Embracing a unique opportunity

Sommer Knight is the newest Pre-doctoral Fellow in Black Studies in the Faculty of Arts and Science. She is teaching and researching within the Departments of Gender Studies and Psychology. 

In 2018-19, Faculty of Arts and Science (FAS) introduced Pre-Doctoral Fellowships for Indigenous Students and building on the success of that, the program was expanded in 2021-22 to include the Pre-Doctoral Fellowships for Black Studies.

Arts and Science one-year Pre-doctoral Fellowships are open to PhD students working on doctoral research in the creative arts, humanities, social sciences, or natural and physical sciences at a university other than Queen’s University.

Fellows have completed all doctoral degree requirements except the final doctoral project (e.g. dissertation) and work to complete their doctoral project during their tenure as a Fellow to receive their degree from their home institution.

“As a senior graduate student, funding opportunities are scarce and limited for me. The financial support offered from the Faculty of Arts and Science allowed me to present at academic conferences I couldn’t have otherwise afforded and supported my travel for research work,” Knight says. “Beyond financial support, I also gained opportunities to connect with the Queen’s community by presenting my research at the Gender Matters Speaker Series and facilitating a Black History Month Event in partnership with Black Studies and the Kingston Frontenac Public Library.”

Knight relocated to Kingston for the Fellowship and is currently teaching the fourth-year course Contemporary Issues in Black Studies: Psychology of Women and Gender. She created the course to combine both her areas of study.

“It was an exciting opportunity,” Knight says. “As a clinical psychology student, my time is divided between clinical duties and research work. This Pre-doctoral Fellowship gave me the opportunity to focus solely on my mental health research, while connecting with other experts in the field to advance Black scholarship. The Pre-doctoral Fellowship in Black Studies allowed me to see myself represented in academic spaces. Thus, to have the opportunity to learn in a one-of-a-kind program, comprised of Black academics and scholars, meant more to me than words can say.”

Knight’s research interests are centered on mental health disparities, intersectionality, culture, and youth. For her dissertation, her doctoral research explores the coping strategies (e.g., social support, rumination, advocacy) Black Canadians aged 16 and older use to deal with anti-Black racism to improve Black mental health.

“I am grateful to have been awarded the Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarship for this work, and I plan to use my time at Queen’s to complete my dissertation and publish my work.”

Knight says in addition to research, teaching is also important to her. “In my course, I view teaching as a learning exchange: I learn from students as much as they learn from me. As part of my teaching philosophy, I designed the course to facilitate mutual respect and learning by creating opportunities for shared discussion so we can co-construct ideas and meaningfully interact together. This course has been an enriching experience for me and I’m grateful to each student who enrolled. It’s been fun to share my knowledge, but also my academic experiences with students who wish to pursue higher education.”

She encourages other PhD students to apply for this unique opportunity in FAS. “This fellowship is the first of its kind in Canada where a pre-doctoral fellow can learn from world-leading experts, participate in professional development opportunities (such as teaching), and obtain financial support for their research. This whole experience truly solidified my career interest in academia. I highly encourage others to apply to take full advantage of these opportunities, to not only complete their doctoral project, but to build their academic career.” 

Learn more about the Fellowships on the website.