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" I knew I wanted to study with a political ecologist who investigated how power relations impact our world's most pressing ecological challenges, and felt deep down that Rosemary was the right supervisor to do this. My dad also attended SFU when he was younger, and so it felt like a choice that paid homage to my family while also nurturing and supporting my research interests."
Brynna Kagawa-Visentin
GeographyFaculty of Environment
Tell us a little about yourself, including what inspires you to learn and continue in your chosen field
I completed my BSc Hon. in Kinesiology at McMaster University in 2018. In 2019, I was immensely moved by the momentum of the global climate strike movement and decided to pursue a BSc in Environmental Practice at Royal Roads University. Upon graduating, I felt drawn towards investigating more deeply the political and social dynamics that contribute to the root of the disconnect between nature and culture systems. I decided to pursue an MSc in Environment, Culture and Society at the University of Edinburgh and graduated this August, 2023. My desire to pursue a PhD in Geography is motivated by my curiosity about the power relations driving some of our time’s most pressing ecological and multispecies challenges.
Why did you choose to come to SFU?
I chose to study at SFU the minute I read Professor Rosemary Claire-Collard's paper, entitled, "Disaster Capitalism and the Quick, Quick, Slow Unravelling of Animal Life." Her paper investigated why and how sea otters have survived centuries of colonial and capitalist development in Alaska. I was immediately moved by her thoughtful approach to understanding how powerful systems co-constitute relations with and attitudes towards non-human nature. I knew I wanted to study with a political ecologist who investigated how power relations impact our world's most pressing ecological challenges, and felt deep down that Rosemary was the right supervisor to do this. My dad also attended SFU when he was younger, and so it felt like a choice that paid homage to my family while also nurturing and supporting my research interests.
How would you describe your research or your program to a family member?
Human geography is really anything and everything. If something deals with humans, space, and time, it likely falls under "human geography." Right now, I'm in the midst of curating my reading list for my comprehensive exams, and am in the infancy stages of figuring out my research topic. Broadly, I am interested in political ecology, multispecies justice, and Indigenous rights.
What three (3) keywords would you use to describe your research?
Relations, rights, and responsibilities.
How have your courses, RA-ships, TA-ships, or non-academic school experiences contributed to your academic and/or professional development?
Critical to my academic and personal development was working in a variety of environmental non-profits during COVID-19. Immersing myself in a variety of institutions and organizations helped cultivate my leadership, facilitation, and project management skills. I am also fortunate to have met my mentors who have a longstanding career in environmental advocacy and biocultural rights. Dr. David Rapport and Dr. Luisa Maffi have supported my academic and professional pursuits.
What have been the most valuable lessons you've learned along your graduate student journey (or in becoming a graduate student)?
It's important to not be too hard on yourself. You're likely juggling a lot outside of academia (relationships of all sorts, responsibilities of all sorts, financial pressures, etc.). Give yourself some leeway and remind yourself that you don't have to have it all figured out. And that it is okay to not follow a linear timeline or pathway that seems to be laid out all around us to make us feel bad for falling short or not aligning precisely with it.
Contact Brynna:bkagawav@sfu.ca