LK Bertram is an Associate Professor in the Department of History at the University of Toronto, specializing in 19th-century North American history with a focus on migration, gender, sexuality, and colonialism. Her work bridges academic research and public engagement, particularly through social media algorithms (TikTok, Instagram) for combating digital disinformation. Clio Prize-winning author (2020) 2022 SSHRC Insight Grant recipient Public history campaign curator (9 million+ views) Her research spans colonial institutions, sex work economies, and material culture, with publications on Icelandic diaspora, Arctic militarization, and immigrant food traditions. She teaches courses like HIS199 History and Social Media and HIS417 Histories of Sex Work , emphasizing hands-on learning via exhibitions and artifact workshops. Recent projects explore how social media algorithms can amplify quality historical data, including the viral @socialforscholars initiative. Her work connects historical narratives to contemporary debates on disinformation, cultural appropriation, and legal frameworks.
Raphaël Fischler is a Full Professor and former Dean of the Faculty of Urban Planning and Landscape Architecture at the University of Montreal. He holds dual expertise in urban planning theory, history, and practice, with a focus on North American urban development, land-use regulation, and governance. His academic roles include teaching at McGill University and serving as Dean from 2018–2023, during which he led strategic initiatives like the Quartier de l’Innovation and addressed urban challenges such as housing affordability and metropolitan governance. **Education:** PhD in Urban Planning, UC Berkeley (1993) Master of City Planning, MIT (1987) Master of Science in Architecture, MIT (1987) Bachelor of Engineering, Eindhoven University of Technology (1984) **Research Interests:** Fischler’s work explores urban planning’s historical foundations, particularly zoning’s evolution, and integrates reflective practice into pedagogy. He advises on municipal projects and contributes to policy debates on density, public participation, and sustainable urbanism. His research bridges academia and practice, emphasizing ethical planning and community engagement. **Articles Trends:** His recent publications analyze zoning’s historical role, social justice in urban redevelopment, and governance challenges in Montréal. He critiques systemic issues like housing affordability and advocates for equitable urban policies. **Awards & Recognition:** Fellow of the Canadian Institute of Planners (2020) Émérite Member, Order of Quebec Urban Planners (2014) McGill Principal’s Excellence in Teaching Award (2013) **Grants & Teams:** He collaborates with institutions like the Centre de recherche interdisciplinaire en études montréalaises (CRIEM) and advises public agencies on metropolitan development. His work spans academic leadership, professional practice, and public advocacy, addressing urban challenges through interdisciplinary approaches. **Labs/Teams:** Affiliated with the CRIEM , focusing on Montréal’s urban history and contemporary planning issues. He mentors students in urban policy and design through studio courses and thesis supervision.
Todd McCallum is an Assistant Professor in the Department of History at Dalhousie University . His research focuses on North American social and cultural history , particularly intersections with Marxism, anarchism, and working-class movements . He also explores themes of gender and sexuality within historical contexts. PhD in History from Queen’s University MA in History from Simon Fraser University BA in History from Queen’s University McCallum’s recent publications analyze transient worker communities, labor activism, and spatial marginalization during economic crises. His work critically examines how categories like “tramp” evolved alongside industrial capitalism and social policy, often incorporating interdisciplinary lenses such as eugenics, documentary photography, and urban sociology. Key trends in his research include the dialectic of mobility and marginality, gendered interpretations of transient life, and the role of radical ideologies in shaping worker identities. He has contributed extensively to journals like Labor/Le Travail and BC Studies , with a particular focus on Vancouver’s Depression-era hobo communities. His teaching portfolio includes courses on the history of the future , conspiracy theories , and gender formation in North America . Office hours are held in the Marion McCain Building, Halifax.
