Dami Adebajo
Damilola (Dami) Adebajo is an MA student in Rhetoric and Communication Design. She graduated in 2021 from the University of Waterloo with a BSc in Biochemistry and a French Studies Minor. She has experience working in varied fields, from biochemical sciences to freelance journal editing, and is primarily interested in linguistics and the applications of language in a digital world, especially how we use and mold language to our bidding.
When she isn’t nerding out over grammatical intricacies, Dami enjoys spending her time baking, playing low-stress, slow-paced video games, and learning new languages.
Maria Andrusiak
Joleen Awad
Joleen Awad
Email: j4awad@uwaterloo.ca
Joleen Awad is an MA co-op student in the English Literature program. She completed her BA in Combined Honours English and Cultural Studies, and Psychology, Neuroscience, & Behaviour at McMaster University. Joleen's academic interests include the evolution of romance novels over time, women's fiction and writers, and Jane Austen's influence on the modern novel.
Mohammad Baseer
Email: mohammadnbaseer@gmail.com
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Mohammad Baseer is an MA Co-Op student in the Rhetoric and communication of Design program. He completed his BA in English-Editing, Writing, and Media as well as a Communication minor at Florida State University in 2023. Mohammad’s academic interests include rhetorical theory and pedagogy, diversity and equity in composition, as well as in understanding design as a contact zone for intersectional identities.
In his free time Mohammad enjoys baking, cooking, reading, music, and theater.
Jo-Ann Bonnett
Email: jo-ann.bonnett@uwaterloo.ca
Jo-Ann Bonnett is an MA student in the Literary Studies Program. She completed her Honours BA in English Literature at the University of Waterloo and Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) certification at Renison University College in 2023. Jo-Ann taught the English language to newcomers after working for many years as a social work administrator. Jo-Ann’s literary interests range from the Renaissance period to Contemporary literature. She maintains particular interest in sociocultural implications of print media development during the Restoration period and of the enduring influences of eighteenth century proto-feminist writers.
When not reading, writing, or working, Jo-Ann walks parks, paths and pavements appreciating both natural and urban landscapes. She enjoys music, movies and laughter with friends and family.
Monika Burns
Monika Burns is an MA student in the Literary Studies program. She just completed her BA in English with a minor in History from Concordia University of Edmonton. Her main interests are the Middle Ages, the Early English Renaissance, and the perspective of history found in literature. She also loves to teach and hopes to pursue a career teaching English at either the secondary or post-secondary level.
She enjoys cooking, playing Dungeons and Dragons, and watching hockey in her spare time.
Riani de Wet
Riani de Wet is an MA student in the Literary Studies Program. She completed a BA in English and Psychology at the University of South Africa (UNISA). Her interests include African colonial/post colonial literature, the dynamics between literature and political/societal change, and oral literature and storytelling.
Jenna Dobbelsteyn
Email: jdobbelsteyn@uwaterloo.ca
Jenna Dobbelsteyn is an MA student in the English Literary Studies program. She completed her BA in Honours English with a Minor in Psychology in 2024 at the University of New Brunswick, Saint John. Jenna’s academic interests include Canadian Literature and the connection between disability and voice within narratives.
In her free time, Jenna enjoys creative writing, playing the violin, and hiking.
Fernando Fuentes Martins
Email: fefuentes@uwaterloo.ca
Fernando Fuentes Martins is an MA co-op student in the Literature Studies program. He completed his BA in Honours Geomatics, a diploma in Creative Writing, and an English minor in 2024 at the University of Waterloo. Fernando's academic interests include graphical narrative, cultural rhetoric, and game design.
In his free time, he enjoys reading and watching anime.
Jordan Gallant-Turner
Email: j23turne@uwaterloo.ca
Jordan Gallant-Turner (he/him) is an MA Literary Studies Candidate. He has completed both his BA in Honours Classics (2022) and Honours English, Creative and Professional Writing (2024) at the University of Waterloo. Jordan’s academic interests include feminism, anti-colonial/post-colonial, and resistance literature. Jordan is currently preparing his thesis on Palestinian resistance literature, emphasizing women writers.
Jordan likes to spend his free time with his wife, Erinne, and their three dog rescues, Apollo, Athena, and Artemis.
Kelly Gariepy
Email: kelly.gariepy@uwaterloo.ca
Kelly Gariepy is an MA student in the Rhetoric & Communication Design program. She completed her BA in Rhetoric, Media, & Professional Communication at the University of Waterloo. Kelly’s background in marketing and product management within technology companies has led to an interest in understanding public perception of advanced technologies, and how that perception impacts our ability to adopt technology to solve socio-economic challenges.
