The University of Lethbridge is proud to announce the first recipients of its Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Scholars program, Drs. Glenda Bonifacio, Sandra Dixon and Roy Golsteyn (BASc (BSc) '84).

The program was established in 2021 and is designed to acknowledge and support individuals involved in EDI work at the scholarly level. The scholars will be engaging in projects that advance the University’s EDI priorities and, when completed, share the information with the broader campus community.

“We are so pleased to recognize these exceptional scholars and assist them in their EDI work,” says Martha Mathurin-Moe, the U of L’s EDI executive director. “The projects they will undertake demonstrate a breadth of EDI work that will benefit the entire campus community.”

Bonifacio (women and gender studies) plans to examine equity in international graduate students’ education and training at the U of L. She will analyze current policies, practices and training to determine the gaps that may exist for international graduate students from different faculties. In addition, her project will explore the outcomes of these gaps in policy and practice and recommend strategies to create a more integrated equity framework for international graduate students.

“Equity in international graduate education and training at the University of Lethbridge is a critical point of enquiry as a comprehensive university,” says Bonifacio. “I seek to examine equity towards international graduate students as a thrust in governance, administration, support and programming. In addition, I will explore gaps in policy and practice across faculties, perceived outcomes through student consultations and create a pilot EDI training module. I will also offer recommendations for a more integrated equity framework.” 

“As an EDI scholar, the project I am undertaking aims to shed light on the lived experiences of women in the academy who self-identify as Black, Indigenous and Women of Colour (BIWOC),” says Dixon. “Given our current national and international socio-political milieu, I strongly believe this work is warranted and timely. This award will afford me the opportunity to create a culturally safe space for racialized women — who are often silenced, dismissed, excluded, underrepresented, misrepresented, and/or misunderstood in the academic discourse — to share their stories.”

Golsteyn’s (biological sciences) project, called EDI Pharm, will help students connect scientific and

“Through our research on the chemicals from plants in the Prairie to Pharmacy Program, we have learned that our classical scientific approach provides an incomplete view,” says Golsteyn. “There are other ways to view our natural world that cannot be taken; they must be offered, earned and shared. My research laboratory embraces this approach of investigating nature and I’m working to ensure it’s sustainable and accessible to all U of L students.”