Find Academic Supervisors

Julia ChristensenView profile

Associate Professor

• Indigenous Homelessness
• Northern Social Policy
• Arctic Urbanization
• +3 more

Julia Christensen is an Associate Professor in Geography at Memorial University of Newfoundland and Canada Research Chair (Tier II) in Northern Governance and Public Policy. Her critical social geography research examines urbanization, homelessness, and colonial policy impacts across Arctic Canada, Alaska, and Greenland, emphasizing Indigenous perspectives and community-led solutions. She holds a B.A. from UBC (2002), M.A. from University of Calgary (2005), Ph.D. from McGill (2012), and completed postdoctoral work at UBC. Research focuses on social welfare institutionalization, rural-urban relocation, and culturally safe housing policy in northern communities. Current projects include studies on non-renewable resource development impacts in the Northwest Territories and health/social welfare in Nuuk, Greenland. Publications critically analyze colonial legacies in housing policy and advocate for Indigenous self-determination. Collaborations involve community partners like Alternatives North and international researchers. Grants from SSHRC and Danish Research Council support this work.

Helen JohnsonView profile

Lecturer

• Arts-Based Research
• Community Psychology
• Spoken Word Studies
• +3 more

Helen Johnson is a Principal Lecturer in Psychology at the University of Brighton’s School of Humanities and Social Science, serving as Co-Director of the Centre for Arts and Wellbeing. Her work bridges critical social science, community psychology, and arts-based inquiry, focusing on spoken word, participatory research, and critical resilience. She holds a PhD from the University of Exeter and is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy. Education: PhD in Texts in Performance (University of Exeter, 2009) MSc in Performance Poets’ Accounts (University of the West of England, 2005) BSc (Hons) Psychology (First Class, 2000) Postgraduate Certificate in Teaching in HE (Distinction, 2012) Research Interests: Helen’s research centers on arts-based methods (e.g., collaborative poetics), spoken word communities, and the transformative role of the arts in health/wellbeing. She has pioneered creative methodologies to amplify marginalized voices and foster critical resilience through participatory research. Grants & Partnerships: Funded projects include collaborations with the Independent Social Research Foundation and National Institute for Health Research. She partners with organizations like Robin Hood Health and Creative Lives to create community-university initiatives, such as arts venues in deprived areas and addiction recovery curricula. Awards: Fellow of the Higher Education Academy Member of the Arts and Humanities Research Council Peer Review College Labs/Teams: Leads the Centre for Arts and Wellbeing and co-directs the PGR Creative Methodologies Group. Active in the Centre of Resilience for Social Justice.

Grace D. PlayerView profile

Assistant Professor

• Girls of Color Literacies
• Women of Color Feminisms and Education
• Critical Writing Pedagogy
• +4 more

Dr. Grace D. Player is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Curriculum and Instruction at the University of Connecticut’s Neag School of Education. Her work centers on literacy, critical pedagogies, and justice-oriented education with a focus on Girls and Women of Color. She holds a PhD from the University of Pennsylvania, an MA from Teachers College Columbia University, and a BA in Psychology from Vassar College. Her research adopts a feminist of Color lens to explore how marginalized communities mobilize cultural knowledges through art, story, and relational practices. Key areas include Girls of Color literacies, community-based research, and anti-racist teacher education. She co-edited a special issue on Girl of Color literacies and authored/co-authored multiple influential works including the 2021 book Where is the Justice? Dr. Player’s recent projects include the Spencer Racial Equity Grant-funded Curators of Educational Dreams , a collaborative arts-based initiative with Dr. Tricia Eunji Kim focusing on Girls of Color’s educational visions. She also co-facilitates the Simmering Spices Art Collective , blending art and activism in educational justice. Key Awards: 2024 AERA Division G Early Career Award Grants: Spencer Racial Equity Grant (2023), AERA Research Grant (2021) Collaborations: Partnerships with Dr. Valerie Kinloch (co-author), Dr. Mónica González Ybarra (co-editor), and Dr. Danielle Filipiak (teacher education project) Her publications span journals like Journal of Literacy Research and Urban Education , emphasizing methodological innovation through arts-based and relational approaches. She actively critiques Eurocentric educational frameworks while centering community voices in research and pedagogy.

