Canadian Studies Announcements

In This Issue:

Program News

Local News

External Events

PROGRAM NEWS

Canadian Studies Welcomes Three New External Advisory Board Members

The Canadian Studies Program is excited to announce three new additions to our External Advisory Board: David Jeu, Rhonda Rubinstein, and Jennifer Wong. Each of our new members are Canadians with strong connections to the San Francisco Bay Area, local non-profits, and the broader Canadian-American community. Their experience, skills, and enthusiasm will be a major asset to the program. All three began their terms on July 1, so please join us in giving them a warm welcome!

David Jeu retired from UC Berkeley in 2020, where he had held the position of Assistant Vice Chancellor, International Relations for ten years. During his time at Cal, he led a team responsible for international fundraising (averaging over $45M annually, with an historic high of $81.4 million in FY19) and alumni relations (a global alumni network and volunteer leadership in 41 countries).

Prior to joining Berkeley, David had served in a variety of fundraising and non-profit leadership positions in the Canadian higher education, healthcare and social services sectors (in Ontario, Nova Scotia and Western Canada) for over 20 years. He is currently a consulting partner with the international firm of Marts & Lundy, advising several startups and building a philanthropic advisory service with family offices in Asia and the Middle East. His board experience includes service on UC Berkeley’s University of California Foundation (Hong Kong) and Chancellor’s Asia Advisory Council, IWK Health Centre, and various professional membership associations. He currently lives in Edmonton, Alberta, with his family.

Rhonda Rubinstein is the Creative Director of the California Academy of Sciences, a museum and research center in San Francisco. She orchestrates how design, photography, typography and information converge in the public experience as exhibitions, environmental graphics, and print, digital and interactive communications. Resonant with the Academy’s mission, Rhonda co-founded BigPicture Natural World Photography, an acclaimed annual international photography competition focused on wildlife and conservation, currently in its 9th year. She curated the book WONDERS: Spectacular Moments in Nature Photography, showcasing the immense diversity and beauty of our world and is at work on another, due to be published in 2023.

Rhonda grew up in Montreal where Expo 67 and its legacy influenced her worldview on humanity, media, and the potential of cultural aspirations. In Halifax, she earned a bachelor’s of design in communication design from NSCAD University, then moved to New York City to work as a publication designer for numerous magazines. Rhonda taught at New York University School of Journalism and Parsons School of Design, and distinguished herself as the award-winning art director for Esquire at a time when magazines were significant social documents of the era. Recruited to San Francisco, she became art director of Mother Jones magazine, and a founding partner of Exbrook, a consultancy focused on helping progressive social impact organizations to use design thoughtfully and with purpose.

Jennifer Wong was raised in Ottawa. She earned her B.A. in finance and economics from Huron College at Western University in London, Ontario. She brings global business development, professional services and customer success experience with tech leaders including DocuSign, Dell and IBM. While leading a global team as DocuSign’s Director of Partner Services, Jennifer also served as SF co-chair for DocuSign IMPACT, and served on the global steering committee for DocuSign Women.

Jennifer has held a number of community leadership roles include SF Expat Canadian Meetup co-organizer, InterNations Consul, SFFD Neighborhood Emergency Response Team (NERT) member, and Dress for Success mentor. A champion for education and lifelong learning, she was a long time SF Advisory Board member for Junior Achievement. Jennifer learned to hike during the pandemic; she recently returned from summiting Mt Kilimanjaro, and will next be training for the Matterhorn.

Anthropologist Sabrina Agarwal Joins Faculty Advisory Committee

We are pleased to announce that anthropologist Sabrina Agarwal has agreed to join the Canadian Studies Faculty Advisory Committee, a board of scholars who assist program leadership in developing academic goals for the program. She fills the chair vacated by outgoing committee member Beth Piatote (Native American Studies); the program thanks Professor Piatote for her service.

Professor Agarwal is an expert in biological anthropology, with a focus on human bone. She received her bachelor’s, master’s, and Ph.D. from the University of Toronto, where she also taught for one year before coming to Berkeley.

Professor Agarwal emphasizes inclusivity and respect in her teaching and research, particularly in the context of the fraught relationship between anthropology and many historically disenfranchised communities. In addition to her teaching, she chairs the UC Berkeley NAGPRA Advisory Committee, which facilitates the return of Native American ancestral remains and cultural goods to their tribes of origin. She received the UC Berkeley Distinguished Teaching Award in earlier this year.

The Canadian Studies Faculty Advisory Committee serves in an advisory capacity to the chair and director in the administration, planning, and strategic direction of the unit’s activities. The committee also advises on the selection of a new director when the chair is vacant. Other current members include UC Berkeley Chancellor Emeritus Robert Birgeneau, and former program director Nelson Graburn.

LOCAL NEWS

San Francisco Marks Canada Day With Official Proclamation, Flag-Raising

On July 1, the City of San Francisco marked Canada Day on with an official ceremony attended by representatives of the Canadian government and local Canadian community.

Mayor London Breed signed a proclamation declaring July 1 as “Canadian-American Friendship and Heritage Day”, which was presented to consul Marie Alnwick. The event was capped by a ceremonial raising of the Canadian flag at City Hall, and the building’s dome was illuminated red-and-white after dark.

The event celebrated the fraternal bonds felt between the people of California and Canada, sentiments were also expressed by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in his June visit to the state. State and local governments in California have developed increasingly close ties to Canadian counterparts in recent years, citing their shared values and political goals, as well as the strong economic ties between the two markets.

EXTERNAL EVENTS

USMCA at Two: What Comes Next?

July 20 | Online | RSVP here

On July 1, 2022, the United States, Mexico, and Canada reached the two-year anniversary mark of the United States-Mexico-Canada trade agreement, or USMCA. The three countries marked the anniversary with a meeting in British Colombia of USMCA’s Free Trade Commission to review work underway and next steps in the context of a challenging set of circumstances. While trade has rebounded above 2019 levels, despite challenges from the COVID-19 pandemic, there nevertheless remains much to do to realize USMCA’s potential to strengthen regional prosperity and competitiveness.

Join the Wilson Center’s Canada and Mexico Institutes for a discussion on what the priorities should be in the months ahead for implementing USMCA and how that work fits into the broader frame of strengthening North American prosperity and competitiveness. Following introductory remarks by US Representative Kevin Brady, Ambassador Earl Anthony Wayne will lead a panel discussion with leaders in the business and trade community from the US, Canada and Mexico. Canada Institute director and Canadian Studies board member Christopher Sands will give closing remarks.

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