Michael Smith Foreign Study Supplements for Current CGS Holders - SSHRC, NSERC and CIHR

Lorenzo Vargas, Communication and Culture PhD Candidate and SSHRC CGS Doctoral Award Recipient

The purpose of this foreign study placement is to allow me to enhance my understanding of communication practices among local communities in the Amazon region. I will achieve this by spending six months working closely with Dr. Eliana del Rosario Herrera Huérfano at UNIMINUTO University in Colombia, whose research focuses on decolonial communication and media practices in the Colombian Amazon. 

My PhD research, “Bottom-up Climate Justice: Citizens' Media as Tools for Climate Adaptation”, examines the ways in which local communities in the Amazon regions of Brazil, Colombia, and Ecuador are pursuing climate justice in policy-making processes by using community radio.

Anne-Marie Cloutier, Film and Photography Preservation and Collections Management MA student and SSHRC CGS Master's Award recipient

My residency placement at the Fonds de dotation agnès b. in Paris will consist of “bringing back to life” the personal archives of Agnès Troublé dit agnès b., French stylist, art collector and patron of underrepresented and emerging artists. By researching the photographs within this invaluable archive, I hope to contribute to the existing literature regarding agnès Troublé and the role she has played in the dissemination of marginalized artists and their recognition and visibility in visual culture at large.

I express all my gratitude to the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council for supporting my research and contributing to a greater quality of life throughout the completion of my thesis research at the Fonds de dotation agnès b.

Mila Sevo, Film and Photography Preservation and Collections Management MA student and SSHRC CGS Master's Award recipient

With the support of the Michael Smith Foreign Study Supplement, I am able to travel to Paris to complete my residency at the Bibliothèque nationale de France. My research examines how collections management practices mediate the history of contemporary photography, particularly when challenged with experimental processes or fragmented artist archives. In addition to gaining professional experience at the BnF’s Department of Prints and Photography, I am also assisting the department with an internal research project regarding late-20th century women photographers in the collection. I am grateful to the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council for making this experience possible.

Jaclyn Marcus, Communication and Culture PhD student and SSHRC CGS Doctoral Award recipient

I am grateful to have been awarded a Michael Smith Foreign Study Supplement, which allows me to work with Dr. Ben Barry in the School of Fashion at Parsons School of Design – The New School in New York City. This funding supports my research into the development of a North American fashion studies network and the expansion of the open-access publishing practice already underway in the field of fashion through the journal Fashion Studies.

This project, entitled Modelling Collaborative Networks: Developing an International Fashion Studies, answers the following research questions: What might a collaborative network in fashion studies look like? What models would be most successful within this discipline and space? How would this collaborative network be put into practice? This work grants me the opportunity to develop industry- and academy-based connections, learning from the world-renowned faculty and students in the New School Fashion program as I prepare for the final year of my PhD.

Krischanda Bemister, Psychology PhD student and SSHRC Vanier CGS Doctoral Award recipient

In Japan, experiences of mental, emotional and physical well-being are referred to as iyashi. Since the “iyashi boom” in the 1990s, the popularity of animal cafes and animal businesses have been steadily rising across the country, with a focus on decreasing anxiety through human-animal interactions (HAIs). My research explores the impact of a HAI-focused course on graduate students’ perceptions of, and empathy for, non-human animals. It also ethnographically examines teaching and learning practices in Japanese university classrooms.

With the support of the Michael Smith Foreign Study Supplement, I will travel to Japan to conduct my research at Hokkaido University, in partnership with Dr. Johan Edelheim.

Farokh laqa Kakar, Civil Engineering PhD and Vanier NSERC CGS Doctoral Award recipient

"Is North American sludge (poop) different than Europeans? Which one produces more energy? These are the questions I will investigate through the application of resource recovery technologies on sludge from these two continents. During my PhD, I have been studying the potential of methane and organic acids recovery through anaerobic digestion and vacuum fermentation technology using sludge in North America towards a circular economy. Now it is time to head to Italy and see how the European sludge will perform.

