in education, Volume 31, Number 2, Spring/Summer 2026

Author Biographies

Robin Bright is Professor Emerita from the Faculty of Education at the University of Lethbridge. A former elementary teacher, she later earned her PhD and built a career as a researcher, teacher educator, and author focused on literacy development. She has received a Distinguished Teacher Award and served as a Board of Governors Teaching Chair. Robin is the author of several books, including Sometimes Reading is Hard (Pembroke, 2021). Her current research explores educators’ perspectives and beliefs about teaching reading.

Adam Browning (PhD) is the Superintendent of Schools for Horizon School Division in the province of Alberta and a sessional instructor in the Faculty of Education at the University of Lethbridge.  Adam has been an educator in the K-12 education system for over 20 years and enthusiastically supports teachers, parents, children and colleagues in the areas of language and literacy.  

Mariam Farooq is a PhD candidate at the University of Saskatchewan with more than ten years of teaching experience in South Africa and Pakistan. Her work focuses on technology-enhanced teaching, curriculum development, and innovative assessment practices. She is particularly interested in educational technology and English for Academic and Professional Purposes, aiming to improve student learning experiences through effective digital integration and thoughtful instructional design in higher education contexts across diverse and multicultural academic environments globally.

Andrea Fraser is an assistant professor in the Faculty of Education at Mount Saint Vincent University in Halifax, NS. Her research interests include reading acquisition and development, reader identity, pre-service and in-service teacher knowledge and beliefs, and literacy pedagogy. In recent work, she also explores creating meaningful learning opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students, with an emphasis on engaging learners in diverse forms of literacy to foster discussion and critical reflection.

Candy L. Jones is a professor in the Department of Curriculum and Pedagogy in the Faculty of Education at Brandon University (BU). Her research interests include rural education, rural identity, teacher professional development, mathematics education, self-study, climate change and sustainability, rural houselessness, and teacher/teacher educator identity. Prior to entering the Faculty of Education at BU in 2015, Candy spent 20 years as a secondary educator in three different rural Manitoba communities. She is both passionate about the strength and beauty of rural spaces and a staunch advocate for those who live and work within them.

Phillip Joy is a registered dietitian and an associate professor in Applied Human Nutrition at Mount Saint Vincent University. His qualitative research uses poststructuralist and queer approaches to explore queer nutrition, health, and curriculum development. He often uses arts-based methods such as photovoice, cellphilming, and comics to engage emotion, creativity, and embodiment, and to challenge norms and support more inclusive approaches to nutrition and health. More details can be found at www.phillipjoy.ca

Unni Knutstad is an associate professor at the Department of Nursing and Health Promotion at Oslo Metropolitan University (OsloMet). Her academic background is in education, with a particular research interest in the knowledge base of nursing and the didactics of nursing as a discipline. She has previously served as Dean of the Faculty of Nursing Education and as Vice-Rector at Oslo University College. In recent years, she has been the Programme Director for the master’s degree in health sciences at OsloMet.

Cecilia Latorre-Cosculluela is an associate professor in the area of Didactics and School Organisation at the University of Zaragoza (Spain). She coordinates the Primary Education Degree and the master’s degree in advanced studies in Language, Communication, and its Pathologies. She is a member of the recognized research group Education and Diversity. Her research focuses on the implementation of active methodologies within an inclusive framework, the use of ICT to enhance teaching and learning processes, and the development of innovation initiatives aligned with the Sustainable Development Goal of quality education.

Marta Liesa-Orús holds a degree in Educational Sciences and a PhD in Psychology. She is an associate professor in the area of Didactics and School Organisation at the University of Zaragoza (Spain). She has held several university management positions, including Dean, and currently serves as Vice-Rector. She has participated in numerous research and teaching innovation projects and has published widely in national and international journals on inclusive education and attention to diversity. She has also taken part in national and international conferences and completed teaching and research stays abroad.

Jennifer MacDonald is an assistant professor in the Faculty of Education at the University of Regina. She teaches courses in outdoor, environmental, and treaty education. Her interdisciplinary curriculum research centres on building languages and meanings to enhance relationality, especially through outdoor learning experiences. As a non-Indigenous educator, she is committed to modelling how all learners can dialogue with topics of truth and reconciliation to understand themselves and to interact with others in ways that challenge colonial logics and prioritize the well-being of all. 

María Mairal-Llebot holds a degree in Early Childhood Education and a master’s degree in advanced studies in Language, Communication, and its Pathologies. She earned her PhD in Education, specializing in inclusive education and support for vulnerable groups. Her research focuses on education for all and the integration of technology in learning to promote accessible and equitable educational environments. She is a member of the recognized research group Education and Diversity and actively contributes to projects aimed at improving inclusive educational practices.

Chris Mattatall is an associate professor of Educational Psychology in the Faculty of Education at the University of Lethbridge.  Chris teaches at the undergraduate and graduate levels, most recently creating two new courses, How to Teach Reading for ULethbridge’s new early years undergraduate program, and Reading Interventions for Elementary Classrooms delivered in the M.Ed. for practicing teachers. Dr. Mattatall’s current research uses book studies about how the human brain learns to read with classroom teachers to impact practice and sense of teacher efficacy in reading instruction.

Natalie Pegus is a K-4 music educator at a French immersion school in Winnipeg, Manitoba. She recently earned a Master of Education in Educational Administration at the University of Manitoba. Natalie began her teaching career in Northern Manitoba, an experience that continues to inform her professional interests. Her work is grounded in a commitment to supporting teachers and fostering strong, connected school communities, with particular attention to teacher well-being and belonging.

Mette Sagbakken is a professor at the Department of Nursing and Health Promotion at Oslo Metropolitan University (OsloMet). Her academic background is in migration and minority health. She is R.N., M.Phil.

Ingrid Rachel Strand is an assistant professor at the Department of Nursing and Health Promotion at Oslo Metropolitan University (OsloMet). She is currently pursuing her PhD in the assessment of Nursing students during Clinical Practice. Her academic background is in education and assessment in clinical practice. She is an R.N. and has a master’s degree in health and empowerment.

Deborah Toope is an associate professor in the School of Education at Acadia University, Wolfville, Nova Scotia. Deborah has a PhD from the University of South Australia. Informed by social justice pedagogies, her research interests include inclusive literacy practices, literacies and digital technologies, teacher identities, teachers’ knowledge, teacher research, and action research. She has extensive experience working in the public school system as a teacher, literacy specialist, and district leader in K-12 programs. Her collaboration with teacher-researchers has enabled her to cultivate school-university research partnerships to explore equitable and inclusive literacy practices.

Johanathan Woodworth is an assistant professor of Education at Mount Saint Vincent University in Halifax, NS, whose scholarship examines educational technology, epistemology, pedagogy, and educational research methodology. His work engages critical, queer, transformative, and mixed methods approaches to teaching and learning, with particular attention to how reflection, affect, identity, and ethical self-positioning shape professional formation. He is interested in how educators and students encounter discomfort, uncertainty, identity, and institutional norms within learning spaces, as well as how technology integration can support more reflective, accessible, and relational forms of practice. His research contributes to conversations about critical pedagogy, educational technology, inclusive education, professional learning, and equity-oriented educational practice.