Carleton has awarded six students funding to support summer research projects related to equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI).
Established in 2021, the Student EDI Research Awards respond to a specific recommendation in Carleton's EDI Action Plan and is a landmark recognition for EDI scholarship in Ontario higher education.
The award is funded by the Office of the Provost and Vice-President (Academic) and administered by the Department of Equity and Inclusive Communities.
Student recipients present their research to the Carleton community during the university's annual Inclusion Week.
Congratulations to the 2024 award recipients!
Nagam is a second year Neuroscience student whose research will explore the impact of religious Islamic practices on the mental health of Muslim students and their engagement to campus mental health services.
Nagam’s motivation stems from recognizing the barriers mental health stigmas create for Muslims in seeking necessary care.
“Due to the stigma surrounding mental health discussions, numerous Muslims embrace religious practice, including prayer for solace. I want to contribute to the creation of a supportive and inclusive environment for individuals seeking mental healthcare while respecting their religious beliefs and practices.”
Nagam will be working alongside Prof. Kim Hellemans (Neuroscience) to conduct research that can lead to more culturally sensitive mental health services on Carleton’s campus.
"Nagam is a bright and highly motivated young scholar and I am really looking forward to working with her on an exciting project exploring traditional spiritual practices among Muslim students at Carleton University and how these may act as protective factors toward mental health and well-being," said Hellemans. "We also hope to evaluate Muslim students’ awareness and connection to mental health services on campus, and the role of cultural and religious beliefs in shaping their view of mental health."
Martina is a second-year master’s student in Earth Sciences who is collaborating with Prof. Hanika Rizo (Earth Sciences) on her research project titled “Considering visible and invisible disabilities in the field: Adapting to improve experiential learning for everyone”.
Martina will be conducting research to identify barriers to accessibility for students with visible and invisible disabilities during fieldwork.
"I aim to interview students with disabilities who have conducted field work in a variety of different climates. Their insights will inform recommendations on accommodations to enhance field experiences."
“Martina is one of our brightest MSc students in the Department of Earth Sciences,” said Rizo. “Through Martina’s project, we aim to effect meaningful change for any Carleton student who requires field courses as part of their program.”
Keisha is graduating with a major in Political Science and a minor in Critical Race Studies. Her research aims to create a learning environment where Black students feel valued and seen, while educating their peers about aspects of Canadian history that have long been excluded.
“I recognized a significant gap in the undergraduate curricula where cultural histories and perspectives of Black Canadians have been excluded. This exclusion deprives Black students of seeing themselves reflected in our histories and impacts their mental health due to consistent lack of representation. Additionally, it denies all students the opportunity to learn a more comprehensive history that extends beyond Eurocentric narratives.”
Keisha will be working with Prof. Aaron Ettinger (Political Science) to quantify the annual representation of Black Canadian History post-George Floyed Black Lives Matter advocacy to develop specific and actionable curricular frameworks that focus on the intersection of education and identity among Black Canadians and Black International students. By linking curricular content with students’ identity and feelings of belonging, this project aims to propose a pathway to enhancing EDI in academia for substantive change.
"Keisha combines the intellectual curiosity of a scholar with the energy of an activist, said Ettinger. "It is an enviable combination that she brings to this project about what gets taught at Carleton University, and what doesn’t."
Jada, a fourth-year Sociology and Anthropology student, will research the youth voluntourism industry, specifically focusing on organized volunteer trips and the representation of women's empowerment.
Jada will be examining how youth-centered Canadian international volunteer organizations depoliticize gender development projects and the implications of these processes.
“My aim is to develop a critical perspective on development and feminist knowledge production, emphasizing the relationship between gender, class, and racialization in an imperialist context. Furthermore, I intend to us this knowledge to critique both deliberate and inadvertent promotion of neocolonial politics within institutional settings.”
Jada is collaborating with Prof. Azar Masoumi (Sociology and Anthropology) to provide a basis through which to rethink and reframe what representation means in an institutional context.
“Jada is an exceptionally capable student, with deep commitment to questions of EDI,” said Masoumi. “Jada’s critical thinking and social justice orientation are evident in the conceptualization of her proposed project, in which she will examine youth-centered international voluntarism with an eye for questions of racial and geopolitical inequality, patriarchy and capitalism.”
Rana, a fourth-year Criminology and Criminal Justice student, will examine the meaning of allyship as it relates to BIPOC students at Carleton.
“It is important for students on campus to understand and appreciate the significance of allyship. My aim is to investigate the factors that influence allyship and strategies for amplifying the voices of marginalized communities."
Rana is collaborating with Prof. Carieta Thomas (Sociology) to explore approaches to becoming an effective ally, pinpointing gaps to inclusivity on campus and identifying resources to enhance the student experience.
"Rana's idea for the project came out of her own experience as a student living at the intersection of various marginalizing identities," said Thomas. "I understand supporting Rana in carrying out this research as a true example of working with students as partners as they seek to critically engage with the issues of their community and the wider world."
Erika is a fourth-year Bachelor of Health Sciences student with a concentration in global health. She is undertaking a journey into researching the intersectionality of race, religion and healthcare – topics close to her heart.
“I am deeply passionate about advocating for the importance of EDI and acknowledging marginalization in the context of health outcomes and access to culturally competent healthcare. My research will directly address the pertinent issues of representation, mistrust and inclusion within healthcare. It's more than just research; it's a chance to make a real difference in creating a healthcare landscape that is fair and inclusive for everyone.”
“Raised in a religious household, I witnessed firsthand the intersection between faith and health-related decisions. This upbringing, coupled with my family's experiences as immigrants navigating Canada's healthcare system, ignited an interest in understanding what social factors shape people's perceptions of healthcare, especially among older adults with diverse ethnic backgrounds.”
Erika is collaborating with Prof. Renate Ysseldyk (Health Sciences) focusing on understanding the relationship among religiosity, scientific belief and healthcare perceptions among older adults. The project aims to uncover insights into their healthcare decision-making process with a specific focus on investigating medical mistrust within marginalized communities.