ARTS RESEARCHERS & TEACHERS SOCIETY [ARTS SIG]
Societé des chercheurs/chercheuses et des enseignants/enseignantes des arts
EXECUTIVE MEMBERS: 2024-2025
Katie Tremblay – Co-President
Trent University
Dr. Katie Tremblay is an Assistant Professor of Curriculum Studies in the School of Education at Cape Breton University. She has 10 years of K-12 classroom teaching experience in Grade 7&8 and completed her PhD at University of Toronto, OISE. Katie currently sits on the Coalition for Music Education’s Research Advisory Board. Her areas of research include curriculum and pedagogy with a focus on inquiry-based approaches, experiential learning, and decolonization in music education.
Email: Katie_Tremblay@cbu.ca
Layal Shuman – Co President
Toronto Metropolitan University
Dr. Layal Shuman (she/her) is an Assistant Professor of Design Studies in The Creative School at Toronto Metropolitan University. Her research areas are at the intersections of critical design studies and critical university studies. She is the Co-Director of the Studio for Media Activism & Critical Thought at Toronto Metropolitan University and the Editor-in-Chief of Rubix, Journal for Creative Research & Practice.
Email: lshuman@torontomu.ca
Roula Hawa – Past President
Western University
Dr. Roula Hawa is Associate Professor and Undergraduate Chair of Family
Studies and Human Development, Faculty of Health Sciences, Western University. Roula has over 15 years of experience in teaching and curriculum development in Ontario's K-12 education system, including fashion arts and textile artistry, as well as Continuing Teacher Education and Family Support. Dr. Hawa’s research is community-engaged with a focus on health equity of vulnerable populations, using arts-based and arts-informed inquiry methodologies and critical feminist, anti-colonial frameworks. Roula serves as an Associate Editor at Progress in Community Health Partnerships: Research, Education, and Training, where she puts her expertise in arts-informed, community-based participatory health research into use. She is the Principal Investigator of the YSMENA Program, a research program focused on resilience, sexual health, mental health and well-being of diaspora Middle Eastern and North African young adults in Canada. Dr. Hawa’s research program is funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), the Canadian Foundation for AIDS Research (CANFAR), and the CIHR Canadian HIV Trials Network (CIHR/CTN).
Email: roula.hawa@uwo.ca
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Kristofer David William Brown – Co-Vice President & Program Chair, Graduate Student Rep, Website Administrator
McGill University
Kristofer is a doctoral candidate enrolled in the Department of Integrated Studies in Education at McGill University, specializing in the field of Mental Health. He obtained a Master's degree in Teaching and Learning from McGill University, as well as a dual Bachelor's degree in Social Science and Education from Bishop's University, and a Bachelor's degree in History from Concordia University. Kristofer has recently contributed a chapter to a book that examines the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on students' mental health. Moreover, he has presented his work at prestigious academic conferences, including the 67th Annual Meeting of the Comparative and International Education Society (CIES 2023) held in Washington D.C, McGill's Artful Inquiry conference in 2023, the annual Mental Health and Wellness Conference at Champlain College in 2023, and CSSE at McGill University in 2024. Currently, Kristofer is in the process of publishing his research on the topic of mental health and the Youth Protection System in Quebec. In addition to his academic pursuits, Kristofer actively engages in volunteer work and serves as a member of McGill University's Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Committee. Currently, he holds a teaching position at Champlain College.
Email: kbrown@crcmail.net
Jen Hinkkala – Co-Vice President & Program Chair, Graduate Student Rep, Social Media Coordinator
McGill University
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Jen Hinkkala is a PhD candidate and sessional lecturer in the Department of Integrated Studies in Education at McGill University. Jen holds a Master of Music Education, a Bachelor of Education, a certificate in writing, and a Bachelor of Arts Degree. Jen’s dissertation research explores the work and well-being of self-employed drama, dance, music, and visual arts teachers in order to support preservice teachers and instructors currently working in the field. Jen has written several academic publications on topics pertaining to educational attainment during COVID-19, the challenge of working as a self-employed music educator, teacher self-compassion during the COVID-19, as well as teacher self-care and well-being. Before academia, Jen worked as a self-employed music educator at several conservatories in Ontario. Jen is the founder of Estranged and Thriving, an online support group for adults who do not have a relationship with their parents.
