Namukasa named Associate Dean, Graduate Education
Professor Immaculate Kizito Namukasa has been appointed Associate Dean, Graduate Education at the Faculty of Education.
Namukasa is currently associate professor and program chair in Curriculum Studies and Studies in Applied Linguistics and a teaching fellow at the Centre for Teaching and Learning.
“Western Education has provided me with a space for growth in research, teaching and service and my appointment gives me an opportunity to give back, serve and support the Faculty,” said Namukasa. “I’m looking forward to implementing strategies for renewal that will focus on sustainability, stewardship and responsiveness to changing societal needs and recovery from the effects of the pandemic.”
Her current research is in mathematics teacher education and professional development, integration of technology and computational thinking in mathematics learning, maker education learning tools and tasks, and curriculum and pedagogical reforms. Professor Namukasa has collaborated with teachers and curriculum leaders in four public school districts, one private school system, and with researchers and teachers in Canada and internationally.
She’s also served on more than 20 university and Faculty of Education committees, task forces and advisory boards – including the Executive Committee, the Chairs’ committee, the Research and Ethics committee, the ad hoc Equity committee, Graduate Admissions and Awards committees, Technology and Library committee, Pre-service Education committee, Lifelong Learning working group, and Western Degree Outcomes (WDOs) working group.
Namukasa joined the Faculty of Education in 2004 immediately after receiving her doctorate at the University of Alberta. Her prior education and work experiences are in both rural and inner-city schools in Africa and at Makerere University. Namukasa also produced video resources on math-for-teaching through problem solving featuring Ontario teachers and collaboratively produced knowledge mobilization products, including publications in the Ontario Mathematics Gazette, an Ontario Mathematics Association of Educators' journal, which she once edited for three years.
“Dr. Namukasa’s leadership, teaching, and research experience will support the Faculty of Education’s continued excellence in research intensive and professional graduate programs,” said Dean Donna Kotsopoulos.
Namukasa’s term begins July 1. She succeeds Professor Pamela Bishop, who has been in the role since 2012.
“I would like to thank Dr. Bishop for her extraordinary leadership. Our graduate programs have grown substantially under her oversight and are recognized nationally and internationally as outstanding,” said Kotsopoulos. “We are grateful for the leadership that she’s provided during her tenure.”
Dean Kotsopoulos also extends thanks to the search committee and the Faculty of Education community for their engagement in the process.
