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Julie-Ann Ellis-Bradley is a final year Master of Peace and Conflict Studies student at Conrad Grebel University College, affiliated with the University of Waterloo. Julie-Ann is an attorney who has worked in mediation and practiced law in Belize for over 17 years. In that time, Julie-Ann realized that navigating conflict is a critical life skill, and conflict management is a powerful tool to have in all relationships.  

Fueled by her passion for mediation and advocacy, Zoe knew the Master of Peace and Conflict Studies (MPACS) program at the University of Waterloo offered her the perfect opportunity to deepen her knowledge and create meaningful change. After earning her undergraduate degree in social justice and peace studies, she began exploring new opportunities and fell in love with the program and the warm community at Grebel. The small class sizes and seminar-based courses were a big part of what shaped her decision.

On March 12, 2025, three University of Waterloo students based at Conrad Grebel University College competed in the Annual C. Henry Smith Oratorical Speech Contest established by the late C. Henry Smith in 1974. Each student presented their speech to a panel of judges along with an audience of staff, faculty, and students. Teena Faust, a second-year Peace and Conflict Studies (PACS) and Philosophy student, was awarded first place and a cash price of $1000. She will represent Grebel and the University of Waterloo at the bi-national speech competition later this year. Ella Funk, a fourth-year creative and professional writing student, won second place and a cash prize of $500. Finally, in third place, winning a cash prize of $300 was Lucas Shumaker, a third-year international student studying environmental engineering.

“I have this personal mantra, which is that information needs to serve for transformation,” says Lorena Rodriguez (‘15), a graduate of the Master of Peace and Conflict Studies (MPACS) program. Specializing in peacebuilding communication in humanitarian and development contexts, this mantra serves her well: the transformative power of outreach, advocacy and public policy to create meaningful change in complex environments and vulnerable communities is precisely what drives Lorena’s work.

Nuhu Abdulmalik will graduate from the Masters of Peace and Conflict Studies (MPACS) program in April 2024, but his mission to build a more peaceful world is only beginning. Inspired by the ideas of building connection through storytelling and bridging cultural gaps through technology, the MPACS program has opened doors for him to take action on his peacebuilding aspirations and make a difference. 

On May 27, Fiona Li earned the second-place prize at the Map the System Canada competition in Calgary, Alberta. As the winner of the University of Waterloo’s Map the System campus finals, Fiona’s achievement on the national stage not only brought awareness to the over-representation of Indigenous women in Canadian prisons, but it also highlighted how programs like Peace and Conflict Studies are crucial in furthering education on how to research, understand, and present these critical issues.

Melody Chen is an Assistant Director of the Legal Industry Division at the Ministry of Law in Singapore. After graduating with a Master of Peace and Conflict Studies degree from Conrad Grebel University College in 2014, Melody completed law school and was admitted to the Singapore Bar as an Advocate & Solicitor of the Supreme Court of Singapore. In her free time, she loves honing her culinary skills in the kitchen, an interest she developed after bartering homemade lunches in exchange for rides to campus from fellow MPACS graduate, Ellen Sikorski.

Prior to attending the University of Waterloo, MPACS student Fatoumatta Camara intended to pursue a career in diplomacy and international relations. However, The Gambia’s 2017 political impasse, during which half of the population was displaced, changed the trajectory of her career path. This experience sparked her desire to better understand why conflict turns violent, and to explore alternative methods of conflict resolution. In her search for a graduate program, she was drawn to MPACS because of its interdisciplinary approach and the many opportunities offered by the department.

For decades, MPACS student Afnan Aleem has situated himself in the center of some of the world’s most critical humanitarian crisis zones. As a Risk Management leader at Save the Children, he has spent most of the last decade supporting humanitarian assistance in war zones of Syria, Yemen, Iraq, Ukraine, Gaza, and Afghanistan – just to name a few. From being posted in Pakistan during the 2010 floods to negotiating humanitarian access with the Houthis in Yemen, he has gained deep knowledge and practical experience in the domain of peace and conflict.