Alana Butler

Alana Butler is an Associate Professor in the Faculty of Education at Queen's University, with a cross-appointment in the Department of Gender Studies (Faculty of Arts and Science). She holds a PhD from Cornell University (2015) and has 15 years of teaching experience across preschool, secondary, adult literacy, and university settings. Her research focuses on socio-economic inequality, equity/diversity policies, at-risk youth education, anti-racism pedagogy, and qualitative methodologies. She leads/co-leads multiple SSHRC-funded projects addressing post-secondary access for low-income youth, foster children's academic outcomes, and anti-racist pedagogy integration.

Education: BSc (Psychology/Economics) and BEd from University of Toronto, MA (Adult Education/Counselling Psychology) from University of Toronto, PhD (Education) from Cornell University.

Research emphasizes Black feminist theory, immigrant resilience (e.g., Sub-Saharan African communities), and systemic barriers in education. She co-chairs Queen's Council on Anti-racism and Equity. Key grants include a 2023 New Frontiers in Research Fund ($241k) and a 2022 SSHRC Partnership Grant ($2.4M) on immigrant resilience.

Publications span Canadian Journal of Education, Gender and Education, and Review of Education, addressing topics like mentorship for Black families, music education's social impact, and anti-racist frameworks in teacher training.