Alexandra Overvelde
Alexandra’s academic journey began in Kingston, Ontario at Queen’s University where she did her early training in Health Studies (BA). She did her MA in Geography under Dr. Jason Gilliland at Western University. Her MA research was part of the Food Retail Environment Study for Health & Economic Resiliency (FRESHER). FRESHER examined the experiences of food retail and food hospitality workers in Ontario during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Alexandra is currently a PhD candidate in Geography at Queen’s University. She is supervised by Dr. Patricia Collins (healthycityprof.ca). Alexandra is also mentored by her committee members Dr. Dan Cohen and Dr. Elaine Power. Her doctoral research came about as an extension of her masters work. It is focused on examining the precarity, health, and well-being of grocery store workers in Ontario, Canada who are employed by a Canadian grocery store chain. It is also interested in documenting how experiences of grocery employees during the COVID-19 pandemic influences current workplace conditions. She is passionate about doing research that advances equitable food system practices and labour policies to improve the well-being of individuals working in the grocery industry. Alexandra’s research is supported in part by funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council.
In her spare time, Alexandra enjoys growing vegetables and flowers in her garden. She also likes to engage with the vibrant social scene in Kingston including attending board game nights, trying new restaurants, and shopping at local markets. Alexandra is grateful for the opportunity to live so close to Lake Ontario as she can participate in the rowing community in Kingston as an athlete and a volunteer.
GROCER-HP Study 