International Affiliates

Christina's doctoral research focused on investigating the role of functional play in the lives of autistic children with severe learning difficulties. Through this research, she developed a comprehensive framework aimed at assisting practitioners in schools. Christina is currently researching playful pedagogies within Initial Teaching Education and serving on the board for the International Council for Children's Play.

Christina is also an advocate for a positive research culture. Most recently Christina is leading a funded project with Brighton and Sussex Medical school to deliver a Collaborators Retreat- aiming to induce greater interdisciplinary engagement across UoS.

In addition to her research Christina teaches modules across both undergraduate and postgraduate programs that address topics surrounding inclusion, diversity, and autism. Through her teaching, she aims to equip future educators with the knowledge and skills necessary to create inclusive learning environments that cater to the diverse needs of all learners.

Christina grew up near Baltimore, Maryland, USA and obtained an undergraduate degree in Elementary Education from Wesley College. She taught in a elementary schools in the United States prior to coming to England to work in a school for children with severe learning difficulties. She holds a Masters in Special Education from the University of Chester and a Ph.D. from the University of Bedfordshire. Christina began working in Higher Education at the University of Chester part time and then moved to the University of Bedfordshire where she was the Course leader for the BA Education Studies and then the course leader for the BA in Special Educational Needs and Inclusion. Christina joined the University of Sussex in September 2017 and was the Head of Primary Teacher Education (2021-23). Christina led the team through a highly successful Ofsted inspection and has recently taken on new leadership as the Director of the Centre for Teaching and Learning Research.

Susan is an accomplished scholar and academic leader with a strong commitment to advancing the principles of EDI and truth and reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples, a successful track record for expanding experiential learning opportunities for students, and an enthusiasm for helping us pursue the priorities of our new strategic plan.

Prior to joining Western, Susan was Acting Vice-President & Provost and Associate Vice-President Academic Planning at the University of Victoria where she has also served as a faculty member in the School of Music since 2001. Leading up to her current executive roles, Susan has held increasingly senior positions including Director of the School of Music and Dean of the Faculty of Fine Arts.

Dr. Karen McCrindle is an Associate Professor, Teaching Stream; Associate Dean, Teaching and Learning; and Director, Centre for Teaching and Learning. She holds a PhD in French linguistics from the University of Toronto. She has also studied at York University and Carleton University and has taught in Canada and in France. She teaches a variety of courses, such as Semantics, Sociolinguistics of French, French Phonetics and Phonology, and Pidgin and Creole Languages. She is committed to experiential education and her current research interests include the implications and impact of multilingualism in Canada and the influence of media on language change.

Dr. Mary C. Wright is currently serving as Professor of Educational Scholarship at Educational Innovation, DVC (Education) at the University of Sydney, Australia. From 2016-2025, Mary served as Associate Provost for Teaching and Learning, Executive Director of the Sheridan Center for Teaching and Learning, and a Professor (Research) in the Department of Sociology, Brown University. Previous to Brown, Mary worked at the University of Michigan’s Center for Research on Learning and Teaching for 13 years. Mary is a former president (2017-18) of the POD Network, and in 2024, she won the organization's highest award, the POD Network’s Bob Pierleoni Spirit of POD Award. Mary’s most recent book, Centers for Teaching and Learning: The New Landscape of Higher Education, was published by Johns Hopkins Press in 2023. She is a co-editor of the International Journal for Academic Development (IJAD), the journal of ICED (the International Consortium for Educational Development). Mary served as a commissioner on the Equity/Excellence Imperative: A 2030 Blueprint for Undergraduate Education at Research Universities (available: https://my.ueru.org/boyer-2030-report/about-the-commission). Her PhD area is sociology (University of Michigan).