Meet our grad students
Our department is home to about 60 grad students engaged in a variety of research areas.
Nicholas Andrews, PhD student
Nicholas received his BA (Philosophy, Political Science & Economics) from UBC and his MA (Political Science) from the University of Windsor. He started the PhD program in September 2019 focused on the intersection of international law, international organizations, environmental justice and climate change.
Within the department, Nicholas has been a teaching assistant for various courses and a research assistant for his supervisor, Dr. Will Greaves, looking at Arctic and Inuit security. Nicholas is also a research fellow at the North American and Arctic Defense and Security Network (NAADSN) based at Trent University.
Michael Chutskoff, PhD student
Michael is a two-spirit, Indigiqueer scholar with Cree and Métis roots from Treaty 5 territory in Manitoba but grew up disconnected on unceded Stó:lō territory. Michael’s MA in Indigenous Governance from UVic and lived experiences inspire his research interests in Indigenous political mobilization, power, privilege and oppression, colonial power structures, gender and sexuality in politics and Indigenous futurities.
Under the supervision of Dr. Kelly Aguirre, Michael aims to uncover the ways in which cis-heteronormativity works to actively exclude queer, transgender and two-spirit people from participating in decolonial political movements at both the grassroots and intellectual levels.
Ava Dale, MA student
Ava is exploring the international repercussions of overturning Roe v. Wade in the United States. She graduated from UBC Okanagan in May 2023 with a BA in International Relations and a minor in Psychology. She is working with Dr. Mara Marin and Dr. Laura Parisi to map out the laws and people overseas that may be at risk in light of the U.S. Supreme Court's decision to end the federal protection of reproductive care.
Michael Evans, MA student
Mícháel Evans is a University of New Brunswick graduate locked in a perpetual battle with his thesis on American country music, nationalism, and the culture industry. A great disciple of Horkheimer and Adorno, he would like nothing better than to finish his thesis and get a chance to box with the ghost of his greatest enemy, Leo Strauss. His supervisor is Simon Glezos.
Monet Nobuso, MA student
Monet is studying political theory, institutional oppression and the power of social movements under the supervision of Dr. Mara Marin. Her tentative thesis title is “In which democratic systems can people pursue their political goals through social movements?".
Monet is from Japan and graduated with a bachelor's degree in the International Relations. She has explored themes in social justice and will reflect an intersectional point of view in her research which complements her personal and academic background. Please feel free to reach out whenever you see her on campus!
Annilea Purser, MA student
Annilea (she/her) is a white settler student interested in Indigenous self-determination, de-colonization, education policy and land rights. She is undertaking a SSHRC-funded research project looking at First Nations' right to self-determined education under recent policy developments under the supervision of Dr. Kelly Aguirre and Dr. Lois Harder.
Annilea completed a BA at Brock University, where her thesis was entitled "Turning the 'Dark Page'? Canada's Policy Conceptualization of First Nations Self-Determined Education." In her spare time, she runs an educational non-profit, The BookWorm Initiative, and loves to hike!
Anna-Elaine Rempel, MA student
Anna-Elaine (she/they) is an MA student, community advocate and researcher. She completed her BA with honours at UVic in April 2023, and wrote her undergraduate thesis on how BC post-secondary institutions interpret and enact their duties of transparency and accountability under the Sexual Violence and Misconduct Policy Act.
Anna-Elaine also holds an associate of arts degree in Global Stewardship from Capilano University. Their main academic areas of interest include gender and politics, sexualized and gender-based violence prevention and response, public policy, BC politics and seniors' housing policy. Her supervisor is Dr. Justin Leifso.
Aly Tkachenko, PhD student
Aly Tkachenko is a PhD student in International Relations and Canadian Politics at UVic. Her research focuses on critical security studies, climate change, oceanic security and civil disobedience. Aly is a research fellow with the North American and Arctic Defence and Security Network (NAADSN), as well as a 2024 fellowship recipient with the Climate Security Association of Canada (CSAC). Her work at UVic is supervised by Dr. Will Greaves.
Aly holds an MA in political science from UVic (2022) and a BA from McMaster (2021). She has worked as a researcher and writer for the Firelight Group, and is looking forward to the publication of a co-authored article titled Degrees of Optimism: A Study of Youth Climate Activists in British Columbia in the journal BC Studies.
