Faculty Profiles

Dr. Dana Levin

Disability Studies Coordinator
Associate Professor-School of Social Work and

Disabilities Studies

Office: Room 216, 167 Ferry Street, Windsor, ON N9A 0C5

Phone: 519-253-3000 ext. 4907
E-mail: danalev@uwindsor.ca

Degrees: PhD, University of Michigan, MSW, University of Michigan, MA (Educational Theatre), New York University, BA, Rutgers University

Scholarly Interests/Areas of Expertise: Adolescent sexual health, Gender and sexual socialization in adolescents and emerging adults, including differences across cultures, School-based sex education and Arts-based interventions

Dr. Dana Levin is an Assistant Professor at the School of Social Work, University of Windsor. Dr. Levin has over 10 years experience working with community organizations, including agencies supporting individuals living with disabilities, HIV/AIDS service organizations, and youth programs. Her experiences include case management, health education, program evaluation, and using theatre as a tool to teach and explore social justice issues. Dr. Levin's Clinical experience also includes work with children, youth, and families, and she is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) in the state of Michigan.

Dr. Shelagh Towson
Disability Studies and Psychology
Academic Advisor

Office: 174 Chrysler Hall South (Department of Psychology)
Phone: 519-253-3000 x 2223
E-mail: towson@uwindsor.ca

Degrees: Ph.D. in Social Psychology, University of Waterloo, MA in Social Psychology, University of Wisconsin, BA in Psychology and Sociology, York University

Scholarly Interests: Ethnic minority issues, Prejudice, stereotyping and discrimination, First Nations, multicultural, and continuing education, Attitudes, values and behaviour.

Dr. Shelagh Towson is interested in intercultural psychology, specifically the way in which people from different ethnocultural groups living in a multicultural society negotiate their interactions with each other and the way in which the defining values of a multicultural society develop. Within this framework, Dr. Towson is particularly interested in issues of prejudice, stereotyping and discrimination and concepts of retributive and restorative justice.

Dr. Jijian Voronka

Assistant Professor School of Social Work and

Disabilities Studies

Office: Room 232, 167 Ferry Street, Windsor, ON N9A 0C5

Phone: 519-253-3000 ext. 6775
E-mail: jvoronka@uwindsor.ca

Degrees: Ph.D. Social Justice Education, OISE at the University of Toronto, M.A. Sociology & Equity Studies in Education, OISE at the University of Toronto, B.A. (Hon.) University of Toronto

Scholarly Interests: Critical Disability & Mad Studies, Social Movement Activism & Disability Justice Education, Housing Precarity, Homelessness, Housing First, Disability Leadership, Inclusion, Participation, Resistance, Interdisciplinary Critical Theory, Disability Identity & Culture, Poststructural Qualitative Methods & Methodologies

Dr. Jijian Voronka uses Critical Disability Studies perspectives to elucidate confluences of power that negatively affect disabled people within health, social service, research, and education systems. She is currently completing a book exploring the consequences of inclusion policies and the expansion of peer work in mental health and homeless sectors. Her work prioritizes consumer/survivor knowledge production through service user-led, arts-informed, community-based, and narrative inquiry. She has participated in national program evaluation and research demonstration projects, notably the At Home/Chez Soi project, and has received support from SSHRC, Health Canada, and the MHCC. Dr. Voronka has been a SSHRC Postdoctoral Research Fellow at Rutgers University – Newark, taught at Ryerson University’s School of Disability Studies, and worked for the Mental Health Commission of Canada.

Contact Disability Studies

The University of Windsor
School of Social Work
167 Ferry Street
Second Floor, Room 205
Windsor, Ontario N9A 0C5

Phone: 519-253-3000, Ext. 3064
Fax: 519-973-7036
Email: disabilitystudies@uwindsor.ca