蓝莓视频

The path to earning a PhD is rarely straightforward. It demands not only intellectual depth through rigorous coursework and research, but also creativity, resilience and interdisciplinary thinking.听

Throughout their doctoral journey, candidates push the boundaries of conventional knowledge 鈥� developing innovative approaches to address some of the world鈥檚 most complex challenges. Their research opens new frontiers and contributes to solutions that can shape a healthier, more sustainable future. As we celebrate our PhD graduands at Spring 2025 Convocation, we invite you to learn more about a few of their stories as they prepare to cross the stage and step into the next chapter of their journey.听

Dr. Tasneem Alsayyed Ahmad, PhD in Philosophy听

While pursuing a master鈥檚 degree in philosophy, I was introduced to feminist philopsophy and social epistemology and wanted to apply these ideas to contexts familiar to me. 听

As a woman from a Muslim background, I noticed a troubling gap in scholarship on the topic since the literature was either Islamophobic or contained very strict and narrow views of Muslim women鈥檚 experiences. This motivated me to address the marginalization of Muslims in academic discourse. 听

My doctoral research critically examined hijab debates and veiling practices with a focus on how these discourses are manipulated to marginalize Muslims. Specifically, I explored how both Western imperialist narratives and Islamic right-wing politics exploit hijab-related discourse, reinforcing colonial ideologies while obstructing solidarity among Muslim women.听听

My work reveals how dominant narratives about the hijab silence diverse Muslim voices and perpetuate epistemic and social injustices.听

I chose the University of 蓝莓视频 to work specifically with my supervisor Dr. Jennifer Saul and was happy to find a department supportive of my focus on Islamophobia and gender. Having taken up a position as assistant professor at the University of Canada West, my goal is to grow as an educator, to challenge colonial knowledge and to continue my research on the social and epistemic oppression of marginalized groups. 听

Dr. Nicole Sandra-Yaffa Dumont, PhD in Computer Science听

Six years ago, during my master鈥檚 degree, I started learning more about artificial intelligence (AI) at a time when the field was evolving quickly. While I found AI fascinating, I kept wondering, 鈥榃hat 鈥� if anything 鈥� do artificial neural networks reveal about real brains? Can we use models to reverse-engineer cognitive processes?鈥櫶�听

Those questions pulled me toward theoretical neuroscience, where my PhD research, under the supervision of Drs. Chris Eliasmith and Jeff Orchard, focused on building biologically plausible neural network models of spatial cognition. I was interested in how the brain represents space and the neural mechanisms behind navigation 鈥� and what those mechanisms can tell us about cognition more generally.鈥�听

I hope the findings of my research will not only advance our understanding of navigation in the brain but also push the field to rethink how we model cognition more broadly 鈥� from memory and planning to social behaviour.听听

Looking ahead, I鈥檒l be pursuing postdoctoral research since I would like to extend my expertise to understand how computations underlying spatial navigation may apply to other domains like navigating a social landscape.听听听

Dr. Muzi Li, PhD in Astrophysics听

At five years old, I was captivated by the vastness of space and time, during a visit to the Beijing Planetarium with my grandmother. I knew shortly after that visit that I wanted to become an astronomer, but never imagined a childhood fascination would one day lead me here.听

My PhD research how the energy released by supermassive black holes at their centers can precisely offset cooling in the surrounding hot gas, keeping the system in balance.听

I was drawn to the University of 蓝莓视频 after a visit to the Perimeter Institute in 2018 where Dr. Brian McNamara 鈥� who later became my supervisor 鈥� gave a talk on finding the missing cooling gas in galaxy clusters. That brief visit and talk also gave me a strong impression: 蓝莓视频 is a young, vibrant and intellectually exciting place to be.听

As I head back to China to continue my astrophysics research as a postdoctoral fellow, I hope my contribution to the field can be tested and refined by more precise observations in the future, helping to complete a small part of the puzzle in our understanding of galaxy clusters.听

Dr. Arlene Oetomo, PhD in Public Health Sciences听

I have always been a nature lover and a bit of a technology nerd. In 2018, during the heatwave in Ontario and Quebec, I thought, 鈥淲hat could we do to prevent individuals from dying indoors from extreme heat, especially if they don鈥檛 have air conditioning?鈥澨�

That question was the impetus for my doctoral research at the University of 蓝莓视频 where I explored indoor temperatures of low-income homes across British Columbia and Ontario. Importantly, my research intersects with climate science and technology and demonstrates how interdisciplinary action is key to tackling the climate crisis. 听听

My research, under the supervision of Dr. Plinio Morita, supported heat response efforts like checking on vulnerable tenants in person or via phone by using smart thermostats and creating a system to provide real-time temperature alerts.听

While the thermostat is a ubiquitous device, it also demonstrates how there are solutions to our biggest problems, including the climate crisis, all around us.听听

The findings of my research will empower my advocacy efforts to protect vulnerable populations via policy, legislation, and awareness building of the dangers of extreme heat.听听

Dr. Ade Oyegunle, PhD in Sustainability Management听

As the world faces increasingly complex challenges including climate change, my research helps to bridge the gap between climate science and financial decision-making.听

Having worked as a sustainability professional in the financial industry, I was motivated to pursue this area of research after realizing that climate change is not just an environmental issue, but also a systemic financial risk.听听

My PhD research explored the intersection of climate policy, financial risk and banking regulation, with a focus on how climate transition risks like carbon pricing affect the credit risk exposure and financial stability of banks.听

My research found that as carbon prices rise, the risk of financial distress increases for companies with high carbon footprints. This, in turn, increases the risk to banks that lend to them.听

I chose to pursue this research at the University of 蓝莓视频 because of its strong reputation for interdisciplinary research, innovation and applied problem-solving. The School of Environment, Enterprise and Development offered a unique platform to explore the intersection of climate change, finance and policy, something that few other institutions could provide in such an integrated way.听

Looking ahead, I want to help translate my research into action, ensuring that financial systems evolve to meet the demands of the climate transition.听听

Dr. Fatima Suleiman, PhD in Mechanical and Mechatronics Engineering听

After completing my undergraduate degree in Electrical and Electronics Engineering, I dreamed of designing the next revolutionary product. In 2015, I attended a conference in Lagos, Nigeria, where Steve Wozniak, co-founder of Apple was asked, 鈥淲ho represents the future of engineering innovation?鈥� His answer on the transformative power of an interdisciplinary background stuck with me 鈥� and ultimately led me to pursue a Master of Engineering in Mechanical Engineering and Graduate Diploma in Design Engineering at the University of 蓝莓视频 鈥� renowned for its commitment to interdisciplinary research.听

My PhD research focused on improving temperature measurement for advanced high strength steels (AHSS), which helps the automotive industry produce lighter, more fuel-efficient vehicles that reduce greenhouse gas emissions. I was drawn to this area of research after taking a course on heat transfer with Dr. Kyle Daun, who later became my supervisor.听听

At the start of this research project, I hoped to eliminate pyrometry errors entirely. I hope my research will contribute meaningfully to the much larger collective effort towards mitigating climate change, specifically by enabling more precise thermal control during AHSS processing, which in turn supports more sustainable vehicle production through improved manufacturing efficiency and reduced emissions.听