Gender Feminist and Womens Studies | Faculty of Graduate Studies (FGS)

Building Pathways: The Legacy of Dr. Sandra Pyke

vinish — Thu, 19 Mar 2026 13:23:18 +0000

passed away on March 12, 2026, at the age of 88. She was a trailblazing feminist psychologist whose work helped shape Canadian psychology and advance opportunities for women, both nationally and at 91��ɫ. Sandra was the founding coordinator of the Section on Women and Psychology (SWAP) and, in 1982, became the fourth woman to serve as president of the Canadian Psychological Association (CPA). Her leadership reflected a deep and sustained commitment to equity, inclusion, and the advancement of women in academia and beyond.

Powerful and thought-provoking book, Memorializing Violence: Transnational Feminist Reflections, launched at 91��ɫ

vinish — Fri, 20 Jun 2025 15:25:07 +0000

The Centre for Feminist Research (CFR) at 91��ɫ hosted a powerful and thought-provoking book launch for Memorializing Violence: Transnational Feminist Reflections, a collection of feminist and queer reflections on the transnational lives of memorialization practices. Edited by Alison Crosby, Associate Professor in the School of Gender, Sexuality and Women’s Studies, and Heather Evans, doctoral scholar in the Graduate Program in Gender, Feminist and Women’s Studies, the book takes an in-depth look into the complex processes of remembering, mourning, and grieving in the wake of colonial, imperial, militarized, and state violence. The hybrid launch, at which several of the volume’s contributors spoke, was not only a celebration of the book’s completion but a reaffirmation of the critical role that collectively inhabiting grief plays in the building of liberated futures.

The culmination of nearly 20 years of collaborative work, Memorializing Violence challenges the very ways in which societies memorialize and reckon with loss. The book, dedicated to Crosby’s decades-long collaborator, the late Sri Lankan activist and scholar Malathi de Alwis, interrogates memorials, museums, archives, art installations, and performances as sites of constant contestation and asks: who gets remembered or forgotten, whose losses are mourned, and how can grief be transformed into a force for social change?

One of the most refreshing aspects of Memorializing Violence, according to Evans, is the focus on community-based forms of memorializing. These approaches see grief not as something to be overcome, but as a vital and ongoing process, one that has the potential to mobilize communities to build a better, more just world. In this way, the book presents grief as a collective act of care and resistance, offering new perspectives on how loss can fuel transformative change.

_{Photo of Alison Crosby and Heather Evans}

_{Photo of the cover of Memorializing Violence: Transnational Feminist Reflections}

Evident at the launch was Crosby and Evans’ mutual dedication to the project, which they each approach from their respective enmeshments in transnational memorial movements. Crosby’s research focuses on the struggles to redress and memorialize harm in the aftermath of political violence, particularly in Guatemala, where she has worked for more than 30 years. Through an anti-racist, anti-colonial, and transnational feminist lens, she explores the intersections of memory, justice, and reparation. Evans, drawing from their extensive background as a campaigner and researcher in the ‘comfort women’ movement, as well as their work on memorialization landscapes and modern slavery discourses, brings a critical, global perspective to the book’s exploration of violence and remembrance. Their shared commitments to community-based memorialization initiatives and to transnational feminist praxis have palpably shaped the curation of the vibrant, diverse feminist and queer artistic, activist, and scholarly perspectives that feature in this volume.

Memorializing Violence is not merely a scholarly work but a call to action. It underscores the importance of collective memory, the need for ongoing resistance to violence, and the transformative potential of grief. The book’s publication and launch serve as both a culmination of years of hard work and a catalyst for continued dialogue on how societies choose to remember and repair the wounds of the past.

The book is available for order from .

91��ɫ graduate scholars apply their unique lens to contemporary issues

vinish — Tue, 05 Dec 2023 15:22:24 +0000

As a leading international teaching and research university, 91��ɫ is proud to support the cutting-edge ideas of our Graduate Students. Applying their distinctive lens to contemporary issues, this diverse group of Graduate Students are able to come up with unique answers that can advance knowledge both in academia and the industry.

Shiva Akhtarian –&�Բ��;Doctoral Student, Mechanical Engineering

Akhtarian's research involves the investigation of bacteria and virus-imprinted polymers in developing portable, low-cost and rapid microfluidic biosensors for on-field monitoring of biological pathogens. Akhtarian shares that this research “can pave the way to the development of lower-cost, easy to use, rapid and sensitive technologies that can be used to detect microorganisms on site, which can significantly impact health and safety applications.”

The impact of this innovative study can be significant since the development of a prototype technology for on-site food and water testing can ultimately help save lives and reduce the impact of environmental contamination on our society.

_{A photo of Shiva Akhtarian}

Charlotte Lombardo��–��Doctoral Student, Environmental & Urban Change

Lombardo’s research is a participatory action project with the community arts organization SKETCH Working Arts. The initiative engages young artmakers from underrepresented communities as artist-researchers to express place, community and culture through creative explorations and public art experiments. Lombardo’s research emphasizes that certain voices are not heard because of systemic issues of oppression, and her research can further the discourse on the issue and allow these voices to have more prominence.

