Student Stories

After working in the Bangladesh development sector for ten years, PhD student M Manjurul Islam is turning his focus to climate change adaptation. Through his research, Manjurul hopes to identify and develop sustainable practices that positively contribute to food security while mitigating the impacts of climate change.  

In recognition of this valuable research, Manjurul has been awarded a 2023 Arrell Scholarship. 

Anindita (Dita) Ponkshe is an undergraduate student in the Honours Political Science program.

Although chronic pain is often an invisible illness, the impacts it can have on the lives of those living with it are profound.  

Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology PhD student Delane Linkiewich hopes to support adolescents living with chronic pain through peer support groups, where they can connect with others who have similar lived experiences to share knowledge and build relationships. 

For Master of Applied Nutrition student Yang Tzu-Yi, the decision of whether to pursue her master's was a tough one. After completing the last year of her undergrad in Applied Human Nutrition online while living in China during the pandemic, Tzu-Yi got a job in China as a teacher. She debated whether it made sense to walk away from a stable job and take on the high cost of paying for continued education and moving back to Canada. 

Abigail Mitchell (she/her) is a PhD student in Sociology at the University of Guelph and holds an MA in Criminology and Criminal Justice Policy from U of G. Her research focuses on domestic homicide, sexual femicide and internet-facilitated child sexual abuse.  

Sexual assault may feel like a difficult and taboo topic to bring up in conversation, but second year Psychology and International Development PhD student Laureen Owaga wants to break the silence around sexual assault and intimate partner violence. 

Passionate about her work, Laureen hopes that her research looking at implementing a Canadian sexual assault prevention program in Kenya will not only help Kenyan women and girls, but also inform findings that can improve the program back in Canada.  

As an International Development Student, I knew that I needed to study abroad to get to know different cultures. That is why I wanted to come to Singapore to study abroad, as it's a country that is considered a developing country and cares deeply about sustainability.

I remember the first time that I disclosed my Indigenous identity in a class. The students that were sitting around me almost did, what seemed to be, an over-exaggerated double-take that practically took their necks out and made their eyes pop out of their heads.

"What do you do when you give so much of yourself to one label or identity that you forget about all the others?"

While working her way through academia, Katie Pothier unintentionally learned more about herself than she ever expected. Katie discusses her experience of having a false idea of her identity, losing it all, and eventually discovering her true self through the pursuit of a master's degree in Criminology and Criminal Justice Policy.

Olivia Dobson is a master’s student in the Department of Psychology’s Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology (CCAP)program. Olivia’s research, under her supervisor Dr. Meghan McMurtry examines needle pain management strategies that assist those with autism.

Olivia recently received the 2021 Autism Scholars Award – an $18,000 prize – for her “leading edge scholarship into autism."