Research contributes to the betterment of society in varied and important ways — and the work of women researchers at Brock is a shining example of that impact, says Michelle McGinn, the University’s Acting Vice-President, Research.

“Brock’s women researchers are making real differences in the world through their creativity and innovation,” says McGinn. “International Women’s Day is a perfect opportunity for us to reflect on the rich contributions of Brock’s women researchers who are making breakthroughs in all areas of life.”

To commemorate the day, celebrated annually on March 8, 12 Brock researchers are sharing the impacts of their work and thoughts on their research journeys.

Corliss Bean, Assistant Professor of Recreation and Leisure Studies, works with community organizations from local to national levels to develop, implement and evaluate quality programming to foster psychosocial development, particularly as it relates to women and girls.

“It is a privilege and a responsibility to play a role in changing the narrative where women are role models for all children, not just girls,” she says. “Expose children to powerful women within family, sport, community and across all facets of life. Role models matter.”

Maureen Connolly, Professor of Kinesiology, focuses on curriculum, dance and movement education, and Freirian approaches to teaching and learning.

“One of my formative influences as a scholar is Paulo Freire, notably, where he proposes that a teacher as a political person can serve whoever is in power or present options to those in power. This remains my challenge as a teacher and a researcher: I refuse tokenism and I present options,” she says. “My research spans 30-plus years working in adaptive movement programs with people who are typically excluded from community, activity, educational and research planning and programming. It remains my deep privilege to continue to work with them, learn from them and prepare practitioners, researchers and leaders to take their inclusion seriously.”

Allison Glazebrook, Professor of Classics and Archaeology, researches the social and cultural history of ancient Greece, focusing on women, gender, sexuality and slavery.

“Ancient Greek texts generally provide the perspective of elite male members of society. As a historian influenced by feminist, gender and queer theory, I reframe such texts to investigate the groups marginalized in those same narratives,” she says. “I focus on women, enslaved people and sex labourers; the diversity of experiences, agency, mobility and statuses within these sub-groups; and think about how these various identities intersected and emerged in different spatial and temporal contexts. I strive to broaden the questions asked and expand the approaches taken in my field and thus look beyond the dominant discourse as presented in the sources.”

Sylvia Grewatsch, Assistant Professor of Marketing, International Business and Strategy in the Goodman School of Business, studies sustainability, systems and innovation.

“For me, creating impact means bridging the gap between research and practice. I aim to bridge this gap by co-creating knowledge together with practitioners. However, for early-career researchers like myself, it can be difficult to pursue impactful research as we often feel left out of the academic impact discussion,” she says. “That is why I have established the Impact Scholar Community to support impact-driven early-career researchers and to change the narrative around agency in the impact conversation. The Impact Scholar Community is a virtual, volunteer-driven community with 950 members around the world.”

Alisa Grigorovich, Assistant Professor of Recreation and Leisure Studies, studies the socio-cultural dimensions of aging and technology.

“Making an impact to me means doing research with — instead of about — older adults. I also use the arts to share their stories and knowledge with others and to catalyze policy and practice change,” she says. “Although participatory approaches to research are not new to the health field, actively engaging older adults as co-researchers with decision-making power is still rare in the context of developing technologies for healthy aging and caregiving. I collaborate with older adults and caregivers on research and knowledge translation and to collectively identify opportunities to reduce inequity through policy change and the design of technologies that align with older adults’ preferences and values.”

Jennifer Kelly (PhD ’19), Oenology Scientist in the Cool Climate Oenology and Viticulture Institute, researches climate change mitigation strategies, green technologies in wine production, consumer behaviour and uptake of new varieties.

“Being a woman in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) has been challenging and rewarding. Over the course of my 14 years involved in winemaking in industry and academia, I have seen women slowly emerging to the forefront, including the women-led team we have here at CCOVI,” she says. “As an individual researcher in oenology, having an impact on the wine industry in Ontario and Canada is the most gratifying part of my job. I can share my research in many ways, including peer-reviewed papers, presentations to industry and one-on-one communication. My research is immensely rewarding as it is helping shape a premium wine industry here in Canada.”

