Staff

Linda Hawkins - Director

Institute for Community-Engaged Scholarship/the Research Shop

Linda provides leadership, strategic direction, and facilitation of research and outreach for the Institute for Community-Engaged Scholarship (ICES) and the Research Shop. She works collaboratively with a variety of community and institutional partners as well as faculty, staff, students in the College of Social & Applied Human Sciences.

lhawkins@uoguelph.ca

Shirley Shanahan - Administrative Assistant

ices@uoguelph.ca

Rachel Farahbakhsh  - Coordinator, Community Engaged Learning

farahbak@uoguelph.ca

Research Shop Governing Group

Members of the Governing Group of the Research Shop are working to develop strategies and to evaluate the community impact of the Research Shop.

Interns 2010/2011

Lisa Wenger - Intern Coordinator/ Research Associate

Portfolio:  I have coordinated the work of Research Shop interns since September 2009, overseeing project development and providing strategic support. I also sit on the Governing Board for the Research Shop.  

Why working with the Research Shop? After working as a community researcher for over five years, I have a strong interest in ensuring that my academic work remains connected to, and informed by, community needs and experiences.  

Program of Study: Family Relations & Human Development.  

Research interests: My research interests are focused on meanings of health and illness.  My doctoral work is focused on an examination of how men make sense of help-seeking throughout an experience of physical illness.

Ella Henderson - Intern

Research Shop Portfolio: Since I joined the intern team in September 2009, my role has been ever-changing and evolving to meet the needs of the moment, which is part of what I find so exciting about being a part of this team. Most recently I have taken on the role of 'Rapid Responder,' which involves taking in various kinds of research questions from community partners and providing them with resources or products that support them in their endeavours. This role has been rewarding as it has given me the opportunity to learn about and support initiatives and collaborations in my community.

Why working with the Research Shop: I was attracted to the Research Shop because of a strong belief in the importance of community-engaged scholarship, and a desire to become more involved in both the university and the greater community in the city of Guelph.

Program of Study: I am in the fifth and final semester of my MA in Public Issues Anthropology.  

Research Interests: My thesis research examines the decision-making experiences of seniors entering retirement residences and so somewhat spans the fields of Anthropology and Gerontology

Marianne Pemberton - Intern

Research shop portfolio: I am working with Adam Flores on a project with the Immigration unit of Guelph-Wellington county. We are looking to determine if and how a co-operative model can meet the diverse needs of immigrant communities, and how this could be practically implemented in the Guelph-Wellington area.

Why working with the research shop: My interest in the Research Shop comes from a more general interest in the role of research beyond academia. I’m interested in how research can be used in a practical way. Getting involved in a research group that celebrates integrated, collaborative relationships seemed like a great way to learn more!

Tricia Van Rhijn - Intern

Research Shop Portfolio:  I am helping to set up projects for the undergraduate Qualitative & Observational Methods course.  In this role, I have been meeting with community groups to help them translate their questions into research projects.

Why working with the Research Shop: I saw this position as a unique opportunity to learn more about this type of research and gain valuable practical experience at the same time.

Program of Study: Family Relations & Human Development.  

Research Interests: My research interests include well-being, family relations, and social policy. My doctoral research will investigate the relationship between school-family conflict, and enrichment and well-being for student parents pursuing post-secondary studies.

Research shop portfolio: This term I am working with Jon Belanger on a research project with the city of Guelph focused developing parks into living community centres.

Why working with the research shop: I've always been interested in personal research. This is a great opportunity to get involved with areas outside of my focus and while gaining valuable experience.

Program of Study: Political Science and International Development

Research Interests: Most of my research is focused on Africa. I'm currently working on African Regional Organizations, democracy and elections in Africa and ICTs and rural development in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Candice Shaw - Intern

Research Shop Portfolio: As a member of the Rapid Response team, I am collaborating with community agencies in order to assist in addressing their research needs.

