Program Host Dr. Adrienne Chan, Associate Vice‐President Research, Engagement, and Graduate Studies Welcome Dr. Gwen Point, UFV Chancellor Board Chair Remarks Mr. John Pankratz, Second Vice‐Chair, UFV Board of Governors President’s Remarks Dr. Mark Evered, President and Vice‐Chancellor Dinner Buffet VP Academic Remarks Dr. Eric Davis, Provost and Vice‐President Academic Student Speakers Ms. Sarah Ferencz, Criminology & Criminal Justice, College of Arts Mr. Amar Sriram, Nursing, Faculty of Health Sciences Acknowledgement of Student Awards Dr. Adrienne Chan, Associate Vice‐President Awards Presentations Dr. Garry Fehr, Director, Agriculture Centre for Excellence Dr. Jacqueline Nolte, Dean, College of Arts Dr. Joanne MacLean, Dean, Faculty of Health Sciences Dr. Tracy Ryder‐Glass, Dean, Faculty of Professional Studies Dr. Lucy Lee, Dean, Faculty of Science Closing Remarks UFV Undergraduate Research Excellence Awards 2016 1 2 UFV Undergraduate Research Excellence Awards 2016 Welcome to the 2016 Undergraduate Research Excellence Awards Presentation NSERC Undergraduate Student Research Awards (USRA) $4,500 USRA Award Recipients Tonight the University of the Fraser Valley is delighted to present 25 students with research awards totalling over $19,000. These students were nominated by faculty for exceptional research work, either as part of the UFV work study program, as research assistants, or for an outstanding research project as part of a course. We also acknowledge the many students who received other prestigious awards from UFV, federal granting agencies, and external organizations. Congratulations to all the students who work so diligently to generate award‐ winning research projects. You are an inspiration! There cannot be mental atrophy in any person who continues to observe, to remember what he observes, and to seek answers for his unceasing hows and whys about things. These national awards are meant to stimulate interest in research in the natural sciences and engineering. They allow students to gain valuable research experience that complements their studies by working full time for a term with a nationally recognized UFV faculty researcher. Additional funds are provided by the faculty researcher’s grant. Gaganjeet Mahil, Biology Faculty Researcher: Lucy Lee Harsh Sidhu, Biology Faculty Researcher: Lucy Lee Gagandeep Singh Rai, Biology Faculty Researcher: Lucy Lee Alexander Graham Bell, Inventor With more than 15,000 students attending UFV this year, these awards represent only a small portion of the research and other scholarly activities in which students are involved that enrich their UFV experience. Abigail Sherwood, Chemistry Faculty Researcher: Noham Weinberg Miranda Louwerse, Chemistry Faculty Researcher: Noham Weinberg Jordan Bryce, Geography & the Environment Faculty Researcher: Olav Lian Travis Gingerich, Geography & the Environment Faculty Researcher: Olav Lian UFV Undergraduate Research Excellence Awards 2016 3 4 UFV Undergraduate Research Excellence Awards 2016 UFV Student Research Day Awards Award: Dean, College of Arts $150 Daniella McEwan, English Identity, resistance, social justice: Dalit poetics and politics Faculty Supervisor: Prabhjot Parmar Each year UFV Research Services invites undergraduate student researchers to showcase their work by participating in a MicroLecture, poster presentation, or both. More than 80 students connected at this lively interactive event and competed for scholarship awards between $150‐200. Award: Dean, College of Arts $150 Audrey Faber, Geography & the Environment Investigation into the possible effects of agriculture on the geochemistry of Willband Creek in Abbotsford, BC, Canada Faculty Supervisor: Steven Marsh This year the event was combined with the BC Undergraduate Research Conference which included students from other BC universities also competing for prizes. Engagement in research and events such as this can help students obtain scholarships, awards, and graduate school positions. It also contributes to UFV’s strategic goal of providing “the best undergraduate education in Canada.” Award: Dean, Faculty Science $150 Richelle Acreman & Katherine Flach, Biology A reference atlas of thyroid histology of Pseudacris Faculty Supervisor: Allan Arndt UFV Student Research Day Awards Award: Provost & Vice‐President Academic $200 Spencer Justice, Psychology Instances of Mental Contamination and Detection of Violated Norms Faculty Supervisor: Wayne Podrouzek Award: AVP Research, Engagement & Graduate Studies $200 Vivienne Beard, Biology Annotation of contig10 of the 3L chromosome of Drosophila elegans Faculty Supervisor: James Bedard Award: Vice Provost and Associate Vice‐President Academic $150 Hailey Davenport, Psychology The Impact of Cell Phone Removal on Adolescent's, Young Adult's, and Middle Aged Adult's Experience of Anxiety & Loneliness Faculty Supervisor: Lesley Jessiman UFV Undergraduate Research Excellence Awards 2016 5 Award: Dean, Faculty of Professional Studies $150 Jessica Warkentin, Social Work Merging meta‐verbal therapies and social work practice in British Columbia Faculty Supervisor: Leah Douglas Award: Dean, Faculty of Health Sciences $150 Taylor Mutis, Kinesiology and Physical Education Heart Rate Monitors Use in a Physical Activity Program for Children with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) Faculty Supervisors: Alison Pritchard‐Orr and Kathy Keiver 6 UFV Undergraduate Research Excellence Awards 2016 BC Undergraduate Research Conference Canada Graduate Scholarships Award: Vice Provost and Associate Vice‐President Academic $150 Lena