Dr. Hadiya Roderique is an award-winning writer, consultant, advisor, researcher, and lawyer. Dr. Roderique was a Junior Fellow at Massey College from 2014 to 2019 and is a current Associate at McKinsey & Company. She holds an Honours Bachelor of Science from McGill University and is a two-time alumna of the University of Toronto with a combined Juris Doctor degree and a Master of Arts in Criminology where she received the award for the highest standing in the J.D./M.A, program, and a doctoral degree in Management from the Rotman School of Management. Dr. Hadiya Roderique has received numerous accolades for her writing including the 2021 National Magazine Award Gold Medal for Best Short Feature and the 2018 Digital Publishing Award Gold Medal for Best Personal Essay. Dr. Hadiya Roderique was also named one of Canada’s Top 25 Most Influential Lawyers by Canadian Lawyers’ Magazine in 2018.
As a Junior Massey Fellow, Dr. Roderique led various committees and initiatives that advanced equity and inclusion at the College and the wider community. She was the co-chair of the Gender Relations and Equity Committee and co-hosted a book club, with the Honourable Mr. Justice Michael Tulloch, to discuss Policing Black Lives” State Violence in Canada from Slavery to the Present by Robyn Maynard. Dr. Roderique was the inaugural Walrus Editorial Fellow and National Post Journalism Fellow for the College. In these roles, Dr. Roderique wrote two long features that brought attention to anti-Black racism in online dating and loneliness. Her contributions to Massey College were acknowledged in 2019 with the Clarkson Laureateship in Public Service.
Dr. Roderique is a transformative force and has a long history of serving her community. She has served on the boards of Ultimate Canada, the Women’s Legal Education and Action Fund, the Canadian Association of Black Lawyers. On the creative side, Dr. Hadiya Roderique is working on two short stories, a novel, and TV pilot based on her personal story and pushing to elevate and bring Black stories to media.
Can you describe a key moment as Junior Fellow?
It was a great honor to receive the Clarkson Laureateship in Public Service award and attend lunch with the Right Honourable Adrienne Clarkson. Another key moment was being matched with my mentor, Michael McMillan, through the Massey College Mentorship Program. This has been the most enduring relationship I’ve made through Massey and I consider him both a mentor and friend.
I always loved participating in the Coffee House events and would often a song with Francesco Ducci, another Junior Fellow, who is an excellent guitar player.
What words of encouraging would you give to future Massey Junior Fellows?
My number one piece of advice is to apply. You have nothing to lose. It will take you a bit of time to put your application together and just believe in yourself. You’ll get a lot of exposure to amazing people.
Being a Junior Fellow also helped me to refine how I explain my research to people who were outside my field of research. Every time I attended an event and met a new person, helped me learn to describe my research succinctly and accessible. It will help you become an interdisciplinary scholar, which the profession is calling for in greater ways.
