Making a Difference
As we look ahead into the next century, leaders will be those who empower others.
- Bill Gates
Vancouver Island University Graduate Student Scholars have received a major graduate scholarship in recognition for academic, research and community leadership. These scholarships include the Canada Graduate Scholarship - Master's Program, Indigenous Scholars Award, British Columbia Graduate Scholarship and the Queen Elizabeth Scholarship.
The VIUGSS Program is three pronged: Developing Leaders, Community Building through Communications, and Peer Service. These experiences provide the Scholars with opportunities to expand, share, and guide respectively.
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The 2023-24 Graduate Student Scholars
Name: Brandi Simmons
Program: Master of Geographic Information Systems Applications
From: Nanaimo, BC
Research/Professional Interests: Conservation, Wildlife & Spatial Ecologies, GIS, Remote Sensing, Species at Risk
What excites you most about 2023-24? I am excited to increase my GIS and remote sensing knowledge and skillset. I am also looking forward to my research and hope to provide useful insights about the local habitat in the Coastal Douglas Fir zone.
Name: Çağla Melisa Kozan
Program: Master of Education in Special Education
From: Istanbul, Turkey
Research/Professional Interests: Autism and Special Education
What excites you most about 2023-24? I am thrilled to start my academic journey at Vancouver Island University and eager to build new friendships throughout my stay there.
Name: Courtney Meeker-Palacios
Program: Master of Education in Educational Leadership
From: Parksville, BC
Research/Professional Interests: First-year teacher assessment experiences in BC
What excites you most about 2023-24? I am excited about continuing my research, developing a better understanding, and focusing on helping first-year teachers with assessment.
Name: Daisy Elliott, Xwulmuxw name is Tus Taa Naat
Program: Master of Community Planning
From: Snuneymuxw (Nanaimo) territory on my mother's side & Musgamagw Dzawada’enuxw (Kingcome Inlet) on my father's side
Research/Professional Interests: Reconciliation is the main focus in my research and I see this topic guiding my professional career in the future.
What excites you most about 2023-24? Is that this time next year (July 2024) I will have completed and presented on my research, and graduated from the Master of Community Planning program!
Name: (Fynn) Kusi Adjei
Program: Master of Arts in Sustainable Leisure Management
From: Bibiani, Ghana
Research/Professional Interests: volunteering, volunteer tourism, destination tourism management, sustainable tourism, regenerative tourism, transformative tourism
What excites you most about 2023-24? I am excited about finishing my master's thesis! My thesis is about what I love, volunteer tourism, which I honestly believe can be used to achieve social justice in many communities around the world. I cannot wait for life after graduate school.
Name: Hayden Kenneth Taylor
Program: Master of Education in Educational Leadership
From: BC
Research/Professional Interests: Indigenous culture and knowledge, BC’s public-school curriculum
What excites you most about 2023-24?
Name: Leanna Favaro
Program: Master of Community Planning
From: Guelph, Ontario
Research/Professional Interests: socio-spatial relationship between equity and zoning bylaws; urban planning; design and policy
What excites you most about 2023-24? I am excited because I will be completing my graduate studies at VIU and beginning my full-time planning career!
Name: Nadine Wiepning
Program: Master of Community Planning
Current home: Nanaimo, BC
Research/Professional Interests: climate change, food security, urban agriculture, social justice
What excites you most about 2023-24? I'm excited to continue to expand my vision and skills in the coming year.
Name: Robinder Dhut
Program: Master of Business Administration
From: Duncan, BC
Research/Professional Interests: Management/Marketing
What excites you most about 2023-24? I get the opportunity to do an internship as well as graduate from my program.
Name: Sam Gerrand
Program: Master of Community Planning
From: Pincher Creek, AB
Research/Professional Interests: Application of the Ecological Accounting Process in planning to create greener, more resilient communities in the face of climate change.
What excites you most about 2023-24? Excited to meet the new planners in the MCP program, and to enjoy the nice spaces we have around campus.
Name: Shiming Huang
Program: Master of Community Planning
From: Cowichan Bay, BC
Research/Professional Interests: Planning ethics and theory
What excites you most about 2023-24? To see friends!
Name: Sydney Solland
Program: Master of Arts in Sustainable Leisure Management
From: West Kelowna, BC
Research/Professional Interests: I am interested in exploring the impact of tourism on BC's outdoor recreation spaces.
What excites you most about 2023-24? I am excited to spend time exploring Vancouver Island and to begin my studies at VIU!
Name: Tareq Salim
Program: Master of Geographic Information Systems Applications
From: Ottawa, Ontario
Research/Professional Interests: GIS, Graph Theory, Public Policy of Information and Communications Technology
What excites you most about 2023-24? This year is the true "aftermath" of COVID-19 and things are fully back online and the full potential of research and collaboration have been restored so, I can't wait to be back to research and enhancing the digital economy of Canada. Also, VIU rocks and Nanaimo campus is the sweetest in the region to visit!
Name: Tanmoy Dev
Program: Master of Community Planning
From: Chattogram, Bangladesh
Research/Professional Interests: Improving the response of coastal communities to the effects of climate change.
What excites you most about 2023-24?