Waterloo celebrates a new cohort of doctoral graduates

From statistics to science policy, public health and climate change, new PhD graduates are tackling some of society’s biggest challenges.

Obtaining a PhD can sometimes be considered a daunting task because the voyage often seems endless. The path is not straight. The process is never quick. In fact, one can expect to encounter many challenges and setbacks. Challenges that push the boundaries of your imagination and intellect. 

The goal is to find opportunities in those challenging moments because the result is massively rewarding. Upon completion of the dissertation defence — the culmination of years of hard work and research — candidates are congratulated for bringing new knowledge to our world. 

Join us in celebrating and congratulating some of this year’s PhD graduands who will be crossing the stage at the 2023 Fall Convocation ceremonies. 

Dr. Diya Chowdhury

Dr. Diya Chowdhury completed a PhD in public health sciences, under the supervision of Drs. Paul Stolee and Catherine Tong. Her dissertation was titled Health care experiences of South Asian older adults in Canada: Aging well, engagement and access. 

Chowdhury completed her undergraduate degree in public health sciences from Waterloo in 2020, then fast-tracked to the PhD in 2021. Her research delved into the various facets of how aging is perceived and experienced by foreign-born older adults from racialized backgrounds, as well as how structural and societal factors influence their health and health-care experiences. 

As for what’s next, Chowdhury will be working as a postdoctoral fellow in the Faculty of Medicine at the University of British Columbia starting October 2023 and will also join the University of Waterloo as a Teaching Fellow in Winter 2024. 

“I will miss having impromptu conversations with colleagues and friends in the hallways and post-work trips to the Grad House with my supervisors and lab mates,” Chowdhury says. In contrast, she says, “I will not miss the abundance of geese on campus and the constant need to come up with creative strategies to avoid them.” 

Read more about recent PhD graduates from across all faculties

Originally published by University Relations on Waterloo News