“I am grateful to the NSERC - Michael Smith Foreign Study Supplement Award that allowed me to think about such a novel idea and realize it. I believe for any graduate student, getting international experience is a unique experience and eyeopener to the world. Getting international experience not only adds to one’s technical knowledge and expertise but also teaches one about research culture in different corners of the world and much more. So look for it!" 

Payam Emadi, Mechanical and Industrial Engineering PhD and NSERC CGS Doctoral Award recipient

“My research is focused on improving the properties of lightweight metals to promote their widespread use in industry. Increasing the use of light structural metals is critical for achieving emission targets and decreasing our carbon footprint. With support from the Michael Smith Foreign Study Supplement, I hope to spend a summer at the Indian Institute of Technology in Madras. Using their state-of-the-art electron microscopy and materials characterization facilities, I hope to develop and examine a novel magnesium-based alloy for use in the transportation and aerospace sectors. This is an incredible opportunity for me to be trained in the use of modern characterization equipment, improve the quality of my dissertation and strengthen my analytical skillset. I am extremely grateful for this award.”

Bev Fredborg, Psychology PhD

“I am incredibly grateful for the Michael Smith Foreign Study Supplement as this award will allow me to attend the laboratory of Dr. Martin Bohus in Mannheim, Germany. There, I will conduct important research on predictors of treatment response for individuals diagnosed with borderline personality disorder who have completed dialectical behaviour therapy, the gold-standard treatment for individuals with this disorder.

“The educational opportunities I will receive in the Bohus lab are of extreme value, both in shaping my career path as a clinician-scientist-in-training, as well as in informing my work on my PhD dissertation. Moreover, it will help me form meaningful relationships between researchers in Toronto and in Germany, which should prove fruitful for years to come.”

Alexandra Gooding, Film + Photography Preservation and Collections Management MA

“I am grateful to have been awarded the Michael Smith Foreign Study Supplement, which will significantly aid me in completing my thesis research and work placement at the Royal Commonwealth Society (RCS) Library department at Cambridge University Library, England.

“My research focuses on the historic photographic representation of the circum-Caribbean and how that region is visually represented and made accessible in institutional collections. My thesis critically examines the geographic vocabularies prescribed by international archival description standards and how their rigorous nature often inhibits accurate and consistent descriptions of this complex region, thereby hindering users’ intellectual access to Caribbean-related materials. I will be using the RCS’s photograph collection as a case study to develop my research while simultaneously assisting with the preservation and cataloguing of their photographic materials.”

Amber Grant, Environmental Applied Science and Management PhD

“My PhD research explores whether and how environmental justice goals are being defined, pursued and implemented in community tree-planting plans and programs in Philadelphia, Pa. With support from the Michael Smith Foreign Study Supplement, I will be able to work with Dr. Lara Roman at the U.S. Forest Service in Philadelphia.

“This opportunity will allow me to build and strengthen relationships with urban forest practitioners and community members who are actively engaged in urban tree-planting and tree care work. Additionally, I will have the opportunity to learn from Dr. Roman, an expert and prolific author in urban forest management and ecology.

“I am grateful for this meaningful opportunity to collaboratively engage in transdisciplinary research abroad, strengthen my doctoral work and establish lasting relationships with the urban forest community in Philadelphia.”

Stephanie Hill, Communication and Culture PhD

“My research examines private companies as actors in communication about political controversies, and particularly considers their effectiveness and appropriateness in providing or removing a platform for different kinds of political speech. Research of this kind requires a range of case studies and the support of the Michael Smith Foreign Study Supplement enables me to spend a semester studying under the supervision of Dr. Robin Mansell at the London School of Economics and Political Science in London, U.K. Studying in England provides an opportunity to expand my analysis beyond North America, to include the perspectives of professionals engaging with a uniquely challenging political crisis, and to draw on the expertise of internationally renowned academics in my field. I’m looking forward to incorporating new perspectives into my research and learning from colleagues in England and across Europe.”

