Meet the Staff

Assistant Director, English Language Institute

• Elizabeth Matthews oversees all of the programs at the Renison English Language Institute.

• Elizabeth also supervises the instructors who help you improve your English and prepare you for academic studies in an educational institution.

• Elizabeth can be contacted by email at elizabeth.matthews@uwaterloo.ca.

English Language Institute (ELI) Peer Leader

Zainab Ali (she/her) is the first person in her family to study abroad! She has lived in Renison for over one year and has studied in the English for Academic Success (EFAS) and Intensive Bridge to Academic Success in English (iBASE) programs in the past! She loves connecting with new people and exploring Waterloo and Ontario!

English Language Institute (ELI) Peer Leader

Zayyan Ali (he/him) is a Faculty of Arts student majoring in Psychology and Social Development Studies! He loves playing video games and is always happy to talk about games like Pokemon and Overwatch, or to learn about new games to try! He is always happy to make new friends and learn about different cultures and languages!

English Language Institute (ELI) Peer Leader

Tianyu Qiu (she/her) has played a big part in the Renison community working as both a peer leader and a Moose Tracks Connection Desk Assistant. She loves making new friends, taking care of her two rescue cats, and getting involved on campus and in the community.

Administrative Assistant

• Michele Parrott is Renison ELI's Administrative Assistant.

• Michele, or as we in the ELI Office call her, "The Boss", is our Jacqueline-of-all-trades; she manages individual student applications, drafts Letters of Acceptance, and helps students with tuition and fee payments.

• Michele assists with orientation and student placement testing, and works behind-the-scenes to keep Renison ELI running like clockwork!

• Email Michele at eli@uwaterloo.ca.

Assistant Director, Student Experience and Housing

• Ryan Connell is your Assistant Director of Student Experience and Housing
• Ryan oversees the Student Experience and Housing department at Renison. Ryan also develops programming and resources to help students develop the skills necessary to succeed in their studies.
• Email Ryan at ryan.connell@uwaterloo.ca.

Student Advisor

• A.J. Dixon is your Student Advisor.

• A.J. helps students with any questions they have about English language studies, the University of Waterloo, and university life.
• A.J. hosts check-in meetings with students in our BASE, EFAS, and GOALS programs to see how they are adjusting to student life and share helpful resources.
• A.J. also hosts 1-on-1 Meet-Ups to helps students build their time management skills, organizational skills, study skills, and more!
• Email A.J. at aj.dixon@uwaterloo.ca.

Student Experience Coordinator

• Thalia Criollo is your Student Experience Coordinator.
• Thalia helps create an inclusive and welcoming environment for our ELI students through events, programming, and 1-on-1 meetings while overseeing our ELI Peer Leaders.
• Thalia is happy to meet you to practice English and support you in Spanish if needed, as well as navigate culture shock and adjust to new environments.
• Thalia began her journey at Waterloo studying English at the ELI and has since taken on many leadership roles at Renison, making her a great resource for getting involved at Renison and UWaterloo!
• Email Thalia at tscrioll@uwaterloo.ca.

Student Experience Coordinator

• Stefany Kraft is your Student Experience Coordinator.

• Stefany helps plan events and activities for both ELI and UWaterloo students in the Renison community.
• Stefany studied Social Development Studies (SDS) and Social Work at Renison, so she is a great person to speak to if you want to learn more about Renison and UWaterloo!
• Stefany is very happy to meet with ELI students to practice their English or learn about wellness strategies.
• Email Stefany at s2kraft@uwaterloo.ca.

Administrative Officer

• Andrea Brandt is Renison ELI's Administrative Officer.

• Andrea works with international universities and colleges to register larger groups of students for our programs.
• Andrea also works with Ryan, Michele, and Jen to assist international groups with any special needs or services they may require while they study with Renison ELI.
• Andrea helps with many behind-the-scenes services for all our programs, such as library accounts and gym passes.
• Email Andrea at andrea.brandt@uwaterloo.ca.

Housing Manager

• Jennifer Burton is Renison's Housing Manager.

• Jennifer, or "Jen" as we call her, helps students with residence accommodations at Renison, other campus dormitories, as well as off-campus housing options like homestay and private apartments.

• Email Jen at jennifer.burton@uwaterloo.ca.

Administrative Assistant

• Laura Mutton is the Administrative Assistant for Renison Student Experience and Housing (SEAH).

• Laura can help you with questions about Renison Residence, homestay accommodations, and Student Experience events and activities.

• Email Laura at laura.mutton@uwaterloo.ca.

Chaplain

• Rev. Scott McLeod is the Chaplain at Renison University College.
• Scott is a friendly face and a safe space to talk about anything and everything. Scott enjoys talking about spiritual questions, but you don’t have to talk about religion unless you want to. 
• Some of the most popular things Scott likes to help with include mental health wellness and strategies to improve your well-being as a university student, including managing stress
• Email Scott at scott.mcleod@uwaterloo.ca 

Renison's Lovable Mascot

• He's the Moose with the Most! That's right, Renison's very own mascot, Reni Moose, is the life of the party, and he loves welcoming new Renison students both in-person and online!

• Reni doesn't have email, but he loves to make special guest appearances on social media (What can we say? He loves selfies!). Keep an eye on Renison's social media accounts to see if everyone's favourite moose has something special to share that day.