Find Academic Supervisors

Michelle LafranceView profile

Professor

• Critical Psychology
• Feminist Psychology
• Women's Health
• +4 more

Michelle Lafrance is a Professor of Psychology at St. Thomas University, where she has been a faculty member since 2003. Her work centers on critical and feminist approaches to understanding psychological distress through social, political, and structural lenses, with significant contributions to women's health and caregiving research. Her academic credentials include a BSc from St. Francis Xavier University, an MA from York University, and a PhD from the University of New Brunswick. This foundation informs her interdisciplinary perspective that bridges clinical psychology with critical social theory. Dr. Lafrance's research critically examines how societal structures shape experiences of depression, sexuality, and aging. She employs qualitative methodologies to amplify marginalized voices, particularly in her recent work on informal caregivers of older adults in New Brunswick. Her scholarship consistently challenges biomedical frameworks like the DSM while developing community-centered interventions such as the bilingual resource Aging in New Brunswick: A User's Guide . Her publications reveal a sustained focus on feminist critiques of psychological practice, with recent work expanding into gerontology and healthcare navigation. Key trends include analyzing ethical dilemmas in caregiving, resistance to normative sexual scripts, and discursive constructions of identity in stigmatized contexts. Scientific recognition includes: British Psychological Society award for excellence in research American Association for Women in Psychology award for excellence in research Canadian Psychological Association award for excellence in research Dr. John McKendy Memorial Award for Excellence in Teaching (2013) Dr. Sheila Andrew Award for Excellence in Teaching (2006) As an educator, she teaches core courses including Introduction to Psychology (Psyc 1023), Abnormal Psychology (Psyc 2643), and Qualitative Research in Psychology (Psyc 3053), consistently integrating critical perspectives that foreground social determinants of health. Her research projects, particularly the New Brunswick caregiver initiative, demonstrate successful grant acquisition for community-engaged work. Dr. Lafrance collaborates extensively with interdisciplinary teams across New Brunswick on aging-related projects and maintains active community involvement through organic farming and outdoor recreation with her partner and dog Ellie.

• Theatre for Social Change
• Metatheatre
• Theatre History
• +6 more

Dr. Jayna Gearhart Fitzsimmons serves as Assistant Professor of Theatre in the Theatre Department at Augustana University, where she has taught since 2010. She directs productions and instructs courses spanning acting, theatre history, new play development, improvisation, and theatre for social change, while also leading a January Interim global studies course on Central/Eastern European performance culture. Her academic credentials include: Ph.D. in Critical Studies in English Literature (2023) from University of South Dakota M.A. in Theatre (2009) from University of South Dakota B.A. in Theatre (2007) from Southwest Minnesota State University Her research examines metatheatre's intersection with social justice movements, analyzing audience-performance-text dynamics through experimental forms and classical adaptations. She actively explores how theatrical practice can drive societal transformation, particularly through non-traditional texts and inclusive staging methodologies. Her distinguished recognition includes: Regional Kennedy Center Honors spanning directing, script adaptation, collaborative devising, and DEI initiatives Kennedy Center Region 5 Road Warrior Award for faculty excellence in production leadership Dr. Fitzsimmons advises Augustana’s Gender and Sexuality Alliance and Brand Name Improv troupe while directing developmental work with national playwrights. As producing artistic director of Bare Bodkins Theatre Company since 2011, she partners with Sioux Falls Parks Department to present free Shakespeare performances in Falls Park, and collaborates with Dakota Academy of Performing Arts on youth Shakespeare and Plays for Living programs.