
My thesis
My thesis focuses on how evidence generated by the COMPASS system is used to guide mental health interventions in secondary schools. After working for six years in mental health and suicide prevention, I returned to academia to combine my passion for youth mental health with my expertise in evaluation and knowledge mobilization. For my dissertation, I’m examining how effectively the data from COMPASS is disseminated and implemented to inform school-based prevention programs. I’m collaborating with the provincial government of Prince Edward Island as a case study, while also developing a framework to evaluate the broader impact of surveillance data on influencing policies and programs.
My time in the School of Public Health Sciences (SPHS)
Returning to school has been an incredibly rewarding experience, and I’ve loved being inspired by the exceptional faculty and students in SPHS. Leaving my full-time job to pursue this path was a difficult and somewhat scary decision after being out of academia for so long, but it’s been worth every moment. Much of my research and evaluation experience has been outside the academic world, focusing on community-based research methods, and I’m grateful that SPHS has valued this approach while also helping me grow as a researcher and evaluator. Some highlights of my time here include learning from both faculty and peers in formal and informal settings, as well as participating in the Canadian Evaluation Society’s student case competition. For anyone interested in evaluation, I highly recommend the competition—it’s a fantastic opportunity to gain practical experience and build lasting relationships. In 2023, my talented team not only won the Canadian competition but also went on to represent Canada and win the World competition.
Beyond SPHS
Outside of my time at SPHS, I work as a learning specialist and program coordinator with Community-Based Research Canada (CBRCanada), an organization dedicated to engaging communities in solving real-world issues through research. If you're interested in community-based research, I highly recommend checking it out—especially since the University of Waterloo is a member of CBRCanada, giving all students access to valuable programming and learning opportunities. Additionally, I serve as an adjunct researcher at Lambton College, where I’m currently the Principal Investigator on a SSHRC-funded project evaluating community-led social prescribing initiatives.