Conference Speakers - Conference on Applied Research in Education

Keynote Speaker

Dr. Nicole Pyle

Associate Professor in the School of Teacher Education and Leadership at Utah State University.

Presentation Title: Evidence-based instructional practices for inclusion of diverse learners

Dr. Nicole Pyle’s research interests include interventions for youth with multiple risk indicators in secondary education, reading difficulties/disabilities, dropout prevention, college readiness, inclusion, evidence-based practices, and alternative and adult education. Dr. Pyle partners with educational leaders and researchers to design and deliver interventions aimed to reduce dropout risk indicators and improve diverse learners’ reading comprehension of informational texts, school engagement, and college readiness, to ultimately graduate from high school prepared to access and succeed in postsecondary education.

Past Speakers

Dr. Alicia Greenbank

Senior lecturer and Head of the Special Education Department at Givat Washington Academic College of Education in Israel.

Presentation Title: The Power of Collaborative Partnerships between Parents of Students with Disabilities and Teachers

Alicia worked for many years as an educational consultant and as an instructor for teachers and consultants in special education. In her studies, she emphasizes the critical importance of developing awareness specifically for the needs of the people surrounding the child with disabilities: her family and the members of the multi-professional team working with her. She believes that empowerment of these people will lead to strengthening their sense of personal and professional ability, and consequently improving their work and their behavior with the child.

Dr. Shawn Raye Cradit

Shawn Cradit, Ed.D., MS, MA, EP-C, ATC: Assistant Teaching Professor in Health and Exercise Studies at North Carolina State University, USA. Teaching a combination of Physical Activity and Lecture courses (Exercise Physiology and Sports Science; Coaching American Football). Areas of interest include Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (research in recent past and current courses), Sports Medicine and injury prevention, care and recognition, and professional development courses in Data Science, Teaching improvement and innovation, improving course format and accessibility. Recently certified in Quality Matters, Instructional Excellence, and Instructional Innovator for teaching and Exercise Physiologist Certification through the American College of Sports Medicine in December 2023.

Dr. Eran Gur

Eran Gur Received his PhD in Electrical Engineering in 2004, from Tel Aviv University. His research topics are Optical data processing, Fuzzy logic, and Engineering education. Eran Joined the Azrieli College of Engineering in 2011, served as dean of students from 2015 to 2017 and from October 2021 he serves as the head of the Electrical Engineering department.

Mr. Kwun-hang Lau

Kwun-hang Lau is currently a Head of Economics Panel and a Deputy Head of External Affairs and Promotion at CCC Tam Lee Lai Fun Memorial Secondary School, Hong Kong.He holds a MBA in Holmes Institute and is studying the doctoral program of European International University. He initiates the concepts and implementation of “community-friendly Schools” and “1.5km Experiential Learning Circle”. He is also a Certified Practicing Accountant in Australia.

Mr. Hrishikesh Inguva

He is a doctoral student at Ontario Institute for Studies in Education of the University of Toronto in the Dept of Social Justice Education. His research interests are in the history of colonialism and power relations, hegemony, cultural violence, postcolonial studies, decolonial studies, geopolitics, global social justice movements, gender and identity politics.

Ms. Natalia Basisa

Natalia Basisa is a PhD student whose thesis focuses on digital technologies in EFL. She is holding a BA in English Language and Literature as well as an MA in Educational Technology. She has been working as an English Teacher for about 15 years now in Language schools, online companies as well as as a private tutor.

Dr. Shanti Tejwani

Principal at Shri Vaishnav College of Teachers Training, affiliated with Devi Ahilya Vishwavidyalaya, Indore, (Madhya Pradesh, India)

Presentation Title: Activity Based Learning and 360 Degree Evaluation: Need of the Society

Dr. Shanti Tejwani is currently Principal at Shri Vaishnav College of Teachers Training, affiliated with Devi Ahilya Vishwavidyalaya, Indore, (Madhya Pradesh, India). Born in Indore, (Madhya Pradesh) Dr. Shanti Tejwani is graduated with a Bachelor degree in Humanities and Master degree in Economics, Philosophy, Social Work and Education. She has qualified UGC NET in Education, before spending 10 years serving in the School, gaining Ph.D. degree in Education, with embarking the services in the teacher training Colleges. She has the experience of more than 18 years of teaching graduate and post graduate students. Also she has taken the Ph.D. course work classes for Ph.D. Research Scholars. 7 research scholars have got their Ph.D. Degrees and 3 more research scholars are registered for Ph.D. degree.
Approx 30 Research Papers Published in National and International Journals and more than 25 Research Papers and Research Article presented in various National and International Conferences. She is invited as chair person in various national and international conferences, apart from it she has invited as a resource person in workshops and short-term program. Also a book namely, Research and Statistics in Social Science is published and one is in under process.

