Directors (and Group Leaders) of the Adventures in Mind Educational Travel Association
The Directors of the Association are those who plan, organize, make bookings and lead classes and visits for our various Adventures, at least two of them being assigned to each offering.
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Dr. John Black(President) taught in and coordinated the Liberal Studies Abroad credit program at Vancouver Island University from its inception in 1997 until his retirement in 2017. Since then he has been a volunteer organizer and tour leader for Adventures in Mind. From 1997 until now he has led more than twenty study trips to Italy, England, Czechia and Greece.
John grew up in England and moved to Canada in 1973. He has Master's degrees from Cambridge and Simon Fraser, and a PhD from UBC, all in Philosophy, with an emphasis on Philosophy of Mind. He has published also on critical thinking, Plato and the 18th-century navigator and philosopher Alexandro Malaspina. He is currently Professor Emeritus of Liberal Studies at VIU, and teaches and volunteers for the Mid-Island and Comox Valley Elder Colleges.
In John’s spare time he plays music, bridge, cricket and walking soccer.
Connie Kovalenka (Secretary-Treasurer) is a graduate of the BA program in Liberal Studies at Vancouver Island University, the Textile Arts program at Capilano University and the Radio & Television Arts program at NAIT. She has worked in arts administration, taught arts and crafts and spent many years at Malaspina/VIU working in administrative positions as well as taking visual arts courses whenever possible. In the last few years, her interest has been focused on buying and selling antiques and collectables, as she has a strong belief in the values of reusing and recycling.
When travelling, Constance makes a point of seeking out antique, vintage and flea markets - however it isn’t always easy to get the treasures home!
Dr. James Anderson (Member-at-Large) received a BA in Classics at the University of Alberta, then an MA and PhD in Roman Archaeology at the University of Newcastle-upon-Tyne, England. He has been on dozens of digs across the Mediterranean region and in North America. He taught Anthropology at North Island College for 24 years, during part of which time he also taught in VIU’s Liberal Studies BA program, before retiring in 2020. He has led thirteen archaeological field schools in Jordan, Greece, England, and Canada. In retirement he continues to be passionate about archaeology, history, literature, art, music, politics, and travel.
Regan McKeever (Member-at-Large) worked at Vancouver Island University for over 20 years as a Program Manager for life-long learning programs, including Adventures in Mind, and is employed now as a custom travel consultant. She is an avid traveller, having caught the bug while taking her last year of high school in the south of France, then in Singapore during university. She loves travelling with her husband and teenage kids as well as program participants. Hailing from Ontario, she has established her roots on Vancouver Island since attending the University of Victoria in 1996. Her passions include skiing, dancing, gardening and walking on the beach with her two golden-doodles.
Terri Bowen (B. Ed., MA, Master Graphologist) (Member-at-Large) is a retired principal of a Learning Through the Arts school in Calgary. Terri enjoys working with students of all levels and teaches for Mid Island Elder College and Comox Valley Elder College as well as hosting her own workshops. She creates in many media and formats, including mural painting and commissions. One of her passions is travelling the world to see world famous galleries and museums. You can get on her mailing list by contacting her at tlbowen@shaw.ca.
Brett Bowen (B.A., B.Ed., M.Sc.) (Member-at-Large) received the Alberta Award for Excellence in teaching and the provincial award for contributions to Gifted and Talented Education as a Calgary Board of Education secondary school teacher.
After retiring, he moved to Vancouver Island where he paints and engages in outdoor pursuits (primarily kayaking and cycling). Brett has taught for what is now Mid Island Elder College for over a dozen years and has spoken to a wide variety of audiences about the impacts of history, including French history, on today’s world.
Dr. Dan Hinman-Smith (Member-at-Large) has been an instructor in History and Liberal Studies at North Island College since 2003. He has taught a wide variety of courses there, with an emphasis upon World History, Religious Studies and Mythology. An armchair traveller par excellence, he has also helped to organize and lead five student tours abroad to Greece, Turkey and Southern Spain. A fourth-generation British Columbian, Dan grew up in Victoria and has a Master’s degree in History from UVIC and a Ph.D. in Modern American History from the University of North Carolina. He taught in a number of different venues before returning to Vancouver Island, including in prisons, at an alternative high school in North Carolina, at the University of Maine, the University of Toronto and UBC.
Rick Adams is an avid fan of Adventures in Mind after being introduced to the organization by friends. He has been a passionate traveller and seeker of new experiences since a young age. Rick has a diverse range of interests in cheese making, charcuterie making, fermentation, wine, cooking, woodworking, gardening, metal smithing (including silver work) and genealogy, to name a few. He also enjoys European driving challenges having driven in 17 different countries.