Board of Directors

The Board of Directors serves as the governing body of The Meliorist Publishing Society, responsible for strategic oversight, fiduciary accountability, and organizational sustainability. The Board ensures alignment with the Society’s mission and values. 

We are pleased to introduce The Meliorist Board of Directors (2025-2026). These individuals work together behind the scenes to support a publication built on independence, integrity, and student voices.

JOCELYN MCKNIGHT— President  

Jocelyn McKnight is an undergraduate student currently pursuing a BA, majoring in English, with minors in French and Linguistics at the University of Lethbridge. Her honours thesis is focused on polysemy and cognitive semantics in war and violence vocabulary in Tok Pisin, a mixed English and Indigenous language in Papua New Guinea. Jocelyn is an RA for the Visionary Cross Project and A’tsimaani Group, works as an undergraduate TA in the Linguistics and Modern Language Department, and has served as an instructional designer for online secondary schooling in Alberta. Outside of academic pursuits, Jocelyn holds a passion for her former sport, figure skating, and enjoys being a board member at The Meliorist. 

KAIDEN NOTT – Treasurer  

AMELIA TOWNSEND — Secretary

Amelia Townsend is a second-year BSc student in Biological Sciences at the University of Lethbridge. She has a deep passion for conservation and marine life, where she has gained numerous volunteer hours advocating for and protecting the environment. As a scuba diver, she continues to collaborate with dive teams to clean up Alberta habitats. Outside of academics, Amelia also works as an Assistant Veterinary Technician, where she is able to build her knowledge of animal care. Amelia’s goal with The Meliorist is to help build a strong board that continues to give students the opportunity to express their skills and creativity. 

AKM IFTEKHAR KHALID –  Director at Large 

AKM Iftekhar Khalid is a graduate Candidate (PhD) at the Department of English, University of Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada under the supervision of Professor Daniel Paul O’Donnell. He is conducting research on the effects of AI on language. Khalid is a textual editor at the Canterbury Tales Project. Khalid has a background in English and Digital Pedagogy with undergraduate and graduate degrees in English from University of Rajshahi, Bangladesh and various certificates and diplomas in learning management systems, digital education, and similar programs from Bangladeshi and other institutions. His chief research interest includes Textual Editing, History of English Language, Digital Humanities and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Khalid also works for the Journal Incubator and has been a long-time member of the Graduate Students’ Association (GSA). 

DARA BORAS — Director at Large 

Dara is a fourth-year undergraduate student at the University of Lethbridge, pursuing a BA in English Language Arts and a minor in Anthropology. She is currently developing her honours’ thesis on travel writing and the colonial imagination in the video game Red Dead Redemption 2. Dara currently works with the Lethbridge Public Interest Research Group (LPIRG) on the Living Cities-Roots of Growth project. She has also been involved as an RA for the Tragically Hip Legacy Project. Her academic interests incorporate narrative and game mechanics to interpret the intersection of textual and digital media. Her passion for literature informs her role as a member of the Meliorist board, recognizing the importance of local writers within the Southern Alberta community. 

NANCY BARAJAS JAIMES – Director at Large

Nancy Barajas Jaimes is the Institutional Awards Coordinator in the Office of the President & Vice-Chancellor at the University of Lethbridge, where she manages external award nominations for faculty. She is currently completing a Master’s in the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) at the University of Saskatchewan and serves as a Student Representative with SoTL Canada. Nancy brings a structured, systems-oriented approach to her work. She first engaged with SoTL at the Centre for Teaching, Learning and Innovation at Lethbridge Polytechnic and now applies a SoTL-informed lens to institutional award programs and nomination strategy. Her work focuses on building connections across academic and administrative units to support a collaborative and effective award process. Her research explores the development of pedagogical content knowledge among graduate teaching assistants, particularly in STEM disciplines, and its impact on student learning.

AJ JUNKAR – Director at Large 

AJ is a third-year BSc student in Psychology with a minor in Linguistics. After taking introductory classes in phonetics and phonology, AJ realized she wanted to combine her interests in brain and language science by pursuing graduate studies in Speech-Language Pathology after she graduates. Specifically, AJ hopes to work with individuals whose speech and language have been impacted by brain injuries or neurological disorders. She has worked as a TA for the Modern Languages and Linguistics Department at the University of Lethbridge, a research assistant for the Atsimaani Group, and is a board member for The Meliorist Publishing Society. Outside school, AJ works as a dental admin and enjoys bird watching and crafting. 

CORAL SKIBA – Director at Large 

Coral Skiba is a University of Lethbridge alum, having graduated with a BMgt in Finance and a BSc in Psychology. She has been a member of the Meliorist Board of Governors since 2022, having started out as the ULSU representative.   She served one term as president for the Meliorist and is excited to be able to continue much of the work the board has started over the past few years. Currently, she works in the Curriculum and Transfer department at Lethbridge Polytechnic, ensuring students are recognized for their work, and building institutional partnerships. In her free time, Coral enjoys knitting, golfing, skiing, and spending time with her family and her dog. 

CEANA TREHUN — Director at Large 

Ceana is an undergraduate student currently pursuing a Bsc, majoring in Biological Sciences at the University of Lethbridge. Ceana’s academic interest revolves around large animals and research. In addition to the Meliorist, Ceana is also the VP of events for WUSC. Outside of academic pursuits, Ceana holds a deep passion for her former sport, Horse riding, loves to work with animals and spend time with her family and friends.

THOMAS PETERS — Director at Large 

Thomas Peters is a second-year English major with interests in politics, law, fashion, poetry, and music. He is an accomplished poet, having won multiple poetry competitions, and has also demonstrated strong analytical skills through success in competitive chess. Thomas aspires to attend law school and pursue a career as a criminal defence attorney. He joined The Meliorist following the encouragement of Treasurer Kaiden Nott, bringing a creative and thoughtful perspective to the Board. 

KASSIDY HATFIELD — Director at Large 

Kassidy Hatfield (she/her) is an undergraduate student currently pursuing a BA, majoring in Psychology at the University of Lethbridge. She is an active community volunteer and serves as a board member for the Meliorist Publishing Society and CKXU, both based at the University of Lethbridge. In her free time, she enjoys reading, writing, and all things creative. 

Additional Board Members

We would also like to acknowledge the following Board members who are not pictured:

• GAGE DESTEUR — Past President
• MOYOSOREOLUWA OLADOYE — Director at Large

Management (Ex-Officio, Non-Voting)

The following individuals serve in management roles and participate in Board meetings in an ex-officio, non-voting capacity:

• KIANNA TURNER — Editor-in-Chief
• BLAINE BADIUK— Business Manager