Traci Klein – Graduate Research Awards Chair
McGill University
Traci Klein is a doctoral student under the supervision of Dr. Mindy Carter in the Department of Integrated Studies in Education at McGill University. Previously, she was an Assistant Professor at Texas A&M International University, a master teacher in Spain and Mexico, and a program administrator at New York University. Throughout her career she has worked collaboratively with international artists, while directing and coordinating dance events in France, Spain, Mexico, and the USA. While in New York City she co-directed two dance companies and performed extensively, including as a soloist in the Martha Graham Ensemble. Ms. Klein is a member of the National Dance Education Organization and the International Somatic Movement Education and Therapy Association, and Graduate Award Chair of the ARTS special interest group (SIG) for the Canadian Society for the Study of Education. Her research focuses on somatic dance education, and on developing innovative pedagogies that foster creativity. Email: traci.klein@mail.mcgill.ca
Déborah Maia de Lima – Publication Award Chair
McGill University
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Déborah Maia de Lima - ARTS SIG Publications Award Chair - Brazilian dancer, researcher, psychologist, and educator. Post-doctoral fellow at McGill University (DISE). PhD in Études et pratiques des arts (UQAM) and in Performing Arts (UFBA). Masters in Clinic Psychology and Culture (UNB). Member of the Global Directory Who's Who in Dance (Conseil International de la Danse - UNESCO). Former participant in the interdisciplinary Dance Group Baiadô. Researcher and dancer in the Dance-Theatre group Anônimos da Silva. Currently she is a PI in a SSHRC IDG trans-American project involving Indigenous peoples, their dances and their connection with the land/territory. Researcher and performer in Improvisation and Creative Dance as resources for Education, Artistic Creation and Illness Prevention. She has participating in projects and internships in formal Education systems and communitarian environments in the Global North and the Global South. Her practice emphasizes interdisciplinary approaches to embodiment; training of actors and dancers; Somatic Education; community psychology; Indigenous and feminists’ studies; decolonized approaches; Indigenous activism through art; sociocultural inclusion and creativity/innovation in formal and informal education. She has supervised students in interdisciplinary fields relating Education, Performing Arts, Martial Arts and Health in Global contexts.
Malvika Agarwal– Artful Project Coordinator
Western University
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Malvika Agarwal is a PhD scholar at Western University, specializing in early childhood education. In her research she collaborates closely with early childhood educators and children in childcare settings. Her research integrates multidisciplinary sonic art practices and post-qualitative inquiry to re-imagine pedagogical practices in early childhood education. Her academic background includes expertise in ecological sound art and graphic design. Currently she resides in London, ON where she is a resident artist at the GoodSport Gallery and Studio.
Twitter: https://twitter.com/UlamMalu
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/malu.draws/
Personal Website: www.malu.gg
Gianina Milea– Graduate Student Rep
McGill University
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Gianina is a doctoral student in the Department of Integrated Studies in Education at McGill University under the guidance of Dr. Claudia Mitchell. She brings 15 years of experience teaching Grades 7 to 11 with a deep focus on literacy. Her research centers on adolescent literacy, with a passionate commitment to destigmatizing remedial education. Collaborating with language arts teachers, community artists, and adolescents in both formal and informal learning environments, she weaves performing arts practices into qualitative inquiry. Through this creative integration, her work reimagines pedagogical approaches to remedial secondary literacy, fostering innovative, hands-on engagement and transformative possibilities in education.
Email: gianina.milea@mail.mcgill.ca
Ashika Ashika - Communications Officer
McGill University
Ashika is a PhD student in the Department of Integrated Studies in Education at McGill University. Her doctoral research focuses on social and emotional learning (SEL) with high-risk adolescents, particularly concerning the processes and mechanisms that foster positive human qualities such as resiliency, compassion and community engagement. Ashika's research will also examine the impact of Intergenerational relationships in uncovering innate resilience and helping teenagers have healthy relationships with others in society. Ashika is an active volunteer at the Yellow Door, an organisation that works to provide social support to senior members of the community with special needs. Ashika also volunteers for Entraide Benevole Metro, where she helps seniors create art on different mediums. Ashika has seven years of experience teaching at an elementary school in India, where she realised the importance of integrating the knowledge and wisdom of the elderly into the education system. Ashika completed her Bachelor of Science with distinction from Vinayaka Mission's Research Foundation, her Bachelor of Education with first division from Maharshi Dayanand University and her thesis-based Master of Education with first division from Chaudhary Ranbir Singh University, Jind.
