Realize your future with TMU Graduate Studies
Making black-and-white more grey
Nathaniel Brunt, Communication and Culture PhD student and Trudeau Scholar
As Toronto Met University’s second Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation Scholar (external link) , Communication and Culture PhD student Nathaniel Brunt is exploring how photography plays a role in memory and history. For his dissertation, Brunt is examining amateur archival photographs of social lives in Kashmir and how they influence perceptions of conflict.
What drives your research?
As a cultural historian and documentarian, human stories are at the core of what I do: stories of people who have to live through these horrible events, but also stories of hope and resilience, which are found at the extremes of human existence.
Regardless of the location, I want to deconstruct the oversimplified, black-and-white view often portrayed by mainstream media and show people that there is this uncomfortable grey area in modern conflict, so we can try to solve problems with a better understanding of the complexity of these contemporary issues.
Is there objectivity in photography?
No. Photography has a direct connection to reality, but it’s fragmentary and limited to what you see in the frame. I do believe in honesty and integrity as part of the photographer's role, which for me involves being transparent about the subjective nature of the medium by putting myself into it while acknowledging my outsider status.
How has your TMU graduate education been?
It’s been a very positive experience. This is my second graduate degree at TMU, so it was natural for me to come back because of the university’s tradition of blending practice and rigorous academic work and its longstanding connection to photography and documentary media.
The graduate faculty has been amazing at giving guidance and pushing me in directions I wouldn’t have thought about otherwise. I’ve developed great relationships and friendships with the faculty. They have always been supportive and there for me when I needed them.
How has the Trudeau Scholarship affected your career?
It’s an incredible opportunity to be part of this unbelievably interesting and diverse community of scholars. I’ve met so many researchers who are exploring fascinating topics that are so different from mine.
It’s also opened doors to connecting with people I didn’t think I could reach before. For me, research is important but disseminating it is equally important, which is why I’m using photography as a means to communicate my learnings and engage the broader public. The average person may not read a scholarly article, but a photograph is much more accessible. So to be able to share my work with a large audience is really exciting.
"The graduate faculty have been amazing at giving guidance and pushing me in directions I wouldn’t have thought about otherwise. They have always been there for me when I needed them."
‘The journey continues to be amazing’
Cyrus Sundar Singh, Communication and Culture PhD student and Documentary Media MFA alumnus
Mahnoor Shahid, Master of Public Policy and Administration alumna
Dr. Kristopher Alexander, Master of Digital Media professor
Rachel McNamee, Environmental Applied Science and Management MASc alumna
Gavin Ball, Master of Digital Media alumnus
Shay Erlich, Child and Youth Care MA graduate
Dr. Karen Spalding, Director, Master of Health Administration (Community Care)
Charlie Wall-Andrews, Management PhD student and Trudeau Scholar
Shaping the future of health care
Kittie Pang, Master of Health Administration (Community Care) student
Dominic Akena, Documentary Media MFA alumnus
Jessica Phulchand, Molecular Science PhD student
Dr. Jenny Liu, Psychology PhD alumna
Emily Shepherdson, Aerospace Engineering PhD student
Pearson Ripley, Documentary Media MFA alumnus
Dr. Dale Carl, Director of Graduate Students and Professor, Ted Rogers School of Management
Asmaa Malik, Scholar-in-Residence, Yeates School of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies
A new look at the world’s oldest profession
Jenny Duffy, master’s alumna, Philosophy & Public Policy and Administration
Christian Hui, Master of Social Work alumnus
Dr. Anne Wagner, Psychology MA, PhD alumna and adjunct professor
Humza Nusrat, Biomedical Physics PhD student
Making black-and-white more grey
Nathaniel Brunt, Communication and Culture PhD student and Trudeau Scholar
Supporting women through building science
Building Science master's students
Andrew Brankley, Psychology MA alumnus and PhD student
Using drones to locate people with dementia
Dalia Hanna, Computer Science PhD student
Building sustainability into architecture
Matthew Ferguson, Architecture master's student
Flipping the script on Black men's pain
David Grant, Master of Social Work alumnus
Standing up for immigrant women
Vathsala Illesinghe, Policy Studies PhD student
Riley Kucheran, Communication and Culture PhD student
Dr. Kamal Al-Solaylee, Journalism professor, Faculty of Communication & Design
Jamie Fine, Mechanical and Industrial Engineering PhD student
Richa Siddavaatam, Computer Science PhD student
Travonne Edwards, Child and Youth Care MA alumnus
Giving refugees a second chance
Adrienne Smith, Immigration and Settlement Studies MA alumna
Opening possibilities with inclusive tech
Mauricio Meza, MBA-MTI alumnus
Ella Dubinsky, Psychology MA
Secret marathon meets social change
Kate McKenzie, Master of Digital Media alumna
Julie Robertson, Environmental Applied Science and Management MASc alumna
Transgender research meets transformed lives
Jake Pyne, Master of Social Work
Cannabis research meets new potential
Steve Naraine, Molecular Science MSc
Jewelry business meets digital disruption
Noura Sakkijha, Ted Rogers MBA
Dr. Ben Barry, Professor and Director, Centre for Fashion Diversity and Social Change
Dr. Samin Eftekhari, Chemical Engineering PhD
City issues meet the big picture
Dr. Colin Robert Phillips, Policy Studies PhD
Cancer research meets better patient care
Dr. Michael Kolios, Professor and Associate Dean, Research and Graduate Studies, Faculty of Science
Ariana Cancelli, Master’s in Urban Development, MPl
Professional passion meets real-world opportunities
Jacky Au Duong, Master of Professional Communication
Inspirational faculty meets innovative research
Dr. Amira Abdelrasoul, Chemical Engineering PhD
Entrepreneurship meets accessibility
Maayan Ziv, Master of Digital Media alumna
Life-changing experience meets long-term success
Adedoyin Adesemowo, MBA-MTI
Ancient traditions meet empowered youth
Dr. Réal Carrière, Policy Studies PhD