boundless

Fulbright Arctic Initiative Scholar

Nunavut Arctic College

Dr. Heather Gordon

An Iñupiaq Fulbright Arctic Initiative Scholar and advocate for Indigenous sovereignty, Dr. Gordon’s project “Indigenous Sovereignty & Arctic Security: Human Rights & Environmental Justice in Governance” integrates Indigenous knowledge into global environmental frameworks. Dr. Gordon’s work addresses conservation, land and water management, and climate change, and highlights the connectivity between Indigenous cultures and educational outcomes, health, well-being, and reduced substance use.

Fulbright Canada Student

Stanford University & UC Berkeley

Margaret de Leon

A Fulbright Canada Student focused on equitable access to education, Margaret’s project “A Comparative Study of Working Learners: Insights from Canada and the United States” explores how student employment shapes academic outcomes in Canada and the United States, advocating for policies that support working learners.

Killam Fellow

Université de Montréal

Albert Sauermann

Albert, a Killam Fellow and clinical social worker with experience across Latin America and the United States, explores how education and communication bridge cultural gaps. Having worked with Spanish-speaking families in New York and Dallas, and studied at Sciences Po in France, Albert understands the challenges faced by immigrants adapting to new environments.

Fulbright Canada Research Chair

University of Regina

Sarah Schmalenberger

A Fulbright Canada Research Chair, musicologist and environmental advocate, Sarah’s project “Creating Sound and Music in a Throwaway Culture” project focuses on transforming discarded materials into instruments, promoting ecological sustainability through collaborative music-making. Sarah’s work redefines music creation while championing environmental and social stewardship.

Fulbright Canada Student

University of Victoria

Hannah Feng

A Fulbright Canada Student dedicated to mental health accessibility, Hannah partners with local organizations to design and implement youth support groups that reduce mental health stigma among immigrant and refugee communities. Hannah’s project “Dismantling Stigma: Youth Mental Health Ambassadors for Newcomer Youth in Canada” aims to create culturally responsive interventions, enhancing care-seeking attitudes and community resilience.

Fulbright Canada Student

Montclair University

Camryn Dewar

Camryn, a Métis vocalist and Fulbright Canada Student combines a diverse performance background with a commitment to amplifying Indigenous voices in classical music. Camryn’s project “Harmonizing Truth and Reconciliation: Vocal Performance, Indigenous Representation, and Community Engagement in Music” examines Indigenous representation in Canadian opera, focusing on the evolution of female Indigenous roles from the 19th century to the present. Through a lecture-recital featuring operatic works and live performances, Camryn aims to educate audiences on Indigenous culture, address historical misrepresentations, and bring greater awareness to Indigenous operatic art in the United States.

Fulbright Canada Research Chair

Florida Polytechnic

Dr. Jalal Ahamed

The “Wearable Inertial Sensor-based Control Systems for Treatment and Rehabilitation Strategies in Parkinson's Disease” project led by Dr. Ahamed in collaboration with Dr. Chris Kelley at Florida Polytechnic, advances wearable technology for Parkinson's Disease (PD) care. By developing high-accuracy inertial sensors for real-time motor monitoring and tremor suppression, the project aims to improve quality of life through personalized, at-home PD therapies. Their innovative sensor technology could reduce healthcare burdens, increase access to care in underserved areas, and enable early intervention. Their ongoing work includes publishing research findings and securing funding for future PD-focused technology.

Fulbright Canada Student

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Nathan Collett

Nathan, a student in MIT's Technology and Policy Program, researches the political economy of sustainable building design. With the building sector contributing 40% of global emissions, yet lacking significant investment, Nathan’s work highlights the need for innovative, scalable solutions in sustainable construction. Focusing on workforce development and capital access barriers, Nathan examines how sustainable technologies can align with economic and resilience goals to support the clean energy transition. This research links innovation with the financial conditions necessary to advance sustainability in building practices.

Fulbright Canada Student

University of Washington

Scott DeJong

Partnering with the University of Washington, Scott is developing an innovative board game to enhance media literacy among children. Designed to counter disinformation, the game encourages critical thinking, self-reflection, and collaborative play. By engaging players in open discussions rather than dictating answers, this project seeks to address the limitations of existing disinformation games. The game will be tested in Seattle communities, and then adapted for Canada, fostering cross-border solutions to a global challenge in media education.