In her free time, Kelly enjoys exploring the many sides of art and design and is interested in architecture, visual art, fashion, and music. Kelly also enjoys travelling to explore new and familiar places.
Laura Grafton
Email: laura.grafton@uwaterloo.ca
Laura Grafton is a candidate for Masters English - Rhetoric and Communication Design. She has completed her BA in Honours English Literature and Rhetoric. Laura has published in the past as an independent scholar and freelance writer with The Middle Space and WWAC. Laura has guest hosted on the “Gosh, Golly, Wow!”, “Voxpodcast”, and “MarvelMovieTalk” by GeekScape podcasts.
Laura focuses on identity politics and representation in comics, especially as it relates to the stories of domestic violence survivors, and queer folks.
You can follow Laura on Instagram at @qunatifyingquinn.
Elias Mehdawi
Email: emehdawi@uwaterloo.ca
Elias Mehdawi is an MA student in the English (Rhetoric and Communication Design) program. He completed his BA in Communications. His primary academic focus is on racism, particularly as it relates to film, where he draws on his firsthand experiences as an actor. His other interests include rhetoric, discourse analysis, pedagogy and professional writing. Elias also has a profound passion for developmental psychology, consciousness, and literature, with a particular emphasis on Russian classics.
Elias is a teaching assistant at the University of Waterloo. Outside of his academic pursuits, he is an actor with a strong interest in psychology.
Shelby Page
Email: s3page@uwaterloo.ca
Shelby Page (she/her) is a MA student in the English Literary Studies program. She completed her BA in Honours English-Literature and Rhetoric and Honours History, with a minor in Medieval Studies in the co-operative program at the University of Waterloo in 2024. Shelby's academic interests include 19th century literature, British colonial activity, memorialization within literature, and the convergence of literary and historical approaches.
In her free time, Shelby enjoys crocheting gifts for friends, reading fantasy novels, baking vegan deserts, playing hockey, and meeting as many new animals as possible.
Tracy Sanderson
Email: tpramaut@uwaterloo.ca
Tracy Sanderson is currently enrolled in the Experimental Digital Media Master's program. She completed her degree at the University of Waterloo in 2024 graduating with an Honours English-Rhetoric, Media and Professional BA with a minor in Digital Arts Communications. Her academic interest includes visual rhetoric, critical design, and gender stereotyping.
Justine Scheifele
Email: justine.scheifele@uwaterloo.ca
Justine Scheifele is an MA student in the Rhetoric and Communication Design program. She completed her BA in Honours Communication Studies in 2024 at the University of Waterloo. Justine’s interests lay within social media and digital marketing.
In Justine’s free time she enjoys going to antique markets, thrifting, and crafting.
Allyson Tharamarajah
Allyson Tharamarajah is an MA co-op student in the Literary Studies Program. She completed her Honours BA with a double major in English and Psychology from the University of Ottawa. Her research interest include affect theory in the context of environmental discourse, particularly on depictions of fear and helplessness in climate fiction. Her other interests include linguistic code-switching and language interference in multilingual speakers.
Allyson likes painting and learning new board games in her spare time.
Tyler Ulrich
Email: t2ulrich@uwaterloo.ca
Tyler Ulrich is an MA student in the Literary Studies program. He completed his BA with Honours Specialization in History and a minor in Psychology in 2017 at Western University. Tyler’s academic interests revolve around 20th century American literature and online neoreactionism. His other interests include New Testament studies and urban design. In his free time Tyler enjoys attending to houseplants, wine and travel.
Heather Whittle
Email: hrwhittle@uwaterloo.ca
Heather Whittle is an MA student in the Literary Studies program. She completed her Honours BA in English Literature, with a minor in History at the University of Waterloo in 2024. Heather's areas of interest include historical fiction, Renaissance drama, and how literature is adapted onto screen and into other forms.
Alexandria Zielinsky
Email: alexandria.zielinsky@uwaterloo.ca
Alexandria Zielinsky is an MA co-op student in the Experimental Digital Media program. She completed her BA in Honours English-Rhetoric, Media, and Professional Communication with a minor in Psychology in 2023 at the University of Waterloo. Alexandria’s academic interests include educational theory, critical media studies, visual rhetoric, and user experience design, with a focus on ethical user-centered design.
Currently, she is on a co-op work term as an Instructional Design and Writing Assistant at the University of Waterloo’s Centre for Work-Integrated Learning. In her free time Alexandria enjoys admiring architecture, cooking, hiking, photography, and spending time with her cat, Loki.