Five Royal Roads students awarded Canada Graduate Scholarships
Topics
Featured
Share online
Learn more about research at Royal Roads, or if research like this interests you, check out the MA in Environment Education and Communication, MA in Environment Management, MA in Professional Communication, MA in Leadership or MA in Interdisciplinary Studies programs.
Royal Roads University students are working on award-worthy research in programs across the board.
Canada’s Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council recently announced the winners of this year’s round of Canada Graduate Scholarships – Master’s to support exceptional graduate research. Five RRU students from different graduate programs are receiving funding for their research.
Voices of the climate crisis
Master of Arts in Environment Education and Communication student Teghan Acres receives funds for her research into climate storytelling in Canada. With storytelling emerging as a tool for expanding understanding of the climate crisis, Acres is interested in learning about the climate storytelling landscape in Canada. Her study explores how ten storytellers in Canada are approaching the climate crisis and how intersectional storytelling on climate change can shape environmental communication in Canada. Her analysis looks to fill a literature gap about how climate change stories are told in Canada and produce a set of recommendations on what kind of storytelling is needed to catalyze a socially and ecologically just future.
Planting a seed for sustainable food production
Master of Arts in Environment and Management student Jofri Issac’s research explores how communities can create sustainable local food systems. As the climate crisis advances, environmental disasters are becoming more frequent and destructive, putting all kinds of food systems at risk. Using the Comox Valley in BC as a case study, Issac’s research will examine ways of integrating food systems with other sustainability priorities, namely climate, biodiversity and health, in local planning and policy efforts.
The future of broadcasting
Iman Kassam receives funding for their research on the future of journalism. As a seasoned broadcast journalist, Kassam is taking the Master of Arts in Professional Communication program to gain a deeper understanding of how Generation Z Canadians determine trust and credibility in the news. Kassam’s findings are poised to shed light on the shifting dynamics between traditional journalism and digital media, marked by an increasing reliance on social media influencers and citizen journalists. This study is designed to inform the news industry on how to navigate these changes and cultivate a news environment that not only resonates with the next generation but retains the trust of emerging digital-first audiences.
A healthy dose of compassion
Master of Arts in Leadership student Nikita Paddock is translating her extensive career in the healthcare system into research focused on the impact of compassionate interactions on patients receiving psychedelic treatment for well-being. Building off emerging evidence that psychedelic assisted therapy can lead to improvements for people with certain psychiatric disorders, Paddock wants to know how compassionate care can be best integrated into this developing field.
The impact of community college
Master of Arts in Interdisciplinary Studies student Leeza Perehudoff is studying the impacts of rural community colleges on sustainable community development. While research exists that highlights the benefits of urban universities and colleges, Perehudoff is interested in the literature gap when it comes to rural colleges. Her research will aim to highlight the power of community—post-secondary partnerships to address local issues.