By Kristy Strauss
Carleton’s incoming graduate students are pushing the boundaries of academic excellence to make a difference in the world – from creating video games to help children with neurological disorders to investigating how the Canadian government transitions after an election.
“I’m excited to get started – I hope it’s what I expect and more,” says Paden Shorey, who will be starting his master’s degree in Carleton’s Human Computer Interaction (HCI) program.
Shorey received his bachelor’s degree from Carleton in interactive multimedia and design, and was awarded an entrance scholarship in the master’s program that focuses on ways computer systems support people in their daily lives.
During the next two years, Shorey will look at creating video games for children who have neurological disorders to help with their rehabilitation.
“Instead of having them do boring tasks, they would actually be playing games to try and gain movement back in their hands, for example. And they will want to do it instead of having to do it.’’
Freya George, an international student from England who studied earth sciences at Oxford University, is pursuing her PhD in the same subject. She is an Ontario Trillium Scholarship recipient, having maintained an overall average of at least A-.
As part of her undergraduate and master’s work, George studied geology and was interested in the field of metamorphic petrology – which focuses on how some rocks are altered by high pressure and temperature.
George says Canada is the perfect place to continue conducting this type of research.
“In Canada, geology is really valued as a research science, and arguably Ottawa has one of the highest concentrations of geologists of any city,” she says.
Kayle Hatt, who graduated from Carleton with an honour’s degree in political science, is now taking a master’s program in public administration.
In addition to receiving a Senate Medal for academic achievement, Hatt has received funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) for his upcoming research on how the Canadian government transitions after an election.
“When a new political party gets elected, it’s essentially changing who’s in charge and who’s running things,” Hatt says. “It’s hugely technical and happens behind the scenes without people talking about it.”
Hatt has worked in numerous positions related to politics and government. In 2010, he led a campaign in his hometown of St. Catharines, Ont., to expand transit service hours. Most recently, he has worked as a research associate with the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives. He says these work experiences have helped him through his undergraduate degree and will be beneficial as he pursues his master’s.
“I was able to learn organizational skills, map out project plans, and learn practical skills,” he says. “I chose Carleton because it’s highly respected by people in the workforce, and (this is) a highly practical program that blends academics with practical skills.”
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