Fall Newsletter 2025

 

Welcome to Fall 2025 at CCRLA! As the season shifts, so too does our energy toward new ideas, meaningful research, and collaborative growth. At the CCRLA hub, we continue to foster a vibrant space where curiosity meets community. Whether you're launching a new project or deepening your academic journey, we’re here to support and inspire. Let’s explore, connect, and make an impact—together.

CCRLA would like to take this opportunity to announce the upcoming Canadian Community Psychology Conference in 2026. This also marks 50 years of Community Psychology at Laurier. CP 50 will be held at Laurier May 21 to 23 2026, we’d love you to come and join us.

Keep up to date, see our web page https://researchcentres.wlu.ca/ccrla/knowledge%20mobilization/2026-canadian.html

Call for abstracts – coming soon.

Registration on Eventbrite – available soon.

 

 

 

Call for abstracts – coming soon.

Registration on Eventbrite – available soon.

 

CCRLA Publications out now!

Faruquzzaman, O., Tse, S., Cameron, R., Chee, K., Kirst, M., & Wilson, C. (2025). Approaches to incorporating equity into program evaluation: A scoping review. Evaluation and Program Planning, 112, Article 102648. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.evalprogplan.2025.102648

 

 

What Our Affiliated Scholars Have Been Up To in the World

(in no particular order)

  

Co-directors: Access and Equity (A&E) Research Interest Group (A&E  RIG)

Ann Marie Beals
Assistant Professor, Department of Psychology

Ciann L. Wilson
Program Coordinator of Community Psychology; and Chair of 2026 Canadian Community Psychology Conference

 

Current Projects Overview

The Access and Equity Research Interest Group, co-led by Dr. Ciann L. Wilson and Dr. Ann Marie Beals, is committed to advancing social justice through community-based and arts-based research. Their work centers on improving access to health, education, and social services for marginalized populations, including Black, Indigenous, Afro-Indigenous, Racialized, Queer, IndigiQueer, Two-Spirit, Transgender, and Non-Binary communities.

The group’s research is deeply collaborative, engaging with a wide network of partners such as York University’s Faculty of Environmental Studies, the Coalition of Muslim Women of Kitchener Waterloo, and several regional AIDS committees. These partnerships help ensure that the research is grounded in lived experience and responsive to community needs.

Funding for these initiatives comes from a range of prestigious sources, including the Canada Foundation for Innovation, the Ontario Research Fund, and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council. This support enables the group to develop innovative research infrastructure and methodologies that catalyze social transformation.

 

Publications

1. Darko, N. Wilson, C. and Oliver, V. (2024). We are Mothers, Sisters, and Lovers Too’: Examining Young Black Women’s Experiences Navigating Sex and Sexual Health. American Journal of Community Psychology, 1–14. https://doi.org/10.1002/ajcp.12753  
2. Randhawa, G. Ramnarine, J. Wilson, C.L. Darko, N. Abdillahi, I. Cameron, P. Morisson-Breedy, D. Brisbane, M. Alexander, N. Kuye, V. Clarke, W. Record, D. and Betts, A. (2025). "The medical system is not built for Black [women’s] bodies”: Qualitative insights from young Black women in the Greater Toronto Area on their sexual health care needs. Social Sciences Journal, 1-24. https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci14100581
3. Beals, A. M., Wilson, C. L., & Persaud, R. (2025). Proclaiming Our Roots: Afro-Indigenous Identity, Resistance, and the Making of a Movement. Religions, 16(7), 828. https://doi.org/10.3390/rel16070828

 

Invited Talks and Presentations

1. C. L. Wilson, R. Jackson, and F. Ibanez-Carrasco. April 28th, 2024. (Panelist). Promoting comprehensive sexual health and wellbeing across the life course. Canadian Association for HIV/AIDS Research Annual Conference, 2024. London, ON.
2. C. L. Wilson, N. Lachowsky, R. Souleymanov. April 4th, 2024. (Panelist). How to involve people with lived experience (patients, communities) in your research. CIHR - III New Investigator Forum. King City, ON.

