Scholar to Scholar: Advancing Knowledge, Impact and Community

Speakers

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  Alexa Bennett PhD Candidate in Geography and Environmental Management University of Waterloo
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  Alexa Bennett PhD Candidate in Geography and Environmental Management University of Waterloo

  Alexa Bennett is a PhD candidate at the University of Waterloo studying health geography. She is a Flight 302 Award recipient and was the instructor for a QES field course in Ghana, West Africa. Her research and teaching explore how environments shape public health outcomes. She is particularly interested in the drivers of water insecurity in low-resource contexts and its impacts on maternal and newborn health.

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  Mona Ghadirian PhD in Human Nutrition McGill University
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  Mona Ghadirian PhD in Human Nutrition McGill University

  Mona Ziba Ghadirian is an independent researcher with Participatory Research at McGill University (PRAM) in the Department of Family Medicine and a former 2017–19 Queen Elizabeth Scholar (QES-AS). She completed her PhD in Human Nutrition at McGill University and a postdoctoral fellowship with PRAM. She has over 15 years of experience in community development and adolescent empowerment. Her work focuses on participatory research and participatory visual methodologies such as photovoice, fuzzy cognitive mapping, participatory video and docudramas. She partners with communities to explore issues related to nutrition, health literacy and adolescent sexual and reproductive health. Working alongside communities in West Africa and North America, she integrates local knowledge with academic research to inform research and practice.

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  Atul Jaiswal PhD in Rehabilitation Science Queen's University
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  Atul Jaiswal PhD in Rehabilitation Science Queen's University

  Dr. Atul Jaiswal is a Research Lead at the Perley Health Centre of Excellence in Frailty Informed Care™. He is an Adjunct Professor at the Interdisciplinary School of Health Sciences, University of Ottawa. Through interdisciplinary research, Atul leads evidence-based research solutions that bridge technology, person-centered care and rehabilitation.

  Trained as both an occupational therapist and rehabilitation social worker, he brings more than a decade of clinical, research and leadership experience. With the award support of the Queen Elizabeth Scholars program, he earned his PhD from the Faculty of Health Sciences at Queen’s University, where he examined strategies to enhance societal participation for individuals with sensory loss. Dr. Jaiswal completed postdoctoral research at the University of Montreal, focusing on improving healthcare access for older adults with sensory disabilities across the continuum of care, including long term care settings. Before joining Perley Health, he served as an Adjunct Assistant Professor at Queen’s University and as Manager of Research Operations at the Bruyère Research Institute, overseeing 52 aging and innovation focused projects.

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  Ugochukwu Okoye PhD Candidate in Anthropology (Political Economy) Carleton University
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  Ugochukwu Okoye PhD Candidate in Anthropology (Political Economy) Carleton University

  Ugochukwu is a PhD candidate in Anthropology at Carleton University and a 2024 Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) Doctoral Fellow. He is also a recipient of the inaugural Flight 302 Legacy Award.

  With broad interests in urban livelihoods, migration and the politics of development, his current research investigates how African societies respond to gaps in state provision. Specifically, he analyzes how community-led organizations leverage diaspora networks to advance grassroots development and function as alternative sites of governance.

  Beyond academia, Ugochukwu has worked in international development organizations in Canada and Nigeria, supporting initiatives funded by Global Affairs Canada, USAID and the U.K.’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO). He holds an MSc in International Development from the University of Edinburgh, where he studied as a Commonwealth Scholar and a BSc in Political Science and Geography from the University of Nigeria.

  Ugochukwu currently serves as an Adjunct Instructor and Teaching Assistant in Anthropology at Carleton University. As a passionate community builder and mentor, he served on the 2025 Flight 302 Award selection committee, has mentored with the Commonwealth Scholarship Commission Mentoring Programme and presently volunteers with several community initiatives in Ottawa.

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  Kenneth Gyamerah PhD in Education Policy and Curriculum Studies Queen's University
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  Kenneth Gyamerah PhD in Education Policy and Curriculum Studies Queen's University

  Dr. Kenneth Gyamerah is an Assistant Professor in the Frazer Faculty of Education at Ontario Tech University. As an interdisciplinary and community-engaged scholar, his research aims to transform society through equitable, inclusive and socially responsive educational practices, with a particular focus on advancing opportunities for historically marginalized communities. His work is grounded in educational equity, societal transformation and epistemic justice. Dr. Gyamerah’s research interests include STEM education, African-centred education, comparative and international education, education policy, youth participatory action research and teacher education. He holds a PhD in Education from Queen’s University, a Master of Science in Education Policy from University of Bristol and a Bachelor of Education degree from University of Education, Winneba. Dr. Gyamerah is a Chevening Scholar and IDRA 2022 recipient. He is a curriculum and pedagogical expert with the UNESCO Inclusive Policy Lab. Through his scholarship, teaching and community partnerships, he contributes to the development of educational policies and practices that promote equity, inclusion and meaningful social transformation.

