People

Sophia Viatela is an MA student in Women’s, Gender and Sexuality Studies and holds an Honours Bachelor of Arts in Psychology with a French specialization from the University of Ottawa, where her studies integrated psychology with gender studies, sociology, philosophy, anthropology, and community-based research.

With a background in psychology and an interdisciplinary interest in gender, culture, and social normativity, Sophia’s academic work explores how identity and social structures are established through everyday life, shaping not only individual experience but also the production of meaning, belonging, and inequality.

Sophia also served as a public servant for the Canadian government as an Analytical Assistant with the Psychological Suitability Centre of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), where she supported the analysis of psychological assessment metrics within a government and public-safety context. This experience has deepened her interest in intersectionality by highlighting how psychological research can inform public policy and organizational decision-making.

Grounded in intersectional feminist theory and epistemologies, Sophia’s research interests engage deeply with the ways institutions operate as both material and symbolic systems of power. She hopes to pursue research that bridges these disciplines to better understand how identity, inequality, and social experience are produced and negotiated across different cultural and institutional contexts.