Meet our Graduate Students
Élisabeth Sirois
"My doctoral research focuses on the "sources" of nonreligion in Québec in light of its secularization trajectory. My thesis explores how being nonreligious was perceived and legitimized at certain points in time in Québec's modern history. It aims to understand how cultural Catholicism of the sociological majority has transformed and given way to nonreligion while religious transmission has steeply declined in the past decades."
Research interests include the sociology of indifference, secularization theses, qualitative research on nonreligion, Catholicism and Catholic societies from a comparative perspective, (non)religious pluralism, Québécois' relationship with religion, religion and the environment.
Élisabeth works with Drs. Martin Meunier (Sociological and Anthropological Studies, uOttawa) and Jean-Philippe Perreault (Université Laval).
Amy Bartlett
"My doctoral research focuses on Making Meaning Together: The role of community in psychedelic integration, spirituality and healing.
I am curious about exploring the role that psychedelic integration practices and spirituality play in individual and communal healing. To that end, I am passionate about exploring how people use psychedelics to better understand themselves and the world around them, as well as building a psychedelic community, harm reduction, intersectionality and inclusion in the psychedelic space, decriminalization, psychedelic ethics, end-of-life, trauma-informed care, and building pathways for safe, equitable and well-supported access to psychedelic substances and non-ordinary states of consciousness."
Amy works with Drs. Dr. Anne Vallely (Religious Studies, uOttawa) and Monnica Williams (Psychology, uOttawa).
Madeline White
"My doctoral research questions the origins of the goddess Venus in Roman religion, her conflation with the Greek goddess Aphrodite, and how the two goddesses were connected through trade routes, colonial practices, and peripatetic peoples. After completing my MA thesis on the role of Venus in poetry at the University of Ottawa, I fell in love with the goddess and the University. I want to understand how people communicate, translate, navigate, and negotiate religious ideas when interacting with different cultures, and how these interactions influence the religion and culture of each community.
My research interests include Roman religion, religious syncretism, literature and theatre in the Greco-Roman world, Third Space theory, cultural transmission between communities, and the role of women in mythology."
Madeline works with Drs. John Serrati (Classical Studies, uOttawa) and Dominique Côté (Classical Studies, uOttawa).
Edmundo Maza
Farhan Iqbal
"I am an Imam serving the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community in Ottawa and currently pursuing advanced studies at the University of Ottawa, researching varying Identities of Jesus in the Gospel of John. After dedicating several years to studying the Quran, I sought to deepen my understanding of religious scripture by focusing on the Bible. I believe that gaining expertise in both the Quran and the Bible, two of the most revered texts in the world, allows for a unique perspective on faith and theology. My academic journey has led me to appreciate the Christian and Islamic traditions in profound and unexpected ways.
Beyond my studies, I am actively involved in interfaith dialogue and community initiatives. I currently serve on the executive board of the Capital Region Interfaith Council (CRIC), where I work to foster understanding and cooperation among diverse religious communities."
Farhan works with Dr. Adele Reinhartz (uOttawa, Religious Studies).
You can contact Farhan at [email protected].
Emily Hanlon
"I am a doctoral candidate of Religious Studies writing about a Sufi community in Oakland, California. My dissertation, "Companions on the Path: Sufism in 21st Century Oakland," explores contemporary manifestations of lineage and wisdom transmission (silsilah); etiquette (adab); love and the Sufi Teacher-Student relationship; and storytelling in Sufism. I also investigate gender and power dynamics in Sufism. I have taught religion classes at the Universities of Manitoba, Winnipeg, and San Francisco State, and Humanities classes at community colleges in the Bay Area in California. I began my doctoral studies in September 2020 amidst the Coronavirus pandemic after completing two Master's degrees and working for more than a decade as a librarian and researcher. My chapter, "The MTO Shahmaghsoudi Order: From Iran to Canada" is being published in an edited volume on Sufism in Canada in early 2025 by UBC Press. I feel very privileged to get to study and write about something that I think is so meaningful."
Emily is supervised by Drs. Dr. Emma Anderson (Uottawa, Religious Studies) and Dr. Meena Sharify-Funk (Wilfred Laurier, Religion and Culture).
Lucia Eyzaguirre (she/her)
"I graduated with a bachelor’s in Health Science in 2011, spent some time in the working world (most recently in Indigenous social finance and innovation), and decided to pursue a master’s degree. I’m interested in old religious stories’ continued effects on contemporary societies and how we could leverage this for long-term human survival (and, ideally, thriving). I’m in the second year of my MA in Religious Studies researching the stories that have been told on Turtle Island (North America) with my thesis "Depictions of “Nature” in the Genesis creation myth".
I am deeply interested in Indigenous ways of knowing and being, our fascination as a species with stories, how our bodies are used/perceived in various traditions, and Christianity’s ripple effects. I’m originally from Peru and am a guest on unceded Algonquin Anishinaabe land (Ottawa/Gatineau). My cat, Catsby, is also a scholar of religion, but unfortunately cannot attend seminars due to his busy nap schedule."
Lucia works with Dr. Emma Anderson (uOttawa, Religious Studies).
You can contact Lucia at [email protected].
David O'Reilly, OCT
"I am an Ontario Certified Teacher and first year MA student in Religious Studies. I completed my Bachelor of Science in Earth Sciences in 2017 and Bachelor of Education in 2020. After working extensively with members of minority religions such as the neopagan and Mennonite populations, I became increasingly interested in the intersections found between religion, science, education, and politics.