MITACS Internships
Maria Besselink
Partner Organization: Cowichan Intercultural Society - Cowichan Valley, Vancouver Island
Dates Held: June 1, 2021 to January 31, 2022
Project Overview:
While there are national and provincial data assessing issues involving marginalization, racism and discrimination, smaller regions require local data to develop strategies that benefit them directly. The project aims to assess the attitudes towards marginalized groups, specifically ethnic and racial minorities, and the experiences of racism and discrimination in the Cowichan Valley region. The results of this project will provide the Cowichan Intercultural Society with an evidence base that will help guide community initiatives for developing an anti-racism strategy and promoting an inclusive and welcoming community.
Christopher Hewitt
Partner Organization: Esri Canada, Inc.
Dates Held: March 1, 2022 to February 28, 2023
Project Overview:
Dr. Christopher Hewitt holds a one-year Mitacs Accelerate Postdoctoral Fellowship at industry partner Esri Canada under the supervision of faculty member Zack Taylor. An accomplished cartographer and spatial analyst, Dr. Hewitt will acquire the skills to construct a state-of-the-art spatial database of historical census data accessible through a map-based web portal that will facilitate data discovery and analysis. Esri is the world’s leading provider of spatial analysis software tools. This project is a companion to Professor Taylor’s Canadian Communities Policy Observatory project hosted by the Network of Economic and Social Trends (NEST).
