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Curriculum Vitae

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Jess Mitchell

Toronto, ON, Canada

(dual citizen Canada and USA)

jessmitchell@gmail.com

https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5873-2170

Research & Practice Interests:

Ethics > Pedagogy > Communities > Inclusive Design > Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility

Education:

Thomas Jefferson University

PhD Candidate, ABD, Department of Architecture & Design, SMARTlab.

Pedagogy of One: Designing an Inclusive Pedagogy That Prioritizes Individual Voice

A pedagogical approach aimed at elevating student voices and creating an environment for transformational learning.

2023-expected May 2025

University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN.

Master of Arts, Department of Philosophy.

Full fellowship. Modern Ethics, Social + Political Philosophy.

1997-1999

Tulane University, New Orleans, LA.

Bachelor of Arts, Department of Philosophy,

Minor Political Science + Sociology

1993-1997

Academic Positions

OCAD University, School of Graduate Studies, Toronto, ON

Adjunct Professor in Inclusive Design (MDes) programme

2020-current

Courses

  1. The Difference: developing an inclusive design practice.
  2. Developing a pedagogical practice that blends Philosophy, Psychology, Design, Disability Studies, Sociology, Education, etc.
  3. Focusing class topics on design for inclusion through diversity and equity.
  4. Maintaining an emphasis on ethics.
  5. Inclusive Art, Design & Community
    • Explore communities that form, grow, change, and end over history.Examine controversies in Art and Museum practices.Learn how to conduct co-design and critique it.
    • Form a community of practice.

University of Victoria, Victoria, BC

Instructor, Faculty of Education Department of Curriculum, and Instruction

2021-current

Courses

  • Learning Design for Technology-Mediated Environments
  • Distributed and Online Learning

Wilfrid Laurier University, Waterloo, ON

Instructor, Faculty of Design

2019-2022

Courses

  • Diversity and Inclusivity in Design

Duke University, Durham, NC, USA

Adjunct Professor, John Hope Franklin Center for Interdisciplinary and International Studies

2005-2008

Courses

  • Information Science + Information Studies (ISIS) interdisciplinary certificate. Capstone project-based course
  • Structured course as a start-up organization where students planned and built a project.

University of Minnesota (Twin Cities), MN, USA

Lecturer, Department of Philosophy

1997-1999

Courses

  • Introduction to Philosophy,
  • Logic,
  • Political Philosophy,
  • Ethics.

Student Supervision:

  • OCAD University MDes students

2015 – present

  • SPARC Fellow Mentor

2019

  • Ontario High School Coop Students

2016, 2017, 2018

  • Google Summer of Code (mentee won Google Women Tech Maker Scholarship award in Asia/Pacific)

2017-2018

Publications:

  • Mitchell, J., Lo, L., Scheuhammer, J., Treviranus, J., Spence, R. (2024). Framework for Accessible and Equitable Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Education. eCampus Ontario. https://openlibrary.ecampusontario.ca/item-details/#/3e12459e-1d24-4f1b-b12a-a00cd6dfd25c?k=ai%20in%20education&itemTypes=6&itemTypes=12&sortCol=2&increasePopularSearch=true
  • Mitchell, J. (November 2023). A Novel Inclusive Design Framework for Contributing to an Inclusive, Open Pedagogy. In M. Nix (Ed.), AMPS Proceedings Series 36.2: Teaching beyond the curriculum: A focus on pedagogy 2023 (pp. 57-63). AMPS (Architecture Media Politics Society). https://amps-research.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Amps-Proceedings-Series-36.2.pdf
  • Mitchell, J. (2023). What is Co-design? Design for All Institute of India Journal, 18(7), 9-17.
  • Killam, L., Chumbley, L., Kohonen, S., Stauffer , J., & Mitchell, J. (2023). Co-Creation During a Course: A Critical Reflection on Opportunities for Co-Learning. The Open/Technology in Education, Society, and Scholarship Association Journal, 3(1), 1–12. https://doi.org/10.18357/otessaj.2023.3.1.43
  • Killam, L., & Mitchell, J. (2022, April). A Critical Examination of Learner-Educator Co-Creation Within a Course. In The Open/Technology in Education, Society, and Scholarship Association Conference.
  • Learning to be Human Together. Published February 28, 2022. https://ecampusontario.pressbooks.pub/onhumanlearn/
  • Mitchell, Jess. “Chapter 31: The Tyranny of “Clear” Thinking.” Open At the Margins. Published 2020. Consulted November 24, 2020. https://press.rebus.community/openatthemargins/
  • Mitchell, J., and J. Treviranus. “Chapter 4 – Inclusive Design in Ecosystems A2 – Vimarlund, Vivian.” E-Health Two-Sided Markets. Academic Press, 2017. 43–61. Web.
  • Clark, C., Mitchell, J., Shahi, S., Stolarick, K., Trevinarus, J., Vanderheiden, G., & Vimarlund, V. (2017). “Use Model for a User Centred Design in Multidisciplinary Teams.” Studies in health technology and informatics, 242, (pp. 1063-1066).
  • Shahi, S., J Mitchell, D Ayotte. D103.1 Foundational Design for Prosperity4All. Prosperity4All EU project, FP7-610510, 2016.
  • Mitchell, J., K Stolarick, S Shahi, V Vimarlund. D404. 1 Prosperity4All prosperity indicators, data analytics and usage metrics design and modelling tools. Prosperity4All EU project, FP7-610510, 2016.
  • Cheetham, A., Ayotte, D., Hung, J., Vass, J., Clark, C., Mitchell, J. & Treviranus, J. (2014) Accessible Metadata Generation. Springer International Publishing, 101-110.
  • Treviranus, J., Clark, C., Mitchell, J., & Vanderheiden, G. C. (2014). “Prosperity4All–Designing a Multi-Stakeholder Network for Economic Inclusion.” In Universal Access in Human-Computer Interaction. Design for All and Accessibility Practice (pp. 453-461). Springer International Publishing.
  • Treviranus, J., Mitchell, J., Clark, C., & Roberts, V. (2014). “An Introduction to the FLOE Project.” In Universal Access in Human-Computer Interaction. Universal Access to Information and Knowledge (pp. 454-465). Springer International Publishing.
  • Schwerdtfeger, R., Vanderheiden, G. C., Treviranus, J., Clark, C., Mitchell, J., Petrides, L., & Brennan, M. (2014). “PGA: Preferences for Global Access.” In Universal Access in Human-Computer Interaction. Design for All and Accessibility Practice (pp. 325-336). Springer International Publishing.
  • Cheetham, A., Ayotte, D., Hung, J., Vass, J., Clark, C., Mitchell, J., & Treviranus, J. (2014). “Accessible Metadata Generation.” In Universal Access in Human-Computer Interaction. Universal Access to Information and Knowledge (pp. 101-110). Springer International Publishing.

