About

Research Philosophy

I feel it is important to conduct research that examines the way that certain social events and policies in Canadian society are experienced by the vulnerable population groups in Canada so we can create positive and necessary changes for the members of these populations. These groups include immigrants, the Indigenous populace, the LGBQTTSAA+ community, women, youth, and those who are differently-abled. Looking at the experiences of social groups that exist on the fringes of society tells us where changes need to be made as well as what changes need to be made. Using a bottom-up approach gives a voice to people who are usually silenced by society and raises awareness that can be acted upon to incite revisions at government and policy levels, which is essential so that we can work toward permanent, social changes for vulnerable individuals

I believe that access to sexual and reproductive healthcare is a basic human right for every person, regardless of their age, race, ethnicity, gender, sexual preferences, or geographic location; however, I know that these categories can work against certain social groups, creating oppressive situations and events. In Canada, often these social categories determine one's access to sexual and reproductive health information, the type of information available, as well as the access to care and the type of care that is offered. Many of the issues that exist in Canadian sexual and reproductive health are the result of a specific way of knowing and thinking about sex and sexuality, i.e., who should or should not be having sex, or with whom they should be having sex, as well as when and in what context sex and sexuality should exist. I feel that studies done on Canadian sexual and reproductive health and healthcare should ultimately seek to make changes at the policy level, and should include a change in the language and discourse that is used to discuss sexual and reproductive health, sex, and sexuality within Canadian society.

I have focused on understanding the effects that government control on sexual and reproductive healthcare can have on the population, particularly the varied experiences of different social groups within that society. I have designed, proposed, and conducted three independent studies on the way that government control regarding public health and healthcare defines the choices of the people and their access to healthcare and health information. I directed two studies in an historical context on governments who implemented a eugenics approach to sexual and reproductive healthcare when applying their bureaucratic authority, and a two-part study that concentrated on beginning to understand how our current sexual and reproductive healthcare system in Canada is also shaped and controlled by the Canadian government.

I am currently seeking a position where I can apply my knowledge and skills in the area of research while also progressing the goals of the organization that I am employed with. I have extensive knowledge of the history of Canadian sexual and reproductive healthcare, as well as a good understanding of the way that the medicalization of the human body has affected medicine and its understanding of the body, both male and female, abled and differently-abled, and in the context of "the other". I also have excellent historical and current, social and cultural knowledge, and I feel that I have the skills and experience to make a quality contribution to research within a variety of contexts. Please contact me to further discuss how I can help you attain your research goals!

Education

About Margaret Ayriss

I graduated with a combined degree from the University of Calgary in 2021, receiving two Bachelor of Arts degrees, one in History (honors first class) and one in Communications & Media Studies (distinction). In History, I took courses in reproductive justice, popular culture, and Canadian Women's history that shaped my understanding of women's social and medical experiences within the western world, particularly in Canada. In my honors thesis for History, I focused on Italian Fascism and eugenics, and the effects that these political and medical phenomena had on both the female and male members of the Italian population. My Communications degree allowed me to gain an understanding of the research practices within a social sciences discipline and helped me to develop skills in applying a specific method or theory, defining the appropriate methodology, and extracting data from primary sources based on these perimeters. In Communications, I was able to take introductory and advanced research methods courses and to hone my writing and rhetorical skills. I also designed and conducted a two-part research project that critically analyzed current, Canadian healthcare information online, and a directed study that examined the historical effects of eugenics on the Canadian population including but not limited to vulnerable social groups. My combined education has been fundamental in the development of my skills and has prepared me for more advanced research projects, I am currently pursuing a graduate degree at the University of Calgary in Community Health Sciences where I can continue my research on health-related topics with the objective of raising awareness for and contributing to important policy changes that benefit both practitioners and patients within the Canadian public health field.

Bachelor’s of Arts (Honours) in History First Class; University of Calgary; 2016-2021

Honours Thesis - April 2020
Presented Honors Thesis at the Undergraduate Honors Symposium -April 2022 - Education and Entertainment as an Edifice for Ideology: examining Italian Fascist Comedic Films as Educational Propaganda During the Ventennio
Presented original research at Calgary History of Medicine Days - 2022: The Nation State and the Nation's State: A Critical Discourse Analysis of Biopower as an Effect of Gendered Nationalism in Twentieth Century Canadian Health Information
Presented original research at Calgary History of Medicine Days - 2023: Disgraceful Disorders: Exploring the Connections Between Shame, Women’s Reproductive Health, and Mental Illness in the History of Medicine

Bachelor’s of Arts in Communications with Distinction; University of Calgary; 2016- 2021

