Graduate Studies and Postdoctoral Affairs (GSPA)
Needles Hall, second floor, room 2201
GRADflix 2024 finalists
Graduate Studies and Postdoctoral Affairs received many amazing GRADflix submissions for the 2023-2024 competition year, and we're happy to present this year's 15 finalists!
Learn more about each of our finalists below, and find out the results of the previous GRADflix competitions on the GRADflix hall of fame page.
Name and program: Beth Grant (she/her), Master’s student, Environment, Resources and Sustainability, Faculty of Environment
GRADflix video title: Understanding the emotional experience of environmental education
Supervisors: Dr. Sarah Wolfe and Dr. Christine Barbeau
Biography: Beth Grant is a graduate student in the School of Environment, Resources and Sustainability at the University of Waterloo and a member of the Society, Environment and Emotions Lab. She received her Bachelor of Environmental Studies with a Joint Major in Social Development Studies and a specialization in Individual Well-Being and Development from the University of Waterloo. Beth has a passion for environmental psychology and her undergraduate thesis research investigated the mental health impacts of climate change on youth in the Region of Waterloo. Beyond research, Beth enjoys camping, hiking, skiing, playing board games, and enjoying live music.
Name and program: Christopher Pollack (he/him), PhD student, Applied Mathematics, Faculty of Mathematics
GRADflix video title: Symmetries in physics and quantum gravity
Supervisor: Dr. Florian Girelli
Biography: Christopher Pollack is a second year PhD student in Applied Mathematics. His research interests are broadly theoretical physics and solving problems in the field of quantum gravity using geometric, group theoretic, and symmetry based approaches. Previously, Christopher did his BSc in Mathematical Physics at Waterloo, a MSc in Mathematics at the University of Toronto, and a MMATH in Theoretical Physics at the University of Cambridge. He loves climbing, being outdoors, learning, biking, and spending time with his cat. Christopher is new to science communication and outreach but is excited to try his hand at it for this competition! He hope everyone enjoys his video and learns something new!
Name and program: Emma Wegener (she/her), Master’s student, Geography and Environmental Management, Faculty of Environment
GRADflix video title: Peatland wildfires and the global carbon cycle
Supervisor: Dr. Maria Strack
Biography: Emma is a M.Sc. student in the Geography and Environmental Management program. She received her bachelor's degree in Biology and is interested in the challenges of climate change in the environment. Emma is passionate about working toward a more sustainable future and using her research to make a positive impact. Outside of academia, Emma enjoys hiking, rock climbing, swimming, and traveling, but is happiest in a peatland.
Name and program: Isra Saeed (she/her), PhD candidate, Environment, Enterprise and Development, Faculty of Environment
GRADflix video title: Powering homes across sub-saharan Africa
Supervisors: Dr. Juan Moreno-Cruz
Biography: Isra Saeed is a PhD candidate in Sustainability Management. Her research focuses on the eradication of energy injustice in Sub-Saharan Africa. In 2022, she joined the University of Waterloo's official delegation to COP27 in Egypt. She has previously worked for Waterloo's Graduate Student Association as its equity coordinator, advocating for on-campus initiatives to support gender and racial equity. In her free time, Isra enjoys watching movies, knitting, and spending time with friends.
Name and program: Jacqueline Harper (she/her), Master’s student, Geography and Environmental Management, Faculty of Environment
GRADflix video title: Beyond ruins: The role of cultural heritage in the post-disaster tourism revival of the Kathmandu Valley, Nepal
Supervisors: Dr. Sanjay Nepal, Dr. Brent Doberstein, and Dr. Erin O'Connell
Biography: Jacqueline Harper is a current Master of Environmental Studies student in Geography and Environmental Management. Her research looks to better understand how cultural heritage plays a role in the post-disaster recovery of a tourist destination - the Kathmandu Valley in Nepal after the 2015 Gorkha Earthquake. Jacqueline is passionate about all things sustainable and travel, including eating locally sourced-gelato, hiking in national parks, and spending time with local people.
Name and program: Karen Ward (she/her), PhD student, English Language and Literature, Faculty of Arts
GRADflix video title: The distributed cognitive environment of the York Dramatic Cycle
Supervisors: Dr. Jennifer Roberts-Smith and Dr. Kenneth Graham
Biography: Karen Ward is a PhD student in English Language and Literature, working on her dissertation on the York Dramatic Cycle. She is interested in the artistic, visual and material culture of the late medieval period, as well as cognitive theory. She enjoys teaching on a variety of subjects including literature and writing skills.
Name and program: Kimberly D’Mello (she/her), Master’s student, Public Health Sciences, Faculty of Health
GRADflix video title: Exploring e-cigarettes for smoking cessation
Supervisor: Dr. David Hammond
Biography: Kimberly is an MSc student in Public Health Sciences at the University of Waterloo. She completed her undergraduate degree from Waterloo in 2021 and graduated with a BSc Honours in Health Studies, minoring in Public Policy and Administration. Kim is interested in examining the impact of vaping and smoking policies on youth populations in Canada and other countries. In her free time, Kim usually enjoys an iced-capp from Tim Hortons, reading a new book, or getting lost in some green space and sunshine!
