From hairstylist to university

Dr. Sally Vinden’s lifelong learning journey

Dr. Sally Vinden is living proof that the places education can take you have no limits.

Her career has taken many different directions – hairstylist in London, instructor in Vancouver Island University’s Hairdressing program and, mostly, recently Associate Dean. 

After building a thriving career in the UK, Sally’s move to Canada sparked a new passion: teaching. She introduced herself to the hairdressing faculty at Malaspina College (now VIU) and, with their encouragement, pursued a Provincial Instructor Diploma. That was just the beginning. 

“Although I already had a well-established career, it didn’t stop me from going in a completely different direction,” she remembers. 

A lifelong learner, Sally kept pursuing her passion for improving the way she teaches. She went on to earn a Master of Education and a PhD in Educational Theory and Practice from Simon Fraser University in 2020.

 “I wanted to prove that vocational and academic learning don’t have to be separate paths,” she adds. 

 But breaking the mold wasn’t easy. Some even questioned the point of her seeking a PhD, asking what she would do with it. Sally’s answer is more philosophical: 

 “A PhD is not a commodity; it changes you. It changes how you think about things and your perceptions about what is happening in the world.” 

When she started her PhD, she credits her colleagues and the connections she has made throughout her career at VIU with encouraging her to continue.

Leading change in education 

 As Associate Dean with VIU’s Faculty of Trades and Applied Technology, Sally is bridging the gap between trades programming and academia, leading interdisciplinary research and championing innovation in teaching and learning. 

During the COVID-19 pandemic, having already developed an online hairstylist apprenticeship program when trades couldn’t be taught online, she helped other instructors navigate the transition to online teaching modules. Sally created the digital tool shed, a virtual platform where instructors and faculty gathered weekly to discuss challenges and successes and share solutions. This sparked others from across the country to develop digital communities of practice. 

Sally’s research explores the intersection of trades education and academic learning. She is hoping to break down the myth that only academic programs can do research.

For example, culinary students work with microbiology students every year to come up with new fermented seaweed products. They presented their products at the Urchin Tank – a Dragon’s Den-style event that includes judges from the seaweed industry. The products are in response to industry’s need to find more ways to use their harvest – a sustainable, renewable resource.

Her accomplishments have earned her a BCcampus Award for Excellence in Open Education. She was the lead author of Teaching and Learning in a Digital World, a study that explores the strengths of digital teaching and learning in trades and vocational training, which was highlighted at the Canadian Institutes of Canada (CICan) Congress 2024

Sally believes VIU can shift mindsets, break barriers and inspire innovation by fostering interdisciplinary pathways. 

Her story is a powerful reminder that learning is lifelong, and that education can transform lives. 

Recent articles

• An Exploration of British Columbia's TVET Instructors' Perceptions that Influence their Curriculum Choices, available at SFU Summit 

Dissecting Disruption in Academia: An Activity Theory Lens on Teaching Transition Amidst COVID-19, co-authored with Dr. Natalia Gajdamaschko, available at Journal of Higher Education Theory and Practice