Dr. Alison Halsall, Associate Professor of Humanities at York University, studies graphic texts in relation to children and childhood. She is the coordinator of the Children, Childhood and Youth Program at York, an undergraduate program that takes an interdisciplinary approach to understanding childhood from the perspective of children. The program prepares students for work in fields such as advocacy, counselling, education, health and wellness, and international development, all related to the rights and the experiences of children and youth. In this interview, she talks about her new book, Growing Up Graphic: The Comics of Children in Crisis. The book deals with some very tough topics, including child soldiers and migrant children.

Dr. Elizabeth Greene, Associate Professor of Classics at The University of Western Ontario, holds the Canada Research Chair in Roman Archaeology. Her work on Roman ruins near Hadrian’s Wall in northern England looks at everyday objects like leather footwear. History is written by the winners, they say, and as a result, the voices of women are often left out of historical narratives. But by looking closer at the archaeological record, Dr. Greene has been able to discover a lot more about everyday life in Roman society. It’s an approach to history that challenges our assumptions about how the world works.

Prof. Debra Pepler studies bullying. Her direct observation of bullying in schoolyards has changed how we help children deal with aggression towards their classmates. Her work also examines dating violence and online bullying.