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How do you feel at home in a new place? How to build community here? And how do you hold on to who you are while growing into someone new?

Those are huge questions for people like Shruti Chandrashekhar Nadkarni, who are working hard to navigate the often-invisible threads of belonging. But now, as a fourth-year international PhD student in Applied Social Psychology at the University of Guelph, Shruti’s journey is yielding results. She hopes her story offers hope for others facing challenges finding their way.

Naythrah Thevathasan, a Guelph native and a proud Gryphon, has achieved remarkable milestones in her journey as a health care professional. Her path reflects a deep dedication to pediatric care and public health, shaped by diverse academic experiences, a global outlook and factors in her own home.

Guneet Kaur’s academic journey started with a deep dive into biological sciences, exploring how living systems work at a fundamental level. This sparked an interest in applied genetics, where she dug deeper into how cells function and interact. But just understanding wasn’t enough—she wanted to take it a step further and start designing and modifying biological systems. That curiosity led her into biochemical engineering, where Kaur now uses her knowledge to manipulate cells, including microbes, to create bio-based products.

As a South Asian, it is no surprise that Bollywood has been an integral part of my upbringing. From vibrant musicals to emotionally charged dramas, Bollywood films have been a source of joy and a bridge to my cultural roots. As one of the largest and most influential film industries in the world, it continues to shape the identities and experiences of millions.

The lack of South Asian representation, be it in media or growing up in the UK, was not obvious to me until I moved to Canada when I was 10 years old. I lived in a suburban area in the UK near London, where culture was not something that was talked about very often.

International Conference on Democracy and Its Undoing: South Asia and Its Polities

March 20-21, 2025 | Organised by the Department of Political Science, Easwari School of Liberal Arts, SRM University- AP (Andhra Pradesh) | More information here

Dr. Kurt Annen, Professor of Economics at University of Guelph, will be delivering a keynote address titled, "Democracies over time: A global perspective".

Please see the attached file for the conference schedule. 

The first Global Inequality Research Award was awarded to Bina Agarwal, Professor of Development Economics and Environment, University of Manchester, for her work on gender inequalities, environmental governance, feminist environmentalism, and environmental inequalities.

Congratulations to Dr. Elizabeth Finnis for her new appointment as One Health Institute Director. Dr. Finnis is an active CIRCLE Member and Associate Professor, Department of Sociology and Anthropology, University of Guelph. Dr. Finnis succeeds Dr. Cate Dewey, who was appointed in 2019 as the Institute’s founding Director. Dr. Finnis will begin her appointment in May 2025. 

Aysha Iqbal Viswamohan (Professor, Department of Humanities and Social Sciences at IIT Madras) is the editor of Women in Contemporary Indian Films and Media: Representations and Responses (Routledge India).