Dr. Dale Kirby is a graduate of Memorial University of Newfoundland (BSc 1998; MEd 2000) and the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education of the University of Toronto (PhD 2003). He was appointed an Assistant Professor in the Faculty of Education at Memorial University of Newfoundland in 2006 and was subsequently promoted to the position of Associate Professor in 2011.

Dr. Kirby was Minister of Education and Early Childhood Development for Newfoundland and Labrador from 2015 to 2018 during which time he oversaw the implementation of full-day Kindergarten across the province. He also oversaw the work of the Task Force on Improving Educational Outcomes which carried out a comprehensive review of the Newfoundland and Labrador public school system.

Dr. Kirby’s research interests include transitions to and from post-secondary education and the labour market, with a focus on factors influencing student persistence and success, as well as post-secondary education policy and program development. He has published a wide range of works including articles in national and international refereed journals such as the American Journal of Distance Education, the Canadian Journal of Education, the Canadian Journal of Educational Administration and Policy, the Canadian Journal of Higher Education, the Canadian Journal of University Continuing Education, the Journal of Student Financial Aid, and Journal of Widening Participation and Lifelong Learning.

In recognition of his contributions to the field of higher education, the Canadian Council on Learning named him a Minerva Scholar in 2007. In 2011, Dr. Kirby’s research received the R. W. B. Jackson Award from the Canadian Educational Researchers Association and the Best Research Paper Award at the 2011 European Distance and E-Learning Network (EDEN) Annual Conference.

Dr. Kirby teaches graduate and undergraduate courses in Post-Secondary Education Studies. He has taught Education 3280, 4710, 4730, 6801, 6803, 6807 and 6823.