Our students

Hometown: Jerusalem

Education: Honours Bachelor of Science, double major in Environmental Science and Political Science from University of Toronto

Experience: During her undergraduate studies, Roweida took part in several projects, most dealt with ecology restoration. Her classmates partnered with evergreen to conduct site assessments to determine percentage of native and invasive plant species across the UTM campus. After she completed the site assessments, she used ArcGIS to create heat maps of invasive species percentages on different sites. Then, her group partnered with the Credit Valley Conservation (CVC) on a dam decommission project to determine which dams to deconstruct within Mississauga. The CVC required ecological and historical information regarding the dams within the area. Thus, she visited several dam sites and assessed them based on their physical characteristics. She also conducted secondary research by visiting the Central Mississauga Library and searching for information and mentions of the dams. All the information was then compiled and sent to CVC. Finally, Roweida took part in a research program to assist her professor’s research on the OMECC work’s on biodiversity and endangered species. She helped create a survey that was sent to several NGOs across ON asking them questions regarding endangered species; she then analyzed the results and sent them to her professor who is expected to use the results in her research.

Hometown: Barrie, Ontario

Education: Bachelor of Arts, Honours, major in International Development with an emphasis in Environment and Development, University of Guelph

Experience: Rebecca’s interest in international development has progressed from her knowledge of local development. Rebecca worked for many years with children and youth in city-run programs. She has also completed a substantial amount of volunteer work and mentoring for Big Brothers Big Sisters, witnessing first-hand the amount of poverty and need that exists in her own community. This experience sparked her interest in global development. She completed her undergraduate degree at the University of Guelph studying International Development, with an emphasis in Environment and Development. Prior to this she travelled to Ecuador and during the spring after her third year, Rebecca participated in a Field School Study in Guatemala where she travelled to different regions of Guatemala to study and research human rights, community activism, corporate accountability, criminal justice, environmental issues, and Aboriginal injustices. After spending time in several small Aboriginal communities with peoples who are experiencing countless injustices at the hand of local and foreign actors, her passion for international development and human rights was further fuelled.

Interests: Poverty alleviation, human rights, gender equality, sustainable cities, community development, food security, water security and sanitation, environmental justice

Hometown: Lalitpur, Nepal

Education: B.E in Electrical Engineering; M Sc in Sustainable Energy Planning and Management.

Experience: After graduation, Suraj worked in  Management Innovation and Technology Solutions Private Limited, a development and management consulting firm in Nepal, and partly associated with Kathmandu University. Renewable Energy, climate change adaptation and poverty alleviation were the main focus of his professional activity.  He worked most of his time, after graduation, for Kumal community, who are listed as an  indigenous and endangered community, residing in Western Nepal to develop an alternative sustainable income generating activity by utilizing spill energy from Microhydopower plant and developing non conventional lift irrigation system. The project was first of its kind in Nepal, in terms of size, height and discharge, which successfully tested and implemented multistage centrifugal. Moreover, the project integrated micro irrigation, and modern agriculture practices such as green-house tunnel and mulching to enable the community to produce low pesticide based  off season vegetable production.  Furthermore, Suraj was also involved in research and promotion activities of renewable energy in Nepal. He worked with Global Sustainable Electricity Partnership (GSEP) and State Grid Corporation of China (SGCC) to capacitate Nepal’s wind energy sector.

Interests:  Green Economy, Renewable Energy, Climate Change, Poverty Alleviation and Livelihood,  Food security, and Global health

Hometown: London, Ontario

Education: B.S.W with focus in Gender Equality and International Human Rights from Carleton University, Ottawa

Experience: After graduation, Romy worked in poverty alleviation and advocacy at a community level, where she provided case management and program development for vulnerable populations at-risk of being homeless.  Her work has also consisted of program development for youth living with addictions and mental health challenges, her focus included harm-reduction, sexual health and wilderness therapy. She discovered her interest in research work while working on a rural women’s health project in Naddi, India set in the Himalayas. Her work consisted of conducting qualitative and quantitative research to the understand the  social, cultural and geographical barriers to accessing healthcare specifically in reproductive and maternal health. Romy also facilitated sexual health awareness programming including facilitating a girls’ club which focused on sexual health promotion,  gender inequalities and empowerment.

