MA students 2020-21

Pronouns: she/her

Home University: Waterloo

Email: a2amodeo@uwaterloo.ca

Education: BA (Hons) History, Subsidary in English, St. Francis Xavier

LinkedIn: /allysonamodeo/

Supervisor: Dan Gorman

Ally's research interests revolve around the British Empire, especially researching the socio-cultural realities of the colonial interface, from the perspectives of intersecting subaltern communities and by using a subaltern lens to analyze the past. Her SSHRC-funded MA investigates child fostering and adoption in the British territories between 1800-1850. She intends to complete a thesis.

Home University: Waterloo

Email: m35ander@uwaterloo.ca

Education: BA (Hons) History, Waterloo

Supervisor: Troy Osborne

Malcolm's research interests focus around the social history of early modern Europe and specifically Britain, although they sometimes shift outside of the period or to economic and political history as well. Some previous research topics include the effects of the alcohol trade on British drinking establishments, the historiography of the Thirty Years War, the presentation of African culture in 19th century British freak shows, and the social control policies of the Cromwellian Protectorate. He completed an Honours BA in History at Waterloo in 2020, along with a minor in Anthropology. In his free time, Malcolm plays video games, takes care of his dogs, runs a Dungeons and Dragons game for his friends, and tries to nail down an actual, defined research focus. He intends to complete a Major Research Project (MRP).

Pronouns: he/him

Home University: Laurier

Email: baay0610@mylaurier.ca

Education: BA (Hons) History, Laurier

Social Media: Search for Jihad Baayoun

Supervisor: Blaine Chiasson

Jihad's interests lie in the Middle Ages and in Asian history. He was awarded the SSHRC scholarship for research into the Satsuma Rebellion but decided to change topics to the Mongolian invasion of Japan under Khublai Khan. He is extremely passionate about history. He says, "I am fortunate to work as an RA under Dr. Chiasson and as a TA for Dr. Chris Nighman and Alicia McKenzie." For hobbies, he recently gained an obsession with Charmed Aroma candles and puzzles and had a 3,000 piece puzzle framed. He intends to complete a Major Research Project (MRP).

Pronouns: he/him

Home University: Laurier

Email: chur2660@mylaurier.ca

Education: BA (Hons) History & Political Science, Laurier

Supervisor: Adam Crerar

Noah's proposed research will focus on the analysis of Canadian culture, sport and popular culture through the lens of the 1972 Summit Series. The research aims to answer questions about important cultural themes to Canada in the 1970s and the Cold War. Those themes include the English-French tensions, Canadian impressions of nationalism and identity, Canada-US relations and how Canadians saw themselves on the international stage. Other research interests include non-indigenous perceptions of Indigenous acts of resistance in the Canadian context. Noah intends to complete a Major Research Project (MRP).

Home University: Waterloo

Email: edfortie@uwaterloo.ca

Twitter: @erinkurian

Education: BA (Hons) History, Waterloo

Supervisors: Steven Bednarski

Erin Fortier graduated from the University of Waterloo in 2018. Her research interests include medieval environmental history, church history, pilgrimages, and how nature has been conceptualized over time. For her Major Research Project (MRP) she hopes to explore how climate impacted Medieval travel, with a focus on pilgrimages. Erin is balancing a Masters with learning Latin, writing novels, and spending time with her dog.

Pronouns: she/her

Home University: Waterloo

Email: jgergal@uwaterloo.ca

Education: BA (Hons) English-Rhetoric, Media, Professional Communication & History Co-op, Waterloo

LinkedIn: jacqueline-gergal-175918186

Supervisor: Steven Bednarski

Jacqueline Gergal graduated in the spring of 2020. Continuing with her MA at the University of Waterloo, Jacqueline focuses on Medieval and Early Modern Climate and Environment. Within this area, Jacqueline examines the relationship between consumerism, environment, and culture to understand how people have been altering natural environments to suit a variety of their needs and desires. Understanding the relationship between the birth of consumerism in the late Medieval period and environmental degradation allows for historians to understand trends and relations to climate change and anthropocentrism in the modern day. She intends to complete an Major Research Project (MRP)

Home University: Laurier

Email: gibo2490@mylaurier.ca

Education: BA (Hons) History, Mount Allison

Supervisor: Tarah Brookfield

Mihai Giboi is an MA student from Wilfrid Laurier University. Originally from Romania before immigrating to New Brunswick in 2009, he obtained his BA from Mount Allison University, where he majored in History and double minored in Political Science and Philosophy before his admittance into the Tri-U History Graduate Program.

