TRAINING
POST-DOCTORAL FELLOWS
Eunice Annan-Aggrey
Biography
Dr. Eunice Annan-Aggrey is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow involved with the NFRF-funded ‘Remitting for Resilience (R2) Project: Enhancing Food Security and Climate Adaptation Through Gender Inclusive Migrant Remittances’. Eunice is passionate about international development and has extensive experience working with development partners and civil society organizations, including Global Affairs Canada. Eunice’s research portfolio reflects her commitment to multidisciplinary applied research that responds to contemporary development challenges. She also seeks to use her research to amplify the voices of marginalized groups and individuals, such as women and youth. Her research interests include the Sustainable Development Goals, local governance, gender equality, poverty reduction, and environmental sustainability.
Bernard Owusu
Biography
Bernard Owusu finished his PhD at Department of Geography, Wilfrid Laurier University. His research interests include migration and urbanization, food security, and resource sustainability. Bernard holds an MA in Geography from the Memorial University of Newfoundland and BA from the University of Ghana, Legon. His current study explores migration in the Global South, particularly international migration to and from Ghana and its crucial links with food security.
Sean Sithole
Biography
Dr. Sean Sithole (PhD) is an academic researcher and research fellow. His recent research work includes being a Balsillie Scholar with the Technology Governance Initiative at the Balsillie School of International Affairs (BSIA), focusing on the fusion of financial technology (fintech), digital remittances and financial inclusion. His post-doctoral research work under the MiFOOD network has focused on the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC) and Canada’s New Frontiers in Research Fund (NFRF) funded projects on the COVID-19 pandemic, migration, remitting for resilience (R2), climate adaptation and food security. He has coordinated research on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), climate change, and migration and is also involved in journal reviewing, postgraduate lecturing, and supervision. Dr. Sithole’s research and collaborative work has been supported by or conducted with organisations such as the Scalabrini Institute for Human Mobility in Africa (SIHMA), Statistics South Africa (Stats SA), United Nations agencies, and the European Commission. His research interests include digital remittances, mobile transfers, migration, food security, social media, migrant networks and information and communication technology (ICT). Dr. Sithole holds doctoral (PhD) and master’s degrees in development studies (UWC), Digital and Social Media Marketing certificate courses (UCT), and Special Honours and BA degrees (UZ).
Yolanda Alfaro
Biography
Dr. Yolanda Alfaro is a Postdoctoral Researcher at the Institute for Advanced Studies in Inequalities (IEAD) at the Universidad San Francisco de Quito (USFQ) on the MiFood Project. Yolanda Alfaro has extensive experience studying migration in the Andean region. Her current research interests focus on the relationship between migration, memory, and collective narratives. As part of her postdoctoral research, she is conducting a photovoice study and researching the political meaning of resilience narratives on food insecurity.
Naomi Sunu
Biography
Dr. Naomi Sunu is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow attached to the “Remitting for Resilience (R2)” project, at the Balsillie School of International Affairs. She has a background in climate change science and received her PhD in Sustainability Management from the University of Waterloo. Her research interests focus on understanding the social-ecological interactions that underlie household food insecurity, amidst climate-related vulnerability in Global South cities working towards sustainable development. She has worked on research projects in Ghana, Canada and Mozambique. Her postdoctoral research will focus on conducting research on the Ghanaian diaspora in Canada and on climate resilience in Mozambique and Malawi.
Perfect Mazani
Biography
Dr Perfect Mazani is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow in Development Studies whose research focuses on migration governance, migrant solidarity and social networks, climate change, food security, sustainable development, remittances, and technology governance. Her interdisciplinary and policy-oriented scholarship examines how migration, environmental change, and socio-economic inequalities shape development outcomes, particularly within African contexts. She has published policy briefs, book chapters, and peer-reviewed journal articles on climate change, sustainable development, migrant-led solidarity, poverty and inequality, food security, and remittances. Dr Mazani has served as a team leader in winning policy brief challenges and has led and contributed to collaborative research initiatives. She lectures in Development Studies, supervises Master’s students, and is experienced in research management systems such as Converis.
