Meet the Board
BOARD MEMBERS
President
— Mousumee Dutta Holloway
Dr Mousumee Dutta earned her PhD in Women’s Studies from the Australian National University. She also holds several degrees, including a BA (Hons), BEd, MA and an MPhil, from the Northeastern Hill University in Shillong India, where she was the University Gold Medallist. Before moving to Calgary, she was formerly employed at both the ANU and the University of Western Ontario.
Mousumee and her husband are the parents of two children. Their daughter is currently a university student in Calgary. Their son is fourteen years old, and is on the Autism Spectrum.
Mousumee came to the Rapid Prompting Method five years ago, when she organized the first RPM workshop to be held in Calgary. Since then, she has organized workshops each year, which have included families not only from southern Alberta, but also Manitoba and Saskatchewan. She is also an active member of the home schooling movement
Vice President
— Janani Ramanath
Janani Ramanath has a Master’s Degree in Lighting from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, in Troy, NY. She currently works as a freelance lighting consultant and educator in Calgary. She has always been keenly interested in social justice and learning more about the world. When her son was diagnosed with autism in 2011, she dived into researching possible treatments and therapies to help her son have a better quality of life.
Her family got introduced to the Rapid Prompting Method (RPM) after a life-changing workshop in Calgary, with provider Jackie Dorshorst. Since then her son has taken part in multiple workshops happening in the Calgary area. In 2017, Janani went to Austin TX to attend the parent training for RPM and became certified as a provider. She is passionate about presuming competence and providing a means to communicate for those who can’t communicate verbally. Advocating for an inclusive education for her son is one of her ongoing goals.
Director of Operations
— Sabina Isgandarova
Sabina Isgandarova holds a PhD degree in biophysical chemistry and a MSc in biology and teaching. In 2004 she had accepted a postdoctoral fellowship with University of Alberta upon completion of which she moved to Calgary in 2010. Her research in biochemistry had been recognized with such prestigious awards as AHFMR Senior Postdoctoral Research Fellowship and Merck-Frosst Industrial Research Award. She currently teaches on a postgraduate level and consults in the field of environmental sciences.
She has a diverse volunteering experience and has volunteered with professional, community and cultural organizations over the last 15 years. She has been recognized as 2018 Faces of Community by the Federation of Calgary Communities.
Director of Research
— Tania Rizwan
Tania moved from Edmonton to Calgary in 2016 with her husband and two boys. She has a PhD in mechanical engineering from the University of Alberta and is a professional engineer with the Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of Alberta (APEGA). She has more than 15 years of experience in her field and currently works as a Technology Program Manager for TC Energy.
Tania has been involved in the autism community ever since her second son was diagnosed with non-verbal autism at the age of two. She is an unrelenting advocate and strong voice for her son and for all children with disabilities, and is driven to help other families who need resources and connections in the community. She is equally passionate about the meaningful inclusion of children with disabilities in schools and the community..
Director at Large
— Sandra Weizman
Sandra Morton Weizman holds an M.A. in Canadian History and a second Master’s degree in Museum Studies, both from the University of Toronto. She has worked both nationally and internationally as a museum curator, Project Manager and Museum and Heritage consultant for 40 years. She is the mother of two adult children, one of who has an autism spectrum disorder. In 2005, as a result of her journey with her son, she went back to school and became a homeopathic practitioner, graduating in 2011.
Sandra has been an active member of the autism parent community both locally and nationally since her son’s diagnosis in 1997. She has served on the boards of Autism Society Canada, Autism Society of Alberta and Families for Effective Autism Treatment of Alberta (FEAT-Alberta). She has also spearheaded and currently chairs the Inclusion Task Force for the Calgary Jewish Federation, which promotes inclusion for children and adults with developmental and physical disabilities in the Jewish community.
Sandra discovered the Rapid Prompting Method (RPM) as a useful tool to help teach her son academics and daily living skills and in 2009-10, travelled with him to Austin, Texas, to attend camps with Soma Mukhopadhyay. Sandra has become an active parent in the Calgary RPM community, frequently organizing workshops for families.