Assoc. Prof. Koichiro Kitamura

Koichiro Kitamura is an Associate Professor in the Department of International Communication at Kanda University of International Studies (Japan). His research interests include English Language Teaching and Sociolinguistics.

Dr. George Cremona

George Cremona is senior lecturer and Coordinator for German programmes and Media Literacy offered by the Faculty of Education at the University of Malta.
He also works on a research project called ‘Multimodal Encounters’. This aims to implement Multimodal concepts in practice, particularly in schools and through the media. For this, in 2017, 2019 and 2020 he was awarded the prestigious IGM national award.

Dr. Miguel Ferrando-Rocher

Miguel Ferrando-Rocher is an Associate Professor at Universitat Politecnica de Valencia, Spain (UPV), actively involved in educational projects on flipped learning in engineering, particularly in signal theory and communications. With M.Sc. and Ph.D. degrees in telecommunication engineering, he has been honored with prestigious awards, including the Extraordinary Prize for Doctoral Theses (2020), AIRBUS Defense and Space Award (2019), and URSI Conference Best Student Paper Award (2017; 2019).

Dr. Asma Ahmed

Asma Ahmed is an Assistant Professor at Niagara University’s Faculty of Education. She has a PhD in Critical Policy, Equity and Leadership Studies from Western University, Canada. Asma regularly conducts workshops for universities across Canada and the United States on understanding Muslim students and challenging Islamophobia in educational institutions. She also facilitates courses with the Centre of Islamic Thought and Education (CITE) at the University of South Australia.

Ms. Marilyn P. Pescasio

A distinguished alumna of St. Paul University, Quezon City, Philippines, she holds a BA in Religious Studies with a minor in Values Education. She pursued both a Master’s in Religious Education and a Master’s in Teaching Philosophy at Ateneo De Manila University, also located in Quezon City, Philippines. Currently, she is dedicated in her doctoral program in Educational Administration at the University of the Philippines Diliman, also in Quezon City. With an extensive experience, she has adeptly fulfilled roles including Coordinator, Dean, and Moderator in her previous school, College of the Holy Spirit Manila. For 15 years and counting, she has been an unwavering faculty member at De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde, Philippines. Honored as a Research Contributor, she completed the CRITHNK(Critical Thinking) Learning Pack Grant Course, showcasing her commitment to education technology. Her research centers on Inclusive Education and Educational Management, highlighting her dedication to enhancing educational practices and inclusivity.

Dr. Saadet Ider

Saadet İder is a lecturer in the department of religious education at Necmettin Erbakan University. Dr. İder is graduated with a Bachelor degree in theology and English language teaching. She has a master and PhD in religious education.

Asst. Prof. Emily Hicks

Emily Hicks is an Assistant Professor of English and Culture and Director of Language Resources and Intercultural Integration at St. Mary’s Seminary & University in Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.A. She holds a Master’s in Theology and a Licentiate in Sacred Theology. Certified in Intercultural Readiness Training, she is interested in intercultural communication and effective English language teaching.

Ms. Diane Manuhuwa

Diane Manuhuwa is trained as an educational technologist and postdoctoral licensed psychologist. She also has experience in clinical practice, including neuropsychological diagnosis and treatment of young adults. She is a lecturer in higher education and a researcher in the Inclusive Society group where she is working on her PhD research on executive functions and self-regulated learning with student success.

Dr. Deniz Gyger Gaspoz

Deniz Gyger Gaspoz is Vice-Rector for Research and Documentation Resources at the University of Teacher Education of the cantons of Bern, Jura and Neuchâtel (Switzerland). She is responsible for the ” School transitions” research area. She is particularly interested in the transitions of students and young people in their educational pathways, from a social and cultural developmental psychology perspective.

Mr. Andrius Guoba

Andrius Guoba is a vice-dean of the Faculty of Arts and Creative Technologies and a lecturer at Vilniaus kolegija / Higher Education Institution. He has a bachelor’s degree in psychology, a master’s degree in educational sciences and a master’s degree in human resource management. His research interests include teacher training, human resource management, and intercultural communication.

Dr. Birute Zygaitiene

Birute Zygaitiene is a dean of the Faculty of Arts and Creative Technologies and a professor of the Department of Cultural Management and Dance Pedagogy at Vilniaus kolegija / Higher Education Institution. Her research interests include Teacher Training, Sustainable Development, Cultural Management.