Directed Study - September to December 2021 - Topic:
Guest Lecturer – COMS591 – January 2022 - Topic: Performing a critical discourse analysis
Presented original research at the University of Calgary Communications & Media Undergraduate Symposium - 2022: Defining the Dissemination of Reproductive and Sexual Health Information: an examination of online, Canadian reproductive and sexual health discourse

Undergraduate GPA: 3.72

Awards

P.U.R.E. (Paid Undergraduate Research Experience) award – May 2020
P.U.R.E. (Paid Undergraduate Research Experience) award – May 2021
James H. Grey award - April 2021
SSHRC award - CGS Master's Scholarship - 2024

Related Courses

COMS313 Communication Research Methods
COMS413 Advanced Research Methods
COMS369 Rhetorical Communication
COMS469 Rhetorical History & Criticism
COMS501 Independent Research; Topic: Canadian Sexual Discourse - Project that qualitatively analyzed a 1935, Canadian public health guide distributed to the general population
HTST438 Canadian Women's History
HTST511 History Special Topics: Gender & Sexuality; Topic: Reproductive Justice and Politics - Project that examined the sexual and reproductive public health policies of Fascist Italy
HTST541 History of Madness and Psychiatry - Topic: History of Mental Health - Project focusing on the history of women's pathology regarding the medically constructed connection between the female reproductive system and women's mental states
HTST598 Honours Writing Seminar History; Topic: Italian Fascism - Project examining the effects of Italian Fascist reproductive and sexual health policies on the Italian population

A copy of my transcript is available upon request

Experience, Skills & Knowledge

Skills & Knowledge

Research

research and write literature reviews
prepare research proposals
design a research project from start to finish, including applied theory, method, methodology, primary and secondary sources, data extraction and analysis, prepare research report
apply theories and methods to answer a research question or test a hypothesis
exceptionally well-developed qualitative analysis skills
extensive knowledge of feminist research methods and their applications
excellent historical and current social knowledge of Canadian society and its various social/ cultural/ethnic groups
tcps2 certified (research ethics)

Administrative

Well-developed communication skills, written and verbal; Strong presentation skills
Knowledge of and proficiency in file sharing apps, Zoom, and Microsoft Office/Outlook
Handled complaints and inquiries, resolved issues; Arranged and managed client appointments and schedules
Created data reports; Created and maintained files and records
Completed financial transactions; Posted accounts payable and receivable; Managed budget
Assisted with the organization and planning of large events/conferences (150 attendees); Offered customer service and technical assistance for conferences

Soft Skills

excellent time management skills; well organized
well-developed written and verbal skills
able to think critically and make decisions
experience working on both team and independent projects; experience working remotely
able use specific guidelines to assess documents for their viability and precision; able to define whether documents meet the necessary criteria
able to perform under pressure and meet deadlines

Academic Work Experience

Conference Assistant: Jan to Mar 2024; History of Medicine Days 2024; Dr. Frank Stahnisch; University of Calgary

As a conference assistant for the 33rd Annual History of Medicine Days, I attended planning meetings and took part in organizing the conference. I was appointed participant liaison with the responsibility of communicating with the participants, i.e., sending out instructions for presentations, providing information regarding copyright clearance and vetting presentations for copyright issues, collecting all presentations prior to the conference via Dropbox and organizing the presentations for each session, answering participant questions, and resolving any issues that arose for the participants prior to or during the conference. During the conference, I was responsible for chairing the conference as a whole and ensuring that each session proceeded in a timely manner, providing assistance to the session chairs, running the A/V equipment and the podium computer, ensuring all participants had their presentation available on the screen while presenting, and for the photographing the presenters and award winners.

Conference Assistant; Jan to Mar 2023; History of Medicine Days 2023; Dr. Frank Stahnisch; University of Calgary

In this role I assisted with the organization of the conference such as sourcing swag bag items, obtaining quotes for printing, helping to plan the activities, taking minutes during the meetings, assisting with administrative duties, and acted as a main point of contact for conference presenters. During the conference, my main responsibility was tech support, where I was responsible for logging on the computer in the auditorium, uploading presentation files, and assisting presenters when setting up their presentation. I also assisted with registration, directed participants and guests to the correct areas, ensured the coffee and snack table is clean and well-stocked, performed photography.

