Chloe Hamza

Two Brock PhD psychology students have each received one of Canada’s most prestigious scholarships for doctoral students.

Chloe Hamza and Lindsey Short have been chosen for 2010 Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarships. Hazma studies adolescence, while Short studies the influence of social categories on face perception.

Hamza and Short are among 174 doctoral students chosen from across Canada. Vanier scholars receive $50,000 annually for up to three years. They are chosen based on their demonstrated leadership skills and scholarly achievement in graduate studies in the social sciences and humanities, natural sciences and engineering, and health research.

Lindsey Short

“The Vaniers are the highest and most competitive awards offered at the national level in Canada,” said Marilyn Rose, Dean of the Faculty of Graduate Studies. “The fact that Brock has been awarded two of them this year is a tribute to the calibre of these particular students and their supervisors, as well as an indicator of the growing strength of Brock’s graduate research sector and its potential to contribute to the world in very meaningful ways.”

Hamza, who is from London, Ont., works under the supervision of Teena Willoughby, a professor in the adolescent development lab. Hamza’s doctoral research focuses on the ways parent and adolescent interaction ultimately shape youth behaviour throughout the course of adolescence.

With the scholarship funding, Hamza can attend conferences around the world to share her research and develop relationships with professionals in related fields.

Lindsey Short, an international student from Ohio, works under the supervision of Catherine Mondloch, a professor who studies various aspects of face perception. Short is researching how social context influences our perception of the faces of people of similar and different races.

Short said the Vanier award allows her to present the results of her work at numerous professional conferences and to forge new relationships with labs in Canada and around the world.

When announcing the 2010 recipients, Tony Clement, Minister of Industry, emphasized the significance of these awards in the Government of Canada’s science and technology strategy.

“By helping our universities attract and retain the world’s top doctoral students, the program is helping us develop and apply leading-edge knowledge, grow a world-class workforce, and position Canada as a true destination of choice for the world’s top students and researchers,” said Minister Clement.

Vanier scholars are first nominated by a Canadian university and the nominations are evaluated by selection committees struck by Canada’s three research granting agencies. An international, blue-ribbon selection board then selects Vanier scholarship recipients and recommends who will be funded.