Interests: Gender equality, poverty alleviation, maternal health, child nutrition, water security and sanitation, program monitoring and evaluation.

Hometown: Bogota, Colombia

Education: B.A.H with Majors in Anthropology and Communication Studies, Minor in Political Science, McMaster University.

Experience: During her last year at McMaster, Alejandra volunteered in Boruca, an Indigenous reserve in Costa Rica. Her main role was to help with local development projects, and being the only Spanish-speaking student with the volunteer group, Alejandra also facilitated conversations and work orders by translating both English and Spanish. Following graduation, Alejandra worked as the Property Manager and Communications manager for The Cotton Factory, a heritage building in Hamilton. She was in charge of updating all social media communications and maintaining a weekly blog for vacant spaces in the building, event promotion and tenant promotion. In order to do this, she completed several interviews with the different business owners that rented spaces at the Cotton Factory. She was also responsible for carrying out tours of the building, event planning, managed property distribution and leasing spaces, and took care of monthly accounting of services and contractors..

Interests: Poverty alleviation and livelihood, social and political development, local economic development, conflict resolution and refugee rights.

Hometown: Richmond Hill, ON

Education: Honours Bachelor of Science Major in Neuroscience, Double Minors in Cinema Studies and Physiology University of Toronto

Experience: Josephine completed her undergraduate degree under the Arts & Science faculty at the University of Toronto, where she was able to explore her various interests through different course offerings. She developed an appreciation for the scientific method especially through her ecology, evolutionary biology, and human biology courses. Her curious -- arguably indecisive -- nature as a learner drew her to complete courses in the humanities and social sciences fields, where she began to find value in different ways of thinking. She has worked in many settings that have allowed her to connect with people in various contexts; she volunteered with geriatrics and hospital patients who have epilepsy, and worked with children with and without learning disabilities, ADHD, and high-functioning autism spectrum disorder. Josephine realized that she wanted to pursue a career where she can approach problems in an interdisciplinary manner while ultimately allowing her to help people, whether on an individual or global scale. Having spent most of her life in Canada, she wishes to become more engaged abroad and hopes to do so through this degree.

Research interests: environmental economics, ecosystem services, global health, biodiversity, climate change, mental health

Hometown: Waterloo, Ontario

Education: B.E.S Environment and Business, Minor in Geography and Resource Management, University of Waterloo.

Experience: During his undergrad studies at the University of Waterloo, Craig worked various co-op jobs in the private and public including business development, promotional marketing and geospatial policy research. During his final years of studies he gained an interest in climate change science and sustainable development. He hopes to be apart of projects in the future that help improve the socio-ecological conditions of communities around the world. After graduation he decided to travel to South America to learn Spanish and volunteer at an orphanage in Cochabamba, Bolivia. Craig was responsible for taking care of the children at the home by helping with school work, meals and coordinating activities. After a year abroad, he realized he wanted to further study international development and make a positive impact in the world. 

Interests: Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation, Natural Disaster Preparedness and Risk Reduction, Poverty Alleviation, Community Development, Environmental and Social Justice.

Hometown: Burlington, Ontario, Canada

Education: Honours BComm with focus in Entrepreneurship and Economics, Queen’s University; Certificate in Responsible Leadership.

Experience: Hayden has a wide range of experiences from tree planting out in the wilderness of British Columbia, to working for real estate management and investment firms in Toronto. During his undergrad, Hayden Co-Founded a company with a colleague from his program. They worked on starting up and growing the company over the summer and fall semester of his 4^th year. Their business was to implement Customer Relationship Management (CRM) tools to companies with lacking client retention. Hayden realized pretty early on that CRM wasn’t his passion and decided to continue his explorations. After graduation, Hayden proceeded to work with an insurance company, helping with their rebranding projects and implemented some sustainability initiatives. Throughout his experiences he has realized how vital sustainable practices are in every industry. Hayden has volunteered on two service trips and has learned a great deal about development through them. He lived in Europe for a year of his undergraduate degree, learning about and experiencing new cultures throughout. Hayden has traveled much and is excited to continue his travels, learning and growing along the way.

