Professional Development Symposium for Affiliated Graduate Students

Every spring the Canadian Studies Center hosts a professional symposium for UW graduate students. The symposium offers a keynote lecture focused on current trends in Canadian Studies by leaders in the field and provides a select group of students with the opportunity to present their research to a small panel of experts for one-on-one feedback.

Past Symposium Programs

	2008-09 - Re-Imagining Health Care: What we Can Learn from Canada Chairs: Morna McEachern, School of Social Work Flyer Program
	2007-08 - Canada's Role in the World Chairs: Mihyun Seol and Jeff Cao, College of Forest Resources Program
	2006-07 - Public Policy Differences Across the Canada-US Border Chair: Kate Dunsmore, Communication
	2004-05 - Multidisciplinary Explorations of Contemporary Quebec Society Chairs: Clifford Tatum, Tim Pasch and Natalie Debray, Communication

Re-imagining Health Care: What We Can Learn from Canada

by Morna McEachern, May 2009

Participating in the Fourth Annual Graduate Student Symposium were (from left) David Pettinicchio, Sociology; Nathalie Hamel, Aquatic and Fishery Sciences; Beth Curry, Oceanography; Li Leung, Civil and Environmental Engineering; Mihyun Seol, Forest Resources; and Morna McEachern, Social Work. Jack Thompson, Public Health, and Michael Orsini, 2008-09 Canada-US Fulbright Visiting Chair, were respondents.

Morna McEachern, chair of this year's annual Canadian Studies graduate student symposium, is a doctoral candidate in the School of Social Work. Morna's dissertation focuses on sexual health education policy in the US and Canada and its political symbolism, history, and practice in relationship to teen pregnancy. She was recently honored as the first runner-up for the Enders Graduate Fellowship from the Association of Canadian Studies in the US.

In early April, six University of Washington graduate students discussed the boundaries of health care at the Fourth Annual Canadian Studies Graduate Symposium. This year’s theme, “Re-imagining Health: What Can We Learn from Canada?,” featured six presenters from a variety of academic disciplines.

David Pettinicchio, a doctoral candidate in Sociology, presented on “Ethnic Nationalism and Flight: Explaining Anglophone Out-Migration from Québec, 1971-1981,” which provided interesting insights into Québec society during the Quiet Revolution.

Li Leung, who recently graduated with a Master’s Degree in Civil and Environmental Engineering, presented her study, “FAST Commercial Vehicle Crossing Times between Western Canada and the US.” Li already has four scholarly papers on the Canada-US border under consideration for publication.

Nathalie Hamel from Aquatic and Fishery Sciences was just awarded her doctorate, and presented a paper entitled “Bycatch and Beached Birds: Assessing Mortality Impacts in Coastal Net Fisheries Using Marine Bird Strandings in the Salish Sea.” The Salish Sea includes waters in the Puget Sound, the Strait of Georgia off the west coast of British Columbia, and the Strait of Juan de Fuca.

A recent Master in Science from Oceanography, Beth Curry, presented her study, “Freshwater Transport through the Davis Strait between 2004-2005.” Beth has conducted considerable research east of Baffin Island.

Mihyun Seol, who just advanced to doctoral candidacy in Forest Resources, presented her study, “Potential Markets for Canadian Forest Product Industry: Trade between Canada and China.”

Finally, Morna McEachern presented her research, “Children of a Common Mother: Teen Pregnancy and Political Symbols in US and Canadian Sexual Health Education Guidelines.” Morna will be conducting further research this summer in Canada.
The respondents were Michael Orsini, a University of Ottawa professor who holds the current Canada-US Fulbright Visiting Research Chair at the UW, and Jack Thompson, Public Health.

The two respondents provided participants with feedback and suggestions for enhancing the Canadian content of their presentations. The last hour of the day was devoted to a roundtable discussion during which the respondents offered practical advice to the presenters and continued an interdisciplinary discussion. After the symposium, Jack Thompson said, “The presentations incorporated both of these approaches into some very excellent and diversified presentations.”

This project was supported, in part, by funding from the Center’s Program Enhancement Grant, Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada.

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Canada in the World: Third Annual Grad Symposium in Canadian Studies
by Mihyun Seol, April 2008

Third Annual Canadian Studies Grad Student Symposium. From left: Julia Miller, Linguistics; Katie Leach-Kemon, Evans School; Brian Schefke, History; Li Leung, Civil and Environmental Engineering; Professor Don Alper, Western Washington University; Miyhun Seol, Forest Resources; Professor Patrick James, University of Southern California; and Morna McEachern, Social Work.

Mihyun Seol, PhD Candidate in the College of Forest Resources, co-chaired the symposium with Jeff Cao, also a doctoral candidate in the College. Mihyun’s research focuses on forest certification trends in Canada, China and the US.

I felt that this year’s symposium was able to enrich understanding of the interdisciplinary strength of Canadian Studies at the UW. In the keynote presentations, distinguished speakers, Dr. Patrick James, University of Southern California and current president of the Association for Canadian Studies in the US, and Dr. Donald Alper, director of both the Center for Canadian-American Studies and the Border Policy Research Institute at Western Washington University, impressed upon the audience the importance of cross-border research. In the student sessions, six graduate students delivered brilliant presentations covering international aid, history, linguistics, transportation, port logistics, and forest marketing.

Katie Leach-Kemon, Evans School of Public Affairs, presented what the USAID could learn from Canadian international aid models. Brian Schefke, History, presented his research on natural history and imperialism in the Oregon Country with a broad and interesting explanation focused on the role of the Hudson’s Bay Company in our region. The presentation of Dane-zaa, an endangered language in the British Columbia, was delivered by Julia Colleen Miller, Linguistics. She truly inspired everyone with her short film about the impact of her project. Li Leung, Civil and Environmental Engineering, discussed her collection of data for wait times at the Canada-US border. Susan Albrecht, International Studies, presented innovative models for port development and logistic practices. Finally, I introduced how Canada is performing a significant role in the world forest certification system based on sustainable forest management.

One of biggest outcomes from this symposium is the diversity of the research presented and the building of networks between graduate students from many disciplines who have one common thread to their work – Canada or the Canada-US relationship. It was a pleasure to serve as a co-chair with Jeff Cao for this year’s symposium.

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