Undergraduate Directed Studies Participant (Communications); Sept to Dec 2021; Dr. Guglietti; University of Calgary

Participating in a directed study made me responsible for creating an entire academic course for myself from start to finish, including creating the assignments and marking rubric. I designed the course as a research project that centered on an original primary source with the course assignments making up the components of the research study. I researched and completed a literature review, researched the theory and method being used, extracted the data, and completed the analysis by applying the chosen theory and method to a research question. The final component was to compile all of the information, findings, and conclusion into a research report. I also included a reflection of the research process as a course requirement. This course gave me experience creating a research project and designing a comprehensive course with all the necessary components.

Undergraduate Researcher; May - August 2021; Dr. Guglietti; University of Calgary

This role was similar to my first research position in 2020. For this project, I designed a study that continued my research from the previous year. I added data samples while maintaining the data criteria, and added a comparison component to the research. I used the same method and methodology, however I added new secondary sources to support and explain my findings. I also set my own itinerary and took responsibility to meet the deadlines I set, as well as to maintain timely communication with my supervisor and submit my data analysis as it was competed. I then created a research report that combined the data from both the previous and current study including the comparison analysis.

Undergraduate Researcher; May - August 2020; Dr. Guglietti; University of Calgary

As an undergraduate researcher, I was responsible for designing and conducting a research project from start finish. I submitted a proposal that included a detailed literature review, researched the method and theory, organized the methodology, set the criteria for the data samples, sourced the data samples, collected and organized the data, and performed a data analysis by applying the chosen method and theory to the data. I prepared a comprehensive research report that explained the study and was supported by secondary sources, revealing the study's conclusions. I was also responsible for setting my schedule to ensure the final deadline was met, reporting to and sending work to my supervisor, and attending workshops when required.

Undergraduate Honors Participant (History); Sept 2019 - December 2020; Dr. Glenn Wilkinson; University of Calgary

As an Honors participant, I was responsible for presenting an original hypothesis/question, and designing and executing research that could help me prove my hypothesis and/or answer my research question. I conducted and wrote a large literature review on my chosen topic, decided on my approach, set the criteria for data samples and sourced these samples, collected and analyzed the data, and wrote a 100-page thesis. It was also my responsibility to set a timeline for the project, as well as to maintain regular contact with my supervisor and meet the agreed-upon deadlines. Volunteer Experience

Volunteer Research Supervisor in training; 2021; Dr. Guglietti, University of Calgary

Working closely with the academic supervisor of the project, I acted as a support for current undergraduate students performing research using a critical analysis, helping them with the theoretical aspects of the analysis, as well as giving direction with how to set up a research schedule, how to organize a research project, editing their work, and answering any other questions that they had pertaining to the analysis and writing aspects of their research.

Volunteer Conference Assistant and Meeting Chairperson; July 4 - 7, 2022; International Congress of the History of Science and Technology; Dr. Glenn Dolphin, University of Calgary

As a volunteer assistant and chairperson for the International History and Philosophy of Science & Technology (IHPST) conference held at the University of Calgary in July 2022, I was responsible for operating technology, such as setting up Zoom meetings for remote presentations, running the technical equipment in the physical space that the conference meetings were taking place, and chairing the meetings that I set up on Zoom, which were hybrid meetings and also took place in real-time with both virtual and real-time presenters. As a meeting chair, it was my responsibility to record the meetings on Zoom, to set up and run the recorded presentations of remote presenters, to monitor the presentation times of real-time presenters, to keep the meetings on track, and to ensure that the technology was working properly.

Volunteer Adjudicator, Teaching Excellence Awards; April 2021; Student Union, University of Calgary

In this role I was given adjudicating training and following a set of specific guidelines, had to review the applications for the Teaching Excellence Award within the category I was adjudicating for. I then had to rate the applications in a chart according to the set guidelines to prepare for the adjudication discussion with the other committee members. During the deliberations, I contributed my own insights and perspectives as we discussed the various aspects of the award criteria and if/how the applicants measured against this criteria. As a committee member, I gained valuable experience working and discussing in a team setting, as well as learning the adjudicating process for choosing the awardees.

Non-Academic Work Experience

Customer Experience Associate; May 2019 - December 2019; TD Bank of Canada; Airdrie, Alberta

Tutoring Services; 2018-2020; Private; Airdrie, Alberta

Owner/Piano Teacher; 2012-2017; Creative Keys Music; Airdrie, Alberta

Extra-curricular Activities

History of Medicine Colloquium
I am currently a member of the Calgary History of Medicine Colloquium where I partake in discussions about various academic papers regarding the history of medicine and the philosophy of science, as well as research projects conducted by my peers I also have the opportunity to present my own work.

References

Ayriss lettter of support (Spring 2022).pdf

Ayriss_20220914.docx

solafareferencegooglesite.docx

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