TEACHING ASSISTANTS
Here are posted short bios of Dr. Kislenko’s teaching and marking assistants. If you are interested in applying for work as an assistant please contact Dr. Kislenko for further instructions and criteria. In general, all assistants must meet the following conditions:
1) have a minimum Honours BA in History, International Relations, or similar field. Ideally be enrolled in a graduate programme (Masters or PhD level) at an accredited institution, preferably in History or International Relations, although other programmes may be acceptable
2) be able and willing to work in accordance with the class timetables Dr. Kislenko has in the given term
3) be able and willing to work as part of a team and to have an interactive approach to teaching and learning
4) be genuinely committed to teaching with an obvious enthusiasm and desire to learn.
TAs Winter 2021:
HIS 696
Rolando Gomez Baez is a graduate student of Ryerson and the University of Toronto. As an undergrad, he majored in History with a minor in Politics. His areas of interest include Cold War international relations, the Soviet Union, twentieth-century Cuba, and U.S. foreign policy toward Latin America more generally. In 2020 he completed a master’s program in Contemporary International History at U of T, where he focused on Cuban foreign relations in the twentieth century. As of September of 2020, he continues his studies at Ryerson in Public Policy and Administration. His email is rolando.gomezbaez@ryerson.ca
Nathaniel Brunt is an interdisciplinary scholar, documentarian and educator He is currently pursuing a PhD in the Communication and Culture program at Ryerson University. His doctoral research is supported by the Canadian federal government’s Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council and The Pierre Elliot Trudeau Foundation Scholarship. Nathaniel’s photographic work has been published and exhibited internationally. He has received academic and photographic awards, including the CONTACT Portfolio Reviews Award, IVSA John Rieger Award, PDN Photo Annual Student Award, and Alexia Foundation Student Award for his ongoing multi-year projects about the Kashmir Valley. He is co-director of the Kashmir Photo Collective. Recently, Nathaniel was an Alexia Foundation visiting scholar at the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University and is currently a research affiliate with the Trudeau Centre for Peace, Conflict and Justice at the Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy at the University of Toronto. His email is nbrunt@ryerson.ca
TRN 250
Katie Davis is a PhD Candidate in History at the University of Toronto. She specializes in US nuclear history and culture, and is currently trying to figure out how public opinion influences diplomacy. Her current research investigates these topics in the context of early Cold War debates over international control of atomic energy at the United Nations. Upon beginning her studies at UofT, Katie (an American) was surprised to also learn that she loves Canadian international relations! She even contributed to a book about Canadian nuclear history coming out in the fall (https://www.ubcpress.ca/the-nuclear-north). Katie has six years of teaching experience at UofT and has taught in the History Department and the IR program at Trinity. Katie previously graduated with an MSc in Theory and History of International Relations from the London School of Economics and Political Science, and a BA in Political Science and American Studies from Christopher Newport University. She very occasionally tweets at http://twitter.com/beingkt. You can reach Katie at ke.davis@mail.utoronto.ca
Ottilie (Kate) Grisdale is a 2nd year PhD student in History at the University of Toronto. She loves to ask questions about what taking a longer—historical—view can teach us about today’s real or perceived security issues. Kate’s research is community focused and informed by her previous work as Project Coordinator forRefugee 613, a grassroots organization that informs, connects, and inspires people to welcome refugees and build strong communities. She received a Master of Arts in European, Russian and Eurasian studies from Carleton University (2015) and a BA in Arts and Contemporary Studies with a History major at Ryerson University (2012). Kate’s email is ottilie.grisdale@mail.utoronto.ca
Grace VanVliet is a Master’s student at the Centre for European, Russian and Eurasian Studies at the University of Toronto. After completing an undergraduate thesis on the French Resistance and the Vichy regime, Grace obtained her BA in History at Ryerson University in 2019. During her undergraduate she was also one of the student leaders of the International Issues Discussions Series. Currently, her research focuses on Western European History with an eye to Franco-German Relations in the 20th century. She is also interested in Film, Literature and Art History, Dutch History and modern European Politics. Her email is grace.vanvliet@ryerson.ca