Mercedes Eguiguren
Biography
Mercedes Eguiguren is currently a Postdoctoral Researcher at the Institute for Advanced Studies on Inequalities, at Universidad San Francisco de Quito (Ecuador) and a Visiting Researcher at the Balsillie School of International Affairs, working on the MiFOOD Project. Her research interests focus on the relationships between mobility, socio-spatial inequalities and the subjective experience of migration. She has researched and published on the links between international and internal migration, aspirations and social imaginaries as drivers of migration, the migration-development nexus, the contemporary history of Ecuadorian migration, and migration policy and political narratives. She serves as the co-chair of LASA’s Ecuadorian Studies Section, 2022 – 2024.
Ning Dai
Biography
Dr. Ning Dai is an associate account manager at EcoVadis. Ning holds a PhD in Geography and Environmental Management from the University of Waterloo. He has long-standing research interests and extensive experience in the sustainable transformations in China’s food systems. More specifically, his research investigates the adoption of ecological agriculture and the recent development of the e-grocery sector in China. He is currently working on the CIHR-funded project “Accessing and Mitigating the Food Security Consequences of COVID-19 in China” and the MiFOOD Project to understand the relations between COVID-19, migration, and food security. Ning also serves on the Board of Directors at Canadian Association for Food Studies (CAFS).
Zack Ahmed
Biography
Zack Ahmed is a postdoctoral fellow at the Balsillie School of International Affairs where he focuses his research on the south-south migration and food (in)security nexus. Zack holds a PhD in Global Governance at the Wilfrid Laurier University. He completed the Master of International Public Policy Program at WLU in the 2020-2021 academic year where his interest in food security grew through a research project he completed on the impact of COVID-19 on women along the food supply chain in the global South. Zack is currently working on two projects: 1) a SSHRC funded research project that asses Somali migrant households’ food security situation in Nairobi; and 2) a CIHR funded research that aims to assess the household food security of refugees from Somalia in the Kitchener-Waterloo region.
Charlotte Brown
Biography
Dr. Charlotte Brown is a Postdoctoral Research Associate for the Remitting for Resilience (R2) project based at Queen Mary University of London. She focuses on the UK workstream to highlight diaspora experiences of remittances, food security, and climate-adaptation. She holds a PhD in International Development from the London School of Economics and Political Science, specialising in humanitarian governance and displacement from South Sudan to Uganda. Her research interests include food security, migration, and displacement governance.
Elizabeth Onyango
Biography
Dr. Elizabeth Onyango is an Assistant Professor in the School of Public Health at the University of Alberta. In her recent role as a Queen Elizabeth Scholar (QES) and postdoctoral fellow at Balsillie School of International Affairs (BSIA) with the Hungry Cities Partnership, Dr. Onyango’s research work focused on the role of formal and informal social protection systems in boosting food security status of urban households and effects of COVID-19 on household food security. Dr. Onyango’s research interests include explorative studies of what matters to communities/populations with a focus on food security and nutrition of populations and social inequalities in health and wellbeing. Her work also extends into intersections of gender, gender-based violence and household food security and the associated health outcomes in women, children, and youth.
Hari KC
Biography
Dr. Ning Dai is an associate account manager at EcoVadis. Ning holds a PhD in Geography and Environmental Management from the University of Waterloo. He has long-standing research interests and extensive experience in the sustainable transformations in China’s food systems. More specifically, his research investigates the adoption of ecological agriculture and the recent development of the e-grocery sector in China. He is currently working on the CIHR-funded project “Accessing and Mitigating the Food Security Consequences of COVID-19 in China” and the MiFOOD Project to understand the relations between COVID-19, migration, and food security. Ning also serves on the Board of Directors at Canadian Association for Food Studies (CAFS).
Liam Riley
Biography
Liam Riley was a Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) Postdoctoral Fellow at the Balsillie School of International Affairs. He is a human geographer interested in household food security, urban geographies, gender and development, and childhoods, with a regional research focus on Southern Africa. His research examines informal food systems in African cities, with the aim of using food studies to shed light on the political economic, environmental, and cultural factors that sustain high levels of poverty and vulnerability throughout urban Africa.