Name and program: Liam Bursey (he/him), Master’s student, Architecture, Faculty of Engineering
GRADflix video title: Vessel: Stories from the edge of the world
Supervisor: Lola Sheppard
Biography: Liam Bursey is a graduate student in Architecture at the University of Waterloo. He received his undergraduate degree in Architecture at Laurentian University in his hometown of Sudbury, ON. His thesis, entitled Vessel: Stories from the edge of the world began as a return to his family’s roots in Newfoundland. Here, he studied the traditional craft of wooden boat building, combining his architectural background with his passion for storytelling. Outside of academics, Liam spends most of his time outdoors with a camera in his hand.
Name and program: Liza Boyar (she/her), PhD candidate, Public Health Sciences, Faculty of Health
GRADflix video title: Can public health messages mitigate the power of food marketing?
Supervisor: Dr. David Hammond
Biography: Liza is a PhD candidate in Public Health Sciences at the University of Waterloo. She completed her Bachelor of Applied Science in Food and Nutrition, as well as her Master of Health Science in Nutrition Communication at Toronto Metropolitan University (formerly Ryerson University). In her spare time, Liza can be found testing out new recipes and generally making a mess in the kitchen.
Name and program: Mohammad Ahmed Basri (he/him), Master’s student, Systems Design Engineering, Faculty of Engineering
GRADflix video title: The critical role of synthetic data in accelerating AI in health
Supervisors: Dr. Helen Chen and Dr. Alexander Wong
Biography: Mohammad Ahmed Basri is pursuing graduate studies in System Design Engineering at the University of Waterloo, specializing in applications of AI and ML in public health informatics, including infectious disease forecasting and medical outcome prediction. Mohammad is involved in the vision and image processing research lab a well as the digital intelligence for public health lab. He is dedicated to leveraging technology for business innovation and passionate about entrepreneurship. He is also an avid sports enthusiast, often found playing tennis or basketball outdoors. Alongside a keen interest in physical activities, he also has a passion for music, particularly playing the guitar.
Name and program: Nada Gohider (she/her), PhD student, Electrical and Computer Engineering, Faculty of Engineering
GRADflix video title: Accessibility in speech technologies: Bridging the gap between typical and impaired speech
Supervisor: Dr. Otman Basir
Biography: Nada Gohider is a PhD student in Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Waterloo. She is a part of the Pattern Analysis and Machine Intelligence (PAMI) lab. In her research, Nada works on developing automatic speech recognition models that can accommodate people with speech impairments, utilizing the advancements in artificial intelligence and machine learning. In her free time, Nada enjoys exploring outdoor activities with her family.
Name and program: Norman Ly (he/him), Master’s student, Pharmacy, Faculty of Science
GRADflix video title: Immune system: How does cancer turn it off?
Supervisor: Dr. Aravindhan Ganesan
Biography: Norman Ly is pursuing a Master of Science in Pharmacy. His research focuses on using computational techniques to understand how the immune checkpoint receptor, VISTA, regulates immune responses. He previously completed a Bachelor of Science in Medicinal Chemistry with a minor in Biochemistry from the University of Waterloo. Outside of his research, he enjoys working out, hanging out with friends, and eating good food!
Name and program: Paul Sherk (he/him), Master’s student, Earth and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Science
GRADflix video title: Permeable reactive barriers: A strategy for acid mine drainage remediation
Supervisors: Dr. David Blowes and Dr. Carol Ptacek
Biography: Paul Sherk is a Master’s student in Earth and Environmental Sciences at the University of Waterloo. He completed his undergraduate degree in Environmental Earth Science at the University of Alberta and has strong interests in passive groundwater remediation. Outside of his research, Paul enjoys photography and cinematography, playing sports (primarily soccer and hockey), hiking and camping, and engaging in all other outdoor activities. Additionally, Paul is an avid producer of electronic dance music.
Name and program: Shilpa Gorla (she/her), PhD candidate, Optometry and Vision Science, Faculty of Science
GRADflix video title: Understanding the role of fluid flow on the functioning of the lens of the eye
Supervisor: Dr. Vivian Choh
Biography: Shilpa Gorla is a PhD candidate in the School of Optometry and Vision Science. Her research aims to determine the role of fluid flow on lens biomechanics. Shilpa holds a master's degree in medical Anatomy and dedicated 2.5 years to teaching at a medical college in India. Outside academia, she loves to do yoga and swimming. Shilpa loves sharing different kinds of delicious foods on her Instagram as a food blogger.
Name and program: Siyavash Izadi (he/him), PhD student, Kinesiology and Health Sciences, Faculty of Health
GRADflix video title: Investigating the roll of sensory re-weighting in motion sickness development
Supervisor: Dr. Michael Barnett-Cowan
Biography: Siyavash is a PhD student from the Multisensory, Brain, and Cognition lab within the Faculty of Health. He is currently researching the neural mechanisms that affect cybersickess in virtual reality. Siyavash is passionate about science communication and combining his love for research and science with creative outlets. If there is a Netflix Executive in the audience, please talk to him after the event.