Master’s student Erin Mobley goes before a panel of expert judges on Monday, May 30, representing Memorial at a national research event.
The Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) is hosting its 2016 Storytellers Challenge in Calgary, Alta. Ms. Mobley, a researcher in the Department of Gender Studies, was named a finalist in April, receiving a $3,000 prize and a chance to compete against 24 other finalists at this year’s challenge, which is taking place during the Congress of the Humanities and Social Sciences.
Five winners will be named during Monday’s competition.
“I feel excited, and nervous, to be speaking in front of a live audience,” she said in an interview with the Gazette from her home in Ontario. “But the creativity that can come out of being vulnerable is part of why I entered the Storytellers process in the first place.”
Watch Ms. Mobley’s story below via the SSHRC YouTube channel.
SSHRC’s annual contest challenges post-secondary students to demonstrate how SSHRC-funded research is making a difference in the lives of Canadians. Participants must tell their story in a three-minute video or 300 words.
‘Safe’ space research
Ms. Mobley’s master’s thesis explores ‘safe’ space in the narratives of trans-identified and non-binary youths who attended high school in Ontario.
“To prepare for the Storytellers Showcase, I’ve written a new text that, hopefully, describes the research in a succinct and yet comprehensive way,” added Ms. Mobley. “This is an especially difficult task for me because I tend to find meaning in the details.”
Winners announced Monday
Ms. Mobley and the other finalists begin their presentations at 1:30 p.m. Newfoundland Time on Monday.
Organizers will live-tweet during the event and using the hashtag #SSHRCStorytellers.
Members of the Memorial community are encouraged to follow and cheer on Ms. Mobley.
Zak Keeping, Department of Psychology, Faculty of Science, received an honourable mention in this year’s challenge and was awarded a $1,000 prize earlier this year.
