Dr. George Veletsianos
Dr. George Veletsianos is Professor at the College of Education and Human Development at the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities where he holds the Bonnie Westby Huebner Chair in Education and Technology. His research focuses on the (1) design, development, and evaluation of online and blended learning environments, (2) study of learning experiences and participation in emerging online environments, and (3) investigation of learning futures. His writing is available at http://www.veletsianos.com
Dr. Jaigris Hodson
My research specializes in understanding how people interact with digital technologies, such as social media, and the content that is produced and shared using those technologies. I have published research in a wide range of academic publications and non-academic publications. I have written on technology for the Huffington Post Canada and the Conversation Canada and am regularly asked to comment on technology stories for local and national media outlets. I am also a sought-after speaker, discussing technology trends and their impacts on industry with organizations as the Canadian Optometric Leaders Forum, Social Media Camp and the Canadian Country Music Awards. I am currently working on grant funded research concerning online harassment, covid misinformation, and interdisciplinary approaches to understanding misinformation. I am a former MITACS Canadian Science Policy Fellow (2018-2019) and current Tier 2 Canada Research Chair in Digital Communication for the Public Interest.
Chandell Gosse, PhD
I am Postdoctoral research associate in the College of Interdisciplinary Studies at Royal Roads University. I received my PhD Candidate in Media Studies from Western University in London, Ontario. My research takes an interdisciplinary approach and sits most broadly at the intersection of feminism, digital culture, and the public sphere(s). My dissertation looks at the barriers to social, legal, and platform support that women targeted by online abuse experience. Outside of my dissertation research I work as a research assistant on the eQuality Project (http://www.equalityproject.ca/) alongside my supervisor, Dr. Jacquie Burkell. Our work focuses on projects that tackle issues with ‘deepfakes’ and algorithmic bias, online reputation, privacy, and photo-sharing practices. Previously, I worked on the Developer Satisfaction Survey for the International Game Developers Association (IGDA) under the auspice of Dr. Johanna Weststar. I also volunteer with Anova, an incredible organization that offers support and shelter to women impacted by sexual violence and domestic abuse in the London, Ontario community. Find me on Twitter @ChandellEnid.
Shandell Houlden, PhD
Having completed my PhD in English and Cultural Studies from McMaster University, I am currently a Postdoctoral Researcher at Royal Roads University in the School of Education and Technology. My research brings a critical lens to tech and Internet-related topics such as education technology, flexible education, online misinformation, and online harassment, and I also teach aspects of climate communication. Outside of my scholarly work, I am an active volunteer with the District of Sooke’s Climate Action Committee, and study place-based nature-connection practices which inform much of my interdisciplinary thinking and research.
Kaitlynn Mendes, Phd
I am the Canada Research Chair in Inequality and Gender at Western University. I am an expert on issues around sexual violence relating to digital technologies, including how technology exacerbate the issues and how people creatively use it to fight back. With ever-increasing technological developments, and sexual violence rapidly taking on new forms, my research helps prepare young people for their digital futures. My research also has a global focus, exploring issues of gender inequality in many nations around the world, including Canada, Australia, India, South Africa, Singapore, the UK, and the U.S. I work closely with a range of stakeholders to develop resources for schools to tackle this issue through relationship and sex education curriculum. Building networks across North America and Europe, interventions stemming from this work have already reached thousands of educators, young people, and parents in the UK, Canada, and Ireland, with the capacity to reach hundreds of thousands more in years to come. I am also author of over 60 peer-reviewed papers, book chapters, and reports. This includes three books including Digital Feminist Activism: Girls and Women Fight Back Against Rape Culture (2019), Feminism in the News (2011), and the award-winning SlutWalk: Feminism, Activism, and Media (2015). Here’s a link to my Google Scholar: Kaitlynn Mendes – Google Scholar.
Yimin Chen, PhD
I hold a PhD in Library and Information Science from the University of Western Ontario. My research examines the communicative practices of online communities and cultures, with a focus on Internet trolling behaviors and the controversy surrounding them. My previous work has ranged from fake news and deception detection, to online harassment, to the impact of political memes on social media. I am currently a postdoctoral researcher at Royal Roads University. Find me on Twitter @Shinypants0.
Victoria O’Meara, PhD
I am a post-doctoral researcher at Royal Roads University in the College of Interdisciplinary Studies. I received my PhD in Media Studies from Western University. My research draws from critical political economy and intersectional feminism to examine issues related to work, technology, reputation, and influence in the digital media economy.
Esteban Morales, PhD

Esteban Morales is a post-doctoral fellow at Royal Roads University. Esteban’s research area is widely concerned with digital culture + society, with a special interest in the processes by which citizens and communities learn, resist, and appropriate digital media. More specifically, he has experience studying data subjectivities, online violence, and digital literacies, among others. Find more about Esteban’s work on his website (www.esteban-morales.com) or connect with him on Twitter @EstebanMoralesV.