Chairs and Professorships

Dr. Jan Hare
Dean pro tem, Faculty of Education
Associate Professor, Department of Educational Studies

Jan Hare is an Anishinaabe scholar and educator from the M’Chigeeng First Nation, located in northern Ontario. As an Indigenous scholar and educator she has sought to transform education in ways that are more inclusive of Indigenous ways of knowing and languages. Her research is concerned with improving educational outcomes for Aboriginal/Indigenous learners by centering Indigenous knowledge systems within educational reform from early childhood education to post-secondary, recognizing the holistic and multidisciplinary nature of Indigenous education.
In 2014, Dr. Hare was awarded the Professorship of Indigenous Education in Teacher education. The goals of this professorship are to:

• Enrich teacher education with Indigenous perspectives, histories and pedagogies through an integrated approach to teaching and research.
• Engage in professional development of in-service/practicing teachers so they are informed of the place of Indigenous peoples, histories, perspectives and pedagogies in their current teaching. This community engagement approach with teachers and schools will transform places of learning so vital to the success of Aboriginal learners.
• Extend professional development opportunities to our Education faculty.

Visit Dr. Hare’s profile page to learn more about his work.

Dr. Cash Ahenakew,
Associate Professor, Department of Educational Studies

Dr. Cash Ahenakew has spent his career searching for ways to understand how local knowledges and practices can inform the resurgence of Indigenous wisdom, knowledge, education, wellbeing and healing practices.
As Canada Research Chair in Indigenous People’s Wellbeing, Dr. Cash Ahenakew is focusing on decolonizing health-related research, practice and education and revitalizing Indigenous health practices. He is bringing together a network of Indigenous and non-Indigenous academics and health practitioners from six countries to advance community-based participatory research and collaborative inquiry along with trauma-informed education. Together, they hope to develop a high-quality, culture-centred, trauma-informed approach. By integrating Indigenous healing practices and land-based orientations with contemplative practices and bodywork, they will contribute to healing and wellbeing approaches.

Visit Dr. Cash Ahenakew’s profile page to learn more about his work.

Dr, Lianne Tomfohr-Madsen
Associate Professor, Department of Educational & Counselling Psychology, and Special Education

Dr. Tomfohr-Madsen was appointed Tier 2 Canada Research Chair in Mental Health and Intersectionality in 2023 (5-year appointment).

Dr. Tomfohr-Madsen’s research harnesses methodology from clinical and counselling psychology, health psychology and public health to understand intersectional risk and resilience factors that contribute to the development of psychological distress in parents and children. She aims to refine and disseminate psychological interventions to improve parent and child mental health, with a focus on developing mobile health (mHealth) interventions (i.e., psychological support provided by mobile devices) that can best engage traditionally underserved populations. Her work also aims to shift public policy to create greater accessibility of mental health interventions and to identify targets for reformation of recruitment, training, and retention of diverse and culturally competent clinician scientists. Visit Dr. Lianne Tomfohr-Madsen's profile page to learn more about her work.

Dr. Guofang Li,
Professor, Department of Language and Literacy Education

Dr. Li is a leading international researcher in immigrant children’s language and literacy education. Her program of research aims to improve the life success of immigrant and minority students by addressing the cultural, linguistic, instructional, and structural barriers in their literacy learning and academic achievement, in both school and at home. Her research identifies the literacy resources and practices that exist in immigrant families, as these are critical to students’ successful transition between school and home. Based on these resources and practices, Dr. Li establishes innovative and systematic ways that teachers and schools can tap into the cultural resources and linguistic knowledge from students’ homes to support school literacy efforts. Dr. Li’s research is grounded directly in learners’ complex multiple language and literacy practices in and outside school and in teachers’ everyday teaching practices. Her knowledge of these complex language contexts expertly positions her to share her insights with educators about specific cultural practices and the importance of culturally relevant approaches to educating these children. Dr. Li’s research will also address the need to examine current language and educational policy and practice in globalized contexts. Visit Dr. Guofang Li's profile page to learn more about her work.