Dr. Maria Mar Lopez

María Mar López graduated in Chemistry at the University of Málaga. Subsequently, she continued training in her research career, completed her doctoral studies at the University of Malaga and obtained her PhD in 2005 and an international PhD in 2021. She was a Faculty Assistant (2008-2011), Doctor Assistant Professor (2011-2016), Contracted Doctor Professor (2016 to 2019), in June of 2019 obtained the position of university professor. Her research work began in 2001 with a FPI Grant from the Ministry of Science and Technology in the Department of Analytical Chemistry, where he joined the FQM-180 research group, led by Professor Francisco García Sánchez. Later, she joined the FQM 117 group, led by Professor E. Vereda Alonso. Since that date, she has collaborated in seven I+D+ i National Research Projects. She has been principal investigator of five Educational Innovation Projects and coordinators of two Networks of Excellence for educative skills. She has participated in a prototype designed to extrapolate laboratory work to a Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP), on the elimination of phosphates from treated wastewater.

Ms. Necla Burçin Giritlioğlu

She is a research assistant and the departmental Erasmus coordinator for the English Language Teaching programme offered by the Faculty of Education at Yıldız Technical University. She has two Master’s degrees, one in Educational Administration and Supervision and one in English Language Education. Her research interests include educational technology and technology integration in ELT.

Ms. Natalie Piergentili

Natalie Piergentili is a LINC Instructor with the Centre for Skills Development in Burlington with experience in ELT, EAP and Conversation Circle. Natalie currently serves as a part-time faculty member of the Community and Justice Services department at Georgian College, Contract Lecturer in the Faculty of Education as well as Accessibility Advisor at Lakehead University. Her interest is implementing action research focused on the influence of peer/employer mentors in ELT on employment outcomes and grammatical proficiency for post-secondary.

Ms. Angela Spadafora

Angela Spadafora teaches Enhanced Language Training classes at the Centre for Skills Development in Burlington, LINC/ESL classes at Halton District School Board as well as Fashion Business Managementcourses as a part-time faculty member at Seneca College. Angela has guided and taught many students that are job readyand pursuing academic goals. Angela’s interest is in action research with a goal to improve the academic experience and the process to employment for students as well as trauma-informed pedagogy.

Dr. Tamara Díaz-Chang

Dr. Tamara Díaz-Chang holds a M.Sc. in Mathematics and a Ph.D. in Mathematics Education and she is currently a Professor at the Institute of Physical and Mathematical Sciences and part of the team of the Center for Interdisciplinary Studies on the Nervous System at Austral University in Chile. Her work is focused on the application of Neuroscience to the study of cognition in the context of mathematics.

Assoc. Prof. Inga Kepaliene

Inga Kepaliene is an associate professor of the Faculty of Arts and Creative Technologies and a head of the Department of Cultural Management and Dance Pedagogy at Vilniaus kolegija / Higher Education Institution. Research interests include Teacher Training, Sustainable Development.

Dr. Sergio Zepeda

Dr. Sergio Zepeda completed his Ph.D. at the Center for Research and Advanced Studies of the National Polytechnic Institute, Mexico in 2009. He currently is professor-researcher at the Metropolitan Autonomous University.In 2012, he received the teaching award. His research interests include: New didactics, Gamification, Education, Information Retrieval, Human-Computer Interaction, Usability, and Interface Design.

Dr. Daniel Bosmans

Dr.Daniel Bosmans (EdD) (MA TESOL) has extensive teaching experience in school and university contexts in England. He is a Senior Lecturer in English Didactics and a Researcher in the fields of School Transitions and Language Didactics at HEP-BEJUNE in Switzerland. He is particularly interested in transversal capacities, phonology, emotions, learning strategies and peer-supported learning.

Ph.D. Beth Bassima Bakkar

LECTURER AT THE LEBANESE UNIVERSITY OF BEIRUT

Presentation Title: Exploring the Complexities Higher Education Instructors Face when Teaching Non-English Speaking Students in the English Medium of Instruction

Beth B. Bakkar is a lecturer at the Lebanese University of Beirut, responsible for teaching academic courses. She has a Ph.D. in English Language and Literature, a Master in Education, and a Master in TESOL. Beth’s professional background in school leadership and curriculum coordinator has contributed to her research areas of focus. Her research interests lie in pedagogical development and educational reform and theory in teaching English foreign language and English second language students acquiring academic knowledge in the English Medium of Instruction. Beth has also participated in various national and regional conferences related to teaching, curriculum, and education.

Prof. Frederic Fovet

ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR IN THE SCHOOL OF EDUCATION AND TECHNOLOGY

Presentation Title: Returning to inclusive practices in a post-pandemic landscape: what has changed for the worse and what has improved?

Frédéric Fovet is Associate Professor in the School of Education and Technology. He is an inclusion specialist with a specific interest in emotional and behavioural difficulties (EBD), critical pedagogy and universal design for learning (UDL). Fovet also has a strong grounding in Disability Studies. He has served as a teacher and principal in schools. Fovet was previously an assistant professor at UPEI for three years. He has also been director of Accessibility at McGill University. Fovet consults nationally and internationally in the area of UDL and was the instigator and program chair of the first three Pan-Canadian conferences on UDL.