Lee Todd was born and raised in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. He completed his undergraduate work at the University of Saskatchewan in the spring of 2008, receiving a B.A., Honours in Political Studies with a focus in International Relations. He continued his academic career in the fall of 2009 by enrolling in the Master’s Program in Political Studies. Again, he is concentrating his focus in International Relations and is writing his thesis on the factors that led to the successful resolution of the conflict in Aceh, Indonesia. While most of Lee’s experiences and studies have dealt with the Global South, he has spent numerous summers camping in Northern Saskatchewan and admiring the beauty that it has to offer. Lee is therefore very excited to join the UArctic team and hopes to gain knowledge about the Circumpolar North while contributing to the development and growth of such a valuable program.
Tyra Ohman was born and raised in Canada’s North, in a town called Sioux Lookout. The town is surrounded by beautiful nature, bountiful forests and an array of fresh water lakes. Tyra moved to Southern Ontario to pursue her post-secondary education. At the University of Guelph Tyra completed her Honours Bachelor of Arts, with a major in political science and a minor in criminal justice and public policy. In her undergraduate studies, Tyra was able to study extensively in the area of Aboriginal politics. This area of interest led her to further pursue her academic career at the University of Saskatchewan.
Tyra is pursuing her master’s degree in Political Studies. She has joined a research project which focuses on research in the Arctic region, which allows her to further pursue her interests in Canada’s north, while completing her studies. Her family's Scandinavian cultural heritage (Swedish) and traditions also have strongly influenced her identity and interest in these regions of the world.
With UArctic’s merging of disciplines and countries together in an effort to further develop, deliver, and share knowledge in the world’s northern region, Tyra is looking forward to working for the UArctic!