Sustainable Development Technology Canada (SDTC).
Janet King
Vice-Chair
Former Associate Deputy Minister at Public Services and Procurement Canada
Janet King joined the federal public service in 1995 as a research scientist with the Geological Survey of Canada (Natural Resources Canada). She went on to hold increasingly senior positions in policy development, regulation and operations at Natural Resources Canada, Health Canada, Innovation Science and Economic Development, and Western Economic Diversification Canada.
From 2018-2020 Janet was the Associate Deputy Minister at Public Services and Procurement Canada, where she was responsible for Laboratories Canada, an initiative to revitalize federal science laboratories. Prior to that, she was President of the Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency, contributing to economic development across Canada’s three territories, and Assistant Deputy Minister of the Northern Affairs Organization at Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs, where she led work to devolve northern lands and resource governance and to establish the Canadian High Arctic Research Station.
Janet is currently Chairperson with the Board of Directors at Polar Knowledge Canada (POLAR) / Savoir polaire Canada (POLAR) and Chairperson for NSERC PermafrostNet, as well as being a member of the Board of Directors for the Canadian Science Policy Centre. She is also a Fellow of the Royal Canadian Geographical Society and an International Fellow with the Explorers’ Club.
Debora Bielecki
Global Innovation Leader in Commercialization, Transformation (merger integration), Patent-Pending Inventor in Artificial Intelligence
Debora Bielecki is an experienced Board Director, an advisor to early-stage businesses, a mentor, a Canadian Leader at Sea alumni with the Royal Canadian Navy and was inducted into the Marquis Who’s Who Biographical Registry in 2021. She currently serves on the Board for the Bank of Canada and Canadian Light Source.
As the CEO at Bielecki & Associates, a management consulting firm, Debora advises organizations on strategies where technology, data and analytics are required for strategic business decisions. Previously, she was a global executive at Hewlett-Packard Worldwide and has led teams in North America, Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Asia. Ms. Bielecki is a patent-pending inventor, having designed and deployed a predictive analytics solution that uses cloud computing and big data to provide businesses with unprecedented insight when making strategic decisions; the team she led won the Technology Services Innovation award in 2014.
Debora has participated as a panelist, moderator, and keynote speaker at events including the Rhyze Ventures, Blakes Cassels, and Graydon. She is the former co-chair for Springboard Enterprises Canada, which empowers women-led businesses, regional ambassador for Women Get On Board, and a member of the West Deane Restoration Effort.
Serge Desgreniers
Full Professor, Assistant Chair, Academic (Undergraduate Studies) for the Department of Physics, University of Ottawa
Serge Desgreniers’s research is focused on the measurement and understanding of the physical properties of material submitted to extreme pressure and temperature conditions, the experimental study of pressure-induced solid-to-solid phase transitions, the synthesis and study of novel ultra-hard materials, the synthesis and study of dense gas hydrates, and the development of new methods to probe materials submitted to extreme conditions.
Serge received his PhD from Cornell University. He has over 35 years of research experience in the physics of condensed matter at extreme conditions, with a particular interest in dense molecular systems and instrumentation. He has used laser light scattering and synchrotron radiation to carry out various infrared spectroscopic and X-ray scattering experiments for the study of phase transitions and physical properties of dense solids. Serge has been a synchrotron radiation user at various facilities around the world (CHESS, APS, ESRF, and SPring-8) and a regular user and beam team member at the Canadian Light Source (CLS) since 2006.
Alba Guarne
Professor, Department of Biochemistry; Associate Dean and Director, School of Biomedical Sciences; and Canada Research Chair at McGill University
Alba Guarne’s research is focused on understanding how proteins determine the fate of DNA during chromosome replication and repair. In particular, she’s interested in how regulatory proteins orchestrate the stabilization of damaged replication forks with DNA repair and forks restart.
Since most of the proteins that regulate these processes lack a measurable enzymatic activity, Alba’s research is aimed at seeing how they work using a broad range of structural biology techniques. She and her team are combining structural information with biochemical and genetic analysis to understand at a molecular level the functions of these proteins.
Peter Gurnham
Former Nova Scotia Utility and Review Board, Board Chair
Peter Gurnham was appointed as a member of the Nova Scotia Utility and Review Board on June 5, 2003 and then as chair on October 23, 2004; he retired from this board on March 1, 2022.
Peter holds bachelor’s degrees in Economics and Law from Dalhousie University in Halifax and was appointed as a Queen’s Counsel in 1998. Prior to his appointment to the CLS Board, he practised law for 27 years with a regional Atlantic Canada law firm (Cox & Palmer), where he specialized in administrative and regulatory law, and was managing partner for nine years. Peter also had an active municipal and planning law practice.
He is a Past Chair of CAMPUT, Canada’s Energy and Utility Regulators. Peter is a frequent speaker at conferences and seminars and is former Co-Chair of the annual Energy Regulation Course sponsored by CAMPUT at Queens University. Peter has been active in many community and charitable groups and is a recipient of several awards in recognition of his service to the community.