GRADUATE STUDENTS
Jeremy Wagner
Biography
Jeremy Wagner finished his PhD in the Global Governance program at the Balsillie School of International Affairs. Jeremy's research interests include corporate food retailing expansion in sub-Saharan Africa and the interactions between ‘formal’ and ‘informal’ food systems. Specifically, Jeremy is revisiting the supermarket revolution hypothesis within the context of Nairobi, Kenya and exploring the extent to which supermarkets are reshaping the food retailing landscape and influencing food security.
Mussie Sewnet Melesse
Biography
Mussie Sewnet Melesse is a PhD candidate in Development Studies at the University of the Western Cape, focusing on food security, livelihoods, and refugees' quality of life in Western Ethiopia. He holds an MSc in Food Security and Development Studies from Addis Ababa University, Ethiopia and has over 10 years of experience in project monitoring and evaluation (M&E) across development, humanitarian, and health sectors. He has conducted research on the nutritional status of children with disabilities and has extensive experience on health, HIV/AIDS prevention, and emergency response programs. His expertise includes designing M&E frameworks and conducting impact assessments and surveys.
Victor Koswana
Biography
Victor M. Koswana is a PhD candidate in Development Studies at University of the Western Cape. A researcher and assistant Lecturer in the Institute for Social Development, Faculty of Economic and Management Science. His research interests consist of social welfare policy, food security, domestic/internal migration, poverty and inequality in South Africa. He has conducted research on social welfare policies and child poverty, and social grants on food security and poverty alleviation in South Africa. His recent work focuses on the colonial, apartheid and post apartheid social welfare policy on poverty, gender inequality and internal migration in the academic exchange programme with University of Groningen in Netherlands. He holds a Masters’ in Development Studies, Honours in Public Administration as well as a degree in Administration. He has also served two terms as a member on the Student Representative Council at the University of the Western Cape.
Manuela Garzón
Biography
Ainsley Cunningham
Biography
Hailing from Sackville, New Brunswick, Ainsley graduated from Mount Allison University with an Honours BA in International Relations and a double minor in Political Science and History in 2023. With a focus on globalization and its impacts on the environment, her research areas include international environmental policy, placing corporate controls on global corporations to mitigate negative environmental impacts, and exploring the legal, financial, and social ramifications of global governance on environmental issues. As a MAGG student, Ainsley looks to develop a greater understanding of the roles of corporations, governmental institutions, and NGOs in the global pursuit of mitigating climate change impacts and protecting the natural world.
Adwoa Konadu-Yiadom
Biography
Adwoa Konadu-Yiadom is pursuing a Master’s degree in International Public Policy at the Balsillie School of International Affairs, with a specialization in Global Migration and Human Security. As a journalist, her interest in food security grew from observing how women in the informal food sector were negatively impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic. This realization came about during her interaction with women in various markets throughout Accra, Ghana, leading to her involvement in the Women Feeding Cities policy brief to be presented to Global Affairs Canada. Adwoa holds a bachelor’s degree in communication studies from Christian Service University College in Ghana and a Diploma in Development Journalism from the Indian Institute of Mass Communication in New Delhi-India.
Qhayisa Lekata
Biography
Qhayisa Lekata is a Master’s student in Development Studies at the University of the Western Cape. His research focuses on food insecurity among students at higher education institutions in South Africa, with a specific case study of the University of the Western Cape. With a strong interest in food systems, access, and the socio-economic dynamics that shape student livelihoods, Qhayisa seeks to highlight how structural and institutional factors contribute to student vulnerability.
Tashfia Rifa Zaman
Biography
Tashfia Rifa Zaman is a Master of Development Practice (MDP) student at the University of Waterloo’s School of Environment, Enterprise, and Development (SEED). As a development worker, she spends her time researching sustainable food supply chains and determining the significance of small and medium enterprise (SME) engagement in instilling nutrition in the private sector of emerging cities such as Dhaka, Bangladesh. She is assisting in the creation of an edited volume on South-South migration for Springer Nature as part of her graduate practicum.
Zack Ahmed
Biography
Zack Ahmed is a PhD candidate in the Global Governance program at the Balsillie School of International Affairs where he focuses his research on the south-south migration and food (in)security nexus. Zack completed the Master of International Public Policy Program at WLU in the 2020-2021 academic year where his interest in food security grew through a research project he completed on the impact of COVID-19 on women along the food supply chain in the global South. Zack is currently working on two projects: 1) a SSHRC funded research project that asses Somali migrant households’ food security situation in Nairobi; and 2) a CIHR funded research that aims to assess the household food security of refugees from Somalia in the Kitchener-Waterloo region.
