St. Mike’s Continuing Education Celebrates Kathryn Cooper’s Retirement and Welcomes New Program Director Dr. Shilpa Tiwari
St. Michael’s College Continuing Education Division congratulates Kathryn Cooper on her retirement and extends its gratitude for her outstanding years of service as Program Manager of the Social Responsibility and Sustainability (SR&S) Post-Graduate Diploma Program. The SR&S diploma equips students with the knowledge and practical experience needed to advance and transition into careers in social responsibility, ESG and sustainability. Stepping into the Program Director role is Dr. Shilpa Tiwari, a global leader in sustainability, corporate citizenship, and diversity and inclusion.
Cooper joined St. Mike’s in 2014 at the invitation of Dr. Mimi Marrocco, the program’s founder. Over the past eleven years, she has expanded and strengthened the program to meet the growing demand for professionals trained in social responsibility and sustainability. Under her leadership, the program evolved from a certificate to a full diploma. In 2019, she introduced the President’s Capstone Awards, recognizing graduates with the top summative projects.
In recent years, the curriculum has undergone further development adding ESG, an MIT Climate Simulation, Truth and Reconciliation, Mindfulness and Meditation, Allyship and kicking off a process to embed a Culturally Responsive and Sustainability Mindset curriculum throughout the program.
“Over the years, the SR & S Diploma has evolved with the rapid changes in this field. With support from President David Sylvester, the Senate, Mimi and the graduates of the program, we have been able to create a program that continues to evolve and equip participants with the knowledge, skills and perspectives they need to thrive as businesses recognize that social, environmental and governance issues are material today and into the future,” says Cooper.
Cooper’s leadership and commitment have been recognized beyond campus. She recently received Clean50’s Lifetime Achievement Award for her contributions to environmental change—an honour for which she was nominated by a SR&S graduate.
Her passion for sustainability began on her family’s largely self-sufficient dairy farm in Quebec, where she grew up growing vegetables and raising livestock. She went on to earn a BSc in Agriculture and Food from the University of Guelph, an MBA from Wilfrid Laurier University, and a M.Ed in Sustainability and the Environment from York University. Throughout her career, she has used education as a springboard to new opportunities, a drive she recognizes in her own students.
“I think most of our students are looking to merge their career with the values and passion for a better world. And that’s what we’ve set out to do through this program—give people the avenues to transition into a field or accelerate their career in a field where they can make their career their calling. And we do that through not only technical knowledge, but also mindfulness, reflection and reconnecting with their role as human beings in relationship with nature and the human family. Resilient leaders bring purpose and meaning to their work. It’s about learning to bring your ‘whole self’ to work,” she says.
Taking on the role of Program Director is Dr. Shilpa Tiwari, an executive with more than 15 years of experience leading sustainability, corporate citizenship, and diversity and inclusion initiatives in complex global organizations. She has worked across sectors, including financial services, mining, oil and gas, forestry, and energy, and brings an entrepreneurial and cross-cultural perspective to St. Mike’s.
“Over the last two decades I’ve worked in sustainability and social impact across Africa, Asia, Latin America, and North America, and a pattern has become very clear: the most meaningful change happens when people have the tools to connect global challenges to local action. St. Mike’s, and the Social Responsibility and Sustainability diploma in particular, sit at that intersection. I was drawn here because the program doesn’t treat sustainability as a buzzword or a branding exercise—it treats it as a deeply human, ethical and practical undertaking. Joining St. Mike’s felt like an opportunity to bring my global experience back home to Toronto, and to help mid-career professionals translate big ideas about climate, equity and justice into concrete decisions in their workplaces and communities,” she says.
Dr. Tiwari holds a BSc in Environmental Science from Queen’s University, an MES in Environmental Policy from York University, and a PhD in Social Anthropology from the London School of Economics and Political Science.
Since joining the Continuing Education team on November 1, she has received a warm welcome from the St. Michael’s community.
“From my first meetings, I’ve sensed a genuine commitment to educating the whole person, not just transferring technical knowledge. I’ve been struck by how collaborative and curious the community is. It feels like exactly the right environment to have the kind of nuanced, sometimes uncomfortable but necessary conversations that social responsibility and sustainability demand,” she says.
“I’m looking forward to building on the strong foundation Kathryn has created and to growing the program in ways that respond to a rapidly changing world.”
To mark her retirement, Cooper was presented with a keepsake book filled with messages of gratitude, memories, and well-wishes from former students, colleagues, and friends whose lives and careers have been shaped by her work. Below are some of those messages:
“As you step into this next chapter, I want to take a moment to celebrate all that you’ve brought to the SR&S program and to everyone lucky enough to learned alongside you. Your kindness, thoughtfulness and genuine care have touched so many lives. You’ve built an inclusive, supportive community where students, like me, felt seen, heard and inspired to make a difference. Your dedication to teaching and to empowering others through education has created a ripple effect; one that will continue to shape sustainability professionals in Canada and abroad for years to come.”
– Ewa Czerny, Chair of the SR&S Alumni Committee from 2023 – 2025
“Don’t break with tradition. Enrich it”. This is what you’ve done for a highly specialized program here at St. Mike’s that started out small, but thanks to you, it grew… and grew… and GREW. You embraced our traditions and respected and shared our values. Then you added your personal values, your extensive knowledge and your remarkable skills as a leader and an innovator. The result was quite simply miraculous. Thank you, Kathryn, for all that you’ve done for Social Responsibility and Sustainability in general and for the St. Michael’s Continuing Education Division in particular.”
– Dr. Mimi Marrocco, founder of the SR&S program
“Kathryn, sending you the biggest congratulations on your retirement and more importantly on all your achievements throughout your career. I am eternally thankful for taking the CSR course back in 2018 as it helped drive me towards my dream job which I am still working in and thriving in. You led and guided us with such expertise and care and inspired us to help change minds, change our companies, and in our own small ways change the world. What an impact! Thank you. Enjoy your next chapter!”
– Emilie Nosovic, Senior Manager, LEGO® Replay North America at The LEGO® Group, 2018 graduate of the SR&S program
“Thank you Kathryn for changing my life! Your contributions to the community, the lessons I’ve learned from you are all invaluable assets that I will carry with me years on. I wish you all the best on your new journey and I trust, that by way of who you are, more souls will be blessed as you’ve blessed me. Cheers!”
– Blessing Oluloto, Debt Operations Coordinator at CAP Canada, 2025 graduate of the SR&S program
“Kathryn, you made a huge impact as I transitioned my career from Asia Pacific to the Americas; I am truly grateful for everything you did to help! Wish you all the best with your next chapter, I know that you won’t stop giving back, because that’s who you are.”
– Adnan Zaman, Superintendent of Social Performance at Newmont Corporation, 2021 graduate of the SR&S program