There are many remarkable students engaged in research
at VIU. Here are a few of the many students who have been awarded research
grants, scholarships and awards from VIU and other granting agencies.
Tri-Council
Federal Granting Agencies and Internal VIU Student Research Award Recipients
Nathan Stefani – 2012 NSERC Undergraduate Student
Research Award (USRA)
Graduating
Class of 2013
VIU - Bachelor of Science, Major in Biology
With
the desire to experience scientific research firsthand, Nathan
applied for the "NSERC Undergraduate Student Research Award
(USRA)." His goal was to explore the change in gene expression
that arises in tissues of shellfish that are stressed out by temperature
or bacterial infection. As a third-year bachelor of science student,
Nathan began to work hard to prepare a cover letter and met with
his supervisor beforehand to gain a better understanding of what
he was about to embark on. "I had a fairly good picture of
what the project entailed and then I jumped right in.
It is neat to see how ideas of experiments
actually materialize into the real thing and now I have contributed
to the large body of science here at VIU." Furthermore, Nathan
is deeply grateful for the expert supervisors he worked with,
as they did not hesitate to teach him everything they could about
the research at hand and beyond.
Winning this USRA has given Nathan the opportunity to work with
state-of-the-art equipment and advanced techniques that wouldn't
normally be found in an undergrad science lab. Beyond the immediate
benefit to his science degree, this exposure is of real value
for his intended career in medicine. While growing up, Nathan
was always drawn to genetics, the blueprint of all living things.
"I have always been interested in science and research, and
to be able to come and do what I love for a whole summer, I got
a distinct appreciation for what this science thing is all about."
Nathan expresses, that what made this experience even more amazing
is the fact that he got to work with distinguished researchers.
Researchers such as Dr. Helen Gurney-Smith and Dr. Cathy Thomson,
as well as a fantastic colleague, Angeline de Bruyns, with whom
there was never a dull moment. Nathan compares the help and attention
he received to having his own personal tutor, as the staff took
time to become familiar with his strengths and weaknesses and
thus were able to support him and his goals. Forever grateful,
Nathan remarks on how his perspective of science has shifted from
an innocent student's point of view to that of a researcher who
understands a little more of what goes on behind the scenes. "I
have gained a new appreciation for what science means and a whole
new respect for those who dedicate their life to the toils and
rewards of this field. I now realize that textbooks and theories
are just the beginning. Science is more than just a body of knowledge.
It is a dynamic world that I am privileged to be part of."
Graduating
Class of 2011
VIU – Bachelor of Science, Major in Biology
After completing a degree in Biology in 2011, Phillip applied for a “NSERC Postgraduate Scholarship-Master’s Award.” With much delight, he was granted an award in the 2012 competition to investigate the “respiratory adaptations associated with regional heterothermy in sharks” at the University of British Columbia (UBC). He is currently exploring how temperatures and pH can affect the oxygen-affinity of haemoglobin in sharks and tuna, as there is little known about their breathing structure or how they cope with continuous thermal stress. Phillip has always been interested in the biology and ecology of elasmobranchs
(cartilaginous fish), but particularly in the physiology of sharks. He further developed his interests in the Biology program at VIU while completing an undergraduate research project in Biology 491, where he assessed the effects of “surgically implanted acoustic transmitters on the swimming performance of juvenile Coho salmon in seawater.” This was an important study, as studies like this have been done; however, this is the first time the seawater exposure of juvenile salmonids with recently surgically-implanted acoustic transmitters has been assessed. During this study, Phillip was introduced to his current supervisor, Professor Colin Brauner (UBC).
Phillip intends to “pursue a career in academia in the
field of comparative physiology; thus, the experience gained while
at VIU is very important to current educational and future career
goals.” He has had great experiences with both his past
and current supervisors, which makes him excited to collaborate
with other scientists and graduate students. Phillip suggests,
when applying for a “NSERC Postgraduate Scholarship-Master’s
Award,” a successful applicant must be able to develop a
scientifically valid question that sparks interest. Additionally,
“read widely in topics that interest you and see what the
authors of peer-reviewed articles suggest needs to be further
researched. Develop a simple question and expand on it. Think
broadly and draw on knowledge from all aspects of your chosen
degree program.”
CIHR
Sonya Skeeles - 2012 CIHR Health Professional
Student Research Award
Graduating
Class of 2012
VIU – Bachelor of Science in Nursing
Wanting to gain an understanding of the experiences
of young adults living with type one diabetes as they move from
the childhood (pediatric) health care system to adult health care,
Sonya started researching this issue in one of her classes. Her
desire to explore this subject was based on knowing that many
young adults living with Type One Diabetes do not follow up with
their health care needs once leaving the closely monitored pediatric
system. At the age of eighteen they enter the adult health care
system where there is a need for them to become more self- reliant.
For some, taking care of their personal health gets neglected
as stresses of school, work, and living on their own take priority.
