Current MA Students and Alumni
Lauren Berry
Supervisors: Dr. Jessica Clark
As the youngest of five children, it was important for me to know my family was no more dysfunctional than anybody else’s and my early research into the history of the family has afforded me great peace of mind. Moving forward my thesis at Brock will continue in the same social history vein. I will be examining moral panics during the eighteenth-century. In particular, the rhetoric about the perceived social and moral decaying of society, that had been presented as a looming threat against the family unit and acted as catalysts for moral panics and moral crusades. Examining moral panics and their effect upon the family has not only allowed me to further my research into the history of the family but also lets me closer analyze the people on the fringes of society, anxieties of the time, traditional notions about gender and the growing print culture of eighteenth-century Europe.
Kailey Cairns
Supervisors: Dr. Tami Friedman
Throughout my undergraduate degree I was always drawn to different aspects of Canadian history, even when taking courses about other places and times, which broadened my view of the world, I was never tired of learning about Canada. Most recently, I have been fascinated by Canadian-American relations, specifically how Canada tries to be a sovereign nation while being the junior partner of a superpower. For my paper, I chose to examine the complicated relationship between Canadian sovereignty and American influence through one of its most challenging periods; the Vietnam War. I hope to explore three areas where Canadian and American interests intersected over the Vietnam War, political, economic, and domestic involvement. My question when examining all of these facets is when looking at Canada’s resolve to not send troops to Southeast Asia, political ineffectiveness in stopping the war, weapons manufacturing for the Vietnam war that took place in Canada, and the mass movement of draft resisters, military deserters, and Canadian volunteers, is Canada complicit in the Vietnam War?
Gary Gardell
Supervisors: Dr. Murray Wickett
I am a retired accountant/financial analyst who spent the last 30 years of my work life employed by Post Foods, known mainly as the producer of Shredded Wheat and Shreddies cereals. Retirement allowed me to return to Brock to satisfy a longtime interest in history, and I completed my BA in 2024. I am particularly interested in 17th and 18th-century U.S. history, which I plan to pursue in my MA research. However, I am also drawn to the research idea of non-Indigenous appropriation of the Native sport of lacrosse in the mid-19th century as a vehicle for “Christian Masculinity” and to forge a unique sense of Canadian nationalism. These after-effects can be found in turn-of-the-century St. Catharines, Ontario, where lacrosse became a tool to evoke a powerful sense of community and identity.
Owen McAllister
Supervisors: Dr. Jessica Clark
Owen McAllister received his Honours Bachelor of Arts in History with a minor in English Literature from Brock University in 2023. Owen’s graduate-level research will explore the Jacobite Rebellions of the late 17th and early 18th centuries. Specifically, Owen will examine the motivations behind the Rebellions from an international and socio-cultural perspective across the British Isles.
Carter Mowat
Supervisors: Dr. Gregor Kranjc
1st year MA student for the Department of History. Military history has always fascinated me, thus my research will focus on the history of terrorism and counter-terrorism throughout the Cold War. Ireland and ‘the Troubles’ caught my attention during my undergraduate studies, and during my MA I hope to further explore the conflict, analysing how communities reacted and responded to terror attacks.
Owen Urquhart
Supervisors: Dr. Elizabeth Vlossak
Owen Urquhart is an MA candidate at Brock University. He obtained his undergraduate degree in History at Brock University. Although his undergraduate and master’s program are done through an English institution, his elementary and high school were at full French schools mainly in the Conseil Scolaire Catholique Mon-Avenir. Owen’s experience and education in his formative years has left a big mark on his academic journey. This year’s Master’s project will focus on Regulation 17 in Welland. As a decent amount of people know, Welland is considered a bastion of Franco-Canadian identity in the province. Regulation 17, on the other hand, is very rarely spoken about. This order was passed by the Provincial government under the Conservative leadership of Sir James Pliny Whitney starting in the school year 1912-1913. The little academia that is done on the subject often focuses on stronger bastions of resistance such as the Battle of the Hatpins or the resistance Beatrice and Diane of Desloges. Although these demonstrations are more symbolic than the hardships of the smaller Welland community, the way they were able to not only withstand the discriminatory act despite being outnumbered by an English majority as well as the exponential growth of the community following the dissolution of the act, highlights another important bastion of resistance against the regulation in question. “
Dannita Owusu Afriyie
Supervisors: Dr. Olatunji Ojo
Growing up in an African society, it was common knowledge that occult societies and secret societies were associated with horrible customs such as human sacrifices, which led to unfavorable opinions. However, through subsequent research, I discovered my initial notions were often based on misconceptions. It is worth noting during my undergraduate studies, I aspired to delve into secret societies for my final research paper, but the scarcity of credible sources hindered my efforts.
