This project is based on how the communities which rely on the forests of different regions within the state of Odisha, India, cope with and adapt to environmental and social challenges in relation to their daily lives and livelihoods. Using local ecological, social, and cultural knowledge, I will analyze environmental, social and policy challenges, and […]

“In Conversation with Contemporary Chinese Pure Land Buddhism: What it Means to Practice” is a study of the relationship between objects and practice in Pure Land Buddhism as told by the practitioners themselves. Interviewing scholars and practitioners of contemporary Chinese Pure Land Buddhism and visiting key sites of practice in the Shanghai area, I will […]

Several studies have documented the high risk of housing instability and homelessness for women as a result of domestic violence and the broader issue of violence against women. Aboriginal women have been identified as being more vulnerable due to unique barriers to achieving housing stability, including racism and the lack of culturally appropriate services. This […]

For many years, it has been a common practice adopted by educated people among East Asian countries to communicate with those who do not speak their language by writing Chinese characters. Many of these pen conversations, or bitan in Chinese, are preserved. Some of these are later compiled and published. These written documents are invaluable […]

Mental health in the workplace is of growing concern to legislators, employers and the public. Employers concerned about employee health and the impact on business outcomes including work absence and decreased productivity, are looking for solutions. They require effective workplace interventions and validated instruments to identify, control and prevent work-related psychosocial hazards, and to guide […]

This project aims to examine the price of milk in Northern Manitoba. Firstly, the project assesses the price of milk in the First Nation and non-First Nation communities. Secondly, the project investigates the causes of price disparities between First Nation Communities and non-First Nation communities (if any), and examines the effects of high milk price […]

From women-only taxi companies in New Delhi, India to smokeless stoves in Uganda, innovation can transform the lives of women and girls around the globe. It is well known that social innovation and gender equality are each critical to social progress, but little is known about how social innovation can advance gender equality. In partnership […]

My project intends to depict the textual evolution of the Youposai jie jing ????? (S?tra on Up?saka Precepts). This text was written as a household cultivation guidebook for Buddhist laymen, and was translated into Chinese by Dharmak?ema (Tanmochen ???in Chinese, 385–433 CE) in 426 CE during the Northern Liang Dynasty ??(397–439 CE). By studying the […]

My research project will focus around the following question: what relationships exist between religious models of the human body—primarily Buddhist and Daoist—and medical practices and beliefs? To explore this topic I will study primary and secondary materials, participate in meetings with my host university supervisor, Chen Ming with the assistance of Dr. Susan Andrews from […]

The project investigates the practices of contemporary Buddhist Monastics in relation to their interaction and communication with family members. The question to be investigated is: To what extent, if at all, do contemporary monastics maintain relationships with living family members? The research will focus, in particular, on ways that family is understood in this context […]

Under the supervision of Dr. Jean DeBernardi my research explores the connections between traditional Chinese religion, martial arts, and medicine. I did my MA thesis on the modernization of traditional Chinese religion in Taiwan, have been practicing White Crane kung fu since 1999, and worked for the Natural Health Practitioner of Canada. I am examining […]

My dissertation looks into China’s three environmental policy domains, including climate change, biodiversity and biosafety (GMOs), to investigate how China’ environmental diplomacy, economic interest and political concerns of legitimacy and stability intersect to condition public participation and its effectiveness in affecting policy decisions. It seeks to illuminate not only why authoritarian regime embraces deliberation and […]