Alex Poppendorf
Positions
Graduate Research Assistant
Werklund School of Education, Specialization, Leadership
Contact information
Background
Credentials
Managing Emotions in Times of Uncertainty & Stress, Yale University, 2025
Leading for Equity, Diversity and Inclusion in Higher Education, University of Michigan, 2025
Assessment in Higher Education: Professional Development for Teachers, Erasmus University, 2025
safeTALK: Suicide Alertness for Everyone, Living Works, 2023
Restorative Practices, International Institute for Restorative Practices, 2022
Learning to Teach Online, University of New South Wales Online , 2020
Structured Learning Assistance Leader, College Reading and Learning Association , 2016
Academic Writing Tutor, College Reading and Learning Association , 2014
Educational Background
Master of Arts, Military History, Austin Peay State University, 2016
Bachelor of Arts, History, Austin Peay State University, 2014
Biography
Coming from the Appalachian Mountains of the United States, Alex is a higher education leader, teacher, and researcher working at the intersections of equity, place, and systems change. She is a PhD candidate in educational leadership (ABD), educator, and graduate student researcher whose dissertation explores these themes through narrative inquiry and curriculum of place.
A passionate teacher and neurodivergent scholar, Alex prioritizes inclusive classrooms by applying Universal Design for Learning (UDL) principles and using open educational resources. She has taught a range of subjects, from history to academic writing. In 2024–2025, she served as Vice President Academic of the Graduate Students’ Association, advocating for graduate student rights at institutional, provincial, and federal levels. Outside of academia, she enjoys reading and cooking Southern food that connects her to her homeplace.
Projects
Alex is a graduate student researcher with the Play (Re)Design & Learn Group, which investigates and promotes a game (re)design-based approach to creating engaging and purposeful play environments.
Alex is a founding member and editor with the journal Peer Beyond, which was created by the Graduate Students' Association in 2025 to showcase and celebrate graduate student research.
Awards
- Eyes High Doctoral Scholarship, University of Calgary . 2024
- Alberta Graduate Excellence Scholarship, University of Calgary . 2023
- Alberta Graduate Excellence Scholarship, University of Calgary. 2022
- Robert W. Blake Memorial Social Justice Scholarship, 2022
- Alberta Graduate Excellence Scholarship, University of Calgary. 2021
- Outstanding Graduate Student in Military History Award, Austin Peay State University, Department of History and Philosophy. 2016
- Outstanding Academic Writing Tutor Award, Austin Peay State University, Office of Academic Support . 2014
- Fred Seip Jr. Memorial Scholarship in History, 2013
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