Board of Directors & Team
Our Board is made up of individuals who are passionate about increasing the number of First Nations, Métis, and Inuit students graduating from STEM programs in Canada — putting in countless hours to achieve that goal.
Staff
The people running the program day to day.
Neil Chowdhury is the Executive Director of the Verna J. Kirkness Education Foundation. He has been with the Foundation since 2019, when he joined as a summer student, and stepped into the Executive Director role in October 2025.
He leads the Foundation’s national operations — from program delivery across partner universities to fundraising, governance, and partnerships with the schools and communities the Foundation serves.
He is happiest when he is making something run better, and much of his work has gone into the systems behind the program, so that more of the Foundation’s time and resources reach students rather than paperwork.
Teassa MacMartin is an Indigenous woman and mother, born and raised in Winnipeg. She is a proud member of Brokenhead Ojibway Nation of Treaty 1 Territory.
She completed her BSc in Biological Sciences at the University of Manitoba in 2020. During her undergraduate degree she became deeply invested in research related to water quality in First Nations communities, working with Dr. Karen Brassinga in the Department of Microbiology. Teassa stayed on with Dr. Brassinga as a research assistant and then as a graduate student, and is currently completing her PhD in Microbiology. She has presented her work at national and international conferences, with numerous publications out and in progress.
Throughout both degrees Teassa has prioritized outreach with a focus on Indigenous peoples in science — mentorship through the VJKF Program, term-based mentorship and presentations for the Science Co-op program, hiring and training students for the Indigenous Summer Student Internship program, and working with Wawatay within the Faculty of Science.
Through these initiatives she connects with young Indigenous people to learn about their experiences in academia while sharing her own. By fostering potential, she hopes to instill confidence and encourage entry into post-secondary science and research — inspiring Indigenous youth to go on and do the same.
Board of Directors
Select anyone below to read their full biography.
A lifelong advocate of Indigenous education, Verna Kirkness has created new learning opportunities for Canada’s Indigenous people through her work as a teacher, counselor, consultant and professor. She is a member of the Fisher River Cree Nation in Manitoba.
As the first education director for what is now the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs and the Assembly of First Nations, she played a pivotal role in the development of the MIB’s position paper, Wahbung: Our Tomorrows, and the 1972 landmark policy of Indian Control of Indian Education. As a professor at the University of British Columbia, she worked to extend new programs, support services and cultural enrichment to Indigenous students.
She has written and edited nine books, including her autobiography Creating Space, and has published extensively in academic journals. Her honours include the Order of Canada (1998), the Order of Manitoba (2007), the Queen’s Jubilee Medal (2003), six honorary doctorates, Canadian Educator of the Year (1990), and a National Aboriginal Achievement Award (1994).
To reach Dr. Kirkness, please email info@vjkf.org.
DeDe DeRose is a prominent advocate for Indigenous student success and a respected leader in Canadian education. Born in Williams Lake to a Secwepemc family and a member of the Esketemc First Nation, DeDe has dedicated her life to advancing Indigenous education, leadership, and opportunity.
She earned a Bachelor of Education from UBC’s Indigenous Teacher Education Program (NITEP) in 1981, followed by a Diploma in Education in 1990, and completed the Ts’kel Master’s Program at UBC in 1993 — an Indigenous-centred graduate program grounded in decolonizing scholarship.
DeDe taught for nine years in the Cariboo Chilcotin School District before becoming a principal in the Kamloops/Thompson School District, where she served for nearly two decades. In 2012 she was appointed British Columbia’s first Superintendent of Aboriginal Achievement within the Ministry of Education — a role created to close the graduation gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous students.
In 2024, DeDe was formally installed as Chancellor of Thompson Rivers University in Kamloops. She continues to lead with the values championed by Dr. Verna J. Kirkness: Respect, Relevance, Reciprocity, and Responsibility.
Mr. MacGillivray is a resident of Winnipeg, Manitoba. He received his BSc. from St. Francis Xavier University in 1996.
Tyson is the Area 3 Superintendent of the Frontier School Division. Prior to this, he was a teacher, vice-principal and principal in the Shamattawa Education Authority.
He chairs the School Advisory Committee for the Foundation and was instrumental in the recruitment of program participants from Winnipeg high schools.
Laura Buller graduated in 2014 with her Bachelor of Education from the University of Winnipeg’s Community-based Aboriginal Teacher Education Program (CATEP).
She is a high school support teacher in the Winnipeg School Division, working in a program that builds foundational relationships with students and supports both their academic and social-emotional needs. She mentors Indigenous students enrolled in a teacher development program as they transition to post-secondary education.
Through her advocacy for Indigenous students in the classroom and throughout the community, she has received the Premier’s Award for Excellence in Education and Indspire’s Guiding the Journey: Indigenous Educator Award as a role model.
Dr. Carrie Selin, a Red River Métis woman, is the Wawatay Academic Programming Lead at the University of Manitoba’s Faculty of Science. With a background in Microbiology (PhD, 2012), she is dedicated to advancing Indigenous student success in science through culturally meaningful education and mentorship.
She has developed and taught courses that integrate Indigenous knowledge with Western science using a “two-eyed seeing” approach, honouring Indigenous contributions to scientific knowledge and offering students a holistic learning experience.
Her efforts extend beyond the university, engaging with Manitoba schools and organizations such as the Verna J. Kirkness Education Foundation and Let’s Talk Science. Her work is informed by her Métis heritage, which she shares with her two sons.
Pamela Pittman is an accomplished fundraising professional with nearly two decades of experience in development and advancement within the education sector. As a Development Officer at the University of British Columbia’s Faculty of Education, she builds meaningful relationships with donors, secures major gifts, and advances strategic fundraising initiatives that support students, faculty, and research priorities.
A proud Red River Métis, Pamela is deeply committed to Indigenous education and community development. She has served on the Indigenous Advisory Committee at Kwantlen Polytechnic University and has held leadership roles within the Métis Nation of BC. She has also volunteered with organizations supporting Indigenous arts, education, and youth empowerment.
Prior to joining UBC, Pamela worked in development roles at Kwantlen Polytechnic University, the Surrey School District, and Kla-how-eya Aboriginal Centre. Her expertise includes grant writing, donor stewardship, and philanthropic engagement strategy.
Interested in supporting our work?
Our board and our mentors give their time. Your gift covers the travel, residence, and meals that make the week free for every student.