07/24/2026
Feature Friday: Meet Dale! 🤗
Dale is a PhD candidate in Recreation and Leisure Studies who spent two months at the University of Galway in Ireland this summer as a Visiting Scholar, supported by the SSHRC Michael Smith Foreign Study Supplement.
During her time in Galway, Dale shared her work on Indigenous land-based learning and pedagogy, including leading a workshop that explored how land, ceremony, storytelling, reciprocity, and community can shape teaching and learning. She also connected with researchers from across the university and had conversations that helped bring new perspectives to her own doctoral research.
One connection that stood out was with Dr. Rióna Ní Fhrighil, where conversations about language, culture, identity, and place highlighted parallels between Indigenous language revitalization in Canada and efforts to preserve and renew the Irish language. Dale also worked closely with her host, Dr. Kieran Walsh, whose mentorship helped shape the direction of her research.
And it wasn’t all research! Dale spent time exploring Ireland’s landscapes, history, and communities before wrapping up her time abroad with family trips to Paris and Portugal.
From new research connections to experiencing new places and cultures, Dale’s time abroad brought together many of the things at the heart of her work: relationships, place, community, and learning. 💙
