Faculty and Research Associates

In addition to her position as Associate Professor, Dr. Watson is also Coordinator of the Graduate Certificate in Program Evaluation at the University of the Fraser Valley (UFV). Her main research interests are student engagement and well-being, critical pedagogy, and critical public education policy and curriculum development. She completed both her Master’s degree and Ph.D. at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario examining the ways in which public education responds to economic and social change and, in turn shapes the lives of students and their future opportunities.

Since arriving at UFV, she has undertaken numerous community and university research and evaluation projects that involve various organizations including the Chilliwack Social Research and Planning Council, and the Chilliwack School District. In particular, she has lead evaluations of the Arts Student Mentor Program at UFV (2018); UFV Student Engagement Experiences (2014); and been a co-researcher with Dr. Martha Dow on the Chilliwack High School Engagement and Completion study (2013). Each of these projects focused on the various factors that affected youth’s ability to successfully participate in educational institutions and the barriers they face in those institutions—such as exclusion and inequality. Examining the ways in which educational institutions shape policy, curriculum and processes is essential to ensuring that all young people are included in educational communities.

Dr. Watson also conducts community survey research projects such as Naloxone Training Assessment for Surrey and Vancouver Fire First Responders and the Chilliwack Quality of Life surveys (2004-2014) for the Chilliwack Social Research and Planning Council. These projects focus on lived experience of participants and how organizations can improve their delivery of vital programs. In addition to research, Dr. Watson is also the recipient of the UFV Teaching Excellence Award (2003) and has been engaged in developing the Student to Scholar initiative promoting the next generation of sociology students.