Unati Sigodi
Biography
Unati Sigodi is currently a PhD student at the Institute for Social Development at the University of the Western Cape. He holds a Master’s degree in Development Studies and Bachelor of Social Work at the University of the Western Cape. His research mostly centres on migration, mobilities, food security, and migrant livelihoods in South Africa. His current research focuses on international migrants operating their businesses in the rural towns of the Eastern Cape corridor and their impact on food security in those communities. Additionally, he has extensive student governance experience where he held various leadership positions in the Student Representative Council of the University of the Western Cape. He was also part of the UWC soccer team and is a marathon runner.
Lindeka Madubela
Biography
Sarah Harvey
Biography
Sarah Harvey (she/her) is a Master of Arts in Global Governance candidate at the Balsillie School of International Affairs and holds a Bachelor of Environmental Studies in International Development from the University of Waterloo. She has worked with NGOs in East Africa and Canada, contributing to cross-cultural initiatives advancing global equity and sustainable development. During an eight-month placement in Malawi with WUSC, she researched ICT use among smallholder farmers, facilitated capacity-building trainings, and co-founded The Youth Dialogue podcast and radio show. She later completed a fellowship in Uganda supporting young social entrepreneurs. Since 2023, she has been Communications and Engagement Coordinator at Dignity Network Canada. Her current research explores the intersections of migration, identity politics, and global governance, with a focus on how mobility and belonging shape political inclusion and human rights outcomes.
John McMurry
Biography
John McMurry recently graduated with an Honours Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from University of Waterloo. During his undergraduate degree, John developed a strong interest in Migration Studies, as well Political Economy of the Environment. In his final year, John has the opportunity to complete an Honours Thesis on the topic of Far-Right proliferation on social media. John also worked as an RA for Professor Anna Esselment during that time.
Laeba Khan
Biography
Laeba Khan is a Master of Global Governance (MAGG) candidate at the Balsillie School of International Affairs. Laeba's interest in food security and the role that women in the Global South play in global food chains grew after co-authoring a policy brief to be presented to Global Affairs Canada titled “Women Feeding Cities”. This project inspired Laeba’s focus for her Major Research Paper, where she will be exploring how the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted women in the informal food sector across cities in the Global South.
Cobby Florence Achieng
Biography
Cobby Florence Achieng holds a Master of Arts degree in Environmental Planning and Management (2020-2024) and a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology and Tourism (2015-2019) from the University of Nairobi, Kenya. During her postgraduate studies at the Department of Geography, Population and Environment Studies, she undertook her MA research project on “Enterprise dynamics of women street food vendors in urban informal settlements: The case of Mukuru Kwa Reuben, Nairobi, Kenya” under the support and mentorship of the MiFOOD network. She has also gained additional research experience by participating as a data collection assistant in the Hungry Cities Partnership (2015 and 2019), Nourishing Spaces (2017), and MiFOOD Network (2022, 2023 and 2024) projects in Nairobi.
Joyce Kiplagat
Biography
Joyce Kiplagat holds a BSc. Environmental Studies and Community Development from Kenyatta University in Kenya and is currently pursuing a Master of Science degree in Environmental Health Sciences at the School of Public Health, University of Alberta. She has extensive experience in community engagement and policy work from her previous role working for an international conservation organization – World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF-K). Joyce’s research interests are in public and environmental health, food security, food systems and sustainability. Her current study focusses on the nexus between gender, urban food security, and urban food systems. She is currently undertaking a study that aims to explore the role of women-led informal food businesses in urban food security, specifically in secondary cities of the Global South, and how these businesses were impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic and the associated economic policies. Joyce is passionate about food security and environmental sustainability.
Halima Ahmed
Biography
Halima Ahmed is a PhD student in Global Governance at the BSIA and a researcher with the MiFOOD Project. Her work focuses on migration, citizenship, and development, with a particular interest in how documentation regimes impact mobility and belonging in the Horn of Africa. Halima has worked extensively with civil society organizations in Kenya, South Sudan, Ethiopia, and Somalia, contributing to research and policy on peace, security, and development. She holds a strong background in policy-oriented research and is passionate about amplifying Global South perspectives in migration governance and socio-political transformation.
