Professor Johnny Mack appointed Academic Director of the Indian Residential School History and Dialogue Centre
This message was sent to executive, deans and other senior academic leaders, academic heads, directors and managers, and senior professional leaders in Vancouver and the Okanagan.
June 5, 2025
I am pleased to announce that Professor Johnny Mack has been appointed Academic Director of the Indian Residential School History and Dialogue Centre (IRSHDC) for a three-year term, effective May 1, 2025.
Professor Mack (Heynahmeek) is Nuu-chah-nulth from the Toquaht Nation and currently serves as Associate Professor and Co-Director of Indigenous Legal Studies at the Peter A. Allard School of Law. A leading scholar in Indigenous legal traditions, settler law, and Indigenous-state relations, his peer-reviewed article Turning Sideways: Intimate Critique and the Regeneration of Tradition (2024) anchors his current work in legal pluralism and resurgence.
Professor Mack also co-directs the Balance Co-lab, an Indigenous-led international research collective advancing self-determination through community-based research and governance tools.
I would like to thank Dr. Tricia Logan for her outstanding leadership as interim Academic Director since 2022. Her care, wisdom, and commitment to Survivors and Indigenous communities have deeply shaped the centre.
The IRSHDC plays a critical role in advancing UBC’s academic mission of supporting faculty as educators, researchers, and mentors, while deepening engagement with Indigenous communities. Read the full announcement.
Please join me in congratulating Professor Mack on his new appointment.
Gage Averill
Provost & Vice-President, Academic, UBC Vancouver
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