Catherine Etmanski

Catherine Etmanski is a passionate educator.

Inspired by moments when she recognizes the fundamental beauty of humanity—moments of kindness, cooperation, reconciliation, forgiveness, humour, or of reckless abandon—she strives to replicate elements of this beauty in her work as a scholar. She enjoys organizing engaged spaces for growth and, in some cases, radical transformation—spaces that balance deep critical reflection with the joy of learning; that are inclusive and accessible; and that inspire hope for a more compassionate and just world.

She has been part of Royal Roads University’s School of Leadership Studies’ Core Faculty since January 2012, and served as Director of the School from 2016 to 2022. Her areas of focus include arts-based research, learning, activism, and community development; action-oriented and participatory approaches to research; global citizenship; and ecological leadership.

She came to Royal Roads from the University of Victoria, where she taught Leadership in their Faculty of Education. She also taught in UVic's Master's of Community Development and worked closely with their Office of Community Based Research, where she was responsible for public outreach and cross-campus education for faculty, staff, and students interested in campus-community partnerships.

Her scholarly journey has been interdisciplinary in nature: She holds a PhD in Adult Education (UVic), an MA in Community and International Development Planning (UBC), and a BA in Linguistics (SFU). Her (2007) doctoral work employed participatory theatre as a research method with international students.

She has published in areas related to the learning and teaching of action-oriented, community-based participatory research, mindful leadership, environmental adult education, transformative education, and arts-based research.