This can result in uncontrolled blood sugar levels, which lead
to a vast amount of other complex health concerns, including kidney
and heart issues. Therefore, Sonya began to work closely with
her nursing instructor, Dr. Ann Holroyd and soon realized she
was in the perfect position to apply for the "CIHR Health
Professional Student Research Award.”
When applying, Sonya suggests being thorough, clear and rational
in order to make a strong point. You must have a strong question
that grabs the reader's interest and then just go for it.
Additionally, it is helpful to have a good understanding of how
the research process works and if the research being done will
eventually lead to a positive change with the issue at hand. It
is all about "taking the bigger puzzle and breaking it down into a smaller
working area because the bigger puzzle can only come together
when the small pieces are put together." This research can
help society as a whole and can also be taken down to the individual
level and vice-versa. Working closely with Dr. Ann Holroyd and
the Canadian Diabetes Association throughout her research, gave
Sonya the confidence to carry on with research in the future.
Now graduated and working for Vancouver Island Health Authority,
Sonya plans to carry on her research as she truly sees that in
order to better support this population, there is a need to understand
the challenges and diverse needs of those transitioning from childhood
diabetic to adult diabetic care.
Graduating Class
of 2013
VIU – Master's of Arts in Sustainable Leisure Management
In her final year of the Tourism Management program
at VIU, Shannon was preparing herself for the transition into
grad school when she decided to apply for the" SSHRC Joseph-Armand
Bombardier Canada Graduate Scholarship." With the help of
her professors and completing various research assistant work-op
positions, she gained the confidence to develop her application.
While in her 3rd year of VIU’s Tourism Management degree
program, Shannon took a Rural Development course that explored
the complexities that make up a rural community.
Shannon became extremely interested
in the subject area and thus decided to examine the perspectives
of young adults on existing retention strategies that are available
in Western Canada for her thesis research.
When preparing her application for the "SSHRC Joseph-Armand
Bombardier Canada Graduate Scholarship," Shannon utilized
her support systems consisting of her classmates, professors and
the VIU SSHRC Scholarship Selection Committee, which helped her
to develop a strong research proposal. She suggests, leaving yourself
lots of time so you can meet and brainstorm ideas with your professors
and other experts involved in your area of research. "Completing
the application was the hardest thing I worked for. This was by
far the highest goal I had ever set for myself, but after gaining
confidence and unconditional support from my professors, I realized
that I had to apply the skills which I developed throughout my
undergraduate degree program and my numerous work-op experiences.
It was scary trusting myself that I actually had the skills to
complete this application. However, it was a great feeling to
have the support from my professors and classmates who were constantly
building my confidence, throughout the whole process. Preparing
this application and receiving this award has changed my life!"
Conclusively, the experience has helped her advance her research
skill set and to establish a direction for her thesis research
she will be conducting while in VIU’s Master of Arts in
Sustainable Leisure Management program. Shannon is grateful for
all the help and support she received throughout the process and
will continue to work hard to make her thesis research a success.
"This experience showed me that if you put your mind to something,
you can totally achieve it. Just remember that if people are investing
time into helping you out, you want to give them a good return
on their investment, so work hard to complete the process and
don’t forget to say please and thank-you along the way."
STAR
Anne Ellison - 2012 Student Travel and Conference
Fund and the Jessica Wilde Conference Participation Fund
Graduating Class
of 2012
VIU – Bachelor of Science, Major in Biology
With a desire to investigate the intelligence of
turkey vultures, Anne, a 4th year biology student decided
to undertake a research project that would test the cleverness
of the bird by using a string-pulling approach. The results showed
that Turkey Vultures are capable of high cognitive function, thus
her biology advisor, Eric Demers, suggested that she summit her
research and attend the North American Ornithological Conference
in Vancouver, B.C. Anne took her advisor’s advice and applied
for funding.
With all her hard work, she was awarded
money for the “Student Travel and Conference Fund and the
Jessica Wilde Conference Participation Fund” and given the
opportunity to present her research to biologists, faculty, and
students within her field. “It is hard to describe what
it feels like to be sitting in a theatre with 1,500 other people
who share your own passions and research interests.”
Although nerve-wracking, Anne says the experience was priceless
and it has helped her to feel confident about presenting her work
to others. When applying for funding, she suggests to work with
your professors closely and let them give you advice because they
have probably applied for funding themselves and they will know
what details are important to include in an application. Additionally,
one should also prepare their application well in advance, so
there is time to make recommended changes. Overall, this opportunity
has allowed Anne to surround herself with many professionals that
have dedicated their lives to the work she loves and is pursuing.
An added benefit is that after attending the conference, she became
extremely motivated to tackle her graduate work. Through this
experience, Anne knows that she will attend more conferences in
the future with great confidence and a new understanding. However,
presenting as a student from VIU is an incomparable practice,
“You get to spend an intense few days learning about new
research and techniques, generating ideas, networking and meeting
new people. You never know who you are going to meet and where
those connections will end up.“
Scholarly Activity Database