Recent theses & dissertations
2024
Ashley Costa, "Comparing Local and National Migration Policy Outcomes in Border Regions: A Case Study of Migration in Ventimiglia, Italy" Supervisor: Dr. Oliver Schmitdke (major research paper)
Sage Kraftcheck, "The Politics of Climate Recognition in Settler Colonial Canada: Barring Accountability for Extractive Agendas" Supervisor: Dr. Sarah E. Sharma (major research paper)
Yifan Lu, "Education as Strategy: Vocational Reform and Social Mobility in Neoliberal China" Supervisor: Dr. Feng Xu
Maria Milanova, "Colonial Reproductions of Everyday Spaces: An Analysis of the Empress Hotel" Supervisor: Dr. Mara Marin
Simone Minana, “Arctic Politics in a Time of Change: A Study on the Impact of Deteriorating Relations on the Indigenous Peoples' Inclusion in Arctic Decision-Making Proceses” Supervisor: Dr. Will Greaves
Ryleigh Sadler, "Implementing the UNDRIP into the Province of British Columbia: The Impact of BC’s Declaration Act on Buck-Passing and Injustices of Misframing" Supervisor: Dr. Matt James
2023
Isabelle Bennett, “Social Movement Theory and Mexico’s Movement in Search of the Disappeared: Bottom-Up Processes of Democracy” Supervisor: Dr. Michelle Bonner (major research paper)
Sophie Bruckel, "A New Language of Civic Space and Civic Action: Repertoires of Possible in Contentious Urban Spaces, Digital Spaces and Affective Spaces of Resistance and Solidarity in Greece" Supervisor: Dr. Oliver Schmidtke (major research paper)
Jason Buckingham, “Populism’s Three Pillars of Democratic Erosion: The Case of Post-Communist Hungary” Supervisor: Dr. Michelle Bonner (major research paper)
Morag Champagne-Holland, "Short-term Band-aid Solutions: A Feminist Analysis of Family Caregiving and Caregiver Immigration Policies in Canada" Supervisor: Dr. Marlea Clarke
Camille Dehghan, "The Effectiveness of Regulatory Responses in Combatting Labour Exploitation in the Apparel Industry" Supervisor: Dr. Marlea Clarke (major research paper)
Kaia Depelteau, “Constructing Common-Sense: The Commodity Form of Intellectual Pproperty Law in the Global Agrifood System” Supervisor: Dr. Claire Cutler (major research paper)
Chelsea Dunn, "Death by Markets: The World Bank's Laissez-Faire Governance of Internal Climate Migration" Supervisor: Dr. Claire Cutler (major research paper)
Neil Kohlmann, "Making Political Music Contrapuntal Constitutionalism and Indigenous-Settler Relations" Supervisor: Dr. Avigail Eisenberg
CiCi (Si-Min) Li, "Using Dialects to Fight: Civil Practices in Chinese Cyber Space" Supervisor: Dr. Feng Xu (major research paper)
Mostafa Majidi, "ICT Censorship in Modern Iran: Mechanisms and Obstacles to a Potential Democratic Transition" Supervisor: Dr. Michelle Bonner (major research paper)
Karley Sider “Two Decades Beyond the Taliban Regime: The Most Significant Obstacles to Reducing Child Soldiers in Afghanistan” Supervisor: Dr. Michelle Bonner (major research paper)
Sarah Stilwell, "Addressing Atrocity in the Canadian State: The Discourse of 'Legacy' and the Comprehension of Historical Injustices" Supervisor: Dr. Simon Glezos
2022
Joe Crowther, "Thawing the Tension: U.S.-Greenland Relations and Climate Change (non)Securitization" Supervisor: Dr. Will Greaves
Lingyu Jing, "Sovereignty and Eschatology: The Reordering of the Apocalypse in Carl Schmitt's Political Theology" Supervisor: Dr. Simon Glezos
Corie Kielbiski, "Deliberation and Diplomacy: Statue Removals in Two Municipalities in Canada" Supervisor: Dr. Matt James
Abigail Kohler, “The ICC’s Limitations in Convicting Crimes of Human Trafficking” Supervisor: Dr. Michelle Bonner (major research paper)
Luke Lavender, "Haptic Performativity: Exploring the Force of Bodies and the Limits of Linguistic Action in Silent Protests" Supervisor: Dr. Simon Glezos