Yacyshen, Visual Arts West Coast Festival Series Faculty Supervisor: Grace Tsurumaru $17,500 Joseph-Armand Bombardier SSHRC The objective of the Canada Graduate Scholarships‐Master’s Program is to help develop research skills and assist in the training of highly qualified personnel by supporting students who demonstrate a high standard of achievement in undergraduate and early graduate studies. Award: Dean, College of Arts $150 Candice Okada, Visual Arts Post‐Internet Art Faculty Supervisor: Grace Tsurumaru Sophie Smit, Psychology Faculty Researcher: Patricia Ackland Award: Dean, College of Arts $150 Nicholas Toews, Psychology The Production Effect: Moving beyond Verbatim Memory Faculty Supervisor: Andrea Hughes Other Scholarships Award: Dean, Faculty of Professional Studies $150 Manjot Pandher, Business The Truth Behind RateMyProfessors.com Faculty Supervisor: David Dobson Jordan Bryce, Geography & the Environment | $46,000 Faculty Researcher: Olav Lian Hakai Fellowship (2 years) Award: Dean, Faculty of Health Sciences $150 Bradley Watson, Kinesiology and Physical Education The Effects of Physical Activity on Executive Function Tasks in Children with FASD Faculty Supervisors: Kathy Keiver and Alison Pritchard‐Orr Go to ufv.ca/research/students— research to see photos of Student Research Day and videos of the 23 student MicroLectures. Dylan Thiessen, Political Science | $10,800 Faculty Researcher: Hamish Telford Queen Elizabeth II Scholarship, University of Calgary Note: Dylan also won the BC Political Science Association Upper Division Essay Prize and very successfully presented his paper at the BCPSA conference this spring. From now on, I’ll connect the dots my own way. Tyler Blackman, Geography & the Environment | $15,000 Faculty Researchers: Garry Fehr and Terah Sportel $10,000 Graduate Fellowship and $5,000 Graduate Entrance Award, University of Victoria Bill Watterson, Cartoonist Calvin & Hobbes UFV Undergraduate Research Excellence Awards 2016 7 8 UFV Undergraduate Research Excellence Awards 2016 UFV Undergraduate Research Excellence Award Recipients UFV Undergraduate Research Excellence Award Recipients Industry Liaison Research Award Faculty of Health Sciences Jessica Davies, Raymond Nguyen, Aidan O’Reilly, Physics Bradley Watson, Kinesiology and Physical Education College of Arts Melissa McNeice, Communications Faculty of Professional Studies Erica Braumberger, English Delaney Minor, Manjot Pandher, Seth Stenner, Business Dana Mandeville, History Susan Hunt, Child, Youth & Family Studies Candice Okada, Visual Arts Jessica Warkentin, Social Work Ruben Timmerman, Criminology and Criminal Justice Brigid Egan‐Pimblett, Kenny Hoogwater, Jeevin Phagura, Economics Faculty of Science Tyler Blackman, Geography & the Environment Aneet Bains, Biology Zaki Al‐Dhamari, Indo‐Canadian Studies Miranda Louwerse, Chemistry Ian Hancock, Media & Communications Studies Dylan Thiessen, Political Science The mind is not a vessel to be filled, but a hearth to be lighted. Alison Hughes, Psychology Laura Funk, Sociology Irene Parlby, 1868‐1905 and member of the “Famous Five” UFV Undergraduate Research Excellence Awards 2016 9 10 UFV Undergraduate Research Excellence Awards 2016 Industry Liaison Research Award Automation Applications in Honey Extraction Jessica Davies Raymond Nguyen Aidan O’Reilly To briefly describe the project, we were asked to automate the honey de‐boxing module at Honeyview Farms located in Chilliwack, BC. Essentially, what we needed was a system to remove honeycomb frames from the inside of industry standard boxes called “supers”. Physics Faculty Supervisor: Lin Long Program Head: Jeff Chizma Award: $350 each Jessica Davies: The reason I chose this project for my final course in Mechatronics is because I knew that it would help prepare me for the real, working world. Being able to work on an industry level project during the Engineering Physics diploma program was an exciting opportunity that benefited me greatly, teaching me many things that will be necessary for any projects in future jobs I might attain. Raymond Nguyen: I am a student enrolled in the Bachelor of Science program majoring in physics, while simultaneously going for the mechatronics diploma. I intend to graduate in the 2016 Fall semester and I will then hopefully be on my way to becoming an EIT (Engineer in Training). I am not exactly sure which field I want to end my career in, but robotics seems like the path I want to go down. Aidan O’Reilly: I will be graduating this year with a Bachelor of Science with a major in Physics and will also be getting an Engineering Physics diploma. This project was for the Engineering Physics diploma and I chose to work on this specific project as it had real world applicability. UFV Undergraduate Research Excellence Awards 2016 11 The current system used at the farm requires manual operation of a foot press in order to keep the process in operation. What this means is that we require somebody to literally stand there and step on a button in order for the farm to be productive, which of course is very inefficient in terms of man power. The result of our work was that we were successful in creating an industrial grade simulated system to run the de‐boxing module indefinitely. By industrial grade, our designs are over‐engineered to account for realistic problems (temperature, corrosion, and material wear). If approved by the owner of Honeyview Farms, Peter Awram, we hope to see our designed system manufactured and assembled, and perhaps used as the new and efficient module for the honey‐wax industry! 