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Watch the recording on the Laurier YouTube channel, including interviews from season two.
Get to know Laurier researchers and learn about their fascinating work.
Tune into Get to Know with Jonathan Newman, a weekly, half-hour interview series on Zoom hosted by Laurier's vice-president: research. Every Friday over lunch hour, a faculty researcher will share their origins, their personal triumphs and their latest findings.
For Get to Know’s third season, Jonathan is sharing the host’s seat. Laurier’s research theme ambassadors will take turns interviewing their fellow faculty researchers, bringing new perspectives to these illuminating conversations.
Vanessa Oliver is an associate professor in Laurier’s Youth and Children's Studies program on the Brantford campus. Her teaching focuses on youth sexuality, with an emphasis on sexual health education. Oliver has led numerous workshops for pre-service teachers who teach sex education, both in classrooms and in the community. Her research engages with youth on community-driven, arts-informed projects around anti-racism, sexual health education and the social determinants of health. Oliver works in solidarity with BIPOC communities on various initiatives across Laurier's campuses.
Stacey Wilson-Forsberg is an associate professor of Human Rights and Human Diversity. She is the ambassador for Laurier’s Indigeneity, Decolonization, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion research theme.
Alexandra Gottardo is a professor in Laurier’s Department of Psychology. The primary focus of her research is the relationship between oral and written language development in a wide variety of individuals, including individuals with learning disabilities. Currently, the majority of Gottardo’s research examines reading in individuals who speak English as a second or additional language.
John W. Schwieter is a professor of Spanish and Linguistics, cross-appointed to the Department of Psychology. He is the ambassador for Laurier’s Society, Culture and Community research theme.
Melody Morton Ninomiya is an assistant professor in Laurier’s Department of Health Sciences and a guest on Anishinaabe, Haudenosaunee and Neutral Peoples’ land. She is part Japanese and part Swiss-German Mennonite, was raised in Japan, and has lived her adult life in southern Ontario and St. John’s, Nfld. The majority of Morton Ninomiya’s research is focused on community-driven mental wellness, community health and Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder, and all of her projects prioritize mobilizing research knowledge in ways that matter to community. Morton Ninomiya is currently co-leading a project with Lisa Bourque-Bearskin on the contexts, ways, benefits and tensions of Indigenous Knowledges in research.
Cameron McKenzie is an assistant professor of Social Work. He is the ambassador for Laurier’s Psychological and Social Determinants of Health and Well-Being research theme.
Simon Dalby is a professor in Laurier’s Department of Geography and Environmental Studies. His published research deals with climate change, environmental security and geopolitics. Dalby is the author of Anthropocene Geopolitics: Globalization, Security, Sustainability and Security and Environmental Change, and co-editor of Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals and Reframing Climate Change: Constructing Ecological Geopolitics.
Timonthy Donais is an associate professor of Global Studies. He is the ambassador for Laurier’s Governance and Policy research theme.
Ehaab D. Abdou is an assistant professor in Laurier's Department of Global Studies. His research seeks to promote the inclusion of marginalized narratives and perspectives, focusing on the inclusion of youths through avenues of social entrepreneurship and civil society at large, and traditionally marginalized perspectives and narratives in kindergarten to Grade 12 curricula and classrooms. Abdou's research mainly focuses on the Egyptian and the Canadian contexts.
Hind Al-Abadleh is a professor of Chemistry. She is the ambassador for Laurier’s Environments and Sustainability research theme.
Lan Guo is an associate professor of Accounting at Laurier's Lazardis School of Business and Economics. She is the Grant Thornton LLP Fellow in Accounting. Guo's research interests include performance measurement, incentive designs and other behavioral topics in management accounting. Prior to her academic career, she worked as an accountant at China Securities Depository and Clearing Corp. (Shanghai) and Construction Bank of China (Shanghai). Guo is a CPA, CMA and CGA.
Jonathan Newman is Laurier’s vice-president: research. He is representing Laurier’s Business, Technology and Innovation research theme.
