Mentoring and learning from students is the best part of our work. Over the years, I had the privilege to work with some outstanding students. I am always looking for bright and inspiring students to join the research team.

UPDATE: I am currently accepting Ph.D. students for academic year 2025-2026. 

FEATURED RESEARCH COLLABORATORS

Dr. Elizabeth Kalbfleisch has worked on our MITACS-funded project: ““Investing in Recovery: Strengthening Employer and Policy Roles in Labour Market Integration of Canada’s Immigrant Women in STEM” (with TechGirls Canada) as well as on the Public Health-Canada funded project, “Vaccination, Misinformation and Digital Media: Mobilizing Newcomer Information Practices for Effective COVID Communications” (with Refugee 613). Elizabeth is now a Senior Project Officer with the Council of Academic and Research Libraries (CARL).

Dr. Atticus Hawk has been a collaborator on various projects related to harm reduction in/and libraries. Atticus was the head TA for several iterations of a required LIS course (INF1322, Communities and Values), where we developed a mandatory class segment on the toxic drug supply crisis and its implications for libraries and library workers. Focusing on the visceral reality of the toxic drug supply crisis that has claimed the lives of over 50,000 Canadians since 2016, the class equipped MI students with the skills to identify a suspected overdose, reverse an opioid overdose temporarily with their own take-home Naloxone kit, and treat library patrons who use substances with dignity. This was the first time any such education for credit was offered in any MLIS degree granting program in North America. Atticus also ran an expanded 6-week for-credit workshop, Harm Reduction for Information Professionals, which was open to graduate students from all Information Science concentrations. Atticus is now a medical school student at TMU.

PAST POSTDOCTORAL FELLOWS 

• Dr. Lisa Ndejuru (Concordia U.), “Waking the Stories: Rwandan Genocide, Archives and Memory. ” Provostial Postdoctoral Fellowship. (2020-2022).
• Dr. Sambhavi Chandrashekar, “Privateye – electronic navigational aids for individuals with vision impairments.” MITACS Elevate Industrial Fellowship Award. (2010-2012).
• Dr. Rhonda McEwen, “Investigating the Mobile Phone Information Practices of Newcomers.” MITACS Accelerate Internship Program in partnership with Globalive Wireless. (2009-2010).

DOCTORAL STUDENTS (SUPERVISOR)

• Ayla Morland, 2023-present.

• Long Hin (Lucas) Wong, 2024-present.

• Hafsah Syeda, 2025-present.

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Past Doctoral Students (with current affiliations)

• Dr. Henria Aton, 2025. “Contesting Disappearance: Representing Life and Absence in Archives of Conflict.” Archivist, The Archive of the Jesuits in Canada (AJC), Montreal, QC.

• Dr. Cansu Ekmekcioglu, 2024. “Welcoming Infrastructures: Designing for Accountability in Settlement Service Work in Canada.” Assistant Professor, DeGroote School of Business, McMaster U.

• Dr. Jamila Ghaddar, 2021: “Provenance in Place: Archives, Settler Colonialism and the Making of a Global Order.” Assistant Professor, Institute for Humanities Research, University of Amsterdam.

• Dr. Danielle Allard, 2015, Associate Professor, School of Library and Information Studies, University of Alberta.

• Dr. Diane Dechief, 2014. Science Communication Specialist, Office of Science Education (Fac of Science), McGill University, Montreal, QC.

• Dr. Lisa Quirke, 2014. Business Analysis and Information Management, City of Toronto.

• Dr. Sambhavi Chandrashekar, 2010. (co-supervised with Dr. Stephen Hockema). Senior Accessibility Lead at D2L Corporation (formerly Desire2Learn); Adjunct Faculty (York, Univ. of Toronto, and OCADU).

• Dr. Rhonda McEwen, 2009. Professor and Canada Research Chair in Tactile Interfaces, Communication and Cognition at UTM-CCIT, Univ. of Toronto.

Hooding ceremony for Dr.McEwen

And 13 years later, Dr. McEwen’s inauguration as the President and Vice-Provost of Victoria University at the University of Toronto (so proud!)

Past Students (as a Dissertation Committee Member)

(Dr. Mariam Karim, 2024)

• Dr. Omer Hacker, Anthropology, U. of Toronto, 2025.
• Dr. Megan Hull, Information, U. of Toronto, 2025.
• Dr. Mariam Karim, Information, U. of Toronto, 2024. 
• Dr. Dina Sabie, Computer Science, U. of Toronto, 2023.
• Dr. Christie Oh, Univ. of Toronto, 2021.
• Dr. Wajanat Rayes, UMBC, 2020.
• Dr. Elysia Guzik, Univ. of Toronto, 2017.
• Dr. Keren Dali, Univ. of Toronto, 2010.
• Dr. Adam Fiser, Univ. of Toronto, 2009.
• Dr. Joseph Ferenbok, Univ. of Toronto, 2009.
• Dr. Mary Cavanagh, Univ. of Toronto, 2008.
• Dr. Andrea A. Cortinois, Faculty of Medicine, HPME, 2008.
• Dr. Anu Macintosh-Murray, Univ. of Toronto, 2003.