12 UFV Undergraduate Research Excellence Awards 2016 Melissa McNeice Erica Braumberger Communications English Faculty Supervisor: David Thomson Program Head: Samantha Pattridge Award: $1,000 Faculty Supervisor: Nadeane Trowse; Program Head: Hilary Turner Award: $1,000 Melissa is graduating with her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology in June and is planning on taking her Master of Occupational Therapy at UBC within the next two years. She became interested in this project as she has always had a passion for working with children, and some individuals she had worked with in the past were bullied themselves. Melissa had hoped that by doing this project, she could help children like those she worked with by shedding some light on interventions proven to be effective in minimizing bullying behaviour. Effective Interventions to Bullying in Elementary Schools This research paper examines what interventions have been shown to help reduce face‐to‐face (as opposed to online) bullying among elementary school students. It discusses what bullying is and the characteristics of both bullies and victims; as well as describes the negative impact bullying has on everyone involved. Current anti‐ bullying policies are evaluated and further recommendations of how to deal with bullying are given. It has been found that whole‐school approaches to bullying are the most effective in reducing face‐to‐face bullying among elementary school students. These findings are important as they can help those involved in bullying as well as those wishing to deal with the issue appropriately, such as parents and schools. UFV Undergraduate Research Excellence Awards 2016 13 I am graduating with a Bachelor of Arts English Honours degree and, after a short break, I intend on returning to academia. I plan on pursuing a law degree and a career in legal research, however I have not yet let go of the idea of completing a Master in Library/Archival Sciences or perhaps a Master of English. You learn a lot about writing and about yourself when taking on a project that is of a larger scale than you are accustomed to, and I honestly believe that everyone should embrace these opportunities. It's a delight to see your work and your process change over time. “Great knowledge, while good, had not saved the world”: The Dystopian Destabilization of Knowledge in Ursula K. Le Guin's The Left Hand of Darkness, Kurt Vonnegut's Cat's Cradle, and Walter Miller's A Canticle for Leibowitz I chose to write about dystopia because I have been a fan since reading "Animal Farm" as a child. I became fascinated with the idea that despite the fact that nearly every generation on record has wondered if it is the last one to exist, recent generations grow increasingly anxious on this point. Dystopia is a delicate balance of despair and hope. This project handles how knowledge enters this continuum. Classical dystopians often express their great fear of society's "dumbing down," yet the authors addressed in this essay offer representative anecdotes for an emerging trend to fear not just the loss of knowledge, but also the acquisition of it. The social disinclination towards expertise that is embedded in dystopias and in human thought is of prime importance in this investigation. We want knowledge yet it equips us with pollution and atom bombs, we distrust experts yet we need them. These paradoxes are at the core of dystopia and humanity; we move constantly toward progress, yet this same progress and ever‐expanding body of knowledge is what both designs us and destroys us. 14 UFV Undergraduate Research Excellence Awards 2016 Dana Mandeville Candice Okada History Visual Arts Faculty Supervisor: Larissa Horne; Program Head: Chris Leach Award: $1,000 Faculty Supervisor: Grace Tsurumaru Program Head: Shelley Stephan Award: $1,000 Since beginning my degree, I have spent countless nights deciphering articles that might as well have been written in a foreign language, working through my disjointed ideas, out loud, as my loving family’s eyes glazed over and starring dejectedly at a blank computer screen, the blinking cursor mocking my lack of progress. Miraculously, I graduate this summer. My journey began two years ago when, with a background in environmental sciences, I applied to Bachelor of Arts program at UFV. During my first semester I registered for an upper level history class. That same semester I declared my major and the rest is “History.” My future plans include applying to the TEP program and pursuing a career as an elementary school teacher. A Phoenix Rising: Belarusian Civil Society Under the Lukashenko Regime This paper examines the discrepancies between the Belarusian constitution, which espouses democratic values, and the multiple laws put into place by President Lukashenko, colloquially referred to as “Europe’s last dictator,” which effectively deny the citizens of Belarus these freedoms. Despite the oppressive laws, harsh repercussions for disobedience, and the seeming apathy of the vast majority of the public, my paper argues that Belarus does have a functioning civil society, one that it is increasingly permeating in the Belarusian consciousness. My paper cites examples of religious activism, including the continuing struggle between the New Life Church and the state over their right to assemble, political activism, which has included demonstrations over 30 000 strong but is also manifested in subtle creative forms to disseminate the message while avoiding persecution and artistic activism, where actors embody Belarusian nationalism, including use of the Belarusian language, regarded