Domonic McDonald, "The Black Homunculus: Toward A Grammar of Black Experience" Supervisor: Dr. Simon Glezos
Jordan Serbino, "Redress Through Constitutional Change: Reimagining the Canada Round for its Reparative Potential” Supervisor: Dr. Matt James
Alyson Tkachenko, "Environmental activism, anarchist methodology, and Indigenous resurgence: Renewed possibilities for ecological security in Canada” Supervisors: Dr. Simon Glezos and Dr. Will Greaves
2021
Agam Chandra, "Subdividing the Vulnerable and Disadvantaged: Labor Stratification and Hierarchies between Philippine and Indonesian Migrant Domestic Workers in Hong Kong" Supervisor: Dr. Feng Xu
Tracey Cobb, "Strangers at Home: Deportation, Criminal Aliens, and Concepts of Justice in the United States" Supervisor: Dr. Feng Xu
Stephanie Gruhlke, "Controlling Borders & Securing the State: An Interpretative Analysis of International Human Sex Trafficking Policy" Supervisor: Dr. Oliver Schmidtke
Kayla Hofman, "A Defense of Ecofeminism: Re-Examining the Clayoquot Sound Peace Camp" Supervisor: Dr. Will Greaves
Katsistohkwiio Jacco, "Onkwehón:We Women’s Roles in Regenerating and Reclaiming their Ancestral Food Systems: A Pathway to Healing" Supervisor: Dr. Jeff Corntassel
Lacey Jones, "Asserting Coast Salish Authority through Si'em Slheni'" Supervisor: Dr. Heidi Kiiwetinepinesiik Stark, Co-Supervisor: Dr. Sarah Hunt
Rivka Landsberg, “Birthing in a Settler State: The Resurgence of Indigenous Birth Practices in Canada” Supervisor: Dr. Jeff Corntassel
Emile Vahabzadeh, "The Nietzschean Overman and the Prospect of Politics" Supervisor: Dr. Simon Glezos (major research paper)
2020
Ebubekir Gorgun, "Reimagining the Politics of Rhino Poaching: The need to Engage Community Voices in Greater Limpopo" Supervisor: Dr. Marlea Clarke (major research paper)
Cathryn Johnston, "Is Virtual Care a Privacy Headache? Babylon Health and Privacy in Canada" Supervisor: Dr. Colin Bennett (major research paper)
Brydon Kramer, "Entangled with/in Empire Indigenous Nations, Settler Preservations, and the Return of Buffalo to Banff National Park" Supervisor: Dr. Heidi Kiiwetinepinesiik Stark, Co-Supervisor: Dr. Simon Glezos
Jonathan Lesarge, "African-Centred Resistance: A Study of the African Union’s Model Legislation Governing the Production, Trade and Use of Biotechnology" Supervisor: Dr. Mike Webb (major research paper)
Ryan Nicholson, "Playing the hand you’re dealt: An analysis of Musgamakw Dzawada'enuxw traditional governance and its resurgence" Supervisor: Dr. Jim Tully, Co-Supervisor: Dr. John Burrows
Daniela Pinto dos Santos, "Forgotten memories: Contrasting the re-construction of citizenship in post-authoritarian democracies in Argentina and Brazil" Supervisor: Dr. Michelle Bonner (major research paper)
Kenya Rogers, "Honouring the Stories of Student-Survivors: Trauma Informed Practice in Post-and Secondary Sexualized Violence Policy Review" Supervisor: Dr. Heidi Kiiwetinepinesiik Stark
Bruce Sieffert, "Respecting Sovereignties: Indigenous/State Agreements in British Columbia and their Alignment with a Dual Sovereignty Concept" Supervisor: Dr. Jamie Lawson
Moatasim Tungekar, "Path Dependency & Path Generation in Freshwater Management Systems across Canadian Provinces" Supervisor: Dr. Reeta Tremblay (major research paper)
Yabo Wu, "Regulating Online Ride-hailing Platforms: Comparing Policy Responses of Beijing and Shanghai to the Business Conflict and National Policy" Supervisor: Dr. Guoguang Wu
Micheal Ziegler, "Traversing the Digital World: Questing for the Socio-Political Realities of the Digital Age" Supervisor: Dr. Arthur Kroker
2024
Claude Beaupre, "Canadian Newspaper Coverage and Transnational Human Migration Discourses: The 2015-16 Migrant and Refugee Crisis in Europe" Supervisors: Dr. Oliver Schmidtke and Dr. Emmanuel Brunet-Jailly
Mehdi Hashemi, "Pursuit of the Unknown: Understanding refugee decision-making"