Email - ashika.ashika@mail.mcgill.ca
Sandra Poczobut – Graduate Student Rep, Pre-Conference Co-Chair & Juried Art Space Coordinator
Western University
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Sandra Poczobut is a second year Ph.D. student, educator, and artist with over 20 years of experience in community engaged art practice and teaching learners of all ages through art-based modes. Her research currently utilises a post humanist framework to examine how the role of an Atelierista can support critical reading praxis with teacher educators to engender equity and is informed by an Indigenous Knowledge Keeper. Sandra’s work is inspired by quantum physics, weaving and sewing, mushroom intelligence, new materialism, and the artful relations that exists amongst human and non-human constituents. Her creative outputs typically take the form of installation, performance, and participatory practice. She has exhibited across Ontario including the Elgin County Museum, Art Gallery of Mississauga, and the Luminato international Arts festival – Toronto. She currently resides in Port Stanley, Ontario on the traditional lands of the of the Anishinabe, Lenape, and Haudenosaunee peoples.
Website: www.sandrapoczobut.com.
Instagram: saniazosia
Jess Traynor - Grad Student Rep, Special Events Officer
McGill University
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Jess Traynor (she/her) is an Ontario-Certified teacher and musician. She is currently in her second year in the Masters of Educational Leadership (thesis) program at McGill University, where her research will focus on seeking strategies to increase environmental engagement and support motivation in high-school music students.
Her interest in teaching grew largely from her relationship with the arts, wherein she was inspired by a variety of teachers and community members. Her musical background includes performing on a variety of instruments, including piano, saxophone, guitar and voice, and from experience in instrumental music classrooms, improvisational and theatrical spaces. She received her BMus from Wilfrid Laurier University in 2021, with minors in psychology and French before completing her BEd at Queen’s University, specializing in teaching high-school music and French. Jess has also taught piano for several years and has facilitated ukulele and music appreciation workshops for community members and University students. She has a passion for learning about accessible and inclusive educational and artistic practices, and looks forward to bringing that passion to her work with the ART Sig as the co-officer of Special Events.
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Nayani Sellar Kathirithamby- Grad Student Rep, Special Events Officer
McGill University
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Nayani Sellar Kathirithamby is a first-year graduate student, passionately pursuing a Master's in Educational Leadership at McGill University. She holds a bachelor's degree in education, specializing in Kindergarten and Elementary studies, and is certified as both an English and French elementary teacher.
Nayani's early exposure to various musical arts, including singing, violin, bharatanatyam, mridangam, and veena, shaped her understanding of diverse teaching methods. Her curiosity about effective teaching techniques, inspired by her music mentors, ignited her passion for education. Recognizing the need for greater inclusivity and understanding, Nayani delved into researching the impact of discrimination on students of color, motivating her to create resources for educators aiming to foster more inclusive and welcoming classrooms.
Presently, Nayani is a grade 2 teacher while serving as a vocal teacher at Mathuragana Manram, where she dedicates her time to helping first-generation South Asian students navigate cultural challenges through the power of music. Additionally, she volunteers to support special needs children, contributing to her commitment to inclusivity and active community involvement.
