by Thomas Carey
In June of 2024, Dr. Juan Carlos López of Acadia University participated in our pre-conference workshop on Helping Students to Develop Capability for Inclusive Innovation in the Workplace: An Interdisciplinary Collaboration at the annual meeting of the Society for Teaching and Learning in Higher Education (STLHE) annual meeting in Niagara Falls. As a Biology teacher at Acadia University and Director of the Maple League of Universities Virtual Teaching & Learning Centre, Juan Carlos was very interested in exploring the opportunities for students in the Liberal Arts and Sciences to develop their capability for Inclusive Workplace Innovation.
Dr. Juan Carlos Lopez receives CAUT Equity Award from Mayurika Chakravorty (Carleton University Academic Staff Association), Co-Chair of the CAUT Equity Committee.
He has since coordinated an online session in the Maple League’s Better Together webinar series on Enabling Inclusive Innovation: A Workplace Opportunity for Liberal Education Students and is leading one of our new 2026 projects to adapt our learning resources and activities for the Maple League contexts. We were delighted to see an announcement from the Maple League that Juan Carlos was honoured by his faculty colleagues across Canada with a national award recognizing his contributions to making post-secondary education in Caada more inclusive:
“At the 99th Council Meeting of the Canadian Association of University Teachers (CAUT), Juan Carlos López, PhD, Assistant Dean of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion at Acadia University and Director of the Maple League Teaching & Learning Centre, was honored with the CAUT Equity Award—a national recognition that celebrates exceptional efforts to make post-secondary education in Canada more inclusive.
The CAUT Equity Award, established in 2010, acknowledges academic staff or groups who demonstrate an outstanding commitment to challenging exclusionary behaviors and practices such as racism, sexism, and homophobia. Recipients are recognized for contributions that have regional or national impact, whether through a single transformative project or sustained advocacy over time.
For Dr. López, this achievement reflects years of dedicated work in fostering equity and inclusion within academia. Nominated by the Acadia University Faculty Association (AUFA), his efforts have focused on dismantling systemic barriers and creating spaces where all voices are heard. “As a soil microbial ecologist, I see soil as a living system… teeming with life! I have always been fascinated by the study of mycorrhizal fungi, the ‘friendly fungi’ that form a symbiotic relationship with most land plants. Over the years, we have learned that these fungi not only contribute to plant nutrition, but also contribute to the survival of ecosystems,” says Dr. López. “The notion of creating strong relationships that allow systems and individuals to survive, thrive and be resilient is a guiding principle of my work in higher education. I strive to make seen and unseen allies, and alliances, explicit and visible…
… This recognition is a testament to the power of collaboration and the ongoing commitment required to challenge exclusionary practices. Looking towards the future, Dr. López remains steadfast in his commitment to advancing equity in academic spaces and beyond: “I will continue my journey in allyship, in kinship and - why not - in co-conspiratorship forging a better and brighter, democratic, non-polarizing, but rather inclusive future for everyone.”
There’s more in the full post on the Maple League of Universities website here.
Congratulations, Joan Carlos, from our WINCan team and our academic partners!
p.s. We are working on similar pre-conference workshop at the 2026 STLHE annual meeting in Hamilton ON (planned for June 16). Stay tuned – or email us -- for details…