Valentina Ornelas is a PhD student in Political Science at York University. She holds a BA in Political Science and Family Studies from the University of Guelph and an MA in Applied Politics from Wilfrid Laurier University. She has experience conducting research on the housing sector and homelessness in Canada, as well as policy research in the public and nonprofit sectors. Valentina also continues to work in the financial technology sector as a market researcher, gaining experience applying research to organizational decision-making. Her doctoral research focuses on adverse childhood experiences and the role of institutions and public policy in preventing and responding to childhood adversity in Ontario. As a Research Assistant on the African Extractivism and the Green Transition project, she hopes to expand her research knowledge and gain experience working across new policy areas, perspectives, and fields throughout her PhD.

‍