None Of The Above

LYNNE HONEY

Lynne is an Associate Professor in the Psychology Department at MacEwan University. She earned her PhD in Experimental Psychology from McMaster University where she specialized in social learning, animal behaviour, and evolutionary psychology. She is the co-author of a textbook on animal learning, and currently conducts research that examines the role of social dominance for interpersonal interactions and evaluation. Lynne is very focused on teaching about psychology but also teaching critical thinking and analysis and received the 2013 Innovation in Teaching Award from the Alberta Colleges and Institutes Faculty Association.

Lynne will be giving a presentation on how to read and understand statistics...sure to appeal to the skeptics amongst us. 

     BRADLEY PETER

Bradley Peter is a biologist from Edmonton, Alberta. After watching his grandmother suffer a prolonged death in 2009 due to a terminal illness, Bradley became involved with the Right to Die movement. In 2012, Bradley helped create the Edmonton Chapter of Dying with Dignity, which conducts education on patient rights and advocates for the introduction of legislation on medically assisted dying. Bradley brings a passion for evidence-based medicine and critical thinking to this issue and believes nobody should have to experience unwanted suffering at the end of life.

Dying With Dignity has a four-part mandate.
1. Education about end-of-life options and the importance of advance care planning;
2. Education about patient rights and advocacy for patients whose rights are abused;
3. Support for individuals at the end of their lives, including support at the bedside of those who wish to determine the nature and timing of their death, and 4. Information about the choice-in-dying movement, and the reasons why appropriately regulated medically assisted dying should be legalized in Canada.

Brad will be speaking to us about the organization as well as the exciting news over the Supreme Court decision in February of this year.

   KATHY DAWSON

Kathy and her daughter Emily made international news when they filed a Human Rights claim over religious, abstinence based sexual health education. Since 2013 she has worked tirelessly to raise awareness about the need for comprehensive sexual health education in all Alberta schools. She is a board member of Alberta AIM (Accessing Information not Myths), a stakeholder group that is demanding evidence based education in the curriculum. Alberta AIM was recently successful in getting the need for consent education highlighted across Alberta and is now advocating for medically accurate, inclusive comprehensive sexual health education. Kathy is also a member of SEA, openly secular and proudly atheist.

         LUKE FEVIN

Back in 2010 an Albertan Public school knowingly denied Luke and his children their Canadian Charter Rights ("Fundamental Freedoms") of Freedom FROM Religion - and he has been seriously pissed about it ever since. After discovering how widespread this issue was, Luke went on to co-found APUPIL (Albertan Parents for Unbiased Public Inclusive Learning), sits on the Board of the Society of Edmonton Atheists & is also the Social Media darling known as 'According2Luke'. Luke is a regular contributor on Albertan TV & Radio on secular matters and will be announcing the launch of the legal vehicle through which we will be addressing a number of these issues at the NONE OF THE ABOVE Secular Conference!

         GREG HART

Greg has a formal background in ergonomics and kinesiology. He can tell you exactly why sitting is one of the most dangerous things you could ever do. His work and research in ergonomics led to a fascination around the gulf between conscious and sub-conscious behaviour selection and how the effects are felt in the world. Thinking is one of those mostly sub-conscious behaviours and he undertook a deep study of critical thinking and skepticism including attending the the Academy of Critical Thinking through the Foundation for Critical Thinking at Sonoma State University in California. Greg has been a regular presenter at the International Conference on Critical Thinking.

He is a board member of Sustainable Calgary, Safer Calgary and the project leader for the Safe and Smooth project. He is the past chair of Make It Good - a Calgary-based organization concerned with creating a space for critical dialogue aimed at building resilient organizations and communities. He works with organizations through his company Mindblendr to help them discover and control the unconscious design elements that drive most of human behaviour. He helps them employ critical thinking in their activities and generally figure stuff out. He is SLOWLY working on a book about the dangerous paradox that surrounds the feeling of being safe.

     JON MORRISON

Jon Morrison is the Teaching Pastor at Maple Ridge Baptist Church in Maple Ridge, BC. Jon holds a M.A. in Christian Apologetics from Biola University. He has also studied at Oxford University before working for a non-profit organization called Apologetics Canada. In 2013, Jon published Clear Minds & Dirty Feet, a book aimed at translating the evidence for Christianity for both skeptics and Christians alike. Jon also teaches Spiritual Formation at Pacific Life Bible College in Surrey, B.C. He is married to Hayley and they have a daughter named Abigail.

Jon appears through a sponsorship from Living Stones Church in Red Deer.