Perfect Mazani
Biography
Perfect Mazani is a PhD candidate at the Institute of Social Development at the University of the Western Cape where she does research on intersectional areas of convergence in climate change, migration, remittences, food security, and the Sustainable Development Goals. Perfect examines how migrant communities in Cape Town organize solidarity groups to achieve survival, dignity, and resilience. In addition, she supervises honours students in development and migration studies and engages in participatory and community-based research aimed at turning mainstream agendas in migration governance around.
Abdirisak Yusuf Ali
Biography
Abdirisak Ali is a Master of Development Practice (MDP) candidate at the University of Waterloo and a researcher with the MiFOOD Project. His work focuses on migration, housing, and food security, with particular attention to how structural inequalities shape the experiences of newcomer and migrant communities. Abdirisak is also a Graduate Research Fellow at the Balsillie School of International Affairs, where he contributes to policy-oriented research on the gig economy, labour precarity, and urban inequality. Drawing on professional experience across Somalia, Kenya, and Canada, his work bridges research and policy to inform inclusive and context-responsive solutions. He is committed to advancing evidence-based approaches that strengthen food systems, housing stability, and community resilience.
Holly Davis
Biography
Holly Davis is a Master of International Public Policy (MIPP) candidate at the Balsillie School of International Affairs, with a specialization in Environment and Resources as well as Conflict and Human Security. She holds an honors Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Wilfrid Laurier University, where she developed a passion for international affairs, with a particular focus on environmental sustainability and the intersection of policy, climate risk, and community resilience. During her academic career, Holly has been deeply committed to understanding the complexities of climate change and its far-reaching impacts, especially in vulnerable communities. She is particularly drawn to the importance of proactive, community-driven solutions in mitigating climate risks. Working with Indigenous communities to build resilience and sustainable food systems is a central goal in her research pursuits. Holly is eager to explore how differing knowledge systems, combined with modern sustainability practices, can be utilized to create more adaptive and self-sufficient communities.
Heba Hamzeh
Biography
Heba Hamzeh is pursuing a Master of International Public Policy (MIPP) degree at the Balsillie School of International Affairs (BSIA). Her extensive experience collaborating with various national and international humanitarian organizations in Syria has allowed her to gain valuable insights into the complexities of food security, particularly in the context of refugee and Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) communities. Her work involved hands-on implementation and rigorous evaluation of development initiatives, fostering her commitment to driving positive change in vulnerable populations. Heba has co-authored a thought-provoking policy brief titled “Women Feeding Cities.” This research, which will be presented to Global Affairs Canada, delves into the crucial role women play in the informal food sector within the Global South.
Emihle Zenani
Biography
Emihle Zenani is a Master’s Candidate in Development Studies at University of the Western Cape in South Africa. The title of her research is “Livelihood strategies of recent migrants from the Eastern Cape: A case study of Gugulethu Township, Cape Town”. This research focuses on internal migration in South Africa and the livelihood strategies that migrants adopt when they get to their destinations. These migrants move from rural to urban areas for different reasons such as better living opportunities, educational purposes and family ties.
William Olando Shikanga
Biography
William Olando Shikanga is pursuing his Master of Science degree program in Sustainable Urban Development (Urban Food and Nutrition Security) at the Department of Geography, Population and Environmental Studies, University of Nairobi, Kenya. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Geography and Environmental Studies of the University of Nairobi. William is undertaking his MSc research project on “Rural-urban migration and migrant-sending households’ food security in Marsabit County” under the support and mentorship of the MiFOOD Network.
Jennifer Kandjii
Biography
Kandjii holds a master's degree (with distinction) in forced migration and human rights from the University of East London in the United Kingdom, as well as a bachelor's degree in chemistry and molecular biology from the University of Namibia. She recently defended her Ph.D. in Global Governance at the University of Waterloo's Balsillie School of International Affairs in Waterloo, Ontario. As a PhD candidate at the Balsillie School of International Affairs (BSIA), along with a fellow student, she galvanized the BSIA to create a space for discussion on how to deconstruct oppressive and discriminatory systems, resulting in the formation of an anti-oppression and equity committee.