DAWN TRUSSELL
Students
Perhaps the favourite part of my job! I have the pleasure of working with many brilliant students and research assistants who keep me challenged and engaged in the process of discovery. Here are some short bios of the people I am inspired by!
Students (Current)
Sullivan Murphy
MA Candidate, Sport Management
Sullivan is a graduate student in the Department of Sport Management at Brock University. His thesis focuses on hockey's culture of hegemonic masculinity, activism, allyship, and inclusive practices within sport organizations. Sullivan is a research assistant on several writing projects related to student equity, diversity, and inclusion.
Laura Lozinski
MA Candidate, Sport Management
Laura is a graduate student in the Department of Sport Management at Brock University. Her thesis focuses on the marketing portrayal of professional female athletes (e.g. commercial marketing portrayal, self-portrayal through social media) through gender lens. Laura is a research assistant on the "Youth Sport and Role Identity" SSHRC and Sport Canada funded project.
Trisha Xing, MA, RYT
PhD Candidate, Social and Cultural Health Studies
Trisha Xing is a doctoral candidate in the Faculty of Applied Health Sciences at Brock University. Her thesis focuses on pre-natal and post-natal yoga and the role of leisure as a site for knowledge dissemination. Trisha was a research assistant on the ‘State of Motherhood in Canada’ SSHRC funded project. Together, Trisha and I have published in International Journal of Qualitative Methods; Annals of Leisure Research; Social Policy & Administration; Canadian Review of Social Policy.
Students (Graduated)
Talia Ritondo
MA, Recreation and Leisure Studies
Talia completed her MA thesis in 2021 in the Department of Recreation and Leisure at Brock University. Her research focused on postnatal women's experiences of physically active leisure and how gendered expectations of motherhood impact their participation in community team sport after the birth of a child. Talia is a research assistant on the "Youth Sport and Role Identity" SSHRC and Sport Canada funded project. After graduation, Talia accepted a full-time position with Brock University’s Human Rights and Equity Office.
Teshawn Smikle
MA, Social Justice and Equity Studies
Teshawn was a co-op MA student in the Social Justice and Equity Studies program at Brock University. As a former black football player at a Canadian University he experienced his share of racism both on and off the field. Ultimately, his major research paper aimed to find ways to dismantle racial and structural barriers that negatively impact athletes of colour as well as the transformative potential of sport for fostering equality, justice, and peace in communities. After graduation, Teshawn began his career helping young people reach their full potential and he accepted a full-time position with Brock University's, Student Wellness and Accessibility Centre as a Student Services Coordinator.
Dr. Lisa Petty
PhD, Social and Cultural Health Studies
Lisa completed her PhD in the Faculty of Applied Health Sciences at Brock University. Her dissertation focused on a narrative exploration of self-care and well-being for generation X women at midlife. Lisa was a research assistant on the ‘Playing with Motherhood: A Longitudinal Analysis of the Politics of Leisure in the Transition to Motherhood’ SSHRC funded project. Together, Lisa and I published in: Annals of Leisure Research; Leisure Sciences; Qualitative Research in Sport, Exercise and Health. After graduation, Lisa continued her career in consulting in the area of women's health and wellbeing.
Laura Kovac
MA, Social Justice and Equity Studies
Undergraduate Thesis, Recreation and Leisure Studies
Laura completed her MA thesis in 2017 as well as an undergraduate thesis in 2013 with me. Her MA thesis was a critical examination of girls’ experiences of aesthetic sports within a post-feminist masquerade. Her undergraduate thesis explored women’s experiences of nightclubs and the performance of gender and sexuality and was published in Leisure Sciences. Laura was a Research Assistant on the ‘Team Family Pride’ SSHRC funded project and we co-authored a book chapter on digital methodologies as well as published in Sport Management Review. After graduation, Laura began a career in Talent Acquisition with a focus on diversity.
Katherine Gatt
MA, Leisure Studies
Katherine completed her MA thesis in 2018 in the Faculty of Applied Health Sciences at Brock University. Her research focused on a critical examination of women with acquired physical (dis)abilities and reclaiming a sense of community belonging through physically active leisure. After graduation, Katherine continued a career in healthcare.
Tashana Francis Cain
Undergraduate Thesis, Recreation and Leisure Studies
Tashana completed an undergraduate thesis study in 2019. Her research focused on the role of sport and recreation in the lives of young refugees. Together, Tashana and I published a research note from her thesis in World Leisure. After graduation Tashana went to Teacher’s College.
Kristi Wismer
Undergraduate Thesis, Recreation and Leisure Studies
Kristi completed an undergraduate thesis study in 2016. Her research topic focused on organized youth sport and mechanisms of inclusion and exclusion. Specifically, she examined young women who do not have a disability and their perceptions of young women who have a physical disability in youth sport. Kristi was a Research Assistant working on a project that focused on youth sport engagement through diverse social contexts (e.g., rural settings).
Lacie-Dawn Dearsley
Undergraduate Thesis, Recreation and Leisure Studies
Lacie-Dawn completed an undergraduate thesis study in 2014. Her research topic explored how young women’s leisure experiences and meanings were impacted as a result of having a sibling that is diagnosed with an intellectual disability. After graduation, Lacie began her career advocating for the rights of adults diagnosed with intellectual disabilities through her role as Leisure Support Staff and Residential Counsellor at non-profits located within the Hamilton Region.
Research Assistants (Current & Graduated)
Teresa Hill, MA
Teresa has worked with me on several projects, examining diverse family structures, youth sport boards, as well as the transition to parenting. She has a Master’s degree from Brock University’s Child and Youth Studies program. She is currently a PhD candidate in the Exercise Sciences program at the University of Toronto.
Jennifer Mooradian
Jennifer is a former midwife and brings her expertise to the ‘Playing with Motherhood: A Longitudinal Analysis of the Politics of Leisure in the Transition to Motherhood’ SSHRC funded project. She is currently a MA student in Applied Health Sciences (Kinesiology) at Brock University.
Erin Corkery
Erin is a research assistant on the "Youth Sport and Role Identity" SSHRC and Sport Canada funded project. She is currently a MA student in Applied Health Sciences (Kinesiology) at Brock University.
Austin Oswald, MA
Austin was a research assistant on the ‘Coming Out and Family Leisure’ project. He has a MA in Applied Health Sciences (Leisure Studies) degree from Brock University. Upon graduation he was employed as a Psychosocial Rehabilitation Specialist at the New York-Presbyterian Hospital. He is currently a PhD candidate in the Social Welfare program at the CUNY Graduate Center.