April 2026 Newsletter

OISE building exterior at night.
SJE Newsletter - April 2026

March Highlights

Memorial graphic for Hrishikesh Inguva Venkata Sai Lakshmi (28 August 1989 – 19 March 2026). A circular portrait shows a medium-brown-skinned South Asian man with short dark hair, a mustache, round glasses, and a warm smile, wearing a denim jacket over a striped shirt. His name and dates appear in white serif text on a dark banner, set against a moody background of soft clouds and mist.
April 1, 2026
In Memoriam: Hrishikesh Inguva Venkata Sai Lakshmi, SJE EdD student
We mourn the loss of SJE EdD student Hrishikesh Inguva Venkata Sai Lakshmi and extend our condolences to his family and friends. We share a GoFundMe for family.
Dr. Devon Healey, a white woman with dark hair and bangs wearing a floral sweatshirt, smiles while holding a framed Award for Distinguished Contributions to Teaching plaque alongside Dr. Creso Sá, a light-brown-skinned man with glasses in a dark blazer and white shirt. They stand before an OISE University of Toronto banner.
April 1, 2026
Dr. Devon Healey honoured with the Award for Distinguished Contributions to Education
Dr. Devon Healey is recognized with the 2025–2026 Award for Distinguished Contributions to Teaching.
Digital poster for the 2026 Social Justice Education Colloquium Series. Left side: white text on dark blue with University of Toronto OISE logo, announcing Alan Sears on Eros and Alienation: Capitalism and the Making of Gendered Sexualities, Friday, April 17, 2026, hybrid at OISE Room 12-199 and Zoom. Right side: Alan Sears, an older white man with short gray hair and glasses wearing a white shirt, smiling outdoors, above a close-up photo of intersecting mannequin limbs in soft pink and blue tones.
April 1, 2026
Colloquium: Alan Sears on Eros and Alienation: Capitalism and the Making of Gendered Sexualities
Sociologist Dr. Alan Sears presents a colloquium on his Jan 2025 book Eros and Alienation: Capitalism and the Making of Gendered Sexualities.
**Left:** Dr. Loretta LeMaster, a light-skinned tattooed person, sits barefoot on a stage chair holding papers, embodying Pretty Boi — a participant in their research on trans worker politics. They wear a bold yellow, black, and pink graphic-print matching set, gold hoop earrings, glasses, and a black cap reading "FAG." **Right:** Maclean Frey, a light-skinned person with a mustache in a gray tank top, smiles cheek-to-cheek into the camera with Dr. LeMaster, still in the same graphic-print outfit.
April 1, 2026
Dr. Loretta LeMaster Delivers Keynote and Two Collaborative Presentations on Transgender Life and Pedagogy
In February and March Dr. Loretta LeMaster delivered a keynote and led a dialogue and workshop on trans pedagogy and performance.
An 11-photo collage from the CIARS Decolonizing Conference featuring panels, presentations, and audience moments. Recognizable faces include Dr. Nana George Dei in bright blue African attire at a podium, Dr. Njoki Wane speaking at a panel table next to Cristina Jaimungal and Juliana Rodriguez-Barrera, and Dr. Amal Maddibbo sitting at two different occasions. Throughout, most participants are black and people of colour, wearing colourful African attire and panels are draped in vibrant kente-print cloth.
April 1, 2026
SJE at the 2026 CIARS Decolonizing Conference
SJE students and faculty organized and presented at the CIARS 13th Annual Decolonizing Conference from March 12–14, 2026.
Split image. for the 2026 OISE Graduate Student Research Conference titled “Generative Hope: Possibilities in Education Research.” The left half shows Elena (Hong Le) Tran’s oil painting for “Future at Hand,” with a hand reaching toward a glowing yellow light in a snowy landscape, bare trees, and a house in the background. The right half shows a yellow bokeh-style background with a ladybug on a flower bud and text asking, “What does ‘Hope’ mean to you?” It lists conference dates: Thursday, March 5, 2026; Fr
April 1, 2026
SJE at the 2026 OISE Graduate Student Research Conference
SJE students played a key role in the 2026 Graduate Student Research Conference, with the theme Generative Hope: Possibilities in Education Research.
Three dark-skinned Black women seated on wooden chairs in a modern room. Left: Devonnia Miller, wearing a teal dress and glasses and holding a microphone and papers, chairs the panel. Centre: Dr. Njoki Wane, wearing a red patterned blouse and black pants with locs and glasses, smiles broadly while clasping hands with Dr. Rachael Kalaba on the right, who wears an orange-and-black African print top and rust-orange pants with her hair up.
March 1, 2026
SJE DSA March Workshop and Colloquium Recap
In March, the SJE DSA hosted a Literature Review Lunch & Learn and a Transnational Solidarities Colloquium.

Stay Connected with the Department of SJE

LinkedIn @OISESJE
Instagram @oisesje