I'm an MA student in Planning at the University of Waterloo. My main interest is public consultation and engagement. My thesis research looks at public consultation theories and models that would be appropriate for all stakeholders during school closure reviews. Currently, the consultation process is too short and can feel hostile to concerned residents and school boards.
In the summer of 2017, I began working on a project funded by the Community Schools Alliance. With Profs Mark Seasons and Bill Irwin, we developed and tested a set of indicators to measure the economic impact of school closures on rural Ontario communities. Check out my "Projects" page for details, and a link to download the report.
Previously, I taught at Western University, mostly an upper-year social theory seminar for Honours students.
I hold a doctorate from Western University's Centre for the Study of Theory and Criticism. My dissertation took up Lacanian psychoanalysis to develop a theory of everyday urban life. The dissertation also relies heavily of Michel Foucault's theory of security, and also connects Georg Simmel's philosophy of urban life to contemporary mobile communication technology.