Dagmara Zawadzka

Mississauga, Ontario
M.A. in Anthropology
Received numerous scholarships and awards for her thesis research on Canadian rock art from a landscape perspective.

Why did you choose Trent?

I chose the Trent Anthropology M.A. program because of its strong emphasis on art and archaeology and its good academic reputation.

How would you describe yourself? How would others describe you? What are your passions in life?

I am passionate about my academic work and by the past, hence my choice to study archaeology.

What has your time at Trent meant to you? What are some of your favourite memories? What will you take with you from Trent?

My time at Trent was a formative experience on an academic as well as on a personal level and I will always remember it fondly. The students within the Anthropology M.A. program have developed a strong sense of community, the staff has been supportive and the program has prepared me adequately for my current PhD studies.

What are your future plans and aspirations? What do you hope to accomplish?

I am currently enrolled in an Art History PhD program at the Université du Québec à Montréal, where I am expanding upon my M.A. research on Canadian Shield rock art and its place within the cultural landscape of Algonquian-speaking peoples.

Is there anything else you would like to add?

Trent provides good funding opportunities to its graduate students.

Where did you complete your undergrad/other graduate work?

University of Toronto – undergrad (Anthropology Specialist; History Major)

Describe your graduate studies research? Which faculty members did you work with?

I have completed my Anthropology M.A. under the supervision of Prof. Joan M. Vastokas. My research examined Canadian Shield rock art within its landscape context, trying to elucidate why rock art sites are placed in their particular locations and what landscape characteristics present at or near the rock art sites influenced their location, as well as what functions the sites might have served. As part of my research, I traveled to various rock art sites in Ontario, such as the Agawa Bay site located in Lake Superior Provincial Park and Fairy Point site located in Lake Missinaibi Provincial Park.