Dr. June Francis appointed Special Advisor to the President on Anti-Racism

I am pleased to announce that Dr. June Francis will serve as the Special Advisor to the President on Anti-Racism effective June 1 – December 31, 2021. 

Dr. Francis is Associate Professor of Marketing in the SFU Beedie School of Business and is the Co-Founder of The Co-Laboratorio project, that works to strengthen cross-sector collaboration, learning and innovation for more inclusive resilient solutions in governance, policies and industry practice. She is also Director of the Institute for Diaspora Research and Engagement at SFU.  

June is well-known to the SFU community for her deep expertise in race, racism, diversity, inter-culturality, leadership and participatory engagement approaches with vulnerable and excluded groups. I have relied on June as a personal advisor since I became President of SFU and I am pleased to make the position formal. 

In this role, June will offer me advice and guidance on matters of anti-racism and institutional change with a focus on anti-Black racism as well as equity, diversity and inclusion. Working toward a more inclusive SFU is one of my priorities as president, and I rely on experts such as June to help identify the path forward and hold me accountable to progress. 

I extend my gratitude to June for accepting this commitment and for the lasting impact she continues to have both within SFU and within the broader community.