by many as a symbol of opposition and counter‐ power. During the process of writing this paper I was reminded of the importance of approaching research with an open mind. Western standards are not universal. UFV Undergraduate Research Excellence Awards 2016 15 I decided to research this particular topic, post‐internet art, because it brings together my interest in culture, technology and the emerging prevalence of our digital/virtual selves. While completing this research at UFV I became aware of notions of Big Data, and plan on investigating this topic more in‐depth while I complete my MFA at UBC. Google Chrome Art History: Guide to Modernist Painting; n33dl3w0rk; The Black Dandy Was Here: Yinka Shonibare's Re-imagined History of British Art The project that I am currently developing is an investigation into the role of post‐internet art. This understanding of the post‐internet refers not to a time “after” the internet, but rather to an internet state of mind—to think in the language of the network, ever‐ connected through digital files and binary code, html, etc. And as most of us spend just as much time “online” as we do “offline,” an internet state of mind is more‐or‐less the reality of our existence. Post‐internet artists address issues of digitalization and have moved beyond making work dependent on the novelty of the internet to using its tools to address other issues. And while earlier net artists often made works that existed exclusively online, the post‐internet generation frequently uses digital strategies to create objects that exist in the real world. In the context of artistic practice, post‐ internet art, while not solely for the internet, is reliant on it. 16 UFV Undergraduate Research Excellence Awards 2016 Ruben Timmerman Brigid Egan-Pimblett Kenny Hoogwater Jeevin Phaguar Criminology & Criminal Justice Faculty Supervisors: Hayli Millar & Yvon Dandurand Director: Amy Prevost Award: $1,000 Economics I am a fourth‐year student in the Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice program at UFV, and will be graduating this June. I have recently been accepted into the Master of Arts in Global Criminology program at Utrecht University in The Netherlands, and will be moving there in September with my wife. I chose these research opportunities to develop experience in qualitative research techniques, as well as gain a greater understanding of global and transnational human rights and criminal justice issues. Human Trafficking; Homelessness in the Fraser Valley; and, States' Response to Child and Forced Marriages I have participated in a number of different research projects during my undergraduate studies at UFV. In 2014, I designed and conducted a research project examining the issue of homelessness and housing insecurity in Abbotsford, to gain a better understanding of the housing and support needs of vulnerable homeless and at‐risk populations in the community. I presented the final report at various stakeholder meetings, as well as at the University’s 2015 International Social Work Conference. Faculty Supervisor: David Dobson; Program Head: Michael Maschek Award: $350 each Brigid is a fourth year Bachelor of Business student. Kenny: My goal is to earn a Bachelor of Business with a major in accounting. I currently work full time at Hazelmere Golf & Tennis Club as the Service Manager. As I am constantly working in a busy business environment, this project was of great interest to me. It has shown me what makes the most profitable companies successful. Working with Brigid and Jeevin on this project has been a positive learning experience Jeevin: I am currently in the Bachelor of Business Administration program and I chose the Finance option. I hope to go into the investment industry, and I wanted to do this research project because it would provide me with good experience for my future aspirations. Corporate Social Responsibility and Financial Performance within the Market Place In 2015, under the supervision of Yvon Dandurand I participated in a work‐study in which I examined the nature of global child and forced marriage, and international response efforts. The revised final paper is to be profiled on the website for the International Centre for Criminal Law Reform & Criminal Justice Policy in Vancouver. This data analysis report summarizes the statistical analyses and results associated with the topic. Statistical Analyses such as Independent T‐ tests, Pearson Chi‐Square test, Two‐Way ANOVA test, and Simple Linear Regression were used to test the Research Hypothesis: “Companies that are active with CSR initiatives will have better financial performance than companies who aren’t.” The analyses procured results that supported the hypothesis, but due to limitations within the study there would have to be further research done to ensure validity and consistency of the results. This resulted in recommendations to future researchers to complete the study in a situation with less limitation and a greater amount of variables, and recommendations to the sampled Fortune 500 companies to become Green Power Partners with the EPA, and to raise their Green Score. UFV Undergraduate Research Excellence Awards 2016 18 Under the supervision of Dr. Hayli Millar, I also participated as a research assistant for a provincial law‐foundation study examining the human rights impact of Canadian efforts to combat human trafficking, particularly in relation to its international obligations under the UN Trafficking Protocol. My final critical analysis forms part of the larger empirical study on Canada’s anti‐trafficking efforts. 