Building inclusive futures
Collins’ research is generating new insights into what helps Black students thrive in education. Through her interdisciplinary, bilingual work, she examines how language and institutional systems influence students’ sense of belonging and success. This focus extends beyond research, informing her community-centred efforts to identify barriers to inclusion and develop policies and practices that create more equitable, supportive learning environments.
Collins has an exceptional record of research funding for projects that strengthen inclusion and expand educational opportunities for Black students. She has also established a reputation as a person with a strong vision for creating spaces where scholars and communities can come together for meaningful conversations. “We need to interrogate the research itself to uncover how research about Black Canadians can transform systemic inequities in education, employment and health,” she says.
In a prime example of her commitment to improving research processes and connecting people shaping education systems, she led the Faculty’s first-ever National Black-Affirming Research Methods Summer Institute this past summer. The three-day conference was supported by a Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council grant. It brought students, community-engaged researchers and scholars to campus to explore research about Black communities in Canada. Keynote addresses and panel presentations featured a Canadian senator as well as prominent professors from Alberta, Ontario, Quebec and the United States.
“I’m sincerely grateful for this recognition and look forward to continuing to build research that advances knowledge while remaining connected to the communities it aims to serve.”
Tya Collins, PhD
— Assistant Professor, Faculty of Education
Advancing equity
“Receiving this award is both an honour and an encouragement,” says Collins.
“As someone who spent many years working in schools before entering academia, I’ve always been motivated to conduct research that speaks to real educational challenges and contributes to more equitable outcomes for students. This award recognizes not only the work accomplished thus far but also the collaborative relationships with students, community organizations, fellow scholars, remarkable mentors and research participants who have made that work possible. I’m sincerely grateful for this recognition and look forward to continuing to build research that advances knowledge while remaining connected to the communities it aims to serve,” she adds.
John Ranellucci, the Faculty’s Vice-Dean, Research and Professional Development, highlights Collins’ dedication to mentoring and her contributions to a thriving research ecosystem.
“Professor Tya Collins’ remarkable success goes beyond securing significant funding and publishing high impact research but also has a direct influence on her students and the broader community,” he says.
“She has had far-reaching impact in areas that are especially valued in the Faculty of Education. From hosting a Summer Institute on strengthening methodological capacity in Black-affirming inquiry for emerging scholars to spending considerable time and effort teaching, mentoring, and training students, her work is helping to shape the next generation of researchers and practitioners while strengthening the overall research culture and capacity of our Faculty,” he explains.
Collins will receive her award during the Faculty of Education’s Research Celebration on October 7.
More about Tya Collins
Tya Collins is an assistant professor in the Faculty of Education. Her teaching and research emphasize an interdisciplinary approach drawing from the fields of education, sociology, critical youth studies, Black studies and disability studies. Her most recent co-authored articles include Educational Experiences of Black Children and Youth in Canada: A Scoping Review (2026), The False Dichotomy Between Theory and Practice in Education: Critical Reflections on the Usefulness of Theory for Educational Practice Inspired by bell hooks and Paulo Freire (2025) and Broadening Core Research Ethics Principles: Insights from Research Conducted with Black Communities (2025).
