Faculty of Education, Community, and Human Development
Faculty of Education, Community, and Human Development
Associate Dean & Professor
Abbotsford campus
Phone: 604-504-7441 ext. 4400
email MaryAssociate Dean and Professor
Dr. Mary Gene Saudelli specializes in learning and teaching in higher education and international education. Most of her research is in the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning with a particular interest in transdisciplinary, 21st century curriculum design, high impact educational practices, multiliteracies, culturally relevant pedagogies, and international higher education. She has taught in Canada, Qatar, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Afghanistan, Hong Kong China, and Turkey. She has been awarded numerous scholarly grants and has many peer-reviewed journal publications and collaborations across institutions to her name. Her personal interests include yoga, fitness, cooking, reading (particularly about various places and people across the globe) and animal rescue. She is passionate about global civicmindedness, community engagement, integrity and leadership, and lifelong learning.
Ph.D. Philosophy of Education, International & 21st Century Curriculum Design in Higher Education, Brock University, St. Catharines, Ontario Canada
Master of Education, Curriculum/TESL, Brock University, St. Catharines Ontario, Canada
Bachelor of Adult Education, with Distinction, Brock University, St. Catharines Ontario, Canada
Bachelor of Arts, Sociology and Psychology, minor in Religion and Cultural Studies, Wilfrid Laurier University, Waterloo Ontario
Law Clerk/Paralegal Diploma, Ontario Business College, Kitchener Ontario Canada
Canadian Bureau for International Education
Society for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education
International Society for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning
Senior Women’s Academic Administrators of Canada
American Society for Research in Education
Canadian Society for the Study of Education
My philosophy of teaching is closely aligned to transformative learning theories (Illeris, 2014; Merriam, 2007; Saudelli, 2015) related to active engagement in learning (Cranton, 2016) and international or non-Western ways of being and knowing (Merriam, 2007; Saudelli, 2015). I value teaching practices that foster curiosity, critical reflection, cultural relevance, and sensory learning as means to engage transformational thought.
In my classroom (whether virtual or brick and mortar), I believe we are all learning from the experiences we share. I recognize that all learners have unique knowledges and experiences, a wealth of cultural, creative, and intellectual capital to share. Thus, the learning environment needs to be collaborative, engaged, respectful and yes, even entertaining. I believe learners must think about knowledge, conceptualize, challenge, critique, contextualize, create, and co-create.
Curriculum theory and practice, high impact teaching practices, educational research methodologies, culturally relevant pedagogies, signature pedagogies, global civicmindedness, and international ways of being and knowing.
Higher education curriculum, high impact practices and learning, sociology and education, non-Western epistemology, and multiliteracies.
Canadian Foundation for Innovation, Strategic Initiatives Fund, SSHRC, Qatar National Research Foundation Fund, Fund for Innovative Teaching
For the last 5 years…
Saudelli, M.G. (December 10, 2021). Leadership, Higher Education, and Internationalizing in Turbulent Times: Possibilities, Initiatives, Collaborations, and Engaging Minds. Dubai World Expo, Learning and Innovation - Terra Pavillion. Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
Saudelli, M.G. (2021). Intercultural Communication and Leadership in Troubling Times. SIETAR Switzerland: Lucerne Switzerland (Virtual)
Niemczyk, E. & Saudelli, M.G. (2021). Education for Sustainable Development: Insights from South African and Canadian Universities. Education for Sustainable Development Conference. National University of Science and Technology, Bulawayo Zimbabwe. (Virtual)
Campbell, C. & Saudelli, M.G. (2019). Tensions and Contradictions at International Branch Campuses through the Eyes of International Educators in Higher Education in Qatar. Congress, Canadian Society for the Study of Higher Education, University of British Columbia, (June 3, 2019), Vancouver, BC
Saudelli, M.G., Graham, J.M., Sheppard-Lemoine, D., Cowen, A., Ibrahim, Y., Shahada, G. (2018). Learning the Ropes: Revealing Moments of Research Mentorship at an International Branch Campus. World Congress on Education (WCE-2018), Dublin, Ireland.
