Welcoming two new Pre-Doctoral Fellows to FAS

The Faculty of Arts and Science is pleased to announce that two new academics have joined our community as pre-doctoral fellows.

Jellisa Ricketts (Black Studies, Department of Gender Studies), is a PhD candidate in Social and Political Thought through the Black Studies and Theories of Race and Racism stream. Her research interests include Black critical theory, Black feminism, aesthetic theory, visual culture, and Black cultural geographies.

Tyler Caux-Loohuizen (Languages, Literatures, and Cultures) is currently pursuing his PhD in Political Science. His research focuses on the lived realities of Indigenous journalism, and the ways in which news media storytelling by and about Indigenous peoples contributes to imaginaries of politics, whether colonial or otherwise.

“The announcement of these new Fellows is an expression of our commitment to Indigenization - Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, Anti-Racism, and Accessibility," says James Fraser, Associate Dean (Graduate). "The two predoctoral fellowship programs seek to support new-generation Indigenous and Black Studies scholars at a formative moment in the completion of their doctoral studies."

In 2018-19, FAS introduced Pre-Doctoral Fellowships for Indigenous Students, the first of its kind in Canada. The program is designed to support the intellectual and scholarly development of senior doctoral candidates in ways that position them for success. In 2021-22, FAS expanded the program to include Pre-Doctoral Fellowships for Black Studies Students.

"I was drawn to the Pre-Doctoral Fellowship program because of the opportunity it represents to build relationships with other Indigenous scholars as I step into a new stage of my academic career," Caux-Loohuizen says. "I was also excited by the prospect of joining and contributing to a new (to me) scholarly community where I can learn from a new place, and from different perspectives. My undergraduate honours supervisor from the University of Alberta was also a graduate of Queen’s, so it seemed like an amusingly Alanis-Morisette-ironic way to close the book on my degree."

He says the Fellowship has come at exactly the right time and provides critical support as he works to complete the remaining steps of his PhD.

"I hope to come away with an expanded professional network of relationships and an expanded understanding of the politics unique to this place. I also hope to come away from this Fellowship, having myself been able to contribute to community here."

Ricketts says her interest in the Fellowship stems from her love of Black Studies. "The Black Studies program at Queen's is a trailblazing force that I have admired since it first began. As a student and an educator, I have seen the transformative nature of Black Studies firsthand, and I hope that other universities can follow Queen's lead by formally offering such a rich and intentional Black Studies program."

She says the Fellowship will help her by introducing her to a new environment of thought through the Black Studies faculty. "I look forward to having the opportunity to attend their events and meet with them individually to hear their perspectives and approaches to Black Studies. I hope to truly immerse myself in this unique opportunity to see examples of what is possible for me through the incredible Black Studies Faculty members. I've long admired their work from afar, and I feel profoundly lucky to be able to witness their work up close.

I am also grateful for the encouragement to complete my dissertation and wrap up the program on time. Not only has the pre-doctoral Fellowship created optimal conditions for me to focus on writing and successfully complete my degree, but it has positioned me for success in the next steps in my career."