PH.D. EXTERNAL EXAMINER

• Dr. Atticus Hawk (iSchool, U. of Toronto), 2025. “Harm Reduction as the Commons of Care: Three Case Studies in Toronto.” (Supervisor: Prof. Patrick Keilty). (internal-external)
• Dr. Mariam Karim (iSchool, U. of Toronto), 2024. “Arab Feminist Resistant Media From the Twentieth Century: 1900-1940.” (Supervisor: Prof. Jas Rault). (internal-external)
• Dr. Nenna Orie Chuku (University College London), 2024. “An Information Space of Coloniality: Exploring Information Journeys on Colonial Travel Pathways.” (Supervisor: Prof. Oliver Duke-William)
• Dr. Ali Ahammad Taher Hasan (Univ. of Calcutta, India), 2021. “Inventorization of Indigenous Rice Varieties and Associated Traditional Knowledge of Rice Cultivation in the Perspective of Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) in Murshidabad District of West Bengal.” (Supervisor: Prof. Sabuj Kumar Chaudhuri)
• Dr. Millicent Nnebuogor Mabi (iSchool, UBC), 2020. “Viewing Immigrant Labour Integration Through an Intersectional Lens: Information and Identity in the Settlement of African Immigrants to Metro Vancouver, British Columbia.” (Supervisor: Prof. Heather O’Brien).
• Dr. Brian Griffin (iSchool, Toronto), 2020. “Information Practices in Amateur Classical Musicianship” (Supervisor: Prof. Jenna Hartel). (Role: Internal-External)
• Dr. Mahmood Khosrowjerdi (Oslo Metropolitan Univ.), 2018. “National Culture and Trust in Online Health Information.” (Supervisor: Prof. I. Ruthven). [First Opponent].
• Dr. Alison Frayne (Western University), 2018. “A Study of Six Nations Public Library: Rights and Access to Information.” (Supervisor: Prof. C. Johnson).
• Dr. Nadia Naffi (Concordia University), 2017. “Learning About Oneself: An Essential Process to Confront Social Media Propaganda Against the Resettlement of Syrian Refugees.” (Supervisor: Prof. Ann-Louise Davidson).
• Dr. Natasha Ali (iSchool, Toronto) (Internal-External), 2017. “Information Behaviour of Sell-Side and Other Analysts in Financial Institutions in Toronto, Canada.” (Supervisor: Prof. Chun Wei Choo).
• Dr. Nouf Kashman (McGill University), 2014. “Investigating the application of Hofstede’s Model of Cultural Dimensions to Arabic Web Interfaces.” (Supervisors: Prof. J. Beheshti & A. Large).

MASTER THESES (SUPERVISOR)

• Jamie Duncan, 2019, “Negotiating Citizenship: Mediatized Migration and the Canadian Border.” (2nd reader: Prof. Leslie Shade). Jamie is now a Ph.D. Candidate in Criminology Studies, Univ. of Toronto

• Elise Chien. (2005). “Informing and Involving Newcomers Online: Users’ Perspectives of Settlement.Org.” Faculty of Information, University of Toronto. (2nd, reader: Ted Richmond).
• Pia Russell. (2004). “Information Literacy and Education Policy: An Instrumental Case Study of the Ontario Public School Curriculum.”  Faculty of Information, University of Toronto.

AS SECOND READER

• Rinna Kim. (In Progress). “Korean Speakers’ Interaction with Library Catalogues: Searching for Korean Materials at the Toronto Public Library.” (Supervisor: Silvia Vong). Faculty of Information, Univ. of Toronto.
• Madelin Burt-DAgnillo. (2023). “Getting Coached: The Information Experience of Life Coaching Clients.”  (Supervisor: Jenna Hartel). Faculty of Information, Univ. of Toronto.
• Roshni Thawani. (2023). “Optimizing and Streamlining the Study Abroad Process Using Design Thinking Methodologies and UX Strategies.” (Supervisor: Olivier St-Cyr). Faculty of Information, Univ. of Toronto.
• Michel Mersereau. (2015). “The Abiotic Internet – Organizational Interdependency and Internet Enabled Practices at Na-Me-Res.” (Supervisor: Leslie Shade). Faculty of Information, University of Toronto.
• Sarah Roberts. (2014). “The Classifying Work of Immigration Infrastructure: A Critical Analysis of Temporary Foreign Workers Access to Settlement Services.” (Supervisor: Leslie Shade). Faculty of Information, University of Toronto.
• Bruce Harpham. (2009). “Civil society groups in the Net Neutrality Debate in Canada and the United States.” (Supervisor: Andrew Clement). Faculty of Information, University of Toronto.
• Sayaka Sugimoto. (2008). “Multiculturalism: A Discourse Analysis of the Citizenship and Immigration Canada and Canadian Heritage Websites.”  (Supervisor: Juris Dilevko). Faculty of Information, University of Toronto.

UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS (SUPERVISOR)

• Marthe Banken (2024). MITACS Globalink Research Internship. (Aberdeen U.)
• Rong Lin (2024). MITACS Globalink Research Internship.
• Jingwen Zhou (2024). . MITACS Globalink Research Internship.
• Ying Fang (2023). MITACS Globalink Research Internship for International Undergraduates. (Sun Yat-sen University, China).
• Athulya Raj (2023). MITACS Globalink Research Internship for International Undergraduates. (IIT Madras, Chennai, India). Research Project: “The Power of Reading: Connecting Young Bilinguals with their Cultural Heritage.“
• Jie Wu (2022). MITACS Globalink Research Internship for International Undergraduates. (Renmin University of China, Beijing, China).
• Shuting Deng (2019). MITACS Globalink Research Internship for International Undergraduates. (Sun Yat-sen University, China). Research Project: “Social Media, Older Adults and Cultural Literacy.”
• Junyue (Mavis) Shen (2018). MITACS Globalink Research Internship for International Undergraduates. (Sun Yat-sen University, China). Research Project: “Diversity by Design: Social Media and Cultural Literacy.”
• Laia Colomer Marquez (2015). MITACS Globalink Research Internship for International Undergraduates. (Mexico City, Mexico). Research Project: “Pilgrimage 2.0: Young People, Religion and Social Media.”
• Aline Lima Abrao (2014). MITACS Globalink Research Internship for International Undergraduates. (Brasilia, Brazil). Research Project: “Surfing the Multilingual Web: Implications for Accessibility and Credibility.”