Voula Marinos, Professor of Child and Youth Studies, researches the complex experiences of youth and adults navigating the policing, courts, sentencing, punishment and forensic mental health systems. Her recent focus is on accessibility in the justice system for persons with developmental disabilities.

“Through the Child and Youth Studies and Forensic Psychology and Criminal Justice program, of which I’m the Director, I love interviewing people about their experiences in the justice system and those who work ‘on the inside.’ Both groups have so many rich insights we cannot see from statistics,” she says. “Such research can have an impact on policy and procedure. My openness to new people and collaborations and asking questions and seeking advice from more experienced scholars have been two of the most valuable and rewarding parts of my career.”

Divya Kaur Matta, Assistant Professor of Chemistry, specializes in computational studies of charge and energy transfer reactions in photosynthetic proteins.

“As the woman scientist Marie Curie said: ‘Nothing in life is to be feared; it is only to be understood.’ Fear is an emotion I have had throughout my life, which has empowered me to grow and strive ahead,” she says. “I grew up in India in a traditional household where men hold the prominent roles. I constantly feared I would be pulled into getting married early if I did not study and work hard. Today, I am a working scientist in the STEM field using computers to study nature’s complex reaction of photosynthesis, an educator trying to guide and mentor students, and a new mother.”

Joyce Mgombelo, Associate Professor of Educational Studies, researches mathematics education, teacher education and curriculum issues.

“We recently conducted post-project follow-up studies on our Canada Global Affairs project ‘Capacity Development for mathematics teaching in rural and remote communities in Tanzania.’ There is a widespread awareness of the project’s slogan, ‘Hisabati ni Maisha,’ (Mathematics is Life/Living) in the country,” she says. “I’m impressed by the transformation of elementary school teachers and other education officials who were involved in the project. A few were promoted in their careers. Several said that they feared mathematics but now have the confidence to learn, and do, mathematics. Our project has successfully raised awareness that mathematics is not difficult for those who have the aptitude for it, and that girls and women excel in mathematics.”

Rahnuma Islam Nishat, Assistant Professor of Computer Science, researches mathematical problems and puzzles with practical applications, including computational geometry, 3D printing, and graph drawing and visualization.

“I believe in making ‘sustainable’ impacts that would inspire my peers to strive to make the world a better place and would illuminate future generations. Sometimes we may have to go slow, but we should never give up,” she says. “I built my career while raising two children. I have faced many hurdles, but always achieved a better result at the end through perseverance and hard work. Today I am part of the amazing Brock researchers, and I am determined to set good examples for the next generation of researchers.”

Priya Thomas, Assistant Professor of Dramatic Arts, studies the movement qualities of non-humans and/or monsters in the history of dance and theatrical performance.

“Fields like dance or performance studies only entered academic institutions in the 20th century by way of the visionary aspirations of artist-scholars like Maya Deren, Katherine Dunham, Françoise Sullivan and Margaret H’Doubler, who created the first dance major at the University of Wisconsin in 1926,” she says. “It’s impossible not to be grateful for the many female scholars without whom we would arguably still be studying theatre primarily as a set of texts rather than as a transformative, embodied practice.”

Sherri Vansickle (MEd’12), Assistant Professor in Brock’s Indigenous Educational Studies Program, is from the Onondaga Nation, Six Nations of the Grand River Territory. She researches Indigenous teaching, learning and spirituality, decolonial practices and Haudenosaunee Knowledge Systems.

“Brock acknowledges Indigenous Knowledge as equivalent to a PhD. As the first woman to be hired this way, I am making an impact for seven generations…the unborn faces,” she says. “Nia:wenkowa (thanks big) to my mentors Margot Francis, Sheila O’Keefe-McCarthy and Valerie Michaelson who are experienced researchers and willing to collaborate and mentor me on this journey through academia. They are helping to make space for Indigenous ways of knowing and being in mainstream health research. Our team has already been sensitive to the needs and concerns of the Indigenous community and anticipated the use of Elders, Indigenous meals and Indigenous research protocols.”