Supervisor: Dr. Scott Watson
Lynn Ng, "From Competition to Cooperation: Reworking Care Relations in Eldercare" Supervisor: Dr. Feng Xu
Micheal Ziegler, "Vectors of Artifical Intelligence Ethics, Social Hope and Politics of Destiny" Supervisor: Dr. Simon Glezos
2023
Morgan Mowatt, "Authority-Making on the River of Mist: Reframing the Indigenous Sovereignty Impasse" Supervisor: Dr. Heidi Kiiwetinepinesiik Stark
Jessica Percy Campbell, "Aging in Place with Google and Amazon Smart Speakers: Privacy and Surveillance Implications for Older Adults" Supervisor: Dr. Colin Bennett
2022
Nicole Bates-Eamer, "Framing the Climate Change and Human Mobility Nexus in Canada: From Discourse to Policy?" Supervisor: Dr. Oliver Schmidtke
Phil Henderson, "In and Against Canada" Supervisor: Dr. Heidi Kiiwetinepinesiik Stark
Iryna Matiyenko, "The Case of the Russian Electronic Identity Card: From the promise of E-Government to the Problem of Data Sovereignty" Supervisor: Dr. Colin Bennett
Gizem Sozen, "'The Straight Path That Leads to Sodom': Pierre-Joseph Proudhon’s Sexual Politics and 19th Century French Feminist Responses" Supervisor: Dr. Simon Glezos
Can Zhao, "Foreign Assets for Chinese Control: Capital Filtration, New Triple Alliance, and the Global Political Economy of China’s Information Industry (1995-2020)" Supervisor: Dr. Guoguang Wu
2021
Regan Burles, "Analogies of the International: System, Structure and World Order" Supervisor: Dr. Rob Walker
Smith Oduro-Marfo, "Surveillance for Development: Debating Citizen Identification Systems in Ghana" Supervisor: Dr. Colin Bennett
2020
Dyan Dunsmoor-Farley, "Globalization’s Ruptures and Responses: Lessons from Three BC Communities" Supervisors: Dr. Jamie Lawson and Dr. Pam Shaw
Jessica Kolopenuk, "Power and Echoes: Colonial Relations of Re/iteration and their Genomic Indigeneities" Supervisor: Dr. Heidi Kiiwetinepinesiik Stark
Didier Zuniga, "Relational Ethics for a World of many Worlds. An Ecosocial Theory of Care, Vulnerability and Sustainability" Supervisor: Dr. Avigail Eisenberg
Where are they now?
Learn about the career paths of some of our recent grads:
Nicole Bates-Eamer (PhD 2022) is the associate director for CIFAL Victoria, a UN Institute for Teaching and Research centre, which delivers training and research activities to advance UVic's commitments to the SDGs and UNDRIP.
Regan Burles (PhD 2021) is a lecturer in Political Science at the University of Edinburgh, UK
Mehdi Hashemi (PhD 2024) is a strategic human resources manager for the Government of BC.
Phil Henderson (PhD 2022) is a SSHRC postdoc fellow in the Institute of Political Economy at Carleton University, Ottawa.
Jessica Kolopenuk (PhD 2020) is an associate professor and the Alberta Health Services Research Chair in Indigenous Health in the Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry at the University of Alberta.
Iryna Matiyenko (PhD 2022) is a senior privacy analyst in the BC government.
Morgan Mowatt (PhD 2023) is an assistant professor in the School of Child and Youth Care at the University of Victoria.
Lynn Ng (PhD 2024) holds a Banting postdoc fellowship researching eldercare with Dr. Ethel Tungohan, York University.
Jessica Percy Campbell (PhD 2023) is a clinical research analyst for the University Health Network.
Can Zhao (PhD 2022) is a strategic advisor in the Ministry of Finance of the Government of BC. He is also a sessional instructor in the Department of Political Science at UVic and teaches courses on Chinese politics.
Micheal Ziegler (PhD 2024) is a post-doctoral associate at the University of Western Ontario in the Visual Arts Department.
Didier Zuniga (PhD 2020) is an assistant professor in the Department of Political Science, University of Alberta. His recent book is titled, Pluralist Politics, Relational Worlds.