Graduate student

Taylor Kurta

PhD student, Aging, Health and Well-being

Taylor's research includes a studio collaboration to give people living with dementia the opportunity to record music professionally, offering them a platform to share their stories and defy stereotypes

Peggy Vacalopoulos

Recreation and Leisure Studies master's thesis student

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.

Marcus Thomas Pereira

Recreation and Leisure Studies master's thesis student

Recreation and Leisure Studies master's thesis student Marcus Thomas Pereira focuses on gentrification and its implications for Toronto’s Little Jamaica neighbourhood.

Crystal-Jade (CJ) Cargill

Recreation and Leisure Studies master's thesis student

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.

Karin Browne

MA (coursework) student, Recreation and Leisure Studies

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.

Haley Baxter

PhD student, Recreation and Leisure Studies

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. 

Bronwen Valtchanov

PhD student, Recreation and Leisure Studies

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

PhD student, Aging, Health and Well-being

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.

Joseph Todd

PhD student, Recreation and Leisure Studies

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 Atabakhsh

PhD student, Aging, Health and Well-being

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.