17 UFV Undergraduate Research Excellence Awards 2016 Tyler Blackman Zaki Al-Dhamari Geography & the Environment Indo-Canadian Studies Faculty Supervisors: Garry Fehr & Terah Sportel Program Head: Steven Marsh Award: $1,000 Director and Faculty Supervisor: Satwinder Bains Staff Supervisor: Sharanjit Sandhra Award: $1,000 Conceptualising, designing, and carrying out my own research project has been both a challenging and rewarding experience. The rich history and stories of farmworkers has deepened my understanding of past and current cultural contexts of agriculture in British Columbia. My research experience will prove invaluable as I begin graduate studies at the University of Victoria in September of 2016. Zaki is graduating from the UFV Computer Information System program with a concentration in Information Security and a minor in Criminology. Zaki’s short term goals are to complete a master’s degree in computer security forensics and to gain subsequent experience in the field. Information security is a passion for Zaki and the research project with the Centre for Indo‐Canadian Studies has helped to enhance his abilities at assessing and collating information as well as opening an avenue about research methods and data collection. Zaki‐Al‐Dhamari worked as a Research Assistant for the Centre for Indo‐Canadian Studies. The Canadian Farmworkers' Union: Social Movements and Labour Arrangements In the 1970s, many Canadians were shocked to hear of the woefully unfit working conditions and discrimination of farm labourers, particularly in the Lower Mainland of British Columbia. The labour force was characterised by predominantly new immigrants, most of whom who were women, children, and elders. The working conditions of that time motivated key individuals to instigate a movement to seek justice for these workers. Using archival material and semi‐structured interviews this study focuses on the formation, efforts, and flows of the Canadian Farm Workers Union (CFU) from 1979 until approximately 1993. The CFU was a pivotal group for enhancing farmworkers rights and voice in the province. Despite being widely recognised as a trade union the CFU operated outside of the typical arrangements of traditional trade unions to make their organisational effort possible. The Tour and Try Program Zaki collected, thematized, and statistically graphed the findings of the CICS 2014/15 'Tour and Try' research project. The aim of the project was to investigate student responses to the Sikh Heritage Museum exhibits in order to assess the impact of experiential learning at an ethnographic religious museum amongst middle and high school student. Zaki digitized each document, separated them according to the middle school/high school students and further into the various themes that emerged in the responses to the questionnaires. He created two sets of graphs based on the responses for further analysis. For the one set of graphs, Zaki tallied the qualitative responses from the two sets of students. For the quantitative responses, Zaki thematized each of the responses and grouped them together based on dominant themes that arose. This project reveals that the CFU is better positioned as a social movement than a trade union when examining the evolution of the movement’s strategies, goals, and outcomes. In addition to this project Zaki also initiated research of oral historical literature by creating an annotated bibliography. He researched which scholars and historians work in the area and who have engaged in oral history research projects on South Asian Diaspora in North America. This research contributed to the preliminary work of the CICS book project on the Social History of Sikhs in British Columbia for the last 100 plus years. UFV Undergraduate Research Excellence Awards 2016 20 19 UFV Undergraduate Research Excellence Awards 2016 Ian Hancock Dylan Thiessen Media & Communications Studies Political Science Faculty Supervisor: Darren Blakeborough Program Head: Martha Dow Award: $1,000 Faculty Supervisor and Program Head: Hamish Telford Award: $1,000 I'm graduating from UFV this semester with a BA in English and a minor in Media and Communications. Having planned to become a writer since I was in my teens, I developed an interest in looking trends in media and technology, especially what causes them and their impact on our everyday life. In addition to allowing me to now call it "research" when I watch TV, working on this project refreshed my interest in studying the relationship between entertainment and society and challenged me to gain a deeper understanding of everything I've learned about writing and media. Now that my time at UFV is up, I plan to try find a way to apply my newfound knowledge from within the industry. “Don’t Confuse Daddy” I have completed my Bachelor of Arts degree with a major in political science this past semester, and I will be pursuing an MA at the University of Calgary next year. At UFV, however, I have been fortunate to be able to work very closely with Dr. Hamish Telford throughout my last academic year. I have a particular interest in elections, electoral systems, and issues of representation, and through two directed studies courses, I was able to get very well‐ versed in the literature and pursue a research project of my own. Being able to complete this project added greatly to my degree. Revisiting the Big Shift: Discovering Shifting Ethnic Vote Allegiances through a Microanalysis of the 2011 and 2015 Federal Elections In recent decades, satire has surged to the forefront of popular media culture. While