 

Honours and Awards 

Ann Marie Beals is the Recipient of the Canadian Psychological Association (CPA) Certificate of Academic Excellence (2025)

Ciann is the recipient of the Canada Research Chair in Community-Based Research, Ethics, and Wellbeing. Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council ($600,000).

Ciann Wilson is the Recipient of the 2023 Robbins-Ollivier Award for Excellence in Equity. Canada Research Chairs Program ($100,000).

 

 

Ketan Shankardass

Health Equity Systems Interventions (HESI)

Using a grant from the New Frontiers in Research Fund, the Smart Citizens Enabling Resilient Neighbourhoods (SCERN) project completed developing and pilot testing methods and tools for resilience planning with communities at a neighbourhood scale, including an ESRI-based digital participatory mapping tool and a framework to guide the use of the tool with community members to improve empowerment, community consciousness, liberation and wellbeing. Students in the lab have applied this approach working with various student communities on Waterloo campus, and with renters in the Beasley neighbourhood of Hamilton who are dealing with stress related to gentrification.

Using a grant from the Canadian Institutes for Health Research, the HARMONICS (HiAP Analysis Using Realist Methods on International Case Studies) project published and launched a series of five policy briefs about how cities and towns across Ontario and Québec are learning to govern in more collaborative ways that improve local structural and social determinants of health for all residents (so-called Health in All Policies/HiAP).  The briefs were created in collaboration with local public health actors and the National Collaborating Centre for Health Public Policy (NCCHPP), based on interviews with local leaders from an array of sectors who were involved in the multisectoral projects.  Researchers are now working on cross-case analysis to produce generalizable insights for practitioners of Health in All Policies globally.

 

Cheers to all the trainees who have worked with HESI in 2024-25 on too many unique projects to list here (and thank you to all of our academic and community collaborators)!

Jasroop Benipal, Aadi Chaudary, Erica Garner, Aksaya Ghetheeswaran, Chanel Kosongo, Farhan Mashrafi, Huma Meer, Habtamu Nagawo, Chibueze Nkemka, Yuti Patel, Emily Rank, Perleen Sandhu, Georgina Tsaparis, Lesley Zosky

 

Invited Talks

Community-led Mental Health Promotion (Moderator), KDE Hub Annual Symposium: Changing Landscapes, Waterloo, Ontario, June 4, 2025.

Platforms for peer support and resilience: Smart Citizens Enabling Resilient Neighbourhoods (Invited lecture), Workshop on Digital Public Health & Neuromuscular Diseases: Enhancing Communication and Innovation in Care, University of Lucerne, Lucerne, Switzerland, May 16, 2025.

Approaching the monitoring and evaluation of HiAP (Panelist), Canadian Network for Health in All Policies Webinar: Monitoring and Evaluating Health in All Policies (HiAP), Online, February 27, 2025.

Self-Study Tool for Integrating Health Equity into Health in All Policies (HiAP) Initiatives (Invited lecture), PAHO/WHO Experts Meeting for the Development of a Proposal for Monitoring and Evaluation of Intersectoral Action for Health Equity, Rio de Janeiro, Brasil, December 3, 2024.

Challenges with realist evaluation of HiAP processes: reflections from the HARMONICS study (Invited lecture), PAHO/WHO Experts Meeting for the Development of a Proposal for Monitoring and Evaluation of Intersectoral Action for Health Equity, Rio de Janeiro, Brasil, December 3, 2024.

Enabling the St. John’s Healthy City Strategy (Invited lecture), Healthy City Forum 2024, St. John’s, Newfoundland, September 25, 2024.

Smart Citizens Enabling Resilient Neighbourhoods (SCERN) for Equitable and Inclusive Post-pandemic Futures: A framework for resilience planning with community, 20^th International Medical Geography Symposium, Atlanta, Georgia, United States, July 18, 2024.

Ecological Momentary Assessment with big geo-social data (Invited lecture), Big Data in Public Health Spring School SSPH+, University of Zurich, May 15, 2024.

