Elise Visentin
Elise Visentin
PhD in Education
she/her
Graduate Student
Supervisor
Biography
Elise is a PhD student in the Faculty of Education at Queen’s University whose work focuses on equity and inclusion. Supported by a SSHRC CGS-M, her master’s research explored how white supremacy is maintained in teaching practices and how teachers understand anti-racism. Her current research examines how artificial intelligence (AI) is being used in teacher recruitment and hiring, and how these practices align with school boards’ equity policies and commitments. Elise has worked in K–12 education, educational leadership, and government across Canada, and these experiences continue to shape her research interests. Outside of academia, she enjoys spending time outdoors, travelling, and learning new jump rope tricks.
Research Interests
- Artificial intelligence
- Educational policy
- Equity
- Teacher recruitment and retention
François-Daniel Portelance
François-Daniel Portelance
Graduate Student
il/lui - he/him
Graduate Student
Supervisor
Biography
François-Daniel Portelance is a fourth-year PhD candidate at Queen’s University. His OGS and SSHRC-funded research explores the systemic successes and persistent tensions within French as a Second Language (FSL) education in Ontario. His work is oriented toward enhancing pre-service FSL teacher education in Canada and expanding access to inclusive, high-quality plurilingual programming. He is particularly interested in approaches that attend to the lived complexities of education and program evaluation, while remaining committed to research practices that honour complexity, foster thoughtful collaboration, and engage with educational communities in ways that are both responsive and contextually grounded.
Research Interests
- French as a Second Language
- Program Evaluation
- Community Engagement
Kristen Fontaine
Kristen Fontaine
PhD Student
she/her
Graduate Student
Supervisor
Biography
Kristen grew up on the lands of the Mississaugas of the New Credit First Nation, in a town that is known to Canadians as Oakville, Ontario, completing her BA (Honours) in history and psychology at Queen's in 2016, and then her MA in public history at the University of Victoria in 2024. At her core, she is a swimmer-educator, having taught all levels of swimming, instructing, and lifeguarding across southern Ontario and Vancouver Island. In many ways, water has formed her ways of thinking and being, most recently leading her to pursuing her PhD in the Faculty of Education. In April 2026, Kristen was a recipient of a Canadian Graduate Scholarship-Doctoral from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) for her proposed work in aquatics education research.
Research Interests
- Aquatics and water safety education
Visiting Scholars – University of Portsmouth
Date
Tuesday October 20, 202612:00 pm - 1:00 pm
Location
Duncan McArthur Hall, Room A232Join us in the Research Commons (room A232) to hear from Dr Melia Lazell and PhD student Melanie Dell from the University of Portsmouth
Making Development Bankable? – Dr Melita Lazell
This presentation examines why UK aid has increasingly shifted from grants towards private-sector investment since 2012. Focusing on Kenya, it explores how British International Investment’s use of public funds to mobilise private capital is reshaping development. It asks what drives this transformation and, crucially, whose interests it serves and what it means for poverty reduction and development outcomes in practice.
Dr Melita Lazell is Associate Professor in Political Economy and Development and Associate Dean Research at the University of Portsmouth. She is author of The Nationalisation of UK Aid and Development and host of Global Aid Rethink podcast. Her interdisciplinary research uses mixed methods to examine aid policy, allocation, effectiveness, institutional change, and the evolving politics of global development and public policy.
Seeing the Teacher, Shaping Participation: Girls’ Perceptions of Female PE Teachers – Melanie Dell
This presentation explores how adolescent girls’ perceptions of female Physical Education teachers may influence their participation in PE lessons within independent schools. Through the lens of positionality and bias, it considers how teacher identity, characteristics and practice are interpreted by pupils, and how these perceptions may shape engagement, confidence, and participation. It also reflects on what the study evokes about the complex relationship between gender, teacher–pupil relationships and girls’ experiences of physical education.
Melanie Dell’s professional background spans PE teaching across primary, secondary, and further education, alongside pastoral responsibilities for pupils in Years 7–11 within independent school settings. Melanie is currently a Teaching Fellow in Education and Course Lead for the PGCE Physical Education programme. Her doctoral study investigates how adolescent girls’ perceptions of female PE teachers influence their participation in PE lessons in independent schools, drawing particularly on concepts of positionality and bias.
New Connections, New Questions: A QIESR Experience
Date
Thursday October 22, 202610:00 am - 11:30 am
Location
Duncan McArthur Hall, Room A104What becomes possible when we bring different experiences, perspectives, and questions about education together?
Join Faculty of Education colleagues and graduate students for a 90-minute interactive workshop introducing the Queen’s Institute for Educational Scholarship and Research (QIESR) and its opportunities for connection, collaboration, and educational scholarship. Together, we will examine the distinctions and intersections among research, program evaluation, and quality improvement, considering how purpose, context, and intended contributions shape our approaches to inquiry.
Through discussion and collaborative work with a question or project of interest, we will explore positionality in educational scholarship and how our identities, experiences, roles, and assumptions shape the questions we ask, the approaches we take, and the knowledge we create. Together, we will reflect on our positions as educators and scholars, and the implications for thoughtful, ethical, and inclusive scholarship.
Across disciplines, roles, and career stages, QIESR brings people together to build capacity for educational scholarship, share knowledge and expertise, and create possibilities for collaboration. This experience invites you to contribute your perspective, learn from others, and consider how your questions and interests connect within our broader community of inquiry.
All are welcome!