Kari Harvey
Chief Executive Officer, Innovation Saskatchewan
Kari Harvey is CEO of Innovation Saskatchewan; in her role she works with community partners to nurture an environment that supports the success of startup tech companies in the province, and with the research community to maximize Saskatchewan’s research and commercialization interests.
Over her 29-year career in Saskatchewan’s public service, she has served as Director of the Agri-business Development Branch in the Ministry of Agriculture, Executive Director of Capital and Regional Services with the Ministry of Health, and Assistant Deputy Minister, International Relations and Protocol, with Executive Council and Office of the Premier as. Kari is currently a board member with the Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization (VIDO), and Saskatchewan’s first tech incubator, Co.Labs. In fall 2020, she was appointed to the NRC-IRAP Advisory Council.
Jean-Claude Kieffer
Directeur, Institut national de la recherche scientifique (INRS) Varennes, QC
Jean-Claude Kieffer is currently a full professor at INRS. He has held the Canada Research Chair (Tier I) in Ultrafast Photonics applied to complex stystems since 2002. Jean-Clause has been the PI and the director (2002-2006) of the Advanced Laser Light Source (ALLS) national facility installed in Varennes and the Director of INRS Energy-Material-Telecommunication center (INRS-EMT) from 2006 to 2011.
He has been deeply engaged in the scientific community for more than 20 years through NSERC, the CRC program, ACFAS, AERES/CNRS (France) and is member/chair of several international scientific advisory panels. Jean-Claude is currently member of the board of the Canadian Light Source and science and technology advisor for laser and optics for the President of the Aquitaine Region Council. His research interests include plasma physics, ultrafast lasers, ultrafast and high intensity laser-matter interaction, ultrafast x-ray sources and their applications to health sciences, dynamic imaging of complex systems, and particle acceleration. His general goal is bringing systems based on ultrafast high power laser technology into the world for users. He has a H number of 47 and 8918 citations (4375 since 2009).
Tamara Korassa
Partner, Reynolds Mirth Richards & Farmer LLP
Tamara Korassa is a partner with the law firm of Reynolds Mirth Richards & Farmer LLP in Edmonton, Alberta. Her corporate and commercial legal practice includes advising businesses of various sizes on asset and sale transactions, secured financing, and commercial real estate. Tamara holds both a Juris Doctorate and Master of Business Administration from the University of Alberta, which give her a comprehensive and practical perspective when advising clients.
She has served as the Vice President of Labour Relations and Executive Vice President for the University of Alberta Graduate Students Association and sat on the Board of Governors Safety, Health, and Environment Committee, Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research Council and the University of Alberta Senate. Tamara has also been a sessional instructor on business law and commercial transactions at MacEwan University in Edmonton, Alberta.
Devan Mescall
Chief Financial Officer, University of Saskatchewan
Devan Mescall is the Chief Financial Officer for the University of Saskatchewan. He obtained his PhD from the University of Waterloo, and is a Chartered Accountant with the Canadian Institute of Chartered Accountants. His primary interest is in archival tax research, with a particular focus on international tax -- especially transfer pricing and the effect of taxes on capital markets and in financial accounting involving capital markets.
Devan's research has focused on the role of transfer pricing, tax shelters, and corporate tax aggressiveness in capital markets. he has taught undergraduate and graduate courses on Canadian and American federal taxation, and professional courses involving taxation and financial accounting for the Ontario Institute of Chartered Accountant.
Baljit Singh
Vice-President Research, University of Saskatchewan
Baljit Singh is a highly accomplished researcher, educator and administrator in the field of veterinary medicine, with specific expertise in lung biology and anatomy. He began his role as Vice-President Research at the University of Saskatchewan in 2021, after serving as Dean of the University of Calgary Faculty of Veterinary Medicine (2016–2021), and as Associate Dean of Research at the Western College of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Saskatchewan (2011–2016).
Baljit's formal education includes a Bachelor of Veterinary Science and Animal Husbandry (BVSc and AH) and Master of Veterinary Science (MVSc) from Punjab Agricultural University in Punjab; a PhD from the University of Guelph; post-doctoral training at Texas A&M University and Columbia University, New York. He completed licensing requirements set by the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association (CVMA) and American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) for foreign veterinary graduates.
Baljit has received the 3M National Teaching Fellowship, the University of Saskatchewan’s Provost’s Prize for Innovative Practice of Teaching and Learning, University of Saskatchewan Master Teacher Award, and the Carl J. Norden Distinguished Teacher Award. He has also received the Outstanding Veterinary Anatomist Award from the American Association of Veterinary Anatomists, as well as the Pfizer Award for Research Excellence. In 2013 he was named a fellow of the American Association of Anatomists.
His research has focused on cell and molecular biology of lung inflammation. He is the author or co-author of more than 90 peer-reviewed journal articles and books, and has supervised the research training of more than 80 undergraduate, graduate, and postdoctoral students.
David Stuewe
Professor of Public Administration, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS
David Stuewe has a research focus on public sector governance and the role of government in economic development. In addition to teaching at Dalhousie, he co-ordinates the RSBconnect initiative, a program that links the business school with businesses in the community.
