Dr. Wendy Stanyon received her Bachelor of Nursing degree at McGill University in Montreal, Quebec and her Master of Arts in Education degree from Central Michigan University in Mount Pleasant. She completed her Doctor of Education degree at the University of Toronto in Ontario in 2003.

Prior to joining UOIT, Dr. Stanyon worked for many years as a professor in the Department of Health and Human Studies at Durham College in Oshawa, Ontario. Other previous experiences include being a public health nurse for North York in Toronto, Ontario and a professor in the Nursing department of CEGEP John Abbott in Montreal, Quebec.

With a global suicide rate of once every 40 seconds, there has never been a more pressing need for mental health awareness. A startling statistic that Dr. Wendy Stanyon hopes to change through resources like Mindsight, a computer-based, interactive educational resource she created which examines nine of the most common mental health illnesses, the related signs and symptoms, self-help practices, and strategies to help others, as well as available community resources. Since its launch in 2010, over 2,000 people have completed the Mindsight module program and quiz, and received a certificate of achievement from UOIT.

Dr. Stanyon subscribes to the philosophy that mental health awareness is a required life skill and equally as important as knowing CPR and basic first aid. With the increasing prevalence of mental illness in society, and the undeniable discrimination and stigma associated with it, Dr. Stanyon believes that everyone needs a basic understanding of mental illness and how they can help themselves and others. She is a noted authority on the development of learning strategies to educate students, health practitioners, service-based community groups and law enforcement officials to interact effectively with individuals who are challenged by mental illness.

Prior to joining UOIT in 2004, Dr. Stanyon worked for 20 years as a nursing professor in the Department of Health and Human Studies at Durham College in Oshawa, Ontario. Previous experience includes serving as a public health nurse for North York in Toronto, Ontario and a professor in the Nursing department of CEGEP John Abbott in Montreal, Quebec. Early in her career she began to see colleagues and family members affected by mental illness, and their struggles are what motivated her to take an active role in promoting greater mental health awareness and understanding.

Dr. Stanyon obtained her Bachelor of Nursing at McGill University in Montreal, Quebec in 1974. She received her Master of Arts in Education from Central Michigan University in Mount Pleasant, Michigan in 1989; and she completed her Doctor of Education at the University of Toronto in 2003.

She continues to serve as a Registered Nurse (on a casual basis) on the Forensic Assessment Unit at Ontario Shores Centre for Mental Health Sciences (Ontario Shores), as part of her commitment to professional development and maintaining her clinical competency.