Executive Director
Dr. Samantha “Sam” Darling (she/her) is a born and raised northerner from the traditional lands of the Jilkaat Kwaan in Southeast Alaska and the Yukon. Sam has participated in northern and mountain research in the Yukon for over fifteen years, involved in diverse projects for archaeology, permafrost, and glaciology. Her PhD work at McGill University focused on pluralism and inclusion in northern environmental governance – specifically impact assessment and Indigenous knowledges in the Yukon. She has a background in the physical sciences, with a BSc. and a MSc. in Physical Geography that concentrated on geographic information systems (GIS) and remote sensing of the cryosphere. Sam also coordinated the initial development of Yukon University’s Indigenous Governance Degree, as well as other projects examining paths forward for re-orienting systems towards inclusion. She has taught at Carleton, McGill and Yukon universities and has extensive program management and program leadership experience. Prior to joining ACUNS, Sam worked as an independent researcher out of Montreal, QC, (a traditional meeting place on the unceded lands of the Kanien’kehá:ka (Haudenosaunee) and the Anishinabeg peoples).
To read more about Sam, click here.
Communications Specialist
Janice Ioi Gardner (she/her) joined ACUNS in May 2018. Her background stems from both sides of the communications business, having worked at CBC/Radio-Canada in local and corporate communications, and in broadcast production as an associate producer. Janice is a graduate of the Toronto Metropolitan University (formerly Ryerson) Radio and Television Arts program, and has worked on movies, television series, corporate videos, and documentaries as a production manager.