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Conversing Graciously with Ghosts: Haunting, Pedagogy, and the Tensions of Teaching
Get PDFThis dissertation explores the personal, relational, and structural hauntings that shape pedagogical practice, drawing on Avery Gordon’s concept of haunting (1997) and Eve Sedgwick’s reparative reading (2003) as central interpretive frameworks. Through a blend of methods informed by psychoanalytic, autoethnographic, and arts-based modes of inquiry, I engage with the ghostly residues of my past teaching experiences to better understand the unconscious forces that shape pedagogy and the contradictions inherent in critically conscious teaching. I begin by mapping the haunting forces that pervade public education in the United States, focusing on neoliberalism, White supremacy, and ableism as structural hauntings that shape institutional practices, pedagogical relationships, and the psychical lives of educators and students. These forces manifest in hyper-individualism, meritocratic logics, and institutionalized dispossession, creating tensions that complicate the work of teachers striving for justice and liberation. Through psychoanalytic and critical theoretical perspectives, I examine how these hauntings operate at both systemic and unconscious levels, influencing affective and relational dimensions of pedagogy. To explore these themes, I develop an inquiry process grounded in reflexivity and creative nonfiction, culminating in a collection of letters to former students as a method of engaging with pedagogical ghosts. These epistolary narratives, accompanied by reflexive analyses, serve as sites of both mourning and repair, revealing the ambivalence that accompanies efforts to reconcile past pedagogical choices with present critical consciousness. The process of writing itself emerges as a reparative practice, offering a means to navigate the tensions between critique and care, despair and hope. As I weave together insights from critical pedagogy, psychoanalysis, and personal reflection, I contend that teaching within a haunted educational system is necessarily fraught with paradox. Rather than seeking resolution, this dissertation embraces ambivalence as a necessary condition of ethical pedagogy, arguing that critically conscious teaching requires a willingness to dwell in uncertainty, acknowledge complicity, and remain open to reparation. In doing so, I offer a vision of pedagogy as an ongoing process of negotiation, care, and becoming—one that recognizes both the weight of haunting and the possibilities of hopeful praxis
Breakfast in the digital age: The influence of social media use and diet content on eating behaviours among Canadian adolescents
Get PDFBackground. A notable lack of regular breakfast consumption has been observed among adolescents. Given that social media has a powerful influence on adolescent populations, concerns are emerging that breakfast skipping may be affected by diets promoted on social media. To address these concerns, the mediating role of following diets promoted on social media on the relationship between social media use and breakfast skipping was investigated while exploring potential variations in these relationships across genders among a large sample of Canadian adolescents.
Methods. Data from the 2022/23 Canadian Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) and Cannabis, Obesity, Mental health, Physical activity, Alcohol, Smoking, Sedentary behaviour (COMPASS) studies were analyzed. Utilizing a structural equation modelling approach, mediation models were generated to examine the association between adolescents’ social media use and breakfast skipping, and the influence of diets promoted on social media on this relationship. To identify any significant indirect effects, bootstrap estimation models with 5,000 samples were constructed.
Results. 64.1% of HBSC and 52.5% of COMPASS participants skipped breakfast regularly. Full-sample mediation models revealed a statistically significant relationship between social media use and breakfast skipping. In gender-stratified analyses, following diets promoted on social media explained 18.1% of the association between social media use and breakfast skipping among cisgender girls.
Concusion. Given the negative impact of diet content promoted on social media, policy should target school-and community-based initiatives, adolescent social media literacy, and regulation of social media content to promote healthy eating habits and long-term health outcomes among adolescents
Keynote Presentation for Library Publishing Forum 2025
No full textKeynote Title: Harvesting Library Labour in an AI World: The Grim Reaping of Library Work(ers) and What We Can Do About It “You must give to get, You must sow the seed, before you can reap the harvest.” ~ Scott Reed
The growth of GenAI, LLMs, and chatbots threaten many established ways of performing academic work, and is already resulting in labour concerns for library workers. This keynote considers the impact of AI on scholarly publishing work in academic libraries.
All aspects of the scholarly publishing life cycle (Submit, Review, Decide, Edit and Preserve) have the potential for a deep impact from AI, and are therefore relevant for the library community to consider. Scholarly publishing work is also deeply intertwined with the open access movement, where processes and outputs are often done ‘out in the open’, and are therefore ripe for harvesting by A.I. for reuse. What are the potential consequences of this brand of cognitive offloading in the scholarly publishing process? And what are the labour implications for library workers, authors and publishers, when A.I. tools begin to do this work?
