At its recent first regular meeting, Collegium, the principal of two bodies that govern the University of St. Michael’s College, welcomed six new members and thanked the six departing board members.
The October 8th meeting also saw Collegium Chair Susan Helstab and Vice-Chair Dr. Mike DeGagné re-elected for their second terms, which will run from October 2026 to until October 2028.
The six new Collegium members bring a wealth of experience and expertise to their positions.
Bishop Robert Kasun, CSB, auxiliary bishop of Toronto, is one of Collegium’s new members. Bishop Kasun has served as a teacher, vocations director, a member of the Basilian Fathers General Administrative Council, a pastor and a member of the executive council of St. Mary’s University College Board of Directors in Calgary.
The Collegium also welcomes Kevin Morris, a partner in the corporate group and Chair of the Capital Markets Group at Torys LLP. Kevin is a graduate of St Francis Xavier University, the University of Toronto Jackman Law Faculty, the University of Cambridge and the Rotman School ICD.D program. While at law school, Kevin was a Residence Don at Fisher House.
Both men are appointees of the Basilian Fathers.
Luigi Ferrara, another external member, has held various roles, including practising architect, designer and urbanist with various firms, including his own practice, Conifer, and executive VP and CEO respectively of the Design Exchange and the DXnet, Canada’s Centre for Design and Innovation. He also served as Dean of the Centre for Arts, Design and Information Technology at George Brown College.
Doctoral student Christine Way Skinner is the graduate student appointment from the Regis St. Michael’s Faculty of Theology. Way Skinner has worked in parish ministry for more than 30 years and holds a BA in theology from St. Francis Xavier University and a Master of Divinity degree from Harvard Divinity School.
Third-year student Matthew Seppanan holds the undergraduate non-voting position on the board. Seppanen is working on a double major in Political Science and Criminology. Active in student affairs, he is an infantry soldier in the Canadian Armed Forces Primary Army Reserve.
Disha Makhijani will serve as the staff representative on Collegium. She is an Executive Assistant in the St. Michael’s Division of Continuing Education and is currently working toward a Master of Education in Higher Education degree at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE).
Fr. George Smith, CSB and alumna Carmela Pallotto joined the board earlier in 2025.
While the new student representatives will serve one-year terms, the other new appointees will serve three-year terms.
The Collegium also thanked six departing members for their service to St. Michael’s.
Fr. Andrew Leung, CSB, a Basilian appointee, and Katie Moriarty, an external appointee, each completed two terms, having joined the board in 2019.
Emma Oliver, who held the staff position, and Valentine Lovekin, who had been a Basilian appointee, joined the board in 2023.
Undergraduate member Elizabeth Xu and Regis St. Michael’s student Susan McElcheran had served on Collegium since 2023.