One of the most published early-career researchers focused on the experience of racialized people and immigrants employed as personal support workers, Professor Bharati Sethi, is joining Trent’s robust community of researchers as a the recently-appointed Tier II Canada research chair in Care Work, Ethnicity, Race and Aging.  

“It is a pleasure to welcome Prof. Sethi–a sought-after expert, with an impressive record for supporting immigrant and racialized Canadians through her research,” said Dr. Cathy Bruce, vice-president of Research and Innovation at Trent University. “Her interdisciplinary research focuses on the experiences of those working in critically important care professions. Prof. Sethi joins Trent’s engaged community of Canada Research Chairs, including Professors Murray and Szpak, who are now entering their second term as chairs. The CRC Program, and the researchers we have been able to attract to Trent through this program, is tremendously important to our thriving national and international research community; including students. 

Dr. Bharati Sethi, Canada research chair in Care Work, Ethnicity, Race and Aging

A high-impact early-career researcher, and self-described activist, Prof. Bharati Sethi is passionate about translating her research into accessible and easy-to-understand formats, with an aim to improve public education on the social and cultural issues facing immigrants and racialized workers. She has been engaged in dynamic, multi-million-dollar research projects, and is a sought-after expert on issues connected to transnational caregivers. 

“There is a lot of research on transnationalism and transnational care, but not much on employees,” shares Prof. Sethi. “We want to look at caregiving from a health and well-being perspective, not just from an employment perspective. As many immigrants are providing transnational care, we need to talk about caregiver-friendly policies from a transnational perspective."

Through her CRC appointment, Prof. Sethi will build new knowledge about paid caregivers focusing on personal support workers, with a particular attention to the experiences of racialized people and immigrants to Canada. This program will study communities in Peterborough County and Brantford-Brant County to generate high-quality data identifying vulnerabilities and information to support the well-being of newcomers and empower them within rural and suburban communities. Her work is grounded in an arts-based method to mobilize knowledge. 

“Academics need to translate their evidence and let people use the knowledge,” says Prof. Sethi. “We’ve worked on projects including a poster-presentation that gives tools to employers to make a more caregiver-friendly workplace incorporating poetry, art, even jewelry as a way of sharing stories about culture.” 

Dr. Dennis Murray, Canada Research Chair in Integrative Wildlife Conservation

Prof. Dennis Murray, a long-standing faculty member in the Biology Department at Trent, has been reappointed as a Tier I CRC in Integrative Wildlife Conservation. In his time as Canada Research Chair, he has led innovative research to ensure the sustainability of animal populations and their ecosystems.  

“The CRC program has supported research and graduate student training to a much larger extent and greater depth than would otherwise be possible,” shares Prof. Murray. “I will extend our work on Canada lynx and snowshoe hares to also examine the vegetation in the boreal forest and its role on predator-prey interactions and responses to climate change. ” 

The research led through the Murray Lab will explore how the vegetative landscape impacts the animals, especially important given that climate change is altering the boreal through ‘shrubification’ and loss of snow, which will dramatically alter the ecosystem. In addition, new research will begin in southern Africa to assess the ecology, evolution, and conservation threats to rare succulent plants that are experiencing rapid population decline. 

Dr. Paul Szpak, Canada Research Chair in Archaeological Science

Trent Anthropology Prof. Paul Szpak has been reappointed for a second term as a Tier II Canada research chair, a position where he has led a team to assess environmental impact through stable isotope analysis. This research has allowed for improved understanding of human impacts on the natural environment, and creates experiential learning opportunities for graduate and undergraduate students. 

“I think the most important thing that the Canada research chair has allowed me to do is to create opportunities for students,” says Prof. Szpak “Students get really comfortable doing everything from start to finish in the lab, getting great training in research techniques and critical thinking, coming up with questions, doing lab work, interpreting the results and writing up their findings. That means this CRC position is producing highly-skilled and qualified candidates for a wide variety of careers in Canada and shaping the country’s talent pool.” 

Through his reappointment, Prof. Szpak will continue stable isotope research to give a more complete picture of how environments change over time, and to work with collaborators including a group in Copenhagen that does ancient DNA research. 

Canada Research Chairs

Trent’s current Canada Research Chair holders advance research, teaching and learning through their leading-edge explorations in diverse disciplines, and include the following: 

• Dr. May Chazan, CRC, Feminist and Gender Studies 

• Dr. Whitney Lackenbauer, CRC, Study of the Canadian North 

• Dr. Dennis Murray, CRC, Integrative Wildlife Conservation 

• Dr. Naomi Nichols, CRC, Community-Partnered Social Justice 

• Dr. Anne Pasek, CRC, Media, Culture and the Environment 

• Dr. Ian Power, CRC, Environmental Geoscience 

• Dr. Bharati Sethi, CRC, Care Work, Ethnicity, Race and Aging 

• Dr. Paul Szpak, CRC, Archaeological Science 

• Dr. Maggie Xenopoulos, CRC, Aquatic Ecosystems 

The Canada Research Chairs Program (CRCP) stands at the centre of a national strategy to make Canada one of the world's top countries in research and development. It invests approximately $311 million per year to attract and retain a diverse cadre of world-class researchers, to reinforce academic research and training excellence in Canadian postsecondary institutions. The CRC program has positioned Canada as an international leader and destination of choice in research and development.