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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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.
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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.