Hollis Peirce is a physically disabled BA/MA Carleton graduate in History. During his years at Carleton University, he very often faced physical boundaries, such as taking a book off the bookshelf at the library, or not being able to hit buttons in the elevator. Those physical boundaries inspired his MA thesis on the topic of academic accessibility in Canada, using Carleton as a case study.

Hollis found his calling in the Department of History during his undergraduate degree, while taking “The Historian’s Craft”’ in his third year. This class, in particular, is what inspired further research into the Digital Humanities as well, which allowed him to do more research using digital tools to be a stronger and more efficient academic researcher.

Hollis was very fortunate to have parents who were able to help him through his academic years. By founding the Hollis Peirce Bursary for Students with Disabilities, Hollis hopes to help other students with physical disabilities, achieve their own academic goals in spite of financial burdens or hardship. This bursary will be awarded annually to students with a permanent physical disability in demonstrated financial need who are entering or continuing any program of study at Carleton, with a preference for students enrolled in a program within the Department of History.