Sushmita ChatterjeeView profile

Professor

• Feminist and Queer Theory
• Animal Studies
• Postcolonial and Transnational Feminisms
• +3 more

Dr. Sushmita Chatterjee is a Professor and Department Chair in the Department of Race, Gender, and Ethnic Studies at Colorado State University. She holds a dual Ph.D. in Women’s Studies and Political Science from Penn State University, specializing in feminist and queer political theory. Her research focuses on intersections of postcolonial studies, transnational feminisms, animal studies, and climate justice. She co-edited the 2021 book Meat! A Transnational Analysis , examining meat as a socio-political construct, and authored the 2024 book Postcolonial Hauntings: Play and Transnational Feminism , exploring meaning-play in postcolonial theory. Her current project analyzes how climate change disrupts categorizations through postcolonial and transnational frameworks. Her academic contributions span environmental justice, queer ecologies, and transnational feminist methodologies. She teaches courses on global feminisms, queer theory, and the politics of embodiment. Dr. Chatterjee’s work bridges theory and activism, addressing issues like corporeal governance, neoliberal eugenics, and decolonial ecological practices. Her recent publications engage with vegetal politics, animal ethics under capitalism, and pedagogical approaches to postcolonial literature.

Yvonne SuView profile

Assistant Professor

• Forced Migration
• Climate Change-Induced Displacement
• Queer Migration
• +5 more

Dr. Yvonne Su is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Equity Studies at York University and Director of the Centre for Refugee Studies. She holds a PhD in Political Science and International Development from the University of Guelph and an MSc in Refugee and Forced Migration Studies from the University of Oxford. Her research focuses on forced migration, queer migration, climate change adaptation, and climate-induced displacement, with a particular emphasis on marginalized communities in the Global South. Dr. Su has secured over $10.9 million in research funding, including a $3.17 million Canadian New Frontiers in Research Fund grant (co-PI) examining climate adaptation in Bangladesh, Ghana, the Philippines, and other regions. Her work bridges academic scholarship with policy impact, influencing UNHCR, IPCC, and national governments. She is a Visiting Fellow at the University of Oxford and Fellow at the University of Amsterdam. Her interdisciplinary approach integrates participatory methodologies with decolonial frameworks, collaborating closely with local communities, NGOs, and policymakers. Key research areas include: South-South queer forced migration; socio-ecological impacts of climate change in ASEAN nations; and the intersectional precarity faced by Venezuelan LGBTQ+ asylum seekers in Brazil and Colombia. Dr. Su has published 26 peer-reviewed articles and over 40 opinion pieces, including widely-read articles in The Washington Post and The Conversation. Her policy contributions include co-authoring recommendations for Venezuelan asylum policies that have influenced regional governments and international organizations. Current projects include analyzing climate adaptation maladaptation in the Global South and investigating the impacts of critical mineral supply chains on Indigenous communities. She leads the Global South Migration Lab at York University to amplify underrepresented scholars' voices in transnational migration research.

Natalie Kouri-ToweView profile

Associate Professor

• Gender Studies
• Sexuality Studies
• Transnational Feminism
• +6 more

Natalie Kouri-Towe serves as Associate Professor of feminism and sexuality at Concordia University's Simone de Beauvoir Institute, where she directs the Interdisciplinary Studies in Sexuality program. Specializing in transnational feminist theory and gender/sexuality pedagogy, her work critically examines solidarity movements under neoliberalism while developing innovative teaching frameworks for inclusive higher education. Currently on sabbatical (July 2024-June 2025), she remains active in research leadership and community-engaged scholarship through multiple interdisciplinary networks. Educational Background: PhD Sociology of Education, Department of Social Justice Education, OISE and Collaborative Program in Women's and Gender Studies, University of Toronto MA Communication Studies, McGill University BA Women's Studies Honours and Humanistic Studies, McGill University Her research traverses critical gender studies , queer theory , and affect studies with emphases on transnational solidarity, migration justice, and pedagogical innovation. Kouri-Towe interrogates how neoliberal governance reshapes feminist and queer movements through analyses of trigger warnings, digital media, and responses to Middle Eastern conflicts. Her scholarship uniquely bridges affective theory with social movement practice , revealing tensions between institutional inclusion and radical transformation in contemporary activism. Recent publications demonstrate consistent focus on feminist responses to systemic crises, particularly in migration and education contexts. Her work integrates intersectional analysis across geopolitical scales while advancing gender-inclusive pedagogical frameworks, with growing attention to digital media's role in shaping contemporary solidarity practices. Scientific Awards: Dean’s Award for Excellence in Academic Service (2020) Award for Academic Leadership in Sexuality Studies (2019) Professor Kouri-Towe mentors graduate students in gender/sexuality pedagogy and queer social movements despite current sabbatical restrictions. Her research is sustained by significant funding including: SSHRC Insight Grant (2024, PI) for 'Transformative Encounters: Gender and Sexuality Pedagogies in Canada' FRQSC Research Support for New Academics (2021, PI) SSHRC Connection Grant (2021, PI) for 'Teaching in the 21st Century' She actively contributes to the Feminist Media Studio's digital initiatives and co-founded the Feminist Researchers Against Borders Network, fostering transnational collaborations that challenge carceral approaches to migration through intersectional feminist praxis.

