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Department of Sociology

2026 Sociology Sustainability Scholars

August 27, 2026

Picture of grad student Caitlin Feeley
Caitlin Feeley

Caitlin is a second-year Master’s student in Sociology at UVic. Her previous research experience has been at the intersections of decolonization and the environmental sector, with a focus on supporting ENGOs to build stronger relationships with Indigenous communities.

Caitlin is working with the Gorge Waterway Action Society (GWAS), who have been preserving and enhancing the Gorge Waterway for the past 36 years, to research and recount their origin story. To do so, she is conducting a historical review of GWAS' archival materials and interviewing key players in the organization. The goal of this project is to tell the engaging story of GWAS’ origins and the current voices of today who are committed to seeing the Gorge thrive. The project is entitled: Tides of Change: The Growth of an Environmental Advocacy Group on the Gorge Waterway.
Picture of grad student Ethan Fortin
Ethan Fortin

Ethan is a Master's student in Sociology with a background in entomology, researching the interconnections between today's social and ecological crises. This summer he is working with the UVic Campus Community Garden to conduct a biodiversity survey comparing insect populations in the garden's native plant plots to other areas on campus. In so doing, they hope to discover land use and planting practices to be implemented in the garden and elsewhere at UVic to promote ecosystem health and sustainability.

Picture of grad student Mehdi Hosseini Dehaghani
Mehdi Hosseini Dehaghani

Mehdi is a PhD student in Interdisciplinary Studies at the University of Victoria, bridging the fields of Public Administration and Sociology. He has a strong background in Urban Planning and is interested in the relationship between communities, local governance, and contemporary social and environmental challenges.

Through the UVic Sustainability Scholars Program, Mehdi is working with Peninsula Streams Society to examine municipal shoreline protection policies across the Capital Regional District and develop recommendations for more resilient, nature-based shoreline governance. The project is titled: Benchmarking Shoreline Resilience: A Cross-Municipal Review of Shoreline Protection Policies in the Capital Region.
Picture of grad student Jen Kostuchuk
Jen Kostuchuk

Jen Kostuchuk is a PhD candidate in the Department of Sociology. Her research examines the social, economic, and personal motivators for pursuing employment in the green sector. Beyond academia, she contributes to organizations dedicated to addressing climate change and advancing labour standards across the province through applied and community-engaged research. This summer, she is working with the Synergy Foundation to help develop a curriculum for a Green Trades Microcredential. The goal of this project is to provide accessible and actionable guidance to help trades businesses operate more sustainably.