Current Students

Jerit Mitchell, PhD Candidate

When PhD student Jerit Mitchell first noticed an odd structure in a 2018 scan of Scotty’s rib, he nearly dismissed it.

“I remember showing my supervisors, Dr. Barbi and Dr. McKellar, a strange structure… They were quick to point out that what I discovered could be preserved blood vessels, which has since led to a much more expansive research project.”

That moment of curiosity sparked years of investigation. Using powerful synchrotron X-rays from the Canadian Light Source, the team created a 3D model of both the bone and the vessel structures without damaging the fossil—revealing not only preserved blood vessel structures, but also a healed fracture from what was likely a violent encounter with another dinosaur.

The find is helping scientists understand dinosaur healing potential, compare injuries across species, and explore how life on Earth evolved over millions of years.

Read the full story in Discourse Magazine Watch the video at Scotty the T. rex or read the national coverage at Conversation Canada

Adhika Ezra, MA

Adhika Ezra won Best Student Paper Award - MA Category from the Canadian Sociological Association, on his research "The Role of Milieu in Governance: The Case of Homelessness and Extreme Weather in Regina."

This outstanding MA-level paper offers a compelling and theoretically grounded analysis of how neoliberal and settler colonial governance structures shape the lived experiences of people experiencing homelessness (PEH) in Regina, Saskatchewan — particularly during extreme weather events. Drawing on 22 qualitative interviews with service providers, city officials, and advocates, the author skillfully applies Foucault’s concept of governmentality and milieu to explore how space, climate, and institutional practices intersect to produce exclusion and risk. The paper is notable for its nuanced attention to the complexities of trauma, substance use, and Indigenous dispossession, and for its clear, well-structured argumentation. The committee was especially impressed by the paper’s ability to synthesize theory and grounded research into a meaningful critique of policy and practice.

For more on his research and the award, visit the CSA site here.

Shae Carr, PhD Psychology

Warm congratulations to our very own Shaelyn Carr, who has been named a finalist in the national SSHRC Storytellers Challenge!

Her powerful research, "Innocent Until Proven Guilty? Or Guilty Until Believed?", tackles critical issues in the justice system and holds profound policy and public interest implications.

Earlier this year, Shaelyn won FGSR’s internal SSHRC Storytelling Challenge, and we’re thrilled that her video has now earned her a spot as the University of Regina’s first-ever finalist in this prestigious national competition. For SSHRC's official announcement, visit here.

Shae’s outstanding student leadership and communication skills mark her as one of Canada’s top emerging scholars.

📽️ Watch Shae's video here.

Michael Mensah, PhD Biology Student

Congratulations Michael Mensah on moving to the 3MT Nationals Competition.

In March 2024, PhD biology student Michael Mensah took home the $1,500 first-place prize with his presentation Fresh Solutions for Salty Cows.   He then went on to compete and place second at the 3MT Western Regional Competition at UBC Okanagan on May 8, 2024.  As a top finisher, Mensah moves on to the 3MT National Competition in Toronto.

Good luck with your presentation titled, "Fresh Solutions for Salty Cows" on Nov. 1 at Nationals!

Watch the 3MT University of Regina Competition video here.

Watch the 3MT Western Regional Competition here.

Delasi Essien, PhD Social Studies Student

Congratulations to Delasi Essien, awarded "Nursing Champion" through Canada's Top 25 Immigrants for the 2024 year.

As a doctoral student at the University of Regina, Essien found her niche in academia, expanding the dialogue around equity, diversity and inclusion, through Indigenization and decolonization within the nursing profession.

Nurses are in high demand, and Delasi (Del) Essien has dedicated a great portion of her life to nurturing future nurses in Saskatchewan and Manitoba, with a focus on making learning environments safe and welcoming for BIPOC students.

“As a nurse educator currently working within the apprenticeship space, I work with amazing people every day and get to connect with stakeholders who are equally vested in finding innovative solutions to increasing the participation and success of members of equity deserving groups in the trades in Canada,” said Essien, director of innovation and inclusion with the Saskatchewan Apprenticeship and Trade Certification Commission.

Essien also advocates for fair and equitable practices in nursing education, specifically in the assessment processes of internationally educated nurses (IENs) seeking to transition to the Canadian workforce. Her dedication to IENs was recognized in 2023 with a nomination for the YWCA Regina’s Nutrien Women of Distinction Award where she was selected as a finalist in the Community Champion category.

She also serves on several boards and committees in Regina and gives back to her community, including through the administration of a food pantry and an initiative to supply backpacks with essentials to the homeless in her city.

“I want to live a life of purpose,” Essien says. “So, I put thought and effort into everything I do and into every encounter I have to make sure it all counts.”

For more information, you can watch the video here or read the article here.

Kwaku Ayisi, PhD Public Policy Student

Congratulations to Kwaku Ayisi! 

Through the Digital Research Alliance of Canada, University of Regina graduate student, Kwaku Ayisi, was awarded DRI EDIA Champions funding for his project titled “Academic Research Made Simple”, or ARMS. [This project] will give Kwaku the opportunity to implement one of his passions as a researcher – disseminating academic research in ways that a broader, non-technical audience can understand. Through podcast interviews with racial minority graduate students and faculty, he aims to present the incredible research being done at the U of R to a wider audience.

Kwaku states, “The award gives me the opportunity to apply the DRI training I receive to my own dissertation research titled ‘Increasing breast cancer screening participation among Black women in Saskatchewan: Policy tools’.  … (my dissertation focuses on how) in Canada, Black women have lower breast cancer screening participation rates compared to white women. Low breast cancer screening rates and late diagnosis leads to higher mortality rates among Black women. Screening and early detection of breast cancer is particularly important for Black women because breast cancer cells tend to hit Black women at a relatively younger age, and it tends to be more aggressive compared to white women. My main research question is: How can lessons from breast cancer screening participation inform policies/programs/strategies to increase participation and lower mortality rates of Black women in Saskatchewan?”

This is the first time a UR graduate student has received this prestigious award. 

The Digital Research Alliance of Canada plays a critical role in advancing the Government of Canada’s National DRI Strategy. It coordinates and funds activities related to and including Advanced Research Computing, Research Data Management, and Research Software. https://alliancecan.ca/en