The Department of Health and Society’s popular Undergraduate Workshop series is returning with two more exciting workshops in the winter term.
On January 15, students are invited to DHS Undergraduate Workshop Series - Improving Your Writing which will tackle issues relating to academic writing, including offering practical tips and writing resources. This will be followed up on February 12 with DHS Undergraduate Workshop Series - Job Pathways & Practical Experience, which will cover job pathways and practical experience opportunities beyond the classroom, including summer and post-degree job placements, fellowships, internships and other work experience.
Both events will take place in HW305 from 2-3 p.m. Snacks will be provided. The events are being hosted by PhD students Ash Catonio and Elliot Fonarev.
Ash Catonio (they/them) is a second year PhD student in the Department of Sociology at UofT. Their research area is gender and sexuality and my research interests include sexual violence prevention, consent discourses, queer world-making, and the sociology of possibilities. They are currently working on a project that investigates the sense of possibility young queer and racialized individuals have around their relationships.
Elliot Fonarev (he/him) is a 4th year PhD student in the Department of Sociology. His research focuses on socio-legal studies and qualitative methodology. He is interested in how ordinary people create norms and belonging in communities. He is also working on a project on homelessness, law, and policing in Canadian cities since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Last semester Ash and Elliot led three sessions on diverse topics such as AI in academia, mentorship, writing research papers and graduate school applications. Their aim is to connect students with practical knowledge, resources and tips for navigating different aspects of academia that they might not know about. The workshops are designed as a source of information and support for students to help direct them to what they need to succeed in the course of their studies.
Ash says “We are really happy with how the series has gone so far! We’ve been pleased with the high turnout and the keen engagement of the students who’ve attended. It has been cool to be a part of bringing DHS students and faculty together to learn and ask questions about practical skills. We are excited to continue the series this new year and see how this community grows.
“One of my aims coming into this series has been to answer: ‘What resources and support did I wish I had when I was an undergraduate student?’,” continues Ash. “Undergrad is full of new responsibilities and expectations that we often don’t know how to tackle but feel silly asking. I’ve thought of this series as an opportunity to answer to some of those uncertainties and bring resources to students that they would not otherwise know how or where to find.”
Elliot adds: “The unstated expectations in university can be disorienting and confusing to navigate because courses tend to be focused on learning topical content and students are expected to take initiative to develop and improve needed skills to succeed and seek opportunities for work experience, but the steps to do so and resources can be overwhelming to find and navigate. These workshops are important because we hope they will equip students with information and support, and peer connections, so they can gain confidence in navigating their time at UTSC and beyond.”
Check out the DHS events page for more great upcoming events.