Undergraduate Students
Blythe MacDougall
Hello! My name is Blythe, and I am a fifth-year undergraduate student at Dalhousie University currently pursuing my Bachelor of Science in Psychology. I am a new member of the lab, and I will be completing my honours research under the supervision of Yasmeen Ibrahim & Dr. Shannon Johnson.
My honours research this year is focused on examining the data from chosen activities completed as part of the "Nature Matters" intervention and the impact it has effects on mental health/wellbeing! I am very excited to have the opportunity to work in this lab and begin to gain research experience!
In my spare time, I enjoy spending time with friends & family, going on walks with my puppy, and travelling to Newfoundland to visit my partner!
Ava Holman
Hi, my name is Ava Holman and I'm completing my BA in psychology this year at Dal. I'm working with graduate student Jenn Leckey to complete my Honours here in Dr. Johnson's lab.
I'm originally from Cochrane, Alberta, and I've enjoyed living here in Halifax for the past three years. In my free time, I like to do yoga, read, sing, and knit.
Studying psychology has been fascinating and I'm excited to be a part of this lab. In the future, I hope to pursue Speech-Language Pathology.
George Fazaa
My name is George Fazaa. I am an international student at Dalhousie University. I recently graduated with a BSc + Honours in Psychology and German as a Foreign Language.
I am currently working as a Research Assistant and German Tutorial Leader. I hope to continue my Master’s and PhD in clinical psychology in the near future to ultimately practice psychotherapy and continue doing research related to the benefits of nature on our well-being.
Maggie Baxter
Maggie is in her fifth year of a BSc in Neuroscience and is completing her Honours thesis on the connection between exposure to nature and wellbeing. Some of her research interests include mental health and learning, and she volunteers in the Language and Literacy Lab.
Maggie is also a member of the varsity women’s hockey team. On her free time, she enjoys going to the gym and spending time outdoors with friends and family.
Rachel McMillan
Rachel McMillan, an honours undergraduate psychology student, is completing her degree part-time while she continues to work as a certified recreation therapist with Nova Scotia Health. Rachel started with the Johnson Lab early on in her degree where her passion for research has grown with the completion of both an independent research project and honours thesis project.
Rachel’s independent project used a mixed-methods approach, examining perspectives and experiences of nature use, specifically for youth living with mental health challenges. Her honours thesis investigated differences in the experience of embodiment, an expanded body image concept, between Atlantic Canadian Indigenous and white post-secondary students, including associations between experience of embodiment, cultural connectedness, racial-ethnic discrimination, and weight discrimination. This research project afforded Rachel the opportunity to work in collaboration with Membertou First Nation and Indigenous scholars Jocelyn Paul and Trent Lynds. This study honed Rachel’s desire to continue to explore weight discrimination in future research. This year she continues to expand her research skills and experience through volunteering with a variety of lab research studies.