Building transport and health-care equity: the 2021 C. David Naylor Fellowships

“Proudly we welcome Carly MacEacheron and Lauren Squires in joining outstanding Atlantic Canadian scholars and the previous David Naylor Fellows: James Johnson, Nathan Doggett, Shuya Kate Huang, Neal Callaghan, Amanda Loder, Kenneth Holyoke, Vincent Auffrey, Cara Locke, Seshu Iyengar, Joel Goodwin, Kayla Preston, and Nicholas Fernandez. We look forward to meeting with them, Dr Naylor and their student advisors again someday.”

“U of T scholars have impressive impact,” says Ted Sargent, U of T’s Vice-President, Research and Innovation, and Strategic Initiatives. “Consistently in the world’s top five for research output, our faculty and graduate students are advancing the knowledge needed to solve the challenges of our time, including the urgent need for equity, diversity and inclusion in societal systems. I’m delighted to welcome Carly MacEacheron and Lauren Squires on behalf of the University, and to express our gratitude to Arthur and Sandra Irving for supporting early-career researchers.”

“We get asked to help a lot,” says Sandra Irving, “but what we most like to do is help students reach their aspirations. As we honour Naylor Scholars for their academic accomplishments, what we ask of them is that they think about the ways they can give back to others too.”

“Arthur and Sandra Irving are opening doors for graduate students,” says Joshua Barker, Dean of the School of Graduate Studies and Vice-Provost. “This is also what the University of Toronto strives to do. Our students may discover new knowledge or generate vital insights. Our goal is to enable their research while giving them a firm foundation to build a productive career—and we know there is no limit on what they might achieve. Sincerest thanks to Arthur and Sandra for recognizing the tremendous potential embodied in Lauren and Carly.”

Newfoundlander Lauren Squires hails from St. John’s, where she earned a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in psychology from Memorial University. “My initial intent was to become a clinical psychologist,” she explains. “But my master’s helped me realize I wanted to work on research that operates at the macro level—helping improve health services and break down systemic barriers.

“I’m queer myself, so I’ve always understood that people in my community don’t have great access to health care. When I heard about the Social and Behavioural Health Sciences program at the Dalla Lana School of Public Health, it hit me that I could work in that area specific to cancer, and make an impact on a policy level.”

She hopes to contribute to an under-researched area: online support for 2SLGBTQ+ people diagnosed with cancer. The community already faces health barriers ranging from lack of family support to negative interactions with health-care providers. “Having tailored supports would bridge a gap,” she says, “and if providers had something they could refer patients to, that could help make such supports more prevalent as well.” She hopes to one day bring her research recommendations home. “In Atlantic Canada, being queer can still be very isolating because the communities are small,” she says. “The more supports we can give people online, the better, if they can access it.”

A former Royal Canadian Air Cadet, Squires has also volunteered with the program as a training officer. She also put in hours with Memorial’s MUN Intersections group, providing resources to marginalized students—everything from peer mentoring to free diapers to fundraising for bursary support. “I’m hoping to get involved throughout my time at U of T, for sure,” she says.

“I can’t be more grateful to the Irvings for giving me financial stability at a really important transitional period,” says Squires. “I tend to stress about things a lot, so the fellowship gave me peace of mind. To know that I could afford to live in student housing. That I could afford to eat well and afford to save money for next year. Coming to Toronto could have been really stressful, but because I got the fellowship, I felt confident.”

Fredericton, New Brunswick native Carly MacEacheron holds both a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in engineering from the University of New Brunswick, which she followed up with five years working as a transportation engineer in Halifax, then Ottawa.

“That work overlapped a lot with planning,” she says. “I worked on a lot of master plans on where to put walking and cycling infrastructure. And I noticed people are kind of unsure of how to actually consider equity in the field. I always liked academia, so I reached out to a few professors, and applied to U of T’s Department of Geography to contribute to Mobilizing Justice, a national project looking at implementing equity standards for transportation planning.

“I thought it was a really good opportunity to blend my experience with my passion.”

She hopes to generate the data that would help planners—specifically in cycling infrastructure. “My research isn’t fully hashed out yet,” she says, “but at this point my idea is looking at barriers to cycling. If people are missing out on job opportunities or medical appointments because they’re not able to access transportation, how can cycling specifically fight against that disadvantage?”

MacEacheron’s volunteer experience includes leading student clubs, helping with multiple fundraising runs, and a buddy partnership with a person with an intellectual disability. At U of T, she’s signed up for the grad life advisory committee, and sees being involved as a special Atlantic Canadian strength. “Anyone you meet from the Maritimes in Ontario—you understand each other, you’re kind of automatically friends,” she laughs. “I think it’s really valuable to have that sense of community.”

“It means a lot how involved and supportive the Irvings have been,” she says. “Sandra called to tell me I’d gotten the fellowship. They really have an interest in improving students’ lives, and understand how meaningful it can be to relieve worries about the cost of school. It has made a huge difference knowing someone believed in my work and where I’m from, and the fellowship has eased a lot of financial stress. Thank you so much for your generosity.”