In a broad sense, Mihai's research interests include Cold War history, political history, along with the history of conflict and genocide. The topic of his MRP will analyze the issue of Canadian Arctic sovereignty during the Cold War by examining the Canadian Rangers' role in maintaining national control amid concerns regarding American presence in the region. He firmly believes that because of climate change, the relevance of the Arctic in international politics is growing as the availability of natural resources and new shipping routes increase. Currently, as several nations stake their claims over the region, Mihai hopes that his MRP will assist in shedding light over the Canadian Rangers’ maintenance of national sovereignty in the Arctic.

Home University: Waterloo

Education: BA (Hons) History & Business, specialization in Global Interactions, Waterloo

Joe's research interests are in Canadian History, Military history, the appeal and accuracy of historical video games. His Master's Research Project centers around the Canadian soldiers during the Second World War who participated in airborne operations. He looks most at the First Canadian Parachute Battalion, and analyzes the way that they were presented to Canadians, during and after the war, as the elite. To do this, he looks into the contextualized use of Paratroopers by other militaries during the Second World War, as well as to representations of the Canadian Army as a whole to the contemporary public.

Upon completing his MA program, he says, "I intend to pursue law and continue to study how different cultures and nations interact over time, and if all goes to plan, eventually put it to good use in the world."

Home University: Waterloo

Email: a2hooper@uwaterloo.ca

Education: BA (Hons) History, Ryerson

Supervisor: Gary Bruce

Amanda graduated from Ryerson University in June 2020 with a Bachelor of Arts Honours Degree in History. While at Ryerson, Amanda was awarded a Santander Universitäten Scholarship to study Nazi Germany at the Free University of Berlin in their six-week intensive summer program. Amanda’s current research focuses on Holocaust memory in Berlin, including various memoirs, memorials and sites, as well as Holocaust education efforts in Berlin since the city’s reunification in 1990. She will complete a major research paper at the University of Waterloo.

Home University: Waterloo

Education: BA (Hons) Political Science & History, specialization in International Relations, Waterloo

Supervisor: Alex Statiev

James' thesis is on the use of Enhanced Interrogation, and Torture, in Counter Insurgency Operations. After graduationa, he will most likely go Ottawa for an Intelligence job, or seek work in the Department of National Defence. He is also considering a doctorate on the Cold War's military technology and doctrine development. Outside of academia, he keeps himself fit, and has a hobby of marksmanship. He says, "My supervisor, Dr. Alexander Statiev, specializes in the social aspect of warfare and Counter Insurgency, so I'm very lucky to be working with someone from the field."

Home University: Waterloo

Education: BA (Hons) History, minor in English Language and Literature, Waterloo

Jonathon's research interests include public history, sport history, and pop culture history. His research is on heritage and commemoration in the world of professional hockey, centred on the career and lasting influence of former Toronto Maple Leafs coach, Hap Day. He intends to continue with graduate history studies at Western University. Working in public history/heritage is his long-term career goal.

Pronouns: she/her

Home University: Waterloo

Email: tmdjeoff@uwaterloo.ca

Education: BA (Hons) History & English, Waterloo.

Supervisor: Gary Bruce

Taylor's research interests include book and literary history and looking at history through the lens of literature. Specifically she is interested in Scottish/British History and how Scottish/British history can be understood through its literature. She intends to complete an Major Research Project (MRP).

Home University: Waterloo

Email: hajohnson@uwaterloo.ca

Education: BA History, MacEwan University

Supervisor: Greta Kroeker

Holly is a recent graduate from MacEwan University receiving her Bachelor of Arts in History. She was one of the featured students for the graduating class of 2020. She says, "I am excited to begin my MA in History at the University of Waterloo through the Tri-University program." Her area of study primarily focuses on European sexual history and changing ideologies regarding sex, sex crimes, and marriage in the early modern period. She intends to complete a thesis.

Pronouns: he/him

Home University: Laurier

Email: john5930@mylaurier.ca

Education: BA (Hons) History, Laurier

Supervisor: Blaine Chiasson

Oliver's research interests include Anglo-Chinese relations in the nineteenth century, Hong Kong print and media culture during the British occupation, and the emergence of a distinct Hong Kong Chinese identity adjacent to the mainland Chinese identity. His work will mainly focus on Chinese language newspapers printed in Hong Kong, using them to identify the trends of intellectual heritage present in the movements for Chinese independence in 1911 and 1949. In earnest, this works aims at revealing the complex layers of multi-cultural interaction in a highly diverse global trade hub as well as its impact on the surrounding states. Outside Chinese history, Oliver's research interests include legal and economic history across the British empire and Europe in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries as well as fine arts and European languages.Oliver intends to complete an Major Research Project (MRP).

