The Department of Sociology and Anthropology at Carleton University is one of the oldest and most highly regarded departments within its disciplines in Canada. Offering undergraduate and graduate programs in Sociology and Anthropology, and a Minor in Community Engagement, our department is a lively hub of academic research, training, and learning. In both disciplines, we offer the full range of academic programs, from B.A. to Ph.D.
We are also part of a joint initiative offering a Bachelor of Global and International Studies with two different specializations. Our interdisciplinary programs offer courses and supervision in a wide range of areas that encompass sociological and anthropological theory and methods, applied research training, community engagement, and critical analysis.
Below you find tributes by some of the professors with whom Olava has studied and worked. If you knew Olava and want to share a tribute to her life, or just talk about your experiences of loss and grief, please feel free to contact us anytime at Soc-Anthro@cunet.carleton.ca, or see us in the department. Bernhard LeistleChair of Department
Olava was such an outstanding and engaged student in all of the classes she took during her time here at Carleton University. It was only this past summer that I really appreciated and understood the depth of her commitment to her scholarly pursuits and interests, and the grace she so evidently had in abundance. Despite any difficulties she may have been facing at the time, Olava spent a chunk of her time in Europe finalizing assignment submissions for one of my courses-while also managing to send the now much-cherished photograph of ‘viale Antonio Gramsci’ from somewhere in Italy too. Upon hearing the tragic news of her passing, I was flabbergasted and humbled to think of Olava’s diligence and commitment to completing her studies. I knew and will always remember Olava as a very gentle-spirited, kind-hearted and softly spoken person. May she rest in peace.
Billy Flynn, Associate Professor of Sociology (teaching stream)
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I remember Olava as one of the most brilliant and engaged undergraduate students of my career. She cared about sociology and social theory because she cared about others. Her questions and contributions, whether in class or office hours or outside of class time, were challenging and insightful, and part of her own quest to make critical thought meaningful (and, conversely, to make her world meaningful through critical thought and enquiry). Her scholarship demonstrated passion, warmth, and humility, and she was an absolute joy to work with inside and outside the classroom; I was looking forward to working with her further. She is deeply missed.
Justin Paulson, Associate Professor of Sociology and Director of the Institute of Political Economy
I was very lucky to have Olava in my Social Movements class in the fall of 2022. I soon learned that Olava was passionate about human rights and fighting for them, and I discovered she had been active in causes such as the struggle for action on climate change and the fight for human rights in Sudan. As I got to know her, I learned that Olava had lived in a number of different parts of Canada and had spent time on the West coast where I come from. Olava was a great person to have in the mix for our Social Movements course as she made many thoughtful contributions to class discussion and could be counted on to capture what was central, and to crystallize and sum things up in an insightful way. She wrote an outstanding paper on the Black Panthers for the course. Olava told me she was planning to pursue a Master’s degree. After getting to know Olava, I was delighted to have her speak as part of our Departmental Teaching Symposium in Spring 2024 – she was a great choice to be a representative of undergrad students in our talks about teaching. I was very shocked and saddened to learn of Olava’s passing – in her intellectual acuteness and her fervent desire for and work for social change, she represented the best in our students.
Aaron Doyle, Professor of Sociology
Olava and I collaborated on a Students as Partners Program project exploring the intersection of AI and pedagogy. Though we had previously crossed paths in the hallways of the department of Sociology & Anthropology at Carleton, it was our virtual collaboration between the fall of 2023 and summer 2024 that cemented our valuable working relationship and bond.
From the moment we met, I was captivated by her intellectual curiosity and capacity to see the world through a variety of lenses. Olava possessed a unique ability to explore complex topics with a playful and lighthearted spirit. Our podcast episodes, some parts of which she recorded in France, reveal that side of her. Always humble and kind, Olava was the model of a modern student. We'd often spend hours discussing seemingly everything from sociology and social justice to pop culture and video games, often underscored by fits of laughter and silent moments of deep reflection and realization. Olava made me laugh. She made me smile. She made me think. She challenged me to be more critical and aware, especially of AI and technology, but always with a gentle, diplomatic approach. Together, we were strangers and adventurers. She was a traveler. She showed me how to be a better mentor. A better instructor. A better, caring, socially aware person like she was.
Together, we presented our work at a teaching symposium, a highlight of the time I feel blessed to have spent with her. It was also the first and last time we’d work in-person together, always connecting virtually as we navigated and mutually supported each other’s life transitions and travels. Yet, our connection was undeniable. Olava's loss is a profound one. She was a brilliant mind, a compassionate soul, and I feel tremendously grateful to be able to call her a dear friend.
I will forever cherish the memories we made and the impact she had on my life. She will be missed.
Phil Primeau, Contract Instructor and Mentor