Three Carleton University researchers have been awarded the renowned Banting Postdoctoral Fellowship to pursue their work. The announcement was made by the Honourable Greg Rickford, Minister of State (Science and Technology) in Québec City.
Rena Bivens, in the School of Journalism and Communication, has been recognized nationally and internationally for her research. She is currently investigating the design of social media platforms to discover how and why non-profit organizations (NPOs) are using them. Dr. Bivens is particularly interested in the use of these technologies by NPOs to educate and advocate for strategies and policies that aim to end gender-based violence.
Hillary C. Maddin, in the Department of Earth Sciences, is a rising Canadian star in the field of paleontological studies. Her research will take an integrative approach to understanding the role of the brain in the evolution of amphibian cranial form. Through the incorporation of new fossil materials and novel developmental experiments, Maddin’s research will contribute to a better understanding of the fundamental aspects of evolution theory while filling in critical gaps in the amphibian record.
Sophie Tamas, in the Department of Geography and Environmental Studies, has been recognized by her peers for her desire to push the boundaries of autoethnographic research. She has just completed an acclaimed book that examines the very private world of spousal abuse and is currently researching emotional geography, sites of memory and managing loss. Dr. Tamas is committed to interdisciplinary research in a variety of fields, including human geography, social work, sociology, women’s studies and Canadian studies.
Each will receive $140,000 in research funding over two years.
The Banting Postdoctoral Fellowship program is designed to attract and develop top-tier researchers from Canada and around the world. Each year, 70 fellowships are awarded, with funding from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council.