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  Nadia Ahmed Firoz PhD Candidate in Sociology Carleton University
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  Nadia Ahmed Firoz PhD Candidate in Sociology Carleton University

  Nadia Ahmed Firoz is a PhD candidate in Sociology at Carleton University and a 2024 International Doctoral Research Award (IDRC-IDRA) recipient. Her research focuses on Rohingya refugee women in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh, examining gendered violence, displacement, memory and belonging through an anticolonial feminist lens and oral history methodology. Her work explores how refugee women navigate persecution, forced migration and protracted displacement while articulating resilience, agency and claims to justice. In addition to her doctoral research, Nadia teaches at Carleton University and works as an international development consultant. Her recent consulting work includes private sector mapping, partnership development, research and strategy support for climate resilience and international development initiatives. Prior to her PhD, Nadia spent over a decade working across South Asia in research, policy and program design roles with international organizations, NGOs and research institutions. Her work bridges academic research, policy and practice to advance more inclusive approaches to development and social justice.

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  Joy Nyokabi Karinge PhD Student in Anthropology & African Studies Carleton University
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  Joy Nyokabi Karinge PhD Student in Anthropology & African Studies Carleton University

  Joy Nyokabi Karinge is a PhD student at Carleton University studying Anthropology and African Studies and a 2025 Flight 302 Award recipient. Her dissertation investigates how restricted access to colonial-era archives shapes Kenyan national memory, and how scholars and youth collectives are reclaiming and reinterpreting these records as part of wider struggles over heritage, memory and historical justice.

  Multilingual, she has presented at conferences in Canada, the US and the African continent. Joy holds two master’s degrees from Syracuse University in International Relations and Pan African Studies. She has international development experience with IDRC, UNESCO’s Inclusive Policy Lab and UN Trade and Development, alongside research projects and community initiatives funded by WAGE and the NSERC. At Carleton, she is Co-President of the Institute of African Studies Graduate Students’ Association and a teaching assistant. Joy is the founder of Afrika Yangu and a member of the Africa Indigenous Knowledge Research Network. Her 2026 forthcoming publications include a Hodder/Hachette chapter and a Canadian Journal of African Studies review.

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  Nodir Ataev PhD Candidate in Global Development Studies Queen's University
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  Nodir Ataev PhD Candidate in Global Development Studies Queen's University

  Nodir Ataev is a PhD student in Global Development Studies at Queen’s University in Kingston. He holds an MA in Economic Policy in Global Markets from Central European University and has worked in the development aid sector for over a decade. His research focuses on political ecology, agrarian transformation and water governance, with a doctoral project examining questions of water access and justice in the Fergana Valley.

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  Claudia Robayo Gonzales PhD Candidate in Public Health (Global Health) Université de Montréal
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  Claudia Robayo Gonzales PhD Candidate in Public Health (Global Health) Université de Montréal

  Claudia Robayo is a PhD candidate at Université de Montréal studying Public Health and a 2024 IDRC-IDRA recipient. She is a medical doctor from Universidad Militar with a master’s degree in Toxicology from the Universidad Nacional, both in Colombia. She has worked as a Physician and as a Research Coordinator at a primary care center, overseeing family medicine rotations, managing research projects and supporting medical students. Throughout her career, she has worked on topics including tobacco use, opioid addiction, medical education and vector-borne infectious diseases. Her training and experience have made her an advocate for equity and meaningful participant engagement in research. She is also committed to knowledge mobilization for the scientific community and the general public in English, French and Spanish. Her doctoral research examined how community knowledge, attitudes and practices regarding dengue in Dhaka, Bangladesh, related to children’s seropositivity and explained how relationships among beliefs, perceptions and social context can influence KAP in dengue control efforts. She has also received the Fonds de recherche du Québec Doctoral Training Scholarhip in 2025, the Bourse d’excellence des Études supérieures and the Bourse de Mobilité from the Université de Montréal.

