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Principal Investigator
Alison Taylor is a Professor in Educational Studies at UBC and the Principal Investigator for the HWS project. She’s interested in studying working students partly because she is aware from talking to her own kids that times have changed since she was an undergrad, and she wants to learn more about what the world looks like from the vantage point of students today..
Co-Investigators
Kiran Mirchandani is a Professor in Adult Education and Community Development at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, University of Toronto. She is interested in the experiences of various groups of racialized youth who work in precarious jobs while they are students. She would like to discover how work opportunities for students can be made socially as well as individually enriching.
Hongxia Shan is an Associate Professor in the Department of Educational Studies, University of British Columbia. Her research focuses on work and learning, knowledge transfer and educational studies in the context of globalization and migration. Her interest in the HWS project is rooted in international students’ work and learning patterns and the social, organizational and institutional policies and practices that afford students the space of work and learning.
Wolfgang Lehmann is Associate Professor and Undergraduate Program Chair in the Department of Sociology at Western University. His work has examined the complexity of transitions from education to employment, with particular interest in the experiences of working-class, first-generation university students from their first year at university to early employment. In the HWS project, Wolfgang wants to look more closely at these students’ experiences of part-time work while in undergraduate studies.
Milosh Raykov is an Associate Professor in the Department of Education Studies at the University of Malta. His research interests include studies of the quality of work life, and the long-term outcomes of community service-learning for university students. In this project, Milosh is particularly interested in comparisons of working students in Canada and Europe.
Robert Sweet is Professor Emeritus at Lakehead University. He is interested in school to work transitions of immigrant students and international students. Bob is interested in this project because of his concern for the well-being of working students..
Project Coordinator
Sameena Karim Jamal is the HWS Project Coordinator and the HWS blog developer. She is currently a PhD student in the Department of Educational Studies at the University of British Columbia. She is keen on finding out more about the work-study intersections of students, and how these affect the personal, professional, social and academic aspects of their lives.
U of T Coordinator
Wesal Abu Qaddum is a PhD student in the Leadership, Higher and Adult Education Department at OISE. Her doctoral research concerns the educational outcomes of second-generation racialized youth living in public housing. She worked as a social worker for several years in the Greater Toronto Area, serving diverse clientele. As she moves forward in her work, she hopes to continue supporting the needs of the communities and youth she cares about..
HWS Research Assistants.
Research Assistants at UBC
Catalina Bobadilla Sandoval is an MA student in the Department of Educational Studies at the University of British Columbia. Her interest lies in the experiences students go through as they navigate higher education, particularly the supporting measures that are needed to advance towards equitable, inclusive and meaningful experiences inside and outside the realm of formal learning..
Kalli McIver is an undergraduate Research Assistant studying English and Political Science at the University of British Columbia. Her own experience as a working student prompted her interest in the HWS project as she seeks to improve her own understanding and other’s understanding of what it means to be a working student. In particular, she is interested in learning more about research dissemination and hopes to help prospective students gain a better understanding of the dynamics of working as a student.
Jacob Sablan is an undergraduate Research Assistant and second-year student at the University of British Columbia studying Political Science. Academically, he wants to learn how social justice and advocacy work can inform government decisions made about public policy. As a second-generation Canadian, he is curious about the experiences of immigrant children in working student discourse and the role of socioeconomic status in shaping work-study patterns. Jacob hopes the HWS project will help advocate for student rights and promote institutional changes within Canadian universities.
Research Assistants at U of T
Victoria Parlatore is a PhD student in Higher Education at the University of Toronto. Her previous work had focused on exploring the academic and social experiences of students in their first-year of university and how attitudinal, interpersonal, structural barriers impact the learning experiences of students with disabilities. Her focus is on investigating experiences in education from the student perspective, with the aim of understanding more about how to foster inclusive learning environments. She hopes the HWS project can center the voices of students to illuminate their lived realities and influence policy and practice based on their stories.
Margaret de Leon is an MA student at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education at the University of Toronto, studying Higher Education with a specialization in Educational Policy. Margaret has been actively involved in student affairs and advocacy throughout her time at UofT and is invested in equitable educational experiences for low-income students in higher education. Her MA thesis examines persistence among employed students in higher education.
Jonathan Ku is a fourth-year undergraduate student at UofT majoring in international relations and criminology. He is passionate about improving social policy for marginalized people and has researched issues such as mental well-being, disability, and immigration. As a working student since high school, Jonathan is excited to contribute to the Hard Working Students project as a Research Assistant and to advocate for ways to help people meaningfully balance their work, school, and family commitments, especially in light of the many inequities revealed during the pandemic.
Former Research Assistants
Sara Sanabria was an undergraduate Research Assistant who was part of the SciencesPo-UBC Dual BA programme. She majored in Political Science and International Relations, and graduated in 2020. Sara got her first job when she was 14 and had been a working student almost consecutively since then. She believed that the HWS study was directly related to her own life and could help other working students in the future.
Maryam Momen was an undergraduate Research Assistant studying physiology and environmental sciences under the Integrated Sciences program at UBC; she graduated in 2020. Her motivation for being part of the research team was to improve conditions for working students and raise awareness about the struggles that such students face. Maryam herself faced some challenges in the past as she tried to balance work with volunteering and her studies.
Lauryn Rohde was an undergraduate Research Assistant while studying International Relations at UBC with a minor in Environment and Society; she graduated in 2019. Her interest in the HWS project stemmed from her personal history balancing academics and multiple jobs, and a desire to understand how policies and structures impact individuals’ lived experiences.
