Research Team
Who We Are
A dedicated and passionate all-star team who care about equity and social justice in education.
Sally Abudiab,
Senior Research Assistant
Sally Abudiab is a Palestinian Canadian who recently completed her Master of Science at the Rehabilitation Sciences Institute (2019) and a Bachelor of Science in Mental Health Studies at the University of Toronto (2016). Currently, she is doing her Master of Social Work at the Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work. She has experience working with organizations at various levels including non-profits such as the Ontario Neurotrauma Foundation and Daughters for Life, and governmental agencies such as the Department of National Defence. Her research interests include disability studies, equity and social justice, health and wellbeing, and the experiences of athletes. During her spare time, Sally enjoys rollerblading, baking, and clearing the clutter.
Dr. Ardavan Eizadirad, Research Lead
Dr. Ardavan Eizadirad (@DrEizadirad) is an Assistant Professor in the Faculty of Education at Wilfrid Laurier University. He is an educator with the Toronto District School Board, author of Decolonizing Educational Assessment: Ontario Elementary Students and the EQAO (2019), and co-editor of Equity as Praxis in Early Childhood Education and Care (2021). Dr. Eizadirad is co-editing two books forthcoming in 2022 titled Counternarratives of Pain and Suffering as Critical Pedagogy: Disrupting Oppression in Educational Contexts and the International Handbook of Anti-Discriminatory Education. He is also the founder and director of EDIcation Consulting offering equity, diversity, and inclusion training to organizations. His research interests include equity, standardized testing, systems of accountability, community engagement, anti-oppressive practices, critical pedagogy, social justice education, resistance, subversion, and decolonization.
Dr. Steve Sider, Research Lead
Dr. Steve Sider received his PhD in Educational Studies from Western University in 2006 and his Master of Education in Educational Leadership from Brock University in 2000. His BA (Political Science, History) is from Wilfrid Laurier University (1990) and his BEd is from Western University (1992). He was a school administrator, special education teacher and consultant, and classroom teacher for 15 years. Currently he is Principal Investigator on three SSHRC-funded studies examining how school principals support students with special education needs in their schools. He is also involved in two other major SSHRC-funded studies examining inclusive education in Canada and Ghana. You can see his research site for more information on these projects. His research interests include inclusion and school leadership in international contexts. He travels regularly to Haiti, Ghana, and Egypt where he is involved in school leadership capacity-building.
Brice Baartman,
Senior Research Assistant
Brice Baartman (@bricebaartman) is a Canadian/South African student in his 2nd year in the Master of Teaching program at the University of Toronto. His BA in Sociology is from Ryerson University, and he has a College Certificate in Pre-Health Sciences from George Brown College. He has been working and volunteering with children and youth in under-resourced communities for over 10 years through the Community Healing Project, People's Elite Basketball, Stella's Place, the Kiwanis Boys and Girls Club, Green Thumbs Growing Kids, the Toronto District School Board, and other organizations in the Greater Toronto Area. His research interests include financial literacy education, mental health, anti-discriminatory practices, asset-based community development (ABCD), and social justice education. On his spare time Brice enjoys going on long bicycle rides, reading, playing basketball, going on hikes, and watching anime.