Juan Carlos Castro (PhD, University of British Columbia ’10, MAT Maryland Institute College of Art ’00, BFA - Photography, ‘99) is Chair and Associate Professor in the Department of Art Education at Concordia University in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. His research focuses on the dynamics and qualities of knowing, learning and teaching art through social and mobile media as understood through complexity thinking, network theory, and mobility studies. His current research examines how mobile media coupled with creative production networks knowledge in urban environments to create educational and civic engagement with teens and young adults. He is currently Principle Investigator for the Social Sciences and Humanities Council Insight funded project: MonCoin: Investigating mobile learning networks to foster educational engagement with at-risk youth (2015-2018). Prior to joining the faculty at Concordia University, Juan has taught at the University of Illinois, University of British Columbia, Johns Hopkins University, Maryland Institute College of Art, and the Burren College of Art. Juan is a former National Board Certified Teacher and taught at Towson High School in Maryland. As a high school teacher, Castro's teaching and curriculum was awarded a Coca-Cola Foundation Distinguished Teacher in the Arts from the National Foundation for the Advancement in the Arts and twice awarded with a U.S. Presidential Scholars Teacher Recognition Award. In 2013, he was awarded the Manuel Barkan Memorial Award from the National Art Education Association for. He is also co-editor of the recently released book entitled: Educational, Psychological, and Behavioral Considerations in Niche Online Communities (2014) and: Youth practices in digital arts and new media: Learning in formal and informal settings (2015).