July 2025

A moment at Dal that I’ll never forget would have to be Recreation Orientation (Rec O). I still remember it like it was yesterday. I got to meet my professors and faculty members in a not so formal environment where they fostered a welcoming and inclusive environment that gave me the sense of belonging I had been looking for after my first year at Dal.

In the online world where radical ideologies flourish in the shadows, Dr. Luc Cousineau is shining a bright, necessary light. As Co-Director of Research at the Canadian Institute for Far-Right Studies (CIFRS) and a Recreation Management Instructor in the School of Health and Human Performance, he studies how online communities—particularly those focused on anti-equity and masculinist ideologies—form, evolve and exert influence.

My personal experiences with mental health challenges in my youth sparked an interest in pursuing psychology. After completing my master’s degree in clinical psychology in 2018, I had the opportunity to work as a research assistant on a project exploring resilience and mental health among young Indian adults who had overcome childhood adversities, at IIT Hyderabad in India.