Doctoral Student Profiles

Allan Michel Jales Coutinho is an alumn of the Federal Network of Science and Technology in Brazil and is currently an 4YF (Four year Fellowship) recipient holder in the Department of Curriculum and Pedagogy at the University of British Columbia and is a resident of Green College. He started his academic work on international development at Green Mountain College, followed by an exchange experience at Nagoya University in Japan. He then earned his Master’s in International Education Policy from Harvard University before leading his academic career in Canada, starting at the University of Toronto. His research is focused on critical autobiographical studies, decolonization, and reconciliation. He is the author of the canonical text Curriculum Work and Social Justice Leadership in a Post-reconceptualist Era and Love in the Post-reconceptualist Era of Curriculum Work: Deliberations on the Meanings of Care.

My name is Malihe, I am a Ph.D. student in the Department of Curriculum and Pedagogy. Currently, I am pursuing a Doctorate degree in mathematics education at the University of British Columbia (UBC), Faculty of Education, Department of Curriculum, and Pedagogy. My research interest in mathematics education is informed by and situated in cultural and critical perspectives and it is inspired by principles of cultural sustainability and social justice. For my doctoral research, I aim to work on the effects of immigration on the learning processes as they relate to mathematics, the learning of math for bilingual students, cultural and linguistic aspects in mathematics learning and teaching, and real-life math. Prior to starting my doctorate journey, I earned a Master’s degree in mechanical engineering from the National University of Malaysia (UKM) and a Master’s in mathematics education from the University of British Columbia. In addition to my studies, I run a tutoring company and work at my company in the capacity of a math tutor. I am also a part-time math teacher at an independent school. I have 10 years of work experience in mechanical engineering, and 13 years of experience as an educator, instructor, teaching assistant, and research assistant.

Steve McGinley is a PhD. Candidate in the Faculty of Education, Department of Curriculum and Pedagogy, Health Outdoor and Physical Education (HOPE) program area at the University of British Columbia. Steve’s current research and passion lies in investigating the collaboration, relationships, leaderships, and network alliances at the multisectoral stakeholder-level necessary to advance the future of physical activity and physical literacy in school contexts. Most recently, Steve supported the development, implementation and evaluation of the School Physical Activity and Physical Literacy (SPA-PL) prototype project aimed to build the capacity of BC educators to support and deliver physical activity and physical literacy opportunities in the school setting. He is a trained K-12 Physical Education (PE) teacher, consultant and has extensive experience in schools as a PE teacher, PE department head, and an assistant athletic director. In his spare time he enjoys being outdoors, camping, out on the water, mountain biking, playing ice hockey, being active and coaching a plethora of youth sports in the community.

Marzieh Mosavarzadeh is a PhD student in art education at the University of British Columbia. Her arts-based educational research explores the emergent process of Making-Place through following and attending to the practice of propositional thinking and making while walking in a place. Marzieh is fascinated with the entanglement of the practices of writing and image making on-site while walking and how together they can work as an “oxidizing” method to enable the walker to follow things on the move while holding space for the meaning-making process to happen organically. In her research, Marzieh explores the kind of sorcery, complexity, and tension that pausing with and contemplating in spaces in-between brings to her a/r/tographic research. Marzieh holds her MFA and BFA degrees in visual arts.

Yasaman Moussavi is a visual artist and educator. She is a PhD student in Art education in the Department of Curriculum and Pedagogy at the University of British Columbia. In her art practice research, she explores the socio-cultural in-betweenness as a capacity and disposition to participate in the process of meaning making and learning across cultures and languages. In her art-based research project, Yasaman explores the ways in which art making intervene the established social relations in order to recover the embodied act of mapping and place making as a constituent to build social bonding. Yasaman holds an MFA with two emphases on Painting and Printmaking from Texas Tech University. She also holds a MA in Art Studies from Tehran University, Iran, and a BFA in Painting from Alzahra University Tehran, Iran. Her works have been displayed and published in many national and international solo and group exhibitions.

Nicole Rallis is a second-year Ph.D. student in the Department of Curriculum and Pedagogy working with Dr. Rita Irwin. She is grateful for the opportunity to learn and live on the traditional, ancestral and unceded territories of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam) Nation. Her research interests include a/r/tography, ecological and environmental education, land-based pedagogies, and poetic inquiry. She is passionate about exploring how the arts can help us align with environmental scientists’ calls for developing more holistic understandings and feelings about our relationship with nature (i.e. the aesthetic, spiritual, and non-utilitarian standpoints that increase the sense of awe with which we regard the natural world) (Prugh & Assadourian, 2003).

I am from Vancouver and taught secondary English at a local independent school for 16 years. Before returning as a doctoral student under the supervision of Dr Anthony Clarke in the Department of Curriculum and Pedagogy, I studied at UBC (BHK, BEd, MA) and completed a thesis entitled, “Coach-to-coach mentoring in a youth soccer academy: Applying theoretical knowledge within relevant contexts of practical sport coaching.” During this time, I was able to work closely alongside Dr Harry Hubball, whose guidance and mentorship were instrumental to my professional and academic development. My current research interests include teacher autonomy, teacher education, and curriculum theory. In my spare time, I enjoy playing soccer and golf, working in the garden, and being Daddy to my beautiful daughter.

Originally from Quebec, I attended both Concordia and McGill University in Montreal. With a background in both psychology and education, I moved to Vancouver to attend UBC and pursue a PhD in Curriculum Studies after obtaining an M.A. in Child Study. My research interests revolve around elementary school mathematics and preservice elementary school teacher preparation. I also keep busy outside of my academic pursuits by playing rugby, enjoying the outdoors, and spending time with my husband and our rescued bull terrier.

My name is Tsubasa Saito. I come from Tokyo, Japan, where I completed my Bachelor’s degree in Engineering at Hosei University as well as a Master’s degree in Education at Waseda University. My master’s research focussed on the mathematics education of immigrant children in Japanese schools. I worked as an IT engineer in Tokyo for approximately seven years before returning to graduate study. Currently, I am a Ph.D. student in the Department of Curriculum and Pedagogy, in the Faculty of Education at UBC. My research will explore immigrant families’ expectations as they relate to mathematics education in Canadian schools.

I am an EDCP Ph.D student with specialty in Home Economics Education. My B. Sc. (Ed.) and M. Sc. (Ed.) in Home Economics Education respectively, were obtained from the University of Uyo, Nigeria. The onset of my career path began with tutoring a primary class for a term in Monef kiddies school after my first degree, with progression in subsequent term to teach Home Economics at Monef High school for four years, doubling as boarding mistress in same school. After my Masters degree Award in 2014, I took on a Home Economics lecturing appointment same year in the Faculty of Education at the University of Uyo. I continued in same career until I had admission to pursue a PhD program at the University of British Columbia. I have nine publications and I’m familiar with case-studies, extended literature and survey researches, independent and related t- tests, Pearson product moment correlation, linear regression, chi-square and simple percentages analyses. My research interests are on nutrition and health, food education, healthy food consumption, indigenous foods, decolonization of foods and nutrition curriculum, sustainability and foods, inclusion and foods, food sovereignty, and food related issues. I am excited to study at UBC.