Kate Parizeau

Kate Parizeau is Assistant Professor at the Department of Geography at the University of Guelph. Kate plans to continue studying waste management policies and practices, both in Canada and internationally. She views the study of waste as a means to interrogate the ways that societies prioritize various environmental and social concerns; this topic also serves as a source of insight to the politicization and governance of everyday life. Themes that Kate addresses in her research include urban inequality, environmental justice, political redefinitions of public spaces, and dimensions of social difference. In addition to her PhD from the University of Toronto, Kate also holds a Master of Science in Planning from the same institution, and a Bachelor of Arts and Science from McMaster University. Her work has been generously supported by the Trudeau Foundation, the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council, the International Development Research Centre, and the Lupina Foundation.

Experience as a Trudeau Scholar

The Trudeau Foundation has been integral to my growth as a scholar. The scholarship enabled me to deepen my fieldwork and to more meaningfully engage with my research participants. The travel funding provided by the Foundation also allowed me to strengthen my academic networks and interact with international colleagues I would not have otherwise met. Community-based organizing and activism has always been an integral part of my research and teaching; in my experience, the Trudeau Foundation has been a key source of recognition and support for the scholarly insight that these types of community involvement can foster. Most importantly, the Trudeau Foundation community has proven to be a constant source of inspiration and camaraderie. This is a truly unique collection of people whose primary motive in coming together is to encourage thoughtful reflection and meaningful action on issues of great import to Canadians and other citizens of the world. I am incredibly grateful for all that the Trudeau Foundation has done for me, and I look forward to future opportunities to contribute to this outstanding intellectual community.