UVic neuropsychologist among the Top 10 Most Influential Hispanic Canadians
December 09, 2022
The ILAC Education Group honoured UVic neuropsychologist, Mauricio Garcia-Barrera, at the 14th annual edition of the Top 10 Most Influential Hispanic Canadians awards presented in Toronto.
Born in Colombia, Garcia-Barrera came to Canada in 2008 and is now a renowned neuropsychological assessment expert in UVic's Faculty of Social Sciences.
“My research explores how cognitive processes are affected by events such as sports-related concussions,” says Garcia-Barrera.
“To include researchers like myself in the Top 10 validates our effort and reminds us that meaningful influences—that shape Canada— come daily from universities, not only from the government and industry,” adds Garcia-Barrera.
The awards ceremony included a keynote address by the Hon. Patricia Peña, a top official at Global Affairs Canada. Since 2007, the “10 most influential Hispanic Canadians” has 130 awardees from 7 provinces and 17 countries of origin. The program, personally recognized by a Prime Minister, has taken place in Vancouver, Montreal, Ottawa, Saskatchewan, Calgary and Toronto.
Q & A with Mauricio Garcia-Barrera:
1. What was your reaction to getting this award?
“It started with the nomination: my former colleague in UVic’s Department of Psychology, Dr. John Sakaluk (now at Western University) completed a nomination package. When I was informed of the nomination, I was both quite honoured but also incredulous, noticing the status of several previous recipients of this award, which has been running for 14 years.”
“Having been selected among the Top 10 Most Influential Hispanic-Canadians of 2022 is an outstanding recognition and I am extremely humbled. I am timid about self-promotion, but I confess it does feel very good to be recognized for my passion for the everyday things I do in my academic work, for the values I believe in, and for my commitment to make my work impactful.”
2. What does it mean personally to you to be named one of the “10 most influential Hispanics in Canada?”
“It gives me a sense of responsibility, to stand up to the challenge of maintaining that commitment to do meaningful research, to mentor and facilitate the training of all my students, and in my new position as Associate Dean Research, to positively impact faculty members and students in their research pursuits and academic careers.”
“It does give me great hope for those that are like me: members of the LGBTQ+I2S community, people of colour, first-generation college, Hispanic immigrants and English as Second Language speakers in Canada, who came with a suitcase filled with uncertainty, lack of templates and models, and many dreams and skills.”
3. Why is it important to highlight academia?
“This award recognizes the success of Hispanics in Canada across several fields and experiences, but I believe that academics are, influential. I also believe that academic positions—as challenging as they are—offer several opportunities to make meaningful contributions.
“In the classrooms, in our research labs, on the decision-making tables, during evaluation processes, problem-solving and the creation of initiatives, in the one-to-one interactions. To include researchers like myself in the Top 10 validates our effort and reminds us that meaningful influences—that shape Canada— come daily from universities, not only from the government and industry.”
4. Do you consider yourself a role model for Hispanic youth pursuing post-secondary education?
“I did not think about this for several years until I found my lab populated by Hispanic students from Colombia, Nicaragua, El Salvador, Brazil, and Venezuela. I believe that having faculty members in our academic institutions that share similar experiences to you offers a safe space for them to feel seen, heard, and supported in their pursuits.”
“Regardless of the hierarchy (professor-student) the awareness that we share a common ground, a common language, cultural similarities, expectations and challenges, makes it possible to believe that our goals are realistic.”
“I haven't had the opportunity to engage with many Hispanic youths in this part of Canada, but I know from my research and professional experiences (such as conferences in several countries in Latin America), that they are listening and watching people like me, and creating templates of what is possible for them. I am the oldest of four sons, and all of my brothers pursued their post-secondary degrees and two of them completed their graduate training in Canada and France, and I would like to believe that my experience influences them positively.”
5. Is there anything else you would like to add about this award or your work?
“This award has renewed a personal commitment that started when I became an affiliate of the Asociación Latinoamericana de Neuropsicología (ALAN- Latin American Association of Neuropsychology), and that was crystalized when I served for three years (2018-2021) as their President. I realized the strong desire among Latin American students to access opportunities for graduate training in Canada, and at the University of Victoria while being reminded of the challenges they face in pursuing that goal.”
“As a result, I am now involved in several initiatives to better recognize their contributions to our institution, in retention and support, and in recruitment efforts facilitating their access to our programs (donor awards, adjusted tuition, internal funding support, etc.). I hope to use this recognition as a platform for my voice to be heard.”
-END-