Mohsen Samiee Zafarghandi

Mohsen Samiee Zafarghandi

Mohsen Samiee Zafarghandi

Visiting Scholar

Philosophy

I'm Mohsen, a Ph.D. candidate researching the philosophy of education, particularly how language fuels verbal creativity in teacher-student interactions. My dissertation focuses on analyzing verbal creativity through the lens of speech act theory, seeking to understand whether teachers can employ social strategies to enhance students' verbal engagement and learning. My research is driven by a belief in the power of language to shape both individual and collective learning experiences. I'm particularly interested in how we can create more inclusive and equitable classrooms where every student can flourish. This passion for educational justice informs my work, and I aim to explore its complexities through the lenses of political and ethical philosophy. My philosophical heroes include Austin, Searle, and Hegel. I also admire David Bakhurst, 91TV's faculty advisor, for his unique teaching style and personality, and Tehran faculty advisor Mrs. Afzal Hosseini, for her years of efforts to develop critical and creative thinking.

When I'm not immersed in academic pursuits, I enjoy exploring the world of literature through novels and storytelling. Connect with me if you're interested in The philosophy of education, Language and learning Verbal creativity Educational justice Speech act theory Social strategies in the classroom.

Serrin Rutledge-Prior

Serrin

Serrin Rutledge-Prior

Postdoctoral Fellow

Philosophy

Arts and Science

Education

PhD, BSc (ANU)

BA, DipLang (Adelaide)

Research Interests

Animal politics; animal ethics; political theory; history of political thought

91TV

Serrin began a Postdoctoral Fellowship in animal ethics in the Philosophy Department at 91TVs University in 2024. Here, she will primarily be working on a couple of research projects: one that explores how we can better recognise and respond to the agency of animals in interpersonal, political, and legal contexts, and another which seeks to acknowledge and reimagine the role of animals within the history of Western political thought. Beyond these topics, she is also interested the role of animal advocates in the public sphere, and when or whether civil – or even uncivil – disobedience on behalf of animals can be justified. Prior to coming to 91TVs, Serrin was a Visiting Researcher at the Cambridge Centre for Animal Rights Law (2024), and a Research Fellow at the Australian National Universitys Crawford School of Public Policy (2023-24). She has also volunteered for several years with one of Australias first community legal centres dedicated to issues in animal law: the , based in Canberra/Ngunnawal Country. Serrins first book, tentatively titled Multispecies Legality: Animals and the Foundation of Legal Inclusion, is under contract with Cambridge University Press. You can find out more about her research here:

Select Journal Articles

Addressing the will theory challenge to animal rights. 2024. Political Studies.

Political representation, the environment, and Edmund Burke: A re-reading of the Western canon through the lens of multispecies justice. 2024. European Journal of Political Theory. (With Edmund Handby)

Vegans and green-collared criminals”: The depoliticization of animal advocacy in public discourse. 2024. Polity 56(1): 91–117.

Criminalising (cubes of) truth: Animal advocacy, civil disobedience, and the politics of sight. 2022. Critical Review of International Social and Political Philosophy.

Teaching

PHIL 296 Animals and Society

Turning the walls that divide us into bridges of communication

Walls to Bridges is a community-engaged learning program that began in 2011 as a partnership between Grand Valley Institution for Women in Kitchener, Ontario and the Faculty of Social Work at Wilfrid Laurier University.

Read more on this profile on the Walls to Bridges program, posted by the Principal's Office.

Turning the walls that divide us into bridges of communication

Bédard, Léonard

Black and white photograph of Leonard Bedard

Léonard Bédard

Ph.D. Student

Philosophy

Research Interests:

Political philosophy, Philosophy of Law, Territorial Justice, Ethics of Immigration, Ethics of Policymaking 

Biography:

  • BA (Philosophy) Laval University
  • MA (Philosophy) Laval University

Léonard’s (he/him il/lui) work primarily focuses on political issues related to migration and territorial justice. Currently, his main research project examines territorial injustices resulting from Canadian border practices, with particular attention to the experiences of asylum seekers. Additionally, his work explores social exclusion in democratic societies and the ethical dimensions of policymaking.