For my MRP, I intend to examine the historical significance of Freemasonry and its impact on Canadian society. Fortunately, Brock University’s comprehensive collection of Masonic materials provides a valuable resource for this study. To maintain a specific focus, my research will concentrate on the period from 1980 to 2000, investigating Freemasonry’s influence in St. Catharines, Ontario. By analyzing both primary and secondary sources, this research aims to illuminate the societal contributions of Freemasonic lodges. It seeks to correct past misconceptions and enhance our understanding of how Freemasonry has shaped Canadian society.
Ibrahim Al-Muazam
Supervisor: Dr. Olatunji Ojo
Having grown up in a multi-ethnic political home, I have developed an interest in social and political history. This interest was the motivation for my senior undergraduate dissertation, where I explored the leadership of the Kumase Central Mosque as well as the crisis that disrupted its stability, by emphasizing on ethnic antagonism as a principal cause. For my MRP, I will be looking to investigate political relations and tensions in a selected senior high school in Ghana. I believe that political relations and tensions have already made its way into the Ghanaian higher educational system — mainly the universities. In 2011, for instance, the students’ wings of Ghana’s two main political parties threatened legal actions against each other over laptop distribution in the university. These political relations are gradually making its way into the Ghanaian second cycle institutions — the senior high schools. However, scholarly works on politically motivated relations in Ghana tend to focus mainly on tertiary education. It is against this backdrop that I intend to explore the issues of political relations in a selected senior high school in Ghana.
Elizabeth Anderson
Supervisors: Dr. Elizabeth Vlossak & Dr. Daniel Samson
How do we commemorate and memorialize important figures of our history? And how does that change as our perspective of those figures shifts over time? I was inspired to ask these questions by a series of events that occurred across North America over the past year or so, in which protestors removed statues of influential historical figures, such as Sir John A. Macdonald, whose statue was torn down in Montreal in August of 2020 as a part of a protest against systemic racism. I look to evaluate how we continue to portray and understand monuments that depict our complex national history by focusing on a local statue as a focal point in a much larger debate.
Paige Groot
Supervisor: Dr. Colin Rose
My background in history and environmental practice has instilled a deep interest in the relationship between humans and the environment, specifically, human exploitation and management of natural resources. My SSHRC- funded research will focus on tracking medieval and early modern forest management and deforestation in the High Weald in South-East England. England’s High Weald is home to 35,905 hectares of forest, much of which is classified as ancient, and serve as major natural carbon sinks. Through archival research and environmental science methods, I hope to better understand past approaches to land management and natural resource exploitation. I will use HGIS (historical geographic information systems) to allow for greater analysis and visualization of geographical changes over time. I think that studying historical natural resource management through this lens is an essential part of understanding our relationship to the environment.
Steven Hamelin
Supervisor: Dr. Maureen Lux
Steven Hamelin is an MA student in History at Brock University. He received his undergraduate degree from the University of Toronto in International Relations and History. His area of interest is 19th and 20th century conflict and society. His current research is on Indigenous allies and the War of 1812.
Jessica Leite
Supervisor: Dr. Andrew McDonald
I will be exploring the fascinating medieval world of the Isle of Man. I will be examining the 13th century Chronicles of the Kings of Man and the Isles to determine the role of women and the reproductive politics of medieval society. Due to a lack of surviving sources from this period, I will look towards Scotland and Ireland to fill in the gaps.
Alaric Mustoe
Supervisor: Dr. Daniel Samson
The eighteenth century has always fascinated me, whether it was exploring the forts scattered across Niagara or reading about decisive battles that forged the outcomes of North American history. Battles and forts may reveal a part of North American history. However, they also leave a great deal to be discovered. The seventeenth and eighteenth centuries are seen as the eras of nation states and the rise of empires, but also the eras of revolution and the forging of national identities. For my MRP, I will focus on the role of the Seven Years War in North America and its impact on fostering a North American colonial identity. I chose the Seven Years War as my period of focus because it is often referred to as one of the most significant global conflicts and is seen as a major contributor to the creation of national identities as seen through the American Revolution.
Rebecca Nickerson
Supervisor: Dr. Maureen Lux
Rebecca Nickerson is a history MA candidate, GIS consultant and embroidery artist. Her research interests are historical GIS and the history of segregated Indigenous healthcare in Canada. Her publications and work experience include several digital map collections (Esri Canada, Defining Moments Canada), print maps, and collaborations for GIS research.