In this keynote, librarians Tim Ribaric and Cecile Farnum will consider the role libraries may play in both augmenting and striving against AI, using a critical lens that is skeptical of the difference between what the promise of AI is, compared to the reality of what it will bring
The role of semaphorin 3A signaling underlying learning and memory formation in the postnatal mouse brain
Get PDFMemory formation is largely mediated by changes to synapses, which are sites of communication found between neurons. Currently, the dominant experimental model that describes the cellular changes that occur during learning and memory is known as long-term potentiation (LTP). While some of the intracellular signaling cascades underlying learning and memory have been well-described, key molecular pathways remain less well understood. Semaphorins are a family of secreted and membrane-bound guidance cue proteins originally identified in the developing nervous system through their chemorepulsive action at growth cones. Growth cones are actin-rich structures found at the tips of neurites that eventually form synaptic connections, and semaphorins were shown to trigger collapse and retraction of these growth cones, altering the ability to form synaptic connections. Specifically, Semaphorin 3A (Sema3A) is a secreted guidance cue protein implicated both in axonal, through the action at growth cones, and dendritic, through dendritic elongation and spine maturation, refinement. This occurs when Sema3A activates a holoreceptor complex composed of neuropilin-1 (NRP1) / PlexinA4 (PLXNA4), leading to changes in cytoskeletal architecture by way of altering collapsin response mediator protein 2 (CRMP2). Sema3A signaling has been studied extensively in the developing nervous system, though much less is known about its role in the adult brain. Specifically with respect to spatial learning, brain areas including the hippocampus and regions of the cortex have been implicated. Here, NRP1 and CRMP2 signaling are described across postnatal development in the mouse hippocampus and cortex, with protein expression decreasing after birth, increasing at day P28, and persisting into older adulthood. We also show that canonical Sema3A signaling is activated in the mouse hippocampus following spatial learning on a novel object place recognition (NOPR) task, suggesting that Sema3A signaling is critical for the consolidation of spatial information. Together, these findings suggest that Sema3A signaling continues to play a key role in the mature nervous system
Nature Sports Signatories of the United Nations Sports for Climate Action Framework: A Thematic Analysis
Get PDFClimate change is a real and present threat to our planet and all living things. As part of the solution, the UN intends to leverage sport to raise awareness and take up climate action to be climate leaders. The UN’s Sports for Climate Action Framework asks that sports organizations become signatories by committing to five climate action principles and joining their Race to Zero campaign in order to show climate leadership. It is not known how signatory organizations are responding to this framework and thus this study asks two primary questions: how are nature sports organizations taking up climate action, and do their responses align with what is being asked of them in the Sports for Climate Action framework?
This study, guided by an interpretivist paradigm, used a case study approach to explore how nature sports organizations address climate change and environmentalism. The online content of six organizations was analyzed with a reflexive thematic analysis method detailed by Braun, Clarke & Joy (2023). First, an anthropocentric perspective of climate change and climate action was used and nature sport organizations portrayed themselves as protectors of the environment. Second, the varying commitments of these organizations aligned with the concept of ‘mission drift’ away from the principles of S4CA and towards those of affiliated organizations. Third, there was insufficient reporting on carbon emissions, climate action results, and climate action impact.
The study recommends that nature sports organizations adopt ecocentric messaging to highlight the intrinsic value of ecosystems, aligning with UN climate goals and the Paris Accord. They should educate participants on the true climate impact of their sports, integrate environmental education into their initiatives, and emphasize ecological relationships. Transparent reporting of measurable, time-bound carbon figures is essential to demonstrate genuine environmental commitment. Lastly, organizations should refocus on the core principles of the S4CA framework, prioritize specific climate action goals, and avoid greenwashing by reducing emissions and reporting results clearly
Decolonization and Cultural Resurgence in Education: Indigenous Youth and Friendship Centres in Niagara
Get PDFThis research explores Indigenous education opportunities for Indigenous youth in the Niagara Region through an examination of current initiatives offered by the public education system and the educational programming offered by Indigenous Friendship Centres in Niagara. In this paper I highlight Indigenous voices, both local to Niagara and in academic literature, whereby discussions around Indigenous education surround discourses of decolonization and the cultural resurgence of Indigenous pedagogies in learning. This paper aims to contribute to discussions of Indigenous education opportunities for youth in Niagara, highlighting the work of Friendship Centres as sites of decolonial education and a path towards a decolonized and culturally liberated education for Indigenous youth in the region
Teaching Teachers to Teach Thinking