Dr. Eli Puterman,
Assistant Professor, School of Kinesiology

Dr. Puterman studies how adversity experienced across the lifespan - starting in childhood all the way through older adulthood - accelerates the aging of our immune system. His research demonstrates that physical activity is a powerful behavioural factor that has the potential to delay immune aging in individuals who experience high degrees of adversity across their lifetimes. Dr. Puterman’s research has repeatedly demonstrated that the impact of adversity on aging and disease development is more pronounced in individuals who are less physically active and significantly reduced or eliminated in those who are more physically active. Dr. Puterman’s research seeks to deepen our understanding of how physical activity promotes biological and psychological resiliency in highly stressed individuals who are most at risk for accelerated immune aging. By identifying how and for whom physical activity leads to psychological and biological benefits, Dr. Puterman’s goal is to develop behaviour change intervention strategies specifically designed for individuals living with high levels of adversity, before disease develops. His research will help to maximize our capacity to improve the health of Canada’s youth and adult populations who are at greatest risk for accelerated immune system aging and disease development. Visit Dr. Eli Puterman's profile page to learn more about his work.

Dr. Bruno Zumbo,
Professor, Educational and Counselling Psychology, and Special Education

Dr. Zumbo. Bruno D. Zumbo is an applied mathematician working at the intersection of the mathematical sciences and the behavioral, social and health sciences. He is currently Professor and Distinguished University Scholar, the Tier 1 Canada Research Chair in Psychometrics and Measurement, and the Paragon UBC Professor of Psychometrics & Measurement at University of British Columbia.

He currently teaches in the graduate Measurement, Evaluation, & Research Methodology Program with an additional appointment in the Institute of Applied Mathematics, and earlier also in the Department of Statistics, at the University of British Columbia (UBC) in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Prior to arriving at UBC in 2000, he held professorships in the Departments of Psychology and of Mathematics at the University of Northern British Columbia (1994-2000), and earlier in the Faculty of Education with adjunct appointment in the Department of Mathematics at the University of Ottawa (1990-1994).

Visit Dr. Bruno Zumbo's profile page to learn more about his work.

Dr. Jean-Sébastien Blouin
Associate Professor, School of Kinesiology

Established in 2006, the Canadian Chiropractic Research Foundation Professorship in Spine Biomechanics and Neurophysiology supports research in sensorimotor physiology. Visit Dr. Jean-Sébastien Blouin’s profile page to learn more.

Dr. Guy Faulkner
Professor, Kinesiology

In his work as an Applied Public Health Chair, Dr. Guy Faulkner aims to develop and implement a program of population health intervention research for the continual monitoring and evaluation of Active Canada 20/20, the national strategy designed to increase physical activity as well as engage decision makers and unite stakeholders to improve population health. Dr. Faulkner's research will provide foundational information for ongoing and future evaluations of physical activity initiatives which have the potential to inform future public and population health planning. Visit Dr. Guy Faulkner’s profile page to learn more.

Dr. Sterett Mercer
Associate Professor, Educational & Counselling Psychology, and Special Education

Endowed in 1994, the Chris Spencer Foundation Professorship in Dyslexia has been established to make significant contributions to the methodology and training resources available to teachers and families of children with dyslexia and related learning disabilities. Visit Dr. Sterett Mercer's profile page to learn more.

Dr. Cynthia Nicol
Associate Professor, Department of Curriculum & Pedagogy

Endowed in 2000, the David F. Robitaille Professorship in Mathematics and Science Education has been established to support Faculty initiatives focusing on the application of technology in the teaching and learning of mathematics, science and technology education. Visit Dr. Cynthia Nicol's profile page to learn more.

Dr. Surita Jhangiani
Assistant Professor, Educational and Counselling Psychology, and Special Education

Endowed in 1991, the David Lam Chair in Multicultural Education has been established to support increased interest, programming, and research in multicultural and anti-racist education, and to assist schools to foster multiculturalism. Visit Dr. Surita Jhangiani's profile page to learn more.

Dr. Nancy Perry
Associate Dean, Research, Faculty of Education
Professor, Educational & Counselling Psychology, and Special Education

Endowed in 1991, the Dorothy Lam Chair in Special Education has been established to support research and teaching in the area of special needs education. Visit Dr. Nancy Perry’s profile page to learn more about current projects.

Dr. Shelley Hymel
Professor, Educational & Counselling Psychology, and Special Education

Created in 2011, the Edith Lando Professorship in Social and Emotional Learning has been established to support research in teaching young people how to recognize and manage emotions, make responsible decisions, establish a caring attitude, and handle challenging situations effectively. Visit Dr. Shelley Hymel’s profile page to learn more.

