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Becoming a Golden Hawk means more than just cheering on our (really good) varsity teams – it means being a student who cares about your community, who works hard in the classroom, and who takes advantage of all the learning opportunities that can happen outside the classroom, too.
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I am currently the Director of the Master of International Policy (MIPP) program, Co-Director of the PhD program in Global Governance, and Associate Professor in the School of International Policy and Governance at Wilfrid Laurier University.
I started conducting research internationally in 1996 with a school project in Kenya. Since then I have worked with non-government organizations and government organizations linking schools and communities. My research focuses on the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, specifically my studies examine factors that contribute to the first five of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (United Nations, 2015): no poverty, zero hunger, good health and well-being, quality education and gender equality (SDG, UN2030 Agenda).
I conduct research at local, national and international levels. As an example, in Canada, I am examining longitudinal outcomes of government-school-community collaborations on families, children and cost-savings to government (2016-2021). Overall, my research program has informed policies and practices in schools, governments, and NGOs in the U.S., Canada, Switzerland, Madagascar and Laos.
- (Honours), Psychology, University of Tulsa.
- MA, Human Services Psychology, University of Maryland Baltimore County.
- PhD, Human Services Psychology, University of Maryland Baltimore County.
- Postdoctoral Fellowship, Psychology, Stanford University Medical Center.
- Invited Senior Research Scientist, Psychology and Sciences of Education, University of Geneva.
The focus of my research is connecting education and communities. With my community partners and academic colleagues, I have examined how communities support the relation between an individual and places of learning such as schools, adult education programs, alternative learning communities and early childhood development programs. Conducting research in the U.S., Canada, Kenya, Madagascar, Lao and Switzerland, I have published on psychological sense of community, early childhood development, mentoring, service-learning and U.S. bilingual education. In writing, conducting research, teaching, mentoring and consulting, I facilitate, negotiate and synthesize understandings among multiple stakeholders often those with diverse backgrounds and views.
- Faculty Merit Award, Wilfrid Laurier University (2013).
- Trailblazing Women in Community, Society for Community Research and Action, (Division 27 of the American Psychological Association) (2005).
- Senatorial Scholarship, Ida G. Ruben, State Senator of Maryland (1998 – 2001).
- University Scholarship, University of Tulsa (1993 – 1994).
If you are interested in conducting your thesis as part of my research program, I welcome the possibility of supervising (or co-supervising) your thesis in one of Laurier's many graduate programs such as on international education policy, government-school-community collaborations or child development.
- Loomis, C. (2013). “Community.” In T. Teo (Ed.), Encyclopedia of critical psychology. www.springerreference.com. Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg. DOI: 10.1007/SpringerReference_310556 2012-11-09 05:23:01 UTC.
- Loomis, C. & Akkari, A. (2012). “From the will to the field: Parent participation in early childhood education in Madagascar.” Africa Development, Volume XXXVII(3), 87-99.
- Akkari, A., Loomis, C., & Bauer, S. (2011). “From accommodating to using diversity by teachers in Switzerland.” The Journal of Multiculturalism in Education, 7(1), 1-11.
Contact Info:
Office location: N2017
Languages spoken: English, French