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People
A dynamic, committed team of faculty, contract lecturers and staff make up Toronto Metropolitan University’s School of Early Childhood Studies. Together, we support student success, advance innovation in teaching and lead research that drives positive change.
- Sejal PatelDirector and Associate ProfessorDepartmentEarly Childhood StudiesPhone416-979-5000, ext. 557309Areas Of Expertiseearly life experiences; social determinants of health including education, social and community context, neighbourhood and environment; equity in early education and care through child, family and community engaged research
- Kristin SnoddonGraduate Program Director and Associate ProfessorAreas Of ExpertiseInclusive education policy; Sign language planning and policy in early childhood; Literacy; Bilingualism; Disability studies
- Rachel BermanProfessorPhone416-979-5000 ext. 557695Areas Of Expertise'Race' and anti-racism in early childhood settings; perspectives of children and youth; mothering; methods of inquiry, including social research with children and critical qualitative inquiry.
- Judith K. BernhardProfessor and Associate Director, Field EducationPhone416-979-5000 ext. 557507Areas Of ExpertisePrecarious migration status; Migrant and refugee family interventions; Latinos in the educational system; Cross-cultural early childhood development.
- Janelle BradyAssistant ProfessorPhone416-979-5000, ext. 544862Areas Of ExpertiseBlack feminist thought; Anti-racist education; Sociology of education; Social justice education; Community-based research
- Aurelia Di SantoAssociate Professor | Sabbatical 2024-2025Phone416-979-5000, ext. 554576Areas Of ExpertiseChildren’s rights; Early years curriculum; Quality early childhood environments; Research with children.
- Nicole Ineese-NashAssistant Professor, School of Child and Youth Care and School of Early Childhood StudiesPhone416-838-7802Areas Of ExpertiseIndigenous children, youth, and communities; Land-based educational research; Early childhood education and care; Indigenous research methods; Critical Disability Studies; Indigenous youth mental health.
- Susan JaggerAssociate ProfessorPhone416-979-5000 ext. 556334Areas Of ExpertiseScience and mathematics education; Environmental and place-based education; Participatory research methods; Critical theory and poststructuralism.
- Donna KollerProfessor | Sabbatical Winter 2025DepartmentEarly Childhood StudiesPhone416-979-5000, ext. 552513Areas Of ExpertiseChildren’s health and well-being; Children’s rights in health care; Pediatric psychosocial care and the role of the child life specialist; Research methods with young children.
- Nicole LandAssociate ProfessorPhone416-979-5000, ext. 557538Areas Of ExpertisePost-developmental pedagogies; Children’s relations with movement, fats and muscles; Interdisciplinary collaborations between physical education, health sciences and early childhood studies; Digital pedagogical documentation and research methods.
- Fiona J. MoolaAssociate ProfessorAreas Of ExpertiseChildhood disability and chronic illness; Arts-based research; Qualitative research; Inclusion; Critical health psychology; Equity and diversity
- Jason NolanDirector - Responsive Ecologies Lab; Associate ProfessorAreas Of ExpertiseSound and learning; Learning with materials
- Kathleen PeetsAssociate Director, Academic Leadership and Associate ProfessorPhone416-979-5000, ext. 557646Areas Of ExpertiseLanguage and literacy; Cross-cultural development; Bilingualism.
- Robert RinkoffProfessorPhone416-979-5000, ext. 556332Areas Of ExpertiseResearch methods; Children and nature.
- Charlene RyanAssociate Professor | Sabbatical Winter 2025Phone416-979-5000, ext. 557635Areas Of ExpertiseEarly childhood and elementary music education; Music performance anxiety; Community building.
- Angela ValeoAssociate ProfessorPhone416-979-5000, ext. 557696Areas Of ExpertiseAutism Spectrum Disorder; Inclusive education; Educational assessment.
- Kristin SnoddonGraduate Program Director and Associate ProfessorAreas Of ExpertiseInclusive education policy; Sign language planning and policy in early childhood; Literacy; Bilingualism; Disability studies
- Mehrunnisa Ahmad AliProfessor EmeritaPhone416-979-5000, ext. 556330Areas Of ExpertiseColonialism and migration; immigrant and refugee children, youth and families; integration of immigrant families; ethics of research with refugees; north-south research collaboration.