Tracey Galloway is an Associate Professor in the Department of Anthropology at the University of Toronto Mississauga (UTM), where she conducts critical research on Indigenous health disparities and policy interventions in northern Canada. Her work bridges medical anthropology, public health, and community-based participatory research to address systemic inequities affecting circumpolar populations. Education: PhD, McMaster University, 2008 MA (institution unspecified) BA (institution unspecified) BScN (institution unspecified) Dr. Galloway's research program centers on chronic disease risk assessment and health system improvement in Indigenous communities, with specific expertise in nutrition transition, food security, child growth patterns, and public health policy evaluation. She examines the impact of federal programs like Nutrition North Canada while developing community-led solutions for health equity. Her methodological approach combines quantitative analysis of health outcomes with qualitative community engagement, emphasizing Indigenous research sovereignty and decolonizing methodologies. Her publication record reveals consistent thematic focus across 15 recent articles, demonstrating interdisciplinary collaboration between anthropology, epidemiology, and health economics. Key trends include rigorous evaluation of colonial impacts on Indigenous food systems, innovative analysis of subsidy program effectiveness, and centering Indigenous patient experiences in healthcare design. Her work consistently prioritizes community-defined research questions and actionable policy recommendations. Dr. Galloway actively mentors graduate students including Darci Belmore, Carly Checholik, Neda Maki, and Hiliary Monteith, guiding research on Indigenous health determinants and policy interventions. While specific grant details aren't publicly enumerated, her collaborative projects involve partnerships with Indigenous communities across Northern Canada and interdisciplinary teams addressing complex health system challenges. She maintains strong community partnerships for her applied research, particularly in Nunavut and Northwestern Ontario, working directly with Anishinabeck and Inuit communities to translate findings into culturally safe health initiatives and policy reforms that address the root causes of health inequities.
Laura Spitz is Dean and Professor at the University of Calgary Faculty of Law, with a concurrent Visiting Professorship at Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne Law School. Her academic and professional journey spans multiple institutions, including Seattle University, University of New Mexico, Cornell University, and Thompson Rivers University. Educational Background: JSD, Cornell University JD, University of British Columbia BA, University of Toronto Spitz's research interrogates the legal construction of borders and identities, blending contracts, commercial law, and critical analyses of personhood in corporate and environmental contexts. Her work explores the limits of subject-object dichotomies in law and society. Notable awards include multiple Graduation Hooding Professor distinctions at the University of New Mexico and Colorado Law School, alongside teaching accolades. She contributes to constitutional pluralism debates and has co-authored influential works on legal personhood. A nonpracticing member of the Law Society of British Columbia, Spitz serves as a legal expert in contracts and business law, with experience in First Nations economic development and nonprofit law. She has advised on Supreme Court cases and held leadership roles in global engagement and international affairs.
Juan Wang is an Associate Professor at McGill University, specializing in the study of the Chinese state, its institutional dynamics, and interactions between state and non-state actors. His research focuses on China's political economy of development, legal systems, and authoritarian governance. He holds a PhD from Johns Hopkins University and teaches courses on Chinese politics, contentious politics, and judicial systems. Research interests emphasize the construction of bureaucracy, local governance patterns, and epistemology of state power. Methodologically, he uses qualitative and historical approaches to explore topics like judicial corruption, police evolution, and cadre discipline. Recent work examines authoritarian cue effects and comparative citizen categorization systems in China and North Korea. His publications span journals such as American Journal of Political Science and China Law and Society Review , analyzing themes like state repression mechanisms, legal mediation practices, and subnational court empowerment. He has contributed a seminal book The Sinews of State Power (2017) on rural governance dynamics. Advising and grants information is not explicitly detailed in the provided text.
Dr. Wendell Nii Laryea Adjetey is an Associate Professor and William Dawson Scholar in the Department of History and Classical Studies at McGill University, specializing in post-Reconstruction U.S. history and the African Diaspora in North America and the Atlantic World. His research examines transnational Black freedom struggles, connecting social, cultural, intellectual, political, and military histories across geographical boundaries. His award-winning monograph Cross-Border Cosmopolitans: The Making of a Pan-African North America (UNC Press, 2023) has received multiple honors including the Governor General's History Award and CHA Best Scholarly Book Prize. The work pioneers integrated analysis of African American, African Canadian, and African Caribbean histories within broader Atlantic frameworks. Educational background includes: Postdoctoral fellowship at Harvard University Ph.D., M.Phil., and M.A. from Yale University M.A. from University of Toronto Honors B.A. from University of Toronto (St. Michael's College) Dr. Adjetey's scholarly distinctions include the H. Noel Fieldhouse Award for Distinguished Teaching and Principal's Prize for Excellence in Teaching at McGill. His extensive service includes advisory roles for SSHRC anti-racism initiatives and founding the Dr. Kenneth Melville Black Faculty and Staff Caucus. As a public intellectual, he contributes to The Washington Post , Globe and Mail , and Toronto Star , addressing historical consciousness and contemporary social justice issues. His humanitarian work includes gang prevention programs and educational equity initiatives.