• Sociocultural Education
• Digital Literacies
• Play-Based Learning
• +6 more

Dr. Anne Burke is a Professor in Literacy Education and Digital Learning at Memorial University of Newfoundland, serving as Project Lead for the Discovery Play Centre and leading a SSHRC-funded study (2020-2023) on arts-based pedagogy and social justice advocacy. Her research focuses on sociocultural perspectives, children’s rights, digital literacies, and community partnerships with cultural institutions like science museums and art galleries. She has over $1 million in research funding and has published extensively, including 10 books and 50+ peer-reviewed articles. Dr. Burke’s work emphasizes play-based learning, environmental education through augmented reality, and STEAM integration. She explores how children use digital tools to engage with ecological knowledge and advocate for social justice. Her interdisciplinary research spans global collaborations, including the UArctic’s Arctic issue networks. She actively engages in boards and community initiatives, promoting public education partnerships and teacher development. Her research addresses pandemic-era challenges in education, teacher well-being, and leveraging children’s voices in curricula. Despite numerous invited talks and recognitions, specific awards are not detailed in the text. She advises no listed students but collaborates globally on projects like environmental curricula and Indigenous reconciliation pedagogies. She is affiliated with the Public Engagement Office at Memorial University and contributes to policy briefs on inclusive education.

Mahmoud KeshavarzView profile

Associate Professor

• Border Studies
• Migration Studies
• Design Anthropology
• +4 more

Mahmoud Keshavarz is an Associate Professor at the Department of Cultural Anthropology and Ethnology, Uppsala University. His work bridges anthropology, design studies, and border studies, focusing on materiality, technology, and mobility in migration and colonial contexts. He holds a PhD in Interaction Design from Malmö University (2016) and is a Docent (2020) at Uppsala. Previously, he held positions at Malmö University, Linnaeus University, Stockholm University, and the University of Gothenburg. Research interests include border materialities, decolonial knowledge, and the politics of humanitarian design. Current projects include an ERC-funded study on missing migrants in Europe and a monograph on border situations as designed realities. He co-founded the Decolonizing Design collective and Critical Border Studies network. Key awards include the Best Dissertation Award at Malmö University (2016–2017). He served as co-editor-in-chief of Design and Culture (2019–2023) and on the Swedish Research Council’s Artistic Research Review Panel (2022–2023). His work spans books, journal articles, and edited volumes, addressing topics like passport materiality, migrant smuggling, and border technologies.

Nina HoelView profile

Associate Professor

• Feminist Theory and Methodology
• Islamic Feminism
• Religion and Gender
• +4 more

Nina Hoel is an Associate Professor at the Faculty of Theology, University of Oslo. Her research focuses on feminist theory and methodology in the study of religion, particularly Islamic feminism and South African Muslim women’s lived experiences. She holds a PhD in Religious Studies from the University of Cape Town (2010) and has held postdoctoral positions at institutions including the University of KwaZulu-Natal and the University of Cape Town. Hoel has extensive academic leadership roles, including Co-Chair of the American Academy of Religion’s ‘Religion and Sexuality Group’ and Editorial Advisory Board membership for Islamic Africa . Her teaching spans courses on religion, gender, and diversity, including RESA4102 – Theory and Method in the Study of Religion, Society and Diversity and REDI4150 - Religion, the Body and Sexuality . Hoel’s work critically examines intersections between gender, sexuality, and religious authority, with a focus on decolonial and feminist theological frameworks. Key research areas include Islamic sexual ethics, women’s religious leadership, and the role of madrasahs in constructing Muslim identity. She has published widely in peer-reviewed journals such as Sexualities , Journal of Feminist Studies in Religion , and Agenda: Empowering Women for Gender Equity . Hoel’s contributions to academic networks and editorial boards reflect her commitment to advancing interdisciplinary dialogue on religion, gender, and global social issues. Her recent publications explore themes like the sacralization of sexuality in Islamic contexts and the embodiment of religious practices. Hoel is affiliated with research groups such as ‘Lived Religion. Practice, gender and materiality’ and ‘Interreligious Studies and Islamic theology’ at the University of Oslo.