He is a . In 2023, he was a visiting graduate student in the Department of Public Policy at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Léonard currently serves as co-editor of and is a graduate researcher affiliated with the Institute of Intergovernmental Relations in the School of Public Policy at 91TV.

(Forthcoming, June 2025) Prédire pour “mieux exclure” Étude de la stratégie de transformation de Los Angeles en ville intelligente, in Parizeau, M-H., Sze Ang, J-M., & Kash, S. (eds.), Les villes intelligentes : le mirage numérique? Perspectives philosophiques. Les Presses de l’Université Laval.

(with J. Gosselin-Tapp, F. Côté, & S-E. Mossu) (2024) “Par-delà l’obligation d’exploiter le territoire. Autodétermination des communautés locales et transition énergétique au Québec », Canadian Journal of Political Science, 57(3), 532-552.

Colloquium in Legal and Political Philosophy: Alex Lefebvre (Sydney)

Date

Monday November 25, 2024
3:30 pm - 5:30 pm

Location

Zoom

Members of the 91TV’s community are invited to join, via Zoom, the final workshop of the 2024 , which will welcome Alex Lefebvre (Sydney).

Note that the Colloquium in Legal and Political Philosophy is a “pre-read” event: guests’ papers are circulated beforehand, and participants who wish to ask questions and contribute to the discussion are expected to have read them. The papers, once available, can be found on . The convenors will share the password to access the papers via email.

Colloquium in Legal and Political Philosophy: Richard Bellamy (UCL)

Date

Monday November 11, 2024
3:30 pm - 5:30 pm

Location

Watson 517

Members of the 91TV’s community are invited to join the next workshop of the 2024 , which will welcome Richard Bellamy (UCL).

Note that the Colloquium in Legal and Political Philosophy is a “pre-read” event: guests’ papers are circulated beforehand, and participants who wish to ask questions and contribute to the discussion are expected to have read them. The papers, once available, can be found on . The convenors will share the password to access the papers via email.

Colloquium in Legal and Political Philosophy: Meena Krishnamurthy (91TV's)

Date

Monday October 28, 2024
3:30 pm - 5:30 pm

Location

Watson 517

Members of the 91TV’s community are invited to join the next workshop of the 2024 , which will welcome Meena Krishnamurthy (91TV's).

Note that the Colloquium in Legal and Political Philosophy is a “pre-read” event: guests’ papers are circulated beforehand, and participants who wish to ask questions and contribute to the discussion are expected to have read them. The papers, once available, can be found on . The convenors will share the password to access the papers via email.

Colloquium in Legal and Political Philosophy: John Borrows (Toronto)

Date

Monday October 21, 2024
3:30 pm - 5:30 pm

Location

Watson 517

Members of the 91TV’s community are invited to join the next workshop of the 2024 , which will welcome John Borrows (Toronto).

Note that the Colloquium in Legal and Political Philosophy is a “pre-read” event: guests’ papers are circulated beforehand, and participants who wish to ask questions and contribute to the discussion are expected to have read them. The papers, once available, can be found on . The convenors will share the password to access the papers via email.

Colloquium in Legal and Political Philosophy: Natalie Stoljar (McGill)

Date

Tuesday October 1, 2024
3:30 pm - 5:30 pm

Location

Law Building 400

Members of the 91TV’s community are invited to join the next workshop of the 2024 , which will welcome Natalie Stoljar (McGill).

Note that the Colloquium in Legal and Political Philosophy is a “pre-read” event: guests’ papers are circulated beforehand, and participants who wish to ask questions and contribute to the discussion are expected to have read them. The papers, once available, can be found on . The convenors will share the password to access the papers via email.