Two Dalhousie University alumni are among the 16 recipients of the Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation‘s 2015 doctoral scholarships in the social sciences and humanities. Trudeau scholars are exceptional Canadian students who have distinguished themselves through academic excellence, civic engagement, and a commitment to reaching beyond academic circles. The 2015 cohort joins a network committed to applying its knowledge and skills to pressing Canadian and global issues.

Jennifer Peirce (BA’03) studied International Development Studies and Spanish at Dalhousie and is now a doctoral student in Criminal Justice at the City University of New York. She is exploring how prison governance reforms in Latin America and the Caribbean over the last twenty years have influenced detention conditions and rehabilitation initiatives.

Benjamin Perryman (MDE’11) is a graduate of Dalhousie’s Master of Development Economics program and a doctoral candidate at Yale Law School. He will apply the emerging science of happiness studies to constitutional law to propose a way that Canadian court decisions might better reflect the needs and aspirations of all citizens, including the marginalized.

Over their three-year doctoral scholarship, recipients work with an engaged and inspiring community of scholars, mentors, and fellows that accelerates their professional growth. The $60,000 annual package includes a $20,000 travel and networking allowance to facilitate scholars’ fieldwork.

Read more about the recipients in “Meet the 2015 Trudeau scholars” on fondationtrudeau.ca