Laura Elizabeth Pinto is an Assistant Professor at the University of Ontario Institute of Technology's (UOIT) Faculty of Education and the recipient of a 2009 Canadian Governor General’s Gold Medal for her research. Her critically-oriented research focuses on democracy and social justice in both education policy and practice. Her empirical research focuses on policy production processes, with emphasis on privatization of policy functions, critical feminist analysis, critical thinking, and financial literacy education. The author/co-author of 11 books and several dozen articles, her publications appear in both scholarly and professional journals to reach both scholars and practitioners. Her latest books are ‘From Discipline to Culturally Responsive Engagement’ (Corwin/SAGE, 2013) and ‘Curriculum reform in Ontario: common sense processes and democratic possibilities’ (University of Toronto Press, 2012) which was shortlisted for the Speaker's Book Award of the Ontario Legislature.
She completed her PhD from the University of Toronto in 2009. She also holds degrees in commerce and education. Her research interests include:
*Education policy and politics
*Critical democracy and education
*Critical thinking
*Financial literacy education
*Evidence-based practice
*Equity and social justice in pedagogy and leadership