Gabrielle Feldmann

Public Policy master's student in the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences

I grew up in Waterloo, Ontario before moving to Ottawa to study Political Science and Public Administration at the University of Ottawa. While in Ottawa, I had the opportunity to work at the nexus of politics and policy within Parliament, the federal public service, and at an independent think tank. I developed a passion for addressing societal challenges through public policy, and chose to pursue a Masters of Public Policy to better equip myself with the expertise and skills to launch a career in this field. I am particularly passionate about the intersection between economic and social policy.

WHY DID YOU CHOOSE TO COME TO SFU?

I chose to come to SFU because its Master of Public Policy program offered everything I was looking for to advance my knowledge as a policy practitioner. I love that I don't have to choose between learning practical policy-making tools and conducting my own independent research and analysis. I am learning such a wide breadth of interdisciplinary tools and perspectives that I believe will make me a very strong policy practitioner when I graduate.

HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR RESEARCH OR YOUR PROGRAM TO A FAMILY MEMBER?

Within my program, I am learning how to research, develop, analyse, and implement public policies. I'll use this to work on addressing challenges that face our society from a systemic lens. For example, I am planning to research how our social safety net - which was designed nearly half a century ago - is working and not working for Canadians today. I'll use that research to propose changes to update social programs to better meet the needs of Canadians today and in the future.

WHAT ARE YOU PARTICULARLY ENJOYING ABOUT YOUR STUDIES/RESEARCH AT SFU?

I really value the interdisciplinary environment in which I study, as well as the people at the School of Public Policy. My cohort and professors are genuinely invested in seeing me succeed, and I really enjoy learning new perspectives from them all.

HAVE YOU BEEN THE RECIPIENT OF ANY MAJOR OR DONOR-FUNDED AWARDS? IF SO, PLEASE TELL US WHICH ONES AND A LITTLE ABOUT HOW THE AWARDS HAVE IMPACTED YOUR STUDIES AND/OR RESEARCH.

My SSHRC Canada Graduate Scholarship has allowed me the freedom to focus on pursuing my Masters by reducing the financial burden of stepping away from my career to engage in full-time studies.

Contact : gabrielle_feldmann@sfu.ca

additional links 

• LinkedIn