SEXUALITY, MARRIAGE, AND FAMILY STUDIES
St. Jerome’s University at the University of Waterloo
Meet the Instructors!
The Sexuality, Marriage, and Family Studies Department would not be the same without the influence of its incredible instructors. These folks encourage their students to grow and learn while challenging them to try new things and consider new ideas.
On this page you will find information about some of those instructors! For more information on these individuals and more, visit the official St. Jerome's SMF Faculty website here!
Stacy Jacobs
What is the best thing about teaching in SMF?
The best thing about teaching in SMF is the way it feels like a family. Both students and staff make you feel welcome, secure, and confident about yourself. Everyone is supportive, caring and encouraging, because they want you to succeed. The department allows you to be your best self and the students continually challenge you to grow, change and learn.
What is something you have learned from being part of SMF?
Being part of the SMF Program has taught me to be reflective in a way that works for me. I learned this through being a student in the SMF Program, and I have continued to learn this through being an instructor in the SMF Program. As I grow and change as a person, I have found it increasingly important to reflect on the ways I interact with people, the relationships I hold, and my teaching methods. SMF has taught me there is no wrong way to reflect, only that it is important that I do so.
What is a fun fact about you?
Hot Tub Time Machine is my favourite movie.
Cheese, every kind of cheese, is my favourite food, but nacho cheese from Taco Bell is my all-time fav.
Joseph Pazzano
What is the best thing about teaching in SMF?
The students! The students in SMF are not only brilliant but also deeply committed to engaging in conversations about what social justice looks like on the ground. This makes for incredibly rewarding and complex classroom conversations that you don't necessarily see in other disciplines.
What is something you have learned from being part of SMF?
To my surprise, that there is a committed group of students who will love Gayle Rubin's "charmed circle" just as deeply as I do.
What is a fun fact about you?
When I lived in California, I tried almost every variety of cheesecake at the Cheesecake Factory. When in new places, you must use your time productively. :)
BJ Rye
What is the best thing about teaching in SMF?
I am teaching a topic that applies in the "real world."
What is something you have learned from being part of SMF?
Sexuality as a research field is as broad and diverse as sexuality is itself.
What is a fun fact about you?
I love cucumbers.
Toni Serafini
What is the best thing about teaching in SMF?
Only ONE thing??? Then, the students hold first place. You continue to amaze and inspire me, even after 15(‘ish) years of teaching in SMF. Second is the content – exploring ways to apply theory and research to people’s lived experiences.
What is something you have learned from being part of SMF?
I have witnessed repeatedly the power of community and connection in SMF. SMF becomes part of people’s identity: students, faculty, instructors, staff. It’s deeply moving to work in this kind of environment
What is a fun fact about you?
Well, this is something that I often share with students in classes: I’m afraid of heights and water. Despite this, I am an Open Water Scuba Diver and I spent several years rock climbing regularly. How did I do it? I applied theory and research to my own life to challenge and overcome my fears.
Carm De Santis
What is the best thing about teaching in SMF?
SMF is magical! SMF is full of possibilities because it seems to attract people (students and faculty members) who are critical and holistic thinkers, creative, empathic, and oriented toward social justice. SMF folks are people who are willing to "trust the process," go above and beyond, and be vulnerable in their learning, growing, and teaching.
What is something you have learned from being part of SMF?
In all honesty, there is so much I have learned and continue to learn. For starters, how the powerful combustion of theory and practice can propel each of us to foster and promote meaningful relationships on both intra- and interpersonal levels: relationships that are intimate with family, friends, and lovers along with professional and civic relationships that support our intersecting communities.
What is a fun fact about you?
You could say I have polyamorous interests that include motorcycling, cooking, woodworking, and creative writing while listening to my eclectic music collection. On shuffle you might hear Verdi, Joss Stone, Prince, OMD, Barbra Streisand, ZZ Top, Beyonce, Bruce Springsteen, CCR, Alessia Cara, Leonard Cohen, Aerosmith, Jack Johnson, Lizzo, Meaghan Trainer, Umberto Tozzi, and Schuyler Fisk.
Kevin Nixon
What is the best thing about teaching in SMF?
Definitely the chance to interact and engage with our stellar students! Beyond teaching, I learn so much from each and every one of you. We have an amazing program here at SMF, which affords all of us the opportunity to critically and creatively explore fascinating topics and issues concerning human sexuality, relationships, and families.
What is something you have learned from being apart of SMF?
That learning is a truly interactive process. My students never cease to amaze me. Understanding sexuality, families, and relationships allows us to explore so much of what permeates the “human condition.”
What is a fun fact about you?
I am a huge horror movie fan (especially films from the 60s, 70s, and 80s). For me, horror films index so much of what we “fear” socially, culturally, and politically. They are really interesting for a sex and gender theorist to examine.
Christopher Quinn-Nilas
What is the best thing about teaching in SMF?
The students are the best part! I teach SMF 230 - which is introduction to statistics. This is a class that students are typically a little worried about. Nonetheless, they persist and critically engage with the content and they are excited to be working with real-world data!
What is something you have learned from being apart of SMF?
SMF has presented me with a unique opportunity to teach within a small class-size environment. This has really shown me the value of a smaller class size and a closer university community - where I can structure my class to be more interactive and responsive.
What is a fun fact about you?
I love music and playing guitar - I used to want to be a music teacher!
Denise Whitehead
What is the best thing about teaching in SMF?
I enjoy teaching in SMF because this field of study allows for the incredible intersection between theory, research, and personal experience. In SMF we teach students to help others in all aspects of relationships, sexuality and family, but in turn I relish the moments when students are able to give words and connection to their own experiences in these realms. This is most thrilling when I encounter a student who is taking an SMF course for the first time, sometimes outside of their own discipline, who shares with me that the course was one of the most important and life changing they took in university. It doesn’t get better than that!
What is something you have learned from being part of SMF?
SMF is truly interdisciplinary in a way that some fields of study can only aspire. This is evident in the diversity amongst faculty, the breadth of courses we teach, and the ways that we the faculty, in collaboration with our students, explore SMF from so many vantage points.
What is a fun fact about you?
Most people will assume that I am a total extrovert because I am energetic, outgoing, and love to talk with people. In reality, I am also equal parts introvert who loves my quiet time to read and cross-stitch. I also love to iron clothes while I binge a great show. (And yes, there are people who still iron even though I hear I am part of a dying breed).