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.
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.
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.
Dawn Carr works with the Canadian Parks Council to protect, enhance and promote the multitude of Canada's national parks. As their Executive Director, she oversees the projects that are dedicated to showcasing the beautiful landscapes that our environment has to offer and even brings her office to work remotely in Georgian Bay during the warmer seasons. Dawn completed both her undergraduate degree and MA in Recreation and Leisure Studies at the University of Waterloo, which is where she first discovered her passion for parks and protected areas.
Working for the City of Waterloo's Parks and Trails division as an undergrad inspired Dylan Flannery to apply to the MA Recreation and Leisure Studies program at the University of Waterloo. Within months of graduating, he landed an amazing position as Supervisor of Operations at New York City's world famous Central Park. He picked up and moved to a city he had never even visited, and has never looked back.
Andrea Gardi is working in her dream job as the Director of Projects and Operations at Regional Tourism Organization 4 Inc. Part of her role is to expand tourism in the local areas of Waterloo, Stratford, and many other towns and cities through coordinating digital/physical hygiene projects that improve visitor experience. As a world leading institution in recreation and leisure, Andrea knew that coming to the University of Waterloo to pursue a Master's degree would be the best way for her to prepare for a successful career in tourism.
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.
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.
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.
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 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.
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