Transdisciplinary Graduate Program: Students grow through research across boundaries

As the inaugural cohort of students in the Transdisciplinary Graduate programs in the Faculty of Graduate Studies (FGS) gathered at the White Buffalo Lodge on April 14 to present posters developed over the Winter 2026 term, the event marked more than the end of a course. It offered a milestone moment for students, faculty and supervisors to reflect on the program’s inaugural year and the way this new graduate pathway is already beginning to take shape in practice.

The event reflected the significance of a program designed to prepare students to think across boundaries and respond to increasingly complex challenges, says Dr. Jenny Godley, PhD, associate dean, Transdisciplinary, with FGS and the program's director. 

“It has been a privilege to travel alongside the first cohort of transdisciplinary master’s and PhD students during their first year in the program,” says Godley. “Over the past year, they have grown as a community of transdisciplinary scholars while exploring their research from new angles and deepening their community connections. As they enter their second year, I’m excited to see that journey continue with a new cohort joining in the fall.”

A year of growth and reflection

Designed for students whose research crosses boundaries, FGS’ Transdisciplinary Graduate programs create space for scholars to pursue research that moves beyond traditional subject areas and engages directly with complex real-world challenges. In its initial year, the program has given students room to test ideas, engage different perspectives and deepen their understanding of the issues they hope to address.

For Kris Hans, a PhD student in the program, that approach was part of what made the program stand out.

“I had been looking for the right doctoral fit for years, because pursuing a PhD comes with a real opportunity cost,” says Hans, BA'00, BComm'00. “I came to this program because I wanted to do work that matters. The biggest problems do not respect disciplinary lines, and neither should serious research. I wanted a program that could engage with those challenges honestly, while creating space for thoughtful research that can have impact beyond the university.”

That same openness has also shaped how students in the inaugural cohort are thinking about their work.

For Gayathri Shukla, a first-year PhD student, the experience has influenced not only her research, but the way she understands knowledge itself.

“Since starting the program, my thinking has become more focused on bridging my practice with theory,” says Shukla, BSc (Eng)'05. “The program has challenged me to think differently about what counts as credible knowledge, whose perspectives are often privileged, and how we engage complexity without flattening it.

“It has helped me articulate knowledge I had intuitively lived, while expanding how I think about storytelling, lived experience and action in complex systems. I’m now seeing stronger links across contexts that may seem very different on the surface, which opens up new ways of thinking about both research and impact.”

For Jamie Anne Vaughan, being part of the inaugural cohort has meant not only learning within a new academic space, but helping shape what the program will become.

“Every new program has growing pains, and this one is no exception — but there is something exciting about being first," says Vaughan, also a first-year PhD student. “When new situations arise, there’s an opportunity to help the institution think through them and to have a real hand in shaping what the program becomes for future students. That kind of influence isn’t something you get when you join an established program, and I don’t take it lightly.

“I have already been recommending this program to people in my network, particularly those whose work and curiosity don’t fit neatly into one discipline. The administrative team has been exceptional, and the program is only going to strengthen as it grows in visibility, both within and beyond the institution.”

A growing chapter in Transdisciplinary Graduate education

The poster showcase marked an important first-year milestone for FGS’ Transdisciplinary Graduate programs, while also offering a glimpse of what lies ahead. As the inaugural cohort moves into its second year, the program continues to build on its early momentum through research that crosses boundaries, invites new ways of thinking and responds to complex challenges. In doing so, it is helping shape a growing community of scholars committed to meaningful, connected and forward-looking work.