Ellen J Amster is the Jason A. Hannah Chair in the History of Medicine at McMaster University and holds a joint appointment as Associate Professor in the Departments of Family Medicine and Religious Studies. She is an interdisciplinary historian and qualitative health researcher specializing in global health, bringing together history with health and religious studies. Her work focuses on the history of medicine in the West, the Islamic world, and French empire. Dr. Amster received her B.A. from the University of Chicago and her Ph.D. from the University of Pennsylvania. She has established herself as an expert in the history of public health, Islam and North Africa, France and French empire, maternal and infant health, global primary care, Islamic studies, religion and nonwestern healing systems, colonialism and postcolonial theory, and women's histories and gender. Her research portfolio reveals strong thematic continuity across time periods, with a focus on the intersection of medicine, colonialism, and identity. Recent publications demonstrate increasing engagement with critical race theory in medicine, gender studies, and contemporary social justice issues including analyses of the George Floyd protests. Her work spans history of medicine, medical humanities, and global health policy, with particular attention to Morocco and French colonial contexts. Dr. Amster has secured funding from prestigious sources including the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC), the IIE Fulbright-Hayes program, the Chateaubriand Program of the French Government, and the American Institute for Maghrib Studies. She teaches courses on gender and religion, public health, and Middle East/North Africa for the Department of Religious Studies, the Master of Public Health Program, and the Michael G. DeGroote School of Medicine. Dr. Amster also organizes the Hannah History of Medicine and Medical Humanities Speaker Series and created the History of Medicine and Medical Humanities Research Portal (https://medhumanities.mcmaster.ca/), funded by Associated Medical Services.
Eric Chalfant is an Adjunct Assistant Professor in the Department of Film and Media at Queen’s University. He has previously taught at Elon University and Portland Community College. He earned his PhD from Duke University (2016), MA from Wake Forest University (2011), and BA from Whitman College (2008). Research Interests: Intersections of media studies, religious studies, and affect theory; material media analysis; sound culture studies; interface studies; algorithmic and network culture. Key Projects: A book-length study on media archaeology of North American atheist media (print, broadcast, digital) and another project exploring media, religion, and affect studies through the lens of 'noise' and divination. Media Archaeology: Examines how changing media forms (print, radio, digital) shaped atheist subjectivity, from 19th-century openness to Reddit's networked speed. Advising: Serves as MA and PhD Co-Supervisor.
Amy Scott Metcalfe is a Professor in the Department of Educational Studies at the University of British Columbia (UBC), affiliated with the Faculty of Education. She holds dual appointments with the Institute for Gender, Race, Sexuality and Social Justice, emphasizing interdisciplinary approaches to higher education studies. Her research focuses on international comparative higher education systems, academic governance, and sociological analysis of university policies. She critiques managerialism trends and explores gender disparities in academic productivity. Metcalfe employs visual methodologies, including photo-ethnography and extended photo essays to document institutional change. Teaching responsibilities are managed through the Department of Educational Studies, with course details available via UBC’s official portal. Her scholarship spans Canadian and global contexts, addressing issues like faculty internationalization, research ethics frameworks, and the impact of pandemic disruptions on academic collaboration. Key contributions include longitudinal studies on Canadian professors’ perceptions of work-life balance, comparative analyses of gender gaps in research output across North America, and critical examinations of university-industry-government networks. She advocates for equity-centered pedagogies and anti-colonial approaches in higher education policy.
