SSHRC president congratulates winners of national contest to communicate research in a compelling way

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Ted Hewitt, president of the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC), today applauded five talented students who have been named this year’s top research storytellers. The five were selected from among 25 finalists in a national challenge to find innovative ways to communicate the impact of social sciences and humanities research.

SSHRC’s annual Storytellers contest challenges postsecondary students to demonstrate—in three minutes or 300 words—how SSHRC-funded research is making a difference in the lives of Canadians. The 25 finalists this year presented research on a range of important issues, including big data, climate change, Indigenous knowledge, youth, food security and immigration. All highlighted how knowledge from the social sciences and humanities helps Canadians understand and improve the world around us.

“The Storytellers contest allows SSHRC to recognize and reward new and emerging research communicators, and to showcase the positive impact that social sciences and humanities research is having on Canada and the world,” said Hewitt. “Through their creative, compelling stories, these students stand out as exceptional examples of Canada’s next generation of research communicators. Congratulations!”

Left to Right: Allison Gray, Nadia Naffi, Ted Hewitt, Tammara Soma, Ayesha Mian Akram, Mimi Masson, and Dominique Bérubé

The final round of competition took place in front of a live audience at the 2017 Congress of the Humanities and Social Sciences, hosted by Ryerson University in Toronto.

Judging the competitors were Sylvie Dostaler, manager of outreach and public affairs at SSHRC; Shari Graydon, author, journalist and founder of Informed Opinions; Paul Kennedy, host of CBC Radio’s Ideas; Guy Laforest, president of the Federation for the Humanities and Social Sciences; and Pierre Normand, vice-president of External Relations and Communications at the Canada Foundation for Innovation.

Below is a list of the 25 finalists in this year’s contest, with links to their bios. Video entries by the 2017 Storytellers finalists can be viewed on SSHRC’s YouTube channel.

For media enquiries, contact:

Julia Gualtieri
Media Relations
Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council
613-944-4347
Julia.Gualtieri@sshrc-crsh.gc.ca

Follow us on Facebook and Twitter (#SSHRCStorytellers).

2017 Top 25 Storytellers Finalists

Natalie Baird	University of Manitoba
Elise Boulanger	Vancouver Island University
John Bryans	Concordia University
Amanda Chalupa	McGill University
Cheryl Chan	University of Waterloo
AnneMarie Dorland	University of Calgary
Denise DuBois	University of Toronto
Audrey Dutilly	Université Laval
Laura Fallon	Memorial University of Newfoundland
Joseph Gagné	Université Laval
Andrea Gauthier	University of Toronto
Jenna Gilchrist	University of Toronto
Allison Gray	University of Windsor
Abhilash Kantamneni	University of Guelph
Myriam Lapointe-Gagnon	Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières
Mimi Masson	University of Toronto
Kathrina Mazurik	University of Saskatchewan
Meagan McCardle	Memorial University of Newfoundland
Ayesha Mian Akram	University of Windsor
Nadia Naffi	Concordia University
Amy Peirone	University of Windsor
Ali Sharifkhani	University of Toronto
Tammara Soma	University of Toronto
Courtney Szto	Simon Fraser University
Megan Wilson	University of Guelph