Kat Rice
Supervisors: Dr. Elizabeth Vlossak and Dr. Julie Stevens
My background in sport based oral history projects has revealed to me the remarkable ways sport can reach beyond borders and differences to speak to shared passions. In the field of sport history, oral history is a successful methodology for researching marginalized social groups that have largely been unseen due to signifiers such as class, race, gender, and sexuality. My SSHRC funded research will focus on the experiences of queer women in recreational ice hockey in the Niagara Region through oral history interviews with female players, coaches, managers, and organizers. I will use this collection of interviews to explore the relationship between ice hockey and Canadian national identity through the lens of gender and sexuality. I think studying queer experiences in sport is important for not only understanding the history and legacy of women’s ice hockey in Canada, but also for creating a more inclusive society.
Cindy Allingham
Supervisor: Dr. Tami Friedman
Young, single, white middle-class women entering office jobs in urban areas in Canada and the U.S. at the turn of the 20th century thought they could exercise more control over their lives by earning wages and could demonstrate some independence from the world of men. They believed that pleasing male co-workers and bosses in the workplace, or at least not antagonizing them, might help them obtain job status and security. My paper asks how they navigated the new obstacles they encountered in the city such as sexual coercion, finding affordable and respectable accommodation, and buying clothing and maintaining respectable appearances. It will also explore whether they were successful at establishing the control they sought 1900 – 1920.
Bear Lyu
Supervisor: Dr. Ning Wang
As a Chinese international student in Canada, I have received different perspectives on history from both sides of the political spectrum. For example, I traveled to Hong Kong in the summer of 2019, when there were protests there. This has awakened my political consciousness and shaped my interest in history during a time of growing international political tensions related to China’s foreign policies. I am interested in the USChina relationship during the 1970s and ‘80s, and I want to explore how a seemingly friendly relationship at the beginning turned into the hostile atmosphere now.
Kathleen Powell
Supervisor: Dr. Jessica Clark
Thesis Title: ‘At Breakfast We Heard Whistles Blowing’: Nationalist Sentiment in St. Catharines, 1899-1902.
Kyle Scarlett
Supervisor: Dr. Andrew McDonald
MRP Title: Saints on the Move: Viking Violence and the
Movement of Saints’ Relics in the 9th and 10th
Century
Christopher Wesolowski
Supervisors: Dr. Elizabeth Neswald and Dr. Mike Driedger
MRP Title: Eating Bartholomew Fair: Food, Drink, and Social Change in London 1750-1820
Fall 2022
Malcolm Cavanagh (MA 2022)
Supervisor: Dr. Gregor Kranjc
MRP title: A Most Demanding Question of Public Concern: Assessing British and French popular discourse on the Cretan revolt, 1897-98
Connor Coutts
Supervisors: Dr. Gregor Kranjc and Dr. Elizabeth Vlossak
MRP Title: The Struggle for Memory: An Analysis of Memoirs of World War II Eastern Front Generals
Eric Kruger
Supervisors: Dr. Michael Driedger and Dr. Elizabeth Vlossak
MRP Title: North American Mennonites, Political Germanism and National Socialism in the 1930s: A Case Study of “The Mennonite”
Dario Smagata-Bryan
Supervisors: Dr. Renee Lafferty-Salhany and Dr. Daniel Samson
MRP Title: Content Analysis of North American Newspapers of the War of 1812
Spring 2022
Melissa Fowler
Superviosr: Dr. Renée Lafferty-Salhany
MRP Title: Amputating Authority in the Environment of War: Practitioners’ Agency During the War of 1812
Jake Breadman
Supervisor: Dr. Renée Lafferty-Salhany
MRP Title: ‘The father, to his children, will make known the mournful story’: Martial Masculinity and the Life and Memory of Major-General Sir Isaac Brock in Upper Canada
Fall 2021
Robert Gaiero
Supervisor: Dr. Gregor Kranjc
MRP Title: A Study of Antisemitism in Benito Mussolini, in Italians, and the Persecution of Jews in Fascist Italy
Katherine Foran
Supervisor: Dr. Andrew MacDonald
MRP Title: More Than Just Wives, Sisters and Daughters: Scottish Women in John Barbour’s “The Bruce”
Michael Humeniuk
Supervisor: Dr. Maureen Lux
MRP Title: “Make Us Partners in Our Homeland”: The Constitution Express Movement, 1980-1982
Jaclyn Kaller
Supervisor: Dr. Murray Wickett
MRP Title: “The prejudice is a great deal worse here”: Anti-Black Discrimination in St. Catharines’ Nineteenth-Century Public Life 1850-1890
Kara Morrison
Supervisor: Dr. Murray Wickett
MRP Title: Jim Crow Segregated Education: Separate, but Equal?: The Relationship Between Race, Education, and Employment in the United States from the Reconstruction Era to the Civil Rights Era