“I'm constantly engaging with people who are fascinating and beautiful and who are also very very happy to tell their stories,” says Lombardo. “Who enters into the space that's given because that hasn't always been the case.”

_{A photo of Charlotte Lombardo}

Jonathan McSpadden – Doctoral Student, Music

McSpadden found his unique area of study while visiting the casino. His innovative research looks at historical casino soundscapes from two different perspectives: 1) how casinos have actually sounded throughout history; and 2) how casinos have been heard and listened to by the patrons of the space. McSpadden argues that sound is used as a tool of manipulation on the casino floor, directing gamblers to stay longer and spend more money. By better understanding the sonic environment of the casino, policies can be adapted to address the issues surrounding gambling habits and problematic behaviour. “I believe that gambling is okay and can be beneficial to the economy through the collection of the taxes,” notes McSpadden. “Though I do believe that casinos can be predatory and tend to prey on lower income and vulnerable individuals.”

_{A photo of Jonathan McSpadden}

Marie Prisca Alima Ondoa –&�Բ��;Doctoral Student, Études francophones

Ondoa's thesis focuses on the French colonisation of the Americas and Africa; mostly seeing how the notion of human trafficking has evolved until today. The research is based on ancient texts/dialogues about French colonisation and slavery. This subject is relevant to the tensions in the current geopolitical climate ranging from the withdrawal of troops from Mali to the visit of Pope Francis to Canada; these events note geopolitical unrest, which Ondoa links back to colonization and the past still having an impact on the present.

This important research and the data that comes from it can be used as a resource in the classroom as well as contribute to the overall enhancement of diverse perspectives in the academic sphere and beyond.

_{A photo of Marie Prisca Alima Ondoa}

Sarah Redikopp –&�Բ��;Doctoral Student, Gender, Feminist & Women's Studies

Redikopp's dissertation explores the lived experiences of self-harm by self-identified women, trans and gender non-conforming individuals in Canada. Redikopp pushes back against the idea that self-injury can only be explained as a symptom of mental illness and hopes to explore more supportive engagements with self-injury, such as contextualizing self-injury as a coping practice. Insights from Redikopp’s fieldwork have already been included and mobilized in training workshops about how we can engage with and respond to self-injury in ways that are trauma-informed.

“The opportunity to not only bring my own lens to the research but to be able to engage with and deeply listen to and centralize the experiential knowledge of those with lived experience has been really an honor,” reveals Redikopp.

_{A photo of Sarah Redikopp}

91��ɫ graduate students find innovative solutions to contemporary challenges

vinish — Mon, 20 Nov 2023 18:48:00 +0000

Driven by their passions, 91��ɫ graduate students materialize their innovative ideas into reality. Committed to the public good, these outstanding scholars address pressing issues of today that range from decolonizing education to solving global health crises. Keep an eye out for these change agents who will make a positive impact in academia as well as public and business sectors in our communities.

– Doctoral Student, Social & Political Thought

Jefford takes on the imperative work of decolonizing education through the funds of knowledge theory, which promotes student and community-centred participation. “The funds of knowledge works both ways, students and their communities have knowledge which is welcomed and included in the classroom learning, and the teacher can learn from students as well,” explains Jefford.

Conducting research in the Jane and Finch area, Jefford aims to support diverse students with their music learning.  She is also working on professional development with Camérise, a project that seeks to support French as a Second Language teacher retention and inclusion. This critical work has the potential to create positive change in the community by advocating for the diversity, equity and inclusion of marginalized voices.

_{Munjeera Jefford}

– Doctoral Student, Communication & Culture

Marlatt is conducting work on the lived experience of students and alumni of North American Moving Image Archival Education Programs who identify as having a disability, or chronic illness or are neurodivergent. The research covers topics of admissions, campus services, training/internships and career prospects post-graduation. Marlatt is working with programs at TMU, NYU, UCLA and The L. Jeffrey Selznick School of Film Preservation on the project.

“I'm really just looking at getting more disability inclusion in conversations,” shares Marlatt. “Right now, disability, chronic illness and neurodiversity are quite underrepresented in the archival field especially on the staff side and on the archivist side.”

_{Michael Marlatt}

– Doctoral Student, Gender, Feminist & Women's Studies

Nader is the editor-in-chief of Zan Times, a women-led newsroom that covers human rights violations in Afghanistan with a focus on women, LGBTQI people and environmental issues. Since August 2021, Zahra Nader has been constantly involved in covering the situation of women in Afghanistan. Nader’s research highlights a troubling absence of Afghan women in the country’s history. She emphasizes that without having this knowledge accessible, generations of Afghan women are negatively impacted, and the cycle of oppression continues.