satire is designed, at its core, to provide a critical view of the world and point out society's flaws, a large question in media studies today is whether it can really effect any meaningful social change, especially when it is as ubiquitous as it has become. In this paper, I focused on electoral districts from Brampton and the Fraser Valley in the 2011 and 2015 federal elections, and followed voting patterns within these districts. My interest in doing this was peaked when in 2015 all four Conservative MPs in the Fraser Valley failed to receive a majority of the vote for the first time. I wanted to see if a particular group or groups could be at least partially attributed with the decline in the Conservative Party's popularity. My research looked specifically at how the self‐reflexivity of satirical shows (that is, their ironic acknowledgment of themselves as media) affects the perceptions and expectations of viewers. Using ideas from studies on the emerging trends of media literacy and satirical television programs to analyse a sample episode of The Simpsons, I examined how satire's messages are constructed, delivered, and decoded, as well as their consequences within the wider media landscape. I ended up focusing on South Asian residents, and saw that the Conservative Party had made large gains in popularity with this demographic in 2011. In 2015, however, there was a very clear negative correlation between the proportion of South Asian residents in an area and support for the Conservative Party. Further, the primary party choice for South Asian residents in these areas shifted from the NDP in 2011 to the Liberal Party in 2015. UFV Undergraduate Research Excellence Awards 2016 22 21 UFV Undergraduate Research Excellence Awards 2016 Alison Hughes Laura Funk Psychology Sociology Faculty Supervisor: Lesley Jessiman Program Head: Sven van de Wetering Award: $1,000 Faculty Supervisor: Chantelle Marlor Program Head: Martha Dow Award: $1,000 I completed my BA in Psychology Honours and in September, I will begin my Master of Social Work at UBC Okanagan. Upon completion of my degree, I plan to work in a mental health setting. Engaging in research has allowed me to work independently and develop an appreciation and an understanding of the research process. I was able to further my understanding in a relatively neglected, yet interesting, area of research. My project was inspired by my interest in the many different biopsychosocial changes that occur throughout the lifespan. I am currently pursuing my Bachelor of Arts in Sociology, and would like to obtain a master’s degree in the future. This project allowed me to gain valuable research experience and study a topic that I am interested in. I hope to apply what I have learned in my future studies, and greatly appreciate the feedback and encouragement I have received from my instructors. Hormones and Cognition: An Examination of Emotion Perception, Verbal and Written Fluency and Verbal ShortTerm Working Memory Across the Menstrual Cycle The purpose of this project was to explore the types of factors that motivate individuals to adopt a vegan lifestyle, and to examine whether motivation changes as they become more experienced. My research showed that while individuals generally adopt a vegan diet and lifestyle due to either ethical or health reasons, convictions are strengthened over time and have holistic effects on individuals’ lifestyles. Motives are important in the early stages of adoption in which individuals develop new habits and practices. It was found that distinct motives eventually become unnecessary due to the processes of normalization and impression management. Through these processes, vegan individuals establish new norms and habits, and manage their identity and image as authentic vegans. The individuals in my study used specific language and strategies to explain and justify their beliefs and actions. I examined the role of estrogen and progesterone on key cognitive functions across the menstrual cycle as this remains a relatively neglected area of research. Both males (N = 6) and females (N = 9) were tested four times across the menstrual cycle during the early follicular, late follicular, early luteal and late luteal phases; males do not have a menstrual cycle and thus acted as the control group. We found that female participants in the early luteal phase were significantly better at identifying emotions in faces, and in particular, at identifying the emotion of disgust. Interestingly, in terms of the current literature, these findings were counterintuitive and thus suggest that elevated levels of estrogen and progesterone contribute to better identification of emotions. Studies such as this one are important in furthering our understanding of the role that hormones play in specific cognitive functions. This is indeed applicable to the menopausal population who experience steady declines in both estrogen and progesterone and often report cognitive changes. More recent research has also found an association between hormone changes and dementia and thus this research clearly has important real‐world implications. UFV Undergraduate Research Excellence Awards 2016 23 Beyond the Plate: Motivation, Management and Ideology within Veganism Portraying veganism as unrestrictive and as a personal journey were two important ways in which individuals negotiated common conceptions of vegans. Ultimately my study implicated that within veganism, motives eventually become part of ideology. Individuals gradually adopt a new ideology as they actively engage in the normalization and management of their lifestyle and identity. Thus, veganism is a deeply personal and meaningful experience embedded within the individual. 