Interests Include: Conservation and Ecology, Sustainable Education, Conscious Consumption, Recycling, Sustainable Cities, Green Energy Initiatives.

Name: Muniyat Haque

Hometown: Mississauga, ON and Dhaka, Bangladesh

Education: Honors Bachelor’s of Social Science Specialization in International Development and Globalization minor Political Science, University of Ottawa

Experience: Muniyat worked in development and climate change research in Bangladesh. Organizations she was employed at includes BRAC University, Climate and Development Knowledge Network (CDKN), and the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN).

Interests include: Gender and mitigation, adaptation, disaster risk reduction, sustainable development, and resilience in developing countries.

Hometown: Scarborough, Ontario

Education: B. A. H. Environmental Studies with majors in Geographic Information Systems , York University and Fleming College Combined Degree; Environmental Technician Deploma, Fleming College; General Arts and Science Certificate with a minor in Environment and Natural Resources Management, Fleming College.

Experience:  During her time at Fleming, Andrea participated in a number of monitoring, restoration and conservation projects. Most notable is her experience with the Toronto and Region Conservation Athority where Andrea took lead on the creation of a restoration report to be used by the City of Toronto. Andrea and her team carried out ecological assessment and performed data analysis and detailed research regarding natural heritage features. During her time at York niversity Andrea participated in the   

Interests: Green energy initiatives, sustainable cities, natural heritage preservation, food security and sustainability, urban and rural planning, ecology, and environmental conservation and restoration.

Name: Jenessa Loewen

Hometown: Gravenhurst, Ontario

Education: B.Ed Elementary Education, Mount Vernon University, Ohio.  

Experience: Jenessa graduated with a B.Ed in Elementary Education from Mount Vernon University, Ohio, while playing varsity soccer. She has been involved with educational programs in Canada, US, South Korea, North Korea, Cambodia, and Nepal. Her desire to pursue the field of development began in South Korea while teaching at a Canadian International School. The country's expedited growth and the importance of education piqued her interest in educational development. In 2014, she became a tutor to a North Korean defector through PSCORE, a non-profit organization interested in improving human rights in North Korea. Wanting to learn more about North Korea led her to become a volunteer lecturer at the Pyongyang College of Tourism in July 2015.  That same year Jenessa was the Curriculum Advisor for The Life Aquaponic which built an aquaponics farm for a children's home and school in Surkhet, Nepal. During the Spring of 2016, she spent four months teaching at Rosie Seymour Elementary in Stswecem'c Xgat'tem First Nation, Canoe Creek, British Columbia.  After interning in July 2016 with First Steps, a Canadian charity that aims to reduce maternal and child malnutrition in North Korea, she traveled there to participate in its delegation. 

Interests: Quality education, early childhood development, poverty alleviation, gender equality, human rights, community development and outreach, and sustainable agriculture.

Hometown: Pune, India

Education: B.Sc in Electronics (University of Pune, India) and B.Sc in Computer Science and Communications Engineering (University of Duisburg, Germany)

Experience: Her interest in sustainability developed during her  work in Dubai, in which her role was to promote and educate resource efficiency of home appliances to consumers. As part of the company’s “Green Star Initiative”, she visited schools to educate children on the importance of “water and energy savings” and participated in industry events that promoted sustainability.

Hometown: Kampala, Uganda

Education: Honours Bachelor of Arts, Major in International Development Studies, Double minor in Political Science and African studies, University of Toronto

Experience: During her second year of her undergraduate program, Wendy worked in the office of evaluation at the World Food Program, Rome. Her work consisted of piloting a database to link evaluation report findings, conclusions and recommendations from the year 2013. Wendy also conducted a literature review on learning and use in evaluation which she then presented to staff members from monitoring and evaluation and other headquarter units. Having participated in a study abroad program in Australia, Wendy was one of many study abroad ambassadors selected to connect with students and share her experience and promote the benefits of international education on campus. In the last year of her undergraduate program, Wendy worked as a research assistant with Professor Kepe, an associate geography professor at the University of Toronto. Her main role was to thoroughly research foreign news articles covering Mpondo revolts that happened in apartheid south africa. Her different work and volunteer experiences have motivated her to pursue a career in youth empowerment and employment.

