Megan Hamilton, an MA student at the University of Waterloo, was recently announced as a finalist in the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) annual Storytellers Challenge competition.
Post-secondary recipients of SSHRC funding are invited “to show Canadians, in up to three minutes or 300 words, how social sciences and humanities research is affecting our lives, our world and our future for the better.”
Hamilton says, “It is an honour to be named to the 2022 class of Storytellers. To see the variety of research being conducted by young academics across the country is inspiring.”
Dr. Jane Nicholas, Tri-University History Director is thrilled by this significant recognition of Megan’s research. She says, “The Tri-U wishes to congratulate Megan on this acknowledgement. The Storytellers Challenge demonstrates the value of humanities research, and the significant skills of researchers like Megan to tell important aspects of our national history in innovative ways.”
Hamilton submitted a video about her research on the Vernon Military Camp entitled, “The Vernon Military Camp's Contributions to the Second World War, available on YouTube. Her research studies the camp’s wartime evolution, and its place in the Canadian and Allied war effort. More specifically, the research will offer a case study into Canadian wartime mobilization and militarization, army training and leadership.
Working with a local amateur videographer, Hamilton spent a week over the winter holidays putting her submission together. Her motivation to participate in the competition came from a desire to expand her communication skills. She says, “Being able to communicate my research to a broad audience allows for it have a greater impact, and putting together this video allowed for me to practice those skills. Plus, I got to show off my hometown!”
Before she created the video, Hamilton's research was helped along by a visit to the site she made with her supervisor Dr. Geoffrey Hayes, who happened to be in the area at the time.
As one of 25 top finalists, Hamilton receives $3,000. The next step of the competition is to “attend a special research communications workshop and present [her story] to a distinguished jury for a chance to be one of the final five winners and win an additional $1,000.”
The Final Five winners will be announced on May 16, 2022 at 2:00 pm (EDT) during the Congress for the Social Sciences and Humanities and on social media.
Megan Hamilton stands beside the Vernon Military Camp signboard during her video.