Roberta HurtadoView profile

Associate Professor

• Decolonial Feminisms
• Puerto Rican Women's Literature
• Trauma Studies
• +1 more

Roberta Hurtado is Associate Professor of Latina/o/x Literature and Culture at SUNY Oswego, where she also serves as Director of Latino and Latin American Studies. Her research examines decolonial feminisms through Puerto Rican women's literature, epigenetics, and trauma studies. She holds a PhD in English and Latina/o Studies from University of Texas San Antonio. Her scholarly monograph Decolonial Puerto Rican Women's Writings: Subversion in the Flesh (2019) received recognition as an International Latino Book Award finalist. Current projects investigate decolonial erotic aesthetics in literature and domestic violence narratives in post-disaster contexts. Research employs interdisciplinary frameworks spanning literary analysis, feminist theory, and decolonial epistemology to examine how embodied knowledge challenges colonial legacies. Recent work explores narrative strategies in trauma representation and pedagogical approaches to sexual violence prevention. Honors include the SUNY Oswego President's Award for Academic Advising (2022) and Provost's Award for Scholarly Activity (2021). She serves as 2023-24 Faculty Fellow for the Triandiflou Institute for Equity, Diversity, and Transformative Practice and is a 2023 SUNY Hispanic Leadership Institute Fellow. She teaches courses on decolonial literature, feminist methodologies, and trauma narratives while developing curriculum for the Latino and Latin American Studies program.

Nicole CuratoView profile

Professor

• Deliberative democracy
• Political participation
• Philippine politics
• +3 more

Nicole Curato is Professor of Political Sociology at the Centre for Deliberative Democracy and Global Governance, University of Canberra. Her research examines democratic innovations in post-conflict contexts using ethnographic methods, with extensive fieldwork in the Philippines focusing on communities affected by disasters, armed conflict, and state violence. Research interests center on deliberative democracy's application in fragile societies, fringe political participation, Philippine politics, and disinformation dynamics. Work explores how democratic practices take root after tragedies through citizen deliberation and participatory governance mechanisms. Publications analyze democratic erosion and renewal in Southeast Asia, with recent work examining authoritarian nostalgia, human rights accountability, and decolonization debates in democratic theory. Research employs multi-method approaches combining ethnography, discourse analysis, and participatory action research. Awards include multiple Australian Research Council grants supporting international collaborations on deliberative integrity, meta-studies of deliberation, and global citizens' assemblies. Recognized for public engagement through CNN Philippines commentaries and multimedia projects translating academic research.

Meghan TinsleyView profile

Senior Lecturer

• Nationalism
• Memory of Empire
• Decolonization
• +3 more

Meghan Tinsley is a Senior Lecturer in Sociology at the University of Manchester, affiliated with the Faculty of Humanities. She holds a PhD from Boston University (2018), an MSc from the London School of Economics (2010), and a BA from Wellesley College (2007). Her research focuses on nationalism, imperial memory, decolonization, and postcolonial theory. She has held visiting fellowships at the University of Cambridge, University of Melbourne, and University of Ghana. Research Interests: Contesting statues and imperial nostalgia Decolonizing museums and public memory Postcolonial nation-building through memorials Global histories of empire, slavery, and anti-colonial struggle Key Projects: Commemorating and Constructing the Postcolonial Nation (mixed-method study of monuments in Ghana, Guinea, Barbados, and Martinique) Commemorating Muslims in the First World War Centenary (Routledge book analyzing national identity narratives) Awards: 2024 Fellowship for Postcolonial Nation Study 2023 Shortlist, Memory Studies Association Book Award 2020 Indigenising Museum Fellowship Engagement: Convenor of the Decolonial Reading Group, co-founder of the British Sociological Association's Postcolonial Transformations Study Group, and editorial board member for Sociology and The Sociological Review . Activities: Over 100 academic engagements including conferences, editorial work, and media appearances (e.g., BBC, Nature, culturalstudies podcast).

