Meet Team Giles

Post-Doctoral Research Fellows
​Rob Millington
Nicolien van luijk

Ph.D. Students
Lauren Brooks-Cleator
Yvonne James
​Michelle Bauer

Master's Students
Michelle Hope Rumford
​Mary Ollier
Steven Latino
​Amina Haggar

Undergraduate Students
Jake Quinton
Benjamin Kastelyanets

Rob Millington
Rob Millington is a Post-Doctoral Research Fellow in the School of Kinesiology and Health Science at York University. After completing his PhD at Queen’s University, he held the position of a SSHRC Post-Doctoral Research Fellow in the Faculty of Kinesiology and Physical Education at the University of Toronto.  His research focuses on how international NGOs, such as the United Nations and the International Olympic Committee, mobilize sport for development in both historical and contemporary contexts.  His most recent project considers what role, if any, sport can play in meeting sustainable development objectives. He has published in international peer-reviewed journals including the Sociology of Sport Journal, and the International Review for the Sociology of Sport, as well as in several edited collections. He is currently working with Dr. Audrey Giles and Dr. Lyndsay Hayhurst on a SSHRC-funded project entitled “Natural Resource Development, Privatized Aid, and Sport for Development: A Comparison of Canada and Australia.”
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Nicolien van luijk
Nicolien van luijk is a Post-Doctoral Research Fellow in the School of Human Kinetics at the University of Ottawa. She is currently working with Dr. Audrey Giles and Dr. Lyndsay Hayhurst on a SSHRC funded research project entitled: “Natural Resource Development, Privatized Aid, and Sport for Development: A Comparison of Canada and Australia.” After completing her PhD at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Nicolien held a Post-Doctoral Research Fellow Position at the University of Lausanne in Switzerland. In her PhD work she examined the historical relationship between the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the United Nations and she continues her research in this area, with a specific interest in critically analyzing the growing dominance of the IOC in international development.



Lauren Brooks-Cleator
Lauren Brooks-Cleator is a CIHR-funded fourth year Ph.D. candidate from Bracebridge, Ontario. She completed her undergraduate degree, a Bachelor of Science with specialization in Human Kinetics, at uOttawa in 2012. She completed her CIHR-funded Master's of Arts degree in Human Kinetics under the supervision of Dr. Giles and is really excited to be continuing her graduate work with Team Giles. Her doctoral research involves examining  aging well from the perspectives of Indigenous older adults in Ottawa. In addition to her Ph.D. research, Lauren travelled to Alaska for 3 months in the summer of 2017. There she worked with Dr. Jordan Lewis at the University of Alaska Anchorage on his NSF funded research that examines successful aging research with Indigenous seniors in rural and remote Alaska. 

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Yvonne James
Yvonne James is a third year Ph.D candidate in the institute of Feminist and Gender Studies. Yvonne holds a bachelor’s degree in Political Science and Women’s Studies. In 2013 Yvonne was awarded her Master of Arts degree from the University of Ottawa. Her major research paper explored constructions of ‘bad’ mothers in academia. Since graduation, Yvonne has worked as a research associate at the Pan-Canadian Health Human Resources Network. In July 2014 Yvonne worked on a team that was awarded a CIHR planning grant. Yvonne’s Ph.D research stems from these funds, and will examine Canadian midwives’ capacity to deliver maternity care in the context of birth centres. Yvonne is co-supervised by Dr. Ivy Bourgeault.




Michelle Bauer
Michelle Bauer is a second year PhD student in Population Health. She completed her BA with a specialization in Psychology in Montréal, and her MA in Human Kinetics at the University of Ottawa. Her research interests involve taking interdisciplinary approaches to explore parents' influences on child development in play contexts and situating vulnerable populations within family and child research contexts. Her doctoral research will involve exploring soldiers' and military parents' perspectives on parenting and children's risk-taking. Outside of school, she can be found hiking, travelling, writing, skiing, and being with friends and family.



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Michelle Hope Rumford 
Hope Rumford is a second year Master of Arts student. She received her honour's Bachelor of Social Science with Majors in Anthropology and Aboriginal Studies (French Immersion) from the University of Ottawa. Her research interests and the focus of her MA research sport for development, Christianity and Indigenous peoples. Hope enjoys spending her time outdoors hiking, canoeing, camping, and skating on the canal; laughing with her three younger siblings; playing with animals and babies; and crocheting.


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Mary Ollier 
Mary Ollier is a first year Master's of Arts student. She received her honour's Bachelor of Science with specialization in kinesiology from Queen's University. With an interest in public health, her MA thesis involves investigating on-the-land health programming in Inuit communities in the Northwest Territories. Outside of her studies, Mary is a varsity track and field athlete for the University of Ottawa GeeGees. She enjoys spending her time with family and friends, being active and outdoors, making delicious vegetarian food, playing piano, and taking photographs.




Steven Latino 
Steven Latino is a Master of Arts student in his final year. He completed his Bachelor's degree in Human Kinetics at the University of Ottawa in 2014. His previous research was in sports psychology and focused on resilience strategies implemented by endurance athletes in the midst of competition. Under the supervision of Dr. Giles, Steven's MA research explores the media representations of the funding of sport and recreation programs by extractives companies in Canada and Australia. Away from his studies, you can find Steven out in nature with a camera or guitar in hand, running on the trails through Gatineau Park, or at the local climbing gym training for the next big mountain to climb.



Amina Haggar 
Amina Haggar is a first year Master of Arts in Human Kinetics student. She received her Bachelor of Science with specialization in Human Kinetics from the University of Ottawa in 2017. Her honour's project in her last year of undergraduate studies focused on corporate social responsibility and how extractive companies represent Indigenous-targeted sport for development initiatives on social media. Her MA research will be in the area of sport for development, and within the context of Indigenous communities. Some of Amina's interests and hobbies include coaching recreational sport, Zumba instruction, teaching English as a foreign language, and African, middle easter, and East Asian history. Amina is an avid traveller and looks for opportunities to do so as often as she can.






Jake Quinton 
Jake Quinton is a fourth year Human Kinetics student at uOttawa. His fourth year research project will focus on why it is important to examine gay men's perspective towards drowning prevention.








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Benjamin Kastelyanets 
Benjamin Kastelyanets is a fourth year Human Kinetics student at uOttawa. His fourth year research project will focus on mapping sport and recreation programs for persons with disabilities in the Northwest Territories.