As the fall semester begins at King's, we are excited to greet not only our new students but also the newest additions to our faculty.
The following faculty members have joined King's in full-time, tenure-track positions.
Dr. Lisa McLean - Assistant Professor, Department of Thanatology (transferring from a limited-term appointment [LTA] to tenure track)
Dr. McLean says she is thrilled to join King's as a tenure-track faculty member and to continue teaching the "fantastic students" in the Department of Thanatology.
Dr. McLean has been a full-time faculty member in the Department of Thanatology for four years in a limited-term appointment. Before joining King's, she taught as an adjunct faculty member for the Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Program at Northeastern University and the School for Conflict Analysis and Resolution at George Mason University. She also held a Visiting Research Fellowship at the Kroc School for International Peace Studies at the University of Notre Dame.
This semester, Dr. McLean will be teaching Introduction to Thanatology, Topical Issues in Thanatology, and Diversity and Social Justice Issues in Thanatology at King's. During the winter semester, she will teach Grief Activism as well as Social and Political Discourse in Thanatology.
"Teaching in a small liberal arts college in a field as fascinating and important as Thanatology has been a dream. I'm thankful for all of the students, colleagues, and mentors who have supported and inspired me along the way," says Dr. McLean.
Dr. Mehdi Rasteh - Assistant Professor, School of Management, Economics, and Mathematics
Dr. Rasteh is "truly excited to be teaching at King's." This semester, he will be teaching Finance for Management & Organizational Studies and Advanced Corporate Finance.
Dr. Rasteh completed his Ph.D. at Concordia University in 2024. His research spanned corporate finance, banking, real estate, and sustainable finance. He taught several finance courses at Concordia as a lecturer and adjunct professor and coordinated the financial investment lab, which enriched both his teaching and mentorship with practical experience. He has also spent time as a visiting researcher at MIT.
There are also two professors joining King's in limited-term appointments.
Dr. Carmen McCarron - Assistant Professor, Department of English, French, and Writing
Dr. McCarron will be teaching two full-year advanced French language courses (French 1910 and 3900), a course in French-language Indigenous literature and culture (French 3760F) and a course in AI vs. human translation (French 3305B).
In addition to having more than 25 years of experience in teaching, Dr. McCarron holds an Honours Bachelor's degree in French Language and Literature from the University of Alberta and a Master's in French Literature from the University of Calgary. She also taught at the University of Calgary and Mount Royal College. She moved to London to complete her Ph.D. in French Studies at Western while splitting time between Canada and Europe.
Dr. McCarron has taught extensively at Western, Huron, Brescia and Fanshawe College. "And along the way - while doing what I love professionally - I ended up with a new mini dachshund, a wonderful husband and two amazing sons," she says.
She says King's is the best place she has ever taught. "Academically, we rival much larger universities, but our small classes allow us to truly know our students, who come from all different walks of life. Every classroom feels like a space where individual voices matter and where genuine growth is possible," she says.
Dr. Melanie Stone - Lecturer, Department of Disability Studies
Having been a sessional instructor at King's for seven years in both Sociology and Disability Studies, Dr Stone says she "loves teaching at King's."
"I find the students bring insightful and important questions to our discussions, and that the warm and smaller class environments give us an opportunity to tackle the big questions," she says.
Dr. Stone will be teaching Introduction to Disability Studies as well as Changing Contexts and Practices, which focuses on disability policy and its impacts on our communities.
She holds Master of Arts degrees in Critical Disability Studies and in Women's Studies & Feminist Research. She received a Ph.D. in Gender, Sexuality and Women's Studies at Western, after completing a project that looked at how mothers with disabilities navigated work engagement in London. Dr. Stone is finishing up her stint as the City of London's Accessibility and Inclusion Advisor, where she taught and engaged in accessibility.
"The students at King's bring a wonderful energy, and I can't wait to get back into the classroom," says Dr. Stone.
Welcome to our new faculty at King's. We're delighted to have you here and look forward to the positive impact you'll have. We trust your time at King's will be fulfilling and that your classes will inspire and engage our students.