Self-Published Works:

  • Can Trust be Built Online? A Journey Toward Creating Brave Spaces., Medium, January 25, 2023
  • What is Co-Design?, Medium; August 16, 2021
  • An Attempt to Disrupt Education (3 parts), Medium; March 16, 2021
  • Binaries, boxes, the grid, and sorting—an exploration through habit, form, function, art, and philosophy, Medium; November 18, 2019
  • ‘Open’ and ‘Inclusive’: what the heck are they?, Medium; July 3, 2019
  • ‘Open’ and ‘Inclusive’: how we get both wrong, Medium; July 2, 2019
  • Inclusive: What is it?, Medium; April 17, 2019.
  • What will it look like and feel like to do Inclusive Design? To address Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, Medium; March 4, 2019.
  • The Damage We Do: Assessment, Age of Awareness Medium; Feb 26, 2019.
  • The Ethical Edges: What is Our Tolerance for Failure? Who are we Comfortable Leaving Behind?, Medium; Age of Awareness; Feb 7, 2019.
  • Why This? Why Now?, Medium; Feb 5, 2019.
  • The Tyranny of “Clear” Thinking, Age of Awareness Medium; Feb 5, 2019.

Editor & Reviewer:

Presentations:

Selected Keynotes:

December 9, 2022.

November 2022.

November 2022.

  • CACUSS workshop pre-conference,

June 2021.

  • Centennial College “Assessment Days”

April 2021.

  • Moving beyond Talking and Planning to Doing. ProDev event Canada Life, online, October 30, 2020.
  • eLearning in Libraries Symposium, 2019, Toronto Metropolitan U, Toronto; November 2019.
  • Open Education in the Mitten: Michigan Community College Association OER meeting; Delta College, Bay City, Michigan;

October 2019.

  • Louisiana LOUIS Users Conference (LUC); Baton Rouge, LA;

October 2019.

  • Achieving the Dream coaching event; Louisville, KY;

October 2019.

  • Inclusive Design in Education. Open Textbook Network Summer Institute,

July 25, 2019

  • Cambrian College Inclusive Design. Sudbury,

May 2, 2019

  • Inclusive. Creative Mornings, Toronto,

April 12, 2019

  • How Do You Practice. Digital Pedagogy Lab Toronto, Toronto,

March 20, 2019

  • The Revolution is Now. Brock University Open Education Week, St. Catharines

March 7, 2019

  • Inclusive Design: Tools, technologies, and strategies. Centennial College, Scarborough

February 25, 2019

  • Inclusive | Design |Education. Star Symposium,

February 8, 2019

  • Inaugural meeting of #a11yHAM (Hamilton Accessibility MeetUp) Mohawk College, Hamilton,

January 24, 2019

  • Curiosity, Stream of Consciousness, Critical Thinking, and Communities of Practice. ATI New Hampshire, Manchester, NH,

January 18, 2019

  • The Ethical Edges We Build; University of Guelph Library speaker series,

November 30, 2018

  • This New Thing: Inclusive Design: Leadership and Inclusive Design in a Changing Time. Gilbert + Tobin, Sydney, Australia,

November 7, 2018

  • Tolerance for Failure: Open Education and its Ethical Edges. OpenEd Niagara, NY, October 10, 2018
  • Nothing is Neutral: Inclusive Design Thinking, Healthcare Outcomes, and the Best Way to Open a Door. Sunnybrook healthcare conference,

