University of Saskatchewan (USask) graduate Heather Alford (BusAdm’19, BA’22, MSc’25) knows firsthand the positive impact that scholarships, awards, and research funding can have on a post-secondary student’s academic journey.

She’s sharing her experiences in advance of USask’s annual Giving Day, which will be held on Sept. 10 and will enable USask’s community of donors, alumni, faculty, staff, and students to come together in support of critical research, student success, and more.

Alford, who is currently a PhD student in USask’s College of Pharmacy and Nutrition, studied in the Edwards School of Business and in the College of Arts and Science before receiving her master’s degree in nutrition during the university’s 2025 Spring Convocation. Over the years, Alford’s achievements at USask have been recognized with various scholarships and awards, including honours at the annual Life & Health Sciences Research Expo on campus.

“This support has made me feel like a part of the research community at USask,” she said.
“It allowed me to attend conferences, share my work nationally, and focus on working on projects I’m passionate about. It’s motivating when others believe in the importance of this research.”

Alford, who grew up in Swan River, Man., followed in her older sisters’ footsteps by becoming a USask student. As a doctoral researcher supervised by Dr. Allison Cammer (BScNutr’97, BA’03, MSc’07, PhD’18), Alford is currently investigating how families use mealtimes to maintain connections with loved ones diagnosed with dementia. She is also focused on how family involvement promotes better health outcomes for people living with dementia.

“My grandfather lived with dementia, and I saw firsthand how mealtimes remained an important way of connecting with him as his abilities changed. That experience, along with learning how underfunded and under resourced long-term care is, motivated me to focus on how families can be supported to participate in this space. Families are an important resource in long-term care,” Alford said.

“My master’s thesis showed that families use mealtimes not just for nutrition, but as a way to maintain relationships and preserve identity for loved ones with dementia,” she added. “I identified both barriers and facilitators to family involvement; for example, staff shortages can make participation difficult, but small adjustments—like welcoming families at mealtimes and having seating available—can make a big difference.”

After she defends her PhD thesis, Alford plans to continue working as a research coordinator at the College of Pharmacy and Nutrition and the Canadian Centre for Rural and Agricultural Health at USask. She said the best part of studying, working, and engaging in research at USask “is being surrounded by supportive mentors and peers who are passionate about research and improving health systems and outcomes.”

“I’ve had strong support from my supervisors and research colleagues, especially through the Canadian Centre for Rural and Agricultural Health. My supervisor always goes the extra mile for her students. Her dedication to her research and students is so inspiring. She has created opportunities for me to share my research, from conferences to community collaborations,” said Alford.

“Financial support through scholarships and awards has allowed me to dedicate my work to this research. I’ve also been able to work as a research coordinator on multiple projects, which gave me opportunities to broaden my skills and contribute to impactful studies,” she added.

“I’m really grateful to do this research. Dementia affects so many families and mealtimes are something everyone can relate to. Being able to contribute research to support this area of care keeps me motivated and proud to be part of USask.”

USask Giving Day is coming up on Sept. 10, 2025. Whether you are passionate about scholarships, the Huskies, or groundbreaking research, you can support the area that matters the most to you. For Sept. 10 only, each gift to USask will be matched up to $1,000 per gift while matching funds last. This Giving Day, join the USask community and be part of something big! Visit give.usask.ca to learn more.