Past Executive Members
2023-2024
Roula Kteily-Hawa, (President, executive)
Layal Shuman, (Co-Vice President & Program Chair, executive)
Katie Tremblay, (Co-Vice President & Program Chair, executive)
Deborah Maia de Lima - Publication Award Chair
Traci Klein, (Graduate Research Awards Chair)
Kristofer Brown (Graducat Student Rep, Website Administrator)
Malvika Agarwal (Artful Project Coordinator)​
Tashya Orasi (Graduate Student Rep, Pre Conference Co-Chair)
Ashika Ashika (Communications Officer)
Sandra Poczobut (Graduate Student Rep, Pre-Conference Co-Chair & Juried Art Space Coordinator)
Jen Hinkkala (Graducate Student Rep, Social Media Coordinator) ​​​
Jess Traynor (Grad Student Rep, Special Events Officer)
Nayani Sella Kathirithamby (Grad Student Rep, Special Events Officer)
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2022-2023
Roula Kteily-Hawa, (President, executive)
Pauline Sameshima, (Past-President and Co-Chair, Lifetime Achievement Award, executive)
Bernie Andrews, (Past-President and Co-Chair, Lifetime Achievement Award, executive)
Layal Shuman, (Co-Vice President & Program Chair, executive)
Katie Tremblay, (Co-Vice President & Program Chair, executive)
Tatiana Zakharova-Goodman, (Publication Award Chair)
Traci Klein, (Graduate Research Awards Chair)
Sandra Poczobut, (Graduate Student Rep, Pre-Conference Co-Chair & Juried Art Space Coordinator)
Jen Hinkkala, (Graduate Student Rep, Pre-conference Co-Chair)
Tashya Orasi, (Graduate Student Rep, Pre-Conference Co-Chair)
Jackie Stendel, (Grad Student Rep, Website Administrator)
2021-2022
Laurel Hart, (Past President, executive)
Roula Kteily-Hawa, (Vice-President & Program Chair, executive)
Traci Klein, (Graduate Research Awards Chair)
Layal Shuman, (Publication Award Co-Chair)
Katie Tremblay, (Publication Award Co-Chair)
Tatiana Zakharova-Goodman, (Grad Student Representative)
Jackie Stendel (Grad Student Representative)
Marta Cotrim, (Grad Student Representative)
2020-2021
Ashwani Kumar, (President, executive)
Roula Kteily-Hawa, (Vice-President & Program Chair, executive)
Laurel Hart, (Past President, executive)
Michelle Buckle, (Pre-conference Co-chair)
Bonnie Petersen, (Pre-conference Co-chair)
Tatiana Zakharova, (Grad Student Representative)
Émilie Vaillancourt, (Grad Student Representative)
Sarah Hennessy, (Co-Vice President)
2019-2021
Lisa Mitchell, (Graduate Research Awards Chair)
Hala Mreiwed, (Publication Award Chair)
2018 - 2020
Laurel Hart, (President, executive)
Ashwani Kumar, (Vice President & Program Chair, executive)
Mindy Carter, (Past-president, executive)
Anar Rajabali, (Graduate Research Awards Chair)
Bonnie Nish, (Graduate Student Representative)
Adrian Downey, (Graduate Student Representative)
2018-2019
Anar Rajabali, (Graduate Research Awards Chair)
2017-2019
Graham Lea, (Publication Award Chair)
2016 - 2017
Mindy Carter (President, McGill University)
Laurel Hart (Co-Vice-President, McGill University)
Valerie Triggs (Co-Vice President, University of Regina)
Sean Wiebe (Past President, University of Prince Edward Island)
Bronwen Low (Graduate Research Awards Chair)
Margaret McKeon (Graduate Student Representative)
Jennifer Wicks (Graduate Student Representative)
2014 - 2016
Sean Wiebe (President, University of Prince Edward Island)
Mindy Carter (Vice-President, McGill University)
John J. Guiney Yallop (Past President, Acadia University)
2012 - 2014
John J. Guiney Yallop (President, Acadia University)
Monica Prendergast (Vice-President, University of Victoria)
Pauline Sameshima (Past-President, Lakehead University)
2010 - 2012
Pauline Sameshima (President, Washington State University)
John J. Guiney Yallop (Vice-President, Acadia University)
2008 - 2010
Kathryn Ricketts (President, Simon Fraser)
2009
Sean Wiebe (U of PEI) - President
2008-2009
Sean Wiebe (U of PEI) - VP and Program Chair
2006 - 2008
Sylvia Kind (UBC) - President
Diane Conrad (U Alberta) - VP and Program Chair
2005-2006
Carol Beynon (UWO) - President
2002 - 2003
Rena Upitis (President, Queens University)
Carol Beynon (Vice-President, University of Western Ontario)
2001 - 2002
Bernard W. Andrews (President, University of Ottawa)
Alex de Cosson (Vice-President, UBC)
2000 - 2001
Bernard W. Andrews (Ottawa), President
Alex de Cosson (UBC), Vice-President
ARTS/SCEA AGM: SIG Constitution ratified and executive elected
1999 - 2000
Bernard W. Andrews (Acting President, University of Ottawa)
Alex de Cosson (Acting Vice-President, University of British Columbia)
Andrea Fairchild (Acting Member-at-large, Concordia University)
ARTS/SCEA SIG approved in principle by CACS CSSE, University of Sherbrooke, 1999
1998 - 1999
Bernard W. Andrews (Acting President, University of Ottawa)
Preliminary discussions of an arts group within CSSE
Arts Education Symposium, CSSE, University of Ottawa, 1998