- Patrizia AlbaneseVPFA and Professor, SociologyPhone416-979-5000, ext. 556526Areas Of ExpertiseSocial policies affecting children, youth and families.
- Rachel BermanProfessorPhone416-979-5000 ext. 557695Areas Of Expertise'Race' and anti-racism in early childhood settings; perspectives of children and youth; mothering; methods of inquiry, including social research with children and critical qualitative inquiry.
- Judith K. BernhardProfessor and Associate Director, Field EducationPhone416-979-5000 ext. 557507Areas Of ExpertisePrecarious migration status; Migrant and refugee family interventions; Latinos in the educational system; Cross-cultural early childhood development.
- Marni BinderAssociate Professor EmeritaAreas Of ExpertiseCreative arts; Arts-based education research; Holistic education (spirituality of children, mindfulness); Multimodal literacies; Child art, Visual narrative; Scholarship of teaching and learning.
- Donna KollerProfessor | Sabbatical Winter 2025DepartmentEarly Childhood StudiesPhone416-979-5000, ext. 552513Areas Of ExpertiseChildren’s health and well-being; Children’s rights in health care; Pediatric psychosocial care and the role of the child life specialist; Research methods with young children.
- Sejal PatelDirector and Associate ProfessorDepartmentEarly Childhood StudiesPhone416-979-5000, ext. 557309Areas Of Expertiseearly life experiences; social determinants of health including education, social and community context, neighbourhood and environment; equity in early education and care through child, family and community engaged research
Adjunct Professors
- Dr. Richard Marsella
- Dr. Melanie McBride
Contract Lecturers 2024-5
- Bethany Robichaud
brobichaud@torontomu.ca - Cherry Chan
cherry1.chan@torontomu.ca - Dr. Ebrahim Talaee
ebrahim.talaee@torontomu.ca - Evelina Lukaszyk
esiwik@torontomu.ca - Jennifer Butterly
jennifer.butterly@torontomu.ca - Karyn Positano
karyn.positano@torontomu.ca - Lisa Johnston
lisa.johnston@torontomu.ca - Dr. Meagan Montpetit
mmontpetit@torontomu.ca
- Dr. Nidhi Menon
nidhi.menon@torontomu.ca - Dr. Shelly Mehta
shelly.mehta@torontomu.ca - Susan Howson
showson@torontomu.ca
- Alana Powell
Program Advisory Council Chair
Executive Director
Association of Early Childhood Educators Ontario - Anna Tyzler
Manager
EarlyON Child and Family Centre
Mothercraft - Ash McGhee
Manager,
Education and Training,
the 519 - Dr. Bernice Cipparrone-McLeod
Director
School of Early Childhood
George Brown College
- Carolyn Ferns
Public Policy & Government Relations Coordinator
Ontario Coalition for Better Child Care
- Diane Daley
Chief Executive Officer
Family Day Care Services - Kim Kirkley
EarlyOn Program Manager
Native Canadian Centre of Toronto - Dr. Lorin Schwarz
Assistant Professor
Faculty of Education, York University. - Martha Friendly
Executive Director
Childcare Research and Resource Unit - Maya-Rose Simon
Indigenous Professor, Early Childhood Education
Faculty of Health Science and Wellness,
Humber College Institute of Technology & Advanced Learning - Meredith Farley
Early Childhood Education Faculty
Centennial College - Rebecca Wood
Parenting with a Disability Network Coordinator
Centre for Independent Living in Toronto
- Reta Hamlin
Consultant with EarlyON Child and Family Centres
Children’s Services, City of Toronto - Dr. Zeenat Janmohamed
Executive Director and Senior Policy Analyst
Atkinson Centre for Society and Child Development
Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, University of Toronto
- Marni BinderAssociate Professor EmeritaAreas Of ExpertiseCreative arts; Arts-based education research; Holistic education (spirituality of children, mindfulness); Multimodal literacies; Child art, Visual narrative; Scholarship of teaching and learning.