24 UFV Undergraduate Research Excellence Awards 2016 Delaney Minor Manjot Pandher Seth Stenner Bradley Watson Kinesiology and Physical Education Faculty Supervisors: Kathy Keiver and Alison Pritchard‐Orr Program Head: Alastair Hodges Award: $1,000 Business After 5 amazing years at UFV in the Kinesiology program I am moving on to pursue a career in dentistry and am currently attempting to gain entry to dental graduate programs both in Canada and abroad. Engaging in the FASD research has helped me amalgamate my formal education with practical, “hands on” learning in a community setting. This research project brings together educators, students, and volunteers in an attempt to positively impact children who are affected by FASD. Working closely with dedicated professors and community members has rounded out my UFV educational experience and has driven me to pursue opportunities that will further this type of experiential learning. The FASD Project The ongoing FASD research project investigates the use of physical activity as an intervention for the neurological impairments that are experienced by children who have FASD. Through the use of a physical activity program, children are encouraged to work through a variety of physical tasks that help them improve in domains like balance, accuracy, strength, and cardiovascular fitness. The overall goal of the research is to see if improvements in the physical domains can also affect the neuropsychological domains. The outcomes of the research suggest that physical activity may mitigate the effects of prenatal alcohol exposure with respect to certain aspects of executive functioning like sustained attention and working memory. UFV Undergraduate Research Excellence Awards 2016 25 Faculty Supervisor: David Dobson; Director: Frank Ulbrich Award: $350 each Delaney is working towards her Bachelor in Business Administration, Finance and Accounting options, and wishes to work in the financial industry. Manjot expects to graduate with a degree in Finance and Accounting and eventually become a forensic accountant. Seth plans on graduating with a Finance degree and will pursue a CFA designation for a career in investment advising. Researching here at UFV has developed our professional skills and presented us with numerous opportunities for growth. We chose this project because undergraduate students, like us, use websites like RateMyProfessors.com when choosing courses, and we wanted to see if this was a reliable resource. The Truth Behind RateMyProfessors.com This study involved a random sample of 100 professors from RateMyProfessors.com (RMP) to test independent variables against ratings, using SPSS software. We found that the ratings on RMP are not solely dependent on professors’ performance. Our significant findings were (1) students who reported an ‘A’ grade rate professors higher than students who reported ‘C’ and ‘D’ grades, (2) male professors were reported to give more ‘A’ grades than female professors, but there is no difference between ratings for male and female professors, (3) students with higher interest in the course material rate their professors higher, and (4) college professors receive higher ratings than university professors. In conclusion, RMP is not a reliable source for students when deciding courses since there are outside factors that influence students’ ratings. 26 UFV Undergraduate Research Excellence Awards 2016 Susan Hunt Jessica Warkentin Child, Youth & Family Studies Social Work & Human Services Faculty Supervisor: Christine Slavik; Program Head: Maple Melder Crozier Award: $1,000 Faculty Supervisor: Leah Douglas Director: John Hogg Award: $1,000 After 21 years as a Child and Youth Care practitioner in a front line role, I have shifted my focus to working alongside community partners in program development and mentoring other CYC practitioners. This led me to return to school to earn my Child and Youth Care degree. I was given the opportunity to participate in a unique research based project for my 4th year practicum which enhanced my academic experience and deepened my learning in an exciting new path. This experience has opened many doors and provided incredible opportunities in my professional growth and future career aspirations. I am excited and motivated as I pursue a master’s degree within my field of study. Jessica is graduating with her Bachelor of Social Work from UFV in June 2016. Throughout her degree, she has integrated the arts into social work and is passionate about further combining art with future social work research and practice. After graduation, she will be working with International Justice Mission as an aftercare intern in South‐east Asia for a year before pursuing graduate studies. Incorporating the Principles of Trauma Informed Care into Practice: An Evidence Based Evaluation of Service Delivery The organization involved in this study provides an extensive array of services to youth aged 12‐18 years in BC who have significant emotional, behavioural, and psychiatric difficulties. In recognition that incorporating a trauma informed approach is an essential component to developing programs, the organization embarked on an in‐depth evaluation of its service delivery. Together the team co‐ created a shift in practice that supported the translation of trauma‐ informed principles into practice and developed valid and measurable methods for evaluation through the adoption of a participatory action framework. Creating