Who is planning Crossroads 2023?

Co-Chairs:

Joshua Yusuf
Michaela Title

Promotions and Communications Committee:

Michelle Lincoln (Lead)
Kimberly Jacobs (Social media and graphic design)
Tooba Waseem
Michaela Title (Website design and maintenance)

Get to know the team:

Joshua Yusuf (He/Him)

Role: Co-chair

Program/Area of Research: MA Health Promotion, Health Equity, Race-based research, Weight-bias research

Why did you decide to get involved in the Crossroads 2023 Planning Committee?

I am sure that I will attend plenty of conferences as I further my career; however, planning a conference is an opportunity that I can’t foresee coming around again. Having participated in Crossroads during my undergraduate degree, it was a no-brainer to jump on board when asked. It’s a privilege to be a part of a ‘for students, by students’ tradition that has grown to be so successful. Crossroads is a testament to the ability of young people.

What part(s) of the conference are you most excited for?

I am excited to see how future researchers are shaping their careers and lines of inquiry with respect to health research. From being valued less than general society (see CERB vs student CERB) to having the burden of COVID transmission placed on us (despite many of us being hyperaware and vigilant of others) the last two and a half years have been difficult for young folks. Participating in a student-led conference that enables young researchers to display their innovative approaches and solutions to health problems that will help set the direction of health research is an exciting prospect.

Michaela Title (She/Her)

Role: Co-chair

Program/Area of Research: MSc Kinesiology, Biomechanical analysis of balance in patients with acromegaly

Why did you decide to get involved in the Crossroads 2023 Planning Committee?

I got involved in the Crossroads planning committee as I was excited to bring back this valuable opportunity for interdisciplinary collaboration that students were unable to experience during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. It is rare that students are given the opportunity to have full responsibility of planning a large-scale academic conference, and it was definitely not an opportunity that I was willing to pass up.

What part(s) of the conference are you most excited for?

I am looking forward to seeing the wide variety of health research that students are engaged in and hearing the diverse viewpoints of health experts during the panel discussions and keynote speeches. The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed and exacerbated many underlying sources of health inequity and healthcare system inadequacies, and I am excited to see the research that has sparked from this.

Catherine Armour (She/Her)

Role: Sponsorship Committee Co-lead

Program/Area of Research: MA Health Promotion, Improving Adult Inpatient Eating Disorder Treatment in Canada

Why did you decide to get involved in the Crossroads 2023 Planning Committee?

The pandemic arrived right as my undergraduate Honours class was preparing to present our thesis proposals at Crossroads 2020. I missed out on my own Crossroads experience, so joining the planning committee meant I could bring that experience to other students (and enjoy it for myself too!). So far, I’ve really loved being ‘behind the scenes’ and I’m excited for the Crossroads comeback!

What part(s) of the conference are you most excited for?

Making new friends, learning from others, and getting curious about my next steps as a research – all things I’m excited for everyone to experience at the conference. See you there!

Michelle Lincoln (She/Her)

Role: Promotions and Communications Lead, Sponsorship Committee Co-lead

Program/Area of Research: MA Health Promotion, BIPOC university student burnout within the context of COVID-19 and social justice movements

Why did you decide to get involved in the Crossroads 2023 Planning Committee?

I decided to volunteer for Crossroads 2023 because I’ve participated in Crossroads in the past and really enjoyed working with everyone to help the conference succeed. I especially wanted to be a part of Crossroads this year since it’s our first year back after the COVID-19 pandemic, so I wanted to help create an iteration of Crossroads that fostered a greater sense of community among health researchers across the country while also showcasing the powerful research that has emerged from this challenging period.

What part(s) of the conference are you most excited for?

The fact that Crossroads is a student-led conference provides an excellent opportunity for students to present their research and/or help with the conference in other ways so I’m really looking forward to the energetic atmosphere the students create leading up to and during the conference. There are so many conference details I’m excited to announce over the coming weeks! I won’t spoil anything, but I have my eye on that Drag royalty trivia!

Christine Ausman (She/Her)

Role: Social Event and Volunteer Coordinator

Program/Area of Research: PhD in Health, Motor function and patient experience in neurorehabilitation

Why did you decide to get involved in the Crossroads 2023 Planning Committee?

I got involved with Crossroads because I think it is such an incredible opportunity for students to share their research in a welcoming environment with possibly less stress than regular conferences. I can’t wait to be part of empowering student researchers to share their work and learn from others in an interdisciplinary environment.

