The OpenThink Initiative
Launched in 2019 as the successor to the Public Scholars Program, the OpenThink initiative empowers a small cohort of PhD students from across Dalhousie with the communication skills and platform necessary to inform public discourse and influence policy.
A new OpenThink cohort is named annually, with IDPhD students being featured in each year of the initiative. Discover more about their research areas below and read monthly blog posts from them and other OpenThinkers.
Alison Brown
A Novel Solution for Social Isolation
Alison Brown studies how bringing people together to read aloud and discuss compelling literature can strengthen wellbeing and build social inclusion in our diverse communities. Read more of their work in the OpenThink blog.
Keahna Margeson
Social science for people + the sea
Keahna studies how places interconnect and constantly change, along with the people who are involved with them, with the goal of better planning for nature-based adaptations. Read more of their work in the OpenThink blog.
Daniel Martinez Calderon
Generating change in the management of coastal and marine areas
Daniel Martinez Calderon uses his research to generate change in the way coastal and marine areas are managed. Read more of their work in the OpenThink blog.
Weishan Wang
Examining the shipping governance regime in the Canadian Arctic
Weishan Wang examines the shipping governance regime that exists in the Canadian Arctic and the challenges it faces. Read more of their work in the OpenThink blog.
Hillary Ferguson
Investigating burnout in critical care medicine
Hillary Ferguson explores burnout syndrome and moral distress in intensive care practitioners. Read her work in the OpenThink blog.
Megan Rector
Examining eco-certification in aquaculture
Megan Rector examines the criteria fish farms must meet to become eco-certified, and how this impacts sustainability. Read her work in the OpenThink blog.
Jee In Kim
Examining superbug evolution
Jee In Kim explores how the genomes of superbugs can predict how bacteria will behave against specific antibiotics. Read her work in the OpenThink blog.