a formalised process that followed a model of qualitative research resulted in the development of clear strategies to shift practice in measurable ways that aligned with best practice in the field. The feedback substantiated that the shift in practice was effective in cultivating an environment of safety, choice and collaboration for clients as well as enhancing trauma awareness amongst professionals and families. UFV Undergraduate Research Excellence Awards 2016 27 What is the current state of use, knowledge, barriers, and training of meta--verbal therapies in social work practice in British Columbia? My research project aims to gain insight through a survey into how social workers are integrating arts‐based interventions into their practice. Based on my literature review and experience, I found that arts‐based interventions were effective for healing trauma, decreasing anxiety, and reaching past verbal into the subconscious. However, not enough is known about how effective expressive therapies are in social work practice. The goal of my research is to stimulate discussion into the possibilities of restructuring social work education, research, and practice in order to better equip social workers to work with meta‐ verbal therapies (therapies that go beyond words into the expressive arts). 28 UFV Undergraduate Research Excellence Awards 2016 Aneet Bains Miranda Louwerse Biology Chemistry Faculty Supervisor: James Bedard Program Head: Anthony Stea Award: $1,000 Faculty Supervisors: Noham Weinberg Program Head: David Fenske Award: $1,000 I am graduating this year with a Bachelor of Science Degree (Major in Biology), abundant leadership experience gained through involvement at UFV, numerous community service endeavors and three semesters of rewarding independent research work in the field of Bioinformatics. Gene annotation provided me with an opportunity to apply the concepts and theory learned in undergraduate courses to a practical project. This research experience allowed me to work and learn independently as well as solve problems critically. Through this experience, I have gained skills that I can use and develop on as I pursue Masters at the School of Population and Public Health at UBC this fall. I first heard about the Molecular Modelling lab after my first year at UFV and was intrigued by the potential to solve chemical problems through mathematical means. I started research in the lab last summer and have enjoyed applying what I have learned in my chemistry and math courses in different contexts. After finishing my Bachelor of Science next year, I plan to study physical chemistry in graduate school. Gene annotation of contig 32 on the dot chromosome of Drosophila ficusphila The transition state (TS) is the point in a chemical reaction where the reactants “transition” into the products. For reactions of large, flexible molecules, the TS can be difficult to determine computationally. The effect of high pressure on these reactions can be expressed in the form of a logarithmic pressure derivative, known as activation volume, which is the difference in volume between the TS and the reactant species. Using molecular dynamics (MD) simulations, we can build a volume profile along a reaction coordinate. If the TS is unknown, it can be found from the experimental activation volume by locating it on the MD‐generated volume profile. We applied this approach to identify the TS for the rotation of the phenyl ring subsystem inserted in the hydrocarbon macrocycle in cis‐1,12‐dimethoxy[12]‐paracyclophane. The resulting TS structures agree with those calculated from a free energy profile. The success of this method on a smaller flexible system is promising for application to larger processes, such as protein unfolding. The new and expanding field of genomics allows biologists to study entire genomes and track genomic changes among related species. As DNA sequencing is becoming cheaper and the genomes of various species are being sequenced, more and more projects are becoming available for biologists to study. Once the genome of a species is sequences, the next step is to annotate. The process of gene annotation involves identifying key features of a DNA sequence and determining which features are likely to be genes. I completed the annotation and analysis of a 45,000 base pair portion of the D. ficusphila dot chromosome in collaboration with the Genomics Education Partnership Society (Washington University, St. Louis). GEP’s goal is to annotate the genomes of several Drosophila species while using comparative genomics to compare the genome of the species being studied to a reference species. Thus comparative analysis allows for a better understanding of conservation of genes between two different Drosophila species. UFV Undergraduate Research Excellence Awards 2016 29 Volume Profiles for Conformational Changes: Application to Internal Rotation of cis-1,12dimethoxy[12]paracyclophane 30 UFV Undergraduate Research Excellence Awards 2016 Thank you Thank you to the family and friends who support our students with patience, encouragement, and sustenance! Special thanks to the dedicated faculty and staff who connect with and mentor our students enabling them to grow beyond their goals. Your contribution to student success is immeasurable! I tell you what gives satisfaction in life: you plant a seed and years later, you see that something is growing...You are getting a flower out of it. Sonja Bata, Founder of the Bata Shoe Museum UFV Undergraduate Research Excellence Awards 2016 31 32 UFV Undergraduate Research Excellence Awards 2016