Advocacy & Community Involvement
Beyond my research and teaching activities, I am an active member within my university community and advocate for increasing levels of transparency, accessibility, and inclusivity.
Winter 2024
From February to May 2024, in partnership with Concordia University, I am currently enrolled in the winter session of Hamidou’s horticulture course, which focuses on growing and maintaining plants within urban environments using greenhouse techniques.
Presentation (2024, March 25). EmpowerGrad Workshop: Meeting the Neighbours. Centre for the Study of Learning and Performance, Concordia University (Montreal, QC). Discussion to assist current graduate students on how to to develop networks within the university community to develop future projects.
Fall 2023
November 2023 - Elected Graduate Student Representative of the 2023/2024 Sustainability Action Fund Board whose mission is to “build an inclusive culture of sustainability at Concordia University by enabling, supporting, and financing projects that tackle interconnected environmental, social, and economic issues.”
October 2023 - Located on Concordia University’s Loyola campus, I completed the City Herbal Apprentice Program where I developed The Dandelion Project, an interactive online field guide that sensitizes learners to the flora and fauna in their region. Extending previous research on the role of geo-locating features on a map (see Parlure Games by Chung & Cardoso, 2022), attendees participated in land-sensitizing activities (see Landguaging by Chung & Chung Arsenault, 2023) that encouraged inclusive thinking about the ecosystems that surround us and prompted de/colonial reflections while learning about plants.
September 2023 - Member of the pē-kiyokētan team in solidarity with Indigenous Language Revitalization work within colonial and minority language education programs based on a pluralist orientation towards language learning, teaching and use.
Summer 2023
June 2023 - After volunteering with Concordia’s Greenhouse and maintaining the student gardens at Grey Nuns, I was accepted into the City Herbal Apprentice Program. Rooted in an anti-oppressive framework, the program aims to “create a safe and supportive learning environment that fosters curiosity, creativity, and community growth” through experiential learning. Based out of Loyola campus’, apprentices tend and care for the medicinal plants in the perennial garden, learning how to identify, harvest, and prepare the herbs as tea blends, tinctures, salves, and hydrosols.
2022 - 2023
April 2023 - Co-edited Volume 7 of Concordia University Working Papers in Applied Linguistics (COPAL) where workshop leaders from the Conversations that Include series published their materials and activities. This Special Issue supports current and future instructors in creating justice-oriented and inclusive curricula.
Summer 2022
In collaboration with Concordia ’s Department of Education Graduate Student organization (DOEIGSA) and with funding from Concordia’s Experiential Learning Grant, I organized a series of interactive workshops entitled Conversations that Include, focused on critical and inclusive pedagogies which aim to:
(a) address issues not found in mainstream teaching curricula, and
(b) encourage hands-on activities that attendees can use in their classrooms.
The workshops supported attendees in either:
(i) developing activities related to pedagogical innovations, or
(ii) creating interactive activities related to teacher reflection and professional development.
2021 - 2022
Panel Presentation. (2022, June 2). The everyday application of science: A cross-disciplinary dialogue between emerging researchers. SALTISE, Dawson College (Montreal, QC).
BILD Talks. (2022, March 31) Critical Sociolinguistics Reach out from Montreal to a Wider World. Multi-‘ōlelo Talks - Webinar Series (Department of Second Language Studies, University of Hawaiʻi).
PhD Representative - Department of Education’s Graduate Student Representative Council (DOEIGSA)
PhD representative - Department of Education’s Education Doctoral Committee (EDC)
· Proactively seeks out student input regarding the doctoral program, advocates for student support and mentorship, and proposes solutions to improve the student experience.
· Provides feedback to faculty and staff in the Department of Education regarding any changes made to the doctoral program.
Graduate representative - Arts and Science Faculty Curriculum Committee
· Evaluates the content and rationale of proposed curriculum changes for programs within the Faculty of Arts and Science based on priorities established by the faculty, and advocates for and supports innovative pedagogy within the faculty.
Panel Presentation (2021, April 7). PhD Talks. Department of Education - Concordia University (Montreal, QC). Panel discussion to assist current and prospective PhD students on how to navigate the academic and administrative aspects of pursuing a PhD.
Graduate representative - Department of Education’s Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) initiative
· Created, delivered, analyzed, and co-wrote a final report for faculty and staff based on survey results regarding EDI issues among graduate students within the Department. With fellow committee members, successfully advocated for the implementation of a departmental statement of values, which was unanimously passed by our department’s Steering Committee in Winter 2021.
2019
Riches, C., Chung, R., Gallante, A., De la Cruz, W., & Ortega, Y. (2019, September 28). “Dialectal input in the L2 classroom: Whose language is it, anyway?” Addressing social inequity: Local and international perspectives on how to empower and support second language teachers and learners [Paper presentation]. EducLang 2019, Ottawa, ON, Canada.
Apr. 2019 Circle Facilitator - Unsettling Event Series, Concordia University
· Provided solidarity and emotional support to the Indigenous-led Circle leader during interactions with settlers during multiple self-locating exercises.
Jan. 2019 Graduate Representative - Advisory Committee on Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) - Office of the Provost
· Assisted in the development of actionable recommendations regarding the processes and practices of Concordia and their effect on graduate students with the goal of enhancing services and initiatives.
2018
Tisizi, E., Chung, R., Crump, A., Riches, C., & Sarkar, M. (2018, May 4). Bonjour/Hi: Homoglossia and heterophobia se rencontrent [Workshop presentation]. Canadian Centre for Studies and Research on Bilingualism and Language Planning, Ottawa, ON, Canada.
2017 - currrent
Active member of the BILD - Belonging, Identity, Language and Diversity (McGill University) research group focused on critical sociolinguistics issues in language learning and teaching. Over the years, I have recruited numerous faculty members, instructors, graduate students, and artists to share their experiences and stories related to language. I also provide administrative and editorial support to the running of BILD’s blog, journal, and Soundcloud account.