Faculty Profiles

Tenured Faculty & Definite-Term Lecturers

Our full-time and DTL instructors have backgrounds in education, law, social activism, individual psychology, peacebuilding, and more. Their diverse expertise is shared through teaching, research, and service work. Click on each name to visit individual profiles.

Robert Case

Associate Professor, Social Development Studies

Research interests: Social welfare policy, community development, community organization, social movements, and activism

Doug Cowan

Professor, Religious Studies and Social Development Studies

Research interests: Popular culture; sociology of knowledge and propaganda theory; religion and social development; meaning-making through storytelling and gameplay; atheism, skepticism, and non-belief

Joint-Appointment: Religious Studies

Hsiao d'Ailly

Associate Professor, Social Development Studies

Research interests: Mathematics learning and teaching, educational psychology, motivation, cross-cultural studies, self-identity, immigrant adaptation.

Craig Fortier

Associate Professor, Social Development Studies

Research interests: Settler colonialism; social movements, abolitionist and decolonizing social work; popular culture and radical change; trans-disciplinary social justice pedagogy; urban memorialization; accounting history; Indigenous & settler relationships, colonization/decolonization; Indigenous theory; migrant justice movements; nationalism and sovereignty; queer, trans*, and non-binary participation in sport; and baseball history.

Cross-Appointment: Gender and Social Justice Studies

Margaret F. (Meg) Gibson

Associate Professor, Social Development Studies and Social Work

Research interests: LGBTQ communities and sexuality studies; Disability studies; Parenting and families; Critical social work practice; Feminist research methods; History and philosophy of healthcare and social services

Joint-Appointment: School of Social Work

Chris Hiller

Assistant Professor, Social Development Studies

Research interests: Settler colonialism; Indigenous-settler relations; education towards decolonization; critical pedagogy; alliance building and allyship; social movements; anti-colonial activism; conflict transformation and peacebuilding; qualitative research methods; narrative; anti-oppressive and anti-colonial social work

Denise Marigold

Associate Professor, Chair of Social Development Studies

Research interests: Close relationships; social support; attachment; self-esteem; positive psychology

Crystena Parker-Shandal

Associate Professor, Social Development Studies

Research interests: Restorative justice in education, transformative justice, antiracist education, critical literacy, equity and inclusion, immigrants and refugees, K-12 schools; youth leadership; social justice; peacebuilding and dialogue

Sharon Roberts

Associate Professor, Social Development Studies

Research interests: Transition to adulthood; identity resolution; anthropomorphic identities (furry fandom, furries); youth  

Arshi Shaikh-Grande

Associate Professor, Social Development Studies

Research interests: Healing, wellbeing and wellness; diversity of worldviews; structural violence of colonization, patriarchy, and capitalism (neoliberalism); tantric path of inner awakening; matrilineal spirituality and matriarchal societies

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Sessional Instructors

The interdisciplinary nature of SDS thrives off the expertise of many incredible teachers. See Contacts for a full list of current sessional instructors.

More Profiles Coming Soon!

Toni Lemon

Lecturer

Courses: SOCWK 120R, SOCWK 240R, SOCWK 300R, SOCWK 365R 

Ela Smith

Lecturer

Courses:  SOCWK 120R, SOCWK 221R, SOCWK 301R, SOCWK 321R

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