Fulbright Canada Research Chair

Johns Hopkins University

Dr. Yanet Valdez

Dr. Valdez’s research on Chagas disease, a parasitic illness affecting millions in Latin America, seeks to uncover the mechanisms behind severe gastrointestinal complications like Chagas megacolon. Working with international colleagues, Dr. Valdez aims to identify biomarkers in intestinal tissue that could improve diagnosis, patient monitoring, and treatment strategies for late-stage disease. This work addresses the global health challenge of neglected tropical diseases, with the potential to benefit underserved communities and help healthcare systems prepare for shifting disease patterns due to migration and climate change.

Fulbright Canada Student

New York University

Zach Polis

Zach is conducting thesis-based research at NYU Tisch School of the Arts, focusing on disability representation in film, TV, and literature. As a writer-director, Zach aims to expand neurodivergent visibility in media and foster discussions around disability in popular culture. Zach’s work seeks to provide a voice and catharsis for those navigating autism within a neurotypical world, using art as a medium to reflect the unique challenges and experiences of neurodivergent individuals.

Fulbright Canada Research Chair

University of Calgary

Dr. Adrienne Krone

As the Fulbright Research Chair in Religion and Pluralism at the University of Calgary, Dr. Krone is writing a book, tentatively titled “Jewish Community Farming, the Climate Crisis, and the Future of Judaism”. Dr. Krone’s upcoming book will explore the history of Jewish agricultural movements in North America and analyze sustainable practices within Jewish communities in the United States and Canada. Through this work, Dr. Krone examines how these communities integrate environmental values into their cultural and religious practices, offering insights into the intersection of faith, sustainability, and social action.

Fulbright Canada Research Chair

Trent University

Dr. Holly Karibo

Dr. Karibo is conducting a study on women’s roles in cross-border illegal economies along the United States-Canada border during Prohibition. Dr. Karibo’s project, “Ladies, Liquor, and the National Line: Gendering Prohibition in the Great Lakes Borderlands”, explores how women in the Great Lakes borderlands participated in illegal trade, challenging traditional narratives of Prohibition as a male-dominated era. By examining this transnational space through gender, race, and labour, Dr. Karibo reveals the complex social boundaries these women navigated and their significant role in the era’s illicit economies.

Fulbright Canada Research Chair

University of Alberta

Dr. Kanika Batra

Dr. Batra’s proposed research focuses on South Asian and Black diasporic women’s writing (SABLA). SABLA, a Hindi and Punjabi word for ‘empowered’, directs attention to how writing is a means of empowerment for women. This research will be in collaboration with the Orlando Project in Women’s Writing, a digital project developed at the University of Alberta.

Fulbright Canada Research Chair

University of Guelph

Dr. Mariam Thalos

Dr. Thalos is developing a comprehensive theory of human reasoning to better understand both ordinary decision-making and reasoning deficits, such as in Capgras syndrome. Dr. Thalos’ work also explores the limitations of reasoning in AI models, aiming to clarify distinctions between human and AI cognitive processes. Dr. Thalos is presenting this research across various Canadian institutions, engaging scholars in interdisciplinary discussions on how reasoning operates individually and in social contexts, with implications for assessing AI's reasoning capacities.

Fulbright Canada Student

University of Toronto

Madison VanWyngarden

Madison is an astrophysicist at the Canadian Institute for Astrophysical Research at the University of Toronto, specializing in gravitational waves. Madison’s research aims to use these waves to measure the Hubble constant, a key factor in the debate over the expansion rate of the universe. Madison is refining the "dark siren method," which combines gravitational wave data and galaxy catalogues to measure the Hubble constant while addressing potential biases and exploring the relationship between gravitational waves and galaxy types. This work is crucial in determining whether gravitational waves can resolve this fundamental question in astronomy.

Killam Fellow

McGill University

Meaghan Caron

Meaghan is conducting research at McGill University's Bernard Lab, studying how changes in the Gαs protein affect reproductive signalling. Their work focuses on the role of GnRH (gonadotropin-releasing hormone), which is crucial for regulating hormone production and ovulation. Meaghan is investigating how the Gαs protein influences GnRH signalling, which could help expand knowledge in reproductive health and endocrinology.

Fulbright Canada Student

Concordia University

Vinicius Sanchez

Vinicius is conducting a research project on how Québecois, Indigenous, and immigrant knowledge shaped a unique film language in Canadian animation. This work explores the impact of cross-cultural exchange, particularly the contributions of immigrant filmmakers and experimental animation. Vinicius is researching film archives across Canada, including the Cinematheque Quebecois and the National Film Board, and will create animation films and visual works reflecting the diasporic history of Canadian animation.