Second-year master's student recognized for her knowledge, creativity and curiosity.
It’s been a busy year for Emma Heath. Between being elected President of the University of Manitoba Graduate and Postdoctoral Society (UMGPS) and finalizing her thesis proposal on balance in older adults, the second-year master’s student is redefining what it means to be a student leader.
Heath, originally from Calgary, says she didn’t plan to run for president but saw an opportunity to make a difference, a common theme throughout Heath’s life.
“I like to think I have a very strong sense of justice, and I want to do something to help when I see things that can be changed,” she says.
It’s not just her peers who elected her that see Heath’s potential to make a difference. She was named the 2025 Ruth Asper Scholarship recipient in Kinesiology and Recreation Management, which helps support graduate student research and training within the faculty. The recipient is handpicked by Ruth Asper [BPE/'81; BRS/'83], an FKRM alum recognized for her dedication to community service.
“There were definitely some tears as I called my mum and boyfriend,” says Heath. “You look at the names of people who have won this award previously and it just gives you a lot of self-confidence in your work.”
Heath’s work explores falls and balance, particularly in older adults. Her interest in biomechanics started as she watched a relative struggle during a hip replacement. During that time, she took a class with Dr. Jonathan Singer, whose work explores the mechanisms humans use to maintain stability. The timing opened her eyes to the field's impact on people's everyday lives.
“Falling can seem simple, but it is a very complicated issue. It’s biomechanical, it’s physiological, it’s anatomical, it’s psychological. Part of falling is even subconscious,” says Heath.
Singer’s classes often featured introductions from current graduate students explaining their work. This piqued Heath’s interest in the tangible change research can create. Encouragement from Singer, teaching assistants and other graduate students led her to her own path in research.
“Their encouragement really opened my eyes to research being something that I could do as well,” says Heath.
Singer says Heath’s approaches her work with a unique curiosity and creativity. He says she is always quick to ask questions outside class, leading to thoughtful discussions about how the material they cover can be applied to different situations.
“Emma is a highly intelligent, capable and extremely motivated student and her work ethic is becoming well known across the faculty,” says Singer. “But her ability to take information, understand it and find ways to translate it to others, no matter who they are, is really exceptional.”
For Heath, research is a world of endless possibilities, where no question is too small. Contributing to a greater body of understanding is what makes her work exciting. It’s also why she’s looking forward to FKRM’s annual Research Day.
“It's an opportunity to talk about your research with your peers and learn from the experts,” says Heath. “It’s really a day to bring the community together.”
Research Day is a knowledge-sharing event featuring researcher spotlights, poster presentations and breakout sessions. At last year’s event, Heath placed third in the master’s poster competition.
For Heath, the event’s importance goes beyond the data. It breaks the isolation that often comes with advanced studies.
“It can be isolating when it feels like there's no one else who understands what you're doing as well as you do,” says Heath. “But to have that network of people who maybe don't understand exactly what you're doing, but they understand what you're going through, that’s very important to have that.”
As she begins her term as the UMGPC Present, Health hopes to bring that same sense of community to the broader campus. Her campaign was built on accountability, transparency and support – and extension of the “sense of justice” that drives her. In her new role, she aims to create a stronger UMGPS that supports graduate students on their journeys.
UM is home to researchers and scholars who respond to emerging issues and lead innovation in our province and around the world. Creating knowledge that matters is one of the strategic themes you’ll find in MomentUM: Leading change together, the University of Manitoba’s 2024–2029 strategic plan.
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