Helena ZeweriView profile

Assistant Professor

• Mobility
• Migration
• Critical Refugee Studies
• +8 more

Helena Zeweri is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Anthropology at the University of British Columbia, Faculty of Arts. Her academic work bridges socio-cultural anthropology with critical refugee studies, migration policy, and the anthropology of empire and settler colonialism. She specializes in examining how border regimes operate across multiple sites and temporalities, with particular attention to Australia and the United States. Her research interests focus on the spaces where border control logics unfold—from social welfare systems to war zones to asylum sites—with special attention to the Afghan diaspora. Zeweri's work critically examines the relationship between empire, settler colonialism, and borders through ethnographic and historical methods. Her first book, Between Care and Criminality: Marriage, Citizenship, and Family in Australian Social Welfare (2023, Rutgers University Press), investigates how forced marriage prevention policies operate within Muslim migrant communities in Australia. Zeweri's scholarly output reveals consistent engagement with themes of migration deterrence, border imperialism, and the social effects of extraterritorial border regimes. Her work demonstrates how border enforcement extends beyond territorial boundaries to shape migrant desires, self-conceptions, and social relations in origin countries and after arrival. She particularly examines how these processes affect Afghan communities across transnational contexts. 2023 UBC Hampton New Faculty Research Grant 2023 Social Science and Humanities Research Council Insight Development Grant 2023 Australian Anthropology Society Engaged Anthropology Prize 2021 Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences Fieldwork Grant (University of Virginia) Multiple dissertation fellowships from Rice University and the Wenner-Gren Foundation Zeweri previously served as an Assistant Professor at the University of Virginia's Global Studies Program before joining UBC. She teaches courses on culture, power, and politics; diasporic belonging; ethnographies of Australia; and the relationship between empire and migration. Her teaching and research reflect a commitment to centering migrant community voices in policy development and academic research.

Lauren Frances GuerraView profile

Lecturer

• U.S. Latina/o theology
• Theological Aesthetics
• Chicana/o Studies
• +3 more

Dr. Lauren Frances Guerra serves as a Lecturer in the Department of Chicanx and Central American Studies at the University of California, Los Angeles and as a Visiting Professor in Theological Studies at Loyola Marymount University. Her work bridges faith, cultural expression, and social justice within U.S. Latina/o communities through interdisciplinary theological frameworks. Her academic foundation includes: PhD in Systematic and Philosophical Theology (Graduate Theological Union, Berkeley, 2016) with Allied Field in Art and Religion MA in Peninsular and Latin American Literature (Saint Louis University, Madrid, 2008) MA in Systematic and Philosophical Theology (Graduate Theological Union, Berkeley, 2007) BA in Theological Studies and Spanish, Cum Laude (Loyola Marymount University, 2004) Guerra's research centers on U.S. Latina/o theology and Theological Aesthetics, examining how Popular Religion and community-based art function as resistance against systemic oppression. Her scholarship analyzes the intersections of race, class, and gender within Latinx Catholicism, with particular focus on Chicanx spiritual expressions and artistic practices as theological sources. She investigates how marginalized communities reconfigure religious traditions through cultural production. Her publications reveal a trajectory exploring Latinx religious identity through literary and artistic lenses, with recurring themes of embodied spirituality, cultural memory, and decolonial approaches to theology. Recent works examine Sandra Cisneros' narratives, liberation through writing practices, and the theological significance of Latinx artistic expressions within Christian traditions. Dr. Guerra teaches undergraduate courses on U.S. Latino/a Culture and Religious Expression and graduate seminars on Latinx Spirituality, emphasizing critical engagement with how religious traditions evolve within cultural contexts of migration and resistance.

Sam SpiegelView profile

Professor

• Political Ecology
• Socio-Environmental Injustice
• Development Studies
• +12 more

Professor Sam Spiegel is a Professor and Chair of Global Studies and International Development at the Centre of African Studies , School of Social and Political Science , University of Edinburgh. His work bridges socio-environmental injustice , political ecology , and anti-colonial praxis , with regional focus on Zimbabwe , Indonesia , and Indigenous territories in Canada . PhD in Geography, University of Cambridge (Trudeau Scholar, Cambridge Commonwealth Scholar) MSc in Interdisciplinary Studies, University of British Columbia BA (Hons) in Politics, Whitman College Research interests center on displacement , extractive injustices , and community-driven methodologies . He examines resource extraction (coal, oil, gold), climate disaster impacts , and activism through ethnographic and visual storytelling approaches. His projects often involve UN agencies , Indigenous organizations , and post-colonial policy frameworks . Recent publications address climate displacement , mercury pollution , and visual methods in extractive zones. Articles span Political Geography , Geoforum , and Third World Quarterly , reflecting interdisciplinary engagement with resource governance , environmental racism , and anti-colonial resistance . ESRC Future Research Leader Award (2016) Principal's Teaching Award (2020) for anti-racist pedagogy Chancellor's Rising Star Award (2016) recognizing research impact He supervises PhD projects on pipeline infrastructure , Indigenous sovereignty , and coal politics , while collaborating with UNDP , UNEP , and UNIDO on global mercury reduction strategies. His Principal's Teaching Award projects explore decolonial curricula and global solidarity in education.