Over the summer, the PiDC Alliance team said good-bye to Post-Doctoral Fellow Dr. Jennifer Gillies, who has begun a new position as the Executive Director at The Alzheimer Society of Kitchener Waterloo. In her place, the PiDC Alliance welcomes Dr. Darla Fortune as a new Post-Doctoral Fellow. Dr. Fortune holds a doctorate from the University of Waterloo’s Department of Recreation and Leisure Studies and brings to the team strong skills in conducting participatory action research. In her new position, Darla will assume a position on the PiDC research team for the Huron County CCC and assist all four Culture Change Coalition sites in facilitating the Appreciative Inquiry process. Contact Darla at dbfortun@uwaterloo.ca or 519-888-4567, ext. 36844
Knowledge Translation Specialist Zara Rafferty has also moved on from the PiDC Alliance team. In her place, we welcome Dr. Sacha Geer. Dr. Geer holds a doctorate in Cultural Anthropology from McMaster University and is an experienced educator and communicator specializing in supporting diverse groups. In her role, Sacha will support Culture Change Coalitions at all four sites by working with the research team to develop tools and resources for each phase of the Appreciative Inquiry project. Sacha will also make PiDC Alliance findings, initiatives and progress accessible to the public through the newsletter, online and elsewhere. Contact Sacha at sgeer@uwaterloo.ca or 519-888-4567, ext 35280.