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  Caitlin Piccone PhD Candidate in Rehabilitation Science Queen's University
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  Caitlin Piccone PhD Candidate in Rehabilitation Science Queen's University

  Caitlin Piccone is a PhD candidate in the School of Rehabilitation Therapy at Queen’s University and is supervised by Dr. Heather Aldersey. Her dissertation focuses on the integration of mental health supports into CBR programming in Ghana and is funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council. Caitlin’s research interests include mental health, health equity, participatory research methods, feminist theory, women’s health and community-based programming. Caitlin currently works as a Graduate Research Assistant on the Balancing Act project exploring global disability-based supports run by Dr. Aldersey. She is also the Founder and Co-President of the Research and Post-Professional Student Society in the Queen’s School of Rehabilitation Therapy. Caitlin’s past work experience includes roles with the Duke Global Health Innovation Centre, the Duke Department of Family Medicine and Community Health, the Duke Center for Health Policy & Inequalities Research, the World Health Organization’s Global Cooperation on Assistive Technology and Cameroon Catalyst. Caitlin holds a Master of Public Health and Bachelor of Arts in Global Development Studies from Queen’s University.

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  Kouessi Anthelme Agbodandé Master of Education in Health Professions Education University of Ottawa
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  Kouessi Anthelme Agbodandé Master of Education in Health Professions Education University of Ottawa

  Professor Kouessi Anthelme Agbodande is an internist and a full professor of internal medicine at the Faculté des Sciences de la Santé de l’Université d’Abomey-Calavi (Benin) and the National Coordinator of Benin’s National Palliative Care Program.

  After graduating from the Faculté des Sciences de la Santé de Cotonou in 2009, he pursued specialized training in pulmonology in Strasbourg, France, before shifting his career focus to internal medicine. He practices at the Centre National Hospitalier Universitaire Hubert Koutoukou Maga (CNHU-HKM) in Cotonou, where he combines clinical work with teaching, research and health policy development.

  His research focuses primarily on internal medicine, with a particular interest in the care of people living with HIV, sleep disorders, mental health and the health of older adults. He is also interested in the development of palliative care, the training of health professionals and educational innovation in the health sciences.

  As a Scholar of the Canadian International Development Scholarships 2030 (BCDI 2030) program, he is currently pursuing a master’s degree in health sciences education at the University of Ottawa as part of the Bridging the Gaps for the Next Generation in Health (CEReSA) project, which aims to strengthen the health sector’s capacity in Benin.

  Through his clinical, academic and institutional activities, he contributes to the advancement of medical knowledge, the improvement of the quality of care and the capacity building of health professionals in Benin and French-speaking Africa.

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  Yvonne Ndelle Postdoctoral Fellow at Open AIR University of Ottawa
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  Yvonne Ndelle Postdoctoral Fellow at Open AIR University of Ottawa

  Dr. Yvonne Ndelle is Program Manager and Research Associate with the Open African Innovation Research Network (Open AIR) at the Centre for Law, Technology and Society, University of Ottawa. She is a researcher working at the intersection of science, technology and innovation with focus on the governance of emerging technologies, public engagement and the broader science, technology, and innovation (STI) policy landscape. Prior to her current role, Dr. Ndelle was a Queen Elizabeth Scholar and Postdoctoral Fellow with Open AIR, a collaborative network of researchers and institutions across Africa and Canada dedicated to advancing inclusive innovation and knowledge governance. In her current role, Dr. Ndelle supports the management of international research partnerships, coordinates large-scale collaborative projects and contributes to policy engagement initiatives that strengthen links between research, practice and decision-making. Dr. Ndelle holds a PhD in Public Policy and a Master of Public Administration from the Johnson Shoyama Graduate School of Public Policy at the University of Saskatchewan. She also holds a Bachelor of Science in Journalism and Mass Communication.

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  Racheal Zara Wallace PhD Candidate in International Affairs Carleton University
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  Racheal Zara Wallace PhD Candidate in International Affairs Carleton University

  Racheal Wallace is a PhD Candidate at Carleton University studying International Affairs and a 2025 Flight 302 Legacy Award recipient. Her research focuses on natural resources and environmental governance, the political economy of law enforcement and state responses to illegal resource extraction, with a particular emphasis on illegal mining and enforcement politics in sub-Saharan Africa. Her doctoral research examines how enforcement and governance shape informality, livelihoods and environmental outcomes in Ghana’s artisanal and small-scale mining sector. Drawing on extensive fieldwork in Ghana, her work contributes to debates on resource governance, state capacity, environmental security and the governance of informal economies. She holds a master’s degree in Global Business Administration from Keimyung University, South Korea and a bachelor’s degree in social work and the Study of Religions from the University of Ghana. Her research has been published in the Journal of Contemporary Eastern Asia, the Journal of International Trade and Commerce and Canada Among Nations.