Laurier expert alert: Back to school

Aug. 13, 2024
For Immediate Release

WATERLOO — Students and educators will head back to class after Labour Day (Sept. 2), including at Wilfrid Laurier University when fall term courses begin Thursday, Sept. 5. Laurier has experts available to speak about various topics related to the return to school, including: back-to-school shopping and marketing; impacts of the pandemic on children’s learning; economics of education; how parents can support a smooth transition; and teacher education.

The following list includes Laurier experts who are available to speak at this time but does not represent the full breadth of expertise that exists at the institution. For a more comprehensive inventory of Laurier’s faculty researchers, please consult the Experts at Laurier database.        

Maria Cantalini-Williams — innovation education; teacher education; early childhood and experiential learning; ways parents can support a safe and smooth transition back to school. Contact: mcantaliniwilliams@wlu.ca

Brad Davis — back-to-school shopping, marketing and advertising; consumer behaviour; consumer trends. Contact: bdavis@wlu.ca

Ardavan Eizadirad — equity, diversity, inclusion and Indigenization; standardized testing; critical pedagogy; violence prevention and intervention. Contact: aeizadirad@wlu.ca, @DrEizadirad 

Kelly Gallagher-Mackay — law and educational inequality among children and youth; impacts of the pandemic on children’s education and why some children have fallen behind more than others; COVID-19 impacts on attendance, grades and postsecondary access. Contact: kgallaghermackay@wlu.ca

Sybil Geldart — child clinical psychology; school psychology; counselling; exceptionalities during childhood and adolescence. Contact: sgeldart@wlu.ca

David Johnson — elementary school test results in Ontario, Alberta and British Columbia; teacher salaries; labour relations. Contact: djohnson@wlu.ca

Danielle Law — psychology; youth and children’s studies; social-emotional growth of children, adolescents and emerging adults; cyberbullying; emotion regulation; overall well-being. Contact: dlaw@wlu.ca

Christine Neill — economics of education and higher education policy in Canada; university financing; student loan and fee policies. Contact: cneill@wlu.ca