 

Maritt Kirst

Co-Director of CCRLA and

Director of the Community Mental Health & Housing Research Interest Group

Dr. Kirst and team have recently completed a multi-site research demonstration project of a Housing First for Youth program in Toronto, ON and Kelowna, BC. The Restart Project implemented and evaluated a Housing First for Youth program with integrated mental health and substance use services for youth aged 16-23 experiencing homelessness and co-occurring mental health and substance use problems. Results of the project have been promising - we found significant differences in housing stability between youth in the Restart Program (receiving Housing First for Youth + integrated mental health and substance use services including housing location support, a  rent supplement, access to a case manager, and integrated mental health and addiction services) and youth on a waitlist for the Restart Program. After 12 months, the average number of days stably housed among participants in the Restart Program was 72% vs. 36% among participants on the waitlist for the program. Findings are already informing the spread of the program to more communities in the participating provinces, towards ending youth homelessness. Please read the knowledge brief for more information on findings from the Restart Project.

• Early Findings from the Restart Project: 12 Month Knowledge Brief July 2025

See more in current projects.

Dr. Kirst and colleagues have also published a number of journal articles in the past year.

 

Publications

1. Alfayumi-Zeadna, S., Perri, M., Mejia-Lancheros, C., Woodhall, J., Kirst, M., Douglin, M., Reiser, C., & O’Campo, P. (2025). Testing the theory of change for Housing First: a secondary qualitative analysis of gender differences in the experiences of men and women in the AH/CS trial. BMJ Open, 15(7), e094840. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2024-094840
2. Rozycki, V., Bryce, C., Douglin, M., & Kirst, M. (2025). Examining Harm Reduction in a Housing First for Youth Program for Youth Experiencing Homelessness and Concurrent Disorders in a Small Canadian City. Journal of Prevention & Intervention in the Community, 53(2), 324–360. https://doi.org/10.1080/10852352.2025.2474908
3. Crowley, A., & Kirst, M. (2025). The Experiences of Virtual Support for Grief and Bereavement. Illness, Crisis, and Loss. https://doi.org/10.1177/10541373251321155
4. Kirst, M., Bigioni, S., Douglin, M., Rozycki, V., Nelson, G., Toope, E., & Gill Tamcsu, L. (2024). Results of a Process Evaluation of the Implementation of a Housing First Program in Waterloo, Canada. Canadian Journal of Community Mental Health, 43(3), 1–20. https://doi.org/10.7870/cjcmh-2024-014
5. Isaak, C. A., Nelson, G., Roebuck, M., Aubry, T., Macnaughton, E., Kirst, M., O’Campo, P., Woodhall‐Melnik, J., Agha, A., Faruquzzaman, O., & Purcell, S. (2024). Females and Housing First: An analysis of 18‐month outcomes in a randomized controlled trial. Journal of Community Psychology, 52(7), 817–834. https://doi.org/10.1002/jcop.23131
6. Kim, C., Bai, Y., Allin, S., Kirst, M., O’Campo, P., Ienciu, K., Xia, X., MacMaster, F., Rittenbach, K., & Chum, A. (2025). Cannabis legalization and hospitalizations in Alberta: Interrupted time series analysis by age and sex. Journal of Addictive Diseases, 43(2), 194–197. https://doi.org/10.1080/10550887.2024.2355370

 

 

Melody Morton Ninomiya

Ishkode: Interdisciplinary and Indigenous Pathways to Wellness (IIIPW) Research Group

New Identity & Outreach
The research group recently unveiled its new name and logo, marking a renewed commitment to Indigenous and interdisciplinary approaches to wellness. This summer, Ishkode launched a Student Showcase Series, highlighting Laurier students’ community-partnered research and knowledge mobilization efforts.

