Olusegun Oyedele
Candidate Statement: When it comes to organizations to which I belong, I have never been a bystander. I love to volunteer, participate and actively engage with the structures of my organization, gradually immersing myself into the ethos, visions, strategies, and ups or downs of the body I call home. I see volunteering as a member of the Board of AAA as a natural evolution of my roles within the organization, having become a AAA member when I emigrated to Canada in 2011. Since then, I have presented at annual AAA conferences as well as regional workshops and conferences (e.g. AERI). Since 2021, I have served on the Educational Affairs Committee and have come to form acquaintances, collaborations, and friendships with my colleagues across the structures of the organization.
I would like to serve on the Board of AAA, to contribute to the strategic direction of our organization. As a person of color who answers to the designation of 'visible minority, I am passionate about providing perspectives, which might otherwise be underrepresented or overlooked at the AAA table, as we work towards our vision of "inspiring scientific curiosity and discovery". I am a medically qualified anatomist with over 25 years experience of in university teaching. Over this time, I have assumed leadership roles in course administration, curriculum development, faculty-student liaison, and student wellness initiatives. My vision for the AAA is for it to maintain and grow its sphere of influence as a leading advocate for inclusive scientific research, education, and innovation. When governments form consultative bodies on scientific development and outreach, AAA should be on the short-shortlist of organizations to be included. If elected to the AAA Board of Directors, I will bring a highly developed skill of listening and empathizing with the other point of view, as well as a passion for collaboration and forging a common path forwards, while always working in the best interest of AAA members.
Current Position/Institution: Associate Professor of Teaching, Department of Cellular & Physiological Sciences, Faculty of Medicine Southern Medical Program, University of British Columbia
Ph.D. Institution: PhD in Anatomy (Developmental Biology), University of the Witwatersrand (Wits), Johannesburg, South Africa, 2010.
Earlier Positions: Senior Lecturer (2008-2011), Centre for Health Sciences Education, Wits; Associate Lecturer (2002-2004) and Lecturer (2004-2008), School of Anatomical Sciences, Wits; Lecturer (1995-2001), Department of Anatomy, University of Ibadan, Nigeria.
Teaching: [Current] Human Anatomy, Neuroanatomy & Embryology; Histology (medical undergraduate students); Human Anatomy, Physiology & Embryology (postgraduate certificate in Biomedical Visualizations Course); Case Based Learning (CBL) Facilitator (medical undergraduate students); CBL Trainer (CBL tutors); [Past] Human Anatomy, Neuroanatomy, Embryology and Histology (medical undergraduate and graduate students, pharmacy, dentistry, PT/OT, speech therapy and audiology students), Wits University Johannesburg, and University of Ibadan, Nigeria; Clinical Skills and Clinical Decision Making (undergraduate medical students), Wits University, Johannesburg.
AAA Committee/Roles: Educational Affairs Committee (2021-present).
Other Professional Activities: Wits-Carnegie Diaspora Fellowship for collaboration with, and mentorship of Young Researchers & Educators, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2019, 2022.
Awards: University of British Columbia Killam Teaching Prize, 2021; Canadian Association for Medical Education Merit Award, 2017.
Research Interest: Anatomy education research; technology-assisted learning; biomedical visualizations in embryology education; REDI awareness and implementation in Higher Education
Other Professional Memberships Currently Maintained: Federative International Committee for the Support of Anatomy Professionals (FICSAP) – A subcommittee of the International Federation of Associations of Anatomists (IFAA), June 2020 – present
Web Link: https://smp.med.ubc.ca/about/contact/olusegun-oyedele/