VIU Students at Beach

Chemistry

Solving real-world problems with computational chemistry

Submitted by Jenn McGarrigle on March 15, 2023 - 6:23pm

Doing research as an undergraduate student has helped Savannah Mercer make the connection between what she is learning in class and how it can be applied in the real world.

The fourth-year Bachelor of Science student is part of Dr. Heather Wiebe’s Molecular Modelling Research Group, which specializes in computational chemistry. The group uses computer simulations to answer scientific questions.

Savannah, whose hometown is Parksville, decided to attend VIU because it was close to home and offered small class sizes.

Gaining a global research perspective

Submitted by Rachel Stern on November 30, 2022 - 9:28am

Angelina Jaeger expanded her research horizons for three months in Germany after earning a spot in a prestigious summer internship program.

She received a German Academic Exchange (DAAD) Research Internships in Science and Engineering (RISE) scholarship. Angelina is the first Vancouver Island University undergraduate student to receive this scholarship and competed with students from North American, British and Irish universities. Only 320 scholarships were awarded.