Meet Our Advisory Committee
Pat Macintosh
Pat is a Vocational Rehabilitation Counsellor and Career Development Professional experienced in providing services and supports to people with disabilities. Pat works to promote equity, diversity and inclusion in the workplace as well as in the community. Pat has maintained certification as a Canadian Certified Rehabilitation Counselor (CCRC) since 1999 and is also a Registered Rehabilitation Professional (RRP), Certified Vocational Rehabilitation Professional (CVRP) as well as a Certified Career Development Professional (CCDP) with a Bachelor of Arts degree in English and Psychology.
Amanda Manning
Amanda is an Accessibility Specialist at Bishop’s University where she works with students with a wide array of disabilities to support them throughout their academic journey. Passionate about learning, equitable education and social justice, she brings awareness and advocacy on campus for students living with disabilities. Amanda has a MSc from the University of Waterloo and is currently pursuing her MEd from the University of Calgary.
Michelle Maroto
Michelle is a professor in the Sociology Department at the University of
Alberta. She joined the department in 2012 after completing her PhD at the University of Washington. Her general research interests include social stratification and policy; race, class, and gender inequality; credit and labor markets; economic sociology; organizations; and quantitative and qualitative methods.
Alan Santinele Martino
Dr. Alan Martino s a faculty member in the Community Rehabilitation and
Disability Studies program in the Department of Community Health Sciences at the University of Calgary. His main research interests are in critical disability studies, gender and sexualities; feminist and critical disability studies theories; qualitative and community-based research (particularly participatory and inclusive research methodologies). His doctoral research examined the romantic and sexual lives of adults with intellectual disabilities in Ontario, Canada, by putting into conversation theories from both the sociology of sexualities and the field of critical disability studies. His current research project explores the intimate lives of 2SLGBTQ+ disabled people in Alberta. His work has been published in journals, including Disability Studies Quarterly, Canadian Disability Studies Journal, and Culture, Health and Sexuality, as well as edited volumes focused on disability and/or sexualities studies. He is the former co-lead for the Sociology of Disability Research Cluster at the Canadian Sociological Association, as well as the current co-lead for the emerging Disability and Intimate Citizenship Research and Advocacy Hub.
Shanon Phelan
Dr. Shanon Phelan is an associate professor with the School of Occupational Therapy at Dalhousie University. Dr. Phelan’s program of research focuses on understanding and improving opportunities for inclusion, belonging, and voice for children and youth who experience disability and their families. Her programming is informed by clinical experience working with children and families experiencing disability in schools and communities, and a trajectory of research in childhood disability. Dr. Phelan uses a disability justice approach and draws heavily on critical disability and feminist theories to illuminate inequities and injustices experienced by the disability community.
Cloe Zamora
Cloe Zamora (she/they) is a fourth-year International Student at Bishop’s University from Mexico, pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Psychology with a concentration in Neuroscience and minoring in Fine Arts. She has been creating space for students in her various roles. Cloe fights for change in her university, ensuring it becomes more equitable and inclusive. As the President of Alpha Phi Women’s Fraternity, she changed the laws to ensure inclusivity and break through gender normativity commonly found in sororities. Cloe has also given a voice to international and neurodivergent students in her role as a Peer Supporter in BUnited. One of her core beliefs is that people need to feel seen and heard and have the space to express themselves. She uses this belief in everything she does and collaborates closely with university staff to give students the best resources they deserve.