Dr. Heather Latimer is an Assistant Professor in the Gender, Women and Sexuality Studies department at the University of British Columbia's Irving K. Barber Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. She teaches courses including Politics of Reproduction, Critical Sexuality Studies, Feminist Epistemologies, Gender and Popular Culture, and Gender, Race, Sexuality and Power. Her academic work focuses on feminist theories, sexuality studies, and reproductive politics across various cultural texts. Dr. Latimer earned her PhD in English from Simon Fraser University and her MA in Gender and Women's Studies from the University of British Columbia. Her educational background has shaped her interdisciplinary approach to examining reproductive politics through literary and cultural analysis. Her research primarily explores feminist theories and epistemologies, sexuality studies, science and technology studies, cultural studies, literature and film, with a particular focus on reproduction and pregnancy, reproductive technologies and politics, and reproductive governance and abortion. She is currently investigating the role of reproductive politics in contemporary dystopian fiction through an SSHRC Insight Development Grant-funded project that examines how fourteen core texts portray dystopian societies fixated on reproductive control. This research suggests these narratives reveal 'the political unconscious' of public and private discourses about reproduction. Dr. Latimer's publications demonstrate a consistent thematic focus on reproductive politics across literature, film, and political discourse. Her work connects feminist theory with contemporary political debates, particularly around abortion rights and reproductive justice. The articles show increasing engagement with intersectional approaches, examining how reproductive politics intersect with race, migration, and environmental concerns. SSHRC Insight Development Grant (2019-22) UBC Teaching and Learning Enhancement Fund Grant (2017-19) UBC Killam Teaching Prize (2017) Women's and Gender Studies and Recherches Féministes Outstanding Scholarship Award (2015) As a graduate student supervisor, Dr. Latimer mentors students interested in feminist theory, reproductive politics, and cultural studies. Her teaching philosophy emphasizes critical engagement with contemporary issues of power, conflict, and ideas as they relate to gender, sexuality, and reproduction. She maintains an active research agenda that bridges academic scholarship with current political debates around reproductive rights and justice.
Neda Maghbouleh serves as Associate Professor of Sociology at the University of Toronto Mississauga (UTM), holding a cross-appointment to the graduate department at St. George campus. She holds the prestigious Canada Research Chair in Migration, Race, and Identity and received the Ontario Early Researcher Award. As Principal Investigator of the RISE (Refugee Integration, Stress, and Equity) Team, she leads a major SSHRC Insight Grant (2018-2023) examining refugee settlement experiences in Canada. Her research critically investigates racialization processes among Middle Eastern, North African, and South Asian populations in North America, challenging the Black-White racial binary. She specializes in refugee integration dynamics, Iranian diaspora identity formation, and gendered migration experiences. Her methodological approach combines critical race theory with feminist and qualitative frameworks, particularly in refugee motherhood studies and digital activism among Muslim-American youth. Analysis of her publications reveals evolving thematic focus from Iranian-American identity politics (2009-2017) to contemporary refugee integration challenges. Her work consistently examines how structural inequalities manifest in everyday interactions, with increasing emphasis on Syrian refugee experiences in Canada since 2018. Key contributions include reframing MENA racial categorization and developing trauma-informed frameworks for refugee settlement. Her scientific recognition includes: Canada Research Chair in Migration, Race, and Identity Ontario Early Researcher Award Through the RISE Team, Maghbouleh directs community-engaged research on refugee health equity, collaborating with scholars like Melissa Milkie and Ito Peng. Her SSHRC grant supports interdisciplinary investigation of Syrian mothers' settlement stressors and resilience factors, informing Canadian integration policies. Current projects emphasize participatory methodologies that center refugee voices in knowledge production. She leads the RISE research collective, an interdisciplinary team developing evidence-based interventions for refugee health equity through mixed-methods investigation of settlement challenges and community support systems.
Li Chen is Associate Professor of History and Global Asia Studies in the Department of Historical and Cultural Studies (UTSC) at the University of Toronto, with cross-appointments to the Graduate Department of History and the Faculty of Law. He served as Chair of the Department of Historical and Cultural Studies (2016–2019) and as President of the International Society for Chinese Law and History (2014–2017). His scholarship focuses on late-imperial and modern Chinese legal history, Sino-Western relations, and comparative legal cultures. Education J.D., University of Illinois, magna cum laude Ph.D., Chinese History, Columbia University Research Interests Chen’s work interrogates the intersection of law, empire, and culture in China from the 15th to the 20th centuries. He explores how legal knowledge was produced and circulated among private specialists in the Qing juridical field, how international law shaped Sino-Western encounters, and how colonial discourses constructed images of Chinese law and sovereignty. His current SSHRC-funded monograph, Invisible Power and Technocratic Governance , offers the first comprehensive study of Confucian-literati-turned-legal-advisors who quietly administered Qing local justice. Publications & Impact Chen’s 2016 monograph Chinese Law in Imperial Eyes received the Joseph Levenson Book Prize (pre-1900 China) and honorable mention for the Peter Gonville Stein Book Award. His articles in Law & History Review , Journal of the History of International Law , and Late Imperial China have been translated into Chinese and Korean, influencing scholarship across East Asia and North America. Awards & Honors Joseph Levenson Book Prize, Association for Asian Studies (2018) Peter Gonville Stein Book Award – Honorable Mention, American Society for Legal History (2017) Law and Society Association Article Prize – Honorable Mention (2011) Grants & Projects He is principal investigator on a multi-year SSHRC Insight Grant supporting archival research in China, Taiwan, Japan, the United Kingdom, and France for his forthcoming book on Qing legal specialists and their role in shaping imperial governance and legal culture.
