Elyse Longair
PhD, Screen Cultures and Curatorial Studies
Elyse Longair is an artist, curator, and image theorist currently pursuing her Ph.D. in Screen Cultures and Curatorial Studies at Queen’s University. Longair’s research focuses on collage history, collage as research creation and institutional strategies of collecting and curating collage. Among recent awards, she studied collage in Paris at The Centre Pompidou thanks to the David Edney Research Award and was awarded Exposure Emerging Photographer of the Year Award by Exposure Photography Festival earning her a solo exhibition at Contemporary Calgary. Her Simple Image Theory in collage re-imagines the role of images away from the overt-complexity that dominates our world, opening up new possibilities for imagined futures.
Longair actively participates in the arts community serving as Chair, Chief Curator, for the Services to Artists Committee, College Arts Association, The Local Shorts Programmer for The Kingston Canadian Film Festival and as a member of The University Arts Association Sustainability Committee. At Queen’s, Longair is the curator for The Art and Media lab at The Isabel Bader Centre for the Performing Arts, administers and a contributes to the graduate blog, Gradifying, offering invaluable insights into graduate life and is a Graduate Inclusivity Fellow helping to promote a culture of belonging at Queen's for graduate students.
Graziella Bedenik
PhD, Mechanical and Materials Engineering
Graziella Bedenik is a Brazilian engineer pursuing her PhD with the Mechanical and Materials Engineering department at Queen's University, Canada. She's working on automated underwater environmental monitoring using self-deployable robotic swarms with the Novel Engineering and Robotic Devices (NERD) and Robora Labs. Graziella is also a member of the Research Group on Electronic Instrumentation at the Federal University of Sergipe, Brazil, where she received an electronics engineering degree and a Master of Science degree in electrical engineering.
Her main research interest is electronic instrumentation, studying and developing innovative measuring devices and sensing systems. She has experience and prefers working with multidisciplinary teams, having participated in projects ranging from leakage current measurements in high-voltage insulators to pain quantification in animal models. She is also interested in team management, engineering education, and female inclusion in STEM. She regularly serves as a mentor and co-founded and led several initiatives dedicated to empowering students, raising belonging, and popularizing science.
Graziella's decision to join Queen's University was driven by her quest for the best resources to advance her academic career. As part of her educational journey, she plans to share her insights and experiences through blogging. Her posts will cover a range of topics, including organization hacks for academic success, leadership and protagonism as a student, and her unique perspective as both an international student and a woman in engineering.
Ahmad Nagib
PhD, Computing
Ahmad Nagib is an international student in the final year of his Ph.D. at Queen’s University. His research addresses the practical challenges of integrating machine learning into next-generation wireless networks. During his Ph.D., he completed two Ph.D. Co-Ops at Ericsson Canada, where he led and participated in projects aligned with his research interests. His work has been widely acclaimed, with multiple publications in top IEEE journals and conferences. Throughout his academic and professional journey, Ahmad has received several accolades, including a recent honourable mention for the Queen’s School of Computing Ph.D. Research Achievement Award.
As a Graduate Research Fellow at the Queen’s Telecommunications Research Lab (TRL), Ahmad has coordinated the activities of an NSERC strategic project in collaboration with Ericsson. He also mentored graduate students and co-hosted a TRL alum panel discussion series. Moreover, he is a reviewer and technical program committee member for IEEE flagship journals and conferences in his field. Ahmad’s leadership and involvement extend beyond academia, enriching Queen’s and Kingston’s cultural and intellectual environment. This includes assisting incoming students in settling into Kingston; continuing the work he began as the Ph.D. Grad Committee Officer of the Graduate Computing Society (GCS), and as the founder and former president of the Egyptian Students Association at Queen’s (ESAQ). Ahmad’s involvement with the local community also includes collaborating with the City of Kingston as part of a Queen’s PhD-Community Initiative (PhD-CI) project.
Özlem Atar
PhD in Cultural Studies
I am an international student from Türkiye. Intercultural communication (PhD) and migration narratives (PhD candidate) are my most recent areas of expertise, and I have a few accolades under my belt! An apt description of me would be a hungry reader and emerging writer. Hans Christian Andersen`s "The Emperor's New Clothes'' is to blame for my addiction to well-crafted, socially committed literature. In my spare time, I am writing my own nonfiction: Future Recollections. I am at Queen`s because my supervisor, Dr. Petra Fachinger, teaches here. My specific interests in Gradifying centre around intercultural communication, international education, and promoting well-being in graduate school, especially if you are maintaining disabilities and overcoming hidden and not-so-hidden barriers.
Bhavya Bogra
PhD in Geography & Planning
Bhavya is currently pursuing her Ph.D. in the Department of Geography and Planning. Her research focuses on understanding the local travel needs, particularly the unmet challenges faced by older adult women living in mid-sized Canadian cities. While her academic pursuits delve into the intricate layers of Human Geography and Urban Planning, Bhavya's interests extend far beyond research.
As the President of the Association of Indian Graduate Students at Queen’s University (AIGSQ), Bhavya has excelled in fostering a supportive environment for her peers. Additionally, she served as the International Student Representative and Finance Officer for the Department of Geography Graduate Student Council (GSC). Currently, she is engaged as a Graduate Inclusivity Fellow (GIF), where she actively addresses prospective students’ questions about equity, inclusivity, and diversity, while offering informational support through her personal experiences at Queen’s. Her contributions have been recognized with awards such as the Champion for Mental Health and the International Student Leader Award by the Society of Graduate & Professional Students (SGPS).
Bhavya’s role as a Neighbourhood Climate Action Champion with the City of Kingston Planning Department highlights her passion for sustainability and civic engagement. Outside of academia, Bhavya embraces self-expression and adventure through dancing, hiking, and biking. She has led a henna workshop and performed twice at the Intercultural Arts Festival organized annually by the city at the Confederation Park in fall. Her wide-ranging activities reflect her zest for life, learning, and community involvement.