Melanie is Principal of Peter Gzowski College. Melanie grew up on, and works and lives on, land that is the traditional territory of the Mississauga Anishinaabeg, adjacent to Haudenosaunee territory and in the territory covered by the Williams Treaty. She has worked at Trent since 2003, in various roles - course instructor, academic advisor, College Head, and College Principal. She holds a PhD in History from the University of Victoria, an MA from the University of Northern British Columbia, and a BA Hons from the University of Guelph.

With a background in gender, business, and North American history, Melanie teaches interdisciplinary humanities and History courses. She is passionate about students’ holistic well-being and their academic and social engagement. She mentors students and provides co-curricular programming and experiential learning opportunities to support student success. Beyond Trent, Melanie is a Board Member with ReFrame Film Festival and enjoys cycling, reading, skiing, and socializing with friends and family.  

As your Academic Advisor I support your academic planning process, including course registration, degree checks and petitions. I also provide coaching related to your academic goals. My pronouns are she/her/hers. I am a member of the Qalipu Mi’kmaq First Nation (Bear Clan). 

My learning journey began at Trent in 2000, when I began my undergraduate degree studying Indigenous Studies and History. Shortly after convocating with a BA(Honours) I began working at Trent as the Educational Access Assistant with Student Accessibility Services (SAS). In time I moved on to new roles such as Learning Strategist and Special Projects Coordinator at SAS, as well as Aboriginal Counsellor with the First Peoples House of Learning and the role of Head of Peter Gzowski College from 2014-18. I have been both a Teaching Assistant and an Instructor for INDG 1010Y as well as an Instructor for INDG-ADMN 3040H in the Chanie Wenjack School for Indigenous Studies. 

I earned my M.Ed in Post-Secondary Studies from Memorial University of Newfoundland. My research focused on the transformational learning experiences of Indigenous women in the university classroom. I am also an Adler Trained Coach (ATC) from Adler International Inc. in Toronto. As a life-long learner and professional coach, my ongoing areas of interest include transformation learning, women in leadership, Indigenous pedagogy in higher education, coaching and storytelling. 

Marisha supports students navigating the academic challenges of university by providing tools and strategies for effective reading and writing, studying, preparing for exams, and managing workloads. For example, students can meet with her in a confidential appointment to create an individualized time management plan. Students can also discuss with her assignments at any stage of their research and writing process like, setting up a plan to get started, developing an outline, or receiving comments on a portion of a draft. 

Marisha joined Gzowski College in 2018. Prior to this, she was part of the Trent community as a PhD student, teaching assistant, and course instructor. She is a lifelong learner with a background working in education, water science, agriculture, and international development. What Marisha enjoys most about her current position is listening to students’ ideas and helping them organize and present these clearly. She welcomes you to book an appointment to discuss ways to strengthen and refine your academic skills. Or if you are in the Enwayaang building, feel free to pop by the Gzowski College office to chat about some of her favourite things like tea, gardening, swimming, and practicing yoga. 

Jen has been a passionate member of the Trent community since she started her BBA degree in 2006. She has held a number of roles at the university, including campus tour guide, student recruiter, and Academic Coordinator of the Social Work program. Becoming an Academic Advisor has been a goal for a number of years and she could not be more excited to work with students as they navigate their academic life at Trent!

Jen has been affiliated with every college on campus: Champlain as an undergraduate student, Traill as a graduate student, LEC while working in Social Work, Otonabee as an East Bank advisor, and now she is in her new home as the Gzowski Academic Advisor! College life played an important part of Jen’s time at Trent and she believes that extracurricular life can play a vital role in a student’s academic journey!

Jen met her partner at Trent, has two young kids, and a love for reality TV and podcasts analyzing reality TV.

Meet our friendly and approachable College Assistant Kris! Kris plays a key role in ensuring that all the college operations run efficiently. As a College Assistant, she manages our student staff and ensures that they have everything they need to support the Bammily.

Kris came to Trent in 2016 as a mature student and is a proud Gzowski fellow. She has a Bachelor of Science (BSc) in Biology and Anthropology. Her first position at Trent was as the Academic Administrative Assistant for the Department of Computer Science. Kris is a gardener by trade and is passionate about growing food. She spends her free time doing fun activities with her fearless daughter. Kris also likes to watch lighthearted and heartwarming shows.

If you need help with anything or just want to discuss a shared passion for plants or organic farming, visit the Gzowski College Office and say hello!