Emerging Scholars Fund

ISSOTL’s goal is to “foster inquiry and disseminate findings about what improves and articulates post-secondary learning and teaching”. We recognize the importance of engaging emerging scholars who are interested in the scholarship of teaching and learning. We are dedicated to supporting this new talent and encouraging the engagement of students through sharing of ideas, networking, and learning at the annual ISSOTL conference.

The Emerging Scholars Fund, facilitates this engagement by inviting currently registered post-secondary students to apply for a conference fee waiver to attend the ISSOTL 2022 Conference.

Darla Richter

I am a graduate student pursuing a Master of Science in Adult and Higher Education. I have a strong love of learning and desire a career in which I can foster a supportive environment for other adults to discover their own passion for lifelong learning. My career goals are broad at this point, although I am considering becoming a director of a senior college program. I am currently a full-time academic specialist for the Social and Behavioral Sciences and Natural and Applied Sciences here at USM. I have a Bachelor of Liberal Arts and an Associate of Applied Science.

William Robison

I have always loved helping others through teaching, whether that be through impromptu tutoring or official coaching positions. However, it was not until recently that I learned about SoTL and began interacting with the literature of the field. I have held a variety of education-centered jobs: I substitute teach on academic breaks, I coach students who are struggling academically by helping them craft goals, and I work with Intensive Freshman Seminars at IU to serve incoming freshmen. Teaching is my passion because I see it as the most important means we have of preparing upcoming generations both intellectually and emotionally.

Read William’s review of ISSOTL22.

Sophia Abbot

I am a doctoral student in higher education at George Mason University. For the last ten years, I have been a passionate contributor to and learner in SoTL–in fact, I designed my undergraduate major to focus on the study of teaching and learning in higher education. My SoTL focuses include Students as Partners, and advancing equity and justice in teaching, learning, and scholarship.

Watch Sophia’s video about ISSOTL22.

Anna Galang

Anna Galang is a recent graduate from the University of Toronto with a double major in biochemistry and neuroscience. She is interested in pursuing a career in education and enjoys working with students through tutoring and as a residence advisor. Her research experience reinstated this passion in teaching as she developed virtual laboratory experiences for undergraduate chemistry students as well as new experiments to introduce fellow students to topics surrounding nanomaterials and interfacial chemistry. She hopes to continue working in pedagogical research, and in particular chemical education in the context of higher education.

Madison Wright

Madison Wright (she/her) is a PhD Candidate at the University of Guelph. She has experience as a Teaching Assistant, Sessional Instructor, Graduate Educational Developer, Learning Experience Advisor, and an Education and Scholarship Research Associate. She co-created the two largest pedagogical development programs for graduate students at the University of Guelph. She has co-authored a book chapter on research ethics and SoTL. Additionally, she is the Chair of the Membership, Recruitment and EDI committee for the Open Consortium of Undergraduate Biology Educators. Madison is passionate about using evidence-based teaching practices, and, to her, SoTL is the key to effective teaching.

Read Madison’s review of ISSOTL22. 

Said Hussein

My name is Said Hussein and this fall I will be entering my fourth year in the Bachelor of Health Sciences honours program at the University of Calgary. Over the course of my degree I have had the opportunity to meaningfully contribute to several research projects across a broad range of topics, which has helped me grow tremendously as a researcher. Upon completion of my undergraduate degree, I plan to complete a master’s degree in the field of community health sciences and hopefully pursue a career in medicine shortly afterward. In my free time, I enjoy playing basketball and reading.

Miriam Cummings

Miriam Cummings is an interdisciplinary artist whose poetry, playwriting, and performance articulates emotional nuance. Based in Tiohtià:ke (Montréal) for 14 years, Miriam co-founded Hopegrown Productions. With Hopegrown, she has developed, produced, and toured four new plays within Canada and internationally, including her award-winning solo show: The One. Miriam has taught acting and devising to hundreds of adults independently and as an Instructor with Concordia’s Theatre Department. In Fall 2022, Miriam will begin an MFA in Interdisciplinary Studies at UBCO where she will study and create on the ancestral, unceded territory of the Syilx Okanagan Nation.

Michelle Alayev

I am entering my first year as a PharmD student at the University of Alberta, after completing three years of study in Biomedical Sciences at the University of Calgary. My passion for science and healthcare is nourished by my work as a pharmacy assistant and my involvement in immunology research. I enjoy giving back to my community by mentoring my peers and teaching younger children. My favourite mentorship experiences include helping to implement an undergraduate cell and molecular biology peer mentor program, mentoring incoming Health Sciences “buddy” students, and facilitating science education workshops for elementary school classrooms.

Lindsay Giddings

Lindsay is a lecturer in social work and programme lead at The Open University. Coming from a practice background, her research interests focus on social worker recruitment, retention and wellbeing, as well as an interest in working with children and families. Lindsay currently teaches across undergraduate, apprenticeship and postgraduate social work programmes. She is interested in ensuring online teaching is inclusive and accessible. Lindsay is also a student at Keele University, where she is undertaking a Doctorate in Social Work using IPA to understand how people remain in frontline social work.

Read Lindsay’s review of ISSOTL22.

Sodaba Azamy

I’m Sodaba. I’m currently an undergraduate in my third year at George Mason University, I’m on the pre law track so my major is Integrative Studies with a concentration in legal studies and I’m doing two minors — one in Criminology and the other in Islamic Studies (which is just a personal interest of mine). I’ve had an interest in teaching since I was a child. I knew from the start that teaching was my end goal, regardless of what field I end up in. I realized I also had a passion in law, namely civil and human rights issues, so I chose the pre law track. I hope to one day work for the Council on American Islamic Relations because their goal is to fight against stereotypes and discrimination against Muslims in America. I’m a first gen student with a strong will to bring change and a lot of passion. I hope to be considered for this fund, thank you!

Marissa Hall

I am beginning my PhD in the School and Applied Child Psychology program. I have a keen interest in self-regulation and its role in children’s social and emotional development. Through my research, I hope to help teachers foster an environment that builds on children’s self-regulation abilities. I received her B.A. in Psychology at Western University in London, Ontario. For the past two years, I’ve worked with the ISoTL team as a SoTL Specialist and now work as the Evaluation Specialist with the Students as Partners program.