“I was thrilled that there was a scholarship specifically related to the Atlantic region!”

Nayani Jensen, a doctoral candidate in U of T’s Institute for the History and Philosophy of Science and Technology, explains. “The Mount Tambora eruption in 1815 led to two or three years of really anomalous cold weather, disasters, famine and floods around the world. That led to the publication of books like Frankenstein, and a lot of writing about climate.”

“Focusing on 1800 to 1840, I’m looking at how science responded to extreme weather events,” she says, “and how we came to understand that climate is global. In the early 19th century there was a very different way of writing about science, much more popular and accessible, and so I’m also hoping to find new ways for writers and scientists to reach the public. It’s an interesting mix of climate research, history, statistics, and how we think about science.”

Jensen, who was born and grew up in Halifax, began her career with an engineering degree at Dalhousie University. She appreciates how the Naylor Fellowship gives her the time and space for both academics and creative writing—both vital to an interdisciplinary thinker. “Having that flexibility and added liberation while doing grad studies is really special,” she says. “And I was thrilled that there was a scholarship specifically related to the Atlantic region!”