Maddy Breault is an Ottawa-born and based Master’s student at Carleton University. She is currently completing her MA in Canadian Studies with a concentration in Heritage Planning and Studies. She previously completed her undergraduate degree at Carleton University, earning a Bachelor of Arts in History with a minor in Heritage and Conservation. She hopes to pursue a career in the heritage sector, with a particular interest in working in the Maritimes. Her academic work focuses on the role of museums and heritage institutions in shaping public knowledge, particularly how they influence understandings of history, identity, and national memory. She is especially interested in how these institutions determine what is preserved, how it is interpreted, and why certain narratives are prioritized over others. Maddy’s research engages with broader questions about what should be preserved in a continually evolving country, and how heritage practices can better reflect cultural diversity while addressing historical accountability. She also examines how Canadian institutions approach repair and reconciliation in relation to colonial histories, especially those involving Indigenous Peoples, and how museum practices can contribute to more ethical and responsible forms of public history. Outside of her academic work, Maddy enjoys creating art and attempting to bake recipes passed down through her family, as well as visiting museums of all kinds in her free time.
Nicholas Brehmer has spent the last several years learning about and working within heritage woodworking, specializing in historic wood window restoration and preservation. It has been his time in the field, exposure to a variety of natural and physical references, and many questions that led him to the Heritage Planning and Studies graduate program at Carleton University. Combined with his interest in sustainable building practices, Nicholas intends to apply his academic work into lasting changes in construction, deconstruction, and adaptive re-use of heritage materials. Outside of campus, Nicholas enjoys food culture, food science, and cooking, and hopes to build a traditional Finnish wood-fired sauna in the near future. He currently lives rurally in the Ottawa Valley.
Keisha Cuffie is currently in the final year of her MA in Canadian Studies (Heritage and Planning) at Carleton University, where her research focuses on Black history, education, and public heritage spaces. She an author, educator, curator, and founder of Black Legacy Collective (BLC), a national non-profit dedicated to uncovering, preserving, and sharing the hidden histories of Black Canadians. Through inclusive education, heritage partnerships, and bilingual STEAM programming, Keisha works to ensure Black voices remain central to Canada’s national story. In 2024, she co-curated the Black History Exhibit at Upper Canada Village. In 2025, she became the first external person to curate a hands-on learning program for the Canadian Museum of History – Reclaiming Leisure: Black Life as Celebration, an interactive museum program celebrating Black resilience and culture. As a Heritage professional Keisha has presented nationally on topics including digital algorithmic erasure, hidden histories in the Maritimes, and Museum and Heritage.
My name is Siqi Dang and I am a first year Master student in the School of Canadian Studies (Concentration in Heritage Planning and Studies). My primary objective in this program is to gain a more comprehensive understanding of Canada. I am particularly keen to explore the complex relationship between regional identity and national policy. During this degree I hope to deepen my knowledge and build stronger research and practical skills.
Ekin Kiziltan an Ottawa born second generation Turkish immigrant, currently in the first year of his M.A in Canadian Studies with a focus in Digital Humanities. He is a McGill University graduate with a B.A. in Political Science and History, and a Graduate Diploma in Architectural Conservation from Carleton University. He has over 4 years of public service experience as an analyst and statistician with a strong contribution to helping Anatolian diaspora in Canada. He has contributed to heritage conservation research at Carleton University, authored published articles on political economy and immigration, and supported inclusive discourse through his work with Voices in Dialogue. Ekin is dedicated to pushing the boundaries where we can find and protect heritage from the kitchen to the computer.
Elizabeth Harding is a second year Master’s student in the School of Canadian Studies at Carleton University. She completed her Bachelor of Arts in Canadian Studies, with minors in History and Sociology, in 2024. Elizabeth is a settler on the unceded and unsurrendered territory of the Algonquin nation. Her research interests center on Indigenous-Immigrant-settler relations, and she is committed to approaches grounded in listening, learning, and mindful sharing. Elizabeth grew up in Toronto and, although she has come to appreciate life in Ottawa, she remains a devoted Toronto Maple Leafs fan.
Emily Higginson is a heritage conservation professional with over 15 years of experience spanning remedial, preventive, and built heritage conservation. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Classical Studies from the University of Ottawa and a diploma in Collections Conservation and Management from Fleming College. She began her career in the museum sector as a conservator and collections manager before transitioning into built heritage. Since 2019, she has worked as a Heritage Conservation Advisor on the Centre Block Rehabilitation Project in Ottawa. She is currently furthering her expertise through a Master of Arts in Heritage Planning and Studies at Carleton University.
My name is Ryan Hauck-Monsacchi. Born and raised as an anglophone in Montréal, I graduated from Concordia University with a Bachelor of Arts (Major in History with a Minor in Environmental Sustainability Studies). I’m currently a MA student in the School of Canadian Studies and also pursuing a Graduate Diploma in Curatorial Studies. I hope to learn more about the history of living museums in North America, the roles they play in defining Canadian identity, and how they can help foster public awareness of sustainability together with public environmental history. I aim to work as a curator and/or archivist.
Alberto Hernández is a graduate student in Canadian Studies, with a concentration in Heritage Planning and a diploma in Curatorial Studies. With a background in architecture and interior design, his work explores the relationship between space, memory, and cultural identity. Originally from the Tének (Huasteco) community in Mexico, his research focuses on intangible cultural heritage, particularly how traditions are practiced, shared, and sustained through collective practices. He is especially interested in how these practices evolve in contexts of migration and within Indigenous cultural settings. Alberto also engages with curatorial practices that support inclusive, community-based, and participatory approaches to heritage interpretation and representation in contemporary cultural institutions. His work is further informed by his involvement in folk and Indigenous dances, offering a practical perspective on how cultural traditions are experienced, transmitted, and adapted across generations within community practices.
Lyla Reid previously graduated from Trent University with a Bachelor of Arts in Archaeology with a specialization in Mediterranean Archaeology. Now, she is pursuing a Graduate Diploma in Curatorial Studies alongside a coursework MA with the School of Canadian Studies concentrating on Heritage Conservation. She hopes to be able to understand a more Canadian perspective of her archaeological background and bring it into her future work in museums. Her research interests include exploring the Indigenous involvement in Canadian archaeology and the construction, orientation and placement of monumental architecture in the Mediterranean. She aims to work professionally as a curator or archaeologist.
Allan Teramura is a first year MA student in Heritage Planning and Studies. A practicing architect, he has over 20 years’ experience working as a conservation architect; he plans to use his time in the program to critically reflect upon the nature of conservation practice in Canada. His research interests are focused primarily on the buildings and spaces that define the public realm. The influence of railway infrastructure on the form of Canadian urbanism is a particular interest he hopes to pursue.
Divyashree Macheri Yathiraj is originally from Bengaluru, India, where she completed a five-year professional Bachelor of Architecture degree and went on to practice as a licensed architect for 4.5 years. She is currently pursuing the Graduate Diploma in Architectural Conservation at Carleton University and will continue into the Master of Arts in Canadian Studies with a concentration in Heritage Planning and Studies in January 2026. Her research interests include Indigenous spatial practices, intangible heritage, and the conservation of cultural heritage across Canadian and Indian contexts. Outside of her academic work, Divyashree enjoys dance, creative design, and storytelling through architecture.