Shawna O'Hearn is the director of global health at Dalhousie University and co-chair of the Canadian Society for International Health. She is an occupational therapist with additional graduate training in international development and corporate social responsibility. Shawna has held leadership positions in government, university and non-government organizations in Canada and abroad. She has worked and lived in the West Indies, India, West and East Africa as well as Nunavut. Her research has focused on maternal, newborn, and child health, gender equity, social accountability, and community engagement and diversity with an emphasis on qualitative research methodologies. Shawna is also a PhD student in the department of Geography and Environmental Management at the University of Waterloo. She is a Queen Elizabeth Scholar and will be working on water security as a foundation for healthy communities and sustainable livelihoods.