Warren Crichlow, PhD, is a professor at York University in Toronto. He teaches graduate courses in Cultural Studies, Globalization and Migration, Museums and Culture, Urban Education, Educational Theory, and Research Methodology, as well as undergraduate courses in Foundations of Education and Popular Culture. Crichlow has published widely on topics related to race and education, arts and education, and film, and visual culture. Current research initiatives include the development of a transnational, collaborative project on media arts practices in schools and communities in Canada, Argentina and the U.S. and a collaborative project with the University of the Arts in Zurich developing an international network for research and cultural analysis of art education. He sits on the Advisory Board of the Art Gallery of York University (AGYU), and is active in the Gallery’s innovative contemporary art and education outreach initiatives with local school-communities.

Owen Gordon, CA has over 20 years of experience within the life science industry. Prior to joining Axela in June of 2003, he was Director of Business Development at a venture-backed software company focused on managing unstructured data in drug discovery. In addition to being actively involved in the company’s successful sale to Open Text Corporation, he was instrumental in the formation of Open Text’s first vertical industry-focused SBU for life sciences. Prior to this, he was responsible for Business Development at Eli Lilly Canada where he engaged in transactions including negotiation of in-licensing and out-licensing deals plus working on the company’s successful ultrageneric strategy for Prozac. Prior to this Mr. Gordon worked in financial capacities of increasing levels of responsibility at Bayer (Miles) Canada and Amgen Canada respectively. In addition to his professional career, Owen has been a life long supporter and advocate of the arts. He was Treasurer of the Urban Music Association of Canada (UMAC) for 4 years where he successfully negotiated with and secured CBC as TV broadcaster for their annual awards event “Urban Xposure” in 2003.

Sophie Hackett is the Assistant Curator, Photography at the Art Gallery of Ontario, Toronto. Over the last decade, she has contributed to several Canadian and international art magazines and journals and curated many shows independently, including The Found and the Familiar: Snapshots in Contemporary Canadian Art in 2002, co-curated with Jennifer Long, which toured nationally. In her role at the Art Gallery of Ontario, she worked with Toronto artist Suzy Lake to create, Rhythm of a True Space, a site-specific installation on the AGO’s construction hoarding for CONTACT 2008.  Hackett also participated centrally in the reinstallation of the permanent photography collection for the gallery’s reopening last fall.  For CONTACT 2010, she is working with American artist Barbara Kruger to create a work for the front façade of the AGO.