About us
(by order of first name)
America Uribe
Education
MA Child Studies, Concordia University
BS Pedagogy, Universidad Panamericana
Languages
English, Spanish and beginner French
Before joining Concordia and the lab, America worked as a preschool teacher in Mexico. She also has experience working in non-formal educational settings, conducting educational tests and supporting children with learning challenges, and collaborating with an organization that promotes the improvement of educational policies in Mexico. She is continuing on this path.
Anne Laurie
Education
Postdoctoral Fellowship, Concordia University
PhD in Education (Child Studies), Concordia University
Masters in Interdisciplinary Studies, University of New Brunswick
BA in Sociology and Psychology, Concordia University
Languages
English and French
Dr. Anne Laurie is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at Concordia University specializing in language assessment for school-aged children. Her PhD research focused on equitable language assessment for culturally and linguistically diverse populations, leading to the development of a Curriculum-Based Dynamic Assessment (CBDA). Through her company, TRICOAST Education, she continues to share her findings, raise awareness of Developmental Language Disorder, and advance the use of CBDA to ensure all children’s language needs are identified and supported.
Email: anne@tricoasteducation.com
Linkedln: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anne-laurie
Diane Pesco
Education
Postdoctoral Fellow, University of Waterloo, Psychology
PhD and MSc McGill University, School of Communication Sciences & Disorders
BA University of Massachusetts at Amherst, Women’s Studies
Languages
English, French and basic Spanish
For my bio, see my faculty page:
https://www.concordia.ca/faculty/diane-pesco.html
Dima Tajrine
Education
MA Child Studies, Concordia University
BA Child Studies, Concordia University
M.Sc Pharmacology and Therapeutics, McGill University
B.Sc Biology, Concordia University
Languages
English, French and Arabic
Education has been at the center of Dima’s career since 2006 when she taught university level remedial biology courses in Lebanon. Her passion for teaching started there and was recently reflected in her MA thesis which involved boosting preservice educators’ knowledge of emergent literacy and print referencing during storybook reading
Email: dima.tajrine@mail.mcgill.ca
Hania Messaike
Education
MA Child Studies, Concordia University
Certificate in Early Childhood Education, Vanier College
Certificate in Teaching English as a Second Language, Cambridge University
BA Business Administration, Balamand University
Languages
English and Arabic
Starting her journey as an English as a second language teacher in an elementary school, Hania pursued further studies at Concordia University, where she deepened her understanding of child development and learning. Building on this foundation, she continues to apply her knowledge and experience in her work.
Sadia Tariq
Education
MA Child Studies, Concordia University
Master’s in Educational Sciences, University of Groningen, the Netherlands
BSc Early Childhood Education and Elementary Education
Languages
English and Urdu
Sadia is presently an early childhood educator in British Columbia, bringing over 12 years of international teaching experience from Turkey, the Netherlands, and Canada. As an educator and researcher, she is dedicated to fostering an innovative and inquiry-driven learning environment, where young learners are empowered to explore, question, and construct their own understanding of the world.
Shaunessa Boyle
Education
MA Child Studies, Concordia University
BA Child Studies, Concordia University
RAC Special Care Counselling, Champlain College
Languages
English and French
From the time Shaunessa was a young child, she had a passion for working with children and frequently found creative ways to interact and engage with them. She has worked in various early childhood settings from daycare centres, respite summer camps, primary schools, to administrative positions. Much of her career has been focused on supporting children with learning and behavioural challenges, and supporting children with special needs. She is currently working as a Special Education Consultant. She hopes to continue to support students (& her own little one) to feel pride and success in their academic pathways.
Wei Mao
Education
PhD in Education, Concordia University (expected June 2025)
Master of Education, Thompson Rivers University
BA in Editing and Publishing, University of Shanghai for Science and Technology
Languages
Fluent in English and Mandarin, elementary proficiency in French (A2) and a receptive understanding of the Shanghai dialect.
Wei recently defended her PhD dissertation and expects to graduate in June 2025. She is specially interested in the role of parent support in children’s language learning. Her current research delves into parents’ experiences with and perspectives on certain language stimulation strategies, exploring how these approaches can nurture children’s multilingual abilities. By working closely with immigrant families, she aspires to refine and enhance language support strategies—ensuring they are not only effective but also enjoyable and sustainable for both parents and children.
Xiuquan Zhu
Education
MA Child Studies, Concordia University.
MA Foreign Linguistics and Applied Linguistics, Guangdong University of Foreign Languages, China
Languages
English and Mandarin
Before joining Concordia and the lab, Xiuquan worked as an English teacher in China, where she developed an interest in second language acquisition. During her studies at Concordia University, she shifted her focus to supporting children’s early language development in multilingual contexts—a path she continues to pursue. She is currently an instructor at local colleges, teaching courses in early childhood education and child development.
Language Matters Lab 