June 20, 2018

  • What You Measure is What You Value. Ted Rogers School of Management: Diversity and Inclusion in Corporate Leadership, Toronto,

June 12, 2018

  • Equity, Inclusion, & Diversity: questioning, reflecting, disrupting; co-presented with Mark Campbell, PhD, Ontario Museums Association: Inclusive Museum Leadership Symposium; Toronto

March 23, 2018

Podcasts & Interviews:

2018, 2019, and 2021

2018

2018

2018

2016

Workshops, Consulting, and Facilitation:

  • Macalester College, Open Pedagogy consultation including Keynote and open workshop with faculty

2023

  • Google, lululemon, IKEA workshops and consulting on Inclusive Design and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

2021-2023

  • CACUSS workshop pre-conference,

June 2021

  • University of Alaska, Fairbanks faculty seminar in making distance education inclusive and accessible during COVID-19

2020

  • Inclusive Design; Centennial College workshop;

February 2019

  • OpenStax Workshop days Presentation, Houston;

April 2019

2018

  • Curriculum Developers Affinity Group Back to Basics Conference, Inclusive Design in Curriculum

2018

  • Centre for Inclusive Design (week-long training for team); Sydney, Australia, October 2018
  • Royal Ontario Museum staff Inclusion workshop,

2018

  • Ontario Public Service 5x workshops with various departments,

2018

  • City of Toronto Museums & Heritage Services, Design Thinking workshop,

2018

  • Southern University – inclusive design in Education

2018

2018

2018

2017

Other Relevant Experience

Senior Manager Research + Design

Inclusive Design Research Centre (IDRC), OCAD University; formerly the Adaptive Technology Resource Centre, University of Toronto

2008-current

  • Lead education: executive, conduct workshops, perform long-term consultations, and facilitate groups in inclusion, innovation, and diversity (across education, government, industry, and non-profit partners).
  • Manage multi-year projects with budgets from $300,000 – $10 million.
  • Manage community, open-source projects: Fluid Project, Infusion, Floe Project, Inclusive Design Institute, and more.
  • Write grant proposals, research reports, policies, and standards.

Senior Project Manager

Office of Information Technology

Duke University, Durham, NC

2004-2008

  • Directed innovative and strategic projects centrally.
  • Catalyzed groups of technologists and faculty to discover, plan, build, implement, and support high-impact projects while managing a $1 million budget.
  • Built infrastructure, planned, purchased, and worked with vendors to support the Duke Digital Initiative, including iPods in the classroom, HD cameras, podcasts, and blogs.
  • Led the creation of Apple’s iTunes U.
  • Created 1st year movie-making event called Froshlife.
  • Brought together technical and non-technical groups around the University and the Durham community to achieve collaborative, innovative technology solutions while changing University policy and culture along the way.
  • Created partnership with Youth Document Durham, a program of the Duke Center for Documentary Studies.

Volunteer Consultant     

Geekcorps, Accra, Ghana, West Africa

2003-2004

  • Built the Ghana Internet Exchange Point, a L-2 switching device that allows local traffic in Ghana to bypass expensive international bandwidth and stay local, saving the ISPs and NSPs money and building a national “web.”
  • Established the Ghana Internet Exchange Association (GIXA) and then built membership to over 20 ISPs and NSPs.
  • Built collaborations among Ghana’s private and public sectors, telecommunications regulator, government ministry, and international aid agencies.
  • Procured $100,000 worth of equipment and resources as donations from Cisco, Intel, Motorola, Siemens, and community members. The project included a 60-meter mast, 360˚ wireless antennae, switch, wiring, switch closet, air conditioner, backup power, monitoring plan, policies for members, etc.
  • Secured a location for the exchange at the Ghana-India Kofi Annan Centre of Excellence in ICT – at no cost, and in perpetuity.
  • Wrote a strategy with the Government of Ghana’s Deputy Minister of Communications and Technology for the highly politicized transition of the country code top-level domain, ccTLD, to a non-profit group of stakeholders who broadly represented Internet interests in Ghana.
  • Worked to stabilize and develop the Ghana Internet Service Provider Association (GISPA). Grew association membership and helped members work together toward common interests.
  • Helped GISPA develop a common voice on policy and lobbying issues, resulting in the monopoly Telco lowering prices for and reselling connections to the SAT-3/WASC fibre.

Service

Event Coordination:

  • Guerrilla Education! A Very Hands-On Open Education Week Event March 8, 2019, at OCAD

2019

2014-2019

Membership:

  • OTESSA (Open/Technology in Education, Society, and Scholarship Association) Board Member

2019-current

  • Founding Board Member of Association Name (English): Open/Technology in Education, Society, and Scholarship Association (OTESSA)

Equity Member since 2019

  • AACU (American Association of Colleges and Universities) Institute on Open Educational Resources Faculty Advisor

2022-2024

  • Rebus Ink scholarly research and publishing group Advisory Board Member

2019-2022

  • THUNDER Indigifest Volunteer

2021

References:

Available when requested