Vathsala Illesinghe, Policy Studies PhD

“At a time when there is a greater demand for global, cross-national perspectives in migration studies, research in this domain must transcend borders, make room for a wide range of perspectives, languages, cultures and be open to bold, new forms of inquiry. The Michael Smith Foreign Study Supplement allows me to take on this challenging task. It provides an additional source of support for a period of fieldwork in South Asia to understand women’s pre-migration experiences, to gather perspectives of stakeholders in the country of origin and to collaboratively co-create and disseminate knowledge ensuring its reach beyond Canada. With the generosity of this supplement, there is an opportunity to explore future research collaborations and begin some of the work that goes beyond a PhD dissertation. Creating space for South Asian women’s transnational organizing and activism would be the most significant and overarching long-term outcome of the work supported by this award.”

Tamara Meixner, Psychology PhD student, 2017 CIHR Doctoral Award recipient

"Being awarded a Michael Smith Foreign Study Supplement will allow me to spend summer 2018 at Yale University conducting research alongside Dr. Nancy Suchman and her team. In the United States, Dr. Suchman is a leader in the development and evaluation of attachment-based parenting interventions for mothers with substance use and psychiatric disorders.

"This opportunity to expand and strengthen my clinical research abilities will both facilitate the completion of my ongoing doctoral work here at TMU and shape my future thinking and contributions to the field.

"I am grateful for this exciting training endeavour and hope that it will be one of many research partnerships between TMU and Yale.​"

Fiona C. Thomas, Psychology PhD student

"As a recipient of the Michael Smith Foreign Study Supplement, I have had the opportunity to conduct my PhD dissertation research in Sri Lanka. My research is focused on the risk and resilience factors of comorbid psychopathology in return migrants in post-conflict Northern Sri Lanka.

"I partnered with researchers and clinicians from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and Anglia Ruskin University in the United Kingdom, and from the University of Jaffna in Sri Lanka. During my time in Sri Lanka, I worked closely with local researchers to ensure that my research questions were appropriate for the political climate of post-war Sri Lanka. I also provided qualitative data collection training to research assistants based in Northern Sri Lanka and collaborated with them to translate questionnaires and conduct interviews with participants.

"I am grateful for this novel global mental health opportunity and hope that it will lead to additional future international collaborations for TMU."

Eli Vandersluis, Mechanical and Industrial Engineering PhD student

"My research focuses on improving the thermal conductivity of cast aluminum automotive components, with efforts towards enhancing engine efficiency and promoting environmental sustainability. With support from the Michael Smith Foreign Study Supplement, I will be able to spend summer 2019 enriching my work at Technion in Israel, a world-renowned expert in the advanced characterization of materials.

"While there, I will have the opportunity to expand my knowledge of materials analysis techniques and make use of their state-of-the-art, high-resolution apparatus. The data generated during my studies abroad will complement and strengthen my findings as well as add much depth to my research scope.

"I look forward to this valuable international experience, and I am excited to perform significant and stimulating work that will support my project objectives."

Richard Zeifman, Psychology PhD student

"I am grateful to have been awarded the Michael Smith Foreign Study Supplement. This award will allow me to spend the summer conducting research under the supervision of Dr. Robin Carhart-Harris at Imperial College London. 

"Dr. Carhart-Harris is an expert in psychedelic drugs and is conducting a randomized controlled trial comparing psilocybin (a psychedelic drug) and escitalopram (a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor; SSRI) as interventions for major depressive disorder.

"During my time in London, I will be contributing toward this trial and exploring the impact of psychedelics on suicidality. This opportunity will allow me to explore psychedelics as a potentially novel intervention for suicidality, as well as collaborate and establish important relationships with research and clinicians at Imperial College London."

Christopher Raghubar, Building Science MASc student, 2017 NSERC Canada Graduate Scholarships - Master's (CGS-M) recipient

"The Michael Smith Foreign Study Supplement has allowed me to receive critical and comprehensive feedback from experts in the field of thermal engineering – specifically, heat transfer and energy storage.

"Although challenging at times, my studies at the National Institute of Applied Science (INSA) in Lyon, France have been extremely rewarding and have improved the quality of my research in terms of both novelty and rigorousness, pushing me to thoroughly evaluate, refine and execute my research scope.

"Studying at INSA has also enabled me to meet various students from around the world, travel to several destinations, and enjoy the European quality of life."