Julia Rudecki was a Research Assistant and a Masters of Science in Physical Therapy Student at the University of Toronto. Her interest in the HWS stemmed from her undergraduate experience of balancing multiple jobs and a full-time course load. She was curious to see how work experiences could impact one’s academic and personal life and vice versa.
Lauren Van Dyke was an undergraduate Research Assistant majoring in Global Health and Biodiversity & Conservation Biology at the University of Toronto. Her interest in the HWS project stemmed from her own experience balancing full-time studies, a part-time job, and a varsity athletics schedule. She hoped this work would positively impact university practices and policies surrounding working students.
Adhiba Nilormi was an undergraduate Research Assistant, majoring in Health Studies and Human Biology at the University of Toronto – St. George campus. Her research interests lay in the unique barriers to healthcare and quality of life of vulnerable communities, particularly the aging population. Being a working student herself, she looked forward to gaining insight into the experiences of a diverse group of hard-working students.
Erin Kim was an undergraduate Work Study student studying global health and immunology at the University of Toronto. With previous experience involved in supporting accessibility in the workplace, she was interested in the HWS project and learning about the experiences of working students.
Anisa Bhatti was a transfer student from Long Island, New York studying at the University of Toronto, St George Campus. She was a Biology major with minors applied in Physiology and Buddhism, Psychology and Mental Health. Her interest in the HWS project was based on her personal experience balancing two jobs and being a full-time student at her previous college. She wanted to understand how students’ jobs could impact their university/personal life socially and academically. Anisa hoped that this project could positively influence students by identifying ways in which the university could help working students.
Avishan Persadmehr was an undergraduate Research Assistant while studying Psychology and Linguistics at the University of Toronto. She was interested in the mental health and well-being of individuals of various demographic backgrounds, and in the academic achievement of working students.
Eman Zahid was an undergraduate Research Assistant majoring in English and Women and Gender Studies. Her interest in the HWS project stemmed from her personal history with juggling academic responsibilities and multiple jobs, and a strong passion for understanding how systemic frameworks impact students on a daily basis in a capitalist society.
Jess Kim was an undergraduate Research Assistant, studying criminology and sociology at the University of Toronto. As she balanced two part-time jobs and full-time studies, Jess was excited to bring in her own perspective to the project and hoped to gain meaningful insight into other students’ experiences.
Madia Farid was a PhD student in the Curriculum, Teaching and Learning department at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, University of Toronto. Her interest in the HWS project stemmed from her own personal life as she was trying to balance full-time studies and having a part-time job.
Sirena Liladrie was a Research Assistant and a PhD student in the Adult Education and Community Development Program at OISE. She was interested in exploring the retirement options for aging women of colour in precarious work in Ontario and how the barriers experienced may impact their health and well being.
Angelika Stavrakoukas was an undergraduate Research Assistant who studied health studies (population health) and human biology at the University of Toronto. Her interest in the HWS project arose from her interest in understanding the unique experiences faced by working students across Toronto and British Columbia, as well as her interest in research – specifically mixed-methods research. She hoped to further understand the relationship between work and school in students and hoped that this project would influence university practices everywhere.
Aiswarya Sathanantham was an undergraduate Research Assistant majoring in Mental Health Studies and Human Biology at the University of Toronto. As a strong advocate for mental health, Aiswarya wanted to understand how working students balance their mental well-being with their busy schedules. Furthermore, through her contribution to the HWS project, Aiswarya hoped to motivate organizational policy changes to cater to working students and their well-being.
Sirui Wu recently completed the requirements for her MA in Measurement, Evaluation and Research Methodology at the University of British Columbia. Her research interest was in career education, in particular, on building measures that help students find their preferred jobs. Having combined work and studies for more than six years, she was personally aware of the significant influence of work experience. She believed HWS could provide new insights into how work experiences impact students’ lives.
Ellysa Paskalitsa was an undergraduate Research Assistant and second degree student with a background in Political Science, currently studying Sociology and Adult Education. Their research interests were trauma-informed learning spaces and the association between education and health. As a neurodiverse learner and working student, Ellysa was passionate about supporting working students’ learning and health. Ellysa hoped that this study would contribute to academic policy and generate awareness surrounding the unique challenges working students face.
Alan Zha was a graduate student at Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE), University of Toronto, pursuing a Master of Education degree in Higher Education, with a specialization in Comparative, International and Development education (CIDE). He also completed his undergraduate degree at the University of Toronto, with a major in history. As a student who had worked throughout both his undergraduate and graduate career, he was passionate about supporting student success and development, and hoped to contribute his various experiences and expertise to the HWS project.
Raegina Jeyaranjan was completing her Master of Social Work degree at the University of Toronto specializing in Mental Health and Health. She was working on this project as a Work Study Research Assistant. Her interest in this study stemmed from the fact that in the past she enjoyed working with the student population and hearing about their experiences. She was excited to learn more about students’ experiences and hoped that this project would push post-secondary institutions to revise their policies and practices to improve current and future students’ experiences.
Shreshta Gupta was an undergraduate student at the University of Toronto, studying History and Theatre. Her interest in the HWS project came from her own experiences with balancing work and school, especially as an international student with no family to offer immediate support. She was curious about the impact of such a lifestyle and hoped that the project would help in furthering the progress and implementation of standard university policies and structures to support working-students.
Blogsite Design
Mary Victor Kostandy is a PhD student in the Department of Educational Studies at UBC. Thank you to Mary for providing valuable technical assistance in designing this blogsite!
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