Continuing Faculty
A big, warm hello!
My name is Mel (they/them/theirs) and I am genuinely thrilled to be an Associate faculty member with CityU’s Master of Education in School Counselling team since 2025. It is such an incredible honour to join students on their exciting journeys from classmates to colleagues! Below is my attempt at giving folks a little flavour of the various parts of me that come together and inform how I am as an educator.
I am situated in Vancouver, which has been the place of home for most of my life, yet not quite home given my Greek background. This in-between-ness/other-ness has influenced how I am in the world, instilling a deep and genuine sense of curiosity towards myself and others. My curiosity to understand has me leaning into many different areas over the years, from math and music (BSc) to counselling (MA); and, currently, leaning into philosophy of education (PhD student). To summarize this trajectory in a way that is relevant for CityU students and colleagues would be for me to say that I am deeply committed to getting to know each person I cross paths with, with the intention of continuously learning and collaborating to find ways to holistically support students in the directions they wish to grow/go.
Research
Indeed, the educator I am striving to become is also woven into my research interests, which focus on pedagogical praxis. In other words, via research, I am interested in uncovering and exploring HOW we do what we do as educators rather than emphasizing the WHAT (e.g., theory, framework). I am particularly interested in the connection or integrity (or lack thereof) between the “what” (e.g., theory) to “how” that thing is to be/being taught (e.g., practice). As such, topics for research vary and variety is welcomed! My two most recent endeavours centered around the integrity of mindfulness practice within educational settings and supporting 2S/LGBTQIA+ inclusivity.