Media

OTTAWA, October 5, 2011  —  The University of Ottawa is excited to welcome American researchers Meredeth Turshen and Mara S. Sidney as the 2011-12 Fulbright Visiting Research Chairs—a testament to the power of international research at Canada’s University.

In addition to enhancing Canada–U.S. collaborative research, the Fulbright Visiting Research Chairs will create opportunities throughout their stay to engage the University of Ottawa student community in discussions on international policy and human rights.

Professor Turshen, from the Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy at Rutgers University, will carry out her research in the Human Rights Research and Education Centre of the Faculty of Law. Her research explores international health and public policy, with a specific focus on women’s health in Africa. During her four-month stay at the University, Professor Turshen will examine the role of women in war economies, using the cases of Sierra Leone and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Professor Mara S. Sidney, who is associate professor of political science at Rutgers University–Newark will work out of the Faculty of Social Sciences. Her research and teaching interests address a broad scope of fields touching on public policy, race and ethnicity, and urban politics. As the Fulbright visiting researcher during the Winter session, Professor Sidney will study U.S. and Canadian policies at the national and local levels and examine the political role played by nonprofit and community-based advocacy organizations in the integration of newly arrived immigrants.

“The research and student communities are thrilled to welcome professors Turshen and Sidney to the University of Ottawa. The Canada-U.S. Fulbright program is a golden opportunity for the University to engage in international collaborative research on pressing global issues,” said Mona Nemer, vice-president, research.

The Foundation for Educational Exchange between Canada and the United States of America (Fulbright Canada) is a binational, treaty-based, non-governmental, not-for-profit organization with a mandate to identify the best and brightest minds in both countries and engage them in residential academic exchange.

The University of Ottawa, one of Canada’s top research–intensive universities, is dedicated to forging collaborative research on pressing global issues. We are committed to excellence and encourage an interdisciplinary approach to knowledge creation that attracts the best academic talent from across Canada and around the world.