Naythan Poulin
Supervisor: Dr. Daniel Samson
MRP Title: Interpretive Communities in the Historiography of the Acadian Expulsion: Towards an Empirical Method for Determining the Relationship between Interpretation
Gareth Rowland
Supervisor: Dr. Murrary Wickett
MRP Title: A Man Out of Time? Svein Asleifarson, Orkneyinga saga, and Orkney Society in the Twelfth Century
Jared Shawcross
Supervisor: Dr. Gregor Kranjc
MRP Title: Fenianism or Terrorism? The Power of Terrorism as a Delegitimizing Political Label
Elaine Horrill
Supervisors: Dr. Keri Cronin (Visual Arts) and Dr. Jessica Clark
MRP Title: A Victorian Interpretation of Medieval Times: William Morris and Red House
Danielle Sinopoli
Supervisor: Dr. Renée Lafferty-Salhany
MRP Title: Franklin and Frostbite: An Examination of Naval Medicine, Climate and Bodies in the mid-nineteenth century
Spring 2021
Carina Cino
Supervisor: Dr. Renée Lafferty-Salhany
MRP Title: More Than Just Yes-Men: Masonic Reactions to Canadian Imperial Discourse in WWI
Marcus Hoszko
Supervisors: Dr. Tami Friedman and Dr. Murray Wickett
MRP Title: Unconventional Childhoods: Children of American Communists in the 1940s/1950s
Shawn Kirkman
Supervisor: Dr. Murray Wickett
MRP Title: Indigenous Hockey Players in the NHL
Chidinma Ogueji
Supervisor: Dr. Olatunji Ojo
MRP Title: The Western Media Coverage of the Nigerian Civil War
Adam Thomson
Supervisor: Dr. Mark Spencer
MRP Title: Tabloids of Insurrection: News Media and Shays’ Rebellion
Jessica Linzel
Supervisor: R. Daniel Samson
Thesis Title: Re-imagining Loyalist Era Niagara: A Spatial Study of Economic Development (1783-1812)
Gabrielle Marshall
Supervisor: Dr. Renée Lafferty-Salhany
MRP Title: Under Pressure: Text and Context in the Old Bailey Records of Infanticide Trials, 1800-1850
Carolyn Fast
Supervisor: Dr. Renee Lafferty-Salhany
Thesis Title: The Un-Making of Difference: The Winding Road of Deinstitutionalization in Ontario, 1960-2018
Jade Biggar
Supervisor: Dr. Elizabeth Vlossak
MRP Title: Lest We Forget: Stained Glass Memorial Windows in Niagara’s Churches
Fall 2020
Amanda Balyk
Supervisor: Dr. Jessica Clark
MRP Title: “An atrocious and abominable offence”: textual representations of abortion and shame in England 1850-1870
Lucas Coia
Supervisor: Dr. Colin Rose
Thesis Title: Down to Earth or Near to Heaven?: Religious Practice in the Abruzzi, 1154-1313
Alumni Testimonials
Colin Bissell (2015)
Supervisor: Dr. Maureen Lux
‘Brock University’s MA in History is a challenging and rewarding program. I chose to pursue graduate work at Brock because of the knowledge and experience of its faculty. The vast experience of the faculty are a key component of their multidisciplinary program. The faculty are also approachable, supportive and know how to push students to reach their potential.
‘While some students might be challenged taking courses outside of their comfort zone, it gives them the opportunity to apply their skills in other areas. I enjoyed the graduate experience at Brock and look forward to using the skills I learned on a new project with the Lincoln and Welland Regiment Museum.’
Brent Brenyo (2015)
Supervisor: Dr. Jane McLeod
I chose the Graduate Program because of the stellar experience I had with the History Department as an undergraduate student at Brock. Faculty members were approachable and helpful, and wanted to see students succeed. The prospect of working with them in a close capacity while furthering my own post-secondary studies was an attractive proposition. The Department even facilitated with applying to the program. The Department offered information sessions and the Grad Program Director kept in touch during the application and admission process. This allowed for any initial questions to be answered (including funding and TA work) and ensured a smooth transition from Undergraduate studies. I would strongly encourage prospective Grad students to attend in advance. The Graduate Program offered a diverse range of courses, while allowing me to pursue the area of historical study I wanted with my Major Research Paper (MRP). The courses allowed me to become more knowledgeable in many areas of history, as well as historical method. My MRP allowed me to draw on my interest in public education and Bachelor of Education degree. The MRP focused on the censorship of the LGBTQ+ community in public education in Ontario, the struggle for curricular inclusiveness, and the educational value of law in affecting change in the schooling system. The faculty were supportive and encouraging. Department colloquiums also helped to create a collegial atmosphere and offered a chance to socialize. The ability to work closely with supervisors and faculty was quite beneficial.
