Education

  • PhD Student in Interdisciplinary Studies - Cultural, Social, and Political Thought
  • University of Victoria, Victoria, British Columbia (Expected 2029)
  • Master's Degree in International Migration and Ethnic Relations Malmö University, Malmö, Sweden (2023)
  • Bilingual Honours B.A. in International Studies, First Class/Honours Minor in Music Glendon College - York University, Toronto, Ontario (2022)

    • Research interests and competencies

  • Gender/Sexualty Studies, Queer Theory, and Interdisciplinary Research; International Migration and Ethnic Relations; Political Theory and International Studies; Existentialism, Ontology, and Phenomenology.

    • Honours and awards

  • UVIC INTD PhD Fellowship
    • * This fellowship is assigned competitively on the basis of high academic standing, grade point average, academic transcripts, and on the basis of application documents.
  • Brazier Family Prize
    • * Awarded at Glendon College convocation. Given in recognition of the special achievement of a graduating student with a disability who has overcome major challenges in the pursuit of their degree.
  • Ethel Harris Scholarship
    • * A $10,000 scholarship awarded to incoming undergraduate students who demonstrate academic excellence and are applying to Glendon from outside of Ontario.
  • Lester B. Pearson Award
    • * Awarded to a Canadian high school student entering Glendon with high academic standing.
  • W. J. Gardner Award for Academic and Leadership Excellence

    • Teaching and research experience

  • Teaching Assistant Victoria, BC (University of Victoria, Department of Philosophy)
    • * 01/2025-Present
  • * Role: Teaching assistant for the course PHIL 100 - Intro to Philosophy. Duties include marking written assignments and holding office hours to assist students with questions relating to coursework and course materials.
  • Teaching Assistant Victoria, BC (University of Victoria, Department of Philosophy)
    • * 01/2025-Present
  • * Role: Teaching assistant for the course PHIL 227 - Love, Sex, and Friendship. Duties include marking long-form written assignments.
  • Internship at MaleCare Inc. Toronto, ON (Remote with MaleCare in New York, NY)
    • * 09/2020-07/2021
  • * Role: Researched and co-authored a report on healthcare capacities across multiple countries with particular focus on access for LGBTQ2SIA+ individuals and comparative care gaps persisting in the Global South.

    • Academic publications and presentations

  • Master’s Thesis:
    • * Kierulf, Gavin. 2023. “Enforcement against Exploitation, Working Hard or Hardly Working?: Exploring How Canadian Policy Discourse Problematizes the Labour Exploitation of Migrant Workers.” Master’s Thesis, Malmö University. link
  • Article:
    • * Kierulf, Gavin. 2024. “The Chronopolitics of Migrant Temporalities.” Current Issues in Migration Research 1 (1). https://doi.org/10.24834/cimr.2024.1.1821
  • Whitepaper:
    • * Mitteldorf D., Grove K., Kierulf G., Abdelhamid E. 2021. “Here to Hear - Prostate Cancer White Paper”. Malecare: New York NY.
  • Conference Presentations:
  • “Queer Queries.” 2023. Queer Issues in Migration Conference. Copenhagen, Denmark.
  • “Jealousy in Time: Retroactive Jealousy in Feminist and Queer Thought.” 2025. Special Philosophical Topics Seminar. Vancouver Island University, Nanaimo.
  • "Migrant Being and Ontological Terror." 2025. Death and Dying Seminar. Vancouver Island University, Nanaimo.
  • "Insights from graduate student research" (forthcoming) 2025. Critical Humanities Commons: Critical Encounters Series. University of Victoria, Victoria.
  • Undergraduate Honours Thesis: * “Conflict Related Sexual Violence, Drawing a New Map: Understanding the Issue Through Contemporary Literature and News Media Perspectives”

    Other relevant experience

  • Customer Sales and Service Representative at BC Ferries, Victoria. BC
    • * 2018 – Present * Role: Assisted customers with a wide variety of requests over the phone, email, and social media. Also included new employee training and supervision, answering emails, making reservations for customers, and occasionally data gathering and entry.
  • Office Assistant at Stevenson, Luchies, and Legh, Victoria, BC
    • * 06/2023 – 09/2023 * Role: Completed various jobs such as reception, file closing, and case organization for a large local law firm specializing in family law, wills and estates, and personal injury law.
  • Activity Leader ‘Right to a Meaningful Leisure Time’ Save the Children Sweden (Rädda Barnen), Malmö, Sweden
    • * 01/2023 – 06/2023
  • Tasks: Facilitated and participated in activities (sports/crafts/music) for children aged 5-16 living in two temporary/emergency housing areas in Northern Malmö. The groups consisted mainly of “at risk” youth, including refugees and asylum seekers.
  • Glendon Model UN
    • * Under Secretary General of Committees (2021–2022)
  • Glendon Journal of International Studies
    • * Editor in Chief (2022–2023) * Editor (2019–2022)
  • International Studies Student Association
    • * President (2021–2022) * Vice-president (2020–2021)
  • Crohn’s and Colitis Canada
    • * Gutsy Walk Volunteer (2014–Present) * 2022 Honorary Chair

    Languages

  • English
  • French