The Centre for the Study of Learning and Performance (CSLP) is delighted to welcome Dr. Mélissa Villella as its newest member. Dr. Villella is an Associate professor of school administration at the Université du Québec en Abitibi-Témiscamingue (UQAT), where she also serves as director of the specialized graduate diploma in educational institution management. In addition, she is an adjunct professor at the Faculty of Education at the University of Ottawa.
Dr. Villella brings extensive experience from the education sector in both Ontario and Quebec, having previously worked as a school principal and teacher. Her academic credentials include a Ph.D. in Education from the University of Ottawa, an M.A. in Education from the University of Toronto, a B.Ed. from the University of Ottawa, and a B.A. (Honours) from McMaster University. She also holds a Special Education Specialist qualification, an Ontario Supervisory Officer's Certificate, and a Québec teaching certificate.
Dr. Villella’s research interests span leadership, inclusion, anti-racism, interculturalism, linguistic exogamy, curriculum studies, and Francophone environments. Her current work is particularly focused on minority communities, transformative leadership, comparative and international education, and educational policy.
A selection of her recent publications includes:
Fairbrother, M., Specht, J., Delorey, J., Whitley, J., Ismailos, L., & Villella, M. (2025). Integrating practice and theory in teacher education: Enhancing pre-service self-efficacy for inclusive education. Education Sciences. Read more
Villella, M. (2024). « On parlait pu de la compétence de la personne » : Le leadership et la soi-disant pénurie du personnel enseignant francophone selon la théorie de la race et de la langue. », La Revue de langage, d’identité, de diversité et d’appartenance/Journal of belonging, identity, language and diversity. Read more
Villella, M. et Sider, S. (2023). Un aperçu de la violence et des comportements agressifs auxquelles sont confrontées sept directions d’écoles inclusives au Canada. Revue canadienne en administration et politique de l’éducation/Canadian journal of educational administration and policy. Read more
Dr. Villella’s scholarly work, leadership experience, and commitment to equity and inclusion make her a valuable addition to the CSLP. We are excited to collaborate with her and to support her ongoing contributions to educational research and practice.