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David J Kahane serves as Professor in the Department of Political Science at the University of Alberta's Faculty of Arts, where he bridges political theory with climate action through systems-oriented research and innovative teaching practices. His educational foundation includes a BA from Concordia University, MA from McGill University, and PhD from the University of Cambridge. Kahane's research examines climate change through interconnected lenses of systems theory, democratic participation, and emotional dimensions. He investigates how citizen deliberation processes function within complex power structures, particularly analyzing climate policy interventions. His work uniquely integrates contemplative practices with political theory, exploring anarchism, Marxism, and prefigurative politics in climate contexts. Current projects focus on applying systemic design to public participation challenges. Publication themes reveal consistent integration of care ethics with climate systems analysis, emphasizing emotional dimensions in policy engagement and classroom applications. His scholarship connects theoretical political frameworks with practical community interventions. Scientific recognition includes: 3M Teaching Fellowship Alan Blizzard Award for Collaborative Projects Rutherford Award for Undergraduate Teaching Award for Excellence in Graduate Supervision Teaching Unit Award Faculty of Arts Undergraduate Teaching Award As Principal Investigator of the $1 million SSHRC-funded Alberta Climate Dialogue (2010-2016), Kahane directed a major community-university partnership convening citizens on climate policy. His graduate supervision excellence is formally recognized through university awards, though specific advisee names aren't documented. Current teaching grants focus on contemplative pedagogy applications. Kahane leads the Alberta Climate Dialogue project team, which pioneered citizen engagement methodologies for climate policy development. His current lab work integrates permaculture principles with academic research through personal practice, modeling systems thinking in daily life.

• Climate Change
• Systems Change
• Public Participation
• +6 more

Corey Snelgrove is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Political Science within the Faculty of Arts at the University of Alberta. Trained in political theory with a background in critical theory, he works as a settler scholar in the areas of Indigenous-Settler Relations, Settler Colonialism and Decolonization. His academic journey includes a PhD from the University of British Columbia, an MA from the University of Victoria, and a BA from Queen's University. Dr. Snelgrove's research takes a theoretical approach to Indigenous Politics, examining settler colonialism and the struggle for Indigenous self-determination in relation to social formations as a whole. He argues that these social formations are complex, contradictory, and crisis-prone, creating openings for fundamental transformation despite ongoing dispossession. His work emphasizes understanding how forms of domination—capitalism, colonialism, heteropatriarchy, and white supremacy—interrelate within these social wholes. His primary research project, The Politics of Reconciliation after the Blockade , challenges the separation of political and economic dimensions in understanding settler colonialism. He develops the concept of 'implication' to analyze non-Indigenous complicity as 'alienated participation in injustice' that can ground solidarity with Indigenous peoples. His scholarship bridges Marxist political theoretical traditions with Indigenous critical theory to develop transformative approaches to decolonization. Dr. Snelgrove teaches POL S 305 (Contemporary Political Theory), POL S 327 (Indigenous Politics in Canada), and POL S 532 (Indigenous Engagement, Governance, and Policy). His teaching examines critical approaches to political theory, Indigenous politics in Canada, and public policy related to Indigenous peoples. His publications reveal consistent engagement with legal theory, political economy, and Indigenous resurgence. Key themes across his work include treaty interpretation as de-fetishizing critique, the limits of legal form in settler colonial contexts, and the relationship between capitalism and settler colonialism. His scholarship consistently argues that meaningful decolonization requires addressing the connections between these systems of domination while recognizing the possibilities for transformative solidarity.

• Indigenous-Settler Relations
• Settler Colonialism
• Decolonization
• +3 more

James Penney is a Professor in the Cultural Studies Department and Department of French and Francophone Studies at Trent University, Canada, with his office located in Traill College. He holds a PhD from Duke University and maintains an active scholarly profile through publications and interdisciplinary teaching. His educational credentials include: BA, University of Alberta MA, University of Alberta PhD, Duke University Penney's research occupies the critical nexus of Lacanian psychoanalysis, Marxism, and philosophy, with significant contributions to gender/queer theory and Francophone literary studies. His work consistently interrogates foundational concepts like desire, love structures, and political limitations in sexual theory through psychoanalytic frameworks, while maintaining rigorous engagement with continental philosophy and cultural critique. This interdisciplinary approach bridges literary analysis, political theory, and psychoanalytic thought. His publication trajectory reveals evolving theoretical concerns: from analyzing perversion and desire (2006), to reimagining love as political/artistic structure (2012), culminating in a critical reassessment of queer theory's political efficacy (2014). These works demonstrate sustained innovation in applying psychoanalytic concepts to contemporary cultural and political questions across multiple disciplines. Professor Penney teaches diverse courses spanning world literature/cinema, gender theory, and Francophone Caribbean studies. While specific grant details aren't public, his continuous scholarly output indicates active research engagement. His work connects to broader initiatives like the EMM Lab and Media Theory Journal, reflecting collaborative interests in media and cultural studies despite no dedicated personal research lab.

• Cultural Theory
• Psychoanalysis
• Marxism
• +5 more