University of Saskatchewan, Department of Sociology
Over the last 7 years I have developed a wide ranging skillset in written and oral communications in both academic and industry settings, check it out!
Written Projects
Here are some selected projects of mine that highlight my toolkit for written communications. While I enjoy writing all types of pieces, I refer to my favourite kind of writing as "puzzling". I enjoy defining an issue and "puzzling" together recommendations based on empirical work to support evidence-based decision-making
01
Knowledge Translation
I wrote an article on the realities of police body-worn cameras for the Regina Leader Post. This project helped me develop my ability to translate academic findings into language digestible by the public. This is an important skill, since as researchers we must often ask ourselves: research for who? The general public deserved to understand issues that impact them!
02
Technical Documents
This is an excerpt from a policy brief I wrote with Amber Duynisveld, Maria Lima, and Chris Yurris for a CAnD3 project. I also have experience writing recommendation reports to support evidence-based decision-making. This skillset is useful in industry settings, as it works to massage academic findings into formats that can be used to spark meaningful change. Technical documents challenge me to write critically and concisely.
03
Concise Summary & Synthesis
I co-wrote a consultation report for Statistics Canada summarizing the outcomes of interdepartmental discussions. This was a super interesting project as it challenged me to draw insights from data that I collected with my team. It was the first step in a much larger project- it taught me that laying out priorities is imperative prior to embarking on larger undertakings. Due to confidentiality requirements within the Federal Government, an excerpt is unavailable at this time
04
Grant Writing
This is an excerpt from my proposal for a Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council doctoral scholarship. Grant writing can be a cumbersome task, but it challenges writers to be concise -and let's be honest- persuasive! This type of writing is useful in many settings; we are often tasked with finding funding for projects, and this skill is necessary for such an undertaking.
Although there is a growing body of research that examines the causes of the gender gap in unpaid labour, one very important aspect is missing from the understanding: how the gender gap in unpaid labour differs in rural contexts compared to urban contexts. In fact, there is little research on family behaviours in rural Canada, which is surprising given that 17.8% of the population is rural (3). The rural context is different in these 3 important ways that might relate to family behaviours: i) there is a greater belief in traditional family values (4); ii) a greater subscription to religious affiliations (5); and iii) a greater likelihood of entering cohabitation (6).
Under Construction
Recommendations for increasing Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Accessibility in the Canadian Public Service through Establishing Permanent Committees INTRODUCTION IDEA (Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, Accessibility) is an important concept that the Government of Canada has previously tried to address, to small success. We suggest the formation of permanent IDEA committees per department and outline how our solution will improve IDEA-informed practice in four important areas of government operations. BACKGROUND In 2016, the Government of Canada established the Joint Union/Management Task Force on Diversity and Inclusion in the Public Service, whose goal was to identify areas where aspects of IDEA were lacking and develop an action plan to improve these areas. The Task Force showed four main areas where IDEA-informed practice could be improved, these being: i) education and awareness; ii) accountability; iii) effective people management; and iv) developing an integrated approach to diversity and inclusion.
1 / Conference & Research
For 3+ years I have had the pleasure of speaking to academic audiences about my research both solo and in teams. These presentations are timed and feature a Q & A. These types of presentations require lots of information to be explained ins an effective and concise manner. Check out my CV for a complete list of my talks.
2 / Peer Mentorship
I was a recruitment ambassador for the Sociology Department at USask, talking to future students and their families about our programs. This offered a lot more freedom on my end in terms of how I could address my audience, However, I had to keep in mind who I was talking to and what they needed to know the most!
3 / Tutorials & Workshops
My typical audience is undergraduate and graduate students working on a variety of topics. I have learned how to be adaptive and responsive to students needs in real time to ensure they are getting the most out of their learning. I have a soft spot for helping students learn and thrive in the university environment, as knowing the ropes is very important to overall academic success. I had the opportunity to do this in the Grad Peer Mentor program in the 2022-2023 academic year, and through the Indigenous Student Achievement Pathways program in the Winter of 2021 where I mentored Indigenous students in Introduction to Sociology.
I have presented many projects to a variety of audiences during my time in higher education. While these selections demonstrate my range in presentation types, I hope they help you gain a sense of my presentation style. I feel a great sense of fulfillment from connecting with others in this way, whether that's through presenting my research, discussing programs, or facilitating workshops.