Antonia Issa – Inspire by Example

The successful launch of the new and improved SCWIST website is a reflection of the ever-increasing dedication, passion and enthusiasm of our talented Director of Communication, Antonia Issa and her dedicated Communications Committee. They have spent countless hours and energy in developing our new website of which we are all very proud.

Antonia Issa’s bio:

Antonia has been an integral member of the Board of Directors and her passion and commitment has been infectious. She is deeply committed to helping the community around her and in addition to her work with SCWIST, she also serves on the Board for the Canadian Flowers for Food Society as their Director of Business Strategy and Social Responsibility.

Antonia is the Communications Manager at The Rubber Association of Canada, the national trade association representing the interests of tire and other rubber manufacturers and importers of rubber goods into Canada, together with rubber recyclers and suppliers whose goods or services directly relate to our industry. Because The Rubber Association of Canada is a micro-enterprise, Antonia’s responsibilities are broad ranging and multifaceted, including everything from event planning and communications to public relations.

After some time spent travelling in parts of Latin America, Africa and Europe, Antonia paused to complete a Transnational MBA at the Central European University in Budapest, Hungary, specializing in Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). This was preceded by an honors B.A. in Science and Technology Studies. Through support and education, Antonia’s goal is to help people develop social enterprises, sustainably integrating and communicating ethical and responsible practices into core business strategies. When she’s not working or volunteering, Antonia enjoys the cultural and creative fields. She stays active playing Capoeira Angola, participates in world music workshops, and experiments in the kitchen.

Members of Antonia’s Communications Committee who played a vital role in creating our new website:

Heather Drugge Heather is Principal at GO Communications, a marketing and communications firm focused exclusively on High-Tech and Biotech. GO Communications set up the build site server, SQL database and WordPress and hosted the test site. Together with the group GO recommended and purchased an existing WordPress theme based on the Gantry framework. GO was responsible for plug-in and widget installation and upgrades as well as form development and email setup.		Charlotte Hills Fresh from the UK, Charlotte arrived in Vancouver with the ambition to put her first-class neuroscience degree to good use. She saw SCWIST at the heart of the science community, and wanted in. As an online training designer, she used her writing skills to edit the website content to boost the SCWIST message. Thanks to Antonia and SCWIST, she scored her dream job as a vision and cognition researcher at UBC. She hopes that her writing helps others on their own journeys… even if it’s just a few steps.		Nadya Ogloff Nadya just completed her MSc in Experimental Medicine at UBC and was the key point person in coordinating development of the new website. In addition to translating Charlotte’s content onto the WordPress frame Heather created, Nadya is responsible for SCWIST’s bi-weekly e-bulletin and social media. Prior to joining the SCWIST Communications Committee, Nadya was highly involved in the Student Biotechnology Network, first serving as an event volunteer and then furthering her role as Administrative Officer, Event Liaison 2007-2008, Mentorship Program Coordinator 2008-2009, and as President from 2009-2011. When Nadya is not working or volunteering for SCWIST, she enjoys supporting the local arts community through attending performances and volunteering for various theatre companies and festivals.