Thesis Tuesdays on Instagram!

Gurneet K. Dhami (Nutrition & Food ’17; Certificate in Food Security ’18) is a Ryerson alumna and rising social media star. She’s producing content and making space online for young leaders and academics like herself. To stay connected in academia she produces Thesis Tuesdays (external link)  where she meets with other researchers to talk about their personal and professional research journey. 

“The internet is amazing if you know what to look for,” says Dhami. “It is tough not being able to meet with people but if you know what you are looking for you can find it online. I wanted to stay connected to people in my field and began doing interviews with academics. There is often a huge journey behind the thesis which never gets told,” says Dhami, “I wanted to find a way to share some of that story.”  Each episode focuses on three questions:

• What made a researcher follow their research? 
• What they wish they knew beforehand? 
• What advice would they have for those considering research? 

“I’m amazed at how many people want to participate. I have a lot of people lined up and I think we can carry this on throughout the summer with a range of researchers -- with their undergraduate, Masters, PhD and Postdocs -- across Canada. This also motivates me to get my thesis going.”  Archived chats can be found on her Instagram (external link)  and Twitter (external link)  at @gurneetkdhami. 

“[Producing] Thesis Tuesdays also provides a bit of escapism from the current reality.” Dhami had spent much of last year travelling before jumping into her thesis work. “I’m really excited to be here. I might have travelled more if I knew that wouldn’t be an option for a long time, but I’m really glad to be where I am in my process. Research always takes longer than you plan, but now I have time to get it done.  So I don’t want to say it took a pandemic for me to finish my program but there is currently time to write.”

To those considering grad school, she recommends using the current time for really honest self-reflection and to be really honest with themselves about their passions and commitments and if those align with their program. “ Take this time for self-care and to be realistic about your priorities. It is ok not to be ok some days, and have productive and nonproductive days while social distancing/isolating. Think about what you want, if you have the capacity to give back or volunteer and how you can fill your days.  Research can get lonely at the best of times so it is important to reach out and make connections to support you through the process.” 

Dhami is currently completing a Masters of Science in Applied Human Nutrition with a dietetic internship and thesis focused on shedding light on the experiences of racialized dietitians in Canada at Mount Saint Vincent University in Halifax, Nova Scotia.