Why working with the Research Shop: I see community-based research partnerships as an important tool for forging a much needed bridge between academia and the community. Moreover, it is through these partnerships that I aspire to glean insight into the processes involved in community collaborations while also acquiring better proficiency in community-based research skills.

Program of Study: Sociology, with a focus in Global Agro Food Systems and Rural Change

Research Interests: As part of this MA program, my major research project has a strong community-based focus. I plan to study the impacts of neoliberalization on Indigenous communities and women workers who participate in Mexico’s post NAFTA food production industry.

Interns 2009/2010

Lila McCormick - Intern

Research Shop Portfolio: In my second term as a Research Shop intern my work is focused on addressing community organizations needs regarding demonstrating impact. In order to facilitate these organizations’ goal of demonstrating impact, a one-day event will be created in which program evaluation experts from the University of Guelph and from the community will be brought together with interested community organizations to share knowledge and provide guidance.

Why working with the Research Shop: I have an appreciation for applied and community-based research and would like to enhance my knowledge and experience in this area. My internship with the Research Shop has also allowed me to develop my knowledge of program evaluation, another interest of mine.

Program of Study: Applied Social Psychology

Research Interests: I have a particular interest in applied research with a focus on health promotion. My thesis explores perceived susceptibility to Human Papillomavirus (HPV), and how it influences young women's beliefs, attitudes, and behaviors.

Jon Belanger - Intern

Research Shop Portfolio: In my first term with the research shop I assisted in the development of a dynamic model to guide the process of answering research questions from the community.  This term, my role is to lead a project in partnership with the City of Guelph.

Why working with the Research Shop: I was drawn to the Research Shop due to the inter-relations between my research and communities. Personally, the idea of community based research and scholarship is fundamental for the betterment of communities across the world and there is a large role that Universities can play in this. I am very passionate about playing a part in the process and serving needs of my community.

Program of Study: Geography

Research Interests: My research strives to enhance understanding of soil-atmosphere interactions, and specifically, to improve drought prediction, management and mitigation. Specifically, my research explores the spatial and temporal scaling of soil moisture fields and validation of remotely sensed estimates of soil moisture from satellites.

Jessica Dutton - Intern

Research Shop Portfolio: Since becoming an intern with the Research Shop in September 2009, I have worked with community partners to develop research questions that address the need for better health and social services in Brant Neighbourhood in Guelph. I will continue to work on projects with organizations in the Guelph community via the Rapid Response program.

Why Working with the Research Shop: I was very excited about the opportunity to intern with the Research Shop because of its emphasis on partnerships and community-based research. It has been a valuable experience for me to see the process by which research questions are negotiated using the expertise and skills of both community members and researchers. I’m looking forward to applying what I’ve learned as an intern in future research projects.

Program of Study: Political Science and International Development

Research Interests: My Master’s thesis examines the use of traditional food in community-based diabetes programs in Canadian Aboriginal communities and my broader research interests include community health, Aboriginal studies, community-engaged research methods, and identity studies.

Adam Flores - Intern

Research Shop Portfolio: This is my second term as a Research Shop Intern.  Last term, I was responsible for developing the curriculum for the CSAHS Community-Engaged Scholarship graduate course that began this past January. I also participated in ‘intake’ meetings with several community organizations.  This term, I will be acting as project lead for a community-engaged research project with a community organization.  I will also provide some administrative support for the CES graduate course, when necessary.

Why working with the Research Shop: I was initially drawn to this position because I saw it as a unique experience to learn about community-engaged research while simultaneously gaining practical experience.  I am continuing on with the internship because I now have a strong interest in developing reciprocal community-university partnerships that attempt to address, and resolve, community-identified problems.

Program of Study: Political Science 

Research Interests: My research interest is the role of municipal governments in immigrant settlement.  While immigration is negotiated through the federal government, the services municipalities deliver are often directly affected by the demographic changes caused by immigration.  My current research explores the initiatives undertaken by the municipalities of Guelph and Wellington concerning the settlement of newcomers.