Two PhD students in the Faculty of Social Science receive Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarships

July 15, 2021

Elmond Bandauko, in the Department of Geography, and Lorna Ferguson, in the Department of Sociology receive scholarship which demonstrate unique leadership skills and a high standard of scholarly achievement

With notes from Mark Wolfe, and Keri Ferguson.

Two PhD students in the Faculty of Social Science have received Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarships.

Elmond Bandauko, in the Department of Geography and Environment, researches urban governance and the politics of everyday survival for street traders in Harare, Zimbabwe.

Lorna Ferguson, in the Department of Sociology explores police responses to missing persons in Canada.

Vanier Scholars demonstrate unique leadership skills and a high standard of scholarly achievement in graduate research spanning all disciplines. Each winner will receive $50,000 annually for three years.

Elmond Bandauko, Geography and Environment
Research Focus: Urban governance and the politics of everyday survival for street traders in Harare, Zimbabwe

In Harare, street trading accounts for about 58 per cent of urban informal employment, taking place in open spaces, sidewalks, and pavements. Street traders are often subjected to forms of control that deepen their marginalization. Yet, little is known about the interface between urban governance and their livelihoods.

Elmond Bandauko is investigating how urban governance impacts street traders’ lived experiences and their access to public space in Harare. He is examining the extent to which Harare’s modes of urban governance impact street traders’ access to public spaces, analysing the strategies traders use to negotiate that access and claim those spaces as their ‘right to the city,’ and exploring the gendered implications of appropriation of urban space.

Bandauko hopes his findings will help inform the design of pro-poor urban policies in African cities, and support Canada’s international development priorities as articulated in the Feminist International Assistance Policy (2017), which seeks to improve the livelihoods of vulnerable groups, including women.

Lorna Ferguson, Sociology

Research Focus: Exploring police responses to missing persons in Canada

Research shows police responses to missing persons are inconsistent, biased, and unreliable. These disparities constitute a national concern requiring investigation, mainly because they significantly affect vulnerable and marginalized people, including Indigenous Peoples and those experiencing mental health issues. These individuals are overrepresented among Canadian missing person reports, are at high risk of going missing, and are more likely to encounter harm when missing.

Lorna Ferguson conducts qualitative interviews with Canadian police to examine their responses to missing persons, identify what needs to be improved, and offer preventative measures.

Ferguson’s research findings will be applied to generate an evidence-based framework for police to reduce bias and inconsistencies in case handling with an aim to protect vulnerable and marginalized people and groups.

Read about all the 2021-2022 Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarship recipients, in a story by Mark Wolfe.