Research interests: Youth in agriculture, community development, rural planning and development, women empowerment through entrepreneurship

Hometown: Ogun, Nigeria

Education: Bachelor of Economics(Honours) and Graduate Certificate in Financial Planning.

Experience: From his days as an undergraduate student of Economics, Layomi has always had a strong interest in issues of economic growth and development. After graduation, he worked with the government of Lagos State in Nigeria on economic planning and budgeting, which led to him being a  member of the organizing committee of the 7th Lagos Economic Summit on Development. He also worked in the real estate development field before travelling abroad to further his Education in Finance and Development.

Interests: Economic Development, International Development and Financing Development

Hometown: Burlington, Ontario

Education:  Honours Bachelor of Social Sciences with Specialization in International Development and Globalization.

Experience: Rebecca’s interest in international development started while learning about environmental issues and how they affect populations during her high school years. She completed her undergrad in the International Development and Globalization program at the University of Ottawa, which further sparked her interest in human rights and poverty reduction. While there she obtained leadership experience as an Event Coordinator of the Executive Team on the Nyantende Foundation. The Nyantende Foundation is a small, grass-roots organization that started at Queen’s University in 2010 and opened a chapter at the University of Ottawa in 2014. They currently enrol over 200 highly vulnerable orphans in local primary, secondary and post-secondary schools in Nyantende, a community in Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. Her volunteer work has consisted of working with local organizations that promote the rights and wellbeing of low-income families and those living below the poverty line. In her last semester of her undergrad, Rebecca participated in a 3-month international internship in Vietnam working with Project RENEW, which is a partnership between the government of Quang Tri Province and international NGOs dedicated to the goal of Restoring the Environment and Neutralizing the Effects of the War. During her internship she assisted in the planning and coordinating of activities for the Mine Action Visitors Center and the Mine Risk Education Team.

Interests: Poverty alleviation, sustainable cities, food security, gender equality, water security and sanitation, environmental justice, human rights, and community development.

Name: Amgad Zaky

Hometown: Cairo, Egypt

Education: BA in English & Teaching Diploma, Middle East University (MEU), Beirut, Lebanon

Experience: Amgad graduated with a BA in English and a Teaching Diploma from Middle East University. While studying at MEU, Amgad also gained versatile work experience. He worked at Al-Waad Media Center translating web articles and editing TV programmes. He also translated and edited the Adventist World Magazine from English to Arabic. Following graduation, Amgad returned to Egypt to work for his sponsoring organization -- the Egypt-Sudan Field of Seventh-day Adventists. Here he worked with AIADI, a humanitarian organization which raised awareness about the rights of persons with disabilities in Egypt in collaboration with various disability organizations in Egypt including, HELM, the Right to Live Association for the Intellectually Disabled, Caritas, and the Special Olympics. Amgad produced various materials for AIADI, including flyers, official letters, booklets, and posters that were used for various programmes and events. While working full-time for the AIADI Project, Amgad was also able to translate some health books from English to Arabic as well as some other religious and spiritual books. He also organized several health expos in and around Cairo. In March 2016, Amgad worked with a Canadian NGO -- PROLASA Canada and assisted in the development of the Indigenous Peoples' Association of Idjwi in the Democratic Republic of Congo, an association which is improving the lives of the 3000 Pygmies who live on the Island of Idjwi, in Lake Kivu.

A native of Upper Egypt, Amgad is particularly interested in the development of rural Upper Egypt. He would like to become a more effective change agent, better able to identify the causes of poverty and better able to facilitate behaviour change so as to enable the Upper Egyptian to be able to better manage his/her own affairs in such a way as to improve the quality of his/her life. Amgad feels that the University of Waterloo’s Master of Development Practice will better equip him to be such a change agent in his country. 

Interests: Rural and urban development, local food systems, women empowerment, project development, minority rights, conflict resolution and peacebuilding.