05/27/2026
Congratulations to Nayadeth Arrigada, a PhD student in the School of Environment, Resources and Sustainability, for being selected as a finalist in the 2026 SSHRC Storytellers Challenge! 👏💚
The annual competition, organized by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC), invites postsecondary students from across the country to demonstrate how their research is making a difference in our lives and communities in up to three minutes or 300 words.
Nayadeth’s video challenges common assumptions about gender and small-scale fisheries.
Her research asks how men and women experience vulnerability in fisheries, and how communities can move toward what she calls viability. Nayadeth’s fieldwork focuses on Chiloé Island in southern Chile, where coastal livelihoods are deeply connected to small-scale fisheries and shaped by the growth of the salmon industry. Using surveys, interviews and participatory workshops, she documents how people experience risk, opportunity and change.
By moving beyond stereotypes, Nayadeth’s research highlights that vulnerability is not simply about gender, rather it is shaped by power, access and recognition.
“I am very honoured and happy to be selected as a SSHRC storyteller 20 finalist”, she says. “This is a great opportunity to learn how to communicate science and the impact of my research in a more engaging and simpler form beyond the conceptual nuances of academia”.
The 2026 challenge received a record number of submissions, making this recognition especially significant. Finalists receive a cash prize and will present their work at the Storytellers Showcase during the Congress of the Humanities and Social Sciences. Nayadeth Arriagada is supported in part by funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada.
Congratulations to all of this year’s finalists. Nayadeth, we wish you the best as you prepare for the national showcase! The Showcase will be held at the Science Writers and Communicators of Canada conference on Tuesday, June 16, 2026, in Montréal, Quebec.
