Ami Goulden, MA, MSW, PhD, RSW (she/her)
Director
Dr. Ami Goulden is an Assistant Professor in the School of Social Work at Memorial University and a Registered Social Worker. She holds an MSW with a specialization in children and families from the University of Toronto, a Master of Arts in Child and Youth Studies from Mount Saint Vincent University, and a PhD in Social Work from the University of Toronto.
With nearly 15 years of direct practice experience in various settings, including inpatient and ambulatory pediatric and adult healthcare settings and child welfare, Dr. Goulden’s practice experience strongly informs her research agenda. Her research explores topics such as sexual well-being and reproductive health among disabled populations, sex-positive social work, young parenting in the child welfare system, and universal design for learning. Dr. Goulden possesses advanced training in qualitative research and has received several grants as a Principal Investigator to support her research projects. These include the Ontario Graduate Scholarship (2018, 2019), the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) Doctoral Fellowship (2020-2022), the SSHRC Knowledge Synthesis Grant (2023-2024), the Teaching Enhancement through Scholarly Inquiry (TESI) Grant (2022-2025), and the Public Engagement Accelerator Fund (2023-2024).
Rose C. B. Singh, MSW, PhD(c), RSW (she/they)
Research Assistant, PhD Candidate (Social Work, Memorial University)
Rose is a PhD candidate at Memorial University and a sessional lecturer at Dalhousie University. She teaches courses focusing on critical approaches to theory, practice, and policy. With over two decades of experience in the social services sector, Rose is also a practicing social worker. Her research and interests centre on critical social work education, social justice, disability justice, disabilities, mental health, online learning and teaching, and emerging technologies. Additionally, Rose is a Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) Doctoral Fellow (2023-2024) and the recipient of the Memorial University Dean’s Excellence Award (2023-2024).
Simon Adu-Boateng, B.Ed, M.Ed, PhD(c) (he/him)
Research Assistant, PhD Candidate (Education, Memorial University)
Simon is a doctoral candidate in Education at Memorial University (MUNL), working under Dr. Karen Goodnough. After 13 years of classroom experience in Ghana and South Africa, he joined the MUNL School of Graduate Studies. Simon’s research interests include inclusive science education, teacher education, professional learning, action research, and using universal design for learning (UDL) to create inclusive access to the science curriculum.
Simon’s project, which examined science teachers’ perspectives and practices of inclusive pedagogy, received the Canadian Association for Teacher Education (CATE) Recognition Awards for Theses and Dissertations on Teacher Education. Simon is a Fellow of the School of Graduate Studies and a Rotary Graduate Scholarship recipient. Broadly conceived, Simon’s doctoral dissertation adopts collaborative action research as a professional development strategy to examine science teachers’ professional learning in the implementation of UDL to create inclusive learning environments for all students.
Sean Fardy, BA, B.Ed, M.Ed (Counselling Psychology) (he/him)
Research Assistant, PhD Student (Education, Memorial University)
Sean is a second-year Ph.D. student in the Faculty of Education at Memorial University of Newfoundland. His proposed doctoral research looks to examine the accessibility policies at post-secondary institutions across Canada to identify how these policies can lead to barriers that may deter students with disabilities from pursuing accommodations. His primary research interests lie in inclusive education, Universal Design for Learning, disability studies, higher education, and research methodology. Sean is actively contributing to research projects focusing on these topics as he progresses through his PhD and is eager to pursue related research opportunities in the future.
Jordan Hollahan, BA, MA (he/him)
Research Assistant, PhD Student (Archaeology, Memorial University)
Jordan is a first-year PhD student in the Department of Archaeology at Memorial University (MUNL). Under the supervision of Dr. Barry Gaulton, he is researching the social, religious, and economic impacts of the sixteenth-century “Mansion House” at Ferryland, Newfoundland.
Jordan’s life-long disability (a mild-sloping to severe sensorineural hearing loss) has pushed him to advocate for and bring awareness to the struggles that disabled postsecondary students face. For his efforts, Jordan has been awarded the Community Advocacy Award (2017) through the Canadian Hard of Hearing Association The intersection of his love for archaeology and living with a disability has produced his passion for community/public archaeological research practices and accessible/inclusive education. As he progresses through his doctoral degree, Jordan hopes to become even more involved with initiatives that promote the use of UDL in classrooms and the community.
