In October 2024, the ETCL had the pleasure of hosting two bright and inquisitive students, Ava Strang and Damon Lamontagne, from HUMA 180: Examining Humanities Research (Dean’s Seminar) as part of their course practicum. According to the UVic Humanities Scholars Program, this course is designed to introduce outstanding first-year Humanities students to cutting-edge research and the faculty members driving it forward. Naturally, we were thrilled to open our doors to Ava and Damon—not just to share our work but to learn from their fresh perspectives as emerging scholars.
Ava Strang (she/her) is an undergraduate humanities student with a keen interest in English and literature. When she’s not analyzing texts or diving into research, you can find her soaking up the outdoors, spending time with loved ones, or bringing her creativity to life through painting.
Damon Lamontagne is also pursuing humanities studies at UVic, bringing curiosity and a thoughtful approach to the discipline.
During their time with us, Ava and Damon collaborated with Graham Jensen to review and provide valuable feedback on the HSS Commons platform—an initiative that our lab has been developing with the support of a SSHRC Partnership Grant (see the full list of partners). Their contributions helped refine the platform, making it more accessible and user-friendly for researchers in the humanities and social sciences.
A special thanks to Humanities Acting Associate Dean Research, Adrienne Williams Boyarin, for facilitating this reciprocal partnership through her innovative course!