Candace Kaleimamoowahinekapu Galla is an Associate Professor in the Department of Language and Literacy Education at the University of British Columbia's Faculty of Education, with a cross-appointment in the Institute for Critical Indigenous Studies within the Faculty of Arts. Her work centers on Indigenous language revitalization, decolonizing methodologies, and the integration of digital technology in language education and cultural practices, grounded in her Kanaka Hawaiʻi identity and commitment to community-centered approaches. Her educational background includes a B.A. in Linguistics, M.A. in Native American Linguistics, and Ph.D. in Language, Reading and Culture from the University of Arizona, preceded by secondary education at Kamehameha Schools Kapālama. She previously served as Program Coordinator for the American Indian Language Development Institute and as a Visiting Assistant Professor at Ka Haka ʻUla O Keʻelikōlani College of Hawaiian Language, University of Hawaiʻi Hilo. Galla's research focuses on Indigenous Language Revitalization and Reclamation, Indigenous Literacy and Education, Decolonizing Pedagogies, and the role of digital technology in language preservation, emphasizing community-driven frameworks and traditional cultural practices like hula. Her scholarship bridges academic rigor with community engagement to support Indigenous well-being through language reclamation. Her recent publications (2023-2025) demonstrate a cohesive trajectory exploring community-centered language revitalization, relational accountability to Indigenous languages, and innovative pedagogical materials. She examines the intersection of language, technology, and cultural practices while advocating for systemic decolonization within academic institutions to create space for Indigenous knowledge systems. Galla has secured funding for significant projects including 'Building Indigenous Language Teacher Proficiency and Fluency for Hawaiian and CHamoru Language Medium Education' and 'Digital Technology Use for First Nations Language Education and Revitalization in British Columbia.' She actively organizes community events such as the 'Living Our Indigenous Languages' workshops at UBC's First Nations Longhouse, fostering collaboration between language advocates, educators, and community members. She maintains strong connections with the First Nations and Endangered Languages Program at UBC and continues collaborative work with the American Indian Language Development Institute, demonstrating sustained commitment to Indigenous language communities across North America and the Pacific.
JA Morrow is an Adjunct Professor in the Sociology Department at the University of Alberta's Faculty of Arts, a Lecturer in the Faculty of Science's Earth & Atmospheric Sciences, and a Research Associate at the Wirth Institute for Austrian and Central European Studies. He also serves as Indigenous Engagement Coordinator for the Canadian Mountain Network NCE and holds a Research Professorship at Western Colorado University's Department of Politics and Government. His work bridges urban sociology, environmental studies, and cultural anthropology, with a focus on Austrian cultural influences in North American mountain communities and equitable urban planning. Education: Doktor der Philosophie (Sociology) from Katholische Universität Eichstätt-Ingolstadt, MA in Politics (University of Victoria), BA in History (Western Colorado University), with additional training at Nottingham Trent University and Linnéuniversitetet. Research interests include Gemütlichkeit (Austrian social cohesion), gender mainstreaming in urban design, and historical transatlantic connections between Habsburg Austria and Colorado's mining communities. He leads the Gemütlichkeit Projekt at the Wirth Institute, exploring cultural meanings of togetherness, and directs the SSHRC-funded activating_space project on creative urban space utilization. Awards: $5,000 BIAAS Grant (2020) for research on Habsburg Austrian cultural influences in Colorado's mountain towns. Grants include SSHRC funding for activating_space and BIAAS support for Designing the American Salzburg . Grants and advising: Guides students on topics combining urban ethnography and historical cultural geography. Active in cross-disciplinary teams including the City-Region Studies Centre and the Canadian Mountain Network NCE. Labs/Teams: Wirth Institute, Canadian Mountain Network NCE, and Western Colorado University's Politics Department. His work often combines field ethnography with archival research, particularly in small community archives.
