Elizabeth (Bessa) Whitmore, Professor Emerita at Carleton University School of Social Work, Ottawa, Canada, has been teaching the Capstone seminar (Development Studies specialization) since 2004. The course involves a partnership with World University Service of Canada (WUSC) in which students act as ‘consultants.’ The topics, proposed by WUSC are based on their needs and interests in any given year, and have varied from work on MDGs, how to use information technologies more effectively, to developing more effective monitoring and evaluation approaches for selected programs.
She brings broad experience in international development work, including teaching, community work and/or research in Guyana, Nicaragua, Chile, Ethiopia and Botswana. Her particular interest is in participatory approaches to research and evaluation. She has written widely on these topics, including Seeds of fire: International development in an age of globalism (2000), an edited volume Understanding and practicing participatory evaluation (1998), in addition to book chapters and journal articles. She is currently writing a book on the meaning of success in social justice activism work, based on a research project in collaboration with activist groups and organizations across Canada.