Get PDFThe purpose of this study was to enhance educators' understanding and ability to teach critical and creative thinking skills effectively. Through a conceptual analysis of relevant theories and pedagogical practices, this study synthesized effective methods for teaching and assessing these skills and developed a research-based self-assessment tool to help educators evaluate and improve their approaches. While this tool offers valuable support, it remains unvalidated and should be applied with caution until further testing is conducted. This study contributes to the literature by clarifying ambiguous terms and deepening the understanding of these complex concepts, providing a synthesis of academic literature from diverse studies and making this information more accessible for teacher reference and application. Ultimately, the self-assessment tool serves as a preliminary framework for teachers to refine their pedagogy, ensuring students are better equipped with essential skills for success both in and beyond school
Recognizing Whiteness: An Autoethnographic Examination of Whiteness in My Life
Get PDFThe purpose of this research was to examine whiteness not merely as an individual attribute but as an ideological and structural system that organizes everyday life and grants privilege to those perceived as white. Using a blend of critical and evocative autoethnography, I wrote stories about my life experiences. I drew on critical whiteness studies and critical race theory to expose how whiteness operates as a normative force in institutions, social interactions, and academic knowledge production. The analysis I undertook helped me understand how I was welcomed in public spaces like libraries whereas racialized individuals in similar settings have been left questioning whether they were being excluded. My analysis also illuminated how my whiteness insulated me from developing a rich understanding of Black culture, particularly the cultural significance of Black hair. This work prompted me to question the extent to which my conception of “safety” while travelling was, in fact, a coded interpretation of white superiority. In hopes of appealing to a general audience beyond academia, I adopted a non-traditional dissertation format. I used footnotes to deviate from the expected in-text citation system and create an additional, co-occurring text, which I offer as one (albeit very minor) form of action aimed at disrupting white dominance within academia. My research adds to the collection of work, and particularly critical whiteness studies, completed in response to the calls from racialized authors, scholars, and activists for white people to engage in anti-racist action. By weaving personal narrative with systemic critique, my aim is to contribute to dismantling white supremacy and promote sustained, justice-oriented action among white readers committed to anti-racism. Given that white people have a critical responsibility to identify whiteness and eradicate the oppression that we collectively perpetuate, I hope my findings can help white readers as they progress on their personal racial justice journeys. For racialized readers, I hope my study offers additional insight into how white people recognize—and often, fail to recognize—whiteness, along with how we attempt to dismantle whiteness and fight for racial equity
René Gasnier Travel Journal, 1907
Get PDFRené Gasnier (1874-1913) was a French aviator who competed in the Gordon-Bennett Cup (ballooning) in 1907. The Gordon-Bennett Cup (or Coupe Aeronautique Gordon Bennett) is the world’s oldest gas balloon race. Gasnier represented the Aéro Club de France in the 1907 race, which began from St. Louis. He covered 1800 kilometres in 38 hours in the balloon Anjou, placing 7th in the race. His interest in flying extended to gliders and planes, and in 1908 he designed an aircraft that he successfully took out for a short flight at an altitude of about 6 metres. His aircraft is kept in the regional air museum in Angers-Marcé. He went on to become a pilot and instructor.This manuscript is titled “Villes Americaines: notes d’un accounte de la Coupe Gordon Benett aux Etats-Unis (Octobre, Novembre, Decembre 1907)”. The manuscript is written in French by René Gasnier. The translated title is “American Cities: notes from an account of the Gordon Bennett Cup in the United States”. Gasnier was an aviator who represented France in the prestigious Gordon Bennett Cup (the world’s oldest gas balloon race) in 1907. The notes in this manuscript would lead to the publication of “American Cities” in 1909, in which he recounts his experiences and observations while travelling to New York, and then to St. Louis, to participate in the Bennett Cup. He finished 7th in the race after a 38-hour flight. He then continues on a sightseeing tour, visiting Albany, Schenectady, Niagara Falls, Buffalo, Chicago, Pittsburgh, Boston, Quebec, Montreal, Philadelphia, and Washington. The manuscript is 100 pages, plus a one-page table of contents at the end of the manuscript
Examining concepts of power in academic libraries and imagining feminist possibilities
Get PDFPresentation delivered at the CAPAL Conference (Toronto ON), "The Fabric of Librarianship: A Patchwork of Experience", June 2025.Lightning Talk:
How do you understand your own power, formal or informal? How do you understand the power dynamic in your workplace, in your department, at different groups and tables? I invite us to consider the layered and sometimes conflicting conceptions of power in a typical North American academic library workplace. Further, I consider how pandemic-related adjustments to ‘how we work’ provided opportunities for greater autonomy while also deepening local hierarchies.
I propose that the explorations and interrogations prompted by a critical feminist analysis are among the first steps towards creative and transformative possibilities. By shining a light on dominant narratives and alternative options, I intend to create more space for imagination, dismantling, and rebuilding