AIMC 2024 Conference Keynote Speakers: Dr Chelsea Whittaker & Professor Kitrina Douglas
Spotlight Expert: Dr Ian Mifsud
Dr Chelsea Whittaker is an Assistant Professor in Further Education and Training and Inclusion at the School of Education, Trinity College Dublin. Originally from Cape Town, South Africa, she brings a rich interdisciplinary background in Education and Psychology, with academic degrees from the University of Cape Town, University of South Africa, and a PhD from Trinity College Dublin.
Her research is grounded in a strong commitment to social justice, inclusion, and community well-being. She explores themes of language, identity, multilingualism, and education—particularly the experiences of migrant learners in the Irish education system. Her doctoral work offered a linguistic ethnography of migrant children's multilingual identities, and she continues to contribute to areas such as language policy, ESOL, and family language practices.
Dr Whittaker is a member of the Language Use and Multilingualism in Education Research Group (LUMIERE) and coordinates the DIFET Qualifications Framework programme. Her work aims to bridge research, policy, and practice, with recent publications in Language & Education and contributions to national program evaluations. She was recently recognised as a runner-up in Trinity’s 2023–24 Postgraduate Teaching Awards.
Professor Kitrina Douglas is an award-winning researcher renowned for her pioneering work at the intersection of narrative inquiry, arts-based methodologies, and mental health. A former elite athlete turned academic, she holds a PhD from the University of Bristol and currently serves as Professor of Narrative and Performative Research at the University of West London.
Her work spans the social sciences, humanities, and creative arts, with research outputs that include academic publications, films, documentaries, poems, songs, and theatrical performances. With a strong commitment to social justice, Professor Douglas explores themes of identity, mental health, and lived experience, often focusing on marginalised or stigmatised groups. She co-authored Sport and Physical Activity for Mental Health and Life Story Research in Sport, and is completing a third book on arts-based research methods.
Kitrina has led and contributed to research for organisations such as the UK Department of Health, UK Sport, and the Women’s Sport & Fitness Foundation. She is also a visiting professor at the University of Coimbra, Portugal, and has received multiple accolades for her research innovation and impact.
Spotlight Conversation is an innovative session format that bridges the depth of a keynote with the dynamic engagement of a panel discussion. Featuring a single distinguished expert, this session centres on an in-depth conversation led by the Conference Chair, followed by open dialogue with delegates. It offers a focused yet interactive space to explore pressing themes with one of the leading voices in the field.
Dr Ian Mifsud is a seasoned educational leader and policy expert currently serving as Director for Curriculum and Standards with the Secretariat for Catholic Education in Malta, a role he has held since 2018. In this capacity, he provides strategic guidance and support to Church schools across the country in the pursuit of educational excellence.
Previously, Dr Mifsud was Director General for Quality and Standards in Education within Malta’s Ministry for Education and Employment, following his earlier tenure as Director of Quality Assurance. His leadership journey also includes foundational roles at the school level, notably as the founding Head of St Nicholas College Boys Secondary School in Naxxar, and earlier as Assistant Head at both St Nicholas College, Mtarfa and St Margaret College, Cospicua.
Beginning his career in 1997 as an Art teacher and Guidance Teacher on Malta’s Anti-Substance Abuse Policy Team, Dr Mifsud has since earned a reputation for visionary educational leadership. He holds multiple degrees from the University of Malta, including a B.Ed., a postgraduate diploma in Educational Administration and Management, and an M.Ed. in Educational Leadership. He earned his doctorate in Education Management from the University of Lincoln (UK), where his research focused on quality education, school networks, and stakeholder engagement.
Dr Mifsud has been a key figure in the development of national education strategies and policies, and is a regular contributor to local and international educational conferences.