What part(s) of the conference are you most excited for?

Obviously, the special event! Drag royalty, trivia, snacks, and socializing?! Count me in!

Julie Campbell (She/Her)

Role: Social Event Coordinator

Program/Area of Research: PhD in Health, Children’s outdoor/physically active learning

Why did you decide to get involved in the Crossroads 2023 Planning Committee?

I was very interested in getting involved with the Crossroads 2023 planning committee because of the unique opportunity to help plan a conference as a student. Additionally, the interdisciplinary nature of this conference is an awesome way to bring together so many students from different health backgrounds, which I am excited to see come together!

What part(s) of the conference are you most excited for?

As the co-events coordinator, I am most excited for the special event and for all the attendees to use this time to socialize and network!

Helen Wong (She/Her)

Role: Panels and Mini-courses Committee Member

Program/Area of Research: PhD in Health, Food Environments

Why did you decide to get involved in the Crossroads 2023 Planning Committee?

The Crossroads conference was something that I was really looking forward to within my doctoral studies at Dalhousie. However, due to COVID-19, the conference was cancelled during my first year as a PhD student. When I learned that it was returning this year, I was thrilled! I joined the 2023 planning committee because I know that Crossroads is a special conference for local trainees. For many students, Crossroads will be their first conference, and I wanted to help make it a memorable event for them.

What part(s) of the conference are you most excited for?

For the upcoming Crossroads conference, I am most excited about networking with fellow trainees from different specialities across health. I look forward to learning about their amazing research, hearing about their training experiences, and forming potential collaborations.

Aishwarya Radhakrishnan (She/Her)

Role: Panels and Mini-courses Committee Member and Abstract Review Committee Co-Lead

Program/Area of Research: MA Health Promotion

Why did you decide to get involved in the Crossroads 2023 Planning Committee?

I started attending Dal in the midst of the pandemic (back when classes were online and social events were few)so as soon as I heard that Crossroads was back, I immediately volunteered! I got involved with Crossroads because it is a conference for student researchers and has the potential to foster a critical dialogue on student perspectives. Crossroads will also be my first conference so the fact that it’s completely student-led will make it even more memorable!

What part(s) of the conference are you most excited for?

Health is such a broad subject, so I am excited to see the innovative research showcasing how health intersects with different and diverse topics. I’m also looking forward to socializing with like-minded researchers, learning new skills at the workshops, and drag trivia!

Kimberly Jacobs (She/Her)

Role: Promotions and Communications Committee Member (Social media and graphic design)

Program/Area of Research: BSc Kinesiology

Why did you decide to get involved in the Crossroads 2023 Planning Committee?

I decided to volunteer for Crossroads 2023 because I wanted to get involved in the health research community. I thought this would be a great way to get learn about what kinds of health research there are happening at Dalhousie and build connections with the researchers.

What part(s) of the conference are you most excited for?

I’m excited for all the activities we have planned. I don’t want to spoil all the events but we have some fun games, and interesting mini panel discussions topics.

Tooba Waseem (She/Her)

Role: Panels and Mini-courses Committee Lead, Promotions and Communications Committee Member

Program/Area of Research: BSc Health Promotion

Why did you decide to get involved in the Crossroads 2023 Planning Committee?

As my first year at Dal was very much spent at home, I have been eager to get more involved any way I could. When I saw an opportunity to help plan a conference, I thought what better way to get involved at Dal & in my faculty. This is also a fantastic opportunity to get to know the ins and outs of how a conference is made from the ground up, which I am very much interested in!

What part(s) of the conference are you most excited for?

I am most excited to see all the different ideas being researched by diverse health professionals and students! Excited to build relationships and gain some insight on what kind of research I want to do in the future.

Connor Stadnyk (He/Him)

Role: Secretary and Abstract Review Committee Co-Lead

Program/Area of Research: MSc Kinesiology

Why did you decide to get involved in the Crossroads 2023 Planning Committee?

I was asked to assist with Crossroads long before I knew what I was signing up for. It’s an awesome opportunity to put together a student led conference with my classmates. Collectively we are a very interdisciplinary group and I hope the conference allows us to be exposed to science and subjects we may not typically see!

What part(s) of the conference are you most excited for?

Similar to our diverse group, health is such a broad topic so I’m excited to learn about subjects I’m not typically exposed to and give a platform to progress topics I know little about. I hope the conference helps propel collaboration in our field, which has been difficult over the last few years due to the pandemic.