Laurier expert alert: Back to school

Aug. 22, 2023
For Immediate Release

WATERLOO — Ontario’s elementary and secondary school students will be back in class after Labour Day, while university and college students also return the same week. Classes at Wilfrid Laurier University begin on Thursday, Sept. 7. Laurier has experts available to speak about topics related to returning to school.

The following list includes Laurier experts who are available to speak at this time but does not represent the full breadth of expertise that exists at the institution. For a more comprehensive inventory of Laurier’s faculty researchers, please consult the Experts at Laurier database.        

Maria Cantalini-Williams, dean of the Faculty of Education, is an expert on innovation in education, early childhood and experiential learning. She is available to discuss creative strategies and adaptability that will be required to support a successful school year, as well as the ways parents can support a safe and smooth transition back to school. Contact: mcantaliniwilliams@wlu.ca

Ardavan Eizadirad, assistant professor and chair of the Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Indigenization Coalition in the Faculty of Education, possesses expertise in standardized testing, critical pedagogy and anti-oppressive community engagement. Ardavan previously taught early childhood education and child and youth care at the university and college levels, as well as Kindergarten to Grade 12. He co-edited The Power of Oral Culture in Education: Theorizing Proverbs, Idioms, and Folklore Tales (2023), as well as Enacting Anti-racism and Activist Pedagogies in Teacher Education: Canadian Perspectives (2023). Contact: aeizadirad@wlu.ca, @DrEizadirad 

Kelly Gallagher-Mackay, associate professor in the Law and Society program, is an expert on law and educational inequality among children and youth. She is available to speak about the impacts of the pandemic on children’s education and why some children have fallen behind more than others. Gallagher-Mackay was the lead author of the COVID-19 Science Advisory Table brief on the impacts of education disruption and has co-authored a series of reports on COVID-19 impacts on attendance, grades and postsecondary access. She has researched schools and child welfare, streaming and systemic discrimination, the data infrastructure required to understand equity in education, and the connections between playground quality, health and poverty in Ontario. Contact: kgallaghermackay@wlu.ca

Sybil Geldart, associate professor of Psychology, specializes in the areas of child clinical psychology, school psychology and counselling. She is a practising member of the College of Psychologists of Ontario and teaches about exceptionalities during childhood and adolescence. Contact: sgeldart@wlu.ca

David Johnson, a retired economics professor in the Lazaridis School of Business and Economics, conducts research examining elementary school test results in Ontario, Alberta and British Columbia; differences between exam results among schools on provincial examinations and teacher-awarded grades; and teacher salaries and labour relations. Contact: djohnson@wlu.ca

Danielle Law is an associate professor in Psychology and Youth and Children’s Studies. Her research broadly focuses on the social-emotional growth of children, adolescents and emerging adults as they develop in a wireless world. Law’s work includes cyberbullying, feelings of belonging, emotion regulation and overall well-being. Contact: dlaw@wlu.ca

Christine Neill, associate professor in the Department of Economics at the Lazaridis School of Business and Economics, is an expert on the economics of education and higher education policy in Canada, including university financing and student loan policies. She is also studying how parents’ education affects their children’s education decisions, as well as how the switch to full-day kindergarten in Ontario's French language schools affected parents’ work outside of the home. Contact: cneill@wlu.ca                               

Jennifer M. Straub, assistant professor in the Faculty of Education, is an expert on initial  education programs for teacher education and French as a second language (FSL). Her current research focuses on increasing the number of FSL teachers in Ontario. Straub is a former vice-principal and classroom teacher. Contact: jstraub@wlu.ca