Dr. Leyton Schnellert
Associate Professor, Department of Curriculum & Pedagogy

Endowed in 2008, the Eleanor Rix Professorship in Rural Teacher Education has been established to illuminate the challenges and possibilities found in educating students in small and rural communities. Visit Dr. Leyton Schnellert's profile page to learn more.

Dr. Daniel Cox
Associate Professor, Educational & Counselling Psychology, and Special Education

Endowed in 2007, the Myrne B. Nevison Professorship in Counselling Psychology has been established to support research that will advance understanding of preventive and early intervention approaches in counselling for populations at risk. Visit Dr. Cox's profile to learn more about his work.

Dr. Bruno Zumbo
Professor, Educational & Counselling Psychology, and Special Education

Established in 2015 through a partnership with Paragon Testing Enterprises (a subsidiary of The University of British Columbia), the Paragon UBC Professorship in Psychometrics and Measurement enhances research and graduate student training in the field of the statistical science of measurement. Dr. Zumbo's vision includes creating more joint research activities with international collaborators, expanding opportunities for students and young scientists, and fostering an environment that will produce extraordinary scientific results at the interface of statistics, language testing, and psychometrics. Visit Dr. Zumbo’s profile page to learn more about his work.

Dr. Jan Hare
Dean pro tem, Faculty of Education
Associate Professor, Department of Educational Studies

Created in 2013, the Professorship has three goals: enrich teacher education with Indigenous perspectives, histories and pedagogies to help prepare teacher candidates; and engage in the professional development of practicing teachers as well as our own faculty to strengthen Indigenous education identity and approaches in their current teaching. Please visit Dr. Hare’s profile page to learn more about her research projects and interests.

Dr. Sabre Cherkowski
Associate Professor, Okanagan School of Education

Dr. Sabre Cherkowski was awarded a Tier 1 Principals Research Chair in Leadership, Learning and Wellbeing. In her role as Chair, Dr. Cherkowski will focus on research that examines wellbeing from an organisational perspective, paying attention to leadership and professional learning from the perspective of work cultures, organisational systems, as well as team and individual processes for promoting and sustaining flourishing in schools.

Wellbeing is linked to overall health, and influences learning, creativity, collaboration, among other qualities necessary for ongoing improvement of leading and teaching. Dr. Cherkowski’s research on positive leadership and professional learning contributes to the growth of research on wellbeing at work at all levels of the education system. Her research offers an innovative approach to combatting stress, depletion and burnout at work through an evidence-based approach that combines theories and processes from positive psychology, positive organisations, professional learning, and change leadership. Visit Dr. Cherkowski’s profile page to learn more about her work.

Dr. Harper B. Keenan
Assistant Professor, Department of Curriculum & Pedagogy

Dr. Harper B. Keenan is the Robert Quartermain Assistant Professor of Gender & Sexuality Research in Education at the University of British Columbia. Before coming to UBC in 2019, Dr. Keenan was a postdoctoral fellow at the Stanford Graduate School of Education, where he also earned his PhD in Curriculum and Teacher Education in 2019. Dr. Keenan completed his undergraduate studies at The New School in New York City, and earned a Master’s Degree from the Bank Street College of Education. He is a proud former New York City elementary school teacher.

Broadly, Dr. Keenan’s research analyzes how adults teach children to make sense of the social world. Much of his work investigates the management, or scripting, of children’s knowledge, and ways that educators and their students might work together to interrupt that process and imagine something different. Dr. Keenan is interested in those social issues that many adults find difficult to talk about with children – things like racism, gender, sexuality, and violence. He is perhaps best known for his 2017 article in the Harvard Educational Review, “Unscripting Curriculum: Toward a Critical Trans Pedagogy.”

Today, Dr. Keenan’s research projects center around two themes: 1.) the interaction of colonialism, race, and gender in schools – particularly in early childhood and elementary education, and 2.) the continued development of anti-racist queer and trans pedagogies.

Dr. Keenan’s work has appeared in a variety of scholarly journals and popular press outlets, including the Harvard Educational Review, Teacher’s College Record, Gender and Education, Theory & Research in Social Education, Slate, The Huffington Post, The Feminist Wire, and multiple edited volumes.

Dr. William Pinar
Professor, Department of Curriculum & Pedagogy

The Tetsuo Aoki Professorship in Curriculum Studies has a term of five years and was established in memory of the late Tetsuo Aoki, whose life-long work has significantly influenced and shaped this field of study. Visit Dr. William Pinar's profile page to learn more about current projects.