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Maria Keen

I graduated from Carleton University in Ottawa with a degree in Law/Sociology with a concentration in Criminology. In the summer of 1992, I was hired by the Ottawa and was the first Visible Minority Female police officer. I was also the FIRST Filipino female officer in Canada to be hired.

I spent time on patrol and for almost two years worked undercover in the enforcement squad. After a year of working undercover, I was transferred to work as a School Resource Officer for the next four years. I then spent a total of 7 years as a Community Police Officer in a marginalized neighborhood. This earned me a “Public Hero’s Award”. This award was given to me by citizens of Ottawa for my long-standing commitment to the community. Later I became a recruiting officer in the Human Resources Section of the Ottawa Police, hiring over 175 recruits. In 2007, I was an Academic Instructor for new recruits. I was promoted to the rank of Sgt. in 2012 and worked as a supervisor for frontline patrol until 2018 where I currently heads the Outreach Recruiting Section.

I am also a Part Time Professor in the Police Foundations Program at Algonquin College.

Over the last 28 years, I have served the City of Ottawa’s residents with pride.

Mark Mackisoc

Mark has been with the Ontario Provincial Police since 1996 and a uniformed frontline supervisor since 2002. He very much enjoys bridging the gap between academic courses and current, real-life police experience. He uses current police practice and investigations to lend context to his courses which include Criminal and Civil Law and Investigations and Evidence. He also enjoys staying after class and discussing policing or career-related questions with students. Like many Algonquin students who balance work and school commitments, he is a full-time student as a PhD candidate at the Royal Military College of Canada. His area of research is police and military special forces culture. He holds a Masters in Disaster and Emergency Management from Royal Roads University, a BA in Law from Carleton University and a BA in Philosophy from Concordia University. He also has 21 years of experience as a volunteer firefighter and obtained his National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians (NR-EMT Basic) certification in 1994.

Ken Walton

Ken started as a Volunteer Firefighter in Osgoode Township in April 1988. He has been employed as a career Firefighter since October 1988 first serving with the Air Force for 3 years, and then with the City of Ottawa, where he is currently a Captain and Acting District Chief. He has Firefighter 1 and 2, Instructor 1 and 2, Fire Officer 1 and 2, Incident Safety Officer, Hazardous Materials Technician, Extrication Technician and Pump Operator certifications. He also has extensive experience in the volunteer fire service in all ranks from Volunteer Firefighter through to Fire Chief in McNab/Braeside Township .

Ken taught his first classes at Algonquin College in 1997, becoming a regular professor in 2001, and has been the Program Coordinator since 2016.

Lisa Roots

Lisa is a full time professor in the Police Foundations program. Her criminal justice career started at the John Howard Society of Ottawa where she assisted people in conflict with the law by providing supervision and support to individuals while on bail, reintegration support when leaving prison, and general community support to marginalized and vulnerable individuals. Her career allowed her to work with the police, courts, correctional institutions, and the community. Lisa graduated from Carleton University (BA Sociology) and Algonquin College (Correctional Worker Program). She has been recognized for her college community engagement with the Chris Warburton Award of Excellence from the Student’s Association, an Algonquin College Employee Team Award, and has been nominated by her students and recognized by the Student’s Association for excellence in teaching. She is passionate about community engagement and currently volunteers with CoSA, and Family Services Ottawa.