Renée Girard (2015)
Superviosr: Dr. Jane McLeod
“The experience of completing an MA in History at Brock has been for me an exciting and fulfilling experience. It has been a pleasure to share ideas and discuss not only with my peers but also with all the members of the faculty who have been more than supportive throughout the whole process. Being in the History department at Brock is like being part of a family. While support and encouragement is offered, the expectations are high. The program is challenging, and provides adequate preparation for further studies. Furthermore, I have had the opportunity to develop valuable skills through my participation in many conferences and as a teaching assistant. I thus feel confident that I can start a PhD program in History with a strong foundation, and look forward to this new challenge.”
Nicholas Timmers (2015)
Supervisor: Dr. R. Andrew McDonald
I am researching the later Christianizaton process (the development of the established church) of the Scottish Northern Isles (particularly Orkney) during the 12th and 13th centuries.
I have had a great experience with the program. While I wish the program had a more medieval focus in terms of the course work, the co-op position which I had has more than made up for it. Between May and September of 2013, I worked as an intern for the Centre for Nordic Studies in Shetland, as a part of the co-op portion of my degree. In this position, I helped the Centre for Nordic Studies build a Viking database as well as organize and assist with the annual Viking Summer School in Shetland. Another perk of the position is that I worked in the same place as the history I am studying, which has enabled me to conduct great research! Through the co-op aspect of the History program I have learned many practical strategies which will help me in the future. I have learned how to apply my research skills in a professional position, instead of a student paper. I realized that my skills which I have developed over the past 5 years are easily transferable. I think Brock University’s Master of Arts History program is a great program. I do like that it exposes you to numerous areas of history and it introduces new historical strategies. It is also nice having a small program because you really get know to your colleagues both professors and other students.
Steven J. Lee (2012)
Being a Master’s Candidate in Brock University’s history department was the most fulfilling and engaging part of my post-secondary education. I honestly believe that the experience could not have been the same at a different school. At Brock the professors outnumber the students in the graduate program. This means that the professors quickly get to know you, form personal connections and one-on-one support is always available.The MA program consists of small, three-hour seminars. My class sizes ranged from six to fourteen (the entire class), which meant that there was plenty of time for each student to express his or her thoughts and build discussion. Professors constantly push students to critically analyze, challenge their ideas and support their claims. This compelled me to become better at formulating academic arguments, and perhaps more importantly, become more confident in my ideas and myself. The history MA program fosters a true sense of community both between the candidates and the entire department. The history MA program is not easy, and requires a great deal of dedication and hard work, but the rewards and rich experience make it all worthwhile in the end.
Steven Lee is a Brock University graduate who currently works at the Peel Art Gallery, Museum and Archive in Brampton, Ontario, and as a teacher at Oxford Learning Company.
Venetia Whiting (Boehmer-Plotz) (2011)
“After completing my graduate research on Aboriginal fisheries in post-Confederation British Columbia with Dr. Maureen Lux, I began the bijuridical civil and common law program at McGill University in fall 2011. The program was demanding, allowing me to maintain my commitment to academic excellence while honing the oral and written communication skills and efficient research strategies that I acquired through the graduate program at Brock. The experience I gained balancing graduate course work, independent research, and community involvement has prepared me for both academic and professional success in law. I excelled in my roles as a Pro Bono legal intern at a Native women’s shelter, as a research assistant studying reconciliation jurisprudence, and as a senior journal editor. I am confident that the graduate program’s rigorous academic standards, commitment to excellence, and continued mentorship will serve me well in my new capacity as an Associate in the Regulatory department at Bennett Jones LLP. I am grateful for the confidence and sense of initiative that I gained through the seminar program and through the strong faculty-student support that is unique to Brock’s graduate program.”
After completing her MA in History at Brock University, Venetia went on to complete her Common and Civil Law degrees at McGill and was named to the Dean’s Honour List. Venetia is currently an Associate at Bennett Jones LLP in Calgary, Alberta, where she practices regulatory, Aboriginal, and environmental law.