Ashley Irwin

Sessional Lecturer

Photo of Ashley Irwin.

PhD, University of Waterloo
MA, University of Guelph
BA, University of Guelph

Email: a3irwin@uwaterloo.ca

Biography

I received a B.A. in English and an M.A. in Victorian Literature at the University of Guelph and completed my PhD in English Language and Literature with a focus in Critical Race Theory and Discourse Analysis.  I currently teach in a wide range of fields including Critical Race Studies, and Science and Engineering Communications at the University of Waterloo, as well as Academic Writing and Rhetoric and Composition at Sheridan College.

Selected Presentations

“The Science of Care: The Intersections of STEM and Social Justice” (30 March 2022). The Science Society, University of Waterloo.

Co-presented with Andrea Jonas and Hannah Watts “Mentorship Vision Boards (MVB): Building Science Identity in Science and Engineering Students” (28 April 2022). University of Waterloo Teaching and Learning Conference: Fostering Partnerships in Pedagogy. Waterloo.

“Debasing Dissent: The Role of the News Media in the Devaluation of Black Canadian Activism” (7 January 2022).  MLA 2022 Convention, Washington.

Current Work

I am currently revising my dissertation entitled Debasing Dissent for publication.  This work examines the racist discourse used in the Canadian mainstream press to devalue instances of Black Canadian activism. I am also actively working on mobilizing anti-racist pedagogy in Canadian post-secondary institutions.

Research Areas

  • Black Studies
  • Anti-Racist Activism
  • Critical Race Theory
  • Discourse Analysis