Joanne is a PhD candidate at Queen’s University studying under Dr. Allan English. She completed her BA at Queen’s in 2014, and her MSc at the London School of Economics and Political Science in 2015. Joanne returned to academia in 2021 to complete her PhD, which focuses on the growth of the Canadian military in the early Cold War (1948-1956), the development of an intimate continental defence relationship with the United States, and how Louis St. Laurent’s government used Canada’s military to advance his vision for the nation.  

Her broad research interests include Canada’s military and political history, Canada’s role in international alliances, and the evolution of the Canadian identity. She is also interested in relationships between political and military leaders, how leaders’ personalities and backgrounds shape their decision making, and the how the Canadian public’s perception of national security needs has shifted over time.  

Her professional background includes researching and producing Heritage Minutes for Historica Canada, marketing, and event management. She is the founder of Livy Consulting, a company that provides detailed historical research reports to film production companies.  

Joanne is a research fellow at NAADSN and a member of the Canadian Defence and Security Network (CDSN). In 2023 she was awarded the Donald S. Rickerd Fellowship in Canadian-American Studies, as well as the John K. Hulston Scholarship for her research at the Harry S. Truman and Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Libraries.