Recreation and Leisure Studies master’s thesis student Peggy Vacalopoulos, after a 25-year career in hospitality, returned to the University of Waterloo, where her award-winning research on frontline restaurant staff during the pandemic earned her prestigious scholarships and recognition in regenerative tourism.
Recreation and Leisure Studies master's thesis student Marcus Thomas Pereira focuses on gentrification and its implications for Toronto’s Little Jamaica neighbourhood.
Recreation and Leisure Studies master's thesis student CJ Cargill shares her research interests focused on the impact of unprocessed grief on racialized health-care workers.
Growing up on a Caribbean Island, it was always interesting to Karin Browne that - for a place surrounded by water - it was apparent to her that few people were competent swimmers. Inspired by this and her love for swimming, Karin's Master of Arts Recreation and Leisure Studies work and research involves increasing access to aquatic programs for BIPOC populations.
Growing up, Taylor Kurta witnessed the age-related stigma her grandparents faced in the health care system. Connecting her passion for music with a drive to improve care for older adults, Taylor's PhD Aging, Health and Well-being research aims to use collaborative song writing with people living with dementia as a tool to expose and challenge the harmful consequence of dementia-stigma.
Influenced by her own experiences as a community-based female coach, Haley Baxter's research investigates the experiences of women and girls as volunteers in the community sport context.
Supporting a close friend who was going through a separation and divorce in her late 20s inspired Bronwen Valtchanov to find out more about research and resources for women in similar situations. Bronwen discovered that there were very few social supports and academic literature on the subject. It became the focus of her PhD Recreation and Leisure Studies research.
Arany Sivasubramaniam has always had a passion for health care. For as long as she can remember being able to help people has always been something that she cares about. Now enrolled as a PhD Aging, Health and Well-being student her research is looking at how to abolish the medical industrial complex by looking at the experiences of the BIPOC community.
The world of video games is evolving. Not only has gaming become a massively popular spectator sport, even universities are growing their varsity rosters with e-sports teams. Joe Todd's PhD Recreation and Leisure studies research examines the capacity of online gaming to create community and friendships that can transcend the online space.
Victoria's research focuses on the care partnership between adult daughters and their older adult parents. She is interested in exploring intergenerational cohabitation and the way that it influences daily life, relationships and leisure.