Home University: Waterloo

Education: BA (Hons) History, minor in Curatorial Studies, Ryerson

Elaine's research interests include, public history and contemporary US domestic social history, including fashion history, business history and popular culture. Her thesis project is a study on fashion history, particularly the evolution of street wear and consumer culture, and will incorporate digital public history with an online exhibit. After completing her MA, Elaine hopes to work as a curator and write popular history books.

Pronouns: she/her

Home University: Waterloo

Email: r2manes@uwaterloo.ca

Education: BA (Hons) History, Minor in German Studies, McMaster

Twitter: @rachelmanes_

Supervisor: Marlene Epp

Rachel Manes' research focuses on the experience of German immigrants in North America after World War II. She previously completed her BA in History with a Minor in German Studies at McMaster University. Other research areas of hers include: German 1920s Expressionist Film Movement, Holocaust legacy, and the immediate post-war years in Europe. In her spare time, Rachel is often found reading, writing, or cheering on her favourite soccer team, FC Bayern Munich.

Home University: Guelph

Email: bmcbri05@uoguelph.ca

Education: BA History, Athabasca

Supervisor: Catharine Wilson

Britta's research focuses on the 1937 inmate riot at Guelph Reformatory and the impacts of that event upon Ontario prison reforms. Her great-uncle was an inmate-participant in the riot, and some of his writings from the reformatory have led her to look at prison-farm riots as forms of labour unrest, rather than as destructive criminal acts. Her decade-long career as a floral designer specializing in funeral work has led to a broader interest in the history of cemeteries and funerary practices in Canada. She balances her academic career with creative hobbies, such as cross-stitching, crocheting, and DIY projects. Britta intends to complete a Major Research Project (MRP).

Home University: Guelph

Email: doklikah@uoguelph.ca

Education: BA History, University of Cape Coast, Ghana

Twitter: @OforiOklikah

Supervisor: Femi Kolapo

Desmond Oklikah is an MA History graduate student at the University of Guelph. His research interest includes the Ghanaian diaspora in North America, the political economy of digital agriculture in Africa/Ghana, and food securities. His MA thesis focuses on cultural identity and expression among Ghanaian immigrants in Toronto, 1980s-2000.

Pronouns: she/her

Home University: Laurier

Email: plan4150@mylaurier.ca

Education: BA (Hons) History, Research Specialization, Laurier

Supervisors: Eva Plach

Steph's research interests include Holocaust and memory studies, Eastern Europe, UNRRA, and Jewish-Polish relations. Her MRP will examine the wartime experiences of Polish-Jews in France over the course of WWII to break away from traditional historiography of Vichy concerned with the machinery and politics of the regime. 

Pronouns: she/her

Home University: Waterloo

Email: nkmaesil@uwaterloo.ca

Education: BA (Hons) History & Legal Studies

Supervisor: Andrew Hunt

Nicolette Silva's research focuses on how film and pop culture cross over into the discipline of historical study. She examines how films reflect and shape the cultures, time periods, and societies that produce them. She is a fan of the video essay format, and finding new and innovative ways to communicate history to the public. Nicolette believes film can be an intriguing and engaging way to spark interest in history as an academic discipline. She intends to complete a Major Research Project (MRP).

Home University: Guelph

Email: hsotomay@uoguelph.ca

Education: BA (Hons) History, Guelph

Supervisor: Norman Smith

Hilary is writing a thesis on adaptations of The Ballad of Mulan, comparing depictions of Mulan as woman and citizen to their political and cultural contexts. She previously completed BA in Honours History at the University of Guelph, though she was originally an Anthropology major. Her research interests include the history of mental health in the Victorian era, popular culture, revolutions and insurgencies, gender and sexuality, and Asian history, with particular emphasis on Chinese and Filipino history. Other academic interests include Art History and Philosophy. Outside of the University, she loves gardening, YA fantasy novels, building Gunpla and her Nintendo Switch.

Pronouns: he/him

Home University: Laurier

Email: warr4250@mylaurier.ca

Education: BA (Hons) English & History, Laurier; BEd, Western

Supervisor: Adam Crerar

Jared Warren is returning to Laurier for his MA in History. His research interests include Canadian history, World War I, and the history of the British Empire. He completed his BA in History and English at Laurier in 2017, followed by two years at Western University for teachers' college, where he obtained his BEd in 2019. He is employed as an occasional (supply) high school teacher with the Waterloo Region District School Board. He intends to complete a Major Research Project (MRP).