Nader’s research was inspired by her own life experience, “Western media somehow portrayed Afghan women as a victim, but the women who are fighting daily to get their basic human rights, I don't see them as a victim I see them as a fighter.”

_{Zahra Nader}

– Doctoral Student, Nursing (now Alumni)

Ramesh Perumal's dissertation assesses the impact of mentorship and social support on the career advancement of internationally educated nurses (IEN) compared to Canada Educated Nurses. He accentuates that after graduating and obtaining their license, internationally educated nurses still have to navigate challenges in the workforce such as understanding the nuances of communication and the Healthcare System.

“The findings of my study would shed light on the value of establishing mentorship programs and social support networks and workplaces, which will actually enable internationally educated nurses to do well in the profession,” says Perumal.

_{Ramesh V Perumal}

– Doctoral Student, Psychology

Qasim's overall program of research looks at faith-based models of psychology/counselling, as well as working with immigrant and migrant (specifically Syrian refugees) communities. This innovative study investigates how Islamic faith might be used as a coping mechanism, and as a way to manage mental health, mental illness, and everyday stressors.

This community-forward research can create positive impacts both within and outside academia. The findings from the study can be used by teachers to create an Islamic psychology curriculum or mental health workbooks. Additionally, the research can help non-Muslim clinicians to better adapt their theories to make their therapies more culturally appropriate.

_{Kashmala Qasim}

– Doctoral Student, Political Science

Weldon's cutting-edge research investigates political strategies that can improve global cooperation around emerging health threats, including zoonoses and antimicrobial resistance (AMR), and draws lessons from global governance of other major issues such as climate change and biodiversity management. AMR is a process where medicines like antibiotics and antivirals stop working against infectious diseases. Weldon posits that the problem with AMR is that these medicines will stop working and solutions must be identified in order to conserve the existing stock of effective antimicrobials while innovating new ones to replenish that clean stock.

_{Isaac Weldon}

Zahra Nader Advocates for Positive Change at the UN Security Council Open Debate on Women, Peace and Security

vinish — Tue, 29 Nov 2022 14:03:00 +0000

Faculty of Graduate Studies (FGS) is inspired by Zahra Nader, an exceptional member of our 91��ɫ community who is a driving force for positive change on a global scale. Nader began her journalism career in Kabul in 2011 and by 2016 began working as a reporter for The New 91��ɫ Times in Afghanistan. She moved to Canada in 2017 to pursue higher education and is currently completing a PhD in Gender, Feminist and Women’s Studies at 91��ɫ. Nader's SSHRC-funded research is focused on the political histories of Afghan women from the 1960s to the 1990s.

In August 2022, Nadar and a group of women journalists from Afghanistan launched Zan Times, a non-profit newsroom in exile, to report on human rights violations in Afghanistan, mainly focusing on women, the LGBTQ community, and environmental issues. In three months, Zan Times produced more than 30 stories about the most marginalized in the country, both in Dari and English. “We have reported that the Fine Art faculty of Kabul University has been “” under the Taliban, people’s resistance to the , how the closure of schools and poverty , and an investigative report on that was featured by and

_{Zahra Nader}

In acknowledgment of their work at Zan Times, Nadar was invited to brief the United Nations Security Council Open Debate on Women, Peace and Security in October 2022. This meeting was an opportunity for all Member States to share specific examples of how they are supporting women's resilience in conflict-affected countries and their capacity to contribute to peace and security. Nadar says “coming from the margins of society, this opportunity allows us to see that the process of change starts with each of us, with individuals willing to do their part to participate in the process of change. As women journalists, we are doing our part by sharing women's voices who are fighting for their basic human rights. We hope our work raises awareness of women's situation in Afghanistan, which is the planet's most severe women's rights crisis.”

Inspired by her own personal story of struggling to obtain access to education, Nader is committed to creating positive change for future generations of Afghan women who she hopes will not have to go through the same hardships. Through her career as a journalist and a scholar, Nader is committed to filling a void that she had noticed in women’s political history that lacks a chapter on how Afghan women fought for their rights. She hopes that her work will inspire future generations to keep the fight going and continue the struggle for equality.

91��ɫ is proud of the work that Nader is performing, which is actively contributing to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The Goals act as a framework that calls on member countries to take urgent action in seventeen areas that are critical to ensure peace and prosperity for people and the planet.

Nader’s drive to secure accessible schooling for future generations of Afghan women reflects goal #4: ensuring inclusive and equitable quality education is available and promoting lifelong learning opportunities for all. Her women-led newsroom also contributes to goal #5: achieving gender equality and empowering all women and girls. Moreover, Nader’s activism work also engages goal #16: promoting peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, providing access to justice and building effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels.

91��ɫ is confident that Nader’s story will motivate others to contribute to other SDGs, which will lead to positive change locally and beyond. The University encourages all students, faculty and staff to bring their expertise from across disciplines and work together to build new tools and develop strategies and solutions to global challenges.