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Since 1993, I have taught at Trent, Queen’s and Laurier universities. Currently, I teach in the Faculty of Arts at Laurier, in Global Studies and North American Studies.
My teaching interests relate to race and culture, the internationalization of post-secondary education, Indigenizing/decolonizing curriculum, food and culture, and immigrant identities in Canada. Questions of home and what it means to be a Canadian have underpinned my teaching.
As a diasporic, Kenyan-born, Gujarati woman, all of these interests and concerns are derived from personal experience. Teaching and thinking about teaching are central to my practice as a post-secondary educator.
My research and teaching interests include the interdisciplinary intersections of food, culture, and migration/belonging. The construction of identities through the lens of place and displacement is an additional focus of my work. I have an ongoing interest in questions of exile and race in the Canadian context. Currently, I am engaged in a new project related to food and the lived experiences of Ugandan/East African Asians expelled and displaced in the 1970s.
- Donald F. Morgenson Award for Sustained Excellence in Teaching (2018)
- Contract Faculty Century Club: 100+ courses taught at Wilfrid Laurier University (2022)
“’You Can’t Engage in Decolonizing Work Alone’: The Challenges, Tensions, and Value of Building Contract Teaching Faculty Community to Disrupt Colonialism.” In Faculty Learning Communities: Working towards a More Equitable, Just, and Antiracist Future in Higher Education. Eds. Kristin N. Rainville, David Title, and Cynthia Desrochers. Charlotte, NC: Information Age Publishing (with Holly Gibbs, Brent Hagerman, Erin Hodson, Sobia Iqbal, Chris Klassen, Lisa Kuron, Jennifer Marshman, and Marybeth White).
“The Summer of the Pivot: Prioritizing Equity in Remote Instruction through a Multidisciplinary Community of Practice Initiative at a Canadian University.” The Journal of Leadership, Equity, and Research, vol. 9, no. 1, 2023, pp. 100-114. (with Ardavan Eizadirad, Brent Hagerman, Michelle Skop, Tristan A. F. Long, Michael Daly, Shirley Hall, Louise N. Dawe, Erin Hodson, and Joseph Beer).
- NO105: Billionaires, Beavers, and Bandits
- NO211: Canadian Identities and Cultures
- NO219: Canadian Studies for International Degree-seeking and Exchange Students
- GS221: The Cosmopolitan Village?
- GS340T: Critical Leadership and Humanitarianism in Higher Education
“Land of the Free and the Home of the Brave? Taylor Swift, the NFL, and Donald Trump: America in the 21st Century,” Laurier March Break Open House lecture, 2024 (with Kevin Spooner).
“Building Foundations: Promoting Positive First-Year Experiences,” Teaching Excellence and Innovation panel presentation, 2023 (with Kevin Spooner).
“Universities and Social Action: A Contested Role?,” Moderator, Equipping Student Leaders as Partners for Sustainable Humanitarian Action Conference, 2023.
“Keep Calm and Study On,” Contribution to Year End Video, Transition and Learning Services, Teaching and Learning, 2021.
“Making the Future Bright: Let’s Talk about Laurentian and Community Building,” In Conversation with MPP Laura Mae Lindo et al., 2021.
Contact Info:
T: 548.889.5265
Office location: 4-159, Dr. Alvin Woods Building
Office hours:
Mondays, 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. (or by appointment)
Languages spoken: English, Gujarati