Centre for Information Integrity

Gérard Normand, Director, Centre for Information Integrity (CII), Professional Development Institute.

Member of the Barreau du Québec since 1982, he initially practiced law in a private firm and then as a prosecutor for the Attorney General of Québec.

Joining the Federal Department of Justice (DOJ) in 1990 initially as counsel with the Department of Health Canada, he then founded in 1993 the Office of the National Security Group (NSG). In 1995, he became counsel for the Canadian Security intelligence Service.

Between 2002 and 2006, he became General counsel/Director of NSG. That office was centrally responsible for all legal advice provided for senior management at DOJ in national security law matters.

In 2006, he was appointed Director of the Strategic Policy and Planning office of the S&I Secretariat at the Privy Council Office (PCO). In late 2007, he returned to the Department of Justice as acting Deputy ADAG responsible for national security related matters. He was responsible for the AG of Canada in three successive commissions of inquiry.

In late 2010, he joined the Office of Canadian Forces Legal Advisor at the Department of National Defence and acted as General Counsel responsible for national security law.

Retiring from the Department of Justice in 2018, he became Special Legal Advisor to the first Intelligence Commissioner to be named further to the passing of Bill C-59, as well as with the National Security and Intelligence Committee of Parliamentarians.

Prepared and gave a course on national security law at the Faculté de droit civil, University of Ottawa, in 2022.

Instructor in national security law for Professional Development Institute of the University of Ottawa.

Advisor to Commissioner Hogue in the context of the Public Inquiry on Foreign Interference.

Director of the Centre for Information Integrity, PDI, University of Ottawa

Richard Pinet, B.A., M.A., Ph.D (ABD). Consultant, Centre for Information Integrity (CII), Professional Development Institute.

Former Director of the Centre for e-Learning and Director of Centre for Innovative Pedagogies and Digital Learning (CIPDL), Teaching and Learning Support Services, University of Ottawa. Over the course of Richard’s tenure with the TLSS - the Centre’s team for the development of online courses and special projects had won 14 Regional and National e-Learning Awards.

Richard was the recipient of Canadian Network for Innovation in Education’s (CNIE) Leadership Award in 2017.

In 2007 / 2008, he served as a Senior Specialist, Materials Development and Instructional Design Instructor, in partnership with the Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada and Memorial University, for a large-scale, capacity enhancement project with the African Virtual University.

Richard is a Co-Founder and former Chair of the Ontario Universities’ Council on e-Learning (OUCeL), and a former Board Member of Ontario University Council for Lifelong Learning (OUCLL).

Richard’s academic background and interests include: communication theory, media and cultural studies, critical pedagogy, and technology and culture. He has taught at various universities: Simon Fraser University, Trent University, the University of Western Sydney, University of Ottawa, and with the School of Continuing Studies at the University of Toronto.

Richard has also acted as an independent director/producer of a series of interdisciplinary, community-based educational public programming initiatives including: The Spectacular State: Fascism and the Modern Imagination; The Body Project: Representations of the Body in Popular Culture, and Unstable Networks: An Evening with Bruce Sterling & William Gibson. He is currently working on the development of a series of events under the banner: Spectacular Data: Fascism and the Coded Present.

Richard is a drummer with the Ottawa-based band – Brother Bones and an avid amateur photographer.

Nicolas Rutherford, Senior Analyst, Centre for Information Integrity (CII), Professional Development Institute.

Nicolas Rutherford is a Senior Analyst at the Centre for Information Integrity (CII) at the University of Ottawa, where he focuses on climate mis/disinformation and the broader challenge of ensuring reliable, accessible information in today’s media landscape. His work spans narrative analysis, tracking how false and misleading claims spread across platforms and publics, and developing tools and strategies to strengthen information integrity.

He holds a Master’s in Anthropology from the University of Ottawa, where his research examined how viral dynamics shape the circulation and uptake of mis/disinformation online, with a focus on flu vaccine controversies. Prior to joining the Centre for Information Integrity (CII), he led the development of Vits, a prototype tool for identifying and contextualizing mis/disinformation in online video content, supported by the National Film Board of Canada. He also coordinated the Humanimalab, a research group examining human-environment relations in the context of the Anthropocene.

