MA Gerontology Student Aryana Mohammed Wins 2025 Fellowship with Community-Engaged Research Initiative

Overview

CERi’s Graduate Fellowship is an in-person, cohort-based program designed to facilitate community-engaged research through monthly in-person workshops, facilitated at SFU’s space at 312 Main (downtown Vancouver). This program is a combination of community connection, place-based learning, guest speakers, financial support, and professional development. The fellowship runs for 8 months (from September - April) and is open to all registered graduate students at Simon Fraser University interested in community-engaged research. The final event in April is a celebratory showcase wherein fellows will share an aspect of their research project that they have worked on during the course of the CERi fellowship.

Eligibility

The program is open to all registered graduate students at Simon Fraser University who are actively practicing community-engaged research or whose research will be undertaken using CER methods. The Graduate Fellowship Program is open to students working on all three SFU campuses in Vancouver, Burnaby and Surrey. We encourage applications from students working in all disciplines at SFU, including: Humanities, Social Sciences, Physical and Applied Sciences, Health Sciences and Resources and Environmental Management.

Aryana Mohammed

Aryana Mohammed is a performing artist and drama educator from Trinidad and Tobago. She is pursuing an MA in Gerontology at SFU, where her research explores how group storytelling can foster psychological resilience and wellbeing among older adults facing climate anxiety and heat stress. Aryana holds a BSc in Psychology (Special) from the University of the West Indies and a BFA in Performing Arts (Acting) from the University of Trinidad and Tobago. She is passionate about combining mental health and the performing arts to champion social prescribing initiatives and create meaningful social programs for older adults.