Sarah E. Norris, BA, BSW, MSW (she/her)
Research Assistant, PhD Student (Health, Dalhousie University)
Sarah holds an MSW, BSW, and BA, and is a PhD in Health student at Dalhousie University. With twenty years of experience working with children, students, and families, Sarah has actively contributed to research projects on women’s health, gender-based violence, trauma, disability, and climate justice.
Sarah’s Master of Social Work thesis explored the consequential impacts of ableism and exclusion in climate change policies and strategies. Sarah’s research highlights the urgent need to address the disproportionate harms that disabled people face in a changing climate, exacerbated by existing societal inequities. Her areas of interest include critical disability studies, social determinants of health, climate justice, and trauma-informed practice.
Tori Lewis, BA, BSW, RSW (she/her)
Research Assistant, PhD Student (Social Work, University of Windsor)
Tori is currently a Master of Social Work student at the University of Windsor in the MSW working professionals program. She obtained her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and Honours Bachelor of Social Work degrees from King’s University College at Western University. Tori describes herself as passionate about addressing violence against women, trauma, equitable access to healthcare, and enhancing social work knowledge and practice. Following her graduation from the MSW program, Tori will pursue a PhD in Social Work at the University of Windsor. If you would like to connect with Tori, feel free to reach out via email at vlewis8@uwo.ca.
Kristen Hynes Brothers, BSW, MSW, RSW (she/her)
Research Assistant, PhD Student (Social Work, Memorial University)
Kristen Hynes Brothers is a doctoral student and instructor at Memorial University’s School of Social Work. She completed both her BSW and MSW at Memorial University and has been a registered social worker for 15 years. In both her clinical practice and her research, Kristen’s work centers around the experiences of 2SLGBTQIA+ community and the people who love and support them. Her PhD research will explore the experiences of parents in Newfoundland whose children are transgender.
Kristen’s other research interests are in relation to the intersections between gender and disability and social work education. She was recently a co-investigator in a funded research project with a Teaching Enhancement Through Scholarly Inquiry (TESI) grant that explored student experiences in the social work classroom. She is currently contributing to other projects that seek to explore high impact teaching practices in social work education.
Jullye Ponsoni
Mitacs Globalink Research Intern, Psychology Student (Federal University of Paraná)
Jullye is a Brazilian student and is in the last year of a psychology degree at the Federal University of Paraná, located in the city of Curitiba in the southern region of Brazil. Jullye has been involved in numerous research projects and teaching assistantships since her first year of university. Jullye has experience working in healthcare settings with oncology and terminally ill patients and their families. In the clinical field, her focus is on supporting bereaved families, mainly bereaved mothers. Jullye also has experience working with disabled children, adolescents, and adults. Jullye is actively pursuing an academic career. Her field of interest is health psychology, which includes gender issues, public health, disability, thanatology, and palliative care.
Stephanie Evans (she/her)
Research Assistant, BSW
Stephanie is pursuing a BSW at Memorial University and plans to obtain her MSW in the future to fulfill her dream of owning a private practice. She is passionate about mental health and disability advocacy. She serves on several boards, including the National Educational Association of Disabled Students (NEADS) as the Newfoundland and Labrador director, Memorial University Student Union (MUNSU) as the social work representative, and Wavemakers as a student representative. As of April 2024, she will be a representative on the Canadian Federation of Students Newfoundland and Labrador Students with Disabilities (CFS-NL). Stephanie is constantly seeking opportunities to expand her knowledge and promote awareness. She is excited to impact her community and bring about meaningful change.
Nicole Boland, BSW, RSW (she/her)
Social Media Coordinator, Knowledge Mobilization Specialist
Nicole received her social work degree from Memorial University and has been working in the community as a Registered Social Worker ever since. She is passionate about harm reduction, strength-based practice, and empowerment. Nicole fundamentally believes that the client is the expert in their own life and views the therapeutic alliance as a joint partnership. In her downtime, Nicole enjoys taking spin classes and hanging out with her dog, Roni.