Meet Team Giles

Ph.D. Students
Yvonne James
​Michelle Bauer

Master's Students
​Amina Haggar
Jaime Carpenter
​Jessica Webb
Julia Hamer
Avery Holmes
Nora McRae
​Sydney Smith

Undergraduate  Students
​Nia Contini 
Danielle Provost 
​Sarah Edgar

​Yvonne James
Yvonne James is a fourth 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. Her research is funded by SSHRC.







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Michelle Bauer
Michelle Bauer is in her third year of her PhD in Population Health at the University of Ottawa. She has a BA in Psychology from Concordia University and MA in Human Kinetics from the University of Ottawa. Her OGS and SSHRC-funded and Department of National Defence sponsored PhD thesis research explores military parents' perspectives of combat, injury, parenting, and children's play. She is co-supervised by Dr. Audrey Giles (uOttawa) and Dr. Mariana Brussoni (UBC). Her current academic projects explore parents' perspectives on children's serious play-related injuries, understanding children's disabilities within play contexts, and approaching child and family safety from interdisciplinary and social justice standpoints. Outside of academia, she enjoys playing sports, spending time with friends, family, and her cat Freya, and travelling.




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Amina Haggar 
Amina Haggar is a third 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 was completed under the supervision of Dr. Audrey Giles and focused on corporate social responsibility and how extractive companies represent Indigenous-targeted sport for development initiatives on social media. Her thesis-based MA research, which has been accepted for funding through the SIRC Researcher/Practitioner Match Grant program, examines the participation of second generation African Canadian adolescent girls involved in a community sport program in Ottawa using intersectionality theory. She is collaborating with the City of Ottawa and the Canadian Association for the Advancement of Women and Sport and Physical Activity to complete this project. Outside of her academic pursuits, Amina's hobbies include learning new languages, hosting waste diversion and recycling workshops on campus, assisting with health promotion and community engagement initiatives at her local community health centre, and playing badminton with her fellow Team Giles lab mate and friend Michelle. 


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​Jaime Carpenter
Jaime Carpenter is an Indigenous student in the second year of her Master’s degree in Human Kinetics at the University of Ottawa. In 2018 she graduated from Plymouth State University (PSU) in New Hampshire, with a Bachelor of Science degree in Health Promotion. Throughout her four years at PSU, she competed on the varsity women’s ice hockey team. With her background in hockey, and identifying as Indigenous, her research interests include examining female Indigenous hockey players who have to leave their home communities to pursue a sport. Jaime’s hobbies include spending time with family, friends, and her dogs, along with still playing hockey, going to the gym, and traveling.



















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​Jessica Webb
Jessica Webb is a second year Master's student in the Faculty of Human Kinetics. After graduating from the University of British Columbia in 2013, Jessica spent six years working with women and children in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside. She is a co-founder of Taking Steps: Warrior Women's Wellness program - a coalition project between YWCA Crabtree Corner and UBC School of Nursing. Under the supervision of Dr. Francine Darroch at Carleton University and Dr. Audrey Giles, Jessica's current research involves the role of physical activity and fathers' wellness in the DTES. In her free time Jessica likes singing karaoke, tending to her plants and all things Beyoncé. 



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Julia Hamer
Julia is in her second year of her Master of Arts in Human Kinetics. She received her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Queen's University and recently finished a Master of Education (specialization in Teaching and Learning) from the University of Ottawa. Having both played and coached soccer for many years, her research interests include socio-cultural aspects of sport, and the impact on gender in children's sport programming. Outside of school, Julia enjoys reading, bouldering, watching tv, and spending time with friends and family.  


























Avery Holmes
Avery Holmes is a first-year master's student whose research interests include gender, reconciliation, sport organizations, and lacrosse. She is supervised by Dr. Audrey Giles and Dr. Lyndsay Hayhurst of York University. Avery recently graduated from Queen's University with a BA (Hons.) in Gender Studies. Avery has played, coached, and refereed lacrosse throughout the past 12 years. In her spare time, she likes to hang out with her puppy, George, and cat, Mildred. 





















Nora McRae
Nora McRae is in her first year of the MA in Human Kinetics program. She recently graduated from the University of Ottawa with an Honours Bachelor in Human Kinetics with a minor in Psychology. Under the supervision of Dr. Audrey Giles and Dr. Lyndsay Hayhurst of York University, her research will be focused on examining safe sport policies as they relate to sport for reconciliation in Canada. Nora enjoys hiking, playing sports, spending time with family and friends, and critiquing Netflix. 



















​Sydney Smith
Sydney is in her first year of her Master’s degree in Human Kinetics. She completed her Bachelor of Science with Honours in Biology at the University of Ottawa in 2020. Under the co-supervision of Dr. Audrey Giles as well as Dr. Francine Darroch from Carleton University, Sydney’s research will explore the experiences of pregnant and parenting elite track and field athletes and look to understand these athletes’ perspectives on the changing culture surrounding parenthood and elite-level competition. This area of research aligns well with Sydney’s commitments outside of her academic endeavours as she is a varsity track and field athlete with the University of Ottawa. Sydney also enjoys travelling, coffee, and spending time with her family (including her two dogs, Blackcomb and Jasper), friends, and teammates. 











Nia Contini
Nia Contini is a fourth-year student in the Bachelor of Science in Human Kinetics. She is currently completing a fourth-year research project with Dr. Audrey Giles. Her background as a lifeguard sparked her interest in drowning prevention and boating safety. Her project is looking at plain language and culturally appropriate boating safety resources for the Inuvialuit Settlement Region in the Northwest Territories. Outside of school, you will find Nia spending time outdoors or in a pool. 






















Danielle Provost
Danielle is in the final year of her Bachelor’s degree in Health Sciences with a concentration in Population and Public Health at the University of Ottawa. She is currently taking a semester-long research project through the HSS4900 course under the supervision of Dr. Audrey Giles which focuses on the media analysis of the changes in Canada’s birth evacuation policy. Along with many volunteer experiences with the Children’s Wish Foundation, the Health Promotion program at the University of Ottawa, and her current employment with the Public Health Agency of Canada, Danielle continues to broaden her knowledge in her field of interest: Public Health. She hopes to continue her studies with a Masters of Public Health, concentrating largely on Epidemiology and Health Promotion across Canada within vulnerable populations. Outside of work and school life, Danielle enjoys anything related to good food, socializing and keeping active through runs, skiing and the gym. A last minute hike followed by a grocery store spree? She’s in! 












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​Sarah Edgar 
Sarah Edgar is a third year undergraduate student in the Nursing Program. She is a recipient of the University Research Opportunity Program award. Under the supervision of Dr. Audrey Giles, she is conducting a media analysis regarding athlete maltreatment; specifically, the coverage of three Canadian coaches who were banned from their positions in 2019/2020 due to their maltreatment of athletes. Once she graduates, Sarah is interested in specializing in mental health and substance abuse nursing. In her free time, she enjoys hiking, acrylic painting, and caring for (and adding to) her plant collection.