Alex Dalziel, Arctic Associate, Centre for Information Integrity (CII), Professional Development Institute.

Alex Dalziel is Arctic Associate at the Centre. He spent over 20 years in Canada’s national security community advising decision-makers across government and Canada’s allies, holding positions with the Privy Council Office, Department of National Defence and Canada Border Services Agency. During that time, he worked across multiple topics and regions. Since leaving government in 2023, he has written extensively about the geopolitics and security of the Arctic. His work has appeared in the Globe and Mail and iPolitics, among other print media, and he has been interviewed by national and international television and radio, including on CTV, CBC Radio and Finnish national broadcaster.

He holds Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in history from Memorial University of Newfoundland and Labrador, as well as certificates in Russia and Baltic Area Studies from the University of Eastern Finland and in European Studies from the University of Bonn. He has foreign language skills in French, Finnish and Russian.

Zahraa El Hajj, BSc, MSc, Assistant, Centre for Information Integrity (CII), Professional Development Institute.

Zahraa is currently pursuing a Master’s in Anatomical Sciences Education at the University of Ottawa’s Faculty of Medicine, where she explores how technology can enhance education and bilingual science communication. Building on a foundation that bridges a Bachelor’s in Biology and a Minor in Media and Communication, her path reflects a continuous commitment to interdisciplinary inquiry at the intersection of science, education, communication, and technology.

At the Centre, Zahraa supports in events, bilingual communications, and research.

She takes part in events planning, coordination, organization, promotion, facilitation, and delivery, in addition to assisting in communications and liaison support. Zahraa contributes to information communication and education initiatives through content creation, development and execution of social media strategies, and applied research for publications and releases

She’s a certified peer reviewer for UOJM (The University of Ottawa Journal of Medicine), an anatomy teaching assistant, and has been a research assistant for several different projects throughout her journey. She also held leadership roles in student governance, helping foster inclusive and innovative initiatives

Outside of her academic and professional pursuits, Zahraa is an enthusiast photographer, guitarist, and cyclist.

Andrew Heffernan, Associate, Centre for Information Integrity (CII), Professional Development Institute.

Andrew Heffernan holds a PhD in Political Science from the University of Ottawa where he is a Climate Associate at the Centre for Information Integrity (CII) and adjunct professor. He is also a regular contributor to the Centre for International Governance Innovation. Andrew’s major research interests include climate disinformation, African politics, global environmental governance, community-based conservation, and the politics of food. Andrew is active in the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning which he is continuously publishing on, presenting on at academic conferences, as well as implementing in his teaching in university classes. Andrew is also Chair of the African Studies Association’s Emerging Scholar Network.

Dave McMahon, Associate, Centre for Information Integrity (CII), Professional Development Institute.

Dave McMahon is a 40 year intelligence veteran who has specialized in information operations, counter-disinformation, influence and interference, He has been an expert witness to Senate Standing Committee on Legal and Constitutional Affairs, and the National Security and Defence Committees. He co-chaired the interdepartmental committee on Information Warfare. Dave is an associate of the University of Ottawa, Professional Development Institute and the Centre for Information Integrity (CII).

Alan McCafferty, Technical Lead, Centre for Information Integrity (CII), Professional Development Institute.

Alan McCafferty is a Senior Business Analyst with 25 years of progressive experience working with public organizations, not-for-profits, start-ups, and multi-national corporations. Educated in Canada, the USA and Europe in multiple disciplines including Engineering, Business, Risk Management, and Lean 6 Sigma, he is the author of more than 25 white papers and the recipient of the Canada Award for Excellence. During his career, Alan has led the delivery of multi-year $1 billion , mission critical information technology projects. As a Cyber Security SME, Alan was key in the developed of the University of Ottawa Professional Development Institute cyber security program and teaches several of the courses. Alan has successfully completed IT, Security, Process, Threat Risk Assessments (TRA), Privacy Impact Assessments (PIA), health and safety projects for federal government departments, provincial healthcare organizations and national not-for-profit organizations. As a senior consultant, he uses his Lean 6 Sigma skills, along with his risk and security experience to help organizations implement low waste, and effective lean processes in areas such as information security management systems, business continuity, department security plans, quality management systems, health, and safety management systems.