Conference Organization Committee

Dr. Sonia Mastrangelo (smastran@lakeheadu.ca) is an Associate Professor and School Board Liaison in the Faculty of Education at Lakehead (Orillia). She is the Director of Research for the newly formed Applied Self-Regulation Knowledge Network and is the chief editor of the International Journal of Holistic Early Learning and Development. Her areas of research include: self-regulation, special and inclusive education with a focus on autism spectrum disorders, and cognitive-developmental systems theory. She has recently produced a video-based course on self-regulation with her colleague, Dr. Stuart Shanker which is specifically created for university students who are facing a slew of mental health challenges. With a return to on-campus activities and face-to-face classes, Dr. Mastrangelo recognized the need to organize a conference to address the wide array of challenges being experienced by students as a result of two years of isolation.

Dr. Meridith Lovell-Johnston (mlovell@lakeheadu.ca) is Chair of Graduate Studies and Research in the Faculty of Education at Lakehead University and Editor-in-Chief of the Language and Literacy Researchers of Canada’s eJournal: Language and Literacy. Meridith received her PhD from the University of Alberta (2014). Her research areas include: reading development, pedagogy, assessment; and educational technology. Meridith is a co-investigator in Dr. Mastrangelo’s SSHRC-funded project: Supporting the Development of Young Children’s Self-Regulation Capacities and Literacy Skills in Ontario’s Northern Communities: Engaging Families and Educators.

Dr. Anne Showalter (anne@self-reg.ca) is a Project Manager in Research and Quality Alignment at the MEHRIT Centre and provides support to the Applied Self-Reg Knowledge Network. Her own research explores narrations and negotiations of memory in culture and she is passionate about empowering accessibility, supporting the LGBTQIA+ community, her three kids, and writing fiction.