Where are you from?
I am from a diasporic people. I am a first-generation academic from a working-class background who was born and raised in Toronto. Both of my parents immigrated to Canada from Lesvos, Greece. My grandparents were rural farmers. My great grandparents were refugees from Asia Minor who were part of the forced population exchange of 1923. My great grandmother was pregnant with my grandmother when they made the voyage from Turkey to Greece. Forced migration and economic migration are an important part of my family history.
When did you come to the U of L and what do you do here?
I am an Assistant Professor of Sociology, on the directorate of the Institute for Child and Youth Studies (I-CYS), and an affiliate of the Centre for Oral History and Tradition (COHT). I started working at the U of L in 2017. Prior to joining the Faculty of Arts and Science as a faculty member, my spouse (Christopher Churchill, Adjunct Associate Professor of History) and I lived and worked as academics for six years in small liberal arts colleges in upstate New York, USA. We are delighted to have the opportunity to return to Canada.
What’s the best part of your job?
The students! One of the most amazing things about the U of L is the commitment to a liberal arts education and the upper level smaller classroom sizes that provide opportunities for transformational learning. It is an honour and privilege to work with, and learn from, students daily.
What’s one thing most people don’t know about you?
English is not my first language. I did not learn to speak English until I started kindergarten. For the first six years of my life I only spoke Greek.