Williams, J. & Saudelli, M.G. (2022, in press). The Curious Case of Leadership at International Branch Campuses. In I. Stolz & S. Scherrer’s International Leadership – Effecting Success Across Borders in a Boundaryless World. Lucerne Switzerland: Springer Gabler for SGO Foundation (Foundation of the Swiss Society for Organization and Management).
Farrar, J. & Saudelli, M.G. (2022, in press). Leading International Collaborative Teams: Relationships Matter in Changing Times. In I. Stolz & S. Scherrer’s International Leadership – Effecting Success Across Borders in a Boundaryless World. Lucerne Switzerland: Springer Gabler for SGO Foundation (Foundation of the Swiss Society for Organization and Management). Accepted without revisions.
Saudelli, M.G. & Niemczyk, E. (2022, in press). Education for Sustainable Development: Insights from South African and Canadian Universities, Special issue of Perspectives in Education, Lead editor, Prof Ewelina K Niemczyk and Co-editor: Dr Louw De Beer – North-West University, South Africa. Accepted without Revisions
Saudelli, M.G., Kleiv, R., Davies, J., Jungmark, M.K., & Robertson, R. (2021). PhET Simulations in Undergraduate Physics: Constructivist Learning Theory in Practice. Brock University Journal of Education, 31(1), 52-69.
UNESCO, SIETAR Switzerland, Contributing Education Expert author, Futures of Education: Learning to Become Report. (April 12, 2021). https://en.unesco.org/futuresofeducation/sites/default/files/2021-04/UNESCO%20Report%20_SIETAR%20Switzerland%20Focus%20Group%20-%2012.4.21.pdf
Saudelli, M.G., & Niemczyk, E. (2020). Revealing Moments of Mentorship: SocialExchanges Between a Graduate Research Assistant and a Professor. Alberta Journal ofEducational Research, 66(4), 454-470.
Winters, K.L., Wiebe, N., & Saudelli, M.G. (2019). Writing on Writing: Collaborative Writing and Photographic Analyses from an Academic Writing Retreat. In N. Simmons (Ed) Critical Collaborative Communities. Rotterdam, EU: Brill/Sense Publishers.
Graham, J. M., Saudelli, M. G., & Sheppard-Lemoine, D. (2019). The lived experiences of Qatari adolescents attending international secondary school. Journal of Mental Health, Religion and Culture. doi: 10.1080/13674676.2019.1593337
Saudelli, M. G., Graham, J. M., & Sheppard-Lemoine, D. (2019). Learning the ropes: Revealing moments of research mentorship at an international branch campus of a Canadian university.International Journal of Learning in Higher Education, 26(1), 49-67. DOI: https://doi.org/10.18848/2327-7955/CGP/v26i01/49-67
Norris, J. & Saudelli, M.G. (2018). Heating up Learning: Insights from a Collaboration Employing Arts Based Research/Pedagogy for an Adult Education, Online, Community Outreach Undergraduate Course. Social Sciences 7(7), 1-23. doi: 10.3390/socsci7070104
Snaggs-Wilson, S., & Saudelli, M.G. (in process, 2023). Closing the Great Divide: Harmonizing Leadership, Gender, EDI and Empowerment Through Storytelling. Proposal accepted by Canadian Scholar’s Press.
Saudelli, M.G., Kusch, J. & Carroll, S., (Eds.) (2019). Voices from Far Away Lands: From Divergent to Convergent. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge Scholars
Saudelli, M. (2015). The Balancing Act: International Higher Education in the 21st Century. Rotterdam, EU: Sense Publications
Rescue Salukis Middle East and Canada - Rescue organization for saluki mix dogs.
Qatar Animal Welfare Society (QAWS) - Rescue organization for dogs, cats and other animals in Qatar and other locations in the Middle East.