A skillful writer, Leslie Shimotakahara has spent her career working in communications, scope writing, and teaching at the university level. After completing her B.A. with First Class Honours in English at McGill University, Leslie Shimotakahara pursued her interest in twentieth-century literature and culture through graduate studies. She received her Ph.D. from Brown University in 2006 by writing a dissertation called “Regional Modernism,” which focused on literary representations of urbanization, an interest that serves her well in her current position at the Toronto Waterfront Revitalization Corporation. Leslie Shimotakahara received a number of fellowships during her time at Brown, including the Richard and Edna Salomon Endowed Fellowship and a doctoral fellowship from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada.

As a Visiting Assistant Professor at St. Francis Xavier University, Leslie Shimotakahara taught courses that provided students with a solid foundation for writing and the study of literature. Leslie Shimotakahara gave engaging lectures covering the novel, short fiction and film, among a host of other genres.

Leslie Shimotakahara transitioned from academia to the field of communications in 2008. In her position as a Communications Expert for the Institute of Public Administration of Canada, Leslie Shimotakahara found new applications for the research, writing and presentation skills that she had honed through her academic and teaching experience. Leslie Shimotakahara specialized in knowledge sharing, helping Canadian governance experts in developing countries around the world to connect efficiently and effectively. Leslie Shimotakahara also continued to write, shifting her expertise from literary and cultural studies into presentations and articles on democratic governance initiatives.

In 2009, Leslie Shimotakahara was pleased to accept a position as a Scope Writer at the Toronto Waterfront Revitalization Corporation. In this position, Leslie Shimotakahara researches and writes technical scopes of work for major infrastructure projects – bridges, parks, and energy plants, to name just a few examples. She consults with an array of internal and external stakeholders to ensure that the scopes of work are well articulated and support the Corporation in its mandate to transform Toronto’s waterfront into beautiful and sustainable new places to live, work and play. Drawing upon her longstanding interest in urbanization and urban culture, as well as her writing and communications expertise, Leslie Shimotakahara brings a wealth of knowledge and versatile talent to her current position.