CAGS Launches New Webinar Series – The Good and the Bad of Black Grad

Kayonne Christy completed her undergrad at McMaster University where she received her B.Sc. (honours) in Life Sciences and B.A. (summa cum laude) in Health Studies. She is currently completing her MA in sociology at the UBC. Kayonne will begin her PhD this fall in sociology at the University of Michigan- Ann Arbour. Her research interests exist in the nexus between race, gender, diaspora and health. 

Melanie Morrison – a first-generation graduate who received her PhD in Medical Biophysics from the University of Toronto. For the last five years she has trained as a postdoc in the Radiology department at the University of California San Fransico focusing on projects involving the management of brain tumors and neurodegenerative disorders using state-of-the-art magnetic resonance imaging technology.

Tiffany Gordon – a fifth-year PhD student at Dalhousie University’s Philosophy program. Her areas of study include social and political thought, philosophy of race and feminist philosophy. In her dissertation, she will be examining the over-incarceration of Black and Indigenous people through the lens of collective responsibility for race-based oppression. Tiffany received her Master’s in Philosophy at McMaster University and her B.A. (Honours) from York University, where she double-majored in Philosophy and Political Science.

In this episode, we’ll ask our panelists who were the key figures who inspired them along their path. Through our discussion we will define characteristics of leaders in our communities and discuss the importance of diversity in positions of power. We will talk about the necessity of Black representation and how institutions begin to think about recruitment of talented Black scholars to Canadian campuses.

This live webinar and its recording will be preserved and shared with current students and scholars who may be searching for guidance, support, and community on this particular topic.

Alexandra Davis, Postdoctoral Fellow, Western University, is a marine ecologist that uses quantitative and experimental approaches to directly contribute to the management of vulnerable marine ecosystems. My approach integrates behavioral, community, and spatial ecology, which I believe is essential for understanding how ecosystems work and ultimately for managing them. Examining systems from multiple perspectives is a key element behind many of the questions in my research.  Overall, my work has shown that the integration of traditional ecology, spatial-temporal analyses, and collaborative citizen-based science is fundamental for establishing conservation goals such designing marine protected areas, conserving native coral-reef and marine ecosystems, and targeted removal plans for invasive species. More personally, I am a multi-racial woman, and belong to multiple marginalized groups, especially within the field of conservation science. I am often the only black person in my department and at conferences I attend. Because of this I have made it a priority to seek out and create spaces for marginalized groups within my institutions. Another major goal of mine is to expand from my background in traditional ecological and conservation research and integrate research on equity, justice, and inclusion within conservation sciences. Explicitly, I am interested in who is receiving funds and conducting research and whether these demographics match with the communities most impacted by the conservation issue of interest.

Peter Soroye is a PhD Student in Biology working with Prof Jeremy Kerr at the University of Ottawa. Peter is a conservation biologist and ecologist studying the impacts of climate change and land use change on pollinators like bumblebees and butterflies, with the goal of informing conservation management and policy to find more effective ways of protecting species and reversing declines of biodiversity. Peter is a passionate science communicator, regularly volunteering with programs like Let’s Talk Science, Exploring By The Seat Of Your Pants, and more. Throughout his graduate school, he has remained committed towards increasing equity, inclusion, and representation in science, from various leadership positions on university committees and student associations, national societies (most prominently the Canadian Society for Ecology and Evolution), and volunteer organizations. For more info on Peter, visit his website: www.petersoroye.com.

Olivia Ghosh-Swaby, originally from Mississauga ON, is currently completing her Ph.D. in Neuroscience at the Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry (SSMD), Western University. Her research interests include the impact of diet and metabolism on memory in obesity and whether exercise and anti-diabetic drugs can boost neural stem cell growth. She is an advocate and public speaker for equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) in STEM and university athletics, speaking on the topic in over 15 news articles and 10 major speaking events. She is an executive member of the BrainsCAN and Schulich EDI Committees and is a graduate representative for the Neuroscience Graduate Program and the Robarts Association of Trainees. Outside of academia, she manages and operates the Ontario Women’s Intercollegiate Football Association and sits on Football Canada’s Diversity Task Force for women and BIPOC athletes. She has a unique student-athlete perspective that has allowed her to champion various initiatives on the student and athlete life for underrepresented groups.

The exhilarating journey of graduate school also has a complimentary side: It can be a grind with stress, fatigue, and anxiety commonly felt by students during their degrees. Campuses offer some support to assist students along the way, but few are equipped to address the unique and added pressures that racialized people experience at school. The inability to acknowledge racism on campus further alienates Black students in academic spaces. In this episode we’ll ask ourselves: Are Black academics so strong that they cannot break? How do students manage emotional and psychological fatigue? And what should universities be doing to help?

This live webinar and its recording will be preserved and shared with current students and scholars who may be searching for guidance, support, and community on this particular topic.

This webinar series took a hiatus for a few months and we’ve returned and want to invite you to yet another stimulating conversation (hopefully before midterms). This fall, many of us have returned to campus and it looks much different in a number of ways.

Notwithstanding the transition to in-person learning, universities appear to be tweaking other strategic priorities including their perspectives on EDI. In this episode, acknowledgement of the accomplishments of academics is on the docket, specifically we’ll be talking about “inclusive excellence.” What does that look like, who decides, and why? What exactly is Black excellence?

In this penultimate episode of the season, our panelists will explore these questions and more while digging into the ideas and expectations that underpin concepts of academic excellence, and the impact that these presumptions have on Black faculty and graduate students.

…Or more logically, where are we at, and what’s next? In our final episode the panelists discuss their hopes and fears as Black scholars in the post-Floyd Academy. We’ll talk about successes and potential opportunities and ultimately make our final calls to action to Canadian Universities.