Publications

1. Brubacher, L. J., Tanner, B., George, N., Bernards, S., Morton Ninomiya, M. E., Cornect-Benoit, A., Linklater, R., & Wells, S. (2025). “I want to hear you talk with your heart”: perspectives on receiving and providing mental wellness supports during the COVID-19 pandemic within a First Nation community in Canada. BMC Public Health, 25(1), Article 2780. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-025-23723-y
2. Dunbar Winsor, K., Burman, A., Denberg, H., & Morton-Ninomiya, M. (2025). Gender-informed and place-based harm reduction: exploring service offerings in Atlantic Canada. Journal of Prevention & Intervention in the Community, 53(2), 304–323. https://doi.org/10.1080/10852352.2025.2496126
3. Porter, N. H., Bulger, N.*, Benoit, A., Auger, J., Maddox, R., Jull, J., Linton, J., Nemeth, J., Brascoupé, S., Préfontaine, N.*, Simon, D., Lanceleve, T.*, Herkimer, J.*, Weber-Pillwax, C., George, N., Friesen, M., Bearskin, L. B., & Ninomiya, M. M. (2024). How Indigenous Knowledges and Knowledge Systems Are Centered in Research: An Indigenous-informed Realist Review Protocol. Progress in Community Health Partnerships, 18(4), 561–572. https://doi.org/10.1353/cpr.2024.a948680
4. Pollock, N. J., Yantha, C., Tonmyr, L., Jewers-Dailley, K.*, & Morton Ninomiya, M. E. (2025). Child welfare worker perspectives on documentation and case recording practices in Canada: A mixed-methods study protocol. PloS One, 20(1), e0316238. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0316238
5. Maddox, R., & Morton Ninomiya, M. E. (2025). Indigenous sovereignty in research and epistemic justice: Truth telling through research. Global Public Health, 20(1), 2436436. https://doi.org/10.1080/17441692.2024.2436436
6. Murugan, A. A.*, Travers, R., Louka, F.*, Zaki, K.*, Morton Ninomiya, M., & Coleman, T. A. (2024). Mental Health Needs of SOGIE Refugees in Canada: A Rapid Review. Canadian Journal of Community Mental Health, 43(1), 55–83. https://doi.org/10.7870/cjcmh-2024-004
7. Lee, F.*, Almomani, Y.*, Denberg, H.*, Burman, A.*, Gault, S.*, Chaves, D., & Morton Ninomiya, M. E. (2024). The scope of supportive housing for adults with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder: a rapid review. International Journal of Developmental Disabilities, 1–16. https://doi.org/10.1080/20473869.2024.2380944
8. Kennedy (Wiradjuri), M., Ninomiya, M. M., Ninomiya, M. M.*, Brascoupé (Anishinabeg/Haudenausanee), S., Smylie (Mѐtis), J., Calma (Kungarakan, I., Mohamed (Narrunga Kaurna), J., Stewart (Taungurung), P. J., & Maddox (Bagumani, M. (2024). Knowledge translation in Indigenous health research: voices from the field. Medical Journal of Australia, 221(1), 61–67. https://doi.org/10.5694/mja2.52357

 

Awards & Recognition
Student trainees of Dr. Ninomiya have received the President’s Gold Scholarships, and Gold Medals for Academic Excellence.

Podcast Feature
Dr. Morton Ninomiya was featured in the Indigenous Research Spotlight Podcast Series discussing allyship in research. https://www2.acadiau.ca/home/news-reader-page/acadia-researcher-launches-new-podcast-series-indigenous-research-spotlight.html

 

 

Hillary Pimlott

Coordinator Women & Gender Studies, Associate Professor, Department of Communication Studies, and MA Cultural Analysis and Social Theory

Dr. Pimlott continues to be a powerful voice in advocacy and education around 2SLGBTQIA+ issues. In November 2024, they delivered a keynote titled “What does Trump’s Election mean for Trans kids, youth and adults?”* at the Rainbow Centre’s Trans Day of Remembrance. This was followed by a compelling talk for Trans Day of Visibility in March 2025: “Is there a future for Trans People in Canada?”*, sponsored by the Women & Gender Studies Program.

In April, Dr. Pimlott presented “‘Queer, Non-Binary, Trans Joy’: Humour as Resistance & Resilience”* at the Unity Conference for 2SLGBTQIA+ students and GSA teacher-advisors, hosted by the Ontario English Catholic Teachers’ Association (OECTA). They also engaged directly with two GSA clubs and spoke to OECTA’s Equity Committee in May.

