Dr. Jessica Riddell - Adjunct Professor
Dr. Jessica Riddell is an entrepreneurial academic leader responsible for translating a bold academic vision of inter-institutional collaborations into high-impact initiatives, including those related to academic programming, research and innovation, teaching and learning, and educational leadership.
As Executive Director of the Maple League she works closely with university presidents and provosts across Canada. She sets strategy and objectives and builds relationships with internal and external partners and oversees complex strategic planning, identifies external funding opportunities, manages complex budgets and allocates funds, and designs Maple League curricular and co-curricular programming.
This work also requires Dr. Riddell to engage with other sectors, including industry, community agencies, and government. Under her leadership, the Maple League coordinates research clusters and collaborations, experiential and work-integrated learning, supports inclusive pedagogies and high impact practices, and designs programming to enhance excellence in undergraduate education. She has designed and overseen a several Maple League signature initiatives, including a virtual teaching and learning centre (that serves 100+ universities and 2000+ participants), EDID-focused professional development, a transformative work-integrated learning program (Online Learning and Technology Consultants), and support for domestic mobility through shared courses across the four universities.
An award-winning educator and scholar, she has published on Shakespeare, institutional culture change, Inter-institutional collaborations, experiential learning, and inclusive high impact practices.
Her most recent book, with collaborators Dr. Lisa Dickson and Dr. Shannon Murray, is called Shakespeare's Guide to Life, Hope, and Learning (UTP 2023).
Dr. Riddell received the William and Nancy Turner Teaching Award (2012), 3M National Teaching Fellowship (2015), the D2L Innovation Award (2022), The Forces Avenir Engaged Faculty Award (2022) as well as recognition for her public scholarship. She holds the Jarislowsky Chair of Undergraduate Teaching Excellence.
Dr. Riddell's forthcoming book (under contract with McGill-Queen's University Press), is titled Hope Circuits: Rewiring Universities and other Organizations at a Systems-Level.
Dr. Riddell is currently working on book projects that include: 1. Wyrd Thinking for Wicked Problems, 2. Mentorship and Metaphor in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, 3. The Rhetoric of Hope