Student Feature – Grad – Canadian-American Center

Canadian-American Center Fellow Feature: Hannah Schmidt

flebouef — Wed, 03 May 2023 20:04:14 +0000

91�� PhD student, Hannah Schmidt, is one of several recipients of a New England-Atlantic Provinces-Quebec (NEAPQ) Fellowship for Spring 2023.

The NEAPQ Fellowship is offered by the Canadian-American Center and the 91�� Graduate School. It is available to graduate students in disciplines that focus on Canada or Canada-US relations. Each academic year, the fellowship provides a $20,000 stipend, tuition waiver, and 50% of University issued health insurance. The award is available to citizens of any country.

Schmidt learned about the fellowship through the 91�� History department. For any students hoping to earn this fellowship in the future, Schmidt says, “Really look into all the Center has to offer. The Center has been such a huge source of support for me while I am pursuing my degree as well as to many others in my grad cohort and in such a variety of ways. From fellowships to Foreign Language and Area Studies awards, and even opportunities to travel to Canada, the Canadian-American Center has a lot to offer and can provide awesome opportunities for professional development!”

According to Schmidt, “[Her] dissertation focuses on captivity in the Northeastern North America from the 1630s to the 1760s. The project emphasizes a spatial framework that reveals new historical insights into the captivity narratives that were produced in that period as well as brings into focus the captivities of Indigenous and other non-white peoples that are often studied separately from the captivity narratives of white colonists.”

Prior to her time at 91��, Schmidt received her BA and MA in History from the Southern Illinois University of Carbondale. According to Schmidt, the reason she chose to come to 91�� is “The PhD program at 91�� seemed like the perfect place to bring together my interests in Colonial and Indigenous history in the Northeast as well as a place where exploring new research methods and frameworks is encouraged.”

Other awards that Schmidt has received for her work include the Phillips Fund Grant from the (Nov. 2021), the Short Term Fellowship with Massachusetts Historical Society and the Society for Colonial Wars in Boston (Summer 2020), and the Bowen Research Scholarship in Canadian History from the 91�� History Department (Fall 2019) for her research.

Schmidt enjoys taking her dogs, Willow and Roger, on hikes through the woods and around Bangor. After graduate school, she hopes to work at a historical society or university where she also hopes to continue working on public history projects and presentations that prioritize marginalized voices and narratives.

Canadian-American Fellow Feature: Darcy Stevens

flebouef — Fri, 31 Mar 2023 17:04:49 +0000

91�� PhD student, Darcy Stevens, is one of several recipients of the New England-Atlantic Provinces-Quebec (NEAPQ) Fellowship for the 2022 academic year.

Stevens learned about this fellowship from her advisor, Liam Riordan, and Mark McLaughlin and Micah Pawling, who are on her dissertation committee. All three of them are involved with the Canadian-American Center, and encouraged her to explore the Center’s available opportunities for graduate students. To any students looking to earn the same fellowship, she recommends listening to the guidance of advisors, and to seek out previous fellows to learn more about their experiences.

Stevens originally earned her MA in History in Kansas, and moved toward teaching with the intention to one day earn her PhD. Her current research focuses on the influences of the American Revolution in the Northeast Borderlands of the Maine-Nova Scotia-Wabanaki communities. “I was drawn to the American Revolution partly because although it is widely studied there are still so many facets yet to be explored. My work on allegiance and neutrality in the Borderlands here in the Northeast is one such area. Generally, we still think of the Revolution as a war between America and England, Patriots and Loyalists. My interest is in the inhabitants who were not motivated by ideology but rather forced to make pragmatic decisions about their political positions as the war impacted their personal lives. Bringing their experiences to light and reflecting on the implications for our history as well as our current events is incredibly rewarding,” she says.

This summer Stevens presented some of her work at the Atlantic Canada Studies Conference and the Conrad E. Wight Conference. She also worked with a panel of scholars sponsored by the Omohundro Institute discussing the commemoration of the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, which drew her toward work with the Wilson Museum in Castine. She was also awarded a Summer Research Fellowship through the Graduate Student Government, and a 2022-23 David Center for American Revolution fellowship, which will allow her to spend a month in Philadelphia this spring to conduct research.

Outside of her research, Stevens enjoys hiking, cross country skiing, snowshoeing, true-crime television and knitting. She also often travels to the Midwest to spend time with her daughters. Once she’s obtained her degree, she hopes to return to teaching at a university, but is also open to opportunities in public history.

To read some of Stevens’ work, click .

Canadian-American Center Fellow Feature: Erin Victor

flebouef — Wed, 01 Mar 2023 21:00:56 +0000

91�� PhD student, Erin Victor, is one of several recipients of the Canadian-American Center Fellowship for the 2022-23 academic year.