Dr. Pimlott has been actively involved in community dialogue surrounding the WCDSB Trustees’ debate on banning symbolic flags such as Pride, BLM, and Every Child Matters. The motion was narrowly defeated (5–4), but concerns remain about the impact of the debate on queer and trans students.

Exploring new avenues for resistance, Dr. Pimlott has turned to stand-up comedy as a tool for challenging anti-trans and anti-queer politics. In April, they supported an evening of non-binary, women, queer, and trans humour hosted by Lavender Fizz, raising funds for the Women & Gender Studies Student Association and bringing laughter and solidarity to the community.

Recent Publication
Pimlott, H. F. (2025). W(h)ither the Party Paper? Preparing the War of Position to Build the Scaffolding for Twenty-First-Century Socialist Media. Rethinking Marxism, 37(1), 37–52. https://doi.org/10.1080/08935696.2024.2435771

This was Dr Pimlott’s response in a special issue of Rethinking Marxism, 37(1) (March 2025), focussed on my book, “Wars of Position? Marxism Today, Cultural Politics and the Remaking of the Left Press, 1979-90”.

 

 

Shaunasea Brown

Assistant Professor, Communication Studies (Laurier)

Shaunasea has been named one of Canada’s top 100 Black Women to watch, 2025 by Canada’s International Black Women Excellence will honor Shaunasea at a Gala October 25 2025.

https://www.cibwe.ca/

Shaunasea is a co-founder of the Black Researchers Network of Southwestern Ontario (BRSO). This newly-established platform and resource consists of Black faculty, staff and students located at the following seven institutions: Brock University, Laurier University, McMaster University, The University of Guelph, The University of Waterloo, Western University, and Windsor University. They’re ecstatic to be in partnership with CCRLA for our official launch and planning our inaugural conference later this year.

Shaunasea is currently working on several exciting projects. Firstly, they are preparing a book proposal to transform their dissertation into a book manuscript. They have already met with Siobhan McMenemy, an editor at WLU Press, who has shown interest in the project. This work takes an arts-based approach to explore how second-generation Black Caribbean Canadian women artists make Canada their home. The Press is particularly interested in this partnership due to their innovative methods of incorporating sound into texts and offering creative possibilities for digital formats.

Organizing this book manuscript also opens up opportunities to publish content that may not be included in the book in other peer-reviewed journals, such as Topia: Canadian Journal of Cultural Studies or the Journal of Canadian Studies.

Additionally, Shaunasea will continue to collect data, including oral histories and newspaper archives, for their second book project, “Toward Something Else*: Haunting Sounds of Black Life in the African Diaspora”. This project engages with oral histories, archives, and grassroots organizing to demonstrate how Black music something else* for understandings of Black being in the Americas.

Publications

1. Brown, S., Mendez, M. & Stephens, J. (Under Review/Forthcoming 2024). The Big Kids Book Club. In J. Prioletta, L. Herriot & A. Davies (Eds.), Gender, Sexuality, and the Importance of Comprehensive Sexuality Education in the Early Years. Canadian Scholars/Women’s Press.

 

 

Vanessa Oliver

Associate Professor, Youth and Children’s Studies; Graduate Faculty, Social Justice and Community Engagement.

Recently Vanessa has been working with several SSHRC-funded research teams that are working with both teachers and young people to study the creation, rollout, and delivery of sex education curricula in Ontario.  Working with the SHORE Centre, we are currently focusing on formulating youth-generated recommendations for sexual health education programming that responds to young people’s diverse needs and lived experiences.

(Included in Fall 2024)

 

 

WELLBEING |

As the season turns, consider what you’d like to grow—not just in your work, but in your spirit.
What would you do today if you wanted to nurture joy?
What would you do today if you wanted to deepen connection?
What would you do today if you wanted to spark creativity?
What intention will guide your next step?

Wishing you a semester full of inspiration, connection, and meaningful moments.

Warmly, The CCRLA Team.