My name is Tara Petti, I am a First Nation student registered to Peguis First Nation, Manitoba, with family ties to George Gordon First Nation, Saskatchewan. I am a first-year PhD student in the Rady Faculty of Health Sciences, College of Community and Global Health, at the University of Manitoba, in the Department of Community Health Sciences, supervised by Dr. Josée Lavoie.

I hold a Master of Social Work (University of Calgary), a Bachelor of Social Work (University of Manitoba), and a Bachelor of Arts (University of Winnipeg).

My research interests focus on child welfare, systemic outcomes, well-being, data collection, and data sovereignty. With over twenty years of experience, I continue to work in First Nations child welfare across Manitoba and Canada. It is imperative that community knowledge and strength guide transformation and practice. In my studies, I pursue research that strengthens policy, practice, and outcomes for First Nations children, families, and communities.

I applied to the SPECTRUM Research Partnership Fellowship because its mission aligns with my professional experience and academic goals. SPECTRUM’s integration of community, government, and academic expertise to inform equitable social policy reflects my commitment to bridging data, research, and community priorities. Its co-production model—linking administrative data with community-driven inquiry—mirrors my approach of ensuring evidence is meaningful, culturally grounded, and actionable. This Fellowship offers an opportunity to deepen analytical skills, co-design policy-relevant research, and advance equity and data sovereignty principles foundational to community-based research.