in education, Volume 31, Number 1, Winter 2026 (Special Issue)

Author Biographies

Courtney Fowler (she/they) is a professional artist, community educator, and owner/operator of Courtney Fowler Performance Academy, a neurodivergent, inclusive, adaptive performance arts school. With an unwavering dedication to the transformative power of the arts, she is driven by a profound passion for empowering individuals through creative expression. Courtney received funding to compose and perform her original autobiographical musical, Not My Self Today, exploring themes of neurodivergence with high school youth. At the core of her mission is nurturing environments where students of every age can explore and embrace their authenticity, while she remains a lifelong student, continuously expanding her knowledge and expertise.

John Hoben (he/him) is an associate professor in Memorial University’s Faculty of Education. His work examines teaching and learning, education law, democratic education and poetic inquiry, drawing on arts-based and autoethnographic approaches. Trained in education and law (L.L.B.), he was called to the Bar of Ontario (2002) and the Bar of Newfoundland and Labrador (2004). His work examines the integration of critical approaches into teaching and everyday life through creative writing and community-engaged projects that support reflective practice and participatory forms of education.

Stefan James (he/him) is a PhD student in Clinical Psychology at Fielding Graduate University, specializing in qualitative and human science research methodologies. His scholarship emphasizes arts-based and community-engaged approaches, with contributions to research on LGBTQIA+ belonging, performance ethnography, ecological imagination in education, and the intersections of narrative, identity, and technology. His dissertation examines relational and contextual processes in ketamine-assisted psychotherapy. Clinically, he has trained in addiction recovery and geropsychology settings, providing psychotherapy, assessment, and group interventions with culturally diverse adult and older-adult populations. He also has experience in school-based counselling, crisis intervention, and 2SLGBTQIA+-affirming mental health services, and has presented at national and international conferences.

Connie Morrison (she/her) is an assistant professor in Memorial University's Faculty of Education. She has designed and taught a wide range of undergraduate and graduate courses informed by critical literacies and social justice pedagogy. Her current scholarship is framed by critical media literacy theory, which explores the truthfulness of online representation, the influence of AI on teacher education and how arts initiatives can help create inclusive spaces within a broader educational context. In 2024, she was awarded the Dean’s Award for Teaching Excellence from the Faculty of Education at MUN.

Pamela Osmond-Johnson (she/her) is Professor of Educational Leadership and the Dean of the Faculty of Education at Memorial University of Newfoundland and Labrador. As a former school administrator, Pamela’s scholarship has heavily focused on the important role teacher organizations play as educational advocates. In 2017, she was the recipient of the Pat Clifford Award for Emerging Scholar in Canadian Education.

Sarah Pickett (she/her) is a registered psychologist and associate professor in the Faculty of Education, Counselling Psychology program, at Memorial University. Her research interests focus on LGBTQ2SIA+ issues in teacher education and school culture/climate. More broadly, she is interested in narrative and autoethnographic research, how researchers may use these methods to engage in evocative conversations about LGBTQ2SIA+ people’s experiences, and the impact these stories may have on shaping the discourse surrounding LGBTQ2SIA+ people, family, and communities in education and society.

Sydney Wells (she/her) is currently completing her Master of Education (M.Ed.) in Counselling Psychology at Memorial University of Newfoundland, where she previously earned a Master of Science (M.Sc.) in Experimental Psychology. Her research focuses on Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), including its relationship with sleep health and smartphone use. Across her honours, graduate, and current thesis work, she has explored different aspects of ADHD with an interest in improving understanding and recognition. Sydney’s work as a Transition House Counsellor at Iris Kirby House and as a Family and Natural Support Worker with Choices for Youth has informed her interest in trauma-informed, accessible mental health support.