Jesse Proudfoot

Scholarships and awards

Jesse Proudfoot Receives PhD and Dean's Convocation Medal

June 13, 2012
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Dr. Jesse Proudfoot's groundbreaking ethnographic research focused on drug-addicted panhandlers in the Downtown Eastside neighborhood of Vancouver. This area — known as the "poorest postal code" in Canada — has a significant concentration of IV drug-users.

His research examined pioneering harm reduction initiatives such as North America's first supervised injection site, Insite, as well as methadone maintenance programs. The research assessed the effects of these programs on the lives of poverty stricken, drug-addicted individuals, and examined the political controversy over progressive drug policy.

As testament to the quality of his research, Dr. Proudfoot has several publications, including two first author journal publications and a book chapter.

Dr. Proudfoot's doctoral research was funded by a prestigious SSHRC Canada Graduate Scholarship and he was recently awarded a SSHRC Post Doctoral Fellowship.

Dr. Proudfoot is currently pursuing a postdoctoral Fellowship at DePaul University, Chicago. His research examines Chicago's harm reduction initiatives to see how the different social and political geographies of the two cities of Vancouver and Chicago affect drug policy, service provision, and the quality of life of drug users.

On behalf of SFU, we congratulate Dr. Proudfoot on his outstanding achievements, which are being recognized by the award of the Dean of Graduate Studies Convocation Medal as SFU's most outstanding graduate student from the Faculty of the Environment.

Tags: achievements; environment; geography

Dr. Jesse Proudfoot accepts his medal

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