David has held senior public service positions including 11 years as CEO of the WCB of NS, and in Saskatchewan served in the Departments of Finance, Northern Saskatchewan, Intergovernmental Affairs and Consumer & Commercial Relations. He is Chair of Segelberg Trust and the YMCA’s Big Cove Camp Advisory Committee. David is also currently a member of Parks Canada’s Audit Committee and the Board of Governors of Commissioners Nova Scotia. He has served on community, national, and international boards and advisory bodies.
Thomas (Tom) Tiedje
Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Victoria, BC
Tom Tiedje served as Dean of Engineering at the University of Victoria from 2008 to 2018 and is currently Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering. Before joining UVic he was a faculty member in Physics and Astronomy, and Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of British Columbia. From 1997-2002 Tom served as Head of Physics and Astronomy at UBC, and from 1994-1997 as founding Director of the Advanced Materials and Process Engineering Lab, an interdisciplinary materials research lab at UBC.
From 1977-1987 he worked as a research staff member and group head at the Corporate Research Lab of Exxon Research and Engineering Company in New Jersey. He received his PhD (1977) and MSc (1975) in Physics from the University of British Columbia and his BASc (1973) in Engineering Science from the University of Toronto.
Tom’s primary research interest is in the area of epitaxial semiconductor film growth. He has carried out experiments with soft x-rays at the NSLS, the Synchrotron Radiation Center in Wisconsin, the Advanced Light Source and at BESSY. He has served on the CLS Users’ Advisory Committee, including a term as chair. From 2001-2007 he served as co-founder and secretary-treasurer of the BC Synchrotron Institute, an organization that was instrumental in coordinating the first beamline proposals from BC, at the CLS.
Tom is a Fellow of the American Physical Society, the Royal Society of Canada, the Canadian Academy of Engineering and the Canadian Society of Senior Engineers. He has won several awards, including the Herzberg Prize of the Canadian Association of Physicists, the NSERC Steacie Fellowship, and the UBC Faculty of Applied Science Dean’s Medal of Distinction.
Tony Van Burgsteden
Vice-President, Finance, Federated Co-operatives Limited (FCL), SK
Tony Van Burgsteden is Vice-President, Finance of Federated Co-operatives Limited (FCL). He is responsible for all aspects of the finance, accounting, tax and audit services functions of the enterprise.
Tony joined FCL in April 2015 as Associate Vice-President Controls and Reporting. Before that he was the Vice-President Finance and Chief Financial Officer for AREVA Resources Canada Inc., where he also served in a number of progressively more responsible positions in the Finance Department. Tony has experience with many joint venture operations, major projects, technology systems and corporate social responsibility including government relations and First Nations relationships.
Tony has been active in the business community and is a Past President of the Greater Saskatoon Chamber of Commerce, where he served as its President in 2014-15. Tony has also served as a long-term board member of Junior Achievement of Saskatchewan and several other community organizations. He is a CPA, CA, and a CFA.
Jennifer Van Wijngaarden
Full Professor, Research Stream Chair - Department of Chemistry, York University
Jennifer van Wijngaarden has been a faculty member at York University since August 2022. Her research group, regular users of CLS’s Far-IR beamline, employ state-of-the-art spectroscopic techniques in the microwave through infrared regions to probe the energy landscape of molecules. Before coming to York she was a professor in the Department of Chemistry at the University of Manitoba, where she oversaw the graduate program.
Jennifer received her B.Sc. Honours (Chemistry) from Western University in 1997, then went on to complete her PhD at the University of Alberta in 2002. Following a NSERC-funded postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Basel (Switzerland) in 2004, she joined the faculty at Mount Holyoke College -- a women’s liberal arts institution in Massachusetts -- where she began her career as a teacher, researcher, and mentor to the next generation of scientists.
In 2005, Jennifer had her first exposure to synchrotron science through a six-week stay in Saskatoon working at the Far-IR beamline in its early stages of operation. When the opportunity arose to return to Canada the following year, she accepted a position at University of Manitoba.
John Wright
Professor of Economics and Public Policy, University of Regina
During his 40-year career in the public sector, John served as the Deputy Minister of Finance and the Deputy Minister of Health for the Government of Saskatchewan. He also was appointed as the President and CEO of several Crown corporations, including the Saskatchewan Power Corporation, Crown Investments Corporation, and Saskatchewan Government Insurance.
Most recently, John was working in Ottawa as the CEO of the Canadian Institute for Health Information in Ottawa.
Over the years, John has served on a number of board and commissions including the Canadian Mental Health Commission, the Canadian Electricity Association, the Canadian Patient Safety Institute, Casino Regina, CIC Industrial Interests Inc., and the board of governors of the University of Saskatchewan and the University of Regina.
In the late 1990s, he was the Government of Saskatchewan’s lead negotiator for the establishment of the Canadian Light Source at the University of Saskatchewan. John is the recipient of the Saskatchewan Centennial Medal and the Queen’s Gold Jubilee Medal for contributions to Saskatchewan.