The Canadian-American Center Fellowship is offered by the Canadian-American Center and the 91�� Graduate School. It is available to graduate students in disciplines that focus on Canada or Canada-US relations. Each academic year, the fellowship provides a $20,000 stipend, tuition waiver, and 50% of University issued health insurance. The award is available to citizens of any country.

Victor learned about the fellowship from her advisor here at 91��. To any students looking to earn the same fellowship, she highly recommends getting to know some of the faculty and staff at the Canadian-American Center.

According to Victor, her current research focuses on “Understanding the transformative potential of extended producer responsibility legislation for driving more circular economies for packaging.” Before she began working toward her doctorate at 91��, Victor worked at the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection on solid waste issues. Her time there helped her gain experience and greater interest in waste reduction, circular economics, and solid waste policies.

Outside of her work, Victor enjoys spending time with her family. She and her kids enjoy hiking, swimming, and baking cupcakes and cookies together. Once finished with her doctorate, Victor is considering either a career in higher academia, or working at a research think tank.

To read more about Victor’s work, click .

Canadian-American Fellow Feature: Malcolm Nelson

flebouef — Mon, 06 Feb 2023 17:11:02 +0000

91�� graduate student, Malcolm Nelson, is one of several recipients of the Foreign Language and Area Studies (FLAS) fellowship for the 2022-23 academic year.

The is offered by the Canadian-American Center and the U.S. Department of Education. FLAS is a federal grant to support students who wish to improve proficiency in French or Maliseet, Mi’kmaq/Micmac, Passamaquoddy, and Abenaki/Penobscot. Each academic year, the fellowship provides a $20,000 stipend, tuition waiver, and 50% of University issued health insurance. The grant is available for undergraduate and graduate students at 91�� who are U.S. citizens or permanent residents.

Nelson first learned about the fellowship through the Anthropology and Environmental department at 91��. For any undergraduate students looking to earn similar fellowships or create connections with the center in the future, he recommends learning another language: “Learning another language is always super helpful and can lend a lot to your life. I would advise that you invest in learning one because it will take you places.”

Nelson’s current research focuses on sustainability, a field which has had his focus since undergraduate studies. “I did my thesis at a community garden in La Crosse, Wisconsin. I was a volunteer there for 3 years and performed anthropological fieldwork there as an undergrad. I learned from my thesis that community development, environmental justice, and supporting local food producers were three primary drivers behind the garden.” Nelson is now working to examine these three drivers in francophone communities, specifically in urban agricultural sites like community gardens, and to learn more about the francophone perspective on sustainability.

Outside of his research, Nelson enjoys Latin dancing, video games, and community gardening. After obtaining his Masters in Anthropology and Environmental Policy, Nelson hopes to pursue a PhD, as well as live and work in Canada.

Canadian-American Fellow Feature: Maggie Kontra-Emmens

flebouef — Fri, 09 Dec 2022 18:48:06 +0000

91�� PHD student, Maggie Kontra-Emmens, is a recipient of the Canadian-American Center Fellowship for 2022 to 2023.

Kontra-Emmens learned about the Canadian-American Center Fellowship from her first advisor at 91��, Jaque Ferland. For any future students hoping to earn this fellowship in the future, she says, “The regional connections along the Canada-US border have been strong throughout history and have plenty of opportunities for research topics. Consider Canada as its own nation, with its own insights and unique identity apart from the US. Canada is often overlooked in its relations along the border, and you might find something unique and appealing.”

Kontra-Emmens’ interest in identity started during her MA thesis, and has continued to be a strong focus of her work. Specifically, niche newspapers are a major source of interest, as they can illustrate points of view that are rarely researched. According to Kontra-Emenns, “[Her] dissertation will focus on the Scottish diaspora and Scottish identity and influence in Canada, 1870 to 1914, using Scottish-Canadian newspapers…even though it has been mentioned that ‘identity’ is the Jello of historical topics, [her] focus is on solidarity or groupness while still touching on many aspects of its multivalence (such as nationality, citizenship, ethnicity, race, name, family, heritage, class, employment, community, religion, language, and gender).”

Kontra-Emmens is a current PhD History student at the 91��, and also earned the Bowen Scholarship in 2020 for her research. She enjoys spending time with her family, as well as various handcrafts, especially quilting, sewing, and crocheting. After obtaining her PhD, Kontra-Emmens aspires to teach at university or community college levels. Though, since current academia prospects are rather bleak, she is also looking to apply her research skills for think tanks, corporations, museums, etc.

Canadian-American Fellow Feature: Jasmin Lamb

flebouef — Tue, 29 Nov 2022 18:23:57 +0000

91�� PhD student, Jasmin Lamb, is one of several recipients of the Foreign Language and Area Studies (FLAS) Fellowship Program for 2022 to 2023 academic year.

Lamb learned about the fellowship from Jen Bowen, the Administrative Assistant for Native American Studies at 91��. To any students looking to earn this fellowship in the future, Lamb says, “Apply even if you do not think you will be granted the award. I almost did not apply because I was unsure if I was qualified enough to receive the Fellowship, but decided to apply shortly before the deadline and ended up being approved. So my advice would be, don’t doubt yourself!”

Lamb, a PhD student in Communication Sciences + Disorders, originally came to 91�� as an undergraduate with plans to study Human Nutrition. We asked her about what brought her to her current field. “ I liked the idea of helping people communicate who otherwise would not be able to so I started to pursue it and ended up liking it. Since starting my graduate studies, I have realized the importance of speech pathology and ensuring that people of all types of populations have access to culturally appropriate speech and language services,” Lamb says. Lamb is a member of the Passamaquoddy Tribe and wanted to use her education in a meaningful way. “[I wanted to] give back to the members of the Wabanaki people who fought for my right to attend college. My family has encouraged me to learn more of the Passamaquoddy language and history, which led me to pursue a minor in Native American studies during my undergraduate career and further my language education.”

Her current work focuses on breaking down barriers between Native American people and speech-language pathology (SLP) services. “The aim of my graduate research is to better understand the barriers Native American people face in accessing SLP services and create a guide for speech-language pathologists working with Wabanaki populations. By studying Wabanaki languages, I hope to learn more about Wabanaki language influenced speech and make suggestions for how to incorporate words and concepts from Wabanaki languages into treatment and assessment materials to make intervention more culturally appropriate and relevant for Wabanaki clients.”

Before beginning her Master’s degree, Lamb earned her undergraduate degree Summa Cum Laude and was on the Dean’s List for 7/8 semesters. She was awarded a $1,500 fellowship from the Center for Undergraduate Research in November of 2021. In May of 2022, Lam received an Undergraduate Research Award from the 91��’s Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders. Later that year, she presented her research at the Maine Sustainability and Water Conference, as well as the 91�� Student Symposium. After her graduation, Lamb was promoted to the Founder and Chair of the Pleasant Point Resilience Citizen Committee.

Outside of academia, Lamb enjoys gardening, cooking, going on hikes, and spending time with her family and baby nephew. She also works with the Maine Governor’s Office of Innovation and Policy to improve community resilience against climate change. “The communities I have worked for include the Passamaquoddy Tribe at Pleasant Point, the City of Eastport, and the town of Millinocket. The work I did in these communities involved hosting a workshop where citizens of those towns and tribal governments voted for community resilience actions they want their communities to pursue and following that with securing funding and planning community energy projects such as a window insert build, heat pumps for homes, and a Solarize campaign for homes.”

After obtaining her Masters in Communication Sciences and Disorders, Lamb hopes to become a speech pathologist working with children. Her dream, however, is to own land and live self-sustainably and leisurely.

Canadian-American Center Fellow Feature: Liam Berigan

flebouef — Thu, 17 Nov 2022 18:34:26 +0000

91�� PhD student, Liam Berigan, is one of several recipients of the New England-Atlantic Provinces-Quebec (NEAPQ) Fellowship for the 2022 academic year.

Berigan learned about the fellowship through a former awardee of the NEAPQ fellowship, and recommends that any student looking to receive this fellowship give it a shot. A paper from his Master’s degree work “Availability of lesser prairie-chicken nesting habitat impairs restoration success” is in press and will be published this fall in the Wildlife Society Bulletin.

Berigan has been interested in birds since his undergraduate degree, having participated in many field research studies, and has since migrated towards scientific research. His current research focuses on the migration of the American woodcock. Using miniaturized satellite-GPS transmitters, he travels along the North American east coast to deploy tags on American woodcock in concert with state, federal, and provincial collaborators. He uses these tags to learn about the woodcocks’ migratory routes, habitat use, survival, phenology, and connectivity. The locations of the tagged woodcocks are available in real time , as well as annual reports and interactive tools for exploring past migratory data. To read more about Berigans research and see pictures of him in the field, click here.

Berigan, a student in 91��’s Wildlife, Fisheries, and Conservation Biology department, enjoys birdwatching and spends his free time exploring Maine looking for new species. His other hobbies include trail running, cross-country skiing, collecting mystery novels, vegetarian cooking, and playing Dungeons & Dragons